Office printers can kill you

Nowadays there is little doubt as to the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ), since modern society tends to spend the vast majority of time in various types of indoor environments. In addition to the penetration of pollutants from outdoor air, most indoor built environments contain air pollution sources that release fibers, particles, organic vapors, or inorganic gases. Many studies have reported associations between health complaints and poor IAQ, and there is mounting evidence that exposure to poor IAQ leads to excess morbidity and mortality.
Various types of printers are widely used in offices and homes around the world and they have become standard indoor electronic equipment. However, they are a potential source of indoor pollutants, producing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone, as well as a variety of particle emissions. So far there have been only a few studies on printer emissions, but it appears that there are large differences in the emission levels among different types of printers. Smola et al. measured the emissions of seven different printers from leading manufacturers and recorded the emissions of particles (respirable and inhalable), ozone, and total volatile organic compounds. Among the results of the study, it was found that black-and-white laser printers did not emit toner dust in measurable amounts, and only one of the tested printers emitted low quantities of ozone. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) were emitted in varying amounts, by the lubricating oil in the printers' mechanical parts. Recently, Naoki et al. investigated particle, VOC, and ozone emission from three printers and also found that the particle, VOC, and ozone emission behaviors were printer-type specific.

Read "Particle Emission Characteristics of Office Printers" study

A 1000-meter stretch of road in Drachten (Holland) is now bright blue.

source 1

Stopping the Enemy in Its Tracks: Remote Non-lethal Immobilization of Vehicles and Boats

A compact tunable high-power electromagnetic system (HPEMS) for remotely immobilizing vehicles at a range of up to 100 m is being developed by small technology firm. The system is capable of high-value asset perimeter protection from approaching hostile vehicles, bringing cars to halt on urban, suburban roads and multi-lane highways, perimeter protection for gas-oil (fueling) platform at sea and day/night, all weather clandestine operations. The system uses microwave energy to disable vehicle’s electronic module/microprocessor that controls engine’s vital functions. Unlike other systems, HPEMS does not use physical contact nor it requires installation of fixed barriers on vehicle’s path. Host platforms include ground vehicle, helicopter or UAV. HPEMS can be used for stopping vehicles on highways and perimeter protection of gas-oil fueling platform from approaching boats at sea.
source Eureka Aerospace

3 world's tallest fountains

1. King Fahd's Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi AJeddah`s Fountain is a major landmark built in the 1980s and listed in Guinness World Records as the highest in the world which can reach 312 meters (1,023.62 feet), and can be seen from very far distances. The fountain was donated to the City of Jeddah by King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz which is where the name is derived. ters (1,023.62 ft).

2. THE GATEWAY GEYSER. Soaring to nearly 630-feet, the geyser's height mirrors that of St. Louis' famed Gateway Arch, located directly across the Mississippi River. The center fountain is complemented by four auxiliary fountains, which represent the four rivers that converge in the St. Louis area.
Powered by three 800-horsepower pumps, the Geyser rockets 7,500 gallons of water per minute straight up at a rate of 250 feet per second—a speed approaching that of air travel. The four smaller fountains are powered by a 125-horsepower pump. An 8-acre, 600-foot-diameter lake containing more than one million gallons feeds the fountains. “An important feature is an automatic system that detects wind speed and lowers the height of the column as necessary to minimize water fallout,” Friedman says. The fountain is automatically shut down when wind speeds exceed 13 mph. The Geyser normally propels about 1,100 gallons of water weighing 9,200 pounds into the air. An electric beacon on the roof of the maintenance building alerts any overhead aircraft when the Geyser is about to go off. At the Geyser’s heart is a custom designed and manufactured six-foot-tall nozzle-within-a-nozzle system; the nozzles aerate the water and give it a remarkable shimmering whiteness.



3. The Port Fountain or Karachi Port Trust Fountain is located next to the northern rock of a series of islands known as the Oyster Rocks, off the Karachi Harbour. The fountain is the world's third tallest, and rises to height of 620 feet when operating at full force. Ever since its inauguration on January 15, 2006, the fountain has been attracting visitors from all over Pakistan. The fountain structure and platform of 135 sq meters (15m x 9m) is on 16 piles 18 meters deep. Two 835-horsepower turbine pumps deliver nearly 2000 liters of sea water per second at a velocity of 70 meter per second through specially designed 8 inch nozzles. The fountain was constructed at a cost of PKR 320 million (approximately $5.3 million US).

souces 1, 2, 3, 4

Giant bike equipped with an engine from the Soviet tank "T55"

Bike weight five tons.

Length 5.5 m.

Engine 800 hp

Volkswagen "Slipstream" - new two-wheeled car concept

In the year 2057 population centers have become unimaginably dense and the roadways have reached the point of total saturation.Volkswagen's solution is an advanced autonomous vehicle that dynamically adapts to minimize its footprint in the city and its drag coefficient on the highways.When in the city, these two-wheeled, teardrop shaped pods travel in an upright orientation that occupies one fifth the size of a traditional vehicle. When on a special freeway lane called the "Slipstream," it tilts to a horizontal orientation optimizing its aerodynamic shape. Rear fins slide out to allow the rear of the vehicle to float like the tail section of an airplane to achieve speeds in excess of 250 mph.The skin of the vehicle is made of hyper-efficient solar panels that power the vehicle.

source

Porsche Tuning: Porsche restyled to old soviet car Volga.

It's not a Volga, not a replica. It's a all new exclusive car based on platform of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV. Porsche designers created such a masterpiece. All parts, suspension, engine, gearbox etc - all come from Porsche Cayenne Bi Turbo, with a 370 hp engine. But the owner would like to change the engine to a 770 hp (!!!) one. This car has been assembled in Germany and the cost is around $1 000 000.

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Another 4 unusual propeller-driven vehicles

Another 4 unusual propeller-driven vehicles

First 7 see at deputydog

Soviet Snowmobile Sever-2

The snowmobile Sever-2 (North 2) was developed in 1959 in Helicopter Design Office of N. I. Kamov. It was created from the legendary Soviet automobile Pobeda (Victory).
Firm skis and powerful aircraft engine AI-14 (260 horse-powers) made possible to move on snow or ice at a speed of 30-35 kilometers per hour. Sever-2 was able to function at extreme temperatures, about 40-50 degrees centigrade.
These snowmobiles delivered passengers and mail through the various areas of the Soviet Union, such as Siberia, the Far East and Kazakhstan. They also serviced settlements along the rivers Amur, Lena, Ob’ and Pechora.

This one has the common features with Sever-2. Unfortunately we don’t have any information about this vehicle. But it looks UAZ alike. And as it can be seen, it is able to move on the wheels or skis as well.

NKL-26 Snowmobile

The NKL-26 aerosled was intended for the transport of a crew of two persons- the vehicle commander who simultaneously fulfilled the function of gunner in a combat environment, and the mechanic-driver.
The hull of this aerosled was made of wood and fully enclosed. It had four independently suspended controllable skis. The frame was assembled from transverse ribs and longitudinal stringers covered in plywood.

ANT-IV Snowmobile

This vehicle had three skis, with the front ski used to steer. The driver, mechanic, and two passengers were seated in the body. Later models of the ANT-IV had an additional seating position in the body.

Sources 1, 2,