Laser Machine Welding by Peter Vermeeren
Laser machine welding is the joining of two pieces of material, usually metal, but often these days plastics, using a laser beam. A laser is a single phase, or coherent beam of light often seen in science fiction movies, but the development of the laser beam and its application in laser machine... Uses of laser machine welding are becoming commonplace in the computer and consumer electronics industry, in space and aircraft technology and with defense contractors. ... Computer users use laser printers for output rather than old-fashioned methods, and lasers are used for motion detection and...

The Butterfly Effect Part I: Microsoft, Security, and the Developing World by Charles Spencer
Much has been made of the argument in Open Source circles about the benefits that Open Source offers developing countries, as opposed to expensive or pirated versions of Microsoft. Some of the more common arguments run, contra-Microsoft, that the expensive and proprietary software that runs on... Specifically, the impact that computer security has on development when networks are based on pirated, outdated, or generally insecure software. ... After that first class, I returned home and turned on my Internet connection to confirm what I suspected.

Ukraine IT Myths Dispersed by Julia Lukianova
While Ukraine is becoming a new popular IT outsourcing destination, there are still many myths about it and no clear understanding of the opportunities outsourcing to Ukraine can present. Let us look closely at some of those myths and find out whether there is any truth behind them. ... As the recent research conducted by the Ukrainian Democratic Initiatives Fund and Kiev International Sociology Institute has shown, 13.1% of Ukrainians have a computer. ... While a lot of private users may still be using the cheap pirated copies of the most popular software products on their home computers,...

New Device "Stretches" Time? by Alex MacCaskill
Do you always feel short of time? Is 24x7 beginning to feel like 25x8? Who would not want an extra hour a day to deal with all those emails, voice mails and text messages from colleagues? The answer may be at hand. It may seem far-fetched, if not incredible, but after studying the effects of... The aim was to make these devices easily available in public places, at work or at home. ... The capsule is cylindrical in shape, about two metres in diameter, three in height; just large enough for one person of average height to sit down comfortably and dock a laptop computer (on one’s knees, it...

Online Video and Computer Gaming as a Catalyst to Positive Social Function by Gregory Wolfe
With the advent of the cultural phenomenon known broadly as Online Gaming (encompassing both console and PC gaming), a gradual shift has taken place in the public perception of gaming, as well as it's social impact. Needless to say, with Gross Revenues exceeding Hollywood's Box Office income,... University of Wisconsin/Madison Speech Communication professor, Dmitri Williams, argues that online games are becoming a "third place", outside of home and work for informal socialization and the formation of "relationships of status and solidarity." Over the last few years, Williams has published...

iPod vs. Velcro -- Battle of the Super Products by Brandon Cornett
I’m a sucker for a good battle. Not an all-out war, mind you -- just a good tow-to-tow, one-on-one slugfest. Think Holyfield vs. Tyson, Alien vs. Predator, or Ashley Simpson vs. anyone with ears. I’m also a sucker for ingenious products. So in the spirit of combining these passions, I’m acting... iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. ... He and the dog returned home covered with burrs, those prickly plant husks that cling to animal fur as a means of seed distribution. ... But for now, it’s an easy point for Velcro, having endured for nearly 50 years with no end to its...

The History of Video Surveillance – from VCRs to Eyes in the Sky by Lucy P. Roberts
Mention video surveillance and most people think of video cameras mounted in the corners of train stations and banks or private detectives video taping an erring spouse for a messy divorce case. The truth is that the history of video surveillance is much more complex and goes back much farther... In-home use soars with advent of nanny cams As more women went back to full-time careers in the 90’s, digital video surveillance manufacturers found a niche market that hadn’t previously been tapped – monitoring what was going on at home when parents were gone.

Social Considerations for Artificial Intelligence by Noel Anthony Pierre
According to Dennis Gorelik, a single perceived weakness of an AIS (meaning, an artificial intelligence society, consisting of computers trained to 'think') is that it was not born through natural selection as human beings are. But one could view whether this is a disadvantage or an advantage... In WIRED magazine’s new issue, for example, writer Kevin Kelly describes the internet’s home for AI as being a breeding ground for a single consciousness by billions of people and situations. ... We will still have to use our good ol’ noggins, because you can’t eat or drink silicone chips, and what...

Gothic for PC - A Perfect 10? by April Whidden
Back in the early days of my marriage, I had made the mistake of bringing the game Gothic into our home. My husband and I were still in that blissful, honeymoon period and I really had no idea that his addiction for games rivaled only Bobby Brown’s addiction for..well…anything other than games. ... "They are going to release Gothic 3 soon!" he announced merrily, plopping down in front of the computer to check his available RAM, and then my world went black. ... Every once in awhile I’d catch a fleeting glimpse of him, running from the computer to the fridge, and maybe to the bathroom, but...

Computer Work Postures and Injury: The Stress of Reaching for the Mouse, A Doctor's Perspective by Dr. Steve Jones
As we spend increasing amounts of time at our computer workstations, we need to be aware of how the design and arrangement of our equipment can impact our chances of injury. Computer ergonomics is the study and / or implementation of work station design with the purpose of reducing or... Most computer stations are designed in a way that involves the worker operating the computer mouse on a pad on the desk. ... • Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows • Tingling, coldness, night pain or numbness in the hands, especially...