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Monday, January 31, 2011

Debian 6.0: Stability and Power to the People — Datamation.com

Debian 6.0: Stability and Power to the People

January 31, 2011
By

Bruce Byfield





Debian official releases are more rare than releases of other distributions, but tend to matter less to users. Judging by the second release candidate, Debian 6.0 will be no exception. In other words, the new release should deliver the usual ultra-reliability, and serve as a solid basis not only for Debian itself, but also the countless other distros that will depend upon it, including Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

Debian releases tend to matter less to users because, with the exception of system administrators or the security-conscious, few users stay with the Stable release. Most tend to pick and choose new features from the Testing or the Unstable repositories, which, despite their names, are generally stable enough for most purposes. For such users, stable releases are just another upgrade, interesting chiefly as a snapshot of Debian policy and development over the last few years -- and that is as true of Debian 6.0 as its predecessors.

The Outcome of Policy Debates

For anyone who follows the Debian mailing lists even desultorily, Debian 6.0 can be seen as the outcome of two longstanding debates.

Debian has always supported more computer architectures than most distributions. Debian 6.0, for instance, officially supports eight, including 32- and 64-bit versions, SPARC, and PowerPC. With this kind of extensive coverage, it seems a sign of the times that Debian no longer officially supports the HP PA-RISC architecture, and has replaced the ARM architecture with the ARM EABI.

The dropped architectures may continue to be developed, but their change of status indicates that the Debian project as a whole no longer includes them in the list of what must be ready before an official release -- in other words, that they are no longer important to users.

Unofficially, Debian 6.0 is also including a GNU/kFreeBSD port, marking the first time that a GNU/Linux distribution has supported a non-Linux kernel.

Even more importantly, Debian 6 defaults to a free kernel. That means that the standard proprietary firmware drivers are not included in the standard kernel, and have been moved to the non-free section of repositories -- a typical Debian solution that lets it join the ranks of free distributions, while letting users make up their minds on the degree of freedom they want in their installations. Those who want or need the proprietary firmware can either opt to install it during installation, or else watch for builds that include them.

Debian 6

Advanced Choices for Everyone

On the technical side, Debian 6.0 puts to rest one longstanding myth while perpetuating another.

The myth that is put to rest is that Debian is hard to install. While true a decade ago, that myth has been coming less and less true with the last few releases, but, in Debian 6.0, the distribution now has a polished installer that gives users the opportunity for fine-tuned control while remaining simple enough that even new users should have no trouble understanding what they are doing.

Like earlier versions, this installer clearly lays out its stages, and allows users to retrace their steps as necessary -- or even open a terminal if problems cannot be solved any other way. However, the latest version of the installer has improved explanations of steps and online help, as well as defaults that should work for most users. Moreover, it is backed by the most comprehensive release notes that I have ever seen.

With this support, the installer can offer an impressive set of choices for those who want them. Packages can be selected according to the intended function of the installation -- for instance, desktop environment, or file server or laptop. While dropping ReiserFS, partitioning includes both a choice of ext2, ext3, ext4, btrfs, JFS and XFS filesystems (sensibly defaulting to ext 3 as the best combination of mature features and stability), and multiple partitions (either placing /home on a separate partition, or sub-dividing a drive into root, /home /usr, /var, and /temp partitions.


Page 1 of 3



Read more...
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3922806/Debian-60-Stability-and-Power-to-the-People.htm

Don

EyeBrain Announces Availability Of Its Eye-Tracking Device For Earlier Diagnosis Of Parkinson-Plus Diseases

Parkinson's Disease News

EyeBrain Announces Availability Of Its Eye-Tracking Device For Earlier Diagnosis Of Parkinson-Plus Diseases

Main Category: Parkinson's Disease
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 26 Jan 2011 - 1:00 PST

EyeBrain, a developer of medical devices for the early diagnosis of neurological diseases, today announced that its eye-tracking system (Mobile Eye Brain Tracker or Mobile EBT) is now available on the market for the detection of Parkinson-plus diseases. The device has already been used on around 100 patients to test for these syndromes. Results have shown that eye movements provide a more accurate early diagnosis than traditional clinical examinations.

The company's device is currently the only medical device to offer early diagnosis for a number of neurological diseases based on eye movements of patients. Furthermore, the Mobile EBT is non-invasive and costs less than regularly used imaging techniques, such as MRI or x-rays. It was developed in conjunction with La Pitié-Salpêtrière neurology team in Paris.

Parkinson-plus syndromes are a group of neurodegenerative diseases featuring the classical features of Parkinson's with additional features that distinguish them from simple idiopathic Parkinson's disease. They represent 15 per cent of Parkinson syndromes, and they are usually more rapidly progressive and less likely to respond to anti-parkinsonian medication than Parkinson's disease. As these disorders are very difficult to diagnose at an early stage, neurologists usually wait for a minimum of two years before they can provide a final diagnosis.

Read More...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/214692.php

Parkinson's Disease (PD)
parkinson's - Google Search
Signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
National Parkinson Foundation - Home
Parkinson's Disease News from Medical News Today
Parkinson's Disease Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Parkinson's Disease: MedlinePlus
Parkinson's Disease - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Parkinson's Disease - NY Times Health Information
Parkinson's Disease Symptoms - Parkinson's Disease Health Information - NY Times Health
Parkinson's Disease Center: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes, Tests, Diagnosis, and Prognosis
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?
EyeBrain Announces Availability Of Its Eye-Tracking Device For Earlier Diagnosis Of Parkinson-Plus Diseases
Don

Egypt Turns to Sole Provider, Dial-Up for Internet Access | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

January 31, 2011 01.12pm EST

Egypt Turns to Sole Provider, Dial-Up for Internet Access

Internet and SMS access in Egypt remained spotty or non-existent Monday. Though one provider appears to be live, those without access to this ISP are reportedly turning to more old-school options – from dial-up Internet to paper leaflets.

Internet monitoring firm Renesys said Friday that the Noor Group was still live in Egypt, with inbound transit from Telecom Italia. Renesys observed at the time in a blog post that the Egyptian Stock Exchange was live at a Noor address, and speculated that the Egyptian government allowed the ISP to remain live so that the country's markets could open this week. Reuters said Monday, however, that the exchange will remain closed Tuesday for the third day in a row.

French newspaper Le Monde, however, pointed out that Noor provides services to large, multi-national companies like Coca-Cola, Canon, Ernst & Young, Microsoft, FedEx, and Exxon Mobil.

"Because of this, Noor is likely considered to be an important economic asset and will probably continue operating throughout this crisis," News Grange wrote Sunday. "We have to wonder, though, why the company wasn't able to keep these business services up and running and cut its regular subscribers off at the same time."

Noor serves about 8 percent of the Egyptian population, Le Monde said. On its Web site, Noor said it serves 27 major governorates throughout Egypt and provides multiple international gateway options through Europe and the United States.

For those without access to Noor, however, the French Data Network (FDN) is providing those with landlines access to dial-up networks.

"Because this is definitely [an] open attack from a state against [the] Internet, FDN has decided to open a small window on the network by giving access to anyone interested a modem access account," FDN said in a statement on its Web site.

The service will work for anyone with an analog land line that is capable of calling France, FDN said. The phone number and password is available on its blog.

Read More...
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2378969,00.asp

Don

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Project Blog

Friday, January 28, 2011

The mail notifier

In order to ease the work for the local postmen in Denmark where I live, the government decided that apartment complexes should install mailboxes on the ground level, so the postmen would not have to run up and down stairs many thousand times a day. This is a good deal for the postmen, however it also means that I have to check my mailbox daily if I want to be up to date with the mail I receive. The dilemma is this: I could go and check my mailbox daily, but if my mailbox is empty that would be a waste of time and just plan irritating. On the other hand if I only check my mail say every 3 days then I might miss something urgent that needs my attention.

So I decided to build a small system that could notify me whenever someone had dropped something in my mailbox. To ease the build I brought a cheep wireless doorbell for its wireless capabilities. The plan was simple. Mount the transmitter part on the inside of the mailbox and extend the pushbutton with some wires and a microswitch to detect when the lid is open. The “new mail” notification would then be handled by means of a blinking LED on the doorbell receiver unit placed in my apartment.
To remember if the mailbox lid had been opened I made a electronic flip-flop that was set when the lid is opened and reset when a small reset pushbutton was pressed.


This is the logic schematic for the little addon board I made for the doorbell unit.

Read more...
http://mimeproject.blogspot.com/

This is a pretty neat setup. I would like to have one for my Mail Box too. Even though I live in a Rural Area with the Mail Box at the Curb. No Stairs to climb. But hey, sometimes it Cold Out Side!;)

Don

Linear Technology - LTpowerCAD Downloads and Updates

LTpowerCAD is updated with new features and performance enhancements on
a regular basis. To receive email notification whenever a new LTpowerCAD
version is released, just register as a Linear Insider today. In
addition to LTpowerCAD news and updates, you'll receive notification of
new product releases, the latest technical documents and more.

Go there and Download...
http://www.linear.com/designtools/software/ltpowercad.jsp

Don

Linear Technology - Linear Home Page

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LT3575 LT3575 - Isolated Flyback Converter without an Opto-Coupler
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New         Technical Documents

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Complete product specifications and more

LTspice Circuit Collection

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Design Notes

Specific design ideas and circuit tips

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In depth look at theory, design, and applications

LT Magazine

A quarterly magazine of in depth product discussions

Solutions Brochures

Comprehensive solutions guides for specific end markets

Product Press Releases

New product annoucements

Go there...
http://www.linear.com/

Don

Linear Technology - LTspice IV Downloads and Updates

LTspice IV is a powerful free analog and mixed signal circuit simulation
and schematic capture tool offering unmatched performance, speed and
ease of use. LTspice is updated with new features, performance
enhancements and device models on a regular basis. To receive email
notification whenever a new LTspice IV version is released, just
register as a Linear Insider today. In addition to LTspice IV news and
updates, you'll receive notification of new product releases, the latest
technical documents and more.

Go there and Download...
http://www.linear.com/designtools/software/ltspice.jsp

Don

element14: Video: The PIR Sensor - Motion Activated Art

Jeri Ellsworth
Up to Videos in Jeri Ellsworth
Currently Being Moderated
Posted on Jan 28, 2011 by Jeri Ellsworth

The PIR Sensor - Motion Activated Art

In response to a viewer request Jeri Ellsworth designs a circuit for generating music, sound effects and motion control for an art installation.  It uses the unique properties of the passive infrared sensor to detect motion and direction of people in the room.

 

Used in the project:

Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR)

TI launchPad MSP430

Opamps

Gear reduced motors

MIDI Devices



Go there See Video...
http://www.element-14.com/community/videos/1718

The PIR Sensor - Motion Activated Art
Jeri getting her own show? - Hack a Day
element14: Group: Jeri Ellsworth
element14: Video: The PIR Sensor - Motion Activated Art
Linear Technology - LTspice IV Downloads and Updates
Don

Flash - FedoraProject

Flash

From FedoraProject

Jump to: navigation, search

This page contains information on Flash, a proprietary format for delivering audio and video content, primarily over the Internet.

Contents

[hide]

Flash is non-free/proprietary software

Adobe's Flash plugin cannot be included in Fedora because it is not free/libre and open source software. Adobe does release a version of the Flash plugin for Linux, and this can be used in Firefox, Konqueror and other popular Internet browsers. When Adobe releases a newer version of the Linux Flash plugin, it makes packages available for Fedora, but Fedora cannot include Adobe's plugin as long as it is unavailable as free and open source software.

Free alternatives to Adobe Flash
There is a free and open source alternative called Gnash available in Fedora's package repositories. Gnash can play flash videos but the audio portion of Flash is often under the MP3 format which is patent encumbered. Since Gnash uses Gstreamer, you can get additional codecs from other third party repositories but Fedora unfortunately cannot include them. There is also another free and open source alternative called Lightspark. Scroll below for more details on installing Gnash. There are other open alternatives to Flash itself, including the patent unencumbered and free WebM, Ogg Theora video and Ogg Vorbis audio formats. Fedora has complete support for such open formats, and Fedora includes a version of Firefox web browser that plays Ogg files directly, without any need of third party and proprietary browser plugins.

YouTube and WebM support

Google has recently open sourced the VP8 video format and combined it with Ogg Vorbis audio and an adaptation of the Matroska container, creating a new format for free and open video and audio called WebM. YouTube is switching over to using WebM extensively and Fedora has embraced this format as well.

Updates to the GStreamer multimedia framework in Fedora 13 and Fedora 12 enable users to play many YouTube videos directly without Flash via browsers such as Epiphany and Midori, which use Gstreamer. Fedora 12 users also need the webkitgtk update.

Once you have the updates installed, to enable support for it in YouTube, go to http://youtube.com/html5 and click on "Join the HTML5 Beta" link in the bottom of that page. Note that all videos are not available in WebM format yet, but this is expected to happen over time. Here is a sample video for testing. Fedora 14 will have more extensive support for WebM by default.

Enabling Flash plugin

Adobe offers several methods to install their 32-bit Flash 10 plugin. In general, the YUM version is preferred, since it allows the plugin to be updated automatically through Fedora's normal update mechanism. The YUM version simply installs the repository configuration files, after which you must install the Flash plugin separately.

To begin, refer to the Adobe site at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/. Select YUM for Linux to download, and confirm (or the .tar.gz version for the 64 bit alpha; see bottom).

This will download the adobe-release-i386-1.0-1.noarch.rpm file. Installation of the repository file adobe-linux-i386.repo to /etc/yum.repos.d/ can be performed by installing the .rpm file. Issue the following command within the directory where you have downloaded the repository rpm file.

su -c 'rpm -ivh adobe-release-i386-1.0-1.noarch.rpm' 

The .rpm file also copies the adobe General Public Key (GPG key) to /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-adobe-linux but does not import it. To import the key, type:

su -c 'rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-adobe-linux' 

The system is now ready to fetch rpm packages from adobe using yum. To verify this, take a look at the /etc/yum.repos.d/adobe-linux-i386.repo file that was just created. You should see something similar to the following:

[adobe-linux-i386] name=Adobe Systems Incorporated baseurl=http://linuxdownload.adobe.com/linux/i386/ enabled=1 gpgcheck=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-adobe-linux 

Notice that the file contains the URL where the packages are located, whether or not the repository should be enabled, whether rpm should check downloaded packages from adobe against the GPG key, and the location of the key itself.


Now proceed to either the instructions for 32-bit (i386) platforms or 64-bit (x86_64) platforms.

On 32-bit Fedora

After completing the Adobe repository configuration, run the following command to install the Flash plugin and ensure sound is enabled:

su -c 'yum install nspluginwrapper alsa-plugins-pulseaudio flash-plugin' 

You may see messages indicating that some of these packages are already installed. This is not a problem. (In particular, a default graphical install of 32-bit Fedora already includes both nspluginwrapper and alsa-plugins-pulseaudio.)

Next, you should check the plugin.

On 64-bit Fedora

32 bit wrapped version

These instructions will install a 32-bit plugin that will work with the 64-bit browser by being "wrapped" with nspluginwrapper.

After completing the Adobe repository configuration, run the following two commands, in the order indicated, to install the Flash plugin and ensure sound is enabled. The first command will automatically pull in the 32-bit version of libstdc++, which will prevent the Adobe Reader from being pulled in as a dependency when flash-plugin is installed (see this thread for an explanation).

The Adobe repository is only needed when running the second command. If the Adobe repository configuration is completed after running the first command, then omit the --disablerepo option.

For Fedora 10:

su -c 'yum install nspluginwrapper.{x86_64,i386} alsa-plugins-pulseaudio.i386 --disablerepo=adobe-linux-i386' su -c 'yum install flash-plugin' 

For Fedora 11:

su -c 'yum install nspluginwrapper.{x86_64,i586} alsa-plugins-pulseaudio.i586 --disablerepo=adobe-linux-i386' su -c 'yum install flash-plugin' 

For Fedora 12 or later:

su -c 'yum install nspluginwrapper.{x86_64,i686} alsa-plugins-pulseaudio.i686 --disablerepo=adobe-linux-i386' su -c 'yum install flash-plugin' 

You may see messages indicating that some of these packages are already installed. This is not a problem. (In particular, a default graphical install of 64-bit Fedora already includes nspluginwrapper.x86_64.)

Next, you should check the plugin.

64-bit Preview Release

Adobe also has a Preview Release version of a 64-bit plugin.

64-bit plugin may be subject to security issues
The 64-bit plugin, as a beta, is updated less frequently than the 32-bit plugin, and Adobe does not commit to issuing security updates for it. It may happen, and in several cases already has happened, that there is a known, serious vulnerability in Flash, and an update is issued to fix the 32-bit plugin, but not the 64-bit plugin. If you are going to install the Adobe plugin at all, it is highly recommended to keep a close eye on security alerts, and seriously consider running the 32-bit plugin wrapped (see above) rather than the 64-bit plugin.
No automatic security updates for tarball installs
If the .tar.gz install method is used, you must manually check the Adobe site for new releases.
Broken sound with 64-bit plugin in Fedora 14
There is a known bug in the 64-bit Flash plugin which results in distorted sound when using it on Fedora 14. Please see this common bugs entry for more details. The recommended workaround is to use the 32-bit plugin instead, which is also recommended for security reasons (see above).

To install the Adobe tar.gz file, you will need to do the following:

First, download the .tar.gz version from Adobe: http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flashplayer10_square.html

Next, use "tar -xvf" to extract libflashplayer.so and put it in either in /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins/ or ~/.mozilla/plugins/. For example:

tar -xvf flashplayer10_2_p3_64bit_linux_111710.tar.gz

Followed by:

su -c 'mv libflashplayer.so /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins'


If SELinux is enabled (it is by default), please restore the context with:

su -c 'restorecon /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so'

Next, you should check the plugin.

Third Party Repository

Alternately, a third-party yum repository for the 64-bit Adobe Flash plugin is available from community member leigh123linux. The forum thread for this effort is here. To install the yum repository, one would issue:

sudo /bin/rpm -Uhv http://www.linux-ati-drivers.homecall.co.uk/flashplayer.x86_64/flash-release-1-2.noarch.rpm 

Be sure to check the GPG key fingerprint against a trusted source. It is assumed this repository will post updates as they become available, but as with any repo be aware you are delegating your system security to a third party. To install the flash plugin, remove old versions (especially i586) if necessary, then install from the repository:

sudo /usr/bin/yum remove flash-plugin sudo /usr/bin/yum install flash-plugin 

Checking the plugin

After the installation, exit all copies of Firefox and start it again to enable the plugin. Then type the following text in the Firefox address bar:

about:plugins 

A section similar to the following should appear:

Image:Flash-check-2.png

This information tells you that the Adobe Flash plugin has been successfully installed.


Also check the Adobe Flash Player test page

Installing the plugin on Chrome

Follow all of the instructions above. Then:

- create a Chrome plugin folder:

sudo mkdir /opt/google/chrome/plugins 

- on 32-bit, create a symbolic link that tells Chrome how to find the 32-bit plugin:

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so /opt/google/chrome/plugins/libflashplayer.so 

- on 64-bit, create a symbolic link that tells Chrome how to find the 64-bit plugin:

- run Mozilla Firefox once so that it creates /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins-wrapped/nswrapper_32_64.libflashplayer.so

sudo ln -s /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins-wrapped/nswrapper_32_64.libflashplayer.so /opt/google/chrome/plugins/nswrapper_32_64.libflashplayer.so 


- Exit all Chrome windows and restart Chrome.

- In the Chrome address bar, type "about:plugins" to check whether the plugin loaded. You may have to re-run Chrome with the --enable-plugins command line switch to force Chrome to re-scan its plugins folder.

Installing the plugin on Chromium

Follow all of the instructions in the Enabling Flash Plugin section. Then:

- on 32-bit, create a symbolic link that tells Chromium how to find the 32-bit plugin:

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so /usr/lib/chromium-browser/plugins/libflashplayer.so 

- on 64-bit, create a symbolic link that tells Chromium how to find the 64-bit plugin:

- run Mozilla Firefox once so that it creates /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins-wrapped/nswrapper_32_64.libflashplayer.so

sudo ln -s /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins-wrapped/nswrapper_32_64.libflashplayer.so /usr/lib64/chromium-browser/plugins/nswrapper_32_64.libflashplayer.so 

- Exit all Chromium windows and restart Chromium.

- In the Chromium address bar, type "about:plugins" to check whether the plugin loaded. You may have to re-run Chromium with the --enable-plugins command line switch to force Chromium to re-scan its plugins folder.

Troubleshooting and notes

SELinux problems

In some cases, nspluginwrapper produces SELinux AVC errors, some of which may prevent viewing Flash content. Changing the relevant SELinux boolean may resolve this problem, but eliminates a great deal of additional security when using nspluginwrapper. To make the change, run the following command:

su -c 'setsebool -P allow_unconfined_nsplugin_transition=0' 

libflashsupport deprecated

The libflashsupport package is no longer needed with Flash 10 and has been removed from Fedora. The Flash plugin now calls the appropriate ALSA functions directly, and in the default configuration ALSA delivers sound to PulseAudio.

Sound distorted in Fedora 14

A recent change to glibc in Fedora 14 has exposed a bug in the 64 bit Flash plugin that causes sound distortion on some videos. Discussion of what to do about it is ongoing as of 2010-11-17. For details and workarounds, see bug 638477.

After Fedora upgrade/preupgrade

To regenerate wrapper previously generated by nspluginwrapper you need to remove the old one:

su -c 'rm /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins-wrapped/nswrapper_32_64.libflashplayer.so'

Please, restart your browser after this.

Installing Gnash

Fedora includes a free and open source Flash player called Gnash. Gnash is very modular and includes plugins for Mozilla and Konqueror as well as a desktop player. You likely want the Mozilla plugin.

Use PackageKit or run the following as root user

 yum install gnash-plugin 

If you use Konqueror as your web browser,

 yum install gnash-klash 

If you would like to have a desktop flash player,

 yum install gnash 

Note that Flash often relies on MP3 for audio and Fedora cannot include support for it since it is a patent encumbered format. Gnash uses the Gstreamer multimedia framework and hence additional multimedia codecs can be installed separately. Third party repositories might provide such codecs.

Go there...
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Flash

Don

Friday, January 28, 2011

Building linear amplifier prototypes - Hack a Day

Building linear amplifier prototypes

posted Jan 28th 2011 2:00pm by Mike Szczys
filed under: radio hacks

We know way too little about this subject but hopefully [Bob4analog] helped us learn a little bit more this time around. He’s building his own linear amplifiers on what looks like sheets of MDF. This is an evolving design and the two videos after the break show two different iterations. He’s salvaged several components, like transformers from microwaves, as well as built his own components like the plate choke to the right of the tubes in the image above. In standby, the amp sits at 2800 volts, warming the filament before the unit is switched on.

So what’s he got planned for this? Good question, but it appears that there’s more than enough power to drive a long-range transmitter.

First iteration: two tubes

Second iteration: single tube

[via Make]


572B Breadboard Linear Amplifier


Video Link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB8cVwZyVmc&feature=player_embedded


His Channel bob4analog...
http://www.youtube.com/user/bob4analog#p/a/u/0/zB8cVwZyVmc

tagged: , , , , ,

Go there...
http://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/building-linear-amplifier-prototypes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hackaday%2FLgoM+%28Hack+a+Day%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Wow! This guy must be a Radio or TV Station Engineer!:) I worked as a Master Control Operator at a local TV Station for a while. And we did the Switching in the Antenna Tower Building where the Transmitter Equipment was located. It was cool just setting there looking at all of that Equipment and listening to the Hum, while the shows were playing. All I really ever learned about the actual Transmitter was how to take the nightly readings and turn the Power up and down as needed. That and much respect for our Engineer and to now realize just what an accomplishment building his own linear amplifiers is!:) I'm an Audio Video Production Guy... both Live Mixing for Concerts and Recording Music. So, I was able to contribute one good suggestion on the Audio Setup. They were using an Ancient 4 Channel Sure Microphone Mixer for the Audio Out to the Live TV Signal. This was pretty hard to use, since we were Manually Starting the Tapes, while hitting the Buttons on the Switcher (just a Rack Mounted in Line Switcher), with the other hand always on the Sure Mic Mixer to try and keep the Differences in the Recorded Volumes on the Tapes form Blasting the TV Watching Public!:O I suggested a small Mackie Mixer and an Automatic Audio Level Control like they already had on a Radio Stations Automated Control Setup in the Rack (There were a couple of Radio Stations Renting Space on the Transmitter). This made the Audio Mixing allot easier and made the Station Sound allot Better too!;)

Don

Wireless electricity enables next generation of annoying packaging - Hack a Day

Wireless electricity enables next generation of annoying packaging

posted Jan 28th 2011 3:00pm by Mike Szczys
filed under: wireless hacks

Yep, these cereal boxes light up. They’re using a new branded-technology called eCoupling that provides electricity via induction, which means the shelves have a coil with AC power running through it. The “printed coils” on the boxes allow inventory control and data exchange presumably thanks to a low-power microcontroller. But in the video after the break you can see that the printed lighting on the boxes lets them flash parts of the box art as a way to attract customers’ attention. We’d bet that they’re using electroluminescent materials but we weren’t able to get find specifics on how this is done. We just hope advertisers don’t start rolling noise-makers into their packaging.

[Crave via Laughing Squid]


eCoupled induction powered cereal packet


Link to Video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F7oMIM6Vjtg


Comments [27] tagged: , , , , , ,


Go there...
http://hackaday.com/2011/01/28/wireless-electricity-enables-next-generation-of-annoying-packaging/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hackaday%2FLgoM+%28Hack+a+Day%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Annoyed by adverts? Troubled by tracking? Bothered by Banners? Do you have Seizures Just trying to Shop in your Local Grocery Store? Comming Soon!:)...  Install Adblock Plus (Into Your Brain) now to regain control of Your Super Market! Ya, we Wished!:O

Don

My Hamilton Beach 31160b Toaster Oven Timer Replacement Research


My Hamilton Beach 31160b Toaster Oven Timer Replacement Research

My Toaster Oven timer is Bad. I have watched it slowly go bad over time. Until now you could turn the timer Switch Back and Forth for a while and get it to make connection and turn on the Toaster Oven Again. The Timer Part still works. That Annoying Ticking and loud Ding still works just fine:O But no Power Light comes on now and the Heating Elements wont heat up. So, I know it is the Switch Portion of the Timer - Switch that is bad. Here's a couple of good Ideas, that I have found so far... I hadn't thought of a plain ol light switch. I was thinking of a nice looking toggle switch... maybe one with a nice red or blue light. But I have several brand new regular light switches in the Garage... Still, what I really want is a real timer switch. I found one that is said to work on this page... http://www.fixya.com/support/r4707909-timer_switch_failures And a couple of stores on Google Shopping that sell them. But, I have hated that loud ticking sound and the horribly loud Ding! When it is done, ever since we first got the thing... What I would like to find is an electronic timer switch. I would prefer just a twist knob, but a punch in number pad would work too. If it was small enough for the space on my Hamilton Beach 31160b Toaster Oven. Any Ideas there? I found several different switched that could be used. But, only 2 that are actually for Toaster Ovens. I know they are out there and that there are allot of switches of the same type for other applications that would work... But I had no luck finding them after several hours of searching. So, I'm taking a break from this for now. Will Probably Take the Toaster Oven Apart tomorrow. Like I use to Always do first back in the Olden Days... Before the Internet;)

Don

intro$1 solution for a broken toaster oven timer !

I hate throwing away an otherwise perfectly functional things, just because one part fails.
When the timer of my Oster toaster oven died, it's perfect time to do some hacking.

If your wind-up timer wouldn't DING either, this is for you !
$1                 solution for a broken toaster oven timer !
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step 1Remove timer switch

Open up the oven. Check that it has only 2 wires connected to the switch.
Pull knob off from the front and remove any housing screws.
Remove timer switch
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Read More...
http://www.instructables.com/id/1-solution-for-a-broken-toaster-oven-timer-/step4/Reassemble-everything-again/?newComment=true#POST

Timer Switch Failures

posted on May 07, 2010

grbullets2
grbullets2
Rank: Master
Rating: 98%, 23 votes

A safe and easy way to fix the appliance is to replace the bad timer switch with a single pole single throw toggle switch. Make sure to get one rated for 20 amp's at 120 volts AC. You will no longer have a timer and you will need to turn the oven on and off manually, but at least you will be able to use the oven and not have to worry about a faulty timer switch overheating! The timers are for convenience only and you have to turn the OVEN feature on and off manually anyway so all you're losing is the timer convenience for toast or whatever and the toggle switches are much safer too. The switches can be purchased at any electrical parts store or at many hardware stores for under $10. A cheap and safe solution to the problem!
If you feel the need for a timer and want to take your chances with a timer switch, there are a couple switches that you can use to replace the DKJ/1-60 switches. They are made for Delonghi toaster ovens and are readily available. One part # is 5218104600. This switch will work the same as the original but it only has about a 15 minute toast timer. Turn counterCW for OVEN ON like the original switch. You may need to use some mounting parts from the old switch depending on your particular oven. Another switch which has a 120 minute timer is part # 5218101800 but may be a little harder to find. Both of these look the same as the DKJ/1-60 and are about the same size with the bell on the back of the switch.

Read More...
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4707909-timer_switch_failures


Here's some of the Timer Swithces that I found. But the Prices on the ones I like the Best are too Close to the Price of a Complete but Cheap Toaster Oven...

DeLonghi Timer for Toaster Oven Model #5218104600



Our Price: $10.95
BUY

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  • Fits Model: EO1260

Go there...
http://www.thegourmetdepotco.com/items/?item=7564


Product Details
GE 60-minute Automatic Shut-Off Timer Switch -                     GE 15069

GE 60-minute Automatic Shut-Off Timer Switch - GE 15069
From General Electric

Price: $17.83

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from and sold by ProMax Commerce

6 new or used available from $15.97

Product Description

GE 60-minute Automatic Shut-Off Timer Switch 15069.


Product Details

  • Brand: General Electric
  • Model: 15069
  • Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .30 pounds

Features

  • Color : white
  • 125 volt
  • Wall switch timer
  • Hard wired wall switch
  • Automatic shut off
Go there... (This is on my Amazon.com Affiliate Site)...
http://astore.amazon.com/dons0e2-20/detail/B002DNAE7Q


Digital Lamp TImer, Intermatic


Item condition: New

Time left: 20d 12h (Feb 18, 201106:31:09 PST)


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Price: US $8.00
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Go there...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Lamp-TImer-Intermatic-/120673771448?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c18b79fb8


0-15 min spst mechanical electronic relay timer 20Amps!


Item condition: New

Time left: 6d 14h (Feb 04, 201109:02:57 PST)

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eBay shield
Go there...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170596415971+&item=170596415971


Sylvania SA155 20 Amp 60-Minute Digital Auto Shut Off Timer

Sylvania SA155 20 Amp 60-Minute Digital                 Auto Shut Off Timer

Turns off lights, Fans, Whirlpools and more One-touch 60 & 30 Minute Auto Countdown Timer Large Illuminated Digital Display On/Off Switch To the Minute digital Accuracy Digital Control Eliminates Noise Memory Saver Recalls Last Setting No Movable Parts Can’t...

Sylvania 60 Minute Off-Timer - SA-155

Electrical Specification: 120VAC, 60Hz. Maximum Load: 20 amps. Type: Single Pole Single Throw (SPST). Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year. Origin: China.

Go there...
http://www.shopwiki.com/_Sylvania+SA155+20+Amp+60-Minute+Digital+Auto+Shut+Off+Timer?o=1045578742&s=3885


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Don