Skimaire High Tech

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

For Sale, Cheap: The Things You Need to Invade a Nation - Businessweek

Thursday, November 17, 2011

turning waste into assets

Avocado seeds a source of natural color

CHICAGO (UPI) -- U.S. food scientists say avocado seeds, typicallyconsidered waste by growers, could yield a natural orange coloring foruse in future food products.

In a study published by the Institute of Food Technologists,researchers found that crushing avocado seeds along with air generatesan orange color usable as a natural food coloring.

The discovery represents a potential added value for avocado growersand companies that process avocado into oil or food products such asguacamole, the researchers said.

While artificial colors are easy to produce and less expensive,consumer desire for more natural products here has led to an increasedeffort to discover new natural alternatives.

Scientists at Penn State say further research is under way intoutilizing the seeds, which account for 16 percent of the weight of anaverage avocado.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" .

Sunridge Lodge "Back to Eden" Quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -

Brant Positive Action Group "a positive community affirmative action group"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Friday, November 11, 2011

Energy use 2011

U.S. energy use subject of report
LIVERMORE, Calif. (UPI) -- U.S. energy use went back up in 2010compared with 2009, which hit a 12-year low in consumption, with most of the increase in fossil fuels, a report said.
Electricity from renewable resources remained fairly constant with anincrease in wind power offset by a modest decline in hydroelectricity,the report by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said.
Wind power jumped from 0.70 quadrillion BTU, or quads, in 2009 to 0.92quads in 2010. (A BTU, or British Thermal Unit, is a unit ofmeasurement for energy).

Biomass energy consumption, mostly in ethanol, rose from 3.88 quads to4.29 quads, the report said.
"We are still seeing the capacity additions from a wind energy boomcome online," said A.J. Simon, an energy systems analyst at thelaboratory who studied data provided by the Energy Department's EnergyInformation Administration. "And renewable fuel mandates are drivingthe consumption of ethanol by cars and trucks."

The majority of energy resources were used in 2010 for electricitygeneration, followed by transportation, industrial, residential andcommercial consumption.
"This is just a snapshot of how the energy system was used," Simonsaid. "Although it doesn't appear to change much from year-to-year,even small shifts can have big consequences for certain sectors of oureconomy."

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

The law of substitution applies to all good things . Bio fuels make economic sense

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnGjfl1QWS4&feature=player_embedded

Monday, October 31, 2011

Auto Build It Site

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So check out AutoBuildIt site builder at <a href="http://autobuilditsite.com">http://autobuilditsite.com</a> and find out more about this great software !

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Fwd: flying machine

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sieg Holle <siegholle@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Subject: flying machine
To:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypIVD85Wk14&feature=player_detailpage

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" .

Sunridge Lodge "Back to Eden" Quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -

Brant Positive Action Group "a positive community affirmative action group"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" .

Sunridge Lodge "Back to Eden" Quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -

Brant Positive Action Group "a positive community affirmative action group"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Friday, October 21, 2011

sieg H has invited you to join SkillPages.

Hi,

Unlock New Opportunities for you and your contacts.

Join me on SkillPages.

sieg H

Invite sent

21 October, 2011

View Your Invitation Now

or login with:

facebook

q-jumpers.tech2@blogger.com was invited to join SkillPages by sieg H. If you don't want to receive these emails from SkillPages in the future, you can unsubscribe. SkillPages, Blackrock Business Park, Dublin, Ireland and 228 Hamilton Avenue, 3rd Floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Sunday, October 09, 2011

new manufacturing

http://www.zeitnews.org/applied-sciences/the-technology-that-changes-everything.html#.TkEgsowYMn4.facebook

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" .

Sunridge Lodge "Back to Eden" Quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -

Brant Positive Action Group "a positive community affirmative action group"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

sunlight break through for solar power?

Artificial 'leaf' could make electricity

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say an artificial "leaf" of silicon can use sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen thatcan be fed into fuel cells to make power.

"You drop it in a glass of water and you walk outside and hold it inthe sun, and you'll start to see bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen,"Daniel Nocera, an MIT professor who led the team that invented thedevice, told The Boston Globe.

The leaf could solve a challenge facing solar power of how to storeenergy produced by the sun so it can be used on cloudy days, thenewspaper said Thursday.

Instead of charging a battery, the energy could be stored as oxygenand hydrogen gases to be later combined in fuel cells to generateelectricity, the researchers said.

The next step, Nocera said, is to scale up the technology to produceenough hydrogen and oxygen for a fuel cell to power a car or home.

He likes the invention for its simplicity, he said.

"I don't have to have anything wired up, I don't have to plug it intoanything," he said. "That's what leaves do: They take sunlight andthey make a wireless current -- like what is happening here."

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" .

Sunridge Lodge "Back to Eden" Quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -

Brant Positive Action Group "a positive community affirmative action group"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Monday, October 03, 2011

UV safe water option

Inexpensive system can disinfect water

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (UPI) -- A new technology using UV light fromsunlight can disinfect drinking water for large parts of the world'spopulation easily and cheaply, U.S. researchers say.

A team of Purdue University researchers says the system, in whichsunlight is captured by a parabolic reflector and focused onto aUV-transparent pipe through which water flows continuously, could helpthe world's 800 million people who lack safe drinking water.

"We've been working on UV disinfection for about 20 years," Ernest R.Blatchley III, a professor of civil engineering, said in a Purduerelease Thursday. "All of our work up until a couple years ago dealtwith UV systems based on an artificial UV source. What we are workingon more recently is using ultraviolet radiation from the sun."

The researchers say there were motivated to develop a practical,inexpensive water-treatment technology for developing nations.

"The water available for people to drink in many developing countrieshasn't been treated to remove contaminants, including pathogenicmicroorganisms," Blatchley said. "As a result, thousands of childrendie daily from diarrhea and its consequences, including dehydration.

"Half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by people who aresickened by the water they drink."

The researchers say their system, costing less than $100 for materials, was able to inactive E. coli bacteria and that improvementsshould prove effective against other deadly pathogens.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Friday, September 30, 2011

Heating fuel review

http://heatingoilshopper.com/resources/residential-heating-oil-environmental-impact"> Residential Heating Oil: What Impact Does it Have on the Environment?

Thursday, September 29, 2011

flexible solar

New material for 'bendable' solar cells

EVANSTON, Ill. (UPI) -- A new material for solar cells -- atransparent conductor made of carbon nanotubes -- could revolutionizethe way solar power is harvested, U.S. scientists say.

The material could be an affordable and flexible alternative tocurrent technology, which is mechanically brittle and reliant on arelatively rare mineral, a release by Northwestern University saidTuesday.

Northwestern researchers said the material's mechanical flexibilitycould allow solar cells to be integrated into fabrics and clothing,creating portable energy for everything from personal electronics tomilitary operations.

Solar cells require a transparent conductor layer that allows light topass into the cell and electricity to pass out, so the conductor mustbe both electrically conductive and optically transparent. Indium tinoxide, the material predominantly in use currently, is mechanicallybrittle and relies on the relatively rare and expensive elementindium.

The Northwestern team has created an alternative to indium tin oxideusing single-walled carbon nanotubes, tiny, hollow cylinders of carbonjust one nanometer in diameter.

Because carbon nanotubes are flexible they could lead to newapplications in solar cells such as military tents incorporating theflexible solar cells into tent material to provide power directly forsoldiers in the field, or the cells could be integrated into clothing,backpacks or purses for wearable electronics.

"With this mechanically flexible technology, it's much easier toimagine integrating solar technology into everyday life, rather thancarrying around a large, inflexible solar cell," materials scientistMark C. Hersam said.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Thursday, September 08, 2011

New material could 'soak' up radioactivity

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (UPI) -- A new material shows promise for trappingand removing pollutants in water, especially heavy metals andradioactive waste, U.S. researchers say.

Present techniques are very effective for removing minerals such ascalcium and magnesium, which occur as positively charged ions in"hard" water, but many heavy metals and other inorganic pollutantsform negatively charged ions in water and are much more difficult toremove, researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said.

Now UCSC chemists have developed a material that can soak upnegatively charged pollutants from water, a university releasereported Tuesday.

The new material could be used to treat polluted water through an ionexchange process similar to water softening, they said.

The researchers are focusing on the use of the material, dubbedSLUG-26, to trap the radioactive metal technetium, a major concern forlong-term disposal of radioactive waste.

Technetium, produced in nuclear reactors, has a half-life of 212,000years and can leach out of solid waste, making groundwatercontamination a serious concern.

"It's a problem because of its environmental mobility, so they neednew ways to trap it," chemistry Professor Scott Oliver said.

"Whether or not [SLUG-26] can be used in the real world is still to beseen, but so far it looks very promising," Oliver said.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Recycled paper may fuel automobiles

NEW ORLEANS (UPI) -- Scientists in Louisiana say they've foundbacteria that can use recycled paper or any cellulose to producebutanol, a biofuel substitute for gasoline.

The new bacterium, dubbed "TU-103," is the first bacterial strain fromnature that can produce butanol directly from cellulose, a TulaneUniversity release said Thursday.

"Cellulose is found in all green plants, and is the most abundantorganic material on earth, and converting it into butanol is the dreamof many," said Tulane researcher Harshad Velankar.

"In the United States alone, at least 323 million tons of cellulosicmaterials that could be used to produce butanol are thrown out eachyear," he said.

As a biofuel, butanol has advantages over ethanol, the researcherssaid, because it can fuel existing motor vehicles without any enginemodifications and can be transported through existing fuel pipelines.

It is also less corrosive and can produce more energy than ethanol,they said.

"In addition to possible savings on the price per gallon, as a fuel,bio-butanol produced from cellulose would dramatically reduce carbondioxide and smog emissions in comparison to gasoline, and have apositive impact on landfill waste," research leader David Mullin said.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

solar development

Paper-thin solar panels made -- on paper

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've developed aflexible and extremely thin solar technology that can be printed onpaper to create a working solar cell.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say thetechnology could allow the solar industry to transition away fromlarge, expensive installations and toward the possibility of easilygenerated renewable electricity almost anywhere, the Los Angeles Timesreported Thursday.

The MIT researchers say vaporous inks made from common elements ratherthan pricey, toxic components like tellurium normally utilized insolar cells can create cells on plain, untreated paper, includingtissue, tracing paper and even newsprint.

The paper can be shaped and folded and still generate electricity whenunfolded, and the cells have proven to be long lasting, theresearchers said.

Current commercial solar options require glass and heavy supportstructures, whereas paper cells could be taped to a wall, attached tolaptops or made into window shades or clothing and even laminated towithstand harsh weather, the researchers said.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

A frontier wow

Brain chip sought to drive paralyzed limbs

SAN DIEGO (UPI) -- Three U.S. universities were given grants to studysensorimotor neural engineering that would allow the brain tocommunicate with prosthetic or paralyzed limbs.

San Diego State University is one of the schools sharing an $18.5million National Science Foundation grant to research chips that couldbe implanted in the brain to send signals to a prosthetic or paralyzedlimb, giving it the full dexterity of an undamaged hand or leg, TheSan Diego Union-Tribune reported Sunday.

Sensors in the limbs would return signals to the brain, sendingsensations of heat and cold or recognizing changes in texture,researchers said.

The five-year grant will be shared between SDSU, the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology and the University of Washington.

"NSF always pursues research at the leading edge," foundationspokesman Josh Chamot said. "We're taking proposals that look forward,that could lead to entirely new concepts and technology, entirely newfields. But the fact is that the people who built up this team alreadyhave research that shows they can accomplish these goals."

Scientists say the research could lead to commercial products to helpwounded veterans, people with spinal cord injuries and those withneurological disorders.

"It's like the Six Million Dollar Man, the bionic man," said Kee Moon,a mechanical engineering professor who will lead SDSU's team.

"We hope, at the end of 10 years, to be able to implant a device onthe brain to drive a prosthetic device in a way that the informationgoes both ways -- from the brain to the device and the device to thebrain," he said.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Friday, June 24, 2011

making better things happen

'Super sand' could improve drinking water

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Australian scientists say ordinary sand, used tofilter and purify drinking water around the world, can be made into a"super sand" five times more efficient.

Researchers writing in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces saythe material could be a low-cost benefit in developing countries wheremore than a billion people lack clean drinking water.

Sand has been used to purify water for more than 6,000 years, and sandor gravel water filtration is endorsed by the World HealthOrganization, researchers Mainak Majumder and his colleagues write,but their study of a nanomaterial called graphite oxide suggests itcould be used to improve sand filtration in a cost-effective way.

Sand grains coated with graphite oxide become a "super sand" that cansuccessfully remove mercury and other contaminants from water.

While ordinary sand was saturated with mercury after just 10 minutesof filtration, the super sand was capable of absorbing the heavy metalfor more than 50 minutes, the researchers said.

Its filtration "performance is comparable to some commerciallyavailable activated carbon," at much less cost, the scientists said.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Monday, June 20, 2011

for the ladies

Scientists discover cause of gray hair

NEW YORK (UPI) -- Scientists at the Ito Lab at New York University'sLangone Medical Center say they have identified the protein thatcauses gray hair.

Researchers, using black mice as test subjects, isolated a proteinidentified as 'wnt' as the cause of gray hair and that a cure willeventually be found, ABC News reported.

"Mouse and the human hairs are very similar in the way that they arestructured and the way they contain melanocyte stem cells," said PiulRabbani, the graduate student leading the study. "We found that thewnt signaling pathway is activated the same way."

He said the wnt protein coordinates pigmentation between cells and thebreakthrough means the wnt protein could be added to hair groomingproducts or supplements, putting an end to graying hair.

"Our hair follicles and the pigmentation from the melanocyte stemcells work in a very similar fashion, so it definitely can be appliedat some point in the future," Rabbani told ABC News.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Thursday, May 26, 2011

self healing tech ?

'Self-healing' coating piques U.S interest

FRIBOURG, Switzerland (UPI) -- U.S. and Swiss scientists say they havedeveloped a polymer-based coating that can heal itself when placedunder ultraviolet light for less than a minute.

The "metallo-supramolecular" polymer coating has garnered interestfrom many parties, including the U.S military, Swissinfo.com reported.

"For the moment it's still at the basic research level," ChristophWeder, director of Fribourg University's Adolphe Merkle Institute,said. "We are not looking to develop products for the market butconcepts and tools that can then develop commercially viablematerials. That's the way our [nanoscience] institute functions."

He declined to comment on the U.S. military's particular interest inthe material.

"I don't want to speculate on their interest in supporting thisparticular project, but the people involved were really devoted tobasic research," said Weder, a Swiss professor of polymer chemistryand materials who has worked for many years in the United States.

The new material has many potential practical applications fromtactile computer screens to everyday consumer items like cars, floorsand furniture that get easily scratched.

"This is ingenious and transformative materials research," said AndrewLovinger, polymers program director at the National ScienceFoundation's Materials Research Division.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Friday, May 20, 2011

Fwd: Smell -makes a difference

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sieg Holle <siegholle@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 at 7:59 AM
Subject: Smell -makes a difference
To:

Aromatherapy's Amazing Effects on Your Mind and Mood

Alan Hirsch, MD

Scents have subtle yet powerful effects on emotions -- boosting confidence, easing stress, triggering fond memories and more. Here's how to use your sense of smell to manage your moods... and other people's, too!
Increase mental sharpness with fresh flowers. When you need to focus -- for instance, to memorize a speech or balance a checkbook -- keep a vase of mixed fragrant flowers nearby. Take periodic breaks to consciously "stop and smell the roses." For kids: This helps when doing homework or studying for a test.

Promote positive family interaction with Garlic. Serve garlic bread at dinner. In studies, this scent reduced negative dinnertime remarks by 22.7% and increased pleasantries by 7.4%. You don't even have to eat the bread to reap the benefits.

Feel younger with pink grapefruit. To make others perceive you as youthful (so you feel that way, too), apply a grapefruit-scented or other citrusy body lotion or spray right after your shower. Avoid: Lavender, which makes you seem granny-ish.

Feel more secure with baby powder. Keep a small bottle or resealable plastic bag of baby powder in your purse or briefcase. Before heading into a challenging situation (a meeting with your ex, a job interview), open the container slightly and take a small whiff. Don't inhale too deeply -- you may sneeze or get powder all over your face.

Curb food cravings with banana or peppermint. You needn't eat a banana -- just smell it (peeled or unpeeled). Or, place two drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball, stick it in a plastic bag and take a whiff -- or try sugar-free peppermint gum or hard candy.

Combat claustrophobia with evergreens. Keep a small vial of evergreen essential oil in your pocket or purse. When in a cramped space (an elevator, a crowd), hold the vial near your nose and inhale two or three times. Repeat every 10 minutes as needed.

Assuage anger with cucumber. Hold a sliced cucumber one-half inch from your face and level with your lips -- inhale deeply, continuing for several minutes. To reduce road rage, use a cucumber-melon air freshener in the car. Avoid: Barbecuing or roasting meat when you're angry -- the scent stirs up fiery feelings that heighten aggression.

Relax and wind down with lavender. Lie down and place a lavender-scented eye pillow over your eyes -- breathe slowly and deeply for several minutes. Avoid: Jasmine, which promotes alertness.

Rev up a man's libido with pumpkin pie or black licorice. Bake a pumpkin pie for maximum effect -- or use a reed diffuser (a stick that wicks the aroma from a bottle of scented oil). On a date: Nibble on black licorice. Noteworthy: Perfume is only 3% effective at arousing a man's romantic feelings -- versus 40% for pumpkin pie and 13% for licorice.

Bottom Line/Women's Health interviewed Alan Hirsch, MD, founder and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation and an assistant professor in the departments of neurology and psychiatry at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, both in Chicago. He has conducted more than 200 studies on smell and taste disorders and is the author of eight books, including Life's a Smelling Success (Authors of Unity) and Sensa Weight-Loss Program (Hilton). His Web site is www.smellandtaste.org.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc -"Turnaround Consultants" .

Sunridge Lodge "Back to Eden" Quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -

Brant Positive Action Group "a positive community affirmative action group"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations