Friday, December 31, 2010

Panasonic Axes Technics 1200s

Like the last raver dancing as the trance is unplugged, the DJ world has been left lonely and disoriented at the news that Panasonic has decided Technics SL-1200 and SL-1210 turntables will cease production early next year.

Although no concrete word from Panasonic has been confirmed, many tech blogs are spouting obituaries for the turntables, and several claim to have translated a Japanese press release confirming the news. However, Panasonic's global site sows no trace of the news, leading some optimists to believe it's not true, and some sceptics to believe they just haven't got around to officially telling us yet.

Due to their direct drive mechanism and sturdy build, the SL-1200 and SL-1210 have been the mainstay of the DJ community since their advent in 1972. But with a decline in sales over the last few years - now down to five percent of what they were a decade ago - it's hardly surprising if Panasonic has decided the line is no longer profitable.

According to dance music mag Resident Advisor, Panasonic released the following statement about the deck's end:

After more than 35 years as a leading manufacturer of analogue turntables, Panasonic has regretfully taken the decision to leave this market. However, Panasonic will continue to sell headphones under the Technics brand.

We are sure that retailers and consumers will understand that our product range has to reflect the accelerating transformation of the entire audio market from analogue to digital.

In addition, the number of component suppliers serving the analogue market has dwindled in recent years and we brought forward the decision to leave the market rather than risk being unable to fulfill future orders because of a lack of parts.

Whatever the reason for the turntables' demise, it's a sorry day for DJ's ( and ravers ).

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Logitech launches solar powered keyboard

Jumping on the ecologically friendly bandwagon is Logitech, which, hot on the heels of Philips's solar-powered remote control, has released a solar-powered keyboard. Not only does it do away the need for battery or cable power altogether, but it's also made from PVC-free materials and comes with completely recyclable packaging, with the idea that it will lower your carbon footprint (even if by just a teensy amount).

They keyboard features solar panels that grab any available light, including the light from tungsten or fluorescent bulbs. A handy solar panel app lets you know the status of the keyboard, and it is completely wireless, allowing you to rush outside with it if you start running out of power.

When fully charged the keyboard can run in complete darkness for up to three months. It also features Logitech's "incurve" keys, which are designed to be easier on the fingertips.

"They keyboard is still the best input device for typing emails and Ims, updating your Facebook page or posting responses to your favorite blogs - and the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is the next big innovation in keyboard technology," said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech's keyboards and desktops.

The device, which is in no way a novelty, should be in shops a few weeks before Christmas with a retail price of $169.

Yamaha PDX-31 released

Did you think the wave of iPod/iPhone sound systems had receded back into the technology ocean? Wrong, people. So, so wrong. And to prove that it can still be done with style, Yamaha has put out this sleek little beauty.

The Yamaha PDX-31 not only proffers typical Yamaha audio excellence, but it is also rather good looking, and available in three colours. It houses a pair of 3.21-inch speakers, dual wall construction and offers an auxiliary jack for non-Apple-branded players (just to prove it's not elitist).

The PDX-31 also comes with a rather classy wee remote that mimics the interface of an iPod, so that you can have a rather surreal experience from controlling your iPod with another iPod. How postmodern is that?

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Apple previews OS X 10.7 'Lion'

Apple has allowed a neak peek at its up and coming OS X 10.7, dubbed 'Lion', which is to be inspired by many of Apple's iPad innovations.

The peek previewed just some of Lion's features, including the Mac App Store, which will allow users to easily find and install desktop apps, and Launchpad, a system to make it easier to launch apps. Lion will also have feature Mission Control, a new way of navigating your system, allowing a unified view of open windows, open apps and the dock.

"Lion brings many of the best ideas from iPad back to the Mac, plus some fresh new ones like Mission Control that Mac users will really like," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Lion has a ton of new features, and we hope the few we had time to preview today will give users a good idea of where we are headed."

There's no set release date for Lion as yet, but Apple is hinting at sometime around mid-2011.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Classification or Types of Internal Combustion Engines

There are many different types of  internal combustion engines. They can be classified by:
1.  Application.  Automobile,  truck, locomotive, light aircraft, marine, portable power system, power generation

2.  Basic  engine design. Reciprocating engines  (in  turn  subdivided by  arrangement  of  cylinders: e.g.,  in-line, V,  radial, opposed), rotary engines (Wankel and other geometries)


3.  Working cycle. Four-stroke cycle: naturally aspirated (admitting atmospheric air),  supercharged  (admitting  pre-compressed  fresh  mixture),  and  turbo-charged  (admitting fresh mixture compressed  in  a  compressor driven  by  an exhaust  turbine),  two-stroke cycle: crankcase  scavenged, supercharged, and turbocharged

4.  Valve or port  design and  location. Overhead (or I-head) valves, under-head  (or L-head) valves,  rotary  valves,  cross-scavenged porting  (inlet  and  exhaust ports on opposite sides of  cylinder at one end), loop-scavenged porting (inlet and exhaust ports on same side of cylinder at one end), through- or uniflow-scavenged (inlet and exhaust ports or valves at different ends of cylinder)

5. Fuel.  Gasoline  (or  petrol),  fuel  oil  (or  diesel  fuel),  natural  gas,  liquid  petroleum gas, alcohols  (methanol,  ethanol), hydrogen, dual fuel

6.  Method  of  mixture  preparation.  Carburetion,  fuel  injection  into  the  intake ports or intake manifold,  fuel injection  into the engine cylinder

7. Method  of  ignition. Spark ignition (in conventional engines where the mixture is uniform and in stratified-charge  engines where the mixture is non-uniform),
compression ignition  (in  conventional  diesels,  as  well  as ignition  in  gas engines by pilot injection of fuel oil)


8.  Combustion chamber design. Open chamber  (many designs: e.g.,  disc, wedge, hemisphere, bowl-in-piston), divided  chamber  (small  and  large auxiliary
chambers; many designs: e.g., swirl chambers, pre-chambers)

9.  Method  of  load control. Throttling of  fuel  and air  flow  together  so mixture composition  is  essentially  unchanged,  control  of  fuel  flow  alone, a  combination of  these

10. Method of cooling. Water cooled, air cooled, un-cooled (other than by natural convection and radiation)

What can I do if I have failed several forms of medication and therapy?

Unfortunately,situations come about when depression does not respond to conventional treatments available. This can be frustrating and certainly contributes to the
morbidity of depression.If you have been with the same clinician,sometimes it can be helpful to obtain a consultation by another clinician who will examine the
treatment history and perhaps make some other suggestions.Sometimes lack of response to treatment is due to inadequate dosing or duration of medication
trials or due to a missed diagnosis.Co-morbid conditions can make a depressive illness more refractory to treatment.Conditions that may co-occur with depression include anxiety disorders (panic disorder,generalized anxiety disorder,obsessive–compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder),posttraumatic stress disorder (also an anxiety condition),attention deficit disorder, and substance abuse disorders.Further evaluation and treatment of other conditions may be necessary.Substance abuse treatment,for example,may need to be obtained in order for the depression to be adequately treated.Sometimes a refractory depression is a missed bipolar depression,which may require the use of additional medications.Psychiatrists use guidelines in the treatment of refractory depression.Oftentimes,older antidepressants such as TCAs or MAOIs have yet to
be tried,and also ECT may need consideration. Although all psychiatrists are trained in psychopharmacologic treatments,some individuals have a specific expertise in the field of psychopharmacology for depression.These individuals are typically associated with an academic institution.In addition,research protocols are usually being conducted in association with academic institutions investigating newer medications.Participation in a research protocol usually involves a comprehensive evaluation during which
other diagnostic possibilities are investigated as well.

Will I get depressed again after I have recovered?

Many people who have a major depressive episode go for many years without another episode of depression. Remission is defined as the absence of or presence of only
minimal symptoms with normal functionality. Once remission has lasted for more than 6 months, it is considered recovery. If full recovery has been achieved, a subsequent episode of depression is considered a recurrence. The risk of recurrence drops with increasing time since the index episode.The risk for recurrence is highest with in the first year after recovery. The risk for recurrence is also affected by the number of episodes of depression that you have had. The greater the number of episodes that you have had, the greater is your risk for becoming depressed again.

Response to a treatment is defined as a significant improvement of symptoms,but without being completely free of symptoms.Another term for this is partial remission.It is important to remember that although many effective treatments for depression are available,response and recovery may not occur with the first treatment intervention.Less than half of depressed persons achieve remission with a trial of a single antidepressant.Keeping this in mind,it is very possible that another medication will need to be tried
or that your physician will recommend other strategies.Current research efforts are geared toward facilitating complete remission of depression in most persons.The potential consequences of failing to achieve remission include an increased risk for relapse and later treatment resistance,impaired work functioning,and an increased cost of healthcare.

CYRUS – The Heart of the System

Cyrus's award winning systems are renowned for their detail, clarity and dynamics. We understand that to obtain the very best music from a digital source, this can only be achieved through developing and designing great digital analogue converters (DAC's).

Cyrus has been developing DAC's since CD players were first introduced in 1982. with nearly thirty years of experience and accumulated knowledge, Cyrus develops some of the best sounding DAC's available. These lie at the very heart of many of our models including our CD Players, DAC X, DAC XP, and more recently some of our integrated amplifiers such as the 8 XP d.

Did you Know?

You can connect a USB lead to the Cyrus 8 XP d integrated amplifier and play digital music files from your PC or Mac. With the high performance DAC, uncompressed files sound best, but anything that plays on your computer will sound better through the 8 XP d.

The Cyrus DAC XP uses four high performance DACS, two for each channel to deliver a balanced output and great sounding music. This model will also upgrade many other digital sources in your audio system such as your PVR or set top box.

Friday, December 3, 2010

What is the risk of suicide when someone is diagnosed with depression?

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The majority of depressed persons do not attempt suicide,but the majority of suicide attempters have depression.Suicide is the most significant risk of untreated depression.Typically,suicide is not a sudden thought and action;rather,it undergoes development over time.There may initially be only fleeting thoughts of death or wishes of dying.These thoughts can progress to fantasies of methods of killing oneself and later to stages of planning actual self-harm.The time frame of this progression can take as long as weeks to months to as little as within minutes.Someone with poor impulse control may be more apt to attempt suicide within the shorter time period.Anyone with plans to kill oneself or who has made an attempt requires emergency psychiatric evaluation.In some situations,a family member finds out that someone has tried to kill himself or herself but does not take him or her to an emergency room because he or she assures the family member that it was a mistake and that he or she will be okay.It is best,however,if a
professional evaluates the situation to determine the most appropriate course of action.

Suicide is the most serious risk of depression.Clinicians assess suicide risk based on many factors,including the patient’s current mental status,personal history,family history,use of substances,and more.As stated,suicidal thinking tends to fall on a continuum from morbid thoughts of death to passive thoughts of wishing to be dead to an actual plan to carry out the suicide,a continuum that is assessed by the clinician. Clinicians will ask direct questions about suicidal thoughts.Direct questions do not put ideas in a person’s mind;rather,they invite the individual to speak openly about the issue.Most patients want help and want to let someone know how they are feeling.Also
in this light,if you have reason to believe a family member is contemplating suicide,it is best to speak openly and frankly about your concerns.Doing so will not put new thoughts of suicide into the person’s mind;instead,it will give an opportunity to help him or her get the treatment that may be needed.

Definition of Influence and Power at Workplace

INFLUENCE

The term influence is used often, and in all facets of life. But what does it really mean, especially in a workplace context? And how does it differ from related concepts, such as power and persuasion? This articles answers these questions and sets the stage for a greater understanding of influence and how you can develop and apply it at work. Power,influence,and persuasion have one thing in common: Each is some thing we use to get what we want from others—a tangible item,a particular behavior or change in behavior),or acceptance of our ideas or modes of thinking. Let’s consider each of these concepts in turn.

POWER

Power is the ability to get what we want by virtue of command or compulsion. In the workplace, people who occupy certain positions as executives,managers,and supervisors are invested with some level of power. They are authorized by the organization within certain limits to give orders, allocate or withhold resources, and make decisions.Thus,your boss has the power (again,within certain limits)to make decisions on who will be hired and promoted and how work will be done. For example, it’s likely that your boss has the power to determine when you and other subordinates will take vacation days. When the CEO tells the head of manufacturing,‘‘I want costs reduced by 10 percent over the next six months show me how you are going to do it,’’she’s not asking the department head to do something.She’s not trying to influence or persuade him.Instead,she’s using her power of position to command or compel a particular behavior. Most people in Western societies have a visceral distrust of power and power differences between people;they favor quality between people.They are uncomfortable with the idea that some individuals can command or compel others.To them,power harkens to historical conditions in which one party arbitrarily exercised his or her will over others.This discomfort with powers pills over into the modern workplace,where people can be less responsive to direct orders than to a manager’s appeals for their cooperation.

Thus,new managers quickly discover that their positional power doesn’t get them very far;bossing people around is very unproductive. These managers may have the power to command certain actions,and their subordinates may be obliged to obey, but compulsion seldom enlists a person’s best efforts.If anything,it may produce resistance.If the work must be done quickly and well, managers find that appeals for collaboration are generally more productive than compulsion. This is not so say that power has no place in organizations. Power is, infact, essential in organizational life. Let’s look at some situations when the use of positional power is necessary to get things done: