30/03/2012 by David Slade.

New Asbestos Regulations Come into Force  

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 ^[1] will come into force on 6 April 2012, updating previous asbestos regulations to take account of the European Commission’s view that the UK had not fully implemented the EU Directive on exposure to asbestos (Directive 2009/148/EC). 

In practice, the changes are fairly limited and mean that some types of non-licensed work with asbestos now have additional requirements, i.e. notification of work, medical surveillance and record keeping. All other requirements remain unchanged, e.g. relating to licensed work with asbestos, duty to manage, risk assessment, the asbestos control limit, control measures and training requirements. 

Further information will be available from 6 April on HSE’s Asbestos website - http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/index.htm

Posted in H&S, Asbestos | No Comments »

10/11/2011 by David Slade.

Cooling is one of the most pressing concerns for data center managers currently, as the equipment required to cool a data center consumes power, and thus impacts on both operational (CAPEX) costs and (OPEX) efficiencies. Usually sites of this nature would have chillers in place to act as backup cooling for warm days.

For internet backbone providers and international data centre operators with cloud storage technology can now consider shifting computing workloads from data center to data centre, where this will result in “follow the moon” energy management strategies, whereby organisations take advantage of lower power and cooling costs by only using data centers at night time, rather than during the day.

When the weather get hots, they will effectively switch off equipment at the ‘hot’ center and instead transfer computing workloads to other data centers, relying totally on fresh air cooling. But the free air cooling concept within a data center does have its design weakness. Most regional only data centre businesses would not be prepared to accept the inherent risks in this approach, as this becomes a N+1 resilience issue of available data centres that are within the various time zones following the moon. N+1 redundancy is a form of resilience that ensures system availability in the event of component failure. Components (N) have at least one independent backup component (+1).

Posted in data centres, Data Centers, Data Centre Design | No Comments »

21/06/2011 by David Slade.

It’s been confirmed that Microsoft’s next-gen OS will behave much like a browser, with Windows 8 incorporating an app-friendly interface. The OS’ new programming foundation will let developers build native apps with the same techniques they use for Web applications, and that has sparked some heated comment discussion.

Posted in Windows 8, Microsoft | No Comments »

21/06/2011 by David Slade.

Google also gave us a browser bump this past week, as Google pushed Chrome 14 to Google’s dev channel stage. It comes with improved secure HTTP support thanks to an updated V8 JavaScript engine, and tightened security when installing Web apps from the Chrome Web Store.

Posted in Chrome, Google | No Comments »

21/06/2011 by David Slade.

Don’t get too comfortable with Firefox 4, because Mozilla recently upgraded its eventual successor, Firefox 5, from beta to “release candidate” status. Memory management, JavaScript rendering, canvas, and networking performance have all been enhanced, and background tabs will load faster.

Posted in Firefox, Mozilla | No Comments »

13/01/2011 by David Slade.

Samsung will join IBM and other companies that are investing in research and development of semiconductor technology for mobile devices and other electronics. Samsung, which has an existing partnership with IBM, has “been a little bit behind in the past in the logic side” of the business, noted Ana Hunter, a Samsung vice president. The Wall Street Journal/Digits blog (1/12) , eWeek.com

Posted in Samsung, IBM | No Comments »

04/01/2011 by David Slade.

Consumers want more from ecommerce

by Kristina Knight

In a year that saw more consumers than ever head online to purchase gifts, gift cards and other products, etailers may be surprised to find that not all consumers are happy. And that means not all etailers can be happy, either. According to ForeSee Results’ new E-Retail Satisfaction Index online hubs such as Amazon, QVC and LLBean are doing a good job at making consumers happy.

These hubs scored 82 on a scale of 100 or more with many other online retailers averaging at least a 78 on the scale. This is good, but is also a decrease from 2009 levels when the average scores were 1% higher. Still, consumers turned out in droves to shop online in 2010.

This can be seen in the number of consumers who shopping online in 2010. The 2010 holiday season ended with large increases for online retailers across the board. Nearly $31 billion was spent online and three new highest-ever spending days were brought on record - including one day with consumers spent more than $1 billion online. Still, the holidays weren’t enough to make all consumers or etailers happy.

Why?

Pricing is leading the way in the dissatisfaction category according to the report. According to the report consumers are increasingly aware of the dynamic pricing trend - and they don’t like it. Dynamic pricing is the practice of retailers In monitoring consumers’ online purchases and adjusting their website pricing according to what they believe the consumer will spend with them. Most times these etailers are ‘found out’ when consumers open separate browser windows to comparison shop.

Instead, etailers need to engage in fair pricing practices just as their offline counterparts do. They need to have competitive pricing, their website need to operate smoothly and the quality of merchandise needs to be high.

Posted in customer satisfication, ecommerce, etailing, online shopping | No Comments »

04/01/2011 by David Slade.

2010 was home 3D’s coming out party, with every major consumer electronics company debuting 3DTVs and 3D Blu-ray Disc players, and roughly a dozen content owners taking the leap and releasing titles on 3D Blu-ray Disc. Research firm The NPD Group reported that 15% of Blu-ray Disc players sold during the important Black Friday weekend were of the 3D variety, and a full quarter of Blu-ray players available at retail by mid-November were 3D capable, according to the Blu-ray Disc Association.

“The biggest story of 2010 for our industry was certainly the launch of Blu-ray 3D,” said Lori MacPherson, EVP and GM of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. “The opportunities that it presents for creative and immersive in-home entertainment are immense.”

“The launch of Blu-ray 3D has certainly been impactful at a time when consumers have demonstrated a demand for high-quality 3D content, both in theaters and in their living rooms,” added David Bishop, worldwide president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. “With the success of recent theatrical 3D films and with many more high-profile 3D releases on the horizon, now is the ideal time to bring that experience into the home.”

London-based Futuresource Consulting estimated that 3DTVs accounted for nearly 5% of flat-panels sold in the United States for the year, and Jim Bottoms, director and co-founder of Futuresource, credited that to a quick 35% to 40% drop in initial 3DTV prices in major markets.

“I think realistically everyone should feel pretty happy with 3DTV sales [in 2010],” he said. “First-year sales have outstripped first-year HDTV sales and when the consumer was also switching to panel TV from [cathode-ray tube TV] and, in the U.S., to widescreen.”

Indeed, a late-December report by The Nielsen Co. revealed that of approximately 27,000 online consumers across 53 countries, 13% said they already own or “definitely will” purchase a 3DTV set in the next 12 months, and an additional 15% said they “probably will” purchase a 3DTV.

“The DEG is enthused by the positive response of consumers and initial uptick in 3DTV sales,” said Amy Jo Smith, executive director of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. “We believe that bringing 3D to the home will be an exciting driver for viewing content by all age groups.”

Lastly, in late November Oprah Winfrey listed 3DTVs among her “ultimate favorite things” on her nationally syndicated TV show, likely bringing smiles to every consumer electronics company in America.

But while some of the numbers for 3D Blu-ray are bright, one number may be cause for concern for 3D in the home: 40. That’s roughly the number of 3D Blu-ray Discs released in 2010, with nearly half of those tied in to a specific 3D hardware purchase.

The Panasonic tie-in with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s Avatar, the all-time box office king, may be especially disconcerting for owners of LG, Samsung or Sony products, after it was reported that arrangement will last until early 2012.

“There are definitely too few,” said Chris Chinnock, president of Insight Media, which oversees the cross-industry 3D@Home Consortium. “Consumers want more content to buy 3DTVs, and 40 discs are not enough.”

Adam Gregorich, administrator with the Home Theater Forum, said the number of tie-ins has to be especially upsetting for owners of new 3DTVs. He pointed out that owners of a new Panasonic 3DTV are already shut out of all the tie-in titles from other manufacturers, such as Sony and Samsung, including the “Shrek” collection and Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

“I don’t think the title support has been nearly enough there,” he said. “It’s a chicken and egg argument, but there’s not much out there for 3DTV owners.”

The lack of ‘A’-list 3D Blu-ray content has created a second-hand market for bundled 3D Blu-ray titles on eBay. A week before Christmas, the asking price for the 3D Blu-ray of Bolt was as high as $125, while Avatar was going for as much as $400.

“I’m embarrassed to say I spent $86 for How to Train Your Dragon,” Gregorich admitted. “I would have spent that money for two 3D Blu-rays at Best Buy, but let’s be honest. These Imax titles [available there] are special interest. I want the blockbusters.”

He pointed to the four-disc 3D Blu-ray combo releases of Alice in Wonderland from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and Despicable Me from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

“That’s the way to sell it,” he said.

Yet Scott Hettrick, publisher and editor in chief of HollywoodInHiDef.com, said there’s a good reason for the trickle of releases so far: The studios can get a premium from consumer electronics companies for an exclusive license window for the bigger titles, much more than they could get by releasing more titles straight to retail. And “filmmakers are reluctant to make their titles available in the early days, knowing that initial sales will be so tiny,” he said.

“As the market becomes bigger and more lucrative, and as consumer electronics companies like Panasonic and Samsung are less willing to fork over huge premiums for exclusives, every title will soon be available at retail,” Hettrick said. “We’ve already seen the second biggest 3D title, Alice in Wonderland, leave its exclusive window with Sony and come to retail.”

And Futuresource’s Bottoms added that while bundling may frustrate consumers and discourage retailer support of 3D Blu-ray, “Who can blame Fox for taking an offer from Panasonic that generated far more revenue for Avatar on 3D than they could have hoped to raise in 2011 from a 3D BD release of the title?”

Andy Parsons, SVP of corporate communications and new product planning for Pioneer and chair of the Blu-ray Disc Association promotion committee in the United States, noted that bundling is common during an initial launch of a new product, noting, “I think the practice makes sense business-wise for both the content providers and hardware companies when the initial installed base is small.”

“Of course we’d always love to see more content, but we know it takes time to get a new product category into consumers’ homes, and this never happens overnight,” he said. “Meanwhile, a number of strong 3D theatrical titles, both recent holiday releases and those announced for next year, suggests that we should see some very strong 3D content on Blu-ray 3D throughout 2011, which should help encourage more consumers to take the plunge.”

Chinnock said he believes that bundling won’t last much longer.

“It helped initially, but it will hurt going forward. Most recognize this,” he said. “There may be exclusive bundles in the future, but probably short-duration exclusives, So I would not be too concerned.”

Even before standalone retail 3D Blu-rays come in waves, Hettrick hopes brick-and-mortar retailers will start making room for 3D software, “even if it’s only a small section, to get customers excited and educated and let them be confident that their retailer is going to be on the cutting edge in offering the newest format.

“Even if there is a relatively small number of 3DTVs and Blu-ray players out there — estimated at anywhere from 2 million to 4 million by year’s end — the more Blu-ray 3D product and 3DTV networks and programming the better to make those early adopters more satisfied and, therefore, become evangelists for 3D in the home,” Hettrick added.

Russ Crupnick, VP and senior entertainment analyst for The NPD Group, agrees. He believes 3D Blu-ray will be only part of what makes home 3D launch.

“3D is a more holistic experience in that, unlike high-def discs, it will take pressure from sports programming, gaming and home video to push consumers toward 3D devices,” Crupnick said. “It’s more about concept adoption leading content availability.”

The DEG estimates that during 2011, about 25 3D video games and more than 1,000 hours of 3D broadcast programming will help supplement 3D Blu-ray. And in another study done by Nielsen, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketers and CBS Vision, 64% of consumers surveyed after watching 3DTV content said they were most interested in sports in 3D. Six in 10 agreed 3D content was better than 2D, and nearly half said they found 3D content more engaging.

David Poltrack, chief research officer of CBS Corp. and president of CBS Vision, said he’s confident 3DTV is “just going to be a part of television” like cable and high-definition.

“No one has taken the really powerful TV dramas and made them with the eye toward 3D,” he said. “I think once that happens, you’re going to see regular television programming capturing [and] being enhanced by 3D, and people are going to watch special episodes of their favorite programs in 3D.”

Crupnick added that once the studios see a higher adoption curve of 3D hardware, they’ll be more apt to release more 3D Blu-ray titles, and retailers will start showing off their 3D Blu-ray section more.

“But we’re likely at least a year away,” he said.

Technicolor hopes it happens sooner. It began 2010 by partnering with Samsung and DreamWorks Animation on the first full-length feature 3D Blu-ray, Monsters vs. Aliens, and ended it by offering 3D Java interactive tools, 3D menus and 3D games. Doing all the 3D Blu-ray work for Warner Home Video, which had the most 3D Blu-ray releases at retail in 2010, the replicator has a major stake in the 3D Blu-ray game, according to Bob Michaels, Technicolor’s VP of worldwide DVD.

“From where we stand, we’d like to see more [releases],” he said. “The hardware guys told the industry this was real, and they’ve proven it.”

One of Technicolor’s main tasks regarding 3D Blu-ray has been “overcoming the nuances of the new players,” Michaels said. Every 3D Blu-ray must be tested on every 3D Blu-ray player available, and early on, some discs exhibited some trouble on some players. But those kinks have been worked out, and now that Technicolor has come close to pushing 3D Blu-rays off the line at the same pace as standard Blu-rays, “We have put ourselves in an accommodating position to go in whatever direction the industry wants,” Michaels said.

“There has been a lot of investment in developing the 3D Blu-ray authoring tools and quality control measures,” Chinnock said. “All the quality control stuff had to be invented, people had to be trained in 3D and to find problems, new workflows are needed and at least twice as much time is needed to author the disc.

“It is a costly and time-consuming process with control in the hands of only a few players,” he added. “There needs to be a pretty good return on this investment. I think you will see a steady increase in content release going forward.”

For 2011, a handful of titles have either been released or announced: Lionsgate will join the 3D Blu-ray ranks Jan. 25 with the release of a 3D Blu-ray combo pack of Saw 3D, Universal’s Coraline comes out on 3D Blu-ray Jan. 4, A&E Home Video’s The Universe: 7 Wonders of the Solar System gets a 3D Blu-ray release Jan. 11, and Image Entertainment will add to its 3D Blu-ray line-up with the March 29 release of Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, the first studio to release a 3D Blu-ray not tied into hardware (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), will do it again Jan. 11 with Piranha 3D.

That offers hope for people like Gregorich.

“I want it to succeed. I think it will succeed. But we need more titles,” he said.

Posted in Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, 3D, Blu-ray video | No Comments »

03/01/2011 by David Slade.

China has reduced its export quota for rare earth minerals for the coming year. The quota for the first half of the year has been cut from 22,282 to 14,446 tonnes. Rare earth minerals are those which contain rare earth metals, 17 elements which are used heavily in the manufacture of high technology devices including mobile phones, batteries and wind turbines. China produces 97% of the worlds rare earth exports and has been reducing its export quota for a number of years. This has driven up prices and jeopardises the development of green technologies which rely heavily on these metals. Japanese, European and US trade officials have all called for a freer rare earth market. The Chinese government says the restriction on rare earth exports exists to combat illegal mining and environmental exploitation.

Posted in Rare earth minerals | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

David Slade and Steve Goldspink at SEAITT have developed its core products from the ‘bottom up’, with the focus on the customers experience in mind.
Taking complex technologies and the latest  ‘good to go’ technology to market - for the user experience to be simple, straight forward and hassle-free, for its commercial and Real Estate clients. Transforming the power of your building,  working smarter.

SEAIIT is a new approach to business, and for its customers, who wish to obtain seamless enterprise integration, providing automated end-to-end system integration solutions, from simple lighting control all the way to to full converged automated enterprise solutions for the multi-nation business client. Connecting People, Information, and Assets with the Best ways to Maximize Business Value

SEAIIT a leading service provider to Commercial and Corporate Real Estate enterprises, plan to  launch product after product, throughout 2011, all based on SEAIIT’s BI solution based roadmap and scaleable ‘core’ base offerings.

SEAIIT’s roadmap is challenging, as they are striving to prove the client with a seamless experience second to none, as an independent enterprise system integrator - the ‘glue guys’ who can put together whole converged enterprise solutions together, bespoke to each customer requirements, based on SEAIIT proven scalable core products. The effective integration of people, processes, information, technology and environment.

Anyone privy to SEAIIT’s business alliance partners / suppliers list, would discover an international ‘who’s who’ list, with all the major brands incorporated, covering the whole breath of different industries combining construction & engineering, contractors and supplies, Information Technology and Services providers, and other allied experts the their own fields incorporated. Its would be easier to ask which internationally known brands are not yet intergrated within the SEAIIT offering!

When ever you speak to SEAIIT experts, such as founders David and Steve . They have a way of talking to both the layman and the more advanced practitioner, that only they can, where you come away with practical advice that can help you make your business more agile, responsive and successful and with a better understanding of what you are able to achieve today, as only possible from those who apply the technology, can.   With quality and independence at the heart of SEAIIT,  you’ll be able to get answers to your questions from experts, gained from collaborate with its peers, and SEAIIT’s business alliance partners network.

Posted in SEAIIT | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

The latest in energy-tracking technology is coming courtesy of Google’s PowerMeter Web application and Blue Line Innovations’ PowerCost Monitor. The software helps track and monitor home-energy use from a PC or smartphone via Wi-Fi and the user’s home broadband service. CNET/Green Tech blog (12/19)

Posted in metering - Remote display, Google, metering | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

Consumers in 2010 staged a mini-revolt, if you believe some sources, to redefine their TV viewing habits. Just as TiVo and all the DVR iterations that followed ushered in the era of time-shifted TV viewing, consumers began to experiment in TV place shifting as well, looking for ways to watch–and pay for–only the content they wanted, when and where they wanted it. Bundles? Increasingly coming under fire and even Hollywood–which jealously guards the gate to its content kingdom–is starting to take notice. FierceIPTV (12/21)

Posted in TiVo, Internet-based television technology, Internet video-on-demand service | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

Smart-home technology connects systems such as security, lighting, sensors, heating and air-conditioning, and audio-video – enabling automatic or remote control of these features. The technology improves comfort and safety in the home, and offers convenience to the homeowner. Even more importantly, this technology offers a way to better manage energy consumption. Yahoo! Finance (12/14)

Posted in ZigBee | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

LG on Wednesday unveiled its Optimus 2X, an Android 2.2-powered smartphone and the first to contain a dual-core processor, Nvidia’s Tegra 2,1GHZ chip. The phone sports a 4-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera, as well as a second, 1.3-megapixel camera for video conferencing that supports 1080p recording. Mobile Beat (12/15)

Posted in Android, LG Group | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

CEA’s Gary Shapiro says that while 3-D capabilities will be built into every high-end TV in the future, the technology should be considered a feature, not its own product category, such as tablet computers and Internet-ready TVs. Wall Street Journal/Digits blog (12/16)

Posted in 3D | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

Futuresource Consulting reports that Blu-ray disc movies and TV programming will exceed 400 million units this year, which is a 60% increase over last year. The report goes on to say that by 2014, Blu-ray disc production will hit 2 billion discs worldwide. Home Media Magazine (12/16)

Posted in Blu-ray video | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

A Nielsen study shows that video game consoles are an increasingly important device when consumers want to watch video-on-demand or streaming content at home. Nintendo’s Wii leads the pack, with 20% of users’ time going to VOD and streaming. Those pursuits accounted for 10% of the time spent on Microsoft’s Xbox and 9% of the time spent on Sony’s PlayStation 3. MediaPost Communications/VidBlog (12/16)

Posted in PlayStation, Wii, Xbox, Nintendo, video game consoles, video-on-demand | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

Google TV was expected to make its debut next month at the 2011 International CES in Las Vegas, but it will be sitting on the sidelines instead, sources say. The search-engine giant is reportedly still perfecting its software and has told its TV manufacturing partners that it won’t be ready for the big show. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment. New York Times (12/19)

Posted in Google | No Comments »

23/12/2010 by David Slade.

Looking to snatch some market share away from rivals such as Apple and Samsung, LG Group said it would spend its largest amount ever next year to support its smartphone, tablet computer and advanced flat panel businesses. The South Korean company is expected to earmark almost 70% of its $18 billion investment in 2011 to beef up its electronics businesses, an 11.7% increase over this year’s outlays. The Wall Street Journal

Posted in LG Group | No Comments »

22/12/2010 by David Slade.

by George Primentas

Click on the image to enlarge it

This infographic shows traffic information (Terminal Passengers) in November 2010 for a selection of UK airports. (Click here to see last month’s graph.)

On a UK map, the six BAA airports (London Heathrow, London Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen) and London Gatwick, London City and Manchester airports are indicated. For each, apart from London City Airport, you can see its number of terminal passengers in November 2010, and a comparison to November 2009 figures.

There are also line graphs showing their November Terminal Passengers figures for the last 5 years (2006-2010).

While Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton had their lowest November for the last 5-year period, Heathrow had its highest November ever; it is the 5th consecutive record month for Heathrow!

I have been designing maps, diagrams, information cards, plans and other graphics-related material for the aviation industry since early 2008, so this graph comes out of personal interest and curiosity.

Sources:
BAA November 2010 traffic figures
Gatwick airport November 2010 traffic performance summary
London City airport Facts and Figures
Manchester airport Traffic Statistics November 2010

Posted in Airport | No Comments »