If anyone at Mitt Romney's event Tuesday night resented the fact that the former Massachusetts governor has not spent much time in Iowa up to this point, they did a good job of hiding it.
The presidential candidate gave a speech and held a brief question and answer session in front of about 300 people on the factory floor of Centro Inc., a plastic mould manufacturer surrounded by housing developments in the quickly growing bedroom community of North Liberty.
There, Romney emphasized his desire to strengthen the American economy using free market principles rather than the "European" style entitlement society that he said President Barack Obama desires.
"The government doesn't create jobs, the American people create jobs," Romney said to cheers from the audience.
Romney suggested he would spur the economy and solve the national debt by reducing regulations, cutting government spending, and by allowing businesses to keep more of their profits by reducing specific taxes, such as the repatriation taxes levied against companies that invest overseas.
In contrast to the events from Romney's rivals Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich, which are dominated by the personalities of the respective candidates, the Romney event had the feel of a polished presidential machine surrounding the candidate: country music and 80s power ballads played over the loud speakers; lighting illuminated the stage; supporters were positioned in rafters strategically behind Romney, with a sign reading "Believe in America" positioned just behind them. There was even separate cordoned off seating for the sizeable media presence.
It was like being on the stage of a Romney commercial. Mitt and Ann standing on stage together, button-down shirts and sleeves rolled up and blue jeans and aww shucks family moments and a little bit of economic wisdom from Gov. Romney espoused in the midst of blue collar America.
All of it designed to give the impression of confidence, organization, and an inevitable victory.
This presentation seemed to work to great effect on the audience in attendance, who applauded often, although not with wild abandon. Many in attendance said afterward that they don't blame Romney for visiting more than he has, and that seeing him in person helped to seal the deal for their decision to caucus in his favor.
"I love him," said Kathy Hogendom, 58, a retired radio station owner who lives in Solon. "I think he's going to be our next president."
Hogendom said although she considers herself fairly conservative on social issues, this year the economy and raising deficit trumps everything.
"I think he can beat Obama and that's all that matters to me," she said.
Debbie Tippie, 54, an insurance salesman from North English, said she voted for Romney in 2008, and would almost certainly have voted for him again even if he hadn't campaigned in Iowa at all.
"I like Mitt Romney," she said. "I think he can get things done."
Mike Bloeser, 41, a finance manager from North Liberty, brought his children to see the candidate, one of the many families visible in the Romney audience. He said that he hadn't been that excited about any of the candidates before Tuesday, but following the event he may now be leaning toward Romney.
"He is a very good speaker," Bloeser said. "He seemed a lot more personable in person than he does on television."
2011年12月28日星期三
The right players in the right roles for innovation gold
Science-based innovation is vital to improving the economic, environmental and social well-being of Canadians.
Cal Stiller, one of our most accomplished medical scientists and entrepreneurs, has therefore offered this challenge: Canada should resolve to “own the innovation podium,” just as we aimed to own the podium in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics.
In the case of the Olympics, Canada especially sought to own the podium in hockey. To achieve that objective, Steve Yzerman was given the job of assembling and managing the necessary talent. He had a great pool of goalies, defencemen and forwards from which to choose. The greatest challenge was to mould them into a gold-winning team.
In competing with the world to excel in science-based innovation, Canada also has an impressive talent pool – world-class academics and scientists, innovative entrepreneurs and business executives, dedicated and experienced public servants. The greatest challenge is to get them to play the innovation game as a team at a gold-winning level.
By the time hockey players get to the national or international level, everyone knows his role. In the innovation game, however, the most appropriate roles for the major players are not nearly as well defined, assigned, or accepted.
University-based scientists are urged to more aggressively pursue the commercialization of their work – a task that entrepreneurs and business people are usually better equipped to perform. Corporations that ought to be taking the initiative spend far too much time waiting for governments to take the lead. And government efforts to stimulate innovation are often unfocused and diffused through multiple departments and programs.
The lack of teamwork among Canada’s key players in the innovation game is compounded by serious communication gaps. Business executives and politicians complain that the science community fails to express its findings in a commercially relevant or politically communicable form. Scientists respond that far too many business people and politicians are scientifically and technologically illiterate.
Is there a division of labour that can enable Canada to own the innovation podium at the international level? I believe there is.
Let the universities focus primarily on basic research and (together with the polytechnics and colleges) on training students to serve as the prime carriers of advanced science and technology to the marketplace.
With respect to commercialization, let this be the primary focus of the entrepreneurs and business executives whose primary goal is wealth creation.
As for governments, it is time to acknowledge that the public is increasingly skeptical about “big government solutions to big challenges,” including innovation. Let governments, therefore, shift their emphasis toward serving primarily as facilitators, enablers and partners with other players.
Of course there will still be circumstances when universities should commercialize, businesses should facilitate and governments should lead. But let such occasional departures from basic roles arise out of real-time interactions and good communications among the players rather than from a priori prescriptions.
Are there examples where this division of labour has worked? I think of Fred Marsh, the hockey entrepreneur who developed and commercialized the Marsh Flexible Goal Peg that permits the hockey net to break away from its moorings when hit by a player.
The Marsh peg is composed of a unique blend of rubber and plastic, the chemistry of which was explored and defined long ago in some university lab. But it was Marsh the entrepreneur who saw the need for the peg, initiated and completed its development as a commercial product and marketed it to the hockey world. “Governments” too played a crucial role – in this case the governing bodies of the Western Hockey League and the NHL – by testing the Marsh peg and eventually buying it.
But the clock is ticking. The coaches have assembled the team for last-minute instructions. No time now for further discussion, conferencing, or report writing – only time to repeat the game plan: “Academics and scientists, investigate and educate; entrepreneurs and business executives, initiate and wealth create; governments, facilitate. And all of you, communicate. Now let’s get out there and win innovation gold!”
Cal Stiller, one of our most accomplished medical scientists and entrepreneurs, has therefore offered this challenge: Canada should resolve to “own the innovation podium,” just as we aimed to own the podium in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics.
In the case of the Olympics, Canada especially sought to own the podium in hockey. To achieve that objective, Steve Yzerman was given the job of assembling and managing the necessary talent. He had a great pool of goalies, defencemen and forwards from which to choose. The greatest challenge was to mould them into a gold-winning team.
In competing with the world to excel in science-based innovation, Canada also has an impressive talent pool – world-class academics and scientists, innovative entrepreneurs and business executives, dedicated and experienced public servants. The greatest challenge is to get them to play the innovation game as a team at a gold-winning level.
By the time hockey players get to the national or international level, everyone knows his role. In the innovation game, however, the most appropriate roles for the major players are not nearly as well defined, assigned, or accepted.
University-based scientists are urged to more aggressively pursue the commercialization of their work – a task that entrepreneurs and business people are usually better equipped to perform. Corporations that ought to be taking the initiative spend far too much time waiting for governments to take the lead. And government efforts to stimulate innovation are often unfocused and diffused through multiple departments and programs.
The lack of teamwork among Canada’s key players in the innovation game is compounded by serious communication gaps. Business executives and politicians complain that the science community fails to express its findings in a commercially relevant or politically communicable form. Scientists respond that far too many business people and politicians are scientifically and technologically illiterate.
Is there a division of labour that can enable Canada to own the innovation podium at the international level? I believe there is.
Let the universities focus primarily on basic research and (together with the polytechnics and colleges) on training students to serve as the prime carriers of advanced science and technology to the marketplace.
With respect to commercialization, let this be the primary focus of the entrepreneurs and business executives whose primary goal is wealth creation.
As for governments, it is time to acknowledge that the public is increasingly skeptical about “big government solutions to big challenges,” including innovation. Let governments, therefore, shift their emphasis toward serving primarily as facilitators, enablers and partners with other players.
Of course there will still be circumstances when universities should commercialize, businesses should facilitate and governments should lead. But let such occasional departures from basic roles arise out of real-time interactions and good communications among the players rather than from a priori prescriptions.
Are there examples where this division of labour has worked? I think of Fred Marsh, the hockey entrepreneur who developed and commercialized the Marsh Flexible Goal Peg that permits the hockey net to break away from its moorings when hit by a player.
The Marsh peg is composed of a unique blend of rubber and plastic, the chemistry of which was explored and defined long ago in some university lab. But it was Marsh the entrepreneur who saw the need for the peg, initiated and completed its development as a commercial product and marketed it to the hockey world. “Governments” too played a crucial role – in this case the governing bodies of the Western Hockey League and the NHL – by testing the Marsh peg and eventually buying it.
But the clock is ticking. The coaches have assembled the team for last-minute instructions. No time now for further discussion, conferencing, or report writing – only time to repeat the game plan: “Academics and scientists, investigate and educate; entrepreneurs and business executives, initiate and wealth create; governments, facilitate. And all of you, communicate. Now let’s get out there and win innovation gold!”
2011年12月27日星期二
Rally Face touted as another way for fans to express themselves
Canada is about to have a new face unveiled at the world junior hockey championship.
The Rally Face. No paint required. Just hook it over your ears and cheer as loud as you want. You don't even have to remove it to have a sip from your favourite beverage.
"This one is a Canadian flag mask," said Charlie Simmer, one of two former NHLers involved with Rally Face. "You want to be behind your team and your country and it's just a different way of expressing yourself.
"Plus it's an item you can get signed and keep as memorabilia."
The company, which also includes Simmer's former Los Angeles Kings linemate Marcel Dionne and a couple of investors, is in its infant stages under the new ownership.
The masks, made of an injected PVC plastic mould, have been around for a little more than a year, mostly in the hands and on the faces of fans of NCAA teams.
"When we took it over we thought it was a natural for any sport really," said Simmer, who is a colour commentator for Calgary Flames broadcasts on Sportsnet West. "Fans are always painting their faces in support of teams, so the avenues are endless.
The faces sell for about $10 each and, in addition to being available online, are on sale at Source For Sports in Calgary, Sports Central in Sylvan Lake and the Red Deer Rebels pro shop. They also are going to try to get them into Rexall Place and the Scotiabank Saddledome.
"It's a very infant stage for us right now," said Simmer. "Marcel has been big into promotion of sports material since he retired, so he's been doing it for a long time. I'm just kind of the tag-along guy, but he's really excited about this. It's a smaller group, fun business we're doing, but we think the possibilities are endless. We can customize masks for any event or do them for business promotions.
"Looking around the corner, there's the Summer Olympics and looking to the future we're thinking about bringing out a blank mask that kids can do their own designs on."
Rally Face also put out a pink mask in support of the fight against breast cancer. All proceeds from those sales have gone directly to Alberta breast cancer.
But right now it's all about the world junior and getting the Rally Face into the crowds for what is sure to be worldwide exposure from the newsprint and television coverage.
"With Canadian hockey fans so passionate, I think if they see one, they'll want one," said Simmer. "I think once you see 500 people in the same section wearing them, it's going to be pretty cool looking."
The Rally Face. No paint required. Just hook it over your ears and cheer as loud as you want. You don't even have to remove it to have a sip from your favourite beverage.
"This one is a Canadian flag mask," said Charlie Simmer, one of two former NHLers involved with Rally Face. "You want to be behind your team and your country and it's just a different way of expressing yourself.
"Plus it's an item you can get signed and keep as memorabilia."
The company, which also includes Simmer's former Los Angeles Kings linemate Marcel Dionne and a couple of investors, is in its infant stages under the new ownership.
The masks, made of an injected PVC plastic mould, have been around for a little more than a year, mostly in the hands and on the faces of fans of NCAA teams.
"When we took it over we thought it was a natural for any sport really," said Simmer, who is a colour commentator for Calgary Flames broadcasts on Sportsnet West. "Fans are always painting their faces in support of teams, so the avenues are endless.
The faces sell for about $10 each and, in addition to being available online, are on sale at Source For Sports in Calgary, Sports Central in Sylvan Lake and the Red Deer Rebels pro shop. They also are going to try to get them into Rexall Place and the Scotiabank Saddledome.
"It's a very infant stage for us right now," said Simmer. "Marcel has been big into promotion of sports material since he retired, so he's been doing it for a long time. I'm just kind of the tag-along guy, but he's really excited about this. It's a smaller group, fun business we're doing, but we think the possibilities are endless. We can customize masks for any event or do them for business promotions.
"Looking around the corner, there's the Summer Olympics and looking to the future we're thinking about bringing out a blank mask that kids can do their own designs on."
Rally Face also put out a pink mask in support of the fight against breast cancer. All proceeds from those sales have gone directly to Alberta breast cancer.
But right now it's all about the world junior and getting the Rally Face into the crowds for what is sure to be worldwide exposure from the newsprint and television coverage.
"With Canadian hockey fans so passionate, I think if they see one, they'll want one," said Simmer. "I think once you see 500 people in the same section wearing them, it's going to be pretty cool looking."
2011年12月26日星期一
Have yourself a yummy yuletide
"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."- Charles Schulz
Sweets might be outdated but people have a sweet tooth for chocolate as it is the hot favourite this season. This winter vaction can be the right time to make home-made chocolates, which you can gift your friends and neighbours for New Year.
“Children love gifting chocolates made by them to their friends. It's a proud feeling for them,” shares Anju Jain, a professional chocolate maker in the city. “Nowadays, imported chocolate mix bars are available in every supermarket. Melting these chocolates and pouring them into plastic or aluminium moulds is the shortest and easiest procedure for young chocolate makers,” she adds.
This procedure of chocolate-making works for children because it helps avoid the hassle of measurements and mixing.
Do it yourself
For a Do It Yourself set of home-made chocolate presents you need to first buy a ready-mix chocolate bar.
Various brands of milk and dark chocolate are available in most supermarkets.
You need to melt the chocolate bar and pour it into plastic or metallic moulds. Moulds are available in a great number of shapes and sizes.
While filling dry-fruits pour some melted chocolate in the mould, add roasted dry-fruit of your choice and then pour melted chocolate again. This ensures that there are no air gaps in the final product.
Freeze the mould with the filling for 15 minutes.
Remove the chocolates now ready to eat from the mould and wrap them in wrapping paper.
Use chart paper, scissors and glue to make gift hampers to hold the chocolates you made.
One kilogram of chocolate mix bar makes approximately 100 chocolate with a medium-sized chocolate mould.
It is important to note that water can dilute the chocolate and alter its taste.
So make sure you don't spill any water while preparing chocolates and follow basic safety precautions.
Cocoa powder and chocolate are made from the seeds of the cocoa tree.
In classical Greek, this tree is known as ‘theobroma cacao' which means “food of the gods.”
West African Countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana, Brazil and Ecuador from Latin America, and Malaysia and Indonesia in Asia are major cocoa growing countries in the world.
Many a novel has been inspired by chocolate, such as Roald Dahl's “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as also “Chocolat” written by Joanne Harris.
Sweets might be outdated but people have a sweet tooth for chocolate as it is the hot favourite this season. This winter vaction can be the right time to make home-made chocolates, which you can gift your friends and neighbours for New Year.
“Children love gifting chocolates made by them to their friends. It's a proud feeling for them,” shares Anju Jain, a professional chocolate maker in the city. “Nowadays, imported chocolate mix bars are available in every supermarket. Melting these chocolates and pouring them into plastic or aluminium moulds is the shortest and easiest procedure for young chocolate makers,” she adds.
This procedure of chocolate-making works for children because it helps avoid the hassle of measurements and mixing.
Do it yourself
For a Do It Yourself set of home-made chocolate presents you need to first buy a ready-mix chocolate bar.
Various brands of milk and dark chocolate are available in most supermarkets.
You need to melt the chocolate bar and pour it into plastic or metallic moulds. Moulds are available in a great number of shapes and sizes.
While filling dry-fruits pour some melted chocolate in the mould, add roasted dry-fruit of your choice and then pour melted chocolate again. This ensures that there are no air gaps in the final product.
Freeze the mould with the filling for 15 minutes.
Remove the chocolates now ready to eat from the mould and wrap them in wrapping paper.
Use chart paper, scissors and glue to make gift hampers to hold the chocolates you made.
One kilogram of chocolate mix bar makes approximately 100 chocolate with a medium-sized chocolate mould.
It is important to note that water can dilute the chocolate and alter its taste.
So make sure you don't spill any water while preparing chocolates and follow basic safety precautions.
Cocoa powder and chocolate are made from the seeds of the cocoa tree.
In classical Greek, this tree is known as ‘theobroma cacao' which means “food of the gods.”
West African Countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana, Brazil and Ecuador from Latin America, and Malaysia and Indonesia in Asia are major cocoa growing countries in the world.
Many a novel has been inspired by chocolate, such as Roald Dahl's “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as also “Chocolat” written by Joanne Harris.
2011年12月25日星期日
Black Mould Removing Products and services
Black mold or mildew (stachybotrys) can be an really dangerous sort of fungus that grows within areas where there may poor quality of air; generally thriving inside homes and even on many other materials which have suffered critical water destruction. It is particularly attracted to anything that contain cellulose.
Those unlucky enough to breathe in the spores frequently experience head aches and physical weakness and pain in the mouth, throat not to mention sinuses that can result in severe coughing and other allegic side effects say for example a allergy plus sneezing. In the most unfortunate occasions, breathing in the mold can also lead to intense feeling sick and heavy vomiting, as well as blood loss in the nasal area plus lungs, and possibly death. Therefore, it is imperative that it is removed as quickly and securely as possible.
A lot of householders generally discover that black mold, which basically seems either black or green, developes on home window sills in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as cellar locations by reason of they are most susceptible to types of conditions for instance moisture, darkness in addition to deficiency of adequate air flow. Nonetheless, it can occur anywhere if the right conditions are reached. Believe it or not, household mildew may generally be found in any dark, dank, or warm places including any plumbing locations, attics and other crowded storage area spaces both indoors and outdoors. Garages and back garden sheds exposed to a lot of rain or snowfall could also be perfect breeding grounds for fungus to blossom, and should be looked over all the time.
Exposure to bright sunlight could actually help stop its growth, as can sustaining appropriate ventilation. If needed, don’t forget to install a good ventilator fan in any room of your house, wherever mildew happens to be found.
It is also smart to run the ventilator (or at least keep a window open a bit) while taking a shower or bathing to move the humidity out of the washroom plus maintain air flow moving in order to avoid mildew build-up. Actually, since mildew tends to form first on window sills, it is a good idea make sure that you open up the windows every few days to make sure that every window protecting, which includes curtains together with blinds can certainly air out before they’ve got a way to turned into breeding grounds for spores. It is usually wise to run ceiling fans and / or easily transportable fans in any place where water has collected from either leaks or possibly spills to dry it out sooner.
A majority of people believe they might get rid of black mildew with the help of chlorine bleach, they’ll soon find that using it simply serves to “mask” its appearance giving them a wrong awareness of security. In most cases, chlorine bleach is not really powerful sufficient to destroy the mildew at its roots, and it can still develop and distribute regardless of the dousing. This is because chlorine bleach, itself is done generally of water, which unfortunately ends up encouraging a lot more growth soon after initial cleanup. Aside from that, chlorine bleach is just not strong enough to penetrate solid wood and/or drywall, therefore while the exterior may appear clear, the spores are able to continue to reproduce inside them.
Preferably instead, it is advisable to make use of a few of the newer organic removal products for black mold
at this time in the marketplace that not only eliminate the fungus, but avoid it from moving back by “starving” it of the nutrients essential for it to survive. They are also less hazardous for both people in addition to animals, since lots of household cleansers available on the market can also be dangerous in their own right. These kinds of could easily be found in housewares stores, equipment outlets and online.
To begin with, make use of a rag or maybe spritzer to be able to dampen down the infected place, then apply the mildew killing solution as per recommendations on the sprayer. At the same time, be sure to remove just about any harmed wallpaper, textile materials (including rugs) together with books, newspapers together with other moldy papers and eliminate all of them instantly. If they can be things you prefer to keep, be sure to allow all of them dry out totally in sunshine soon after applying any mildew killers to them before they are put back in your home or perhaps business office. Be sure there is certainly lots of air flow anywhere you might be doing work. Additionally, it is advisable to cover your nose area and mouth area using a mask to avoid inhaling both the spores together with toxins being exercised, and keep children together with pets away from them to prevent them from getting to be sick.
Those unlucky enough to breathe in the spores frequently experience head aches and physical weakness and pain in the mouth, throat not to mention sinuses that can result in severe coughing and other allegic side effects say for example a allergy plus sneezing. In the most unfortunate occasions, breathing in the mold can also lead to intense feeling sick and heavy vomiting, as well as blood loss in the nasal area plus lungs, and possibly death. Therefore, it is imperative that it is removed as quickly and securely as possible.
A lot of householders generally discover that black mold, which basically seems either black or green, developes on home window sills in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as cellar locations by reason of they are most susceptible to types of conditions for instance moisture, darkness in addition to deficiency of adequate air flow. Nonetheless, it can occur anywhere if the right conditions are reached. Believe it or not, household mildew may generally be found in any dark, dank, or warm places including any plumbing locations, attics and other crowded storage area spaces both indoors and outdoors. Garages and back garden sheds exposed to a lot of rain or snowfall could also be perfect breeding grounds for fungus to blossom, and should be looked over all the time.
Exposure to bright sunlight could actually help stop its growth, as can sustaining appropriate ventilation. If needed, don’t forget to install a good ventilator fan in any room of your house, wherever mildew happens to be found.
It is also smart to run the ventilator (or at least keep a window open a bit) while taking a shower or bathing to move the humidity out of the washroom plus maintain air flow moving in order to avoid mildew build-up. Actually, since mildew tends to form first on window sills, it is a good idea make sure that you open up the windows every few days to make sure that every window protecting, which includes curtains together with blinds can certainly air out before they’ve got a way to turned into breeding grounds for spores. It is usually wise to run ceiling fans and / or easily transportable fans in any place where water has collected from either leaks or possibly spills to dry it out sooner.
A majority of people believe they might get rid of black mildew with the help of chlorine bleach, they’ll soon find that using it simply serves to “mask” its appearance giving them a wrong awareness of security. In most cases, chlorine bleach is not really powerful sufficient to destroy the mildew at its roots, and it can still develop and distribute regardless of the dousing. This is because chlorine bleach, itself is done generally of water, which unfortunately ends up encouraging a lot more growth soon after initial cleanup. Aside from that, chlorine bleach is just not strong enough to penetrate solid wood and/or drywall, therefore while the exterior may appear clear, the spores are able to continue to reproduce inside them.
Preferably instead, it is advisable to make use of a few of the newer organic removal products for black mold
at this time in the marketplace that not only eliminate the fungus, but avoid it from moving back by “starving” it of the nutrients essential for it to survive. They are also less hazardous for both people in addition to animals, since lots of household cleansers available on the market can also be dangerous in their own right. These kinds of could easily be found in housewares stores, equipment outlets and online.
To begin with, make use of a rag or maybe spritzer to be able to dampen down the infected place, then apply the mildew killing solution as per recommendations on the sprayer. At the same time, be sure to remove just about any harmed wallpaper, textile materials (including rugs) together with books, newspapers together with other moldy papers and eliminate all of them instantly. If they can be things you prefer to keep, be sure to allow all of them dry out totally in sunshine soon after applying any mildew killers to them before they are put back in your home or perhaps business office. Be sure there is certainly lots of air flow anywhere you might be doing work. Additionally, it is advisable to cover your nose area and mouth area using a mask to avoid inhaling both the spores together with toxins being exercised, and keep children together with pets away from them to prevent them from getting to be sick.
2011年12月22日星期四
Healthy And Balanced White Teeth With Teeth Bleaching Strategies
Altering professional as well as social residing has actually taken private grooming to diverse degrees. Teeth whitening as well as smile improvement procedures were actually initially followed by motion picture start-offs as well as designs as their professions require camera equipment favorable appearances. Previously the teeth whitening procedures were actually incredibly limited. Today there are many diverse procedures of teeth whitening. There are techniques that fulfill diverse spending plans as well as warmth of customers.
The residence use teeth whitening techniques are widely used as they grant the user the alternative to adopt the whitening techniques whenever they are free as well as at the privacy of their houses. The leading residence use teeth whitening method is making use of whitening materials. The whitening materials can be actually acquired instantly from the shop or prescribed by the dentists. When the user is making use of them for the first time it is suggested to speak with the dentist as well as have a leading product prescribed for residence use.
Couple clinics develop the user how to use these whitening materials properly. The dentist initially takes perception of the person’s teeth as well as a plastic mould is prepared. The personalized mould needs a space, which is filled with a whitening gel. Couple clinics prepare concentration at their own clinic depending upon the teeth situation of the person. The gel is filled in the mould as well as clipped to the teeth, after THIRTY minutes the moulds are removed as well as the teeth are cleaned. The customers can follow the others of the technique at their houses. The clinics supply with answers once the customers have learned the method to use at residence.
Though the residence use materials over the counter are more cozy, it is reviewed that the teeth whitening customers have the whitening gel from the clinics for fast outcomes. Other over the counter teeth whitening procedures are whitening toothpastes, whitening stripes, whitening chewing gums, etc.. Their outcomes are lagging as well as get less life time. The fastest as well as costliest approach that brings about long enduring outcomes is laser teeth whitening therapy.
The residence use teeth whitening techniques are widely used as they grant the user the alternative to adopt the whitening techniques whenever they are free as well as at the privacy of their houses. The leading residence use teeth whitening method is making use of whitening materials. The whitening materials can be actually acquired instantly from the shop or prescribed by the dentists. When the user is making use of them for the first time it is suggested to speak with the dentist as well as have a leading product prescribed for residence use.
Couple clinics develop the user how to use these whitening materials properly. The dentist initially takes perception of the person’s teeth as well as a plastic mould is prepared. The personalized mould needs a space, which is filled with a whitening gel. Couple clinics prepare concentration at their own clinic depending upon the teeth situation of the person. The gel is filled in the mould as well as clipped to the teeth, after THIRTY minutes the moulds are removed as well as the teeth are cleaned. The customers can follow the others of the technique at their houses. The clinics supply with answers once the customers have learned the method to use at residence.
Though the residence use materials over the counter are more cozy, it is reviewed that the teeth whitening customers have the whitening gel from the clinics for fast outcomes. Other over the counter teeth whitening procedures are whitening toothpastes, whitening stripes, whitening chewing gums, etc.. Their outcomes are lagging as well as get less life time. The fastest as well as costliest approach that brings about long enduring outcomes is laser teeth whitening therapy.
2011年12月21日星期三
Christmas asthma risks
The Asthma Society is warning people with asthma to be aware of hidden triggers over the Christmas period
Hidden asthma triggers at Christmas and severe weather can make keeping asthma controlled over the Christmas period challenging for many people with asthma and for parents of children with asthma in Ireland.
The Asthma Society of Ireland runs its ‘Control Asthma at Christmas’ awareness campaign in the lead up to Christmas to highlight the important message that this time of year can cause many problems for people with asthma.
It is especially important to follow your doctor’s medical advice if you notice your asthma symptoms worsening and to always make sure you or your child takes their asthma medication as prescribed.
The Asthma Society of Ireland recommends asthma sufferers to take the following steps to minimise exposure to triggers and maintain asthma control over the festive season:
Christmas trees gather mould from being outdoors in wet weather. Mould spores are common asthma triggers. Ideally, buy an artificial tree for the home and wipe it down to remove any dust particles. If you are intent on having a real tree, allow your tree to dry fully before bringing it into the home.
If you are using an artificial tree, which has not been stored in a sealed bag, it may be harbouring dust, it is advisable to vacuum artificial trees before use, to remove all dust particles.
Avoid artificial snow sprays and fragrance sprays which can all induce asthma symptoms.
Wash fabric decorations in hot water before displaying; this will get rid of any dust that has been gathered while in storage. Plastic, glass or metal decorations should be used in order to prevent them gathering dust mites. Put artificial trees in a closed or sealed bag for storing.
Always carry your reliever inhaler with you at all times.
Always take your asthma medication as prescribed by your doctor or health care professional.
If you know that cold air triggers your asthma, take two puffs of your reliever inhaler before venturing outside in the cold air. Remember to carry your Asthma Attack Card with you.
In freezing conditions, prescribed inhalers may not work properly. They should be warmed before use.
“Christmas and the festive season can be a difficult time for people with asthma for whom smoke fires, candles and New Year fireworks is a trigger,” says Asthma Society of Ireland Asthma Nurse Specialist Frances Guiney.
“It is recommended for asthma sufferers to avoid smoky situations wherever possible and to admire fireworks from indoors. Having a good asthma management plan is one of the best ways to control your asthma, so speak to your health care professional to make sure your plan is working to control your asthma.”
Christmas time can create additional pressures and the Asthma Society recommends people with asthma to try and avoid unnecessary stress. “If stress is a trigger for your asthma, monitoring your condition and taking your medicine regularly should help to minimise symptoms. Speak to your doctor or call the Asthma Helpline if you are going through a difficult time and feel you need more support,” says Ms Guiney.
By following these simple steps, people with asthma and parents of children with asthma can help to ensure they stay healthy and enjoy optimal asthma control over the Christmas period.
Hidden asthma triggers at Christmas and severe weather can make keeping asthma controlled over the Christmas period challenging for many people with asthma and for parents of children with asthma in Ireland.
The Asthma Society of Ireland runs its ‘Control Asthma at Christmas’ awareness campaign in the lead up to Christmas to highlight the important message that this time of year can cause many problems for people with asthma.
It is especially important to follow your doctor’s medical advice if you notice your asthma symptoms worsening and to always make sure you or your child takes their asthma medication as prescribed.
The Asthma Society of Ireland recommends asthma sufferers to take the following steps to minimise exposure to triggers and maintain asthma control over the festive season:
Christmas trees gather mould from being outdoors in wet weather. Mould spores are common asthma triggers. Ideally, buy an artificial tree for the home and wipe it down to remove any dust particles. If you are intent on having a real tree, allow your tree to dry fully before bringing it into the home.
If you are using an artificial tree, which has not been stored in a sealed bag, it may be harbouring dust, it is advisable to vacuum artificial trees before use, to remove all dust particles.
Avoid artificial snow sprays and fragrance sprays which can all induce asthma symptoms.
Wash fabric decorations in hot water before displaying; this will get rid of any dust that has been gathered while in storage. Plastic, glass or metal decorations should be used in order to prevent them gathering dust mites. Put artificial trees in a closed or sealed bag for storing.
Always carry your reliever inhaler with you at all times.
Always take your asthma medication as prescribed by your doctor or health care professional.
If you know that cold air triggers your asthma, take two puffs of your reliever inhaler before venturing outside in the cold air. Remember to carry your Asthma Attack Card with you.
In freezing conditions, prescribed inhalers may not work properly. They should be warmed before use.
“Christmas and the festive season can be a difficult time for people with asthma for whom smoke fires, candles and New Year fireworks is a trigger,” says Asthma Society of Ireland Asthma Nurse Specialist Frances Guiney.
“It is recommended for asthma sufferers to avoid smoky situations wherever possible and to admire fireworks from indoors. Having a good asthma management plan is one of the best ways to control your asthma, so speak to your health care professional to make sure your plan is working to control your asthma.”
Christmas time can create additional pressures and the Asthma Society recommends people with asthma to try and avoid unnecessary stress. “If stress is a trigger for your asthma, monitoring your condition and taking your medicine regularly should help to minimise symptoms. Speak to your doctor or call the Asthma Helpline if you are going through a difficult time and feel you need more support,” says Ms Guiney.
By following these simple steps, people with asthma and parents of children with asthma can help to ensure they stay healthy and enjoy optimal asthma control over the Christmas period.
2011年12月20日星期二
After Colette's mastectomy, a pioneering technique restored her confidence
Five years ago, at 47, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I’d gone to my GP after noticing puckering around the nipple of my right breast a couple of weeks earlier, and was referred for a mammogram and needle biopsy.
I’d done such a good job convincing myself it was nothing that I felt stunned when I got the results two weeks later.
What I found particulalrly difficult was being told I’d have to lose my breast.
Lumpectomy was ruled out because they’d found more than one lump, so mastectomy offered the best chance of completely clearing the cancer.
I was told I could either have a mastectomy with no breast reconstruction, or breast reconstruction with an implant, carried out at the same time as the mastectomy.
For the latter, doctors said they would insert a saline expander implant, which would be regularly topped up, to stretch the skin in order to allow for some droop when the silicone implant is put in later.
I have private insurance through work, so had this carried out at the Ipswich Nuffield at the end of July 2007 — but it was a disaster.
The saline implant had a faulty valve, so every time I went to have it topped up, the water would leak out and my T-shirt would be sopping by the time I got home.
Unfortunately, this had to take a back seat. Cancer had been found in my lymph nodes so this had to be the priority — chemotherapy then five weeks of intense radiotherapy.
This was completed in March 2008, so two months later my surgeon booked me in to swop the leaky saline expander for the silicone implant.
But my skin had been so damaged by radiotherapy it wouldn’t heal properly and I had a weeping wound.
On December 23 I was changing my clothes and found a hole in my breast, the size of a 2p, where the nipple would be.
It was absolute panic stations. We shot back to hospital and I was scheduled for surgery to have everything removed a few weeks later.
After that operation, I wasn’t just flat-chested on my right side, I was almost concave as they had to remove all the radiated tissue.
It was at a subsequent check-up that a new female surgeon asked if I’d considered having a DIEP flap reconstruction where they give you a tummy tuck and use that removed tissue to tailor a new breast for you.
I’d been told about this initially and it had sounded horrendous. But the surgeon said it would heal well this time because they had now removed all the radiated breast tissue.
She referred me to plastic surgeon Venkat Ramakrishnan, at St Andrew’s Centre, Chelmsford.
At my first appointment in April 2009, this time on the NHS, he explained how it works.
He would make a hip-to-hip incision, take out a large segment of tissue with blood vessels which they plug into your chest and fashion into a breast, then stitch your tummy so you get a tummy tuck, too.
My daughter Charlotte, 24, and Lee, my partner, were against it; they felt I’d been through enough. But I wanted to go ahead, so Mr Ramakrishnan put me on the waiting list and I had the procedure in April 2010.
It was then that I was asked if I minded if they did the stitching to join the blood vessels robotically.
Apparently, few surgeons can match the skill of a robot at this. I wanted it done, so said yes, and came out from surgery with a light dressing over my breast. I was kept very warm to make sure the newly connected blood supply to the breast was getting through.
It’s been almost two years since this operation and the scars are fading well. This year I went back to St Andrew’s for a breast reduction on my healthy breast so now I’ve got symmetrical boobs.
I can do all the normal things you don’t think twice about when you’re healthy, such as going to the gym and swimming. It’s been a rollercoaster, but looking back, my only regret is that I didn’t go for this in the first place.
I’d gone to my GP after noticing puckering around the nipple of my right breast a couple of weeks earlier, and was referred for a mammogram and needle biopsy.
I’d done such a good job convincing myself it was nothing that I felt stunned when I got the results two weeks later.
What I found particulalrly difficult was being told I’d have to lose my breast.
Lumpectomy was ruled out because they’d found more than one lump, so mastectomy offered the best chance of completely clearing the cancer.
I was told I could either have a mastectomy with no breast reconstruction, or breast reconstruction with an implant, carried out at the same time as the mastectomy.
For the latter, doctors said they would insert a saline expander implant, which would be regularly topped up, to stretch the skin in order to allow for some droop when the silicone implant is put in later.
I have private insurance through work, so had this carried out at the Ipswich Nuffield at the end of July 2007 — but it was a disaster.
The saline implant had a faulty valve, so every time I went to have it topped up, the water would leak out and my T-shirt would be sopping by the time I got home.
Unfortunately, this had to take a back seat. Cancer had been found in my lymph nodes so this had to be the priority — chemotherapy then five weeks of intense radiotherapy.
This was completed in March 2008, so two months later my surgeon booked me in to swop the leaky saline expander for the silicone implant.
But my skin had been so damaged by radiotherapy it wouldn’t heal properly and I had a weeping wound.
On December 23 I was changing my clothes and found a hole in my breast, the size of a 2p, where the nipple would be.
It was absolute panic stations. We shot back to hospital and I was scheduled for surgery to have everything removed a few weeks later.
After that operation, I wasn’t just flat-chested on my right side, I was almost concave as they had to remove all the radiated tissue.
It was at a subsequent check-up that a new female surgeon asked if I’d considered having a DIEP flap reconstruction where they give you a tummy tuck and use that removed tissue to tailor a new breast for you.
I’d been told about this initially and it had sounded horrendous. But the surgeon said it would heal well this time because they had now removed all the radiated breast tissue.
She referred me to plastic surgeon Venkat Ramakrishnan, at St Andrew’s Centre, Chelmsford.
At my first appointment in April 2009, this time on the NHS, he explained how it works.
He would make a hip-to-hip incision, take out a large segment of tissue with blood vessels which they plug into your chest and fashion into a breast, then stitch your tummy so you get a tummy tuck, too.
My daughter Charlotte, 24, and Lee, my partner, were against it; they felt I’d been through enough. But I wanted to go ahead, so Mr Ramakrishnan put me on the waiting list and I had the procedure in April 2010.
It was then that I was asked if I minded if they did the stitching to join the blood vessels robotically.
Apparently, few surgeons can match the skill of a robot at this. I wanted it done, so said yes, and came out from surgery with a light dressing over my breast. I was kept very warm to make sure the newly connected blood supply to the breast was getting through.
It’s been almost two years since this operation and the scars are fading well. This year I went back to St Andrew’s for a breast reduction on my healthy breast so now I’ve got symmetrical boobs.
I can do all the normal things you don’t think twice about when you’re healthy, such as going to the gym and swimming. It’s been a rollercoaster, but looking back, my only regret is that I didn’t go for this in the first place.
2011年12月19日星期一
A most atypical Israeli business
Israel is known for its software prowess in high technology – the “new” tech where programmers lead the way into a clean, bright future full of new innovations and inventions. “Old tech,” the kind you find in factories and assembly plants, isn’t really associated with Israel; the country was established well after the end of the Industrial Revolution, and factories were never a major feature of the Israeli workplace.
With all that, though, an Israeli company is deeply involved in industrial production, developing software to create molds, dies and machines.
Good software is absolutely necessary to build plastic-injection molds, for example, which can have up to 5,000 parts, including pins, screws and plates.
Usually one person designs the product, but another person – often in another company – designs the molds for each part. It’s up to the software to make sure that everyone follows the same design plan; the more precise the design program, the more precise the final product will come out.
Cimatron, indeed, is an anomaly in the Israeli hi-tech world, concentrating on applications and technology for what is generally thought to be “low-tech” purposes, Cimatron CEO Dan Haran says. “But it’s not really low-tech because the design of almost everything today is very sophisticated.”
It’s not Internet-type hi-tech, but it’s hi-tech in the sense that the design and execution of almost all manufacturing processes today is very advanced and sophisticated. Call it “post-industrial,” he says.
Take, for example, a car dashboard, an area that Cimatron has quite a lot of experience in.
“There are hundreds of parts that go into making a dashboard, and they all have to be precisely designed and built, so that they can work together,” Haran says. “Most of the parts are made out of plastic and metal, and for each part to work together, you need precise design, and that’s based on the kind of software we produce.”
There are few businesses that are more all-encompassing than mold and die design, and Cimatron’s technology is being used by companies large and small from very diverse backgrounds and in almost any manufacturing capacity you can imagine.
For example, one company using Cimatron’s CAD/CAM system is China’s Haier Mould, a subsidiary of the Haier Group, which controls nearly 35 percent of China’s household appliance market (imagine how many coffee makers that is!) and boasts a sales network spanning 31 countries.
With an annual production capacity of 1,200 standard mold sets and capability to build molds over 40 tons, Haier Mould services global companies such as Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan, Samsung, LG, Canon and Sanyo.
Vaupell, another Cimatron customer, makes molded products and assemblies for medical, defense, aerospace, electronics and transportation industries. Here, too, precision is essential; the parts that US-based Vaupell makes need to be just so – sometimes to the thousandth of a centimeter – to fulfill engineering and legal requirements.
UK-based DLS Plastics makes all sorts of plastic caps, covers and connectors for use in plumbing and water systems.
Once again, if the connection is off by even a little, things just won’t screw together properly, resulting in wastewater flooding homes and neighborhoods.
Once again, its Cimatron to the rescue, with tools that cut down training time and automate the design process.
You can’t get more industrial than little plastic connectors to keep water flowing through pipes. That an Israeli company has been able to compete with the top companies in the world working in CAD/CAM design for manufacturing is an untold Israeli hi-tech success story. And the same applies to far more sophisticated products, Haran says.
“Blades and turbines for many planes, for example, are made out of titanium and other metals and cannot be made with a die, but are made one at a time,” he says, and Cimatron has that covered as well.
While China has seemingly become the “world’s factory,” there are many higher-end items that cannot be made there, and there is plenty of manufacturing going on in Europe and the US, he says, and it is in there – among the mold makers, die makers, parts manufacturers or subcontractors – where Cimatron’s sophisticated software is most appreciated.
With all that, though, an Israeli company is deeply involved in industrial production, developing software to create molds, dies and machines.
Good software is absolutely necessary to build plastic-injection molds, for example, which can have up to 5,000 parts, including pins, screws and plates.
Usually one person designs the product, but another person – often in another company – designs the molds for each part. It’s up to the software to make sure that everyone follows the same design plan; the more precise the design program, the more precise the final product will come out.
Cimatron, indeed, is an anomaly in the Israeli hi-tech world, concentrating on applications and technology for what is generally thought to be “low-tech” purposes, Cimatron CEO Dan Haran says. “But it’s not really low-tech because the design of almost everything today is very sophisticated.”
It’s not Internet-type hi-tech, but it’s hi-tech in the sense that the design and execution of almost all manufacturing processes today is very advanced and sophisticated. Call it “post-industrial,” he says.
Take, for example, a car dashboard, an area that Cimatron has quite a lot of experience in.
“There are hundreds of parts that go into making a dashboard, and they all have to be precisely designed and built, so that they can work together,” Haran says. “Most of the parts are made out of plastic and metal, and for each part to work together, you need precise design, and that’s based on the kind of software we produce.”
There are few businesses that are more all-encompassing than mold and die design, and Cimatron’s technology is being used by companies large and small from very diverse backgrounds and in almost any manufacturing capacity you can imagine.
For example, one company using Cimatron’s CAD/CAM system is China’s Haier Mould, a subsidiary of the Haier Group, which controls nearly 35 percent of China’s household appliance market (imagine how many coffee makers that is!) and boasts a sales network spanning 31 countries.
With an annual production capacity of 1,200 standard mold sets and capability to build molds over 40 tons, Haier Mould services global companies such as Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan, Samsung, LG, Canon and Sanyo.
Vaupell, another Cimatron customer, makes molded products and assemblies for medical, defense, aerospace, electronics and transportation industries. Here, too, precision is essential; the parts that US-based Vaupell makes need to be just so – sometimes to the thousandth of a centimeter – to fulfill engineering and legal requirements.
UK-based DLS Plastics makes all sorts of plastic caps, covers and connectors for use in plumbing and water systems.
Once again, if the connection is off by even a little, things just won’t screw together properly, resulting in wastewater flooding homes and neighborhoods.
Once again, its Cimatron to the rescue, with tools that cut down training time and automate the design process.
You can’t get more industrial than little plastic connectors to keep water flowing through pipes. That an Israeli company has been able to compete with the top companies in the world working in CAD/CAM design for manufacturing is an untold Israeli hi-tech success story. And the same applies to far more sophisticated products, Haran says.
“Blades and turbines for many planes, for example, are made out of titanium and other metals and cannot be made with a die, but are made one at a time,” he says, and Cimatron has that covered as well.
While China has seemingly become the “world’s factory,” there are many higher-end items that cannot be made there, and there is plenty of manufacturing going on in Europe and the US, he says, and it is in there – among the mold makers, die makers, parts manufacturers or subcontractors – where Cimatron’s sophisticated software is most appreciated.
2011年12月18日星期日
Rae urges Harper to visit Attawapiskat, blames PM for aboriginal housing crisis
Liberal Leader Bob Rae is accusing the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of showing a "lack of respect" toward the troubled First Nations community of Attawapiskat.
On Saturday, as he wrapped up a visit to see the community's housing crisis first-hand, Rae chided Harper — who has long claimed to have a soft spot for northern Canada — for not travelling to the region himself.
“Where there are real people living, and living in really difficult conditions, the prime minister has nothing to say — he’s not there,” Rae said in a telephone interview.
“There’s a great concern about the lack of respect that’s been shown to people here. You show respect by coming, not by insisting that people come to see you.”
Harper's regular forays to remote northern communities since he took office have carried a strong emphasis on issues like defence and sovereignty, but rarely any evidence that the prime minister or the government has forged much of a relationship with the people who live there, Rae said.
“I don’t think he has a great deal of credibility with the people who are living here, or the people who are living in a great many other northern communities, because this is not about planes flying by or about defending the north from the Russians," he said.
"This is about defending the north from poverty, from terrible conditions in terms of housing and poor substandard education."
Rae's visit is the second for an opposition leader in as many weeks. NDP Leader Nycole Turmel visited Attawapiskat last month and promptly urged Harper to do the same.
A spokesman for the prime minister said in an email on Sunday that Harper will not being going to Attawapiskat and the top priority is to get help to the community.
The government infuriated local leaders by appointing a third-party manager to take over the band's financial affairs. Chief Theresa Spence has appealed to the courts for an injunction to oust the third party, who is being paid $1,300 a day from band funds. A ruling is expected Monday or Tuesday.
Emergency supplies continue to pour in — including washing machines, detergent and blankets. However, large families remain crammed into cold, mould-stained shacks with no bathroom or running water. In one case, 20 people are living together in a two-room house.
The federal government has promised 22 new houses and a retrofit of a local healing centre to help ease the crisis.
The government's attempt to "turn the political tables" by trying to put the spotlight on how the band has managed its funds is "disgraceful," said Rae. He blamed the prime minister for cancelling the Kelowna accord, a Liberal initiative designed to improve living conditions for First Nations communities, and for abandoning various investments to aboriginal communities.
"He (Harper) has to wear this thing, he has to take personal responsibility for what’s happened," Rae said.
"I certainly don’t intend to let him off the hook."
On Saturday, as he wrapped up a visit to see the community's housing crisis first-hand, Rae chided Harper — who has long claimed to have a soft spot for northern Canada — for not travelling to the region himself.
“Where there are real people living, and living in really difficult conditions, the prime minister has nothing to say — he’s not there,” Rae said in a telephone interview.
“There’s a great concern about the lack of respect that’s been shown to people here. You show respect by coming, not by insisting that people come to see you.”
Harper's regular forays to remote northern communities since he took office have carried a strong emphasis on issues like defence and sovereignty, but rarely any evidence that the prime minister or the government has forged much of a relationship with the people who live there, Rae said.
“I don’t think he has a great deal of credibility with the people who are living here, or the people who are living in a great many other northern communities, because this is not about planes flying by or about defending the north from the Russians," he said.
"This is about defending the north from poverty, from terrible conditions in terms of housing and poor substandard education."
Rae's visit is the second for an opposition leader in as many weeks. NDP Leader Nycole Turmel visited Attawapiskat last month and promptly urged Harper to do the same.
A spokesman for the prime minister said in an email on Sunday that Harper will not being going to Attawapiskat and the top priority is to get help to the community.
The government infuriated local leaders by appointing a third-party manager to take over the band's financial affairs. Chief Theresa Spence has appealed to the courts for an injunction to oust the third party, who is being paid $1,300 a day from band funds. A ruling is expected Monday or Tuesday.
Emergency supplies continue to pour in — including washing machines, detergent and blankets. However, large families remain crammed into cold, mould-stained shacks with no bathroom or running water. In one case, 20 people are living together in a two-room house.
The federal government has promised 22 new houses and a retrofit of a local healing centre to help ease the crisis.
The government's attempt to "turn the political tables" by trying to put the spotlight on how the band has managed its funds is "disgraceful," said Rae. He blamed the prime minister for cancelling the Kelowna accord, a Liberal initiative designed to improve living conditions for First Nations communities, and for abandoning various investments to aboriginal communities.
"He (Harper) has to wear this thing, he has to take personal responsibility for what’s happened," Rae said.
"I certainly don’t intend to let him off the hook."
2011年12月15日星期四
Artist of the week 168: Svein Flygari Johansen
Svein Flygari Johansen is a modern-day Romantic. While his hero Caspar David Friedrich captured the mysteries of mountains and forests in paint, Johansen uses the latest technology for his ecologically minded projects. In his UK debut, Am I Making Up What Really Happened?, the fusions of art, nature and science (created with his technical collaborator, Jonny Bradley) include a giant plastic sack of fish-free Thames river water suspended from the ceiling in a low-lit, cave-like gallery. Beneath it, the twitching shadow of a trout swims across the floor as a digital projection. The effect is magical, like seeing a ghost.
Though now based in Oslo, Johansen was born and raised in Alta, the northern-most city in the world, and the raw Nordic fjords and forests are at the heart of his work. As a boy, he campaigned against the Norwegian government's controversial plans to build a power station and dam on the local Alta-Kautokeino river. It proved a formative experience, focusing his attention on conservation and the age-old culture of Norway's indigenous Sami, whose land rights were thrown into question by the government proposals.
The conflict between old and new ways of life is brought into focus in works such as the photo diptych The Fence (2007). In one image where fresh grasslands are lit up by a blue summer sky, a rickety wooden Sami reindeer fence winds. In the other, it's winter, the landscape muddy and sliced in two by an industrial white metal fence, heralding the privatisation of ancient common land on the borders of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
A similar tension is at play in the shimmering limestone humps that spread across the floor in his current show like a scaled-down Nordic landscape. Yet this panoramic vision of untouched natural beauty palls somewhat when you discover the sparkle is thanks to a crystal coating of ammonium sulphate, a chemical more commonly used in industrial fertiliser and related to the nitrate used in explosives.
There's a sleight of hand, now you see it now you don't, quality to Johansen's work. He points to what is lost in a changing world, where ancient ways and eco-systems succumb to the rapid march of global capitalism.
Though now based in Oslo, Johansen was born and raised in Alta, the northern-most city in the world, and the raw Nordic fjords and forests are at the heart of his work. As a boy, he campaigned against the Norwegian government's controversial plans to build a power station and dam on the local Alta-Kautokeino river. It proved a formative experience, focusing his attention on conservation and the age-old culture of Norway's indigenous Sami, whose land rights were thrown into question by the government proposals.
The conflict between old and new ways of life is brought into focus in works such as the photo diptych The Fence (2007). In one image where fresh grasslands are lit up by a blue summer sky, a rickety wooden Sami reindeer fence winds. In the other, it's winter, the landscape muddy and sliced in two by an industrial white metal fence, heralding the privatisation of ancient common land on the borders of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
A similar tension is at play in the shimmering limestone humps that spread across the floor in his current show like a scaled-down Nordic landscape. Yet this panoramic vision of untouched natural beauty palls somewhat when you discover the sparkle is thanks to a crystal coating of ammonium sulphate, a chemical more commonly used in industrial fertiliser and related to the nitrate used in explosives.
There's a sleight of hand, now you see it now you don't, quality to Johansen's work. He points to what is lost in a changing world, where ancient ways and eco-systems succumb to the rapid march of global capitalism.
2011年12月14日星期三
Global weakness hammers Chen Hsong earnings
China’s slowing manufacturing economy and difficult conditions in export markets in North America and Europe hammered Chinese injection press maker Chen Hsong Holdings Ltd., sending revenues for the first half of its fiscal year down 27 percent, to HK$964 million (US$123.8 million).
“Weaknesses in Europe and the U.S. hammered China’s export sector, with dwindling orders and low capacity utilization directly suppressing needs for purchasing new equipment,” Hong Kong-based Chen Hsong said in a Nov. 28 filing to the Hong Kong stock market. “In the first half of this financial year, winter appeared to have fallen for the export sector.”
Profit in the first half of its fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, fell 54 percent to HK$104 million (US$13.3 million), compared with the same period in 2010.
In addition to export weakness, Chen Hsong also said conditions worsened markedly in China’s domestic market, with industries that were “red-hot” last year, like automotive and household appliances, facing overcapacity and mounting inventories.
The Chinese government’s attempt to rein in inflation, overheating and asset bubbles by tightening credit put many small and medium-sized manufacturers in a liquidity squeeze, Chen Hsong said: “Many customers could not obtain the necessary financing from banks to continue daily operations, expand capacity or upgrade production equipment.”
Business in China, whether for export-oriented or domestic-focused customers, took the brunt of the company’s losses, down 35 percent overall, to HK$656 million (US $84.3 million).
Chen Hsong’s figures match other estimates from Chinese plastics industry officials, including the Hong Kong Mould and Die Council, which estimated in September that 20 percent of the factories in South China’s tooling and molding industry could close down, although it said smaller, less well-capitalized factories were most at risk, with larger firms faring well.
Chen Hsong said its sales outside mainland China, on the other hand, fared OK. Sales to Taiwan and direct exports of its molding machines to international markets dropped only marginally, down 1 percent to Taiwan and 3 percent to overseas markets.
Taiwanese sales held basically steady at HK$84 million (US$10.7 million) because its processors were “strongly competitive” globally in their core markets of high-end electronics, mobile phones and computer.
And internationally, continued growth in emerging markets like South American and Southeast Asia fueled direct sales of machines, even if orders from its Chinese customers focusing on exports were down sharply. Sales internationally were HK$224 million (US$28.7 million).
“Sales turnover was affected by the depression in developed Western countries in Europe and the U.S.,” the company said.
Chen Hsong said it remained cautious regarding the rest of its fiscal year, but said it was looking to its strategic cooperation announced earlier this year with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Plastic Technology Co. Ltd. to fuel future growth.
The company said the new 2000 MMX ultra-large tonnage machine it’s developing with Mitsubishi to be made in Chen Hsong’s factories, completed its prototype and passed quality assurance tests.
Chen Hsong said it planned next year to finish an expansion of a factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, for manufacturing medium-to-large tonnage machines.
That expansion will help alleviate under-capacity that has forced the group turn down orders for such machines, it said.
“Weaknesses in Europe and the U.S. hammered China’s export sector, with dwindling orders and low capacity utilization directly suppressing needs for purchasing new equipment,” Hong Kong-based Chen Hsong said in a Nov. 28 filing to the Hong Kong stock market. “In the first half of this financial year, winter appeared to have fallen for the export sector.”
Profit in the first half of its fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, fell 54 percent to HK$104 million (US$13.3 million), compared with the same period in 2010.
In addition to export weakness, Chen Hsong also said conditions worsened markedly in China’s domestic market, with industries that were “red-hot” last year, like automotive and household appliances, facing overcapacity and mounting inventories.
The Chinese government’s attempt to rein in inflation, overheating and asset bubbles by tightening credit put many small and medium-sized manufacturers in a liquidity squeeze, Chen Hsong said: “Many customers could not obtain the necessary financing from banks to continue daily operations, expand capacity or upgrade production equipment.”
Business in China, whether for export-oriented or domestic-focused customers, took the brunt of the company’s losses, down 35 percent overall, to HK$656 million (US $84.3 million).
Chen Hsong’s figures match other estimates from Chinese plastics industry officials, including the Hong Kong Mould and Die Council, which estimated in September that 20 percent of the factories in South China’s tooling and molding industry could close down, although it said smaller, less well-capitalized factories were most at risk, with larger firms faring well.
Chen Hsong said its sales outside mainland China, on the other hand, fared OK. Sales to Taiwan and direct exports of its molding machines to international markets dropped only marginally, down 1 percent to Taiwan and 3 percent to overseas markets.
Taiwanese sales held basically steady at HK$84 million (US$10.7 million) because its processors were “strongly competitive” globally in their core markets of high-end electronics, mobile phones and computer.
And internationally, continued growth in emerging markets like South American and Southeast Asia fueled direct sales of machines, even if orders from its Chinese customers focusing on exports were down sharply. Sales internationally were HK$224 million (US$28.7 million).
“Sales turnover was affected by the depression in developed Western countries in Europe and the U.S.,” the company said.
Chen Hsong said it remained cautious regarding the rest of its fiscal year, but said it was looking to its strategic cooperation announced earlier this year with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Plastic Technology Co. Ltd. to fuel future growth.
The company said the new 2000 MMX ultra-large tonnage machine it’s developing with Mitsubishi to be made in Chen Hsong’s factories, completed its prototype and passed quality assurance tests.
Chen Hsong said it planned next year to finish an expansion of a factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, for manufacturing medium-to-large tonnage machines.
That expansion will help alleviate under-capacity that has forced the group turn down orders for such machines, it said.
2011年12月13日星期二
Renovating Basement Floors
Tired of looking at that concrete floor or that old flooring in your basement? Want to cover the concrete or replace that old floor?
If you said yes to these questions you should ask yourself some more questions. Does the concrete floor get wet during the year? Is the concrete floor painted? Would you like the floor to be warmer? does anyone in your house have allergies? Do you have children that play in the basement? These questions and other should be asked before choosing a floor.
Many products exist on the maorket that can solve a number of issues that you may have in your basement. If your basement floor gets wet during the year, you may want to think about raising the floor a little and get it off the concrete. Products like Tyroc, Dri-core and Ovrx can do this for you and allow water to pass under the finshed floor. The added bonus of Tyroc and Dri-core are that they allow air and water movement, effectively stopping the growth of mould. Each builds up the floor to keep it away from the cold concrete floor making the finished floor warmer. If you are planning on using one of these products make sure that you will have enough headroom.
Say you are lucky and have had no moisture in your basement, but you want the floor to be warmer. Ovrx would be th solution to this situation, Ovrx is an underlayment system that uses OSB panel on the top like Dri-core, but has closed cell foram insulation on the bottom. The panels are tongue and groove, 2'x2' in size, making for strong, stable and warm subfloor. You can put almost any type of flooring overtop of Tyroc, Dri-core or Ovrx, some types like carpet ory vinyl have to have a wooden underlayment installed over before the flooring.
You would like to install laminate flooring in your basement, but you also have someone with allergies in the house. Delta floor is an underlayment product that looks like foundation membrane; it has cups on the bottom, which elevates it off the floor. The advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that you can put the laminate underlay and floor ing directly over top, on extra plywood or other subfloor needed. The other advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that it allows airflow under the finished floor minimizing or eliminating any dampness that may occur.
Before we had these fancy subfloor panels available, people used to lay plastic down on the concrete floor to block moisture, then tapcon screwed down PT 2x4's every 24" on centre. Celfort (rigid foam insulation) in between and then lay down 3/4" thick plywood and screwed to the 2x4's. This method leaves no room for air circulation or possible water movement like their modern counterparts. So which would you rather use?
If you said yes to these questions you should ask yourself some more questions. Does the concrete floor get wet during the year? Is the concrete floor painted? Would you like the floor to be warmer? does anyone in your house have allergies? Do you have children that play in the basement? These questions and other should be asked before choosing a floor.
Many products exist on the maorket that can solve a number of issues that you may have in your basement. If your basement floor gets wet during the year, you may want to think about raising the floor a little and get it off the concrete. Products like Tyroc, Dri-core and Ovrx can do this for you and allow water to pass under the finshed floor. The added bonus of Tyroc and Dri-core are that they allow air and water movement, effectively stopping the growth of mould. Each builds up the floor to keep it away from the cold concrete floor making the finished floor warmer. If you are planning on using one of these products make sure that you will have enough headroom.
Say you are lucky and have had no moisture in your basement, but you want the floor to be warmer. Ovrx would be th solution to this situation, Ovrx is an underlayment system that uses OSB panel on the top like Dri-core, but has closed cell foram insulation on the bottom. The panels are tongue and groove, 2'x2' in size, making for strong, stable and warm subfloor. You can put almost any type of flooring overtop of Tyroc, Dri-core or Ovrx, some types like carpet ory vinyl have to have a wooden underlayment installed over before the flooring.
You would like to install laminate flooring in your basement, but you also have someone with allergies in the house. Delta floor is an underlayment product that looks like foundation membrane; it has cups on the bottom, which elevates it off the floor. The advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that you can put the laminate underlay and floor ing directly over top, on extra plywood or other subfloor needed. The other advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that it allows airflow under the finished floor minimizing or eliminating any dampness that may occur.
Before we had these fancy subfloor panels available, people used to lay plastic down on the concrete floor to block moisture, then tapcon screwed down PT 2x4's every 24" on centre. Celfort (rigid foam insulation) in between and then lay down 3/4" thick plywood and screwed to the 2x4's. This method leaves no room for air circulation or possible water movement like their modern counterparts. So which would you rather use?
2011年12月12日星期一
Christmas tree growers push back at allergy claims
Christmas tree growers say a family doctor's claim about Christmas trees triggering allergies is "unfair."
Dr. Peter Lin, who is based in Toronto, says Christmas trees may be partly to blame for winter allergies, asthma and sinus infections.
As soon as a tree is cut down, it's dead and allergy-causing mould sets in, he said.
"You bring it back into your home and now you've got some nice warm temperatures, it starts to dry out and the mould becomes air-borne and then people can have allergies to that."
Studies have shown the normal mould count inside a typical household is about 500 to 700 mould spores per cubic metre of air, said Lin.
But after having a Christmas tree Plastic Mould up for two weeks, the mould count jumps ten fold to about 5,000 spores, he said.
Tree farmers aren't happy about what they see as an attack on the annual tradition.
"Christmas tree growers are like any other farmer - they take as many steps as possible to prevent any moulds, parasites, or contamination," said Shirley Brennan, executive director of the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario, which represents 125 growers across the province.
"There is potentially mould anywhere. This is unfair to tree farmers," she said.
The group offers tips on its website about how to best care for Christmas trees to keep them fresh.
Suggestions include storing them outside in a cool, dry place until you're ready to decorate, making a fresh cut across the trunk once it's inside the house, keeping it away from heat sources and using a tree stand that can hold plenty of water. Trees may drink up to four litres of water per day, according to the website.
Artificial trees also problematic
Lin admits even artificial trees can cause allergic reactions.
They might be fine for the first year, but after being stored, they can cause problems.
"The artificial tree, we put in the basement where it's damp, and then guess what, you get mould going on that as well. And, you can also have dust."
For people who can't imagine celebrating Christmas without a Christmas tree, Lin suggests getting a real tree as soon as possible after it's been cut.
"Then want you do is bang it on the ground and that gets rid of all the dead needles and gets rid of the mould that might be growing on them as well."
Transporting trees on the roof of a vehicle can also help blow some of the mould spores off, said Lin.
The tree can also be hosed down, but must be left outside to dry before being moved indoors, he said. Otherwise, it will encourage mould growth.
Once the tree is moved indoors, it shouldn't be kept up for longer than three or four days and the water source should be kept covered because it could also become a breeding ground for mould.
Lin also recommends taking care with ornaments, particularly ones with fabric, which can get dusty and mouldy.
They should be vacuumed and wiped down before being placed on the tree and stored in plastic, he said.
Other holiday favourites that can cause allergic reactions include potpourri and scented candles, said Lin.
Poinsettias can also be a trigger for people who are allergic to latex gloves because they contain a similar chemical, he said. They're fine to have in the house, but should not be touched.
Chimneys should be cleaned and ready for festive fires and people with food allergies, such as peanuts, should be on the lookout any transfer or traces, he said.
Lin also recommends that anyone taking allergy medications that can cause drowsiness to be mindful of the potential risks of mixing them with too much holiday cheer, such as rum and eggnog.
Dr. Peter Lin, who is based in Toronto, says Christmas trees may be partly to blame for winter allergies, asthma and sinus infections.
As soon as a tree is cut down, it's dead and allergy-causing mould sets in, he said.
"You bring it back into your home and now you've got some nice warm temperatures, it starts to dry out and the mould becomes air-borne and then people can have allergies to that."
Studies have shown the normal mould count inside a typical household is about 500 to 700 mould spores per cubic metre of air, said Lin.
But after having a Christmas tree Plastic Mould up for two weeks, the mould count jumps ten fold to about 5,000 spores, he said.
Tree farmers aren't happy about what they see as an attack on the annual tradition.
"Christmas tree growers are like any other farmer - they take as many steps as possible to prevent any moulds, parasites, or contamination," said Shirley Brennan, executive director of the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario, which represents 125 growers across the province.
"There is potentially mould anywhere. This is unfair to tree farmers," she said.
The group offers tips on its website about how to best care for Christmas trees to keep them fresh.
Suggestions include storing them outside in a cool, dry place until you're ready to decorate, making a fresh cut across the trunk once it's inside the house, keeping it away from heat sources and using a tree stand that can hold plenty of water. Trees may drink up to four litres of water per day, according to the website.
Artificial trees also problematic
Lin admits even artificial trees can cause allergic reactions.
They might be fine for the first year, but after being stored, they can cause problems.
"The artificial tree, we put in the basement where it's damp, and then guess what, you get mould going on that as well. And, you can also have dust."
For people who can't imagine celebrating Christmas without a Christmas tree, Lin suggests getting a real tree as soon as possible after it's been cut.
"Then want you do is bang it on the ground and that gets rid of all the dead needles and gets rid of the mould that might be growing on them as well."
Transporting trees on the roof of a vehicle can also help blow some of the mould spores off, said Lin.
The tree can also be hosed down, but must be left outside to dry before being moved indoors, he said. Otherwise, it will encourage mould growth.
Once the tree is moved indoors, it shouldn't be kept up for longer than three or four days and the water source should be kept covered because it could also become a breeding ground for mould.
Lin also recommends taking care with ornaments, particularly ones with fabric, which can get dusty and mouldy.
They should be vacuumed and wiped down before being placed on the tree and stored in plastic, he said.
Other holiday favourites that can cause allergic reactions include potpourri and scented candles, said Lin.
Poinsettias can also be a trigger for people who are allergic to latex gloves because they contain a similar chemical, he said. They're fine to have in the house, but should not be touched.
Chimneys should be cleaned and ready for festive fires and people with food allergies, such as peanuts, should be on the lookout any transfer or traces, he said.
Lin also recommends that anyone taking allergy medications that can cause drowsiness to be mindful of the potential risks of mixing them with too much holiday cheer, such as rum and eggnog.
2011年12月11日星期日
Plastic Mould Manufacturer
Sino Mould Co., Ltd. is the world famous Chinese plastic mould manufacturers in Southeast of China, from 1999 a small workshop until today, SINO MOULD has a great achievements in plastic mould design and manufacturing. From the starting 10 officers until now more than 800, from 0.3M USD turnover to now more than 40M USD, from 50SQM workshop to now bigger then 60000SQM building area, from low quality plastic mould to super quality Plastic mould...during this 11 years, SINO MOULD has manufactured more then 9000 sets of plastic moulds.
In 2001 year, SINO MOULD established the partner relationship with MTS ( Mould Technology Service Co.) in Belgium, from this year, 60% of SINO MOULD's production capacity was offered to MTS, until 2004 year. During the cooperation with MTS, SINO MOULD established SINO MOULD quality standard for plastic mould design and manufacturing. The quality standard is based on MTS's requirements combined with DME standard plastic mould base and plastic mould components dimensions and quality. <<sino plastic mould design standard>> and <<sino plastic mould manufacturing standard>>, the introduction and implementation of this two quality standards caused the great improvements of SINO MOULD'S quality…from that time, SINO MOULD know what's the European requirements for the plastic mould, and the teams have gained the very top quality conception and mentality.
From 1999 to 2010, SINO MOULD has invested more than 20M USD of various plastic mould tooling equipments.
In July of 2005 year, SINO MOULD has carried out the quality managements according with TS16949, under this managements standard, Plastic Mould SINO MOULD improved the quality management system. Such like the process managements, dimension controlling, technology and skill training, quality controlling for plastic mould design and material and components of plastic mould.
From the end of 2008 until now, SINO MOULD has realized greatest optimization to the management, this actions has further improved the plastic moulds quality, delivery time, increased the market competitiveness. The optimizations are as follows:
SINO team put much more time than before in the plastic mould design analysis process. So the quality control of plastic mould design has been more rigorous. We did the biggest possibilities to avoid any Errors or shortcomings in the plastic mould design. So that we solved many plastic moulds problems in the computer while not in the workshop.
New tooling machines and QC equipments investment total investment from Sep.2009 to May. 2010 is around 4.5M USD.
SINO MOULD prohibited any hand workings on the plastic mould plates and other components, all the parts must be precise and well done by machining. The new technologies of machining process determined the precision. Such as: from the rough machining to precision machining, we have increased half precision machining, by this way, we have reduced the deforming of the plastic mould parts when they are machining…the taping for the screw holes, we started the processing by CNC milling machines or by the special taping machines…many tools and jigs innovating helped the high precise and effective of tooling...
Before precise milling or machining, there is one dimension inspection, after the precise machining, before it taking for assembling, there is dimensions inspection according to the printing drawings. All the dimensions must meet with moulds 2D drawings' tolerances
Before the shipments, all the plastic moulds will be put onto the machines for mass production inspection, for example some plastic moulds will automatic work for 24 hours, some huge plastic mould will run for at least 4 hours. And we will suggest our customer to do some quantity's parts plastic moulding in our company. The purpose is that to be sure there will be none problems on the plastic moulds.
As for the modern Plastic Mould Manufacturer, Sino Mould has herself managements system, team's philosophy of quality, company technologies properties and patents, Sino people's working culture and life culture…Sino people know that Sino is a company not only like a home, it is also like an army and a school.
In 2001 year, SINO MOULD established the partner relationship with MTS ( Mould Technology Service Co.) in Belgium, from this year, 60% of SINO MOULD's production capacity was offered to MTS, until 2004 year. During the cooperation with MTS, SINO MOULD established SINO MOULD quality standard for plastic mould design and manufacturing. The quality standard is based on MTS's requirements combined with DME standard plastic mould base and plastic mould components dimensions and quality. <<sino plastic mould design standard>> and <<sino plastic mould manufacturing standard>>, the introduction and implementation of this two quality standards caused the great improvements of SINO MOULD'S quality…from that time, SINO MOULD know what's the European requirements for the plastic mould, and the teams have gained the very top quality conception and mentality.
From 1999 to 2010, SINO MOULD has invested more than 20M USD of various plastic mould tooling equipments.
In July of 2005 year, SINO MOULD has carried out the quality managements according with TS16949, under this managements standard, Plastic Mould SINO MOULD improved the quality management system. Such like the process managements, dimension controlling, technology and skill training, quality controlling for plastic mould design and material and components of plastic mould.
From the end of 2008 until now, SINO MOULD has realized greatest optimization to the management, this actions has further improved the plastic moulds quality, delivery time, increased the market competitiveness. The optimizations are as follows:
SINO team put much more time than before in the plastic mould design analysis process. So the quality control of plastic mould design has been more rigorous. We did the biggest possibilities to avoid any Errors or shortcomings in the plastic mould design. So that we solved many plastic moulds problems in the computer while not in the workshop.
New tooling machines and QC equipments investment total investment from Sep.2009 to May. 2010 is around 4.5M USD.
SINO MOULD prohibited any hand workings on the plastic mould plates and other components, all the parts must be precise and well done by machining. The new technologies of machining process determined the precision. Such as: from the rough machining to precision machining, we have increased half precision machining, by this way, we have reduced the deforming of the plastic mould parts when they are machining…the taping for the screw holes, we started the processing by CNC milling machines or by the special taping machines…many tools and jigs innovating helped the high precise and effective of tooling...
Before precise milling or machining, there is one dimension inspection, after the precise machining, before it taking for assembling, there is dimensions inspection according to the printing drawings. All the dimensions must meet with moulds 2D drawings' tolerances
Before the shipments, all the plastic moulds will be put onto the machines for mass production inspection, for example some plastic moulds will automatic work for 24 hours, some huge plastic mould will run for at least 4 hours. And we will suggest our customer to do some quantity's parts plastic moulding in our company. The purpose is that to be sure there will be none problems on the plastic moulds.
As for the modern Plastic Mould Manufacturer, Sino Mould has herself managements system, team's philosophy of quality, company technologies properties and patents, Sino people's working culture and life culture…Sino people know that Sino is a company not only like a home, it is also like an army and a school.
2011年12月8日星期四
BMW designers lean on plastics for zero-emission cars
In an interview at the recent Business of Design Week in Hong Kong, Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice-president of BMW Group Design, said he was excited by the creative possibilities opening up with the new lightweight materials, including traditional plastics, carbon fibre reinforced plastics and aluminium.
But he also urged materials firms to continue making advancements, as car companies come under more environmental pressure, and had some specific advice for plastics companies.
“[Reducing vehicle weight] is getting more and more important because we are going into I think an era of quite a lot of change in the automotive field,” said van Hooydonk, who is responsible for the design development of the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands. “We are going to zero emission mobility.”
BMW, for example, plans to roll out what it calls “zero local” emission or low emission models in 2013, its all-electric i3 for urban driving and its hybrid i8 sports car.
Van Hooydonk, who worked as a designer for GE Plastics Europe in Bergen Op Zoom early in his career, said both of the new i Series cars use all-plastic body panels, a carbon fiber plastic composite structure and aluminium substructures. They’re all needed to cut weight to accommodate the heavy batteries these next-generation cars need, he said.
In its press materials for the i Series, BMW said CFRP is at least as strong as steel but 50 percent lighter.
“We are looking into all sorts of materials,” van Hooydonk said, in an interview with Plastics News before his speech at the Hong Kong event, a week-long series of related conferences from 28 November to 5 December. Plastic Mould “You probably know we are looking into carbon fibre but we are also looking into all sorts of plastics.
“Governments around the world are pushing for cleaner cities; this is understandable,” he said. “They are putting legislation in place to get cars with lower emissions.”
BMW is particularly interested in CFRP materials, and is working to fully commercialise what he called “industrial” carbon fibre manufacturing that can be mass-produced quickly.
He contrasted that with the current carbon fibre manufacturing technology it uses, which is similar to that used to make race cars, a very slow process.
“We’re pushing very hard to make that happen but it is a new territory,” he said. “I think we are at the forefront of that technology, from what I know. In two years’ time we can say that we have done it but at the moment we can say we’re developing it.”
BMW opened a joint venture carbon fibre manufacturing plant in Washington State in mid-2011.
Van Hooydonk’s comments about weight reduction and the key role of new materials echoed other auto designers at the Hong Kong event, including Olivier Boulay, head of Mercedes-Benz’s new Advanced Design Centre in China, who agreed that the environmental pressures on car companies are pushing new materials.
“You can go with plastic, you can go with aluminium, carbon fibre, whatever,” Boulay said. “We need every day to go with lighter and lighter but also strong … materials.”
Beyond weight, van Hooydonk said these materials open up design possibilities.
“Of course as a designer I like working in these new materials because it offers a lot of sculptural freedom,” he said. “Typically in those kinds of materials, you can create very nice shapes, complex shapes, [and] you can create sharp lines as well as soft surface transitions. Those are all things that are important to us at BMW.”
He also had some specific advice for plastics companies for research.
In-mould colouring processes need to be improved so they can stand up to the performance requirements of the auto industry, and let car companies use parts from the mould for a class A, high gloss surface without needing to be painted, he said.
“I know it’s not easy,” he said. “Cars are not like vacuum cleaners, [they] get into real accidents and they have to be used outdoors.”
He also said more work should be done with in-mould metallic finishes that do not show the flow lines: “I know this is a tricky topic but this is something I’d like to see more development of.”
But he also urged materials firms to continue making advancements, as car companies come under more environmental pressure, and had some specific advice for plastics companies.
“[Reducing vehicle weight] is getting more and more important because we are going into I think an era of quite a lot of change in the automotive field,” said van Hooydonk, who is responsible for the design development of the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands. “We are going to zero emission mobility.”
BMW, for example, plans to roll out what it calls “zero local” emission or low emission models in 2013, its all-electric i3 for urban driving and its hybrid i8 sports car.
Van Hooydonk, who worked as a designer for GE Plastics Europe in Bergen Op Zoom early in his career, said both of the new i Series cars use all-plastic body panels, a carbon fiber plastic composite structure and aluminium substructures. They’re all needed to cut weight to accommodate the heavy batteries these next-generation cars need, he said.
In its press materials for the i Series, BMW said CFRP is at least as strong as steel but 50 percent lighter.
“We are looking into all sorts of materials,” van Hooydonk said, in an interview with Plastics News before his speech at the Hong Kong event, a week-long series of related conferences from 28 November to 5 December. Plastic Mould “You probably know we are looking into carbon fibre but we are also looking into all sorts of plastics.
“Governments around the world are pushing for cleaner cities; this is understandable,” he said. “They are putting legislation in place to get cars with lower emissions.”
BMW is particularly interested in CFRP materials, and is working to fully commercialise what he called “industrial” carbon fibre manufacturing that can be mass-produced quickly.
He contrasted that with the current carbon fibre manufacturing technology it uses, which is similar to that used to make race cars, a very slow process.
“We’re pushing very hard to make that happen but it is a new territory,” he said. “I think we are at the forefront of that technology, from what I know. In two years’ time we can say that we have done it but at the moment we can say we’re developing it.”
BMW opened a joint venture carbon fibre manufacturing plant in Washington State in mid-2011.
Van Hooydonk’s comments about weight reduction and the key role of new materials echoed other auto designers at the Hong Kong event, including Olivier Boulay, head of Mercedes-Benz’s new Advanced Design Centre in China, who agreed that the environmental pressures on car companies are pushing new materials.
“You can go with plastic, you can go with aluminium, carbon fibre, whatever,” Boulay said. “We need every day to go with lighter and lighter but also strong … materials.”
Beyond weight, van Hooydonk said these materials open up design possibilities.
“Of course as a designer I like working in these new materials because it offers a lot of sculptural freedom,” he said. “Typically in those kinds of materials, you can create very nice shapes, complex shapes, [and] you can create sharp lines as well as soft surface transitions. Those are all things that are important to us at BMW.”
He also had some specific advice for plastics companies for research.
In-mould colouring processes need to be improved so they can stand up to the performance requirements of the auto industry, and let car companies use parts from the mould for a class A, high gloss surface without needing to be painted, he said.
“I know it’s not easy,” he said. “Cars are not like vacuum cleaners, [they] get into real accidents and they have to be used outdoors.”
He also said more work should be done with in-mould metallic finishes that do not show the flow lines: “I know this is a tricky topic but this is something I’d like to see more development of.”
2011年12月7日星期三
Subaru XV
There are some big changes going on at Subaru. First the BRZ coupe, introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show, added some much needed sparkle to the line-up and now the XV crossover has arrived to boost flagging sales figures in Europe.Tooling Subaru’s answer to the Nissan Qashqai, Mitsubishi ASX and Hyundai ix35 should open up the brand to a whole new type of customer, but is it a genuine contender in this lucrative segment?
With its established models like the Forester and Outlander, Subaru has always had a reputation for building robust and reliable cars. But the XV has been tasked with breaking that mould and bringing some more style and finesse to the table. Cast your eye over the exterior though and it’s clear the XV hasn’t forgotten its roots.
The hexagonal front grille and ‘hawk eye’ headlights make it unmistakeably a Subaru, while the jutting rear bumper and carefully placed plastic cladding give it a sturdy appearance. It’s a well-balanced profile and the newly designed 17-inch aluminium wheels add some unexpected flair.
On the inside Subaru has made a concerted effort to up the quality, and it shows. Soft-touch padding on the dashboard and upper door trims is a welcome addition, while the layout, consisting of three large dials for the air-con and a pair of colour displays for the sat-nav and other vehicle information, is logical and easy to use. Unfortunately there’s still cheap scratchy plastics on the centre console, glovebox and door trim that drag the premium feel down.
A thin and steeply-raked A-pillar means visibility is excellent, while there’s loads of legroom for rear passengers. Boot space is impressive too – 380 litres with the rear seats up and 1,270 litres with them folded flat, which is a full 410 litres more than the Qashqai.
There are three engines on offer - new 1.6 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol units, both available with a manual or CVT gearbox, and the familiar 2.0-litre boxer diesel which is only offered with a six-speed manual. We drove the latter as, despite being the most expensive, it’s predicted to be the biggest seller in the UK.
It’s an impressive engine – smooth, punchy and eager to rev, although there’s little benefit to letting it spin past 3,500rpm. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 50.4mpg and 146g/km respectively won’t win any environmental awards, but are virtually identical to the equivalent Mitsubishi ASX, so at least it’s on a par with its peers. The gearshift has a fairly long-throw action, but it’s smoother to use than the manual ‘box on the current Impreza.
With its rallying heritage, you’s expect a Subaru to handle well, and the XV doesn’t disappoint. The steering could do with some more feedback, but there’s nothing wrong with the way the XV corners – resisting body roll and gripping the tarmac tightly as Subaru’s standard-fit AWD system constantly shuffles torque to the wheel that needs it the most.
After you’ve finished throwing it around in the bends, refinement on the motorway is also a plus with barely a whisper from under the bonnet and only a faint rustle from the wing mirrors. It’s a shame then that the ride is a touch too firm, especially at low speeds on bad surfaces around town – precisely where Subaru sees the XV spending most of its time.
With its established models like the Forester and Outlander, Subaru has always had a reputation for building robust and reliable cars. But the XV has been tasked with breaking that mould and bringing some more style and finesse to the table. Cast your eye over the exterior though and it’s clear the XV hasn’t forgotten its roots.
The hexagonal front grille and ‘hawk eye’ headlights make it unmistakeably a Subaru, while the jutting rear bumper and carefully placed plastic cladding give it a sturdy appearance. It’s a well-balanced profile and the newly designed 17-inch aluminium wheels add some unexpected flair.
On the inside Subaru has made a concerted effort to up the quality, and it shows. Soft-touch padding on the dashboard and upper door trims is a welcome addition, while the layout, consisting of three large dials for the air-con and a pair of colour displays for the sat-nav and other vehicle information, is logical and easy to use. Unfortunately there’s still cheap scratchy plastics on the centre console, glovebox and door trim that drag the premium feel down.
A thin and steeply-raked A-pillar means visibility is excellent, while there’s loads of legroom for rear passengers. Boot space is impressive too – 380 litres with the rear seats up and 1,270 litres with them folded flat, which is a full 410 litres more than the Qashqai.
There are three engines on offer - new 1.6 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol units, both available with a manual or CVT gearbox, and the familiar 2.0-litre boxer diesel which is only offered with a six-speed manual. We drove the latter as, despite being the most expensive, it’s predicted to be the biggest seller in the UK.
It’s an impressive engine – smooth, punchy and eager to rev, although there’s little benefit to letting it spin past 3,500rpm. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 50.4mpg and 146g/km respectively won’t win any environmental awards, but are virtually identical to the equivalent Mitsubishi ASX, so at least it’s on a par with its peers. The gearshift has a fairly long-throw action, but it’s smoother to use than the manual ‘box on the current Impreza.
With its rallying heritage, you’s expect a Subaru to handle well, and the XV doesn’t disappoint. The steering could do with some more feedback, but there’s nothing wrong with the way the XV corners – resisting body roll and gripping the tarmac tightly as Subaru’s standard-fit AWD system constantly shuffles torque to the wheel that needs it the most.
After you’ve finished throwing it around in the bends, refinement on the motorway is also a plus with barely a whisper from under the bonnet and only a faint rustle from the wing mirrors. It’s a shame then that the ride is a touch too firm, especially at low speeds on bad surfaces around town – precisely where Subaru sees the XV spending most of its time.
2011年12月6日星期二
The perfect present - a 3D printer
Some use it to grow bones. Others to build planes. The American talk show host Jay Leno used it to replace the rusty bits of his 1907 White Steamer automobile, one of his vast collection of old cars. Hardly a week goes by without headlines about 3D printing, a technology that’s going to change the way you live. Welcome to the next industrial revolution.
The first industrial revolution boosted the income of hoi polloi and reshaped society over decades as manual labour was displaced by machine-based manufacturing. Factories produced items in their thousands and tens of thousands to enjoy vast economies of scale. Today, however, bespoke craftsmanship is making a comeback, thanks to 3D printing or “additive manufacturing”, in which a three-dimensional object is built layer by layer.
As a manufacturing process, 3D printing contrasts with the traditional “subtractive” approach, which relies on milling, grinding and cutting to remove material, wasting much of it in the process. This creative development offers all kinds of advantages and innovations.
The company 3T RPD, of Greenham Common, Berkshire, working in partnership with the University of Southampton, has created an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; Plastic Mould the world’s first 3D-printed aircraft. At Loughborough University, Richard Buswell is developing a vast, three-storey rig to create buildings by ''concrete printing’’.
Susmita Bose and colleagues at Washington State University recently described in the journal Dental Materials how they used a customised printer to create a bone-like material that can be used in orthopaedic operations and dental work. Other researchers are laying down layers of living cells. And a new generation of edible objects is being printed by Peter Walters at the University of the West of England. Scientists can reconstruct fossil bones, clone priceless artefacts and forge body parts.
Why stock warehouses with parts from abroad when entire designs can now be stored in virtual computer warehouses, waiting to be printed locally, and on demand? So asks a Science Museum curator, Ben Russell, who has used 3D printing at University College London to recreate the contents of a delicate plaster mould that turned out to be a lost bust of the Scottish engineer James Watt. He says 3D printing is an organic blend of craft and hi-tech that is a million miles from the production line assembly methods pioneered by Henry Ford.
The idea is not new: 3D printers have been available commercially for three decades, and are routinely used to make prototypes by car manufacturers. I first become aware of the potential of what was then called “rapid prototyping” in 2004, when I visited the Renault F1 team works in Oxfordshire, where titanium and plastic components were solidified from a soup of ingredients scanned by a beam of blue laser light.
But what has changed is that 3D printers are becoming cheaper, smarter, better and more ubiquitous. One of the more remarkable developments came from Adrian Bowyer of the University of Bath, with RepRap, which stands for ''replicating rapid-prototyper”, on which I reported for this paper. RepRap had first been honed to print out everyday plastic goods such as door handles, sandals and coat hooks. The machine works like a printer but, rather than squirting ink on to paper, it puts down thin layers of molten biodegradable plastic which solidify to make objects.
Three years ago, however, the machine had succeeded in copying all of its own 3D-printed parts, which could be assembled into a new RepRap machine.
RepRap marked the birth of a domestic machine, a revolution analogous to that which saw the mainframe computer give way to the desktop PC. Recently it became available in kit form and Bowyer has already sold 100. All the while, the software and other ingredients are getting cheaper. There are rival kits, from Bits from Bytes to MakerBot. There are hackers adapting and improving them. As the technology mutates and evolves, the quality of the objects they can make gets better.
The first industrial revolution boosted the income of hoi polloi and reshaped society over decades as manual labour was displaced by machine-based manufacturing. Factories produced items in their thousands and tens of thousands to enjoy vast economies of scale. Today, however, bespoke craftsmanship is making a comeback, thanks to 3D printing or “additive manufacturing”, in which a three-dimensional object is built layer by layer.
As a manufacturing process, 3D printing contrasts with the traditional “subtractive” approach, which relies on milling, grinding and cutting to remove material, wasting much of it in the process. This creative development offers all kinds of advantages and innovations.
The company 3T RPD, of Greenham Common, Berkshire, working in partnership with the University of Southampton, has created an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; Plastic Mould the world’s first 3D-printed aircraft. At Loughborough University, Richard Buswell is developing a vast, three-storey rig to create buildings by ''concrete printing’’.
Susmita Bose and colleagues at Washington State University recently described in the journal Dental Materials how they used a customised printer to create a bone-like material that can be used in orthopaedic operations and dental work. Other researchers are laying down layers of living cells. And a new generation of edible objects is being printed by Peter Walters at the University of the West of England. Scientists can reconstruct fossil bones, clone priceless artefacts and forge body parts.
Why stock warehouses with parts from abroad when entire designs can now be stored in virtual computer warehouses, waiting to be printed locally, and on demand? So asks a Science Museum curator, Ben Russell, who has used 3D printing at University College London to recreate the contents of a delicate plaster mould that turned out to be a lost bust of the Scottish engineer James Watt. He says 3D printing is an organic blend of craft and hi-tech that is a million miles from the production line assembly methods pioneered by Henry Ford.
The idea is not new: 3D printers have been available commercially for three decades, and are routinely used to make prototypes by car manufacturers. I first become aware of the potential of what was then called “rapid prototyping” in 2004, when I visited the Renault F1 team works in Oxfordshire, where titanium and plastic components were solidified from a soup of ingredients scanned by a beam of blue laser light.
But what has changed is that 3D printers are becoming cheaper, smarter, better and more ubiquitous. One of the more remarkable developments came from Adrian Bowyer of the University of Bath, with RepRap, which stands for ''replicating rapid-prototyper”, on which I reported for this paper. RepRap had first been honed to print out everyday plastic goods such as door handles, sandals and coat hooks. The machine works like a printer but, rather than squirting ink on to paper, it puts down thin layers of molten biodegradable plastic which solidify to make objects.
Three years ago, however, the machine had succeeded in copying all of its own 3D-printed parts, which could be assembled into a new RepRap machine.
RepRap marked the birth of a domestic machine, a revolution analogous to that which saw the mainframe computer give way to the desktop PC. Recently it became available in kit form and Bowyer has already sold 100. All the while, the software and other ingredients are getting cheaper. There are rival kits, from Bits from Bytes to MakerBot. There are hackers adapting and improving them. As the technology mutates and evolves, the quality of the objects they can make gets better.
2011年12月5日星期一
IWK has something to trumpet about
The IWK materials and plastics processing institute at HSR university in Rapperswil, Switzerland, has developed a carbon reinforced plastic (CFRP) trumpet for DaCarbo by using lost core technology in resin transfer moulding (RTM).
To make the trumpet, IWK used a two part-mould. Each part has an aluminium end-piece and a diecast bismuth-tin alloy core, Plastic Mould and receives a preform consisting of several braided hoses for resin impregnation and curing. The finished cured trumpet body is removed then the lost cores are melted in a hot water bath for re-use, along with the aluminium end-pieces.
The trumpet, exhibited at Fakuma 2011, has no condensed water pitting corrosion, which often happens with brass trumpets. It is also more robust, weighs less and needs fewer adjustments before playing, says IWK.
The institute's head, Frank Ehrig, told European Plastics News the trumpet is also easier to play because it requires less air pressure. Trumpet players at the Zurich Tonhalle orchestra have not detected differences in tone quality over a brass trumpet, he adds.
IWK developed the trumpet with CarboHorns Swiss, now DaCarbo, founded in 2009 by Werner Spiri, who has 30 years experience in making trumpets at his Musik Spiri company, and Andreas Keller, a material scientist at the ETH university in Zurich.
Keller says the DaCarbo trumpet produces a warm, full-bodied sound, as it suppresses energy-consuming wall vibrations better than brass.
To make the trumpet, IWK used a two part-mould. Each part has an aluminium end-piece and a diecast bismuth-tin alloy core, Plastic Mould and receives a preform consisting of several braided hoses for resin impregnation and curing. The finished cured trumpet body is removed then the lost cores are melted in a hot water bath for re-use, along with the aluminium end-pieces.
The trumpet, exhibited at Fakuma 2011, has no condensed water pitting corrosion, which often happens with brass trumpets. It is also more robust, weighs less and needs fewer adjustments before playing, says IWK.
The institute's head, Frank Ehrig, told European Plastics News the trumpet is also easier to play because it requires less air pressure. Trumpet players at the Zurich Tonhalle orchestra have not detected differences in tone quality over a brass trumpet, he adds.
IWK developed the trumpet with CarboHorns Swiss, now DaCarbo, founded in 2009 by Werner Spiri, who has 30 years experience in making trumpets at his Musik Spiri company, and Andreas Keller, a material scientist at the ETH university in Zurich.
Keller says the DaCarbo trumpet produces a warm, full-bodied sound, as it suppresses energy-consuming wall vibrations better than brass.
2011年12月4日星期日
Pmold Industrial(HongKong) Limited
Pmolds company established in 1998 in Shenzhen of Guangdong, China.We specialize in different kinds of high-quality plastic mold and related injection molding services, always provide the most cost effective way of design & manufacturing to meet customer’s individual requirements. Pmolds is an excellent plastic mould supplier in the line, we clearly understand what lead time, quality and price mean to our customers.
Our company focus on manufacturing plastic mould, plastic injection and assembly. Our aim at producing moulds with precision, complexity, various size and longer service life. Pmolds engineers are experienced in working with technical requirements of American & Germany customers. Our customers have the benefits of speaking directly to our Project Manager in English fluently.
Pmolds has established a complete follow-up service system to ensure quality service to our customers. We hope to be accepted & satisfied by customers through our continuously mature marketing network and improved after service.
Building precision plastic injection molds for our global customers continues to be PMold's core business. Employing over 100 skillful engineers and workers, PMold delivers over 400 top quality molds a year to many of the world's best companies. The ability to produce mold at the highest international standard, strong engineering and design capability, fluent English communication skill, aggressive lead times, competitive pricing and business integrity continues to be the success factor of PMold.
Our company focus on manufacturing plastic mould, plastic injection and assembly. Our aim at producing moulds with precision, complexity, various size and longer service life. Pmolds engineers are experienced in working with technical requirements of American & Germany customers. Our customers have the benefits of speaking directly to our Project Manager in English fluently.
Pmolds has established a complete follow-up service system to ensure quality service to our customers. We hope to be accepted & satisfied by customers through our continuously mature marketing network and improved after service.
Building precision plastic injection molds for our global customers continues to be PMold's core business. Employing over 100 skillful engineers and workers, PMold delivers over 400 top quality molds a year to many of the world's best companies. The ability to produce mold at the highest international standard, strong engineering and design capability, fluent English communication skill, aggressive lead times, competitive pricing and business integrity continues to be the success factor of PMold.
2011年12月1日星期四
Engineers create 3D printer which ‘creates’ bones
A 3D printer is being used to create bone like material which will repair injuries.
Engineers believe the substance can act as a support to allow new cell growth meaning that an injury will heal. The material then dissolves with “no apparent ill effects.”
Research shows that this process will allow doctors to custom order bone tissue replacement within a few years.
Prof Susmita Bose, Washington State University said ”You can use the bone-like ceramic powder as a feed material and it can make whatever you draw on the computer.”
Prof Bose also added her team were trying to develop the material to degrade as the cell renewal occurs.
The team have spent four years developing the material which is created using a 3D printer originally designed for making 3D metal objects.
The process sees plastic binder sprayed over ceramic powder. This process is carried out layer by layer until the desired mould is created, the material is then baked at 1250C .
Engineers believe the substance can act as a support to allow new cell growth meaning that an injury will heal. The material then dissolves with “no apparent ill effects.”
Research shows that this process will allow doctors to custom order bone tissue replacement within a few years.
Prof Susmita Bose, Washington State University said ”You can use the bone-like ceramic powder as a feed material and it can make whatever you draw on the computer.”
Prof Bose also added her team were trying to develop the material to degrade as the cell renewal occurs.
The team have spent four years developing the material which is created using a 3D printer originally designed for making 3D metal objects.
The process sees plastic binder sprayed over ceramic powder. This process is carried out layer by layer until the desired mould is created, the material is then baked at 1250C .
2011年11月30日星期三
Agony goes on for family of missing girl Siriyakorn 'Bung' Siriboon
THE last time her family see her, she turns on the doorstep and says "Bye, Mum, see you later." It is about 8.20am on a Thursday, six months ago tomorrow.
She crosses the street to the footpath and heads towards high school, a few minutes' walk.
Two doors down, a neighbour glances through his living room window and glimpses her: a 13-year-old girl in a blue and white uniform and blue rain jacket, carrying a dark backpack.
She moves from right to left across his vision - for about three seconds, he later calculates.
Then she vanishes.
Whoever sees her next, you'd think, is the only person who knows what happened to her, and why. The only one who knows if she is alive or dead.
Her family call her Bung, a short name standing in for the one on her passport, Siriyakorn Siriboon. She is a good girl: diligent, punctual, polite, never wags school.
People trust her, so when she doesn't turn up in her year 7 class that June morning, everyone assumes she has stayed home because of illness. It's the first week of winter, what teachers call "flu season", when kids wake up feeling awful and can hardly drag themselves out of bed.
If Bung were a troubled child, a repeat truant, teachers might suspect she is off on an escapade of her own. But she is none of those things, so no one worries until later.
At 3.30pm her mother, Vanidda Pattison, realises her daughter isn't home at the usual time. She calls her name from the kitchen, wonders why there's no answer.
About 4pm, the telephone rings. Bung's stepfather, Fred Pattison, answers. It's Dyamai, Bung's school friend. She asks to talk to Bung about what to wear to football practice next day.
It's the first Fred has heard that Bung wants to play football, as well as training for athletics and the school's rock eisteddfod.
"Why didn't you talk to her at school?" he asks, puzzled.
The girl hesitates. Bung wasn't at school, she says.
That's how the torment starts. First they go to the school, Boronia Heights Secondary College. The principal, Kate Harnetty, is still in her office, working late.
Harnetty has seen Fred Pattison at school functions and noticed he is calm and polite, and shows more interest in his stepdaughter's progress and behaviour - both good - than many fathers do.
She doesn't know his wife as well because Vanidda, only four years out of Thailand, isn't confident speaking English with strangers.
The Pattisons try not to panic. They look in the school library to make sure Bung isn't there. The principal checks the year 7 roll then finds a teacher who confirms Bung hasn't been in class.
That's when Kate Harnetty knows they have reason to worry. Bung doesn't "fit the mould" of kids who play truant or run away from home, as she later recalls. "She's just a sweet little girl. It was out of character."
She urges them to go straight to the police.
Minutes later, Fred Pattison walks into the police station in Dorset Rd. On the wall in the waiting area is a poster that says: When someone goes missing a day spent waiting is a day lost.
It's true enough but truth does not always equal reality in police work. The reality is that more than 35,000 people go missing in Australia every year, and more than half of them are under 18. The overwhelming majority turn up safely in hours, days or weeks.
But it's almost impossible to guess which tiny proportion of missing person reports could turn into something more sinister.
The policewoman who appears from behind the one-way mirror is polite and sympathetic but has no reason to think the report is different from the many that come to nothing.
In any case, the search has to start close to home, with friends and family that parents can reach quicker than the police can.
Fred has been up all day doing chores after night shift as a fitter in a Scoresby confectionery factory. Normally, he would take a nap and go to work. Instead, he calls his boss to say he won't be in.
In fact, it turns out he will not be back for a month.
Fred and Vanidda stay up all night. First, they visit Bung's friend Dyamai to get the names and telephone numbers of Bung's other friends. They call or visit each one.
Every blank they draw deepens their fear - and sends widening ripples of alarm. Late-night phone calls between other parents, school friends and teachers draw more people into the puzzle but no one knows the answer.
By 8am the Pattisons are back at the school, distraught, waiting to talk to the one classmate they missed overnight, but the girl knows nothing.
Kate Harnetty sees the overnight change in the couple: the hollow eyes and anguished faces. She urges them to go back to the police.
As soon as they leave, she calls the station to make sure they are taken seriously. With Fred Pattison's full-arm tattoo, cropped hair and tiny plait, she knows he looks "a bit like a merchant seaman" and fears he and Vanidda might be dismissed as trouble-prone time wasters.
As Pattison says later, he "hassles the police a bit" that morning. At that point it's still not unreasonable to suspect that Bung has run off with someone, and is now nervous about coming home.
Her parents are desperate to believe this, but too fearful to wait and do nothing. They make up simple posters: a snapshot of a smiling Bung in school uniform.
One of Fred's workmates helps put up the posters all over the district, first on power poles along the route Bung walked to school, then further away, in shops, bus stops and railway stations.
About 2pm, Knox Leader trainee reporter Erin Michael is buying a coffee in the Boronia Mall when she sees Fred Pattison taping up a poster. She introduces herself.
"He seemed quite vague and shocked," she would recall. "He came over to the office. He was pretty emotional." Half an hour later she puts the story online. That night, the Herald Sun picks it up. So as day two ends, the mystery is public - but deepening.
With every hour, the Pattisons grow more fearful. They put up posters all weekend.
By Monday, June 6, Knox detectives are on the case. A police spokesman concedes they have not "ruled out abduction". It's the first time the spectre of kidnapping is officially raised.
Inevitably, there are false leads and false hopes. On Tuesday, June 7, the trail is muddied when a schoolboy reports he saw Bung in Chandler Rd after school on the day she disappeared.
It turns out to be another Asian girl in school uniform. A security guard thinks he saw Bung at the railway station. He is wrong, too.
On Thursday, June 9, police set up an "information caravan" along the route Bung usually walked to school. People trickle in to talk. There is speculation but not much information. Nothing leads anywhere.
Detectives need a door to knock on, a car to trace. At the end of the first week they have neither. Twenty-five weeks later, they still haven't.
IT is just after 8.20am on a recent Thursday, much the same as the morning Bung walked out the door of the little house halfway along Elsie St. This is where suburbia meets the bush.
Cockatoos, magpies, crows and parrots squabble in the trees that fill the big post-war house blocks next to the Dandenongs. It's more Neighbours territory than the place for a horror story.
In the cream brick veneer at No.55, Vanidda Pattison is packing. Months of waiting for the news she dreads have taken a toll, though she tries to mask unspeakable fears with animated conversation, smiles and laughs.
She stays busy, but when she stops for a photographer to take a picture, the camera does not lie. Frozen in every frame, her eyes are full of pain.
Reliving the moment she realised Bung hadn't got to school that day, she holds her face in her hands. A policewoman, herself a mother, puts her arm around Vanidda as she talks of the last time she saw her girl.
When Fred got home from nightshift about 7.30am that Thursday, Vanidda was cooking chicken curry soup and rice for breakfast. "Bung had that breakfast," explains Vanidda. "Then she took some for lunch. The canteen is not nice for her."
They almost always refer to her in the present tense and cling to the belief she is alive, somewhere, somehow. It's a way to cope with a loss beyond words.
Vanidda is small, wiry from a lifetime's hard work and the simple diet she has followed most of her 42 years. She grew up in Ubon Ratchathani province in northeast Thailand. Her first marriage ended when her two girls were small, and her parents helped raise them while she worked. Now she is going home to see her mother and father.
She and Fred own a house in Thailand and were intending to move there after Bung finished school. Now everything is on hold.
Stacked on the couch are gifts for her family and the Buddhist temple in their home town. Early on the day Bung went missing, Vanidda and Fred had gone to the Bunnings store in Bayswater to buy roofing screws and sensor lights to donate to the temple. They believe in karma. Faith helps them get through each cruel day.
Vanidda met Fred in Melbourne when she was on holiday seven years ago. He spoke passable Thai, having spent a year there on long-service leave and studying the language at home.
His interest in Buddhism grew from his dedication to sado karate, which he took up at 15 and has practised ever since.
He admires the Thai work ethic and family values. Vanidda - he calls her "Nid" for short - "is a hard worker", he says. "It's a cultural thing. A good thing."
Together they have transformed the garden of the house they bought from an old couple four years ago. They also pounded the streets "letter boxing" retail catalogues together to earn extra money and keep fit.
Pattison understands self-reliance and hard work. He grew up in a battling family of nine around Queenscliff and Portarlington, then moved to Melbourne as an apprentice fitter at Carlton United Breweries, aged 17.
He still barracks for Geelong; Cats premiership posters are taped next to the front door but he's not had much appetite for footy since June 2.
It's the same with the fishing boat in the yard. He bought it last year but has never used it. He is holding down his job, thanks to an understanding employer, but the rest of his time is devoted to holding the family together, including Bung's big sister, Siriporn, now 20, a student at Swinburne.
Pattison is calm and self-possessed. He doesn't swear or bluster to mask his anguish, and he looks people in the eye. It's clear why investigators soon decided he had nothing to do with his step-daughter's disappearance.
He bears no grudges that detectives questioned them so closely. That is how it goes when someone vanishes. Family members and friends have to be cleared first. Then neighbours and workmates, outwards in widening circles. But if that doesn't work, then what? That's the question the Puma Taskforce faces.
'What we've got," says an exasperated Detective Superintendent Brett Guerin, "is a big bag of fresh air."
Police are rarely so frank in public. But the dozen investigators recruited for the taskforce in October know what their boss means. This could be the toughest assignment of their careers.
Not only do they have no leads, they are starting behind scratch because of a false one.
On June 29, almost four weeks after Bung disappeared, a Boronia primary pupil was late for school. Asked why, she lied that a grey-haired man wearing a surgical mask had tried to force her into a green Holden station wagon.
Trapped in the lie, the girl did not confess for more than a week. The nonexistent kidnapper and his green Holden had been widely publicised because the supposed "victim" was also an Asian girl
and the scene was near where Bung lived.
The hoax overshadowed a genuine abduction attempt a week earlier. On June 21, a middle-aged man with greying hair and decayed teeth had tried to drag a 16-year-old schoolgirl into a blue sedan in Bedford Rd, Ringwood East.
Investigators don't want to pin their hopes on the Ringwood incident but they can't ignore the fact it happened only 10 minutes from Elsie St, less than three weeks after Bung disappeared.
When the man with the bad teeth and blue car is found, he will have the taskforce's undivided attention. Meanwhile, no one wants to say they are most likely looking for a killer. Even though the homicide squad is running the taskforce, and no matter how likely abduction and murder might seem, investigators must keep an open mind.
Without leads, they have to consider all possibilities - even the faint one that Bung left voluntarily, which would mean no crime was committed. It's true some teenagers stage their disappearance but they almost always have reasons to leave home and not return. The investigators are sure none of those usual sordid reasons applies.
Bung was happy at home and school. Her behaviour was good, her attitude consistent and did not change in the days or weeks before she disappeared.
One by one, the taskforce has crossed off theories.
Bung had Facebook friends, just as several million others do. Police have combed the family's computers but found nothing to show she struck up contact with anyone outside her own group.
She left her mobile phone home the day she disappeared but investigators soon worked out that was not unusual.
She had wanted to go to school earlier than usual one day, but police found she had wanted to meet her friend Dyamai, not anyone suspicious.
They are left with a likely scenario that she was lured or forced into a car without being seen. If that did happen, no one wants to speculate on what happened next. But murder isn't an automatic assumption. There have been well publicised cases overseas of girls being abducted and imprisoned, some for years. A copycat crime can't be ruled out.
Neither can police rule out the possibility Bung was abducted by human traffickers to use or sell into what police call "sexual servitude". They checked eastern suburbs brothels after a tip-off that a young Asian girl had been seen in one, and would do the same again. Thai nationals have been involved in sexual slavery scandals in Australia and a Thai speaker might have been able to lure Bung into a car.
She crosses the street to the footpath and heads towards high school, a few minutes' walk.
Two doors down, a neighbour glances through his living room window and glimpses her: a 13-year-old girl in a blue and white uniform and blue rain jacket, carrying a dark backpack.
She moves from right to left across his vision - for about three seconds, he later calculates.
Then she vanishes.
Whoever sees her next, you'd think, is the only person who knows what happened to her, and why. The only one who knows if she is alive or dead.
Her family call her Bung, a short name standing in for the one on her passport, Siriyakorn Siriboon. She is a good girl: diligent, punctual, polite, never wags school.
People trust her, so when she doesn't turn up in her year 7 class that June morning, everyone assumes she has stayed home because of illness. It's the first week of winter, what teachers call "flu season", when kids wake up feeling awful and can hardly drag themselves out of bed.
If Bung were a troubled child, a repeat truant, teachers might suspect she is off on an escapade of her own. But she is none of those things, so no one worries until later.
At 3.30pm her mother, Vanidda Pattison, realises her daughter isn't home at the usual time. She calls her name from the kitchen, wonders why there's no answer.
About 4pm, the telephone rings. Bung's stepfather, Fred Pattison, answers. It's Dyamai, Bung's school friend. She asks to talk to Bung about what to wear to football practice next day.
It's the first Fred has heard that Bung wants to play football, as well as training for athletics and the school's rock eisteddfod.
"Why didn't you talk to her at school?" he asks, puzzled.
The girl hesitates. Bung wasn't at school, she says.
That's how the torment starts. First they go to the school, Boronia Heights Secondary College. The principal, Kate Harnetty, is still in her office, working late.
Harnetty has seen Fred Pattison at school functions and noticed he is calm and polite, and shows more interest in his stepdaughter's progress and behaviour - both good - than many fathers do.
She doesn't know his wife as well because Vanidda, only four years out of Thailand, isn't confident speaking English with strangers.
The Pattisons try not to panic. They look in the school library to make sure Bung isn't there. The principal checks the year 7 roll then finds a teacher who confirms Bung hasn't been in class.
That's when Kate Harnetty knows they have reason to worry. Bung doesn't "fit the mould" of kids who play truant or run away from home, as she later recalls. "She's just a sweet little girl. It was out of character."
She urges them to go straight to the police.
Minutes later, Fred Pattison walks into the police station in Dorset Rd. On the wall in the waiting area is a poster that says: When someone goes missing a day spent waiting is a day lost.
It's true enough but truth does not always equal reality in police work. The reality is that more than 35,000 people go missing in Australia every year, and more than half of them are under 18. The overwhelming majority turn up safely in hours, days or weeks.
But it's almost impossible to guess which tiny proportion of missing person reports could turn into something more sinister.
The policewoman who appears from behind the one-way mirror is polite and sympathetic but has no reason to think the report is different from the many that come to nothing.
In any case, the search has to start close to home, with friends and family that parents can reach quicker than the police can.
Fred has been up all day doing chores after night shift as a fitter in a Scoresby confectionery factory. Normally, he would take a nap and go to work. Instead, he calls his boss to say he won't be in.
In fact, it turns out he will not be back for a month.
Fred and Vanidda stay up all night. First, they visit Bung's friend Dyamai to get the names and telephone numbers of Bung's other friends. They call or visit each one.
Every blank they draw deepens their fear - and sends widening ripples of alarm. Late-night phone calls between other parents, school friends and teachers draw more people into the puzzle but no one knows the answer.
By 8am the Pattisons are back at the school, distraught, waiting to talk to the one classmate they missed overnight, but the girl knows nothing.
Kate Harnetty sees the overnight change in the couple: the hollow eyes and anguished faces. She urges them to go back to the police.
As soon as they leave, she calls the station to make sure they are taken seriously. With Fred Pattison's full-arm tattoo, cropped hair and tiny plait, she knows he looks "a bit like a merchant seaman" and fears he and Vanidda might be dismissed as trouble-prone time wasters.
As Pattison says later, he "hassles the police a bit" that morning. At that point it's still not unreasonable to suspect that Bung has run off with someone, and is now nervous about coming home.
Her parents are desperate to believe this, but too fearful to wait and do nothing. They make up simple posters: a snapshot of a smiling Bung in school uniform.
One of Fred's workmates helps put up the posters all over the district, first on power poles along the route Bung walked to school, then further away, in shops, bus stops and railway stations.
About 2pm, Knox Leader trainee reporter Erin Michael is buying a coffee in the Boronia Mall when she sees Fred Pattison taping up a poster. She introduces herself.
"He seemed quite vague and shocked," she would recall. "He came over to the office. He was pretty emotional." Half an hour later she puts the story online. That night, the Herald Sun picks it up. So as day two ends, the mystery is public - but deepening.
With every hour, the Pattisons grow more fearful. They put up posters all weekend.
By Monday, June 6, Knox detectives are on the case. A police spokesman concedes they have not "ruled out abduction". It's the first time the spectre of kidnapping is officially raised.
Inevitably, there are false leads and false hopes. On Tuesday, June 7, the trail is muddied when a schoolboy reports he saw Bung in Chandler Rd after school on the day she disappeared.
It turns out to be another Asian girl in school uniform. A security guard thinks he saw Bung at the railway station. He is wrong, too.
On Thursday, June 9, police set up an "information caravan" along the route Bung usually walked to school. People trickle in to talk. There is speculation but not much information. Nothing leads anywhere.
Detectives need a door to knock on, a car to trace. At the end of the first week they have neither. Twenty-five weeks later, they still haven't.
IT is just after 8.20am on a recent Thursday, much the same as the morning Bung walked out the door of the little house halfway along Elsie St. This is where suburbia meets the bush.
Cockatoos, magpies, crows and parrots squabble in the trees that fill the big post-war house blocks next to the Dandenongs. It's more Neighbours territory than the place for a horror story.
In the cream brick veneer at No.55, Vanidda Pattison is packing. Months of waiting for the news she dreads have taken a toll, though she tries to mask unspeakable fears with animated conversation, smiles and laughs.
She stays busy, but when she stops for a photographer to take a picture, the camera does not lie. Frozen in every frame, her eyes are full of pain.
Reliving the moment she realised Bung hadn't got to school that day, she holds her face in her hands. A policewoman, herself a mother, puts her arm around Vanidda as she talks of the last time she saw her girl.
When Fred got home from nightshift about 7.30am that Thursday, Vanidda was cooking chicken curry soup and rice for breakfast. "Bung had that breakfast," explains Vanidda. "Then she took some for lunch. The canteen is not nice for her."
They almost always refer to her in the present tense and cling to the belief she is alive, somewhere, somehow. It's a way to cope with a loss beyond words.
Vanidda is small, wiry from a lifetime's hard work and the simple diet she has followed most of her 42 years. She grew up in Ubon Ratchathani province in northeast Thailand. Her first marriage ended when her two girls were small, and her parents helped raise them while she worked. Now she is going home to see her mother and father.
She and Fred own a house in Thailand and were intending to move there after Bung finished school. Now everything is on hold.
Stacked on the couch are gifts for her family and the Buddhist temple in their home town. Early on the day Bung went missing, Vanidda and Fred had gone to the Bunnings store in Bayswater to buy roofing screws and sensor lights to donate to the temple. They believe in karma. Faith helps them get through each cruel day.
Vanidda met Fred in Melbourne when she was on holiday seven years ago. He spoke passable Thai, having spent a year there on long-service leave and studying the language at home.
His interest in Buddhism grew from his dedication to sado karate, which he took up at 15 and has practised ever since.
He admires the Thai work ethic and family values. Vanidda - he calls her "Nid" for short - "is a hard worker", he says. "It's a cultural thing. A good thing."
Together they have transformed the garden of the house they bought from an old couple four years ago. They also pounded the streets "letter boxing" retail catalogues together to earn extra money and keep fit.
Pattison understands self-reliance and hard work. He grew up in a battling family of nine around Queenscliff and Portarlington, then moved to Melbourne as an apprentice fitter at Carlton United Breweries, aged 17.
He still barracks for Geelong; Cats premiership posters are taped next to the front door but he's not had much appetite for footy since June 2.
It's the same with the fishing boat in the yard. He bought it last year but has never used it. He is holding down his job, thanks to an understanding employer, but the rest of his time is devoted to holding the family together, including Bung's big sister, Siriporn, now 20, a student at Swinburne.
Pattison is calm and self-possessed. He doesn't swear or bluster to mask his anguish, and he looks people in the eye. It's clear why investigators soon decided he had nothing to do with his step-daughter's disappearance.
He bears no grudges that detectives questioned them so closely. That is how it goes when someone vanishes. Family members and friends have to be cleared first. Then neighbours and workmates, outwards in widening circles. But if that doesn't work, then what? That's the question the Puma Taskforce faces.
'What we've got," says an exasperated Detective Superintendent Brett Guerin, "is a big bag of fresh air."
Police are rarely so frank in public. But the dozen investigators recruited for the taskforce in October know what their boss means. This could be the toughest assignment of their careers.
Not only do they have no leads, they are starting behind scratch because of a false one.
On June 29, almost four weeks after Bung disappeared, a Boronia primary pupil was late for school. Asked why, she lied that a grey-haired man wearing a surgical mask had tried to force her into a green Holden station wagon.
Trapped in the lie, the girl did not confess for more than a week. The nonexistent kidnapper and his green Holden had been widely publicised because the supposed "victim" was also an Asian girl
and the scene was near where Bung lived.
The hoax overshadowed a genuine abduction attempt a week earlier. On June 21, a middle-aged man with greying hair and decayed teeth had tried to drag a 16-year-old schoolgirl into a blue sedan in Bedford Rd, Ringwood East.
Investigators don't want to pin their hopes on the Ringwood incident but they can't ignore the fact it happened only 10 minutes from Elsie St, less than three weeks after Bung disappeared.
When the man with the bad teeth and blue car is found, he will have the taskforce's undivided attention. Meanwhile, no one wants to say they are most likely looking for a killer. Even though the homicide squad is running the taskforce, and no matter how likely abduction and murder might seem, investigators must keep an open mind.
Without leads, they have to consider all possibilities - even the faint one that Bung left voluntarily, which would mean no crime was committed. It's true some teenagers stage their disappearance but they almost always have reasons to leave home and not return. The investigators are sure none of those usual sordid reasons applies.
Bung was happy at home and school. Her behaviour was good, her attitude consistent and did not change in the days or weeks before she disappeared.
One by one, the taskforce has crossed off theories.
Bung had Facebook friends, just as several million others do. Police have combed the family's computers but found nothing to show she struck up contact with anyone outside her own group.
She left her mobile phone home the day she disappeared but investigators soon worked out that was not unusual.
She had wanted to go to school earlier than usual one day, but police found she had wanted to meet her friend Dyamai, not anyone suspicious.
They are left with a likely scenario that she was lured or forced into a car without being seen. If that did happen, no one wants to speculate on what happened next. But murder isn't an automatic assumption. There have been well publicised cases overseas of girls being abducted and imprisoned, some for years. A copycat crime can't be ruled out.
Neither can police rule out the possibility Bung was abducted by human traffickers to use or sell into what police call "sexual servitude". They checked eastern suburbs brothels after a tip-off that a young Asian girl had been seen in one, and would do the same again. Thai nationals have been involved in sexual slavery scandals in Australia and a Thai speaker might have been able to lure Bung into a car.
2011年11月29日星期二
Huawei Vision
If you are familiar with Huawei, you probably know it as the brand that makes the cheap phones. Until now, the Huawei phones we've reviewed at CNET Australia have been all cheaply built plastic handsets, some of which we loved, but only because they are so ridiculously affordable.
The Vision breaks this mould with a much more attractive and sturdy design than previous Huawei handsets. The company opts for a unibody aluminium chassis for most of the phone's body, with a tri-tone battery cover like recent HTCs. Only the bottom third of this cover is removable, giving access to the 1400mAh battery, SIM slot and microSD card slot, pre-loaded with 2GB of memory.
However, Huawei's most improved smartphone element is its display, with the 3.7-inch screen on the Vision far outpacing the screens on any in its budget Ideos range of phones. This screen is more like one you'd expect from HTC or Samsung, with a WVGA resolution, good colour and decent off-axis viewing angles. Most impressive is the curved glass over the LCD panel. This curve bulges slightly from left to right, following the line of your thumb as you swipe between home screens. Huawei says it takes 17 hours to curve each piece of glass, which is an amazing titbit, resulting in a somewhat smoother touchscreen experience.
Keeping a smartphone to a price under AU$300 is remarkable when you consider the build quality described above, and even more so when you add a number of software costs into the equation. To give the Vision a first-class user experience, Huawei has licensed a number of third-party apps to enhance the phone's look and feel. Most notable is the SPB 3D launcher; a slick-looking home screen replacement that sits on top of Android. With SPB 3D, you get seven customisable home screens, plus a bunch of great-looking widgets. It's not quite as polished as HTC's Sense UI, but it is very close, and it has a number of similar elements to Sense, including great-looking weather presentation.
The onscreen-typing experience is also improved by an app called TouchPal, which features excellent early word prediction and some other really nifty typing features. If TouchPal or SPB 3D don't work for you, both are easy to switch off, leaving you with Google's default Android Gingerbread experience.
Powering the 3D home screens is a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 512MB of RAM. This chipset also includes an Adreno 205 graphics processor, which is evident when we ran the Neocore 3D benchmark with the Vision and saw a result of 59 frames per second — a score on par with most of this year's biggest releases.
The Snapdragon chipset is the same option taken by manufacturers for last year's favourite phones, including the Desire HD and this year's Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Again, you can see how this processor stacks up in a comparison of benchmark results.
If there is one area where the Huawei Vision is not like its more expensive competition, it's in the quality of its 5-megapixel camera. This shooter is passable for spur-of-the-moment photos, but its autofocus is quite slow, and its colour reproduction skews the palette of most images towards being bluer than they naturally are. It is a fair bit better than cameras we've seen from Huawei in the past, but it's a good step short of the competition this year.
The Vision breaks this mould with a much more attractive and sturdy design than previous Huawei handsets. The company opts for a unibody aluminium chassis for most of the phone's body, with a tri-tone battery cover like recent HTCs. Only the bottom third of this cover is removable, giving access to the 1400mAh battery, SIM slot and microSD card slot, pre-loaded with 2GB of memory.
However, Huawei's most improved smartphone element is its display, with the 3.7-inch screen on the Vision far outpacing the screens on any in its budget Ideos range of phones. This screen is more like one you'd expect from HTC or Samsung, with a WVGA resolution, good colour and decent off-axis viewing angles. Most impressive is the curved glass over the LCD panel. This curve bulges slightly from left to right, following the line of your thumb as you swipe between home screens. Huawei says it takes 17 hours to curve each piece of glass, which is an amazing titbit, resulting in a somewhat smoother touchscreen experience.
Keeping a smartphone to a price under AU$300 is remarkable when you consider the build quality described above, and even more so when you add a number of software costs into the equation. To give the Vision a first-class user experience, Huawei has licensed a number of third-party apps to enhance the phone's look and feel. Most notable is the SPB 3D launcher; a slick-looking home screen replacement that sits on top of Android. With SPB 3D, you get seven customisable home screens, plus a bunch of great-looking widgets. It's not quite as polished as HTC's Sense UI, but it is very close, and it has a number of similar elements to Sense, including great-looking weather presentation.
The onscreen-typing experience is also improved by an app called TouchPal, which features excellent early word prediction and some other really nifty typing features. If TouchPal or SPB 3D don't work for you, both are easy to switch off, leaving you with Google's default Android Gingerbread experience.
Powering the 3D home screens is a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 512MB of RAM. This chipset also includes an Adreno 205 graphics processor, which is evident when we ran the Neocore 3D benchmark with the Vision and saw a result of 59 frames per second — a score on par with most of this year's biggest releases.
The Snapdragon chipset is the same option taken by manufacturers for last year's favourite phones, including the Desire HD and this year's Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Again, you can see how this processor stacks up in a comparison of benchmark results.
If there is one area where the Huawei Vision is not like its more expensive competition, it's in the quality of its 5-megapixel camera. This shooter is passable for spur-of-the-moment photos, but its autofocus is quite slow, and its colour reproduction skews the palette of most images towards being bluer than they naturally are. It is a fair bit better than cameras we've seen from Huawei in the past, but it's a good step short of the competition this year.
2011年11月28日星期一
Now is the best time to plant, but be sure to pick the right type
If you're looking for a plant to provide privacy from neighbours, act as a focal point or add vertical interest, then snap up a tree - those planted now will establish quickly in moist soil, forming roots that will enable them to romp away in spring.
There are masses of trees on offer at garden centres and nurseries at this time of year. Many will be sold as container-grown specimens, but you'll also find bare-root trees. Generally cheaper to buy, these trees are two to three-year-old plants grown in a field and lifted for sale while dormant.
Yet choosing the perfect tree can be tricky. Many are one-season wonders that you'll soon tire of as they do little to earn their keep during the rest of the year.
But among those worth growing are crab apples - this large tribe of small trees, known botanically as malus, boast glorious scented blossom in spring and branches laden with showy fruit during autumn and winter.
Malus 'John Downie' has white flowers followed by orange fruit, while M. x zumi var. calocarpa 'Golden Hornet' is blessed with pink blossom and tiny yellow apples. M. tschonoskii has white flowers and chartreuse fruit, and its leaves turn yellow, orange, purple and bright red in autumn.
Ornamental cherries are probably the most exuberant of spring-flowering trees, but many fail to turn heads once the blossom starts to fade. Not Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' - the clouds of pink flowers that form on bare branches are replaced by a cloak of purple foliage. Another winner is P. sargentii, a roundheaded tree with pink flowers, striking autumn colour and attractive bark.
There are many fantastic varieties of sorbus, which will reward you with flowers in spring, handsome foliage, jewel-like berries and fiery autumnal tints. Sorbus vilmorinii is desired for its white flowers, ferny foliage and pinkish berries, while S. 'Joseph Rock' has bright yellow berries and leaves that turn shades of orange, red and purple. My favourite is S. cashmiriana, a small tree with pink flowers, graceful foliage and pure white berries that remain on branches well into winter.
Other hard-working varieties include Pyrus calleryana 'Chantiguide cleer', a slender tree with white flowers and glowing autumn foliage, and Amelanchier lamarckii - apart from spring flowers and black fruit, its green leaves turn crimson later in the year.
Whichever sort of tree you choose, avoid planting too close to your home: some have roots that can disrupt foundations, damage drains or lead to subsidence. Willows, poplars, oaks and other vigorous species need planting up to 65ft from buildings, while a gap of 12ft to 23ft is fine for smaller specimens. A useful to planting distances can be found at www.subsidencebureau.com, but as a general rule, roots cover a distance that's equal to twoand-a-half times the mature height of the tree.
Planting a container-grown tree in the ground does not take long but it's essential to do it correctly or it may fail to establish. Start by preparing the site. Skim off any weeds with a hoe, then dig a round hole that's about twice the diameter of the container and the same depth.
Spike the sides and bottom of the hole with a garden fork to allow roots to penetrate easily. Stand the tree in a bucket of water for a few minutes to ensure roots are damp, then slide off the container and tease out roots from the side and bottom. Place the tree in the centre of the hole and backfill with the excavated soil, firming it down with your hands to remove air pockets.
Bare root trees need planting at the same depth as they were growing before being lifted from the ground - there should be an obvious 'tide mark' of soil on the trunk.
After planting, give the soil a good soaking, then spread a 3in layer of bark, leaf mould or garden compost over the surface to lock in moisture and prevent weeds growing. Keep mulch clear of the trunk as contact can cause bark to soften and rot.
Any trees over 3ft will need shoring up. Use round or square tree stakes hammered into the ground vertically for bare root tree and stakes at 45 degrees for containergrown trees. Secure to the tree with plastic buckle ties.
Slow-growing or compact trees can be planted in large pots. First, cover the drainage holes in the base with bits of broken terracotta pot, then add a layer of soil-based John Innes No3 compost. Mix in some slow-release fertiliser granules. Place the tree in the pot and top up with more compost. Leave a 2in gap between the surface of the compost and the lip of the container to allow space for watering.
Keep compost moist and feed each spring. To do this, carefully scrape away loose compost from the surface and replace with fresh compost and a handful of fertiliser granules. Most trees will be happy in the same pot for up to five years but will eventually start to sulk when the roots run out of space. Pep them up by transferring to a slightly larger container.
There are masses of trees on offer at garden centres and nurseries at this time of year. Many will be sold as container-grown specimens, but you'll also find bare-root trees. Generally cheaper to buy, these trees are two to three-year-old plants grown in a field and lifted for sale while dormant.
Yet choosing the perfect tree can be tricky. Many are one-season wonders that you'll soon tire of as they do little to earn their keep during the rest of the year.
But among those worth growing are crab apples - this large tribe of small trees, known botanically as malus, boast glorious scented blossom in spring and branches laden with showy fruit during autumn and winter.
Malus 'John Downie' has white flowers followed by orange fruit, while M. x zumi var. calocarpa 'Golden Hornet' is blessed with pink blossom and tiny yellow apples. M. tschonoskii has white flowers and chartreuse fruit, and its leaves turn yellow, orange, purple and bright red in autumn.
Ornamental cherries are probably the most exuberant of spring-flowering trees, but many fail to turn heads once the blossom starts to fade. Not Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' - the clouds of pink flowers that form on bare branches are replaced by a cloak of purple foliage. Another winner is P. sargentii, a roundheaded tree with pink flowers, striking autumn colour and attractive bark.
There are many fantastic varieties of sorbus, which will reward you with flowers in spring, handsome foliage, jewel-like berries and fiery autumnal tints. Sorbus vilmorinii is desired for its white flowers, ferny foliage and pinkish berries, while S. 'Joseph Rock' has bright yellow berries and leaves that turn shades of orange, red and purple. My favourite is S. cashmiriana, a small tree with pink flowers, graceful foliage and pure white berries that remain on branches well into winter.
Other hard-working varieties include Pyrus calleryana 'Chantiguide cleer', a slender tree with white flowers and glowing autumn foliage, and Amelanchier lamarckii - apart from spring flowers and black fruit, its green leaves turn crimson later in the year.
Whichever sort of tree you choose, avoid planting too close to your home: some have roots that can disrupt foundations, damage drains or lead to subsidence. Willows, poplars, oaks and other vigorous species need planting up to 65ft from buildings, while a gap of 12ft to 23ft is fine for smaller specimens. A useful to planting distances can be found at www.subsidencebureau.com, but as a general rule, roots cover a distance that's equal to twoand-a-half times the mature height of the tree.
Planting a container-grown tree in the ground does not take long but it's essential to do it correctly or it may fail to establish. Start by preparing the site. Skim off any weeds with a hoe, then dig a round hole that's about twice the diameter of the container and the same depth.
Spike the sides and bottom of the hole with a garden fork to allow roots to penetrate easily. Stand the tree in a bucket of water for a few minutes to ensure roots are damp, then slide off the container and tease out roots from the side and bottom. Place the tree in the centre of the hole and backfill with the excavated soil, firming it down with your hands to remove air pockets.
Bare root trees need planting at the same depth as they were growing before being lifted from the ground - there should be an obvious 'tide mark' of soil on the trunk.
After planting, give the soil a good soaking, then spread a 3in layer of bark, leaf mould or garden compost over the surface to lock in moisture and prevent weeds growing. Keep mulch clear of the trunk as contact can cause bark to soften and rot.
Any trees over 3ft will need shoring up. Use round or square tree stakes hammered into the ground vertically for bare root tree and stakes at 45 degrees for containergrown trees. Secure to the tree with plastic buckle ties.
Slow-growing or compact trees can be planted in large pots. First, cover the drainage holes in the base with bits of broken terracotta pot, then add a layer of soil-based John Innes No3 compost. Mix in some slow-release fertiliser granules. Place the tree in the pot and top up with more compost. Leave a 2in gap between the surface of the compost and the lip of the container to allow space for watering.
Keep compost moist and feed each spring. To do this, carefully scrape away loose compost from the surface and replace with fresh compost and a handful of fertiliser granules. Most trees will be happy in the same pot for up to five years but will eventually start to sulk when the roots run out of space. Pep them up by transferring to a slightly larger container.
2011年11月27日星期日
DPI takes EVA foam moulding into new areas
Injection moulder DPI, based in Geldrop, the Netherlands, has started moulding EVA foam, the very light material used in Crocs shoes.
DPI claims to be the first company in western Europe to process EVA material, aside from contract moulders producing shoes in Italy, Romania, Bosnia and Hercegovina for Crocs.
In September, DPI exhibited at the Kunststoffen 2011 fair in Veldhoven, and it held a technical event at its Geldrop facility in June to demonstrate the process to customers.
At these events, DPI showed the children's EVA cycle seats it is moulding for Dutch company GMG. The Yepp seats are available in a variety of bright colours.
EVA is suitable for these seats because it is waterproof, shock-absorbing, has a high insulating capacity and is easy to clean. EVA is about 70-80% lighter than traditional plastic products, but is also tough, UV resistant, flame retardant and easy to colour.
DPI has invested in KS series machinery from KingSteel Machinery in Taiwan to produce the seats for GMG.
It says EVA can be moulded for many consumer products, such as footwear, toys, bicycle saddles, bags and belts. The company can also mould products in smaller runs of about 500 to 1,000 items.
The temperature of the EVA compound in the injection unit is only 90C, while the mould temperature is 170C. This is necessary because the EVA compound contains two additives - a foaming agent and a crosslinking agent - which only react if the temperature is sufficiently high. So once it enters the mould, the higher temperature causes foaming and crosslinking of the EVA material. When the mould opens after injection and cooling, the EVA bubbles grow and the product expands by 170%.
The cycle time is longer than when injection moulding other plastics, and to address this DPI uses a mould with eight cavities located side by side. Two independent barrels are attached to the injection unit and cavities are filled in a sequence, increasing productivity.
DPI claims to be the first company in western Europe to process EVA material, aside from contract moulders producing shoes in Italy, Romania, Bosnia and Hercegovina for Crocs.
In September, DPI exhibited at the Kunststoffen 2011 fair in Veldhoven, and it held a technical event at its Geldrop facility in June to demonstrate the process to customers.
At these events, DPI showed the children's EVA cycle seats it is moulding for Dutch company GMG. The Yepp seats are available in a variety of bright colours.
EVA is suitable for these seats because it is waterproof, shock-absorbing, has a high insulating capacity and is easy to clean. EVA is about 70-80% lighter than traditional plastic products, but is also tough, UV resistant, flame retardant and easy to colour.
DPI has invested in KS series machinery from KingSteel Machinery in Taiwan to produce the seats for GMG.
It says EVA can be moulded for many consumer products, such as footwear, toys, bicycle saddles, bags and belts. The company can also mould products in smaller runs of about 500 to 1,000 items.
The temperature of the EVA compound in the injection unit is only 90C, while the mould temperature is 170C. This is necessary because the EVA compound contains two additives - a foaming agent and a crosslinking agent - which only react if the temperature is sufficiently high. So once it enters the mould, the higher temperature causes foaming and crosslinking of the EVA material. When the mould opens after injection and cooling, the EVA bubbles grow and the product expands by 170%.
The cycle time is longer than when injection moulding other plastics, and to address this DPI uses a mould with eight cavities located side by side. Two independent barrels are attached to the injection unit and cavities are filled in a sequence, increasing productivity.
2011年11月24日星期四
BFmold used for gloss flush panels
The use of BFmold variotherm mould technology has enabled bathroom fittings company Sanit, based in Eisenberg, Germany, to produce high-gloss plastic toilet flush panels. The panels are marketed as a lower-cost alternative to panels made in glass and other materials.
Sanit's range of on-wall flush panels are sleek with flat buttons, indicating the trend for flush panels to become design items in bathrooms. Sanit looked to produce a high standard of surface quality and it is now using BFmold technology supplied by injection moulding machinery maker Wittmann Battenfeld to achieve high quality mouldings. The process is supported by a Wittmann Tempro plus C160 Vario temperature controller.
At the ISH trade fair in March, Sanit showed a gloss black flush panel, the first time the company has produced a black panel.
BFmold was developed by Kunststoff Institut Ldenscheid, Germany, and last year Wittmann Battenfeld acquired exclusive distribution rights to the technology. BFmold is suited to flat moulded parts in materials such as ABS and ABS/PC blends. The BFMold technology uses metal balls beneath the mould surface providing a high level of free space required to create efficient conformal temperature control channels.
At Fakuma last month, Wittmann Battenfeld showed the BFmold technology moulding a coffee machine panel on a HM 110/350 Servopower Insider machine, with robot take-out and optical inspection.
Sanit's range of on-wall flush panels are sleek with flat buttons, indicating the trend for flush panels to become design items in bathrooms. Sanit looked to produce a high standard of surface quality and it is now using BFmold technology supplied by injection moulding machinery maker Wittmann Battenfeld to achieve high quality mouldings. The process is supported by a Wittmann Tempro plus C160 Vario temperature controller.
At the ISH trade fair in March, Sanit showed a gloss black flush panel, the first time the company has produced a black panel.
BFmold was developed by Kunststoff Institut Ldenscheid, Germany, and last year Wittmann Battenfeld acquired exclusive distribution rights to the technology. BFmold is suited to flat moulded parts in materials such as ABS and ABS/PC blends. The BFMold technology uses metal balls beneath the mould surface providing a high level of free space required to create efficient conformal temperature control channels.
At Fakuma last month, Wittmann Battenfeld showed the BFmold technology moulding a coffee machine panel on a HM 110/350 Servopower Insider machine, with robot take-out and optical inspection.
2011年11月23日星期三
A treasure trove of pleasures
It took two hands to wrap around the width, and the tip almost reached my eye level.
“Oh, I know, it’s massive isn’t it?” said a blonde woman standing beside me.
“I just like to put it on display in case people ask what the biggest size we have is.”
The 12.5 inch, very realistic-looking dildo sits on the counter of Fredericton’s downtown sex store, Pleasures N’ Treasures, if you ever want to take a peek.
Theresa Theriault, manager of the shop, says although she gets a fair amount of people coming in to try larger sex toys, she highly recommends the smaller “bullets” and “egg” vibrators for beginners.
The area with smaller vibrators is much more friendly looking than the wall of bigger ones, shaped like complicated plastic torpedoes.
The bullets come in every colour, and most are pocket sized and discreet looking enough to be confused for a large battery, if it ever manages to escape your purse or book-bag.
Smaller models like these are popular for those just starting to experiment with sex toys, because you can use them for clitoral or anal stimulation as well as in a vagina, so they work for every couple or gender.
“Every 16 year-old should be getting one of these on her birthday,” Theriault says as she taps the package of a purple bullet. “They’re great stress-relievers.”
The prices are also reasonable, starting around $17 for the cheapest and going up to $40 if you want one with a lot of power.
Couple toys are also popular, especially the small purple “We-Vibe,” which sex-expert Sue Johanson is known for praising.
“I always say it’s a “We-Vibe” and then if he’s gone, it’s a “Me-Vibe,” Theriault laughed.
Besides dildos and vibrators, Pleasures N’ Treasures has a little bit of everything X-rated to spice up your next sexual experience, whether solo or with a partner.
There’s a popular fetish section with hand cuffs and whips, and lots of hand-held vaginas. Some are physical moulds of famous porn stars’ lady-bits, so if sex with one of those actresses is a dream of yours, here’s a realistic way of doing it.
There’s also a product called “Clone A Willy”, which is very popular among army wives, said Theriault.
Is your man is heading off to war for months on end? Are you in a long-distance relationship, perhaps? You might want the familiar shape and width of your man, which you can have if you make a mould of it and create your own home-made sex toy.
If sensual, romantic massages and lingerie are more your thing, you can find great oils and lubricant for under 20 bucks a bottle, and there’re a whole section of the main room for corsets, garters and stockings as well as leather outfits for guys.
And of course, there’s porn. Lots and lots of porn. The whole back room is filled with racks of erotic films, and it’s just one dollar a rental for two nights.
Most importantly, no matter how nervous and giggly you think you might be about dropping in, by the time you leave the store you’ll be feeling happy and comfortable, thanks to the friendly people working there.
Theriault says she makes it a priority for her and her staff to approach everyone who walks in, and make them feel at ease by joking around or offering advice. “I really just love helping people,” Theriault said, “It’s just about easing the stresses of everyday life, because we can just get too uptight sometimes.”
“Oh, I know, it’s massive isn’t it?” said a blonde woman standing beside me.
“I just like to put it on display in case people ask what the biggest size we have is.”
The 12.5 inch, very realistic-looking dildo sits on the counter of Fredericton’s downtown sex store, Pleasures N’ Treasures, if you ever want to take a peek.
Theresa Theriault, manager of the shop, says although she gets a fair amount of people coming in to try larger sex toys, she highly recommends the smaller “bullets” and “egg” vibrators for beginners.
The area with smaller vibrators is much more friendly looking than the wall of bigger ones, shaped like complicated plastic torpedoes.
The bullets come in every colour, and most are pocket sized and discreet looking enough to be confused for a large battery, if it ever manages to escape your purse or book-bag.
Smaller models like these are popular for those just starting to experiment with sex toys, because you can use them for clitoral or anal stimulation as well as in a vagina, so they work for every couple or gender.
“Every 16 year-old should be getting one of these on her birthday,” Theriault says as she taps the package of a purple bullet. “They’re great stress-relievers.”
The prices are also reasonable, starting around $17 for the cheapest and going up to $40 if you want one with a lot of power.
Couple toys are also popular, especially the small purple “We-Vibe,” which sex-expert Sue Johanson is known for praising.
“I always say it’s a “We-Vibe” and then if he’s gone, it’s a “Me-Vibe,” Theriault laughed.
Besides dildos and vibrators, Pleasures N’ Treasures has a little bit of everything X-rated to spice up your next sexual experience, whether solo or with a partner.
There’s a popular fetish section with hand cuffs and whips, and lots of hand-held vaginas. Some are physical moulds of famous porn stars’ lady-bits, so if sex with one of those actresses is a dream of yours, here’s a realistic way of doing it.
There’s also a product called “Clone A Willy”, which is very popular among army wives, said Theriault.
Is your man is heading off to war for months on end? Are you in a long-distance relationship, perhaps? You might want the familiar shape and width of your man, which you can have if you make a mould of it and create your own home-made sex toy.
If sensual, romantic massages and lingerie are more your thing, you can find great oils and lubricant for under 20 bucks a bottle, and there’re a whole section of the main room for corsets, garters and stockings as well as leather outfits for guys.
And of course, there’s porn. Lots and lots of porn. The whole back room is filled with racks of erotic films, and it’s just one dollar a rental for two nights.
Most importantly, no matter how nervous and giggly you think you might be about dropping in, by the time you leave the store you’ll be feeling happy and comfortable, thanks to the friendly people working there.
Theriault says she makes it a priority for her and her staff to approach everyone who walks in, and make them feel at ease by joking around or offering advice. “I really just love helping people,” Theriault said, “It’s just about easing the stresses of everyday life, because we can just get too uptight sometimes.”
2011年11月22日星期二
DPI takes EVA foam moulding into new areas
Injection moulder DPI, based in Geldrop, the Netherlands, has started moulding EVA foam, the very light material used in Crocs shoes.
DPI claims to be the first company in western Europe to process EVA material, aside from contract moulders producing shoes in Italy, Romania, Bosnia and Hercegovina for Crocs.
In September, DPI exhibited at the Kunststoffen 2011 fair in Veldhoven, and it held a technical event at its Geldrop facility in June to demonstrate the process to customers.
At these events, DPI showed the children's EVA cycle seats it is moulding for Dutch company GMG. The Yepp seats are available in a variety of bright colours.
EVA is suitable for these seats because it is waterproof, shock-absorbing, has a high insulating capacity and is easy to clean. EVA is about 70-80% lighter than traditional plastic products, but is also tough, UV resistant, flame retardant and easy to colour.
DPI has invested in KS series machinery from KingSteel Machinery in Taiwan to produce the seats for GMG.
It says EVA can be moulded for many consumer products, such as footwear, toys, bicycle saddles, bags and belts. The company can also mould products in smaller runs of about 500 to 1,000 items.
The temperature of the EVA compound in the injection unit is only 90C, while the mould temperature is 170C. This is necessary because the EVA compound contains two additives - a foaming agent and a crosslinking agent - which only react if the temperature is sufficiently high. So once it enters the mould, the higher temperature causes foaming and crosslinking of the EVA material. When the mould opens after injection and cooling, the EVA bubbles grow and the product expands by 170%.
The cycle time is longer than when injection moulding other plastics, and to address this DPI uses a mould with eight cavities located side by side. Two independent barrels are attached to the injection unit and cavities are filled in a sequence, increasing productivity.
DPI claims to be the first company in western Europe to process EVA material, aside from contract moulders producing shoes in Italy, Romania, Bosnia and Hercegovina for Crocs.
In September, DPI exhibited at the Kunststoffen 2011 fair in Veldhoven, and it held a technical event at its Geldrop facility in June to demonstrate the process to customers.
At these events, DPI showed the children's EVA cycle seats it is moulding for Dutch company GMG. The Yepp seats are available in a variety of bright colours.
EVA is suitable for these seats because it is waterproof, shock-absorbing, has a high insulating capacity and is easy to clean. EVA is about 70-80% lighter than traditional plastic products, but is also tough, UV resistant, flame retardant and easy to colour.
DPI has invested in KS series machinery from KingSteel Machinery in Taiwan to produce the seats for GMG.
It says EVA can be moulded for many consumer products, such as footwear, toys, bicycle saddles, bags and belts. The company can also mould products in smaller runs of about 500 to 1,000 items.
The temperature of the EVA compound in the injection unit is only 90C, while the mould temperature is 170C. This is necessary because the EVA compound contains two additives - a foaming agent and a crosslinking agent - which only react if the temperature is sufficiently high. So once it enters the mould, the higher temperature causes foaming and crosslinking of the EVA material. When the mould opens after injection and cooling, the EVA bubbles grow and the product expands by 170%.
The cycle time is longer than when injection moulding other plastics, and to address this DPI uses a mould with eight cavities located side by side. Two independent barrels are attached to the injection unit and cavities are filled in a sequence, increasing productivity.
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