Mechanics of Hand-powered Generators The mechanics of hand-powered generators are not too complicated. They work like other generators, except the initial energy is provided by your arm rather than from steam by burning coal or a flowing river. A generator is basically an electric motor working in reverse. Both are based on principles of magnetism […]
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Mechanics of the SteriPEN If you break down the SteriPEN’s name, you basically have the concept in a nutshell. The SteriPEN has the physical appearance of a pen and it sterilizes water. That’s pretty straightforward, right? But what’s amazing is how the SteriPEN rids water of those pathogens we learned about earlier. The key is
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Lithium-ion batteries are popular because they have a number of important advantages over competing technologies: They’re generally much lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries of the same size. The electrodes of a lithium-ion battery are made of lightweight lithium and carbon. Lithium is also a highly reactive element, meaning that a lot of energy
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iPad Design Like the iPhone, the iPad is primarily a touch device. The front is dominated by a 9.7-inch (24.6-centimeter) touch screen, with a single button (the same Home button found on the iPhone) placed below it. Apple offers two different iPad colors: one with a black face bezel and one with a white face
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Inside the X In March 2000, rumors that Microsoft was developing a game console were confirmed when Gates took the wraps off the Xbox demo unit. In January 2001, the demo model, a big chrome “X” with a green-glowing light in the middle, was replaced by a more traditional black box. As analysts predicted, the
Long checkout lines at the grocery store are one of the biggest complaints about the shopping experience. Soon, these lines could disappear when the ubiquitous Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code is replaced by smart labels, also called radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. RFID tags are intelligent bar codes that can talk to a networked
If you go look in your refrigerator or pantry right now, you will find that just about every package you see has a UPC bar code printed on it. In fact, nearly every item that you purchase from a grocery store, department store and mass merchandiser has a UPC bar code on it somewhere. Have
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The MP3 player is the most recent in an evolution of music formats that have helped consumers enjoy their tunes. Records, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes and CDs — none of these earlier music formats provide the convenience and control that MP3 players deliver. With an MP3 player in hand or pocket, a consumer can create
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The Art and Science of Recorded Sound To understand what Beats Audio does — or what its maker claims it does — you first have to know a little bit about the science of recording and reproducing sound. Whether you’re a fan of Gotye or Beyoncé, the music you enjoy goes through a complex, at
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Satellite Radio Systems Satellite radio is an idea over a decade in the making. In 1992, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated a spectrum in the “S” band (2.3 GHz) for nationwide broadcasting of satellite-based Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS). Only four companies applied for a license to broadcast over that band. The FCC
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