Archive » 2010 » July

Gizmos:

Apple Gets in the Battery Game

By Ryan Deal posted July 30, 2010, 10:21 am | 11

Apple’s got a new product, again, but this time it’s not a computer, digital music device, or tablet, it’s… a battery charger. Yup, Apple just got into the battery game. Their new battery charger comes with 6 AA nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries.

Apple has also brought these products to market with the environment in mind. The new battery charger not only keeps you from buying and throwing away tons of toxin spewing batteries, but it also cuts off power after the batteries come to a full charge. Clever.

The charger comes with a removable AC plug so you can swap it out for other types of plugs if necessary. You can also use any AA NiMH rechargeable battery, not just the ones that come from Apple. You may never buy another battery again, or at least for the next decade, as Apple says their batteries last for 10 years and for hundreds of charges.

Space:

Brown Dwarf Found Orbiting Young Sun-like Star

By Alan Tilghman posted July 29, 2010, 4:48 pm | 0

A new discovery sheds light on the early stages of solar system formation as astronomers image a young brown dwarf in a close orbit with a nearby sun-like star. A team of astronomers and graduate students made the rare discovery using the NICI (Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager) and the 8-meter Gemini-South Telescope in Chile.

The distance between the sun-like star and its brown dwarf companion is what makes this discovery exciting. The 36 Jupiter-mass brown dwarf (PZ Tel B) and the sun-like star (PZ Tel A) are only 18 AUs (Astronomical Units) apart, similar to the distance between our sun and the planet Uranus.

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Clean:

Top 15 Industries Domainers Should Pay Attention To

By Mark Fulton posted July 29, 2010, 3:00 pm | 0

The only way to spread word of the value of a good domain name is to reach out to the public. There are many industries, businesses and individuals buying domain names daily, yet they are widely ignored by the domaining community.

I would like to propose 15 industries that we should pay more attention to as far as researching and learning from the experts. These industries also represent a good opportunity to market domain names to web professionals.

Design – Many domain companies, blogs and services are obviously falling behind on web design trends. We need to adopt innovative design trends that will reflect a positive image of our industry. In my post Right Brain Domaining, I explain why this will be increasingly important.
SEO – This is probably the industry that we actually do pay attention to quite a bit. In actuality, SEO professionals should probably look to us as a resource. Google is always changing things and introducing new opportunities you don’t want to miss. Start at Search Engine Journal.
Sales – Domainers are almost always heavily focused on making sales. Why do we not go and learn from expert salesmen?
Marketing – Along with sales, we need to learn to market effectively and use additional resources and tools. Start at eMarketer.
Branding – One of the core concepts of owning a domain name is that it doubles as a powerful brand.
Startups – Every startup needs a domain and every domain is an opportunity for a business. Start at Hacker News.
Blogging - There are hundreds of thousands of blogs that do NOT have a domain. I’d say that’s quite an opportunity.
Web Development – Like SEO, we try to keep up with the latest in web development, but like Design we are lagging behind. We need to adopt technologies like HTML5, jQuery and CSS advancements to stay ahead of the curve.
Usability – This is an industry that I feel is vitally important. Visitors are extremely fickle in terms of load times, navigating, reading and engaging with website content. Start at UXBooth.
Technology – Often the most popular news has to do with the latest electronics and technologies. Keeping up to date provides a great opportunity to be an early adopter and potentially purchase valuable domains. Start at TechCrunch.
Social Media – An explosion of social growth in recent years should be evidence enough that we should embrace social media with open arms. There has been enough reports about the benefits, we just need to take action. Start at Social Media Examiner.
Small Business – Brick and mortar businesses are fast learning that a web presence can be extremely valuable. We should reach out to these small businesses and explain how keyword domains can benefit them. Start at Inc. Magazine.
E-Commerce – The amount of products and services we buy online is increasing rapidly. The processes that make this happen are improving and there is a lot to be learned. It’s also good to keep watch on top selling products. Start here at Smashing Mag.
Web Hosting – There are two things a business needs to work online; a domain name and web hosting. The industries are closely tied together, but often distant. I feel like domainers are missing an additional opportunity to profit here. Start at The WHIR.
Translation – The next era of the web will be a global one, those who learn new languages and adopt translation technologies (be it automated or crowd-sourced) will thrive.

Take some time each day to discover something new. You may be surprised at how important some of these industries are to your business.

What other industries should we learn more about? Please share your thoughts and favorite resources in the comments area.

Top 15 Industries Domainers Should Pay Attention To

General:

Researchers Have Created Room-Temperature Ice

By Ryan Deal posted July 29, 2010, 1:22 pm | 1

Earth’s climate is strongly influenced by the presence of particles of different shapes and origins — in the form of dust, ice and pollutants — that find their way into the lowest portion of the atmosphere, the troposphere. There, water adsorbed on the surface of these particles can freeze at higher temperatures than pure water droplets, triggering rain and snow.

Researchers at Spain’s Centre d’Investigació en Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (CIN2) have studied the underlying mechanisms of water condensation in the troposphere and found a way to make artificial materials to control water condensation and trigger ice formation at room temperature. Described in the Journal of Chemical Physics, which is published by the American Institute of Physics, their work may lead to new additives for snowmaking, improved freezer systems, or new coatings that help grow ice for skating rinks.

“Several decades ago, scientists predicted that materials with crystal faces exhibiting a structure similar to that of hexagonal ice, the form of all natural snow and ice on Earth, would be an ideal agent to induce freezing and trigger rain,” explains Dr. Albert Verdaguer. “This explanation has since proven to be insufficient.”

The research team chose to study barium fluoride (BaF2), a naturally occurring mineral, also known as “Frankdicksonite,” as an option. They examined water adsorption on BaF2 (111) surfaces under ambient conditions using different scanning force microscopy modes and optical microscopy to zoom in on the role atomic steps play in the structure of water films, which can affect the stabilization of water bilayers and, ultimately, condensation.

Energy:

Empire State Building to Get a Green Makeover

By Ryan Deal posted July 29, 2010, 10:45 am | 0

The owners of the Empire State Building in New York have revealed their plans to give the iconic structure many energy efficiency improvements, turning it into an official green building.

The owners, Malkin Holdings, have already invested $13 million this year into the building hoping to bring more attention to the landmark. According to the Guardian, the makeover will cut roughly 40% of all energy use which will also but about $4 million back in their pockets each year. In order to do this, they’ll be refitting the windows and using a furniture repositioning method to minimize energy use.

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Entertainment:

Extreme Slow-Mo Video of Things Getting Destroyed

By Ryan Deal posted July 28, 2010, 9:09 am | 0

We spend so much time, money, and effort that once in a while we like to see things getting destroyed. It’s safe. We can watch things from a distance get pulverized. Add to that the exceedingly popular stuff-in-slow-motion trend and you’ve got one pretty spectacular video of stuff getting destroyed in slow-mo. The following video was shot by Philip Heron and James Adair on a Photron SA1.1 high speed camera.

The video aired on Freeview on Wednesday the 19th of May 2010 for Rave Live. Makes you wanna go out and get a high speed camera and break stuff, though we recommend you consult a professional before you… blah blah! Hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Life:

Over 5 Megawatts of Solar Power Installed in Northeast

By Kurt Black posted July 27, 2010, 11:46 am | 0

Sun Electric announced today that with the recent completion of two Stop & Shop solar systems totaling more than 426 kilowatts in Franklin Park and Somerset, NJ, Sun Electric has reached the significant milestone of the installation of total of more than five megawatts of residential and commercial solar panel systems. As one of the Northeast’s fastest-growing integrators of solar photovoltaic systems, over the last 5 years the Sun Electric team has overseen and participated in the design, development, installation or implementation of over $30 million in successful solar and clean energy projects, more than 150 commercial & residential clean energy projects in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

“We are growing as a result of the desire of people and businesses to seek more sustainable and cost-effective energy consumption,” said Sun Electric President Steven Guzda. “Our team of engineers, project managers, sales consultants and technicians facilitate every aspect of our customers’ transition to clean energy sources and energy efficiency systems.”