Oct 31, 2013
U.S. F-35 fighter drops first guided bomb against ground target
Reuters.com - The Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jet dropped a 500-pound bomb this week, hitting a tank at Edwards Air Force Base in California and marking the first time the new warplane has fired a laser-guided weapon, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
An F-35 B-model jet released the Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) Paveway II bomb from its internal weapons bay while flying at around 25,000 feet, successfully smashing into a tank parked on the ground, the Pentagon's F-35 program office said in a statement. It took 35 seconds to hit the target.
"This guided weapons delivery test of a GBU-12 marks the first time the F-35 truly became a weapon system," said Marine Corps Major Richard Rusnok, the pilot who flew the plane during the weapons test Tuesday. "It represents another step forward in development of this vital program."
Different F-35 models have test-fired missiles during flight and over water. But this marked the first time the jet had fired a guided weapon at a ground target.
After more than a decade of development, the $392 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is making strides in testing, production and operations. The Marine Corps plans to start operating the planes in mid-2015.
The Pentagon's top arms buyer, Frank Kendall, this week said the F-35 program had made sufficient progress to budget for higher production in fiscal year 2015, but said he remained concerned about progress on the jet's software, reliability and a computer-based logistics system.
The GBU-12 weapons test will be followed later on Wednesday by a live fire test at Edwards Air Force Base of an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile, or AMRAAM, built by Raytheon Co.
A test of the F-35's ability to drop a 1,000-pound GBU-32 built by Boeing Co is planned next month.
The GBU-12 Paveway II is built by Lockheed and Raytheon. Tuesday's test was not considered a live fire test since the bomb did not carry explosives, said Kyra Hawn, a spokeswoman for the F-35 program.
She said no explosives were used in order to save money, since the real point of the test was to ensure that the fighter jet would be able to accurately deliver the bomb onto a ground target.
The F-35 used its Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), built by Lockheed, to allow the pilot to identify, track, designate and accurately deliver the bomb on target.
Hawn said EOTS is the world's first sensor to combine forward-looking infrared, infrared search and track, and a laser designator to allow F-35 pilots to hit targets.
Last week, the Navy variant, or F-35C, released its first weapon during testing at Naval Air Station Patuxtent River in southern Maryland, and the Air Force version, or A-model, did the first ground release pit testing of a GBU-39, a 250-pound small diameter bomb.
Lockheed is developing three models of the new radar-evading warplane for the U.S. military and eight countries that helped fund its development: Britain, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Norway, Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Israel and Japan have also placed orders for the jet.
An F-35 B-model jet released the Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) Paveway II bomb from its internal weapons bay while flying at around 25,000 feet, successfully smashing into a tank parked on the ground, the Pentagon's F-35 program office said in a statement. It took 35 seconds to hit the target.
"This guided weapons delivery test of a GBU-12 marks the first time the F-35 truly became a weapon system," said Marine Corps Major Richard Rusnok, the pilot who flew the plane during the weapons test Tuesday. "It represents another step forward in development of this vital program."
Different F-35 models have test-fired missiles during flight and over water. But this marked the first time the jet had fired a guided weapon at a ground target.
After more than a decade of development, the $392 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is making strides in testing, production and operations. The Marine Corps plans to start operating the planes in mid-2015.
The Pentagon's top arms buyer, Frank Kendall, this week said the F-35 program had made sufficient progress to budget for higher production in fiscal year 2015, but said he remained concerned about progress on the jet's software, reliability and a computer-based logistics system.
The GBU-12 weapons test will be followed later on Wednesday by a live fire test at Edwards Air Force Base of an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile, or AMRAAM, built by Raytheon Co.
A test of the F-35's ability to drop a 1,000-pound GBU-32 built by Boeing Co is planned next month.
The GBU-12 Paveway II is built by Lockheed and Raytheon. Tuesday's test was not considered a live fire test since the bomb did not carry explosives, said Kyra Hawn, a spokeswoman for the F-35 program.
She said no explosives were used in order to save money, since the real point of the test was to ensure that the fighter jet would be able to accurately deliver the bomb onto a ground target.
The F-35 used its Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), built by Lockheed, to allow the pilot to identify, track, designate and accurately deliver the bomb on target.
Hawn said EOTS is the world's first sensor to combine forward-looking infrared, infrared search and track, and a laser designator to allow F-35 pilots to hit targets.
Last week, the Navy variant, or F-35C, released its first weapon during testing at Naval Air Station Patuxtent River in southern Maryland, and the Air Force version, or A-model, did the first ground release pit testing of a GBU-39, a 250-pound small diameter bomb.
Lockheed is developing three models of the new radar-evading warplane for the U.S. military and eight countries that helped fund its development: Britain, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Norway, Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Israel and Japan have also placed orders for the jet.
Oct 30, 2013
Lost da Vinci artwork unearthed beneath paint
Foxnews.com - Drawings sketched by Leonardo da Vinci are emerging from the walls of an Italian castle, announced restorers working on an elaborate fresco devised by the Renaissance master.
One of most original paintings of the 15th century, the mural covers the vault and walls of the Sala delle Asse in the Sforza Castle in Milan. It depicts a garden pergola made of 16 mulberry trees bound together by a golden, knotted rope. The trunk of each tree rises as a column supporting 16 half-moon-shaped spaces above a Gothic vault, producing an evocative, fictive grove.
Now restorers might be able to bring to light extra sections of the original work, possibly providing further insights into Da Vinci’s vision of the highly symbolic decoration.
The work was commissioned in 1498 by the duke of Milan, Ludovico Maria Sforza, nicknamed il Moro (the Moor) and was executed by Leonardo, who at that time was the court artist, and his assistants.
Experts agree the master's hand can be detected in a monochrome section of the fresco on the northeast and northwest corner of the room. The apparently unfinished work depicts sturdy roots bursting through rocks.
"Large parts of this mural can be recovered beneath several layers of whitewash," the Opificio Pietre Dure (OPD) the Florence based institute who is carrying out the restoration, wrote in a report.
Preliminary analysis produced "quite interesting results," lending hope that the work will recover "important parts of the preparatory drawings," Marco Ciatti, superintendent of the OPD art restoration institute, said.
Leonardo's work in the Sala delle Asse, or Room of the Planks (after the wood panels that lined it) has remained largely unknown. In 1499 Milan was conquered by the French who stormed the castle. In 1706, when Milan was under the Austrian rule, the castle became soldier barracks and the Sala delle Asse was turned into a stable, its walls covered with abundant layers of whitewash.
One of most original paintings of the 15th century, the mural covers the vault and walls of the Sala delle Asse in the Sforza Castle in Milan. It depicts a garden pergola made of 16 mulberry trees bound together by a golden, knotted rope. The trunk of each tree rises as a column supporting 16 half-moon-shaped spaces above a Gothic vault, producing an evocative, fictive grove.
Now restorers might be able to bring to light extra sections of the original work, possibly providing further insights into Da Vinci’s vision of the highly symbolic decoration.
The work was commissioned in 1498 by the duke of Milan, Ludovico Maria Sforza, nicknamed il Moro (the Moor) and was executed by Leonardo, who at that time was the court artist, and his assistants.
Experts agree the master's hand can be detected in a monochrome section of the fresco on the northeast and northwest corner of the room. The apparently unfinished work depicts sturdy roots bursting through rocks.
"Large parts of this mural can be recovered beneath several layers of whitewash," the Opificio Pietre Dure (OPD) the Florence based institute who is carrying out the restoration, wrote in a report.
Preliminary analysis produced "quite interesting results," lending hope that the work will recover "important parts of the preparatory drawings," Marco Ciatti, superintendent of the OPD art restoration institute, said.
Leonardo's work in the Sala delle Asse, or Room of the Planks (after the wood panels that lined it) has remained largely unknown. In 1499 Milan was conquered by the French who stormed the castle. In 1706, when Milan was under the Austrian rule, the castle became soldier barracks and the Sala delle Asse was turned into a stable, its walls covered with abundant layers of whitewash.
The arboreal decoration remained hidden beneath up to 13 layers of paint until 1893, when renovations to the castle revealed traces of frescoes.
In 1901, amid much criticism, the mural was heavily restored.
Only in 1954, the paint applied during the disastrous restoration was finally removed. But damage to Leonardo's work remained.
"The mural is covered by a thick layer of grime. However, our cleaning tests indicate that it can be easily removed. Leonardo's paint won't be damaged in the procedure," the restorers wrote.
Meanwhile, archival research also revealed the room's original name.
It was called "Camera dei Moroni" -- a clear allusion to Ludovico il Moro.
Indeed Leonardo's decoration is filled with punning allusions. The mulberry, or Morus tree, refers to the Duke’s well known nickname, Il Moro, the Moor. The tree is also a symbol for the Milanese silk industry - mulberries were cultivated in the region as food for the silkworm.
"This restoration is extremely important to fully understand Leonardo’s work," Milan culture councillor Filippo Del Corno said. "The project will last two years, ending just in time for the Milan's Expo 2015," he added.
In 1901, amid much criticism, the mural was heavily restored.
Only in 1954, the paint applied during the disastrous restoration was finally removed. But damage to Leonardo's work remained.
"The mural is covered by a thick layer of grime. However, our cleaning tests indicate that it can be easily removed. Leonardo's paint won't be damaged in the procedure," the restorers wrote.
Meanwhile, archival research also revealed the room's original name.
It was called "Camera dei Moroni" -- a clear allusion to Ludovico il Moro.
Indeed Leonardo's decoration is filled with punning allusions. The mulberry, or Morus tree, refers to the Duke’s well known nickname, Il Moro, the Moor. The tree is also a symbol for the Milanese silk industry - mulberries were cultivated in the region as food for the silkworm.
"This restoration is extremely important to fully understand Leonardo’s work," Milan culture councillor Filippo Del Corno said. "The project will last two years, ending just in time for the Milan's Expo 2015," he added.
Tesla Model S gets Consumer Reports' recommendation
Cnn.com - In May, Consumer Reports called the Tesla Model S the best car it had ever tested, but it still wouldn't recommend it.
That was because the magazine hadn't yet gathered enough reliability data on the still-new model. Well now the survey data is in, and Consumer Reports has officially given the Tesla (TSLA) Model S the sought-after red checkmark.
The Tesla Model S is now Consumer Reports Recommended.
The Model S isn't perfect, according to its owners, but none have reported any problems with the car's battery-powered electric drive system or with the enormous iPad-like touch screen inside the cabin.
The problems that have been reported have had to do with things like squeaks, rattles and malfunctioning sunroofs and door locks.
Overall, the reliability rating for the Model S was average, according to the magazine. But that rating, combined with the car's stellar test scores, was enough to earn the recommendation.
The Model S earned a score of 99 out of a possible 100 in the magazine's performance tests, which ties for the highest score any car has ever received. It would have scored even higher except for the fact that it has to be recharged on long trips, Jake Fisher, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports, said in May. Fisher called the car's performance "off the charts."
Depending on price, the Model S has a driving range of between 208 and 265 miles. A full charge takes about six hours from an ordinary 240 volt outlet, according to Tesla. The car can be charged much more quickly at one of the "supercharger" stations Tesla has installed along various highways in the country. Tesla is also rolling out quick battery swapping capability at some of those stations.
The Model S has already won awards from car magazines like Motor Trend and Automobile, but Consumer Reports is widely regarded as being the most influential magazine among car shoppers. Consumer Reports, published by nonprofit Consumer's Union, purchases all the cars it tests and does not accept paid ads.
Tesla's next vehicle is supposed to be the Tesla Model X crossover SUV but, after that, the company's plans call for a less expensive car and, possibly, other products.
That was because the magazine hadn't yet gathered enough reliability data on the still-new model. Well now the survey data is in, and Consumer Reports has officially given the Tesla (TSLA) Model S the sought-after red checkmark.
The Tesla Model S is now Consumer Reports Recommended.
The Model S isn't perfect, according to its owners, but none have reported any problems with the car's battery-powered electric drive system or with the enormous iPad-like touch screen inside the cabin.
The problems that have been reported have had to do with things like squeaks, rattles and malfunctioning sunroofs and door locks.
Overall, the reliability rating for the Model S was average, according to the magazine. But that rating, combined with the car's stellar test scores, was enough to earn the recommendation.
The Model S earned a score of 99 out of a possible 100 in the magazine's performance tests, which ties for the highest score any car has ever received. It would have scored even higher except for the fact that it has to be recharged on long trips, Jake Fisher, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports, said in May. Fisher called the car's performance "off the charts."
Depending on price, the Model S has a driving range of between 208 and 265 miles. A full charge takes about six hours from an ordinary 240 volt outlet, according to Tesla. The car can be charged much more quickly at one of the "supercharger" stations Tesla has installed along various highways in the country. Tesla is also rolling out quick battery swapping capability at some of those stations.
The Model S has already won awards from car magazines like Motor Trend and Automobile, but Consumer Reports is widely regarded as being the most influential magazine among car shoppers. Consumer Reports, published by nonprofit Consumer's Union, purchases all the cars it tests and does not accept paid ads.
Tesla's next vehicle is supposed to be the Tesla Model X crossover SUV but, after that, the company's plans call for a less expensive car and, possibly, other products.
Oct 29, 2013
Suzuki Indonesia Discontinue SX4?
Detik.com - Kabar mengejutkan datang dari Suzuki. Crossover SX4 yang selama ini cukup diandalkan kabarnya dihentikan penjualannya oleh Suzuki Indonesia. Benarkah?
"Saya kemarin mau beli buat ganti Baleno saya, tapi tidak bisa, kata sales Suzuki, mobilnya sudah discontinue," ujar Harun, warga Ciputat, Tangsel, Banten kepada detikOto akhir pekan lalu.
Saat detikOto menanyai beberapa sales Suzuki lainnya, mereka menjawab hal yang sama. "Suzuki SX4 sudah discontinue Pak. Kenapa tidak coba Swift saja," saran seorang Sales di Suzuki Pondok Indah.
Jika melihat data penjualan Gabungan Industri Kendaraan Bermotor Indonesia atau Gaikindo, memang sejak bulan Juli lalu tidak ada pengiriman mobil SX4 ke diler.
SX4 di 2013 ini hanya terjual sebanyak 409 unit. Kalah jauh dengan pesaingnya di segmen Low SUV seperti Toyota Rush dan Daihatsu Terios yang sudah terjual di angka di atas 20.000 unit.
PT Suzuki Indomobil Sales yang merupakan agen penjual Suzuki di Indonesia belum bisa dimintai komentarnya soal ini.
"Saya kemarin mau beli buat ganti Baleno saya, tapi tidak bisa, kata sales Suzuki, mobilnya sudah discontinue," ujar Harun, warga Ciputat, Tangsel, Banten kepada detikOto akhir pekan lalu.
Saat detikOto menanyai beberapa sales Suzuki lainnya, mereka menjawab hal yang sama. "Suzuki SX4 sudah discontinue Pak. Kenapa tidak coba Swift saja," saran seorang Sales di Suzuki Pondok Indah.
Jika melihat data penjualan Gabungan Industri Kendaraan Bermotor Indonesia atau Gaikindo, memang sejak bulan Juli lalu tidak ada pengiriman mobil SX4 ke diler.
SX4 di 2013 ini hanya terjual sebanyak 409 unit. Kalah jauh dengan pesaingnya di segmen Low SUV seperti Toyota Rush dan Daihatsu Terios yang sudah terjual di angka di atas 20.000 unit.
PT Suzuki Indomobil Sales yang merupakan agen penjual Suzuki di Indonesia belum bisa dimintai komentarnya soal ini.
Oct 28, 2013
Oct 27, 2013
Oct 26, 2013
Kondisi Melani Sudah Makin Membaik Di Taman Safari Bogor
Rribogor.com - Masih ingat Melani? Harimau kritis dari penangkaran Kebun Binatang Surabaya yang di rawat ke Taman Safari Indonesia. Selama 6 bulan menjalani perawatan di Taman Safari Indonesia kondisinya semakin membaik.
Harimau sumatra yang usianya sudah 21 tahun itu sudah dapat berjalan normal dan merangkak naik ke atas pembaringan. "Sekarang sehari sudah bisa makan 3 sampai 5 kilogram, dan ada makanan kaleng diet dari Australia, sakit pencernaannya sudah membaik sekarang beratnya sudah 55 kilogram ", ujar drh Dita di Taman Safari Indonesia, Kamis (24/10).
Meski harapan hidupnya kecil karena sudah di penghujung usia namun dengan campur tangan dari dokter hewan di Taman Safari Indonesia keadaannya semakin membaik.
Ketua perhimpunan kebun binatang seluruh Indonesia Rahmansyah mengatakan saat ini banyak satwa liar dan langka kehilangan habitat hidupnya, dengan membuat MOU bersama Kementrian Kehutanan di harapkan satwa liar yang hampir punah dapat terselamatkan.
Harimau sumatra yang usianya sudah 21 tahun itu sudah dapat berjalan normal dan merangkak naik ke atas pembaringan. "Sekarang sehari sudah bisa makan 3 sampai 5 kilogram, dan ada makanan kaleng diet dari Australia, sakit pencernaannya sudah membaik sekarang beratnya sudah 55 kilogram ", ujar drh Dita di Taman Safari Indonesia, Kamis (24/10).
Meski harapan hidupnya kecil karena sudah di penghujung usia namun dengan campur tangan dari dokter hewan di Taman Safari Indonesia keadaannya semakin membaik.
Ketua perhimpunan kebun binatang seluruh Indonesia Rahmansyah mengatakan saat ini banyak satwa liar dan langka kehilangan habitat hidupnya, dengan membuat MOU bersama Kementrian Kehutanan di harapkan satwa liar yang hampir punah dapat terselamatkan.
Nexus 7 is the best Android tablet
Cnn.com - Google's new Nexus 7 tablet isn't just the best small Android tablet you can buy. It's the best Android tablet, period.
The popular mini tablet, which Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) first released last year, has only improved with the arrival of the second iteration.
Blazing fast speed? Check. Slimmer, thinner and lighter? Check. Gorgeous, Retina-quality seven-inch display? Check. The purest and most up-to-date version of Android. Check. World-beating value at $230? Jackpot.
For the value, it's CNNMoney's Best in Tech for the small tablet category.
The base model Nexus 7 is now $30 more expensive than last year's version, but what you're getting in return are some of the best guts any tablet has to offer on the inside, which translates into beautiful results on outside. It's the same price as the similar, but slightly less-thrilling Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) Kindle Fire HDX, and it's $169 cheaper than the new iPad mini (which we haven't yet reviewed).
The Nexus 7's display is as excellent as anything you'll find on any mobile device, big or small. The screen has excellent viewing angles, satisfying brightness and contrast (rich colors, deep blacks and bright whites), and good color accuracy.
The Nexus 7's marriage of impressive power and a gorgeous display really pays off when you're running an app that uses each pixel and every bit of the tablet's processing speed to the fullest, such as the EA (EA) game Real Racing 3.
It's also just as good for more mundane activities. Weighing only 0.64 pounds, and occupying the footprint of a stretched out e-reader, the Nexus 7 is quite good for reading.
One caveat: The bezels running the length of the device are noticeably slimmer on this year's model, When holding the tablet vertically in portrait mode, the narrower bezel makes one-handed page turning a bit awkward. It's not that it's an impossible feat, but it takes some getting used to -- and self-assuring that the tablet isn't going to slip out of your hand.
Conversely, the bezels running the width of the tablet are thicker than before. This gives the device a bit of an awkward appearance, but it does make holding the tablet horizontally in landscape mode a bit more comfortable. For those who watch a lot of video on the go, this -- and the excellent screen -- will bring joy.
With a rubberized back, rounded corners and edges that creep up and envelop the Nexus 7 screen, the tablet looks and feels lot like Amazon's (AMZN, Fortune 500) Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, but with a little extra weight, size and performance. It easily fits in a pocket, and it is light enough -- if not quite short enough -- to make you forget you're carrying it around. It's an excellent companion for trains, planes, automobiles and anything in between.
Unless you're streaming high-definition movies non-stop with the brightness cranked all the way up, the Nexus 7 will get you through an entire day of use -- if not days of use. And even if you decide to tax the battery, it will still last you the better part of a work day.
The Nexus 7 also has stereo speakers and a 5-megapixel camera. Like most tablets, these are solid enough features to use in a pinch, but you'll be better served by using headphones and a smartphone camera.
Like Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPad Mini, the small size makes it a device best suited for consumption -- reading, watching, listening, browsing, and gaming -- rather than creation. If you're into word processing, spreadsheet making, sketching, drawing, a larger 10-inch tablet is the way to go.
Compared to the recently released Kindle Fire HDX, the Nexus 7 isn't nearly as powerful on paper. But because the software running on the Kindle Fire makes it only fractionally as capable as the Nexus 7 (especially in the gaming space), that extra power is mostly for naught.
It has been the same story for the past year with Android devices, but it's still just as true: the best devices aren't the ones pushing the limits of hardware power, but rather those which stay as close to the stock android experience as possible. The Nexus 7 is that tablet.
The popular mini tablet, which Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) first released last year, has only improved with the arrival of the second iteration.
Blazing fast speed? Check. Slimmer, thinner and lighter? Check. Gorgeous, Retina-quality seven-inch display? Check. The purest and most up-to-date version of Android. Check. World-beating value at $230? Jackpot.
For the value, it's CNNMoney's Best in Tech for the small tablet category.
The base model Nexus 7 is now $30 more expensive than last year's version, but what you're getting in return are some of the best guts any tablet has to offer on the inside, which translates into beautiful results on outside. It's the same price as the similar, but slightly less-thrilling Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) Kindle Fire HDX, and it's $169 cheaper than the new iPad mini (which we haven't yet reviewed).
The Nexus 7's display is as excellent as anything you'll find on any mobile device, big or small. The screen has excellent viewing angles, satisfying brightness and contrast (rich colors, deep blacks and bright whites), and good color accuracy.
The Nexus 7's marriage of impressive power and a gorgeous display really pays off when you're running an app that uses each pixel and every bit of the tablet's processing speed to the fullest, such as the EA (EA) game Real Racing 3.
It's also just as good for more mundane activities. Weighing only 0.64 pounds, and occupying the footprint of a stretched out e-reader, the Nexus 7 is quite good for reading.
One caveat: The bezels running the length of the device are noticeably slimmer on this year's model, When holding the tablet vertically in portrait mode, the narrower bezel makes one-handed page turning a bit awkward. It's not that it's an impossible feat, but it takes some getting used to -- and self-assuring that the tablet isn't going to slip out of your hand.
Conversely, the bezels running the width of the tablet are thicker than before. This gives the device a bit of an awkward appearance, but it does make holding the tablet horizontally in landscape mode a bit more comfortable. For those who watch a lot of video on the go, this -- and the excellent screen -- will bring joy.
With a rubberized back, rounded corners and edges that creep up and envelop the Nexus 7 screen, the tablet looks and feels lot like Amazon's (AMZN, Fortune 500) Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, but with a little extra weight, size and performance. It easily fits in a pocket, and it is light enough -- if not quite short enough -- to make you forget you're carrying it around. It's an excellent companion for trains, planes, automobiles and anything in between.
Unless you're streaming high-definition movies non-stop with the brightness cranked all the way up, the Nexus 7 will get you through an entire day of use -- if not days of use. And even if you decide to tax the battery, it will still last you the better part of a work day.
The Nexus 7 also has stereo speakers and a 5-megapixel camera. Like most tablets, these are solid enough features to use in a pinch, but you'll be better served by using headphones and a smartphone camera.
Like Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPad Mini, the small size makes it a device best suited for consumption -- reading, watching, listening, browsing, and gaming -- rather than creation. If you're into word processing, spreadsheet making, sketching, drawing, a larger 10-inch tablet is the way to go.
Compared to the recently released Kindle Fire HDX, the Nexus 7 isn't nearly as powerful on paper. But because the software running on the Kindle Fire makes it only fractionally as capable as the Nexus 7 (especially in the gaming space), that extra power is mostly for naught.
It has been the same story for the past year with Android devices, but it's still just as true: the best devices aren't the ones pushing the limits of hardware power, but rather those which stay as close to the stock android experience as possible. The Nexus 7 is that tablet.
Oct 25, 2013
Bakal Ada Toyota 86 Versi Sedan, Seberapa Menarik?
Otomotifnet.com - Toyota 86, sebagai sportcar kelas ringan, sebenarnya memang lebih menarik dengan tampang dan konfigurasi saat ini, bermodalkan dua pintu coupe, membuat anda benar-benar merasakan sensasi mobil balap jalanan.
Tapi apa jadinya kalau Toyota 86 dibuatkan juga versi sedannya? Seberapa menarik potensinya, sampai-sampai Toyota berniat untuk membuatnya. Bahkan, salah satu pejabat internal Toyota, sebagaimana dilansir Autoexpress hari ini (24/10), sudah memberikan lampu hijau untuk produksinya.
Secara umum, tampangnya tidak akan berbeda jauh dengan Toyota 86 versi coupe. Hanya saja, tentu bodinya sedikit dipanjangkan untuk mengakomodir 4 pintu. Toyota menambahkan sekitar 100 mm pada jarak sumbu rodanya.
Kata Toyota, konsumen usia matang yang bakal menjadi target marketnya. Sehingga, meskipun punya bodi yang lebih kalem karena berjenis sedan, tapi sensasi berkendaranya tetap menyuguhkan performa ala mobil sport.
Toyota 86 sedan ini masih dipersenjatai mesin Boxer 2.0 liter, empat silinder, Direct Injection D-4S, yang sanggup menghasilkan tenaga sebesar 200 Dk pada putaran 7.000 rpm, dan torsi maksimal sebesar 205 Nm.
Sedan ini mengandalkan sistem penggerak roda belakang, yang siap menampung tenaga yang disalurkan transmisi 6 percepatan. Toyota juga akan memasang kinetic energy recovery system (KERS).
Tapi apa jadinya kalau Toyota 86 dibuatkan juga versi sedannya? Seberapa menarik potensinya, sampai-sampai Toyota berniat untuk membuatnya. Bahkan, salah satu pejabat internal Toyota, sebagaimana dilansir Autoexpress hari ini (24/10), sudah memberikan lampu hijau untuk produksinya.
Secara umum, tampangnya tidak akan berbeda jauh dengan Toyota 86 versi coupe. Hanya saja, tentu bodinya sedikit dipanjangkan untuk mengakomodir 4 pintu. Toyota menambahkan sekitar 100 mm pada jarak sumbu rodanya.
Kata Toyota, konsumen usia matang yang bakal menjadi target marketnya. Sehingga, meskipun punya bodi yang lebih kalem karena berjenis sedan, tapi sensasi berkendaranya tetap menyuguhkan performa ala mobil sport.
Toyota 86 sedan ini masih dipersenjatai mesin Boxer 2.0 liter, empat silinder, Direct Injection D-4S, yang sanggup menghasilkan tenaga sebesar 200 Dk pada putaran 7.000 rpm, dan torsi maksimal sebesar 205 Nm.
Sedan ini mengandalkan sistem penggerak roda belakang, yang siap menampung tenaga yang disalurkan transmisi 6 percepatan. Toyota juga akan memasang kinetic energy recovery system (KERS).
Oct 24, 2013
Sekarat Setelah Ditangkap Warga, Orangutan 'Bongsor' Ini Akhirnya Mati
Detik.com - Seekor orangutan jantan dewasa ditangkap warga RT 20/RW 10, Dusun Danau, Desa Peniraman, Kecamatan Sui Pinyuh, Kabupaten Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat. Sempat diberi makanan, tapi primata ini enggan makan dan akhirnya mati.
Ketua RT setempat Suryadi (40) menyatakan hewan yang mempunyai nama lain mawas ini masuk ke perkebunan karet milik Paul, kemudian ditangkap. Diakui warga, biasanya tidak ada orangutan sebesar itu masuk ke areal perkebunan.
"Bobotnya sekitar 70 kg," kata Suryadi kepada detikcom di lokasi, Selasa (22/10/2013).
Pemilik perkebunan karet Paul mengaku melihat orangutan itu mengikutinya saat bersih-bersih lahan di kebunnya.
"Tidak mengganggu. Cuma warga resah, lalu kami tangkap beramai-ramai," ujar Paul.
Orangutan ini sempat diberi buah-buahan dan diberi minuman, tapi tidak merespons karena kondisinya sekarat. Terdapat luka di kepala dan pergelangan tangannya. Saat ditangkap, hewan langka ini terus berontak. Warga berhasil melumpuhkannya dan mengikat dengan tali nilon dan kayu.
"Tadi hidup. Tadi sore ini mati," kata Suryadi. Hingga saat ini, orangutan tersebut masih berada di lokasi.
Ketua RT setempat Suryadi (40) menyatakan hewan yang mempunyai nama lain mawas ini masuk ke perkebunan karet milik Paul, kemudian ditangkap. Diakui warga, biasanya tidak ada orangutan sebesar itu masuk ke areal perkebunan.
"Bobotnya sekitar 70 kg," kata Suryadi kepada detikcom di lokasi, Selasa (22/10/2013).
Pemilik perkebunan karet Paul mengaku melihat orangutan itu mengikutinya saat bersih-bersih lahan di kebunnya.
"Tidak mengganggu. Cuma warga resah, lalu kami tangkap beramai-ramai," ujar Paul.
Orangutan ini sempat diberi buah-buahan dan diberi minuman, tapi tidak merespons karena kondisinya sekarat. Terdapat luka di kepala dan pergelangan tangannya. Saat ditangkap, hewan langka ini terus berontak. Warga berhasil melumpuhkannya dan mengikat dengan tali nilon dan kayu.
"Tadi hidup. Tadi sore ini mati," kata Suryadi. Hingga saat ini, orangutan tersebut masih berada di lokasi.
Oct 23, 2013
Lampu Indikator ABS Honda Jazz Nyala. Jangan Panik!
Otomotifnet.com - Jangan panik ketika lampu indikator ABS (anti-lock brake system) pada All New Honda Jazz mendadak menyala. Segera bawa ke bengkel resmi yang punya engine diagnostic tool minta dilakukan diagnostic untuk mengetahui kondisi sensor di roda depan atau belakang.
Jika, hasilnya menunjukkan sensor bermasalah, jangan buru-buru langsung diganti. Seperti dibilang Rio Tanumihardja, pemilik Padimas Motor di Kemayoran, Jakarta, " Takutnya cuma kotor saja. Sayang harus diganti wheel sensor-nya. Lumayan bisa menghemat ketimbang mengganti yang harganya Rp800 ribu per unit."
Untuk membersihkannya, bisa dilakukan sendiri. Peralatan yang dibutuhkan, di antaranya dongkrak, kunci roda, kunci ratchet, kunci sok 10 mm, sambungan sok pendek, kain bersih, dan brake cleaner.
Jika, hasilnya menunjukkan sensor bermasalah, jangan buru-buru langsung diganti. Seperti dibilang Rio Tanumihardja, pemilik Padimas Motor di Kemayoran, Jakarta, " Takutnya cuma kotor saja. Sayang harus diganti wheel sensor-nya. Lumayan bisa menghemat ketimbang mengganti yang harganya Rp800 ribu per unit."
Untuk membersihkannya, bisa dilakukan sendiri. Peralatan yang dibutuhkan, di antaranya dongkrak, kunci roda, kunci ratchet, kunci sok 10 mm, sambungan sok pendek, kain bersih, dan brake cleaner.
Ikuti langkah-langkah di bawah ini:
1. Dongkrak dan lepas roda di bagian sensor bermasalah (depan atau belakang).
2. Terlihat sensor ABS yang diikat satu baut.
3. Gunakan kunci sok 10 mm serta retchet untuk membuka baut dengan cara diputar seperti baut biasa yang anti clockwise.
4. Jika sensor sudah dilepas, semprotkan cairan brake cleaner ke sensor dan kemudian di lap. Selesai pasang kembali.
1. Dongkrak dan lepas roda di bagian sensor bermasalah (depan atau belakang).
2. Terlihat sensor ABS yang diikat satu baut.
3. Gunakan kunci sok 10 mm serta retchet untuk membuka baut dengan cara diputar seperti baut biasa yang anti clockwise.
4. Jika sensor sudah dilepas, semprotkan cairan brake cleaner ke sensor dan kemudian di lap. Selesai pasang kembali.
NASA Is Totally Sure That Giant Asteroid Won’t Hit The Earth In 2032 Probably
Geekosystem - You might have heard that Ukrainian astronomers spotted a giant asteroid headed straight for Earth, which could impact on August 26th, 2032 with a force fifty times greater than the largest nuke. But wait; before you run off and get “YOLO” tattooed on your forehead, NASA is here to tell us that we’re all going to be completely fine. Probably.
After noticing the asteroid had come a little too close to Earth for their liking on October 8th, the astronomers at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory predicted the 1,300-foot asteroid would swing back around for another run at our planet in nineteen years. NASA responded to the flurry of apocalyptic press about the asteroid and set their Spaceguard (the Near-Earth Observation Program) on the case.
Luckily for all living things on this planet, they’re pretty sure everything is going to be cool. Spaceguard rated the asteroid’s likelihood of impact as 1 in 63,000 (which, by the way, is still way more than most Near Earth Objects, which have a collision probability of zero).
“To put it another way, that puts the current probability of no impact in 2032 at about 99.998 percent,” said Don Yeomans, the Spaceguard manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. “This is a relatively new discovery. With more observations, I fully expect we will be able to significantly reduce, or rule out entirely, any impact probability for the foreseeable future.”
Just in case, though, should we maybe start preparing a giant drill? And Aerosmith?
After noticing the asteroid had come a little too close to Earth for their liking on October 8th, the astronomers at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory predicted the 1,300-foot asteroid would swing back around for another run at our planet in nineteen years. NASA responded to the flurry of apocalyptic press about the asteroid and set their Spaceguard (the Near-Earth Observation Program) on the case.
Luckily for all living things on this planet, they’re pretty sure everything is going to be cool. Spaceguard rated the asteroid’s likelihood of impact as 1 in 63,000 (which, by the way, is still way more than most Near Earth Objects, which have a collision probability of zero).
“To put it another way, that puts the current probability of no impact in 2032 at about 99.998 percent,” said Don Yeomans, the Spaceguard manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. “This is a relatively new discovery. With more observations, I fully expect we will be able to significantly reduce, or rule out entirely, any impact probability for the foreseeable future.”
Just in case, though, should we maybe start preparing a giant drill? And Aerosmith?
Oct 22, 2013
SSD MacBook Air Bermasalah, Apple Janji Ganti Baru
Kompas.com - Jika Anda membeli komputer jinjing Apple MacBook Air produksi tahun 2012, Anda patut khawatir karena bisa jadi komponen media penyimpanan datanya bermasalah.
Dalam sebuah pengumuman di situs web resminya, Apple mengatakan bahwa ada masalah terhadap media penyimpanan data Solid State Drive (SSD) kapasitas 64 GB dan 128 GB pada MacBook Air ukuran 11 inci dan 13 inci yang dijual antara Juni 2012 dan Juni 2013.
Tidak semua SSD pada MacBook Air produksi 2012 adalah produk gagal. Apple menegaskan, hanya SSD tertentu saja yang mengalami masalah. Dan untungnya, Apple bersedia mengganti komponen SSD secara gratis jika ditemukan masalah.
Untuk mengetahui apakah SSD pada MacBook Air bermasalah atau tidak, Apple telah merilis update firmware. Anda bisa membuka menu Update di perangkat lunak Mac App Store, dan pilihlah MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1 untuk memeriksa masalah tersebut.
Sebelum memutuskan untuk melakukan update, ada baiknya Anda melakukan back-up dokumen penting yang tersimpan di MacBook Air. Karena, jika SSD Anda bermasalah, tak menutup kemungkinan dokumen dan data penting Anda akan terhapus.
Bagaimana mengetahui sebuah SSD yang bermasalah? Saat melakukan upgrade firmware dan ternyata Anda diarahkan ke halaman pengumuman berjudul "MacBook Air Flash Storage Drive Replacement Program," ini berarti SSD Anda bermasalah. Jika kasusnya demikian, Anda tidak dianjurkan memperbarui sistem operasi ataupun aplikasi.
Pergilah ke pusat layanan purna jual produk Apple dan beritahu bahwa SSD Anda bermasalah. Apple berjanji untuk mengganti komponen SSD dengan kapasitas penyimpanan yang sama.
Dalam sebuah pengumuman di situs web resminya, Apple mengatakan bahwa ada masalah terhadap media penyimpanan data Solid State Drive (SSD) kapasitas 64 GB dan 128 GB pada MacBook Air ukuran 11 inci dan 13 inci yang dijual antara Juni 2012 dan Juni 2013.
Tidak semua SSD pada MacBook Air produksi 2012 adalah produk gagal. Apple menegaskan, hanya SSD tertentu saja yang mengalami masalah. Dan untungnya, Apple bersedia mengganti komponen SSD secara gratis jika ditemukan masalah.
Untuk mengetahui apakah SSD pada MacBook Air bermasalah atau tidak, Apple telah merilis update firmware. Anda bisa membuka menu Update di perangkat lunak Mac App Store, dan pilihlah MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1 untuk memeriksa masalah tersebut.
Sebelum memutuskan untuk melakukan update, ada baiknya Anda melakukan back-up dokumen penting yang tersimpan di MacBook Air. Karena, jika SSD Anda bermasalah, tak menutup kemungkinan dokumen dan data penting Anda akan terhapus.
Bagaimana mengetahui sebuah SSD yang bermasalah? Saat melakukan upgrade firmware dan ternyata Anda diarahkan ke halaman pengumuman berjudul "MacBook Air Flash Storage Drive Replacement Program," ini berarti SSD Anda bermasalah. Jika kasusnya demikian, Anda tidak dianjurkan memperbarui sistem operasi ataupun aplikasi.
Pergilah ke pusat layanan purna jual produk Apple dan beritahu bahwa SSD Anda bermasalah. Apple berjanji untuk mengganti komponen SSD dengan kapasitas penyimpanan yang sama.
Oct 21, 2013
China achieves wireless Internet access via lightbulbs
Zdnet.com - Chinese scientists have made headway with successful experiments using Li-Fi technology, where wireless signals are sent by lightbulbs, according to Xinhua News.
Four computers under a one-watt LED lightbulb may connect to the Internet under the principle that light can be used as a carrier instead of traditional radio frequencies, said Chi Nan, an IT professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.
She explained a lightbulb with embedded microchips can produce data rates as fast as 150 Mbps, much higher than the average broadband connection in China.
Current wireless signal transmission equipment is expensive and low in efficiency, noted Chi in the article. "As for cell phones, millions of base stations have been established around the world to strengthen the signal but most of the energy is consumed on their cooling systems," she explained, but noted the energy utilization rate was only 5 percent."
However, Chi noted there was still a long way to go in making Li-Fi commercially successful. "If the light is blocked, then the signal will be cut off," she explained. The professor added the development of key related technologies were still in the experimental phase, such as light communication controls, microchip design and manufacturing.
The term Li-Fi was coined as early as 2011 by Harald Haas, a professor of engineering at Edinburgh University, with the name standing for "light-fidelity". The technology made use of LED bulbs that glow and darken faster than the human eye can see, and LED lights being semiconductors could be programmable.
Haas had suggested that the applications and capacity for data would be limitless, ranging from using car headlights to transmit data, or employing line of sight light sources as data transmitters.
Four computers under a one-watt LED lightbulb may connect to the Internet under the principle that light can be used as a carrier instead of traditional radio frequencies, said Chi Nan, an IT professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.
She explained a lightbulb with embedded microchips can produce data rates as fast as 150 Mbps, much higher than the average broadband connection in China.
Current wireless signal transmission equipment is expensive and low in efficiency, noted Chi in the article. "As for cell phones, millions of base stations have been established around the world to strengthen the signal but most of the energy is consumed on their cooling systems," she explained, but noted the energy utilization rate was only 5 percent."
However, Chi noted there was still a long way to go in making Li-Fi commercially successful. "If the light is blocked, then the signal will be cut off," she explained. The professor added the development of key related technologies were still in the experimental phase, such as light communication controls, microchip design and manufacturing.
The term Li-Fi was coined as early as 2011 by Harald Haas, a professor of engineering at Edinburgh University, with the name standing for "light-fidelity". The technology made use of LED bulbs that glow and darken faster than the human eye can see, and LED lights being semiconductors could be programmable.
Haas had suggested that the applications and capacity for data would be limitless, ranging from using car headlights to transmit data, or employing line of sight light sources as data transmitters.
Oct 20, 2013
Niat Kritisi Jokowi, Nurhayati Malah Di-Bully
Solopos.com - Pernyataan Politisi Partai Demokrat, Nurhayati Ali Assegaf menuai banyak kecaman dari publik. Setelah mengkritisi kinerja Gubernur Jakarta, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Nurhayati langsung diberondong cacian.
Dilansir detikcom, Sabtu (19/10/2013), Nurhayati menyebut Jokowi harus berterimakasih pada Fauzi Bowo (Foke) karena kerjanya saat ini hanya meneruskan konsep yang telah dirancang Foke.
“Apakah bisa dibikin dalam setahun itu. Hasil siapa itu? Hasil sebelumnya Pak Fauzi Bowo. Jangan melupakan jasa-jasa pendahulunya. Semua itu hasil dari pendahulunya,” katanya.
Nurhayati juga tidak luput mengkritisi soal kemacetan dan kebakaran 1.000 rumah yang terjadi di Jakarta beberapa waktu lalu.
“Belum pernah lho 1.000 rumah terbakar. Setahun Jokowi ada 1.000 rumah terbakar,” cetusnya.
Sesaat setelah pernyataannya muncul di media, komentar Nurhayati ini langsung disambar publik. Publik geram menanggapi komentar sinis Wakil Ketua Umum Partai Demokrat itu. Tidak sedikit yang menggunakan kata-kata kasar.
Sejumlah kalangan menilai, komentar Nurhayati pada Jokowi salah alamat dan cenderung menunjukkan preseden yang buruk untuk politisi.
“Rumah kebakar kok nyalahin gubernur,” ungkap Nugroho Aji melalui situs microblogging, Twitter.
“Nurhayati assegaf komentarnya gak bermutu,cenderung menunjukkan ketidakmampuan seorang politis mengkritisi/menilai kinerja kepala daerah,” Kata Sigit Leyono.
“Omongan bu nurhayati assegaf menunjukkan kalau dia kesulitan menemukan prestasi Foke dibandingkan Jokowi, next time mending diem aja bu :)” ungkap akun Tia Rosalia.
Komentar Nurhayati juga menarik perhatian salah satu tokoh pers Indonesia, Iwan Piliang. Melalui akunnya, @IwanPiliang mengatakan komentar Nurhayati ngawur. Iwan juga menyebut Nurhayati penjilat.
“Sy pernah wwcr Nurhayati Assegaf. Sy tangkap orgnya penjilat, Terutama menjilat Bu Ani. Mentah. Jd kalau Omong soal kebakaran ya ngawur” katanya.
Aksi Nurhayati juga dinilai akan memberburuk citra Partai Demokrat yang belakangan ambruk karena dirundung berbagai kasus korupsi.
“Nurhayati Fraksi PD nekad ngenyek setahunnya @jokowi_do2 soal kebakaran.Pengen ya dijembrengin lagi dosa & busuknya 9 tahun bos lu, SBY?” kata Erwin Arnanda
“Baca komentar beritanya Nurhayati ngomentarin Jokowi, lucu-lucu. Eh ya Kok Demokrat milih dia jd ketua fraksi yah. Ampun deh” kata Bonni Wicaksono.
Tak mau ketinggalan, sejumlah pihak juga menyebut komentar Nurhayati ini merusak citra wanita berjilbab.
“Wanita muslimah itu seharusnya bicara dengan tutur kata yang baik, tidak menyakiti hati orang lain,” kicau akun @Marishtarani
“wow, ada pulak yang bilang merusak imej wanita berjilbab. Wkwkwkwkwk” kata Billy Khaerudin.
Nurhayati bukan orang pertama yang di-bully gara-gara mengomentari kinerja eks Walikota Solo itu. Beberapa waktu lalu, Anggota Komisi C DPRD Jakarta, Ahmad Husein Alaydrus mendapat perlakuan hampir serupa.
Saat melakukan dialog interaktif dalam pembahasan perihal kartu Jakarta sehat di salah satu stasiun televisi lokal, Alaydrus dimaki-maki oleh seluruh penelpon yang masuk.
Dilansir detikcom, Sabtu (19/10/2013), Nurhayati menyebut Jokowi harus berterimakasih pada Fauzi Bowo (Foke) karena kerjanya saat ini hanya meneruskan konsep yang telah dirancang Foke.
“Apakah bisa dibikin dalam setahun itu. Hasil siapa itu? Hasil sebelumnya Pak Fauzi Bowo. Jangan melupakan jasa-jasa pendahulunya. Semua itu hasil dari pendahulunya,” katanya.
Nurhayati juga tidak luput mengkritisi soal kemacetan dan kebakaran 1.000 rumah yang terjadi di Jakarta beberapa waktu lalu.
“Belum pernah lho 1.000 rumah terbakar. Setahun Jokowi ada 1.000 rumah terbakar,” cetusnya.
Sesaat setelah pernyataannya muncul di media, komentar Nurhayati ini langsung disambar publik. Publik geram menanggapi komentar sinis Wakil Ketua Umum Partai Demokrat itu. Tidak sedikit yang menggunakan kata-kata kasar.
Sejumlah kalangan menilai, komentar Nurhayati pada Jokowi salah alamat dan cenderung menunjukkan preseden yang buruk untuk politisi.
“Rumah kebakar kok nyalahin gubernur,” ungkap Nugroho Aji melalui situs microblogging, Twitter.
“Nurhayati assegaf komentarnya gak bermutu,cenderung menunjukkan ketidakmampuan seorang politis mengkritisi/menilai kinerja kepala daerah,” Kata Sigit Leyono.
“Omongan bu nurhayati assegaf menunjukkan kalau dia kesulitan menemukan prestasi Foke dibandingkan Jokowi, next time mending diem aja bu :)” ungkap akun Tia Rosalia.
Komentar Nurhayati juga menarik perhatian salah satu tokoh pers Indonesia, Iwan Piliang. Melalui akunnya, @IwanPiliang mengatakan komentar Nurhayati ngawur. Iwan juga menyebut Nurhayati penjilat.
“Sy pernah wwcr Nurhayati Assegaf. Sy tangkap orgnya penjilat, Terutama menjilat Bu Ani. Mentah. Jd kalau Omong soal kebakaran ya ngawur” katanya.
Aksi Nurhayati juga dinilai akan memberburuk citra Partai Demokrat yang belakangan ambruk karena dirundung berbagai kasus korupsi.
“Nurhayati Fraksi PD nekad ngenyek setahunnya @jokowi_do2 soal kebakaran.Pengen ya dijembrengin lagi dosa & busuknya 9 tahun bos lu, SBY?” kata Erwin Arnanda
“Baca komentar beritanya Nurhayati ngomentarin Jokowi, lucu-lucu. Eh ya Kok Demokrat milih dia jd ketua fraksi yah. Ampun deh” kata Bonni Wicaksono.
Tak mau ketinggalan, sejumlah pihak juga menyebut komentar Nurhayati ini merusak citra wanita berjilbab.
“Wanita muslimah itu seharusnya bicara dengan tutur kata yang baik, tidak menyakiti hati orang lain,” kicau akun @Marishtarani
“wow, ada pulak yang bilang merusak imej wanita berjilbab. Wkwkwkwkwk” kata Billy Khaerudin.
Nurhayati bukan orang pertama yang di-bully gara-gara mengomentari kinerja eks Walikota Solo itu. Beberapa waktu lalu, Anggota Komisi C DPRD Jakarta, Ahmad Husein Alaydrus mendapat perlakuan hampir serupa.
Saat melakukan dialog interaktif dalam pembahasan perihal kartu Jakarta sehat di salah satu stasiun televisi lokal, Alaydrus dimaki-maki oleh seluruh penelpon yang masuk.
Toyota "Recall" 803.000 Camry, Avalon, Venza di Seluruh Dunia
Kompas.com - Hanya beberapa hari setelah recall Camry karena wiper pekan lalu, Toyota Motor Corporation kembali melakukan hal yang sama. Kali "recall" 803.000 unit sedan, terdiri dari Camry, Avalon dan Venza karena salah satu komponen utama sistem penyegar udara (AC), yaitu kondensor, bermasalah.
Gangguan yang terjadi, kondensor berpotensi bocor dan mengenai modul sensor pemicu kantung udara yang berada di bagian depan ruang mesin. Kasus terburuk, menimbulkan hubungan pendek listrik, kantung udara meletus tiba-tiba (pada waktu yang salah). Kebocoran juga bisa berdampak pada sistem "power steering" yang menyebabkan tidak berfungsi dengan normal.
Perbaikan massal akan dilakukan terhadap ketiga model, dengan penyebaran terbesar di Kanada, 44.000, Meksiko (10.600 unit), Arab Saudi (9.100 unit), sisanya 15 negara lain di seluruh dunia.
Toyota mengaku, masalah ini mengakibatkan dua konsumenya cedera ringan di Amerika Serikat.
Gangguan yang terjadi, kondensor berpotensi bocor dan mengenai modul sensor pemicu kantung udara yang berada di bagian depan ruang mesin. Kasus terburuk, menimbulkan hubungan pendek listrik, kantung udara meletus tiba-tiba (pada waktu yang salah). Kebocoran juga bisa berdampak pada sistem "power steering" yang menyebabkan tidak berfungsi dengan normal.
Perbaikan massal akan dilakukan terhadap ketiga model, dengan penyebaran terbesar di Kanada, 44.000, Meksiko (10.600 unit), Arab Saudi (9.100 unit), sisanya 15 negara lain di seluruh dunia.
Toyota mengaku, masalah ini mengakibatkan dua konsumenya cedera ringan di Amerika Serikat.
Oct 19, 2013
Puluhan Ribu Harley-Davidson Ditarik
Detik.com - Akibat adanya potensi masalah pada kopling, Harley- Davidson bertindak cepat dengan menarik puluhan ribu motor gede mereka. Motor-motor yang ditarik total berjumlah hampir 30 ribu unit.
Harley-Davidson mengakui kalau ini adalah penarikan kembali atau recall sukarela yang mereka lakukan. "Keamanan pelanggan kami adalah prioritas utama kami," kata General Manager of Motorcycle New Product Delivery Harley-Davidson Tony Wilcox di Motorcycle.
"Kami telah mengidentifikasi masalah keamanan potensial dan bergerak cepat untuk memberitahukan pelanggan dan dealer kami. Pemeriksaan dan perbaikan sepeda motor ini sangat penting, jadi penting bagi pelanggan kami dengan kendaraannya yang terkena dampak untuk menghubungi dealer mereka dengan segera," lanjutnya.
Wilcox pun menyampaikan maaf Harley pada masalah ini. "Kami mohon maaf atas keadaan ini. Perusahaan ini berkomitmen untuk memperbaiki masalah dan menyediakan pengalaman terkait kualitas dan layanan pelanggan sesuai dengan yang mereka harapkan," lugasnya.
Recall moge asal Amerika Serikat ini sendiri mempengaruhi 25.185 motor Touring model FLHTCU, FLHTK, FLHTP, FLHX, FLHXS, FLHTKSE dan FLHRSE serta 3.861 Softail CVO dan Trike model FLHTCUTG, FXSBSE dan FLSTNSE yang dibangun antara 3 Mei 2013 dan 14 Oktober 2013.
Akibat masalah pada kopling, pengendara berpotensi untuk mengalami kesulitan memfungsikan kopling sebagaimana mestinya yang membuat potensi kecelakaan jadi meningkat. PErusahaan ini kemudian memberi pengumuman 'Do Not Ride' untuk pemilik Harley yang mungkin terkena dampak dan 'Do Not Deliver' untuk dealer-dealer sebelum masalah diselesaikan.
Harley ingin para pemilik motor untuk menghubungi dealer mereka untuk mengatur pengecekan. Dealer akan menjemput motor, memeriksa dan melakukan perbaikan bila ada masalah tanpa biaya. Perbaikan sendiri kemungkinan akan memakan waktu sekitar 1 jam.
Harley-Davidson mengakui kalau ini adalah penarikan kembali atau recall sukarela yang mereka lakukan. "Keamanan pelanggan kami adalah prioritas utama kami," kata General Manager of Motorcycle New Product Delivery Harley-Davidson Tony Wilcox di Motorcycle.
"Kami telah mengidentifikasi masalah keamanan potensial dan bergerak cepat untuk memberitahukan pelanggan dan dealer kami. Pemeriksaan dan perbaikan sepeda motor ini sangat penting, jadi penting bagi pelanggan kami dengan kendaraannya yang terkena dampak untuk menghubungi dealer mereka dengan segera," lanjutnya.
Wilcox pun menyampaikan maaf Harley pada masalah ini. "Kami mohon maaf atas keadaan ini. Perusahaan ini berkomitmen untuk memperbaiki masalah dan menyediakan pengalaman terkait kualitas dan layanan pelanggan sesuai dengan yang mereka harapkan," lugasnya.
Recall moge asal Amerika Serikat ini sendiri mempengaruhi 25.185 motor Touring model FLHTCU, FLHTK, FLHTP, FLHX, FLHXS, FLHTKSE dan FLHRSE serta 3.861 Softail CVO dan Trike model FLHTCUTG, FXSBSE dan FLSTNSE yang dibangun antara 3 Mei 2013 dan 14 Oktober 2013.
Akibat masalah pada kopling, pengendara berpotensi untuk mengalami kesulitan memfungsikan kopling sebagaimana mestinya yang membuat potensi kecelakaan jadi meningkat. PErusahaan ini kemudian memberi pengumuman 'Do Not Ride' untuk pemilik Harley yang mungkin terkena dampak dan 'Do Not Deliver' untuk dealer-dealer sebelum masalah diselesaikan.
Harley ingin para pemilik motor untuk menghubungi dealer mereka untuk mengatur pengecekan. Dealer akan menjemput motor, memeriksa dan melakukan perbaikan bila ada masalah tanpa biaya. Perbaikan sendiri kemungkinan akan memakan waktu sekitar 1 jam.
Oct 18, 2013
College study finds Oreo cookies are as addictive as drugs
Foxnews.com - If you’ve ever been unable to stop yourself from eating too many Oreo cookies it may not be your fault--a new college study says one of America’s favorite desserts is just as addictive as drugs in lab rats.
The study by students at Connecticut College found that when the rats ate Oreos they formed an equally strong association with the cookies as when other rats were injected with cocaine or morphine.
Additionally, researchers found eating the cookies activated even more neurons in the rats’ brain “pleasure centers” than the addictive drugs.
“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” Neuroscience Professor Joseph Schroeder said in a school press release. “It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them.”
The student behind the study says she wanted to explore how foods with high fat and sugar content contribute to obesity in low-income communities, and that the results are troubling.
“Even though we associate significant health hazards in taking drugs like cocaine and morphine, high-fat/ high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their accessibility and affordability,” Jamie Honohun said.
On a lighter note, Honohun says they also got a surprise when watching the rats eat the Oreos.
“They would break it open and eat the middle first,” she said.
The study by students at Connecticut College found that when the rats ate Oreos they formed an equally strong association with the cookies as when other rats were injected with cocaine or morphine.
Additionally, researchers found eating the cookies activated even more neurons in the rats’ brain “pleasure centers” than the addictive drugs.
“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” Neuroscience Professor Joseph Schroeder said in a school press release. “It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them.”
The student behind the study says she wanted to explore how foods with high fat and sugar content contribute to obesity in low-income communities, and that the results are troubling.
“Even though we associate significant health hazards in taking drugs like cocaine and morphine, high-fat/ high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their accessibility and affordability,” Jamie Honohun said.
On a lighter note, Honohun says they also got a surprise when watching the rats eat the Oreos.
“They would break it open and eat the middle first,” she said.
Truk Pembawa Pasukan Pengamanan SBY Terguling
Detik.com - Sebuah truk pengangkut pasukan TNI mengalami kecelakaan di ruas tanjakan Desa Gawang, Kebonagung, Pacitan, Rabu (16/10/2013) pagi. Sedianya kendaraan tersebut hendak menuju PLTU Sudimoro untuk tugas pengamanan kunjungan Presiden SBY.
Informasi yang dihimpun, kecelakaan tersebut terjadi sekitar pukul 05.00 WIB. Saat itu truk sarat muatan melaju dari arah Pacitan menuju Sudimoro. Saat melewati tanjakan Sekar Putih truk tidak mampu naik. Akibatnya truk kembali mundur terperosok menabrak tebing dan terguling.
Tidak ada korban jiwa dalam kejadian tersebut. Namun informasi yang dihimpun, 4 personel mengalami cedera. Kejadian tersebut juga mengakibatkan arus lalu-lintas dari kedua jalur tersendat. Hingga pukul 07.06 WIB proses evakuasi masih berlangsung dengan melibatkan sebuah derek.
"Ini bisa terjadi karena berbagai kemungkinan dan bisa menimpa siapapun. Yang jelas kami upayakan secepat mungkin dievakuasi supaya tidak mengganggu agenda kunjungan Pak SBY," terang Kolonel Inf Widodo Iryansyah di lokasi.
Informasi yang dihimpun, kecelakaan tersebut terjadi sekitar pukul 05.00 WIB. Saat itu truk sarat muatan melaju dari arah Pacitan menuju Sudimoro. Saat melewati tanjakan Sekar Putih truk tidak mampu naik. Akibatnya truk kembali mundur terperosok menabrak tebing dan terguling.
Tidak ada korban jiwa dalam kejadian tersebut. Namun informasi yang dihimpun, 4 personel mengalami cedera. Kejadian tersebut juga mengakibatkan arus lalu-lintas dari kedua jalur tersendat. Hingga pukul 07.06 WIB proses evakuasi masih berlangsung dengan melibatkan sebuah derek.
"Ini bisa terjadi karena berbagai kemungkinan dan bisa menimpa siapapun. Yang jelas kami upayakan secepat mungkin dievakuasi supaya tidak mengganggu agenda kunjungan Pak SBY," terang Kolonel Inf Widodo Iryansyah di lokasi.
Oct 17, 2013
Anak harimau Sumatra mati di Bonbin London
Detik.com - Anak harimau Sumatra yang lahir di Kebun Binatang London mati karena tenggelam.
Pengurus kebun binatang mengatakan harimau Sumatra berusia lima tahun, Melati, melahirkan anaknya pada 22 September.
Bayi itu adalah harimau pertama yang lahir di kebun binatang tersebut setelah 17 tahun.
Pada hari Sabtu, penjaga kebun binatang tidak melihat bayi harimau di kamera dan ia kemudian ditemukan di dasar kolam yang berada di dalam wahananya.
Otopsi yang dilakukan pada hari Minggu memastikan bahwa bayi harimau itu mati tenggelam.
Ia lahir hanya enam bulan setelah pembukaan "teritori harimau", yang dirancang untuk membantu harimau Sumatra berkembang biak.
Kelahiran bayi Melati direkam dengan kamera.
Malcolm Fitzpatrick dari Kebun Binatang London mengatakan, "Kami sangat terpukul dengan apa yang terjadi.
"Baru tiga minggu lalu kami berbahagia menyambut kelahirannya, ini sangat memilukan."
"Melati terkadang bisa sangat gugup dan kami tidak ingin membuatnya gelisah dengan mengubah lingkungannya atau rutinitasnya, kami khawatir ia mengabaikan atau menyerang bayinya.
"Saat itu kami berpikir tetap membiarkan Melati dan bayinya akses ke wahana secara normal dengan kebaikan mereka.
"Kami akan melakukan apa saja untuk mengembalikan waktu dan tidak ada orang yang lebih menyesali apa yang terjadi selain para penjaga yang mengurus mereka setiap hari.
"Para penjaga itu sangat menyayangi harimau dan mereka kini sangat sedih."
Bayi itu adalah harimau pertama yang lahir di kebun binatang tersebut setelah 17 tahun.
Pada hari Sabtu, penjaga kebun binatang tidak melihat bayi harimau di kamera dan ia kemudian ditemukan di dasar kolam yang berada di dalam wahananya.
Otopsi yang dilakukan pada hari Minggu memastikan bahwa bayi harimau itu mati tenggelam.
Ia lahir hanya enam bulan setelah pembukaan "teritori harimau", yang dirancang untuk membantu harimau Sumatra berkembang biak.
Kelahiran bayi Melati direkam dengan kamera.
Malcolm Fitzpatrick dari Kebun Binatang London mengatakan, "Kami sangat terpukul dengan apa yang terjadi.
"Baru tiga minggu lalu kami berbahagia menyambut kelahirannya, ini sangat memilukan."
"Melati terkadang bisa sangat gugup dan kami tidak ingin membuatnya gelisah dengan mengubah lingkungannya atau rutinitasnya, kami khawatir ia mengabaikan atau menyerang bayinya.
"Saat itu kami berpikir tetap membiarkan Melati dan bayinya akses ke wahana secara normal dengan kebaikan mereka.
"Kami akan melakukan apa saja untuk mengembalikan waktu dan tidak ada orang yang lebih menyesali apa yang terjadi selain para penjaga yang mengurus mereka setiap hari.
"Para penjaga itu sangat menyayangi harimau dan mereka kini sangat sedih."
18-foot-long sea creature found off Calif. coast
Ap.org - A marine science instructor snorkeling off the Southern California coast spotted something out of a fantasy novel: the silvery carcass of an 18-foot-long, serpent-like oarfish.
Jasmine Santana of the Catalina Island Marine Institute needed more than 15 helpers to drag the giant sea creature with eyes the size of half dollars to shore Sunday.
Staffers at the institute are calling it the discovery of a lifetime.
"We've never seen a fish this big," said Mark Waddington, senior captain of the Tole Mour, CIMI's sail training ship. "The last oarfish we saw was three feet long."
Because oarfish dive more than 3,000 feet deep, sightings of the creatures are rare and they are largely unstudied, according to CIMI.
The obscure fish apparently died of natural causes. Tissue samples and video footage were sent to be studied by biologists at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Santana spotted something shimmering about 30 feet deep while snorkeling during a staff trip in Toyon Bay at Santa Catalina Island, about two dozen miles from the mainland.
"She said, 'I have to drag this thing out of here or nobody will believe me,'" Waddington said.
After she dragged the carcass by the tail for more than 75 feet, staffers waded in and helped her bring it to shore.
The carcass was on display Tuesday for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students studying at CIMI. It will be buried in the sand until it decomposes and then its skeleton will be reconstituted for display, Waddington said.
The oarfish, which can grow to more than 50 feet, is a deep-water pelagic fish — the longest bony fish in the world, according to CIMI.
They are likely responsible for sea serpent legends throughout history.
Jasmine Santana of the Catalina Island Marine Institute needed more than 15 helpers to drag the giant sea creature with eyes the size of half dollars to shore Sunday.
Staffers at the institute are calling it the discovery of a lifetime.
"We've never seen a fish this big," said Mark Waddington, senior captain of the Tole Mour, CIMI's sail training ship. "The last oarfish we saw was three feet long."
Because oarfish dive more than 3,000 feet deep, sightings of the creatures are rare and they are largely unstudied, according to CIMI.
The obscure fish apparently died of natural causes. Tissue samples and video footage were sent to be studied by biologists at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Santana spotted something shimmering about 30 feet deep while snorkeling during a staff trip in Toyon Bay at Santa Catalina Island, about two dozen miles from the mainland.
"She said, 'I have to drag this thing out of here or nobody will believe me,'" Waddington said.
After she dragged the carcass by the tail for more than 75 feet, staffers waded in and helped her bring it to shore.
The carcass was on display Tuesday for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students studying at CIMI. It will be buried in the sand until it decomposes and then its skeleton will be reconstituted for display, Waddington said.
The oarfish, which can grow to more than 50 feet, is a deep-water pelagic fish — the longest bony fish in the world, according to CIMI.
They are likely responsible for sea serpent legends throughout history.
Oct 16, 2013
Oct 15, 2013
Eating popcorn in the cinema makes people immune to advertising
Theguardian.com - Eating popcorn in the cinema may be irritating not just for fellow movie goers, but for advertisers: a group of researchers from Cologne University has concluded that chewing makes us immune to film advertising.
The reason why adverts manage to imprint brand names on our brains is that our lips and the tongue automatically simulate the pronunciation of a new name when we first hear it. Every time we re-encounter the name, our mouth subconsciously practises its pronunciation.
However, according to the study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, this "inner speech" can be disturbed by chewing, rendering the repetition effect redundant.
For their experiment, the researchers invited a group of 96 people to a cinema to watch a movie preceded by a series of adverts. Half of the participants were given free popcorn throughout the session, the other half only received a small sugar cube which immediately dissolved in their mouths.
A test at the end of the screening showed that the adverts had left no effect on those viewers who had chewed their way through popcorn throughout, while the other participants showed positive psychological responses to the products they had encountered in the ads.
"The mundane activity of eating popcorn made participants immune to the pervasive effects of advertising," said Sascha Topolinski, one of the researchers.
He goes as far as implying that his research may spell the end of the traditional popcorn machine in cinema foyers. "This finding suggests that selling candy in cinemas actually undermines advertising effects, which contradicts present marketing strategies. In the future, when promoting a novel brand, advertising clients might consider trying to prevent candy being sold before the main movie."
The reason why adverts manage to imprint brand names on our brains is that our lips and the tongue automatically simulate the pronunciation of a new name when we first hear it. Every time we re-encounter the name, our mouth subconsciously practises its pronunciation.
However, according to the study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, this "inner speech" can be disturbed by chewing, rendering the repetition effect redundant.
For their experiment, the researchers invited a group of 96 people to a cinema to watch a movie preceded by a series of adverts. Half of the participants were given free popcorn throughout the session, the other half only received a small sugar cube which immediately dissolved in their mouths.
A test at the end of the screening showed that the adverts had left no effect on those viewers who had chewed their way through popcorn throughout, while the other participants showed positive psychological responses to the products they had encountered in the ads.
"The mundane activity of eating popcorn made participants immune to the pervasive effects of advertising," said Sascha Topolinski, one of the researchers.
He goes as far as implying that his research may spell the end of the traditional popcorn machine in cinema foyers. "This finding suggests that selling candy in cinemas actually undermines advertising effects, which contradicts present marketing strategies. In the future, when promoting a novel brand, advertising clients might consider trying to prevent candy being sold before the main movie."
Oct 14, 2013
Tattooed Jesus billboard campaign is condemned as blasphemous by Bible Belt residents in city where posters went up
Dailymail.co.uk - A series of billboards showing Jesus covered in tattoos has upset many Christians living in the Texas city where the posters have been put up.
The billboards, which show Jesus with the sins of those who have come to him tattooed across his body, have been condemned as blasphemous by some West Lubbock residents.
However, the grassroots group behind the campaign say the posters were meant to spread a positive message and get people talking.
The billboards feature Jesus wearing a crown of thorns and with his arms outstretched. Across his bare chest and arms words such as 'outcast', 'addicted', 'jealous' and 'hatred' have been tattooed on his skin.
'I don't like the picture. I think it's very derogatory,' one resident told ABC News.
Another said: 'I'm thinking it's more blasphemous, negative.'
The poster directs people to the website Jesustattoo.org, where a video shows people coming to Jesus to have their sins cleansed.
During the six-minute video, a woman seen having her tattoo of 'self righteous' changed to 'humbled' and a boy on crutches having 'outcast' changed to 'accepted' are among those who visit the tattoo parlor.
The billboards, which show Jesus with the sins of those who have come to him tattooed across his body, have been condemned as blasphemous by some West Lubbock residents.
However, the grassroots group behind the campaign say the posters were meant to spread a positive message and get people talking.
The billboards feature Jesus wearing a crown of thorns and with his arms outstretched. Across his bare chest and arms words such as 'outcast', 'addicted', 'jealous' and 'hatred' have been tattooed on his skin.
'I don't like the picture. I think it's very derogatory,' one resident told ABC News.
Another said: 'I'm thinking it's more blasphemous, negative.'
The poster directs people to the website Jesustattoo.org, where a video shows people coming to Jesus to have their sins cleansed.
During the six-minute video, a woman seen having her tattoo of 'self righteous' changed to 'humbled' and a boy on crutches having 'outcast' changed to 'accepted' are among those who visit the tattoo parlor.
The video then shows the negative tattoos appearing on the body of Jesus, whose skin had been unblemished at the start of the film.
While some find the poster campaign in poor taste, the pastor of the city's Southcrest Baptist Church has praised its message.
'I thought that it was cleverly done because, basically, it's a visual of Jesus taking the sins of people and covering them and taking them from an outcast or something and giving them a new start, which is what the gospel is about,' David Wilson said.
'This is perfect because it just draws people in here,' he added.
The group behind the campaign, who have erected more than 50 billboards across Lubbock in the past nine days, say they are not trying sell anything.
Ashleigh Sawyer, the group's spokesman, said: 'The message is a simple one, Jesus's love is transformative. He loves us unconditionally and no matter what you've been marked with, faith in Him and love for others will transform us.'
While some find the poster campaign in poor taste, the pastor of the city's Southcrest Baptist Church has praised its message.
'I thought that it was cleverly done because, basically, it's a visual of Jesus taking the sins of people and covering them and taking them from an outcast or something and giving them a new start, which is what the gospel is about,' David Wilson said.
'This is perfect because it just draws people in here,' he added.
The group behind the campaign, who have erected more than 50 billboards across Lubbock in the past nine days, say they are not trying sell anything.
Ashleigh Sawyer, the group's spokesman, said: 'The message is a simple one, Jesus's love is transformative. He loves us unconditionally and no matter what you've been marked with, faith in Him and love for others will transform us.'
She told the Christian Post the group, which is not affiliated with any organization, accepted some may find the images of tattoos on Jesus to be in poor taste, but defended the reasons behind the campaign.
'We welcome the controversy because we understand that a dialogue on the issue is the best way to spread the message,' Ms Sawyer said.
The group plans to extend its billboard campaign to other regions.
'We welcome the controversy because we understand that a dialogue on the issue is the best way to spread the message,' Ms Sawyer said.
The group plans to extend its billboard campaign to other regions.
3 Apps to Keep You and Your Family Safe
Time.com - Your smartphone is an incredible wonder. Not only can you use it to talk, text, e-mail and connect with people on social networks, you can use all sorts of helpful apps that do things like tell you where to get the cheapest fuel, keep track of your money, and even turn your phone into a flashlight. In fact, the list of what your smartphone can do seems endless.
But there’s one thing you may not think about using your phone for: Keeping your family safe. In the case of these smart apps, you’ll be armed with the tools you need get help and information for yourself and loved ones.
React Mobile
If you ever worry about stalkers, kidnappers, robbers and other malefactors hurting you or your family, React Mobile can bring you peace of mind.
Ideal for runners, students or salespeople working with strangers in unfamiliar settings, the app lets
You can even broadcast your GPS coordinates to your Facebook friends or followers on Twitter, so as to get help from anyone who might be nearby. Once you send out an alert, the app asks you if you want to call 911.
Currently React Mobile is available for iOS devices. The developer says later this year it will support Android devices and will be introducing several new features, including geofencing, which alerts chosen contacts if a phone moves outside of a particular area.
Price: Free at iTunes and Google Play, although the “Follow Me” feature is available as an in-app purchase for $1.99 a month or $19.99 for a year.
Life360 Family Locator
Family Locator by Life360 uses GPS to show you on a map where your family members are located as well as where sex offenders are registered in your area.
You can identify places such as home or school and receive alerts when family members arrive or leave there. You can also send family members messages with one tap such as “running late” or “on my way.”
There’s also a Panic feature which family members can use to send a phone call, e-mail and text message that includes his or her GPS coordinates to everyone linked by the app.
But what’s especially endearing about Family Locator is not only can it locate lost or stolen smartphones, it can track and find up to five non-smartphones, as well.
Price: Free on iTunes and Google Play, although tracking non-smartphone users costs $4.99 a month.
Scanner Radio
Want the low-down on real-time criminal activity and car accidents in your neighborhood? This popular and highly rated Android app lets you listen in on police, fire, EMT and weather scanners.
You can sort by the ones closest to you, those that have the most listeners or by genre, such as those pertaining to public safety, air traffic or weather. To find out when something big is happening, you can also configure the app to notify you when a scanner near you has more than a certain amount of listeners.
The audio for Scanner Radio comes from volunteers, most of whom are streaming audio of their scanners through Broadcastify—another great way to listen to public safety scanners from all around the country using your PC.
The paid version can be configured to start or stop playing a favorite scanner when certain conditions are met.
Price: Free at Google Play, although an ad-free Pro version is $2.99
Oct 12, 2013
Could the cure for AIDS come from fungus? Russian institute thinks folk-remedy from mushrooms may be answer
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| Chaga mushroom ( Inonotus obliquus ) is a common birch and some other deciduous trees rot fungus. |
Has a cure for AIDS finally been found?
One group of Russian scientists thinks so — and they say the answer is down to a centuries-old folk remedy.
According to the Wall Street Journal's Emerging Europe blog, mushrooms found in certain parts of Siberia could hold a promising answer to the deadly AIDS virus.
Scientists at Siberia's Vector research institute said that a certain mushroom — the Chaga — could not only hold strong medicinal purposes, but fight against viruses like HIV, smallpox, and even influenza, the institute said on their website.
The institute, which was established during the Cold War, goes on to say the development is "promising."
The Changa fungi grows on birch trees in the northern stretches of Russia, and while scientists at Vector say that there are no solid tests linking the mushroom with combatting HIV, researchers say the betulinic acid in the fungus is thought to be very toxic to cancers and other viruses.
In Russian lore, many funguses have medicinal purposes, and have been used to treat any number of ailments throughout the centuries.
One group of Russian scientists thinks so — and they say the answer is down to a centuries-old folk remedy.
According to the Wall Street Journal's Emerging Europe blog, mushrooms found in certain parts of Siberia could hold a promising answer to the deadly AIDS virus.
Scientists at Siberia's Vector research institute said that a certain mushroom — the Chaga — could not only hold strong medicinal purposes, but fight against viruses like HIV, smallpox, and even influenza, the institute said on their website.
The institute, which was established during the Cold War, goes on to say the development is "promising."
The Changa fungi grows on birch trees in the northern stretches of Russia, and while scientists at Vector say that there are no solid tests linking the mushroom with combatting HIV, researchers say the betulinic acid in the fungus is thought to be very toxic to cancers and other viruses.
In Russian lore, many funguses have medicinal purposes, and have been used to treat any number of ailments throughout the centuries.
Oct 11, 2013
Mengintip Fenomena Ketindihan
Kompas.com - Tidur nyenyak dan berkualitas punya arti penting bagi kesehatan. Semua orang ingin terlelap pada malam hari supaya bisa terbangun pagi hari dalam keadaan prima. Namun, apa jadinya bila dalam tidur, tubuh seketika tidak bisa bergerak ditambah adanya suara dan penglihatan wujud yang mustahil ada? Keadaan semakin aneh karena pada saat itu seseorang berada antara sadar dan tidak.
Kejadian yang disebut ketindihan ini kerap dihubungkan dengan adanya makhluk halus atau kejadian mistis yang ada di lingkungan sekitar. Meski merupakan kejadian yang tidak asing, ketindihan yang juga disebut sleep paralysis ini tidak berhubungan sama sekali dengan hal berbau mistis.
Ketindihan semata merupakan tanggapan tubuh atas kurangnya jam tidur yang dimiliki sehingga tubuh merasa sangat lelah. "Sleep paralysis menyebabkan tubuh berada antara sadar dan tidak. Dalam keadaan ini sangat mungkin seseorang melihat atau mendengar sesuatu yang sebetulnya tidak ada," kata spesialis tidur, dr Andreas Prasadja, RPSGT, kepada Kompas Health, Rabu (10/9/2013).
Lebih lanjut, Andreas menjelaskan bahwa siklus tidur terdiri atas ringan, sedang, dalam, hingga bermimpi. Mimpi merupakan tanda tubuh memasuki siklus tidur rapid eye movement (REM) yang ditandai gerakan mata yang cepat.
Pada saat tidur REM, tubuh sudah dalam keadaan sangat rileks. Dalam keadaan ini seseorang sudah sangat sulit menggerakkan tubuh atau menarik napas dalam yang membutuhkan otot ekstra. Tubuh yang sudah sangat rileks ternyata tidak dibarengi pikiran yang belum sepenuhnya masuk ke alam mimpi. Akibatnya dalam sleep paralysis, seseorang berhalusinasi melihat atau mendengar sesuatu yang sebetulnya tidak ada.
Dalam keadaan belum sepenuhnya tertidur, tetapi tidak mampu meggerakkan tubuh atau bernapas, tentu menimbulkan kekhawatiran. Ditambah halusinasi suatu sosok atau suara, maka jadilah fenomena ketindihan yang banyak dikenal masyarakat.
"Kekurangan tidur, apalagi yang ekstrem, menyebabkan tubuh tidak bisa menyeimbangkan diri sehingga terjadi yang disebut ketindihan. Kejadian ini bisa menimpa laki-laki atau perempuan tanpa pandang usia, selama mengalami kekurangan tidur," kata Andreas.
Untuk mencegah terjadinya sleep paralysis, Andreas menyarankan untuk mencukupi jam tidur. Kecukupan jam tidur menyebabkan tubuh memiliki cukup waktu untuk istirahat dan mengganti sel yang rusak. Tidur lebih kurang 8 jam per hari juga baik untuk kemampuan konsentrasi dan ketenangan emosi saat pagi hari.
Jangan menyetir
Sleep paralysis merupakan tanda tubuh kekurangan jam tidur. Kurangnya jam istirahat menyebabkan tubuh tidak bisa berkonsentrasi atau menampilkan kinerja maksimal.
"Dalam keadaan ini, jangan pernah menyetir. Menyetir dalam keadaan ngantuk rawan terjadi kecelakaan. Lebih baik istirahat sebentar sebelum melanjutkan kerja atau menyetir," kata Andreas.
Bila sleep paralysis terus terjadi, Andreas menyarankan untuk segera berkonsultasi ke dokter terkait. Hal ini untuk menanggulangi adanya gangguan tidur yang lebih serius, semisal narcolepsy atau sleep apnea.
Kejadian yang disebut ketindihan ini kerap dihubungkan dengan adanya makhluk halus atau kejadian mistis yang ada di lingkungan sekitar. Meski merupakan kejadian yang tidak asing, ketindihan yang juga disebut sleep paralysis ini tidak berhubungan sama sekali dengan hal berbau mistis.
Ketindihan semata merupakan tanggapan tubuh atas kurangnya jam tidur yang dimiliki sehingga tubuh merasa sangat lelah. "Sleep paralysis menyebabkan tubuh berada antara sadar dan tidak. Dalam keadaan ini sangat mungkin seseorang melihat atau mendengar sesuatu yang sebetulnya tidak ada," kata spesialis tidur, dr Andreas Prasadja, RPSGT, kepada Kompas Health, Rabu (10/9/2013).
Lebih lanjut, Andreas menjelaskan bahwa siklus tidur terdiri atas ringan, sedang, dalam, hingga bermimpi. Mimpi merupakan tanda tubuh memasuki siklus tidur rapid eye movement (REM) yang ditandai gerakan mata yang cepat.
Pada saat tidur REM, tubuh sudah dalam keadaan sangat rileks. Dalam keadaan ini seseorang sudah sangat sulit menggerakkan tubuh atau menarik napas dalam yang membutuhkan otot ekstra. Tubuh yang sudah sangat rileks ternyata tidak dibarengi pikiran yang belum sepenuhnya masuk ke alam mimpi. Akibatnya dalam sleep paralysis, seseorang berhalusinasi melihat atau mendengar sesuatu yang sebetulnya tidak ada.
Dalam keadaan belum sepenuhnya tertidur, tetapi tidak mampu meggerakkan tubuh atau bernapas, tentu menimbulkan kekhawatiran. Ditambah halusinasi suatu sosok atau suara, maka jadilah fenomena ketindihan yang banyak dikenal masyarakat.
"Kekurangan tidur, apalagi yang ekstrem, menyebabkan tubuh tidak bisa menyeimbangkan diri sehingga terjadi yang disebut ketindihan. Kejadian ini bisa menimpa laki-laki atau perempuan tanpa pandang usia, selama mengalami kekurangan tidur," kata Andreas.
Untuk mencegah terjadinya sleep paralysis, Andreas menyarankan untuk mencukupi jam tidur. Kecukupan jam tidur menyebabkan tubuh memiliki cukup waktu untuk istirahat dan mengganti sel yang rusak. Tidur lebih kurang 8 jam per hari juga baik untuk kemampuan konsentrasi dan ketenangan emosi saat pagi hari.
Jangan menyetir
Sleep paralysis merupakan tanda tubuh kekurangan jam tidur. Kurangnya jam istirahat menyebabkan tubuh tidak bisa berkonsentrasi atau menampilkan kinerja maksimal.
"Dalam keadaan ini, jangan pernah menyetir. Menyetir dalam keadaan ngantuk rawan terjadi kecelakaan. Lebih baik istirahat sebentar sebelum melanjutkan kerja atau menyetir," kata Andreas.
Bila sleep paralysis terus terjadi, Andreas menyarankan untuk segera berkonsultasi ke dokter terkait. Hal ini untuk menanggulangi adanya gangguan tidur yang lebih serius, semisal narcolepsy atau sleep apnea.
Oct 10, 2013
Mom who posed for Playboy’s ‘Hot Housewives’ edition sues former boss, Charter Communications for firing her after shoot
Nydailynews.com - A Minn. mother is suing her former employer after she claims she was fired from her job — despite clearing the racy shoot with her boss ahead of time.
Jessica Zelinske, 33, from Kasson, Minn., appeared in the Sept.-Oct. 2011 issues of Playboy's "Hot Housewives" issue, wearing a cleavage-bearing top. But her boss wasn't happy with that.
According to a complaint filed at the Dodge County Courts Tuesday, Zelinske cleared the shoot with her boss, Timothy McBeain, at Charter Communications.
Zelinske then attended a casting call with the naughty magazine in Chicago in January of 2011, beating out 400 Playboy hopefuls. Three months later, she was scheduled in a photo shoot in Chicago with photographer Sherwin Samaniego.
The issue was published in July of that year, and by Sept., Zelinske alleges that McBeain fired her, citing a violation of the company' "common decency" policy.
McBeain told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Tuesday that his attorney discouraged any comment about the active litigation.
His company, Connecticut-based Charter Communications, is also named in the suit.
Attorneys for Zelinske and McBeain did not immediately respond to the Daily News' request for comment.
Jessica Zelinske, 33, from Kasson, Minn., appeared in the Sept.-Oct. 2011 issues of Playboy's "Hot Housewives" issue, wearing a cleavage-bearing top. But her boss wasn't happy with that.
According to a complaint filed at the Dodge County Courts Tuesday, Zelinske cleared the shoot with her boss, Timothy McBeain, at Charter Communications.
Zelinske then attended a casting call with the naughty magazine in Chicago in January of 2011, beating out 400 Playboy hopefuls. Three months later, she was scheduled in a photo shoot in Chicago with photographer Sherwin Samaniego.
The issue was published in July of that year, and by Sept., Zelinske alleges that McBeain fired her, citing a violation of the company' "common decency" policy.
McBeain told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Tuesday that his attorney discouraged any comment about the active litigation.
His company, Connecticut-based Charter Communications, is also named in the suit.
Attorneys for Zelinske and McBeain did not immediately respond to the Daily News' request for comment.
Ditambah Teknologi VGT, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Baru Kian Ganas
Otomotifnet.com - Setelah meluncurkan New Pajero Sport, PT Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian Motors langsung menawarkan otomotifnet.com untuk menjajalnya. Kesempatan ini tak disia-siakan, langsung memilih tipe Dakar karena penasaran dengan mesin yang sudah dilengkapi teknologi VGT (variable Geometry turbo) dengan transmisi otomatis berpenggerak 4WD.
Meski hanya sekali memutari kawasan Rancamaya Golf, Bogor, kondisi lintasan sangat mendukung untuk mengetahui performa mesin dan pengendalian. Karena, jalanan penuh kelokan dan berbukit.
Impresi pertama saat masuk kabin, desain panel instrumen dan audio baru cukup membantu secara visual di dalam kabin. Jok kulit hitam menambah kesan gagah sesuai dengan karakter dan namanya Dakar.
Suara Mesin Diesel Senyap
Sesaat mesin dinyalakan, getaran khas diesel memang masih terasa. Tapi, didalam kabin suaranya tidak terdengar. Ini menambah kenyamanan tersendiri. Ditambah lagi, redaman suspensi yang lembut kala menerjang jalan bergelombang alias polisi tidur, membuat pengemudi merasa yakin untuk melarikan mobil dengan kencang.
Tenaga Melimpah di Putaran Atas
Untuk menjawab rasa penasaran, seperti apa kehebatan mesin Pajero Sport dakar ini, Sengaja Otomotifnet.com melakukan akselerasi dimulai dari berhenti. Peran teknologi VGT begitu besar, terutama ketika berlangsung perpindahan tiap gigi, boleh dibilang hampir tak ada kosongnya. Terlebih putaran mesin mulai di atas 2.500 rpm. Hingga tak sadar, beberapa kali speedometer sudah menyentuh angka 80-100 km perjam.
Makin penasaran, otomotifnet.com pun mencoba sistem penggerak 4x4. Sambil berjalan pada kecepatan rendah, tuas transmisi 4x4 yang terletak di sebelah kanan tuas matik cukup digeser dari 2H ke 4H. Kondisi jalan rerumput dilibas tanpa ada sedikit gejala selip. Jalan menanjak cukup terjal pun diladeni. Cukup menyenangkan.
Untuk keluarga yang doyan bertualang, Pajero Sport sepertinya layak diperhitungkan. Tenaga mesjn dieselnya membuat percaya diri, leluasa diajak ke lintasan apapun dan dengan kenyamanan yang tetap terjaga.
Meski hanya sekali memutari kawasan Rancamaya Golf, Bogor, kondisi lintasan sangat mendukung untuk mengetahui performa mesin dan pengendalian. Karena, jalanan penuh kelokan dan berbukit.
Impresi pertama saat masuk kabin, desain panel instrumen dan audio baru cukup membantu secara visual di dalam kabin. Jok kulit hitam menambah kesan gagah sesuai dengan karakter dan namanya Dakar.
Suara Mesin Diesel Senyap
Sesaat mesin dinyalakan, getaran khas diesel memang masih terasa. Tapi, didalam kabin suaranya tidak terdengar. Ini menambah kenyamanan tersendiri. Ditambah lagi, redaman suspensi yang lembut kala menerjang jalan bergelombang alias polisi tidur, membuat pengemudi merasa yakin untuk melarikan mobil dengan kencang.
Tenaga Melimpah di Putaran Atas
Untuk menjawab rasa penasaran, seperti apa kehebatan mesin Pajero Sport dakar ini, Sengaja Otomotifnet.com melakukan akselerasi dimulai dari berhenti. Peran teknologi VGT begitu besar, terutama ketika berlangsung perpindahan tiap gigi, boleh dibilang hampir tak ada kosongnya. Terlebih putaran mesin mulai di atas 2.500 rpm. Hingga tak sadar, beberapa kali speedometer sudah menyentuh angka 80-100 km perjam.
Makin penasaran, otomotifnet.com pun mencoba sistem penggerak 4x4. Sambil berjalan pada kecepatan rendah, tuas transmisi 4x4 yang terletak di sebelah kanan tuas matik cukup digeser dari 2H ke 4H. Kondisi jalan rerumput dilibas tanpa ada sedikit gejala selip. Jalan menanjak cukup terjal pun diladeni. Cukup menyenangkan.
Untuk keluarga yang doyan bertualang, Pajero Sport sepertinya layak diperhitungkan. Tenaga mesjn dieselnya membuat percaya diri, leluasa diajak ke lintasan apapun dan dengan kenyamanan yang tetap terjaga.
Oct 9, 2013
‘The Act of Killing’ Skirts Censors With Online Download
Thejakartaglobe.com - Director Joshua Oppenheimer has made his acclaimed documentary “The Act of Killing,” based on Indonesia’s 1965 anti-communist purge, available as a free download in the hope that the controversial film will reach a wider domestic audience.
The documentary, previously only seen in underground screenings, can now be downloaded from theactofkilling.com. Oppenheimer stated on the home page that the crew came together to make “The Act of Killing” free for all Indonesian people.
“It’s to fight forgetting the cruelty of the 1965 genocide. From today on, ‘ Jagal’ [the Indonesian title of the film] can be downloaded freely,” the director said.
“We would like you to play it, discuss it, and spread it to your friends across the country,” he added.
Oppenheimer said that he and his crew had worked for seven years to make the movie so there would be room for discussion without fear, with the hope that it would help in the country’s fight for truth, reconciliation and justice.
The chilling documentary — about a period of Indonesian history many would prefer to forget — made waves at film festivals worldwide and has spurred interest at home. The film focuses on Anwar Congo and Adi Zulkadry, two Medan-based preman, or gangsters, who re-enact their brutal roles in the mass killings that left up to a million dead nationwide.
The self-described thugs play themselves and their victims, addressing their violent history through the lens of popular American films in the disturbing, and often surreal, documentary.
While Indonesia’s Film Censorship Board has not banned the film, “The Act of Killing” was never officially released in domestic theaters. Download
The documentary, previously only seen in underground screenings, can now be downloaded from theactofkilling.com. Oppenheimer stated on the home page that the crew came together to make “The Act of Killing” free for all Indonesian people.
“It’s to fight forgetting the cruelty of the 1965 genocide. From today on, ‘ Jagal’ [the Indonesian title of the film] can be downloaded freely,” the director said.
“We would like you to play it, discuss it, and spread it to your friends across the country,” he added.
Oppenheimer said that he and his crew had worked for seven years to make the movie so there would be room for discussion without fear, with the hope that it would help in the country’s fight for truth, reconciliation and justice.
The chilling documentary — about a period of Indonesian history many would prefer to forget — made waves at film festivals worldwide and has spurred interest at home. The film focuses on Anwar Congo and Adi Zulkadry, two Medan-based preman, or gangsters, who re-enact their brutal roles in the mass killings that left up to a million dead nationwide.
The self-described thugs play themselves and their victims, addressing their violent history through the lens of popular American films in the disturbing, and often surreal, documentary.
While Indonesia’s Film Censorship Board has not banned the film, “The Act of Killing” was never officially released in domestic theaters. Download
Nuclear fusion milestone passed at US lab
Bbc.com - Researchers at a US lab have passed a crucial milestone on the way to their ultimate goal of achieving self-sustaining nuclear fusion.
Harnessing fusion - the process that powers the Sun - could provide an unlimited and cheap source of energy.
But to be viable, fusion power plants would have to produce more energy than they consume, which has proven elusive.
Now, a breakthrough by scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) could boost hopes of scaling up fusion.
NIF, based at Livermore in California, uses 192 beams from the world's most powerful laser to heat and compress a small pellet of hydrogen fuel to the point where nuclear fusion reactions take place.
The BBC understands that during an experiment in late September, the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel - the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.
This is a step short of the lab's stated goal of "ignition", where nuclear fusion generates as much energy as the lasers supply. This is because known "inefficiencies" in different parts of the system mean not all the energy supplied through the laser is delivered to the fuel.
But the latest achievement has been described as the single most meaningful step for fusion in recent years, and demonstrates NIF is well on its way towards the coveted target of ignition and self-sustaining fusion.
For half a century, researchers have strived for controlled nuclear fusion and been disappointed. It was hoped that NIF would provide the breakthrough fusion research needed.
In 2009, NIF officials announced an aim to demonstrate nuclear fusion producing net energy by 30 September 2012. But unexpected technical problems ensured the deadline came and went; the fusion output was less than had originally been predicted by mathematical models.
Soon after, the $3.5bn facility shifted focus, cutting the amount of time spent on fusion versus nuclear weapons research - which was part of the lab's original mission.
However, the latest experiments agree well with predictions of energy output, which will provide a welcome boost to ignition research at NIF, as well as encouragement to advocates of fusion energy in general.
It is markedly different from current nuclear power, which operates through splitting atoms - fission - rather than squashing them together in fusion.
NIF, based at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is one of several projects around the world aimed at harnessing fusion. They include the multi-billion-euro ITER facility, currently under construction in Cadarache, France.
However, ITER will take a different approach to the laser-driven fusion at NIF; the Cadarache facility will use magnetic fields to contain the hot fusion fuel - a concept known as magnetic confinement.
Harnessing fusion - the process that powers the Sun - could provide an unlimited and cheap source of energy.
But to be viable, fusion power plants would have to produce more energy than they consume, which has proven elusive.
Now, a breakthrough by scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) could boost hopes of scaling up fusion.
NIF, based at Livermore in California, uses 192 beams from the world's most powerful laser to heat and compress a small pellet of hydrogen fuel to the point where nuclear fusion reactions take place.
The BBC understands that during an experiment in late September, the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel - the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.
This is a step short of the lab's stated goal of "ignition", where nuclear fusion generates as much energy as the lasers supply. This is because known "inefficiencies" in different parts of the system mean not all the energy supplied through the laser is delivered to the fuel.
But the latest achievement has been described as the single most meaningful step for fusion in recent years, and demonstrates NIF is well on its way towards the coveted target of ignition and self-sustaining fusion.
For half a century, researchers have strived for controlled nuclear fusion and been disappointed. It was hoped that NIF would provide the breakthrough fusion research needed.
In 2009, NIF officials announced an aim to demonstrate nuclear fusion producing net energy by 30 September 2012. But unexpected technical problems ensured the deadline came and went; the fusion output was less than had originally been predicted by mathematical models.
Soon after, the $3.5bn facility shifted focus, cutting the amount of time spent on fusion versus nuclear weapons research - which was part of the lab's original mission.
However, the latest experiments agree well with predictions of energy output, which will provide a welcome boost to ignition research at NIF, as well as encouragement to advocates of fusion energy in general.
It is markedly different from current nuclear power, which operates through splitting atoms - fission - rather than squashing them together in fusion.
NIF, based at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is one of several projects around the world aimed at harnessing fusion. They include the multi-billion-euro ITER facility, currently under construction in Cadarache, France.
However, ITER will take a different approach to the laser-driven fusion at NIF; the Cadarache facility will use magnetic fields to contain the hot fusion fuel - a concept known as magnetic confinement.
Oct 8, 2013
Meet The Army’s Tricked-Out, Super-Fast Stealth Copters of 2030
Foreignpolicy.com - In the not-so-distant future, U.S. special operators, like those who used scuba gear and SUVs to go after terrorists this weekend, may be carried into combat by quiet, ultra-fast helicopters that bear only a passing resemblance to today's models.
The Army is trying to revolutionize a chopper fleet that hasn't changed all that much in the last 30 years. Four companies are trotting out designs to make it happen. One proposed aircraft looks like a minivan with rotors; another, like a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor on steroids. There's also sleek, stealthy-looking chopper. And the last resembles an awkward cross between a UH-60 Black Hawk and a V-22.
The Army last week signed "technology investment agreements" with the four firms -- a Bell-Lockheed Martin team, a Boeing-Sikorsky team, Karem Aircraft and AVX aviation -- to develop prototypes that will compete to be the basis for the ground service's light and medium-sized helicopters of the 21st Century.
For years, Army aviation leaders have been lamenting the fact that the service has not purchased a brand new helicopter design since the introduction of the AH-64 Apache in the 1980s. Besides the V-22 -- the aircraft that flies like an airplane but takes off and lands like a helicopter by pivoting its giant engines skyward -- almost all of the choppers used by the U.S. military today are based on designs from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Service officials will tell you that this has led to a sort of stagnation in the state of military helicopter technology, especially when compared to the giant leaps ahead in technology the Air Force and Navy have seen with the advent of revolutionary stealth jets and drones.
To remedy this, the service has kicked off a long-term project called Joint Multirole (JMR) aimed at developing a radically new crop of choppers all based on a similar design that do everything from hunt bad guys to haul troops and cargo. The new choppers must be able to fly at least 265 miles per hour -- double the top speed of your average helicopter. They also have to be able to hover at altitudes of up to 6,000-feet in 95 degree temperature; a difficult feat for many helicopters. The choppers must also be quieter than today's helicopters. All four companies have nine months to flesh out their designs, after which, the Army will select two to be built and flying by 2018. The Army wants the new aircraft in service by 2030 or so.
Here's a look at each of the designs.
Karem's proposal, the TR36TD Optimum Speed Tiltrotor (OSTR), strongly resembles a beefed up V-22. Karem claims the OSTR will be able to fly at speeds of up to 414 miles-per-hour and climb and hover higher and fly longer than other rotorcraft. (Karem was founded by Abe Karem, the man who designed the MQ-1 Predator drone.) For now, these are just claims since Karem doesn't have a single aircraft built.
Then there's the startup company AVX Aircraft. They are offering a helicopter (also shown at the top of the article) with a fuselage shaped like a minivan powered by a stack of two main rotors on top and two fan-like propellers in the back of the chopper designed to push it to speed the Army needs, all this for a "very attractive price." While the three year old company is staffed by a number of chopper industry veterans, AVX, like Karem, has yet to build an aircraft.
Next up is the Bell Helicopter-Lockheed Martin team's proposed V-280 Valor tiltrotor. While both of these companies have a ton of experience building aircraft -- Bell actually builds with wing and engines for the V-22 -- they don't have a prototype of the Valor. The "3rd Generation Tiltrotor" will apparently "deliver twice the speed and range, with enhanced safety margins and hover performance at altitude," according to Bell's marketing material for the awkward-looking craft.
Finally, there's the Sikorsky Boeing team that's competing with a design based on its experimental X-2, which is the world's fastest helicopter, flying at speeds up to 290 miles per hour. Sikorsky's concept calls for a sleek craft with two rotors sitting on top of the fuselage and one large propellor at the tail that will push the chopper along. It's unclear whether the aircraft will include technology found on the stealth versions of Sikorsky's MH-60 Black Hawks used by the U.S. Army.
It's important to note that Sikorsky is the only company that has a prototype flying. The rest of these crazy designs haven't left the engineers' computers. This may give the Connecticut-based company a leg up in the contest.
The Army has set out a pretty ambitious timeline for buying a revolutionary class of new choppers given the fact that it took nearly 30 years, 36 lives, and billions more dollars than expected to get the Pentagon's last brand new rotorcraft design, the V-22, into service. With budgets tightening, it may be incredibly difficult for the ground service to find the cash to justify building a brand new class of chopper, especially when it's been successfully using upgraded versions of old models for decades.
It's important to note that Sikorsky is the only company that has a prototype flying. The rest of these crazy designs haven't left the engineers' computers. This may give the Connecticut-based company a leg up in the contest.
The Army has set out a pretty ambitious timeline for buying a revolutionary class of new choppers given the fact that it took nearly 30 years, 36 lives, and billions more dollars than expected to get the Pentagon's last brand new rotorcraft design, the V-22, into service. With budgets tightening, it may be incredibly difficult for the ground service to find the cash to justify building a brand new class of chopper, especially when it's been successfully using upgraded versions of old models for decades.
Bau Mulut Membandel, Atasi dengan 5 Jurus Ini
Kompas.com - Bau mulut tidak hanya menimbulkan ketidaknyamanan. Aroma tidak sedap dari mulut yang disebut halitosis ini juga menimbulkan kesan buruk bagi siapapun yang berinteraksi dengan penderitanya.
Umumnya, bau mulut disebabkan oleh gas yang diproduksi oleh bakteri. Gas ini terkumpul dalam rongga mulut di dalam gusi, gigi, atau lidah. Menurut otolaryngologist, Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel dari Boston Amerika Serikat, kebanyakan gas dalam mulut ini mengandung sulfur sehingga memberi aroma tidak enak.
Cara sederhana mengatasi gangguan ini adalah dengan rutin melakukan sikat gigi dan penggunaan benang gigi. Pembersih lidah juga dapat membantu bakteri yang berkumpul di belakang lidah.
Namun bila cara tersebut tidak mempan, ada lima jurus ampuh lainnya menghilangkan bau mulut :
1. Kunjungi dokter gigi
Menurut dokter gigi, Chetan Kaher dari London, pemeriksaan gigi bisa menjadi cara jitu menghilangkan bau nafas. Hal ini dikarenakan beberapa tipe bakteri terdapat di gigi dan bisa menciptakan plak. Plak ini, kata Kaher, harus dihilangkan tenaga profesional.
Selain menciptakan bau tak sedap, plak bisa mengakibatkan gigi berlubang. Halitosis bisa diakibatkan lubang atau gigi yang sudah membusuk. Sehingga, menurut Spiegel, kunjungan ke dokter gigi penting untuk menghilangkan bau nafas tak sedap.
2. Periksa hidung
Penyebab lain aroma nafas tidak sedap adalah munculnya bau dari dalam hidung. Hal ini bisa dikarenakan infeksi sinus atau adanya bakteri di dalam hidung.
Menurut Spiegel, penggunaan tetes hidung bergaram (saline nasal wash) bisa mengatasi persoalan ini. Namun jika maslah terus berlanjut, tak ada salahnya segera memeriksakan diri ke dokter THT.
3. Batu amandel
Amandel merupakan gumpalan jaringan getah bening yang ada di belakang tenggorokan. Jaringan ini tidak halus dan bulat layaknya bola. "Bentuknya seperti semak penuh rongga, sehingga bakteri bisa berakumulasi," kata Kaher.
Bila jumlah bakteri dan mikroba lainnya menumpuk bisa terbentuk batu amandel (tonsilloliths). Kaher dan Spiegel berpendapat, batu ini cukup bau dan berkontribusi pada timbulnya halitosis.
Batu amandel bisa diambil dengan menggunakan sejenis alat yang disebut Waterpik. Alat ini bekerja dengan menyemprotkan air bertekanan tinggi ke amandel. Namun jika tonsil sudah cukup besar dan terus berakumulasi, maka batu perlu dihilangkan dengan operasi.
"Terkadang kita harus menghilangkan amandel karena nafasnya yang sudah sangat bau," kata Spiegel.
4. Perbaiki pola makan
Makanan seperti bawang bombay dan bawang putih bisa menyebabkan bau nafas. Namun bau yang muncul tidak hanya karena sisa makanan yang tertinggal di mulut. Pada bawang putih misalnya, zat kimia dari makanan dibawa darah ke dalam sel dan dihembuskan melalui paru-paru. Hembusan ini menimbulkan aroma yang kurang sedap.
Alhasil masalah bau nafas yang muncul ini bukan berasal mulut. Pada kasus ini, kata Spiegel, tidak ada yang bisa dilakukan. Penderita harus menutupinya dengan pencuci mulut atau perment mint, dan menghindari makanan tertentu.
5. Periksa perut, kunjungi dokter
Bila bau mulut tak kunjung hilang, Spiegel menyarankan, segera mengunjungi dokter. Pada beberapa kasus, masalah dalam perut dapat menyebabkan bau mulut.
Aroma tak sedap bisa muncul karena produksi asam berlebihan yang disebut asam refluks. Kondisi ini bisa terjadi bila asam dan isi perut lainnya meluap dan naik menuju esofagus. Keadaan ini, ujar Spiegel, bisa diperbaiki dengan antasida dan pengobatan lainnya.
Umumnya, bau mulut disebabkan oleh gas yang diproduksi oleh bakteri. Gas ini terkumpul dalam rongga mulut di dalam gusi, gigi, atau lidah. Menurut otolaryngologist, Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel dari Boston Amerika Serikat, kebanyakan gas dalam mulut ini mengandung sulfur sehingga memberi aroma tidak enak.
Cara sederhana mengatasi gangguan ini adalah dengan rutin melakukan sikat gigi dan penggunaan benang gigi. Pembersih lidah juga dapat membantu bakteri yang berkumpul di belakang lidah.
Namun bila cara tersebut tidak mempan, ada lima jurus ampuh lainnya menghilangkan bau mulut :
1. Kunjungi dokter gigi
Menurut dokter gigi, Chetan Kaher dari London, pemeriksaan gigi bisa menjadi cara jitu menghilangkan bau nafas. Hal ini dikarenakan beberapa tipe bakteri terdapat di gigi dan bisa menciptakan plak. Plak ini, kata Kaher, harus dihilangkan tenaga profesional.
Selain menciptakan bau tak sedap, plak bisa mengakibatkan gigi berlubang. Halitosis bisa diakibatkan lubang atau gigi yang sudah membusuk. Sehingga, menurut Spiegel, kunjungan ke dokter gigi penting untuk menghilangkan bau nafas tak sedap.
2. Periksa hidung
Penyebab lain aroma nafas tidak sedap adalah munculnya bau dari dalam hidung. Hal ini bisa dikarenakan infeksi sinus atau adanya bakteri di dalam hidung.
Menurut Spiegel, penggunaan tetes hidung bergaram (saline nasal wash) bisa mengatasi persoalan ini. Namun jika maslah terus berlanjut, tak ada salahnya segera memeriksakan diri ke dokter THT.
3. Batu amandel
Amandel merupakan gumpalan jaringan getah bening yang ada di belakang tenggorokan. Jaringan ini tidak halus dan bulat layaknya bola. "Bentuknya seperti semak penuh rongga, sehingga bakteri bisa berakumulasi," kata Kaher.
Bila jumlah bakteri dan mikroba lainnya menumpuk bisa terbentuk batu amandel (tonsilloliths). Kaher dan Spiegel berpendapat, batu ini cukup bau dan berkontribusi pada timbulnya halitosis.
Batu amandel bisa diambil dengan menggunakan sejenis alat yang disebut Waterpik. Alat ini bekerja dengan menyemprotkan air bertekanan tinggi ke amandel. Namun jika tonsil sudah cukup besar dan terus berakumulasi, maka batu perlu dihilangkan dengan operasi.
"Terkadang kita harus menghilangkan amandel karena nafasnya yang sudah sangat bau," kata Spiegel.
4. Perbaiki pola makan
Makanan seperti bawang bombay dan bawang putih bisa menyebabkan bau nafas. Namun bau yang muncul tidak hanya karena sisa makanan yang tertinggal di mulut. Pada bawang putih misalnya, zat kimia dari makanan dibawa darah ke dalam sel dan dihembuskan melalui paru-paru. Hembusan ini menimbulkan aroma yang kurang sedap.
Alhasil masalah bau nafas yang muncul ini bukan berasal mulut. Pada kasus ini, kata Spiegel, tidak ada yang bisa dilakukan. Penderita harus menutupinya dengan pencuci mulut atau perment mint, dan menghindari makanan tertentu.
5. Periksa perut, kunjungi dokter
Bila bau mulut tak kunjung hilang, Spiegel menyarankan, segera mengunjungi dokter. Pada beberapa kasus, masalah dalam perut dapat menyebabkan bau mulut.
Aroma tak sedap bisa muncul karena produksi asam berlebihan yang disebut asam refluks. Kondisi ini bisa terjadi bila asam dan isi perut lainnya meluap dan naik menuju esofagus. Keadaan ini, ujar Spiegel, bisa diperbaiki dengan antasida dan pengobatan lainnya.
Russia to monitor 'all communications' at Winter Olympics in Sochi
Theguardian.com - Exclusive: Investigation uncovers FSB surveillance system – branded 'Prism on steroids' – to listen to all athletes and visitors.
Athletes and spectators attending the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February will face some of the most invasive and systematic spying and surveillance in the history of the Games, documents shared with the Guardian show.
Russia's powerful FSB security service plans to ensure that no communication by competitors or spectators goes unmonitored during the event, according to a dossier compiled by a team of Russian investigative journalists looking into preparations for the 2014 Games.
In a ceremony on Red Square on Sunday afternoon, the president, Vladimir Putin, held the Olympic flame aloft and sent it on its epic journey around the country, saying Russia and its people had always been imbued with the qualities of "openness and friendship", making Sochi the perfect destination for the Olympics.
But government procurement documents and tenders from Russian communication companies indicate that newly installed telephone and internet spying capabilities will give the FSB free rein to intercept any telephony or data traffic and even track the use of sensitive words or phrases mentioned in emails, webchats and on social media.
The journalists, Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, who are experts on the Russian security services, collated dozens of open source technical documents published on the Zakupki government procurement agency website, as well as public records of government oversight agencies. They found that major amendments have been made to telephone and Wi-Fi networks in the Black Sea resort to ensure extensive and all-permeating monitoring and filtering of all traffic, using Sorm, Russia's system for intercepting phone and internet communications.
The Sorm system is being modernised across Russia, but particular attention has been paid to Sochi given the large number of foreign visitors expected next year. Technical specifications set out by the Russian state telecoms agency also show that a controversial technology known as deep packet inspection, which allows intelligence agencies to filter users by particular keywords, is being installed across Russia's networks, and is required to be compatible with the Sorm system.
"For example you can use the keyword Navalny, and work out which people in a particular region are using the word Navalny," says Soldatov, referring to Alexei Navalny, Russia's best-known opposition politician. "Then, those people can be tracked further."
Ron Deibert, a professor at the University of Toronto and director of Citizen Lab, which co-operated with the Sochi research, describes the Sorm amendments as "Prism on steroids", referring to the programme used by the NSA in the US and revealed to the Guardian by the whistleblower Edward Snowden. "The scope and scale of Russian surveillance are similar to the disclosures about the US programme but there are subtle differences to the regulations," says Deibert. "We know from Snowden's disclosures that many of the checks were weak or sidestepped in the US, but in the Russian system permanent access for Sorm is a requirement of building the infrastructure."
"Even as recently as the Beijing Olympics, the sophistication of surveillance and tracking capabilities were nowhere near where they are today."
Gus Hosein, executive director of Privacy International, which also co-operated with the research, said: "Since 2008, more people are travelling with smartphones with far more data than back then, so there is more to spy on."
Wary of Sorm's capabilities, earlier this year a leaflet from the US state department's bureau of diplomatic security warned anyone travelling to the Games to be extremely cautious with communications.
"Business travellers should be particularly aware that trade secrets, negotiating positions, and other sensitive information may be taken and shared with competitors, counterparts, and/or Russian regulatory and legal entities," the document reads. The advice contains an extraordinary list of precautions for visitors who wish to ensure safe communications, such as removing batteries from phones when not in use and only travelling with "clean" devices.
Soldatov and Borogan have discovered that the FSB has been working since 2010 to upgrade the Sorm system to ensure it can cope with the extra traffic during the Games. All telephone and ISP providers have to install Sorm boxes in their technology by law, and once installed, the FSB can access data without the provider ever knowing, meaning every phone call or internet communication can be logged. Although the FSB technically requires a warrant to intercept a communication, it is not obliged to show it to anyone.
Tellingly, the FSB has appointed one of its top counterintelligence chiefs, Oleg Syromolotov, to be in charge at Sochi: security will thus be overseen by someone who has spent his career chasing foreign spies rather than terrorists.
Another target may well be gay rights, likely to be one of the biggest issues of the Games. Putin has said that competitors who wear rainbow pins, for example, will not be arrested under the country's controversial new law that bans "homosexual propaganda". However, it is likely that any attempts to stage any kind of rally or gathering to support gay rights will be ruthlessly broken up by police, as has been the case on numerous occasions in Russian cities in the past. Using DPI, Russian authorities will be able to identify, tag and follow all visitors to the Olympics, both Russian and foreign, who are discussing gay issues, and possibly planning to organise protests.
"Athletes may have particular political views, or they may be openly gay," says Deibert. "I think given recent developments in Russia, we have to be worried about these issues."
At a rare FSB press conference this week, an official, Alexei Lavrishchev, denied security and surveillance at the Games would be excessive, and said that the London Olympics featured far more intrusive measures. "There, they even put CCTV cameras in, excuse me for saying it, the toilets," said Lavrishchev. "We are not taking this kind of measure."
The FSB did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian, while a spokesperson for the Sochi Olympics referred all requests to the security services. But Russian authorities often express a belief that NGOs working on human rights and other issues have subversive agendas dictated from abroad, and the FSB apparently feels that with so many potentially dangerous foreigners descending on the Black Sea resort for the Olympics, it has a duty to keep an eye on them.
In the end, the goal is overarching, but simple, says Soldatov: "Russian authorities want to make sure that every connection and every move made online in Sochi during the Olympics will be absolutely transparent to the secret services of the country."
Athletes and spectators attending the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February will face some of the most invasive and systematic spying and surveillance in the history of the Games, documents shared with the Guardian show.
Russia's powerful FSB security service plans to ensure that no communication by competitors or spectators goes unmonitored during the event, according to a dossier compiled by a team of Russian investigative journalists looking into preparations for the 2014 Games.
In a ceremony on Red Square on Sunday afternoon, the president, Vladimir Putin, held the Olympic flame aloft and sent it on its epic journey around the country, saying Russia and its people had always been imbued with the qualities of "openness and friendship", making Sochi the perfect destination for the Olympics.
But government procurement documents and tenders from Russian communication companies indicate that newly installed telephone and internet spying capabilities will give the FSB free rein to intercept any telephony or data traffic and even track the use of sensitive words or phrases mentioned in emails, webchats and on social media.
The journalists, Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, who are experts on the Russian security services, collated dozens of open source technical documents published on the Zakupki government procurement agency website, as well as public records of government oversight agencies. They found that major amendments have been made to telephone and Wi-Fi networks in the Black Sea resort to ensure extensive and all-permeating monitoring and filtering of all traffic, using Sorm, Russia's system for intercepting phone and internet communications.
The Sorm system is being modernised across Russia, but particular attention has been paid to Sochi given the large number of foreign visitors expected next year. Technical specifications set out by the Russian state telecoms agency also show that a controversial technology known as deep packet inspection, which allows intelligence agencies to filter users by particular keywords, is being installed across Russia's networks, and is required to be compatible with the Sorm system.
"For example you can use the keyword Navalny, and work out which people in a particular region are using the word Navalny," says Soldatov, referring to Alexei Navalny, Russia's best-known opposition politician. "Then, those people can be tracked further."
Ron Deibert, a professor at the University of Toronto and director of Citizen Lab, which co-operated with the Sochi research, describes the Sorm amendments as "Prism on steroids", referring to the programme used by the NSA in the US and revealed to the Guardian by the whistleblower Edward Snowden. "The scope and scale of Russian surveillance are similar to the disclosures about the US programme but there are subtle differences to the regulations," says Deibert. "We know from Snowden's disclosures that many of the checks were weak or sidestepped in the US, but in the Russian system permanent access for Sorm is a requirement of building the infrastructure."
"Even as recently as the Beijing Olympics, the sophistication of surveillance and tracking capabilities were nowhere near where they are today."
Gus Hosein, executive director of Privacy International, which also co-operated with the research, said: "Since 2008, more people are travelling with smartphones with far more data than back then, so there is more to spy on."
Wary of Sorm's capabilities, earlier this year a leaflet from the US state department's bureau of diplomatic security warned anyone travelling to the Games to be extremely cautious with communications.
"Business travellers should be particularly aware that trade secrets, negotiating positions, and other sensitive information may be taken and shared with competitors, counterparts, and/or Russian regulatory and legal entities," the document reads. The advice contains an extraordinary list of precautions for visitors who wish to ensure safe communications, such as removing batteries from phones when not in use and only travelling with "clean" devices.
Soldatov and Borogan have discovered that the FSB has been working since 2010 to upgrade the Sorm system to ensure it can cope with the extra traffic during the Games. All telephone and ISP providers have to install Sorm boxes in their technology by law, and once installed, the FSB can access data without the provider ever knowing, meaning every phone call or internet communication can be logged. Although the FSB technically requires a warrant to intercept a communication, it is not obliged to show it to anyone.
Tellingly, the FSB has appointed one of its top counterintelligence chiefs, Oleg Syromolotov, to be in charge at Sochi: security will thus be overseen by someone who has spent his career chasing foreign spies rather than terrorists.
Another target may well be gay rights, likely to be one of the biggest issues of the Games. Putin has said that competitors who wear rainbow pins, for example, will not be arrested under the country's controversial new law that bans "homosexual propaganda". However, it is likely that any attempts to stage any kind of rally or gathering to support gay rights will be ruthlessly broken up by police, as has been the case on numerous occasions in Russian cities in the past. Using DPI, Russian authorities will be able to identify, tag and follow all visitors to the Olympics, both Russian and foreign, who are discussing gay issues, and possibly planning to organise protests.
"Athletes may have particular political views, or they may be openly gay," says Deibert. "I think given recent developments in Russia, we have to be worried about these issues."
At a rare FSB press conference this week, an official, Alexei Lavrishchev, denied security and surveillance at the Games would be excessive, and said that the London Olympics featured far more intrusive measures. "There, they even put CCTV cameras in, excuse me for saying it, the toilets," said Lavrishchev. "We are not taking this kind of measure."
The FSB did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian, while a spokesperson for the Sochi Olympics referred all requests to the security services. But Russian authorities often express a belief that NGOs working on human rights and other issues have subversive agendas dictated from abroad, and the FSB apparently feels that with so many potentially dangerous foreigners descending on the Black Sea resort for the Olympics, it has a duty to keep an eye on them.
In the end, the goal is overarching, but simple, says Soldatov: "Russian authorities want to make sure that every connection and every move made online in Sochi during the Olympics will be absolutely transparent to the secret services of the country."
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