Provide 8MP Camera Sensors for iPhone 5

Camera Sensors for iPhone 5

Apple Taps OmniVision to Provide 8MP Camera Sensors for iPhone 5

The time for Apple to announce a new iPhone at this year’s developer’s conference has come, and gone. The rumors of a delayed iPhone refresh rang true this week, as no new hardware was unveiled during the keynote.

While we’re growing tired of these supply chain rumors, each bit of gossip helps to paint a picture of what Apple’s next generation smartphone may look like. The most recent tidbit aligns with previous suggestions that the iPhone 5 will house a better camera…

It seems that DigiTimes has gotten word that OmniVision has just secured a significant order of 8-megapixel CMOS image sensors for the Cupertino company. In fact, the company is said to be responsible for 90% of Apple’s major sensor order for the iPhone 5.

Who’s got the other 10%? The Taiwan-based site is reporting that Sony will be filling the rest of Apple’s order. For folks that don’t recall, Sony’s loose-lipped CEO commented earlier this year that they were building 8MP sensors for the next iPhone.

These rumors bode well for folks hoping to see camera quality improve in the next iPhone model. They also suggest that things are running smoothly for the Mac-makers, and that their next-gen smartphone should meet their purposed fall deadline.

While I have no complaint about the iPhone 4′s picture quality, a few extra megapixels never hurt anybody.

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Apple to Release iPhone 5

Apple to Release iPhone 5

Crazy Rumor: Apple to Release iPhone 5 on September 7th?

We actually haven’t heard too many new hardware rumors in the last few weeks. It seems like everyone is too busy digging through Apple’s new iOS 5 software for new features to really care at the moment.

But gossip picked up again over the weekend, as International Business Times stirred up the rumor pot with further speculation on the iPhone 5′s release date. The publication believes that we’ll all be lining up on September 7th for the next iPhone…

We believe that’s ridiculous. Besides a few last minute hopeful wishes that Apple’s next smartphone would be unveiled at WWDC earlier this month, we’ve had the device pegged for a September announcement. For the September 7th rumor to be true, 1 of 2 things would have to happen.

Apple would one: have to schedule an August event separate from their expected iPod event in September. Or two: they’d have to release the next iPhone on the day of or soon after its announcement.

The first option just flat out doesn’t make sense. Why hold two separate media events less than a month apart? The second move doesn’t align with any of Apple’s previous iPhone launches. Typically the device is announced, followed by a media blitz, and then launch day.

It’s more likely that we’ll hear an announcement around September 7th, a week or two of massive media coverage, and then a launch. Then again, Apple’s obviously doing a good job of keeping details about their next smartphone a secret, so we could all be way off.

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iPhone 4 in Anticipation of New Model

iPhone 4 in Anticipation

Apple Drops Supply Orders for iPhone 4 in Anticipation of New Model

A report from overseas says that Apple has decreased component orders for the iPhone 4 in anticipation of the next iPhone’s release in the coming months. The latest rumor claims an August announcement for Apple’s next gen device, and these supply chain reports seem to corroborate that timeframe.

According to the Taiwanese-based DigiTimes, circuit board (PCB) suppliers are seeing a decrease in orders from Apple in the second business quarter. A drop in component orders usually means that a company is gearing up for production on a new product, and that product would of course be the next iPhone.

    “The Taiwan-based PCB companies, which are shipping products for iPads and iPhones, have seen disappointing orders for these devices in the second quarter, the sources said. Orders thus far for June show no signs of a rebound, the sources indicated.”

Suppliers have been told to cut orders by 10% for the summer. Current generation device shipments are still expected to increase over the next few months, and result in price drops when Apple unveils the next generation iPhone.

Separately, another report says that Apple is pressuring suppliers to cut costs by 10% for components this quarter. iPad sales are also expected to hit over 8 million units in the next few months.

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Apple Stays Ahead of the Game

Apple Stays Ahead of the Game

How Apple Stays Ahead of the Game

An interesting Quora discussion has been making its way around the web this morning. In particular, a post written by an anonymous user that does a good job explaining Apple’s ability to stay on the cutting edge of technology seems to be very popular.

Steve Jobs himself said that the original iPhone was 5 years ahead of the competition. While that is a debate for zealous Android fans software-wise, most would agree it’s indisputable hardware-wise. Ever wonder why it took competitors a few years to match the iPhone’s touchscreen response?

It’s no secret that Apple is sitting on a truckload of cash. Most investors don’t like a company hoarding cash because it’s a waste of assets. It earns almost nothing in the bank and most believe it would be better spent on strategic acquisitions or given back to shareholders.

According to Anon User, Apple is without a doubt spending its money strategically:

    “When new component technologies (touchscreens, chips, LED displays) first come out, they are very expensive to produce, and building a factory that can produce them in mass quantities is even more expensive. Oftentimes, the upfront capital expenditure can be so huge and the margins are small enough (and shrink over time as components become commoditized) that the companies who would build these factories cannot raise sufficient investment capital to cover the costs.”

Apparently, Apple uses its money to pay for the construction costs (or most of it) of these facilities in exchange for exclusivity on the factory and its products for an allotted amount of time. This allows Apple to release groundbreaking products that are initially impossible to duplicate.

This is also how Apple negotiates cheaper component costs. For instance, “I’ll build you this factory to mass produce your new super slim 8MP camera sensors if you give Apple 6 months exclusivity on the sensors and then 20% off each unit after that.”

    “If it feels like new Apple products appear futuristic, it is because Apple really is sending back technology from the future. Once those technologies (or more accurately, their mass production techniques) become sufficiently commoditized, Apple is then able to compete effectively on cost and undercut rivals.”

Though we obviously can’t confirm anything, the anonymous poster’s explanation of Apple’s wicked supply chain strategy is very intriguing. We’ve heard before that the Cupertino company held some weight with overseas parts manufacturers, but nothing compared to this.

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NASA Slows Moon Program spend

NASA Slows Moon Program spend

Layoffs Continue as NASA Slows Moon Program spend

NASA has advised contractor to anticipate reduced spending on the moon bound Constellation program it plans to terminate, prompt a new round of contractor layoffs. The U.S. space agency is bound by a 2010 law to continue funding all Constellation associated contracts until Congress enacts new appropriations legislation approving the termination or reform of the program. Although the U.S. government's 2011 budget year began Oct. 1, lawmakers failed to pass any 2011 appropriations bills before exit Washington last month until mid November, leaving NASA and the relax of the federal government to operate through Dec. 3 under a stopgap measure called a continuing declaration that funds agencies at no greater than 2010 spending levels.

For NASA, that means creation do for at least the next eight weeks with 1.5 percent less than the $19 billion the White House has budgeted for the agency for 2011. Spending on group, which includes development of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule, is predictable to decline as much as 25 percent for the two months ahead, according to NASA spokesman Michael Braukus. In an Oct. 1 e-mail Braukus said NASA plans to instantly reduce its Constellation spending from an average rate of $282 million per month down to $212 million per month. If Congress fails to pass a 2011 plan when it returns in November and instead extends the continuing resolution beyond Dec. 3, "that amount will go lower," Braukus said.

Two years ago, when group was still going strong, NASA contractors were anticipate that expenditure on the program would have ramped up to an average of $540 million per month by now. Much of that money would have gone toward retain workers now facing layoffs as the space shuttle heads toward departure and the assembly phase of the International Space Station program nears completion. As NASA prepares to steadily diminish spending on the program, some Constellation contractor is responding with pink slips. Ares I major contractor Alliant TechSystems, for example, said Oct. 1 it would lay off about 300 Ares I workers in Utah this month.

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The Long Voyage of Discovery

The Long Voyage of Discovery

It has flown to space more than any other craft, and it has carried more crew members to orbit. It was the first spacecraft to retrieve a satellite and bring it back to Earth. It has visited two space stations. It launched a telescope that has seen deeper in space and in time than ever before. And twice it has demonstrated the United States' will to persevere following devastating tragedy, returning America to orbit following the two worst accidents in space history. Although all five vehicles that have comprised NASA's space shuttle fleet are unmatched in achievements, space shuttle Discovery is unique among the extraordinary.

In 38 trips to space, Discovery has spent 351 days in orbit, almost a full year. Discovery has circled Earth 5,628 times, all the while speeding along at 17,400 miles per hour. It has traveled almost 143 million miles. That equals 288 round trips to the moon or about one and a half trips to the sun. Discovery has carried more crew members 246 than any space vehicle. Those have included the first female to ever pilot a spacecraft, the oldest person to fly in space, the first African-American to perform a spacewalk, the first cosmonaut to fly on an American spacecraft and the first sitting member of Congress to fly in space.


It took four years to build Discovery, the third shuttle orbiter built. Named for past sailing ships of exploration, it rolled out of its Palmdale, Calif. assembly plant in October 1993 and was delivered via piggyback airplane flight to NASA' s Kennedy Space Center the next month. Discovery's first launch was Aug. 30, 1984 on mission STS-41D. That flight launched three communications satellites and tested an experimental solar array wing. The mission was commanded by astronaut Henry W. Hartsfield. On its second mission, Discovery became the first spacecraft to retrieve a satellite and bring it home. Through a spectacular series of spacewalks using the free-flying Manned Maneuvering Unit jetpacks, two malfunctioning satellites were retrieved and tucked into Discovery's payload bay for the trip home.

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LRO Supports Historic Lunar Impact Mission

LRO Supports Historic

LRO Supports Historic Lunar Impact Mission

The lunar rocks brought back to the Earth by the Apollo astronauts were found to have very little water, and to be much drier than rocks on Earth. An explanation for this was that the Moon formed billions of years ago in the solar system's turbulent youth, when a Mars-sized planet crashed into Earth. The impact stripped away our planet's outer layer, sending it into orbit. The pieces later coalesced under their own gravity to form our Moon. Heat from all this mayhem vaporized most of the water in the lunar material, so the water was lost to space.

However, there was still a chance that water might be found in special places on the Moon. Due to the Moon's orientation to the Sun, scientists theorized that deep craters at the lunar poles would be in permanent shadow and thus extremely cold and able to trap volatile material like water as ice perhaps delivered there by comet impacts or chemical reactions with hydrogen carried by the solar wind. Last year on October 9, NASA's LCROSS intentionally crashed its companion Centaur upper stage into the Cabeus crater near the lunar south pole. The idea was to kick up debris from the bottom of the crater so its composition could be analyzed. The Centaur hit at over 5,600 miles per hour, sending up a plume of material over 12 miles high.

"Seeing mostly pure water ice grains in the plume means water ice was somehow delivered or chemical processes are causing ice to accumulate in large quantities," said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist and principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. "Furthermore, the diversity and abundance of certain materials called volatiles in the plume, suggest a variety of sources, like comets and asteroids, and an active water cycle within the lunar shadows." LCROSS was a companion mission to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission.

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Space Station Water System Successfully Activated

Space Station Water System

International Space Station Water System Successfully Activated

NASA has announced the successful activation of new hardware that will support water production services aboard the International Space Station. The Sabatier system can create up to 530 gallons of water per year from byproducts of the station's Oxygen Generation System and Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly. The process is named for Paul Sabatier, a 1912 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. "This is an important step forward in NASA's commercialization endeavors and shows how successful private industry can be at providing solutions on its own," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "The ability to produce this water will be important for sustaining space station operations once the shuttle is retired."

The system was integrated into the space station's Water Recovery System during the week of Oct. 11. Activation, checkout and first use of the system were completed Oct. 22, running for over eight hours. The Sabatier process uses a nickel catalyst to interact with hydrogen and carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures and pressures to produce water and methane. The water is retained for recycling processes, and the methane is vented outside of the space station. Prior to adding the Sabatier system, hydrogen produced while generating station oxygen was considered waste gas and vented overboard. Carbon dioxide generated by crew metabolism also was vented overboard. With the Sabatier system, these two former waste gases will generate a valuable product for the space station: water.

Under contract to NASA, Hamilton Sundstrand supplied the flight hardware and operational support for a Sabatier-reaction-based system that operates as part of the station's Environmental Control and Life Support System. This contract is unique because NASA did not participate in design reviews or impose any specifications on the design, except for those defined in the safety, interface and acceptance requirements met by Hamilton Sundstrand. The company developed, procured, and built the flight hardware and support equipment needed for operations and training. The in-orbit operational portion of the contract runs until Sept. 30, 2014.

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China International Hardware Fair Pavilion location scan (Photos)

Pavilion location scan (Photos)

China International Hardware Fair Pavilion location scan (Photos)

Since 2004, China International Hardware Fair in the spring positioned at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. At present, the Expo exhibition area of more than 80,000 square meters, more than 4,000 international standard booths, more than 2,000 Chinese and foreign exhibitors are more than 9,000 exhibitors and more than the Chinese and foreign professional buyers more than 60,000 people. Asia has developed into the largest and the highest degree of specialization, and the impact the most extensive gathering of world famous brand international exhibition, for many years by the Ministry of Commerce to support the brand as a key event, and was named China’s national authority A-class exhibition.

3 10-12, the 17th China International Hardware Fair in Shanghai New International Expo Center opened, will be enabled W1, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6 7 exhibition halls, total exhibition area of 80,500 square meters, more than 4,200 the total number of booths. The exhibition extensive comments and review of past experiences, to further improve the professional branch, in order to facilitate visitors to visit. To effectively undertake

good autumn this year Hardware Tools Quality event delivery of the five Chinese Business Association, as the hardware Tool Show of specific units, strengthening infrastructure construction. Earlier, China’s five exchanges of business associations to start from the improvement of infrastructure, provision of facilities for the exhibitors. Second, the Chinese Business Association has five diplomatic efforts of the layout at the show and work hard. Fully demonstrate the economic development of hardware tools and hardware the new achievements, new progress.

Although at this stage in the global economy is still in a depressed state, but the domestic hardware industry relies on a vast domestic market and the active and effective national policies, is in a steady state of recovery, future development prospects. In the future, and are expected, the China International Hardware Fair contrarian also rose.

China International Hardware Fair, formerly the National Hardware Commodity Fair, started in 1952, 114 sessions have been held continuously, is the only the oldest and most inside information has influenced three generations of exhibition hardware. Since 2000, the National Hardware Commodity Fair opened at the same time the name of China International Hardware Fair. China International Hardware Fair is the Chinese Wujinjiaodian Chemical industry Business Association Business Association and many other co-host.

Official designated as the Organizing Committee Network Media HC Network Tracking report will be the five Jin ZhanshengOpening heroic bearing drum band Shanghai New International Expo Centre Hall outside the red flag fluttering in the wind

Opening the packed press group

Stay tuned network of 17 HC Hardware China International Hardware Show relevant reports. About the Author

I am a professional writer from China Crafts Suppliers, which contains a great deal of information about handmade pottery, ginger jars, welcome to visit!

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Use Long File Names to Make Your Computer Easier and More Organized

Computer Easier and More Organized

How to Use Long File Names to Make Your Computer Easier and More Organized 

Have you ever been stuck in traffic behind a car with one of those custom license plates like “LUVYZ1″ and you’re scratching your head for a couple of minutes trying to figure out what on Earth it’s supposed to mean?

I was doing that earlier today on my way home and it made me think of a computer tip I thought I’d share with you to make your computer more organized and easier to use.

Back in the day when I first got into computers, the names of files on your computer were a lot like custom car license plates: you had a very limited amount of space to name the file and so you were forced to come up with weird abbreviations just like you see on license plates.

To this day I still have a few really old Word files which have names such as “MITYLIKE.DOC” where I had to try to describe what the file was in the 8 characters I was given to do so. (If you’re not sure what I mean by “characters”, that’s the term that includes letters, numbers, and punctuation) If you’re wondering, the above example is a short story I wrote in 1990 or so which was inspired by The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a classic short story written by James Thurber which also made into a film starring Danny Kaye. Knowing that, you can see why I named the file MITYLIKE, and can probably also see why I wished I could’ve given it a longer and more descriptive name?

So what does this have to do with make your computer more organized and easier you might be wondering? Well, something I’ve noticed over the many years I’ve been helping people with their computers is that most people don’t take advantage of the ability to use descriptive file names, and they’re making things harder on themselves as a result.

Now this is no criticism at all if you’re making this computer mistake yourself, but that’s why I’m writing this to help you.

You see, in the 1990s, the maximum length for file names went up a lot from the old 8 character name plus 3 character extension for DOS or Windows PCs, and the 31 character limit older Apple Mac computers had to 255 characters. (The “extension” is the end part after the dot, such as.DOC which is used to tell the computer what type of file it is, such as a Word DOCument.)

These “long file names” give you the ability to give useful & descriptive file names which can make your life easier when organizing and locating files. You can name (or rename) a file by clicking once on the name of the file (not the icon!) pausing a moment, then clicking again and you should see the name get highlighted.

Note: this is *not* the same as double-clicking the file name. This is a single click, a short pause, then a second single click with the left button on your mouse.

You can then type in a nice long descriptive file name such as “Unnamed short story inspired by “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.doc”, which I’m sure you’ll agree is much easier to recognize than “MITYLIKE.DOC”! And don’t worry about counting the letters in the name while you’re typing; your computer won’t let you type any more than you’re allowed.

I also suggest you might put a date or maybe a version number into the file name, especially if you keep different drafts of a document. If you do this you’ll want to write the date something like 7-7-2011 rather than 7/7/2011 as the / character is not allowed on Windows PCs (and I recommend this for Mac users too to make the name more compatible in case you ever send it to a Windows computer).

One last thing is, as I mentioned above, the extension (such as.doc) is there for a reason and you should leave that part as-is. Many newer computers will automatically help you avoid accidentally changing that part of the file name, but not all do. By taking advantage of the long filenames allowed by modern computers, you can help yourself more easily recognize what a file is, and it can help turn up the file you’re looking for if you do a search on your computer for information you’re needing, that photo you want to look at, and so on.

Hopefully these tips will help you get more out of your computer and make your life a little easier. I’ve used these suggestions myself for many years now and am very glad that I did.

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New Hardware Products Conference activities Introduction -2009 China International

China New Hardware Products

Conference activities Introduction -2009 China International

2009 China New Hardware Products Conference Activities To actively promote the standardization of China’s hardware products and technological advances, promote China’s hardware development of new products and new technologies, accelerate the integration of hardware in the manufacturing industry to promote industrial and economic development, China National Hardware Association in 2009 China International Hardware Show (short CISH2009) will organize “CISH2009 New Products 2009 China New Hardware Products conference cum”, and the establishment of zones in the exhibition site, the new centralized hardware display. This event demonstrated new hardware, the main independent research and development for the enterprise market, or upcoming new products. 

Requested brand in the industry of high reputation and influence, product trademarks, such as violations do not exist, covering Hardware Tools , Building materials and accessories, Fastener , Decorative hardware, locks and security products, building and furniture fittings hardware product categories in 18 categories. CISH2009 New products will combine the 2009 China New Hardware Products conference, its purpose is to guide people of all circles concerned about the metal industry the latest product and technology industry development trends, common hardware industry to explore the latest developments in the direction of R & D to promote the health of China’s hardware industry as a whole positive development. In CISH2008 during the exhibition organizing committee for the first time to demonstrate the activities of such attempts, good results are obtained exhibitors and visitors of the positive affirmation and praise. 

CISH2009 continue to organize the event, is in line with CISH “international, high level, market-oriented and technology-oriented” position and goals, and also the Chinese hardware products to promote the development and upgrading of hardware manufacturers to promote new products in the market to develop and enhance hardware manufacturers and buyers, dealers and exchanges of communication between the starting point. Display area is conducive to the establishment of new hardware in the industry of professional buyers, distributors, Proxy Commerce found that the products with market potential, its ability to help develop the market manufacturer to open markets, promote the new market Sell And channel development, thus shortening the technology into products from the production efficiency of the time. Therefore, exhibitors in addition to traditional independent display outside, while on the scene show the new display area set up a new demonstration of the product, and by the organizers on the scene show the audience of professional guidance, to achieve the enterprise market, for Cooperation The exhibition aims. Activities will be held over the same period 2009 China New Hardware Products contest, all participants have the opportunity to new companies were displayed by the 2009 China International Hardware Show organizers issued by China National Hardware Association, China New Hardware Products of 2009 Award. 

Activities Objective: Promote the development and upgrading of hardware products in China For hardware manufacturers and hardware brand new product marketing and channel development Improve hardware manufacturers and hardware brands and buyers, dealers and exchanges of communication between Event publicity: Nearly one hundred hardware industry media coverage of Whole network of live video conference activities Site Advertisement , Paper promotional materials, broadcast media and other means of dissemination and use of all-round 2009 conference, the details of China New Hardware Products: Exhibitors: 50 Exhibitors presented at the August 25 New Product Application Form (see the exhibition manual) and the product patent in China International Hardware Show Organizing Committee will be based on information submitted by enterprises 50 enterprises selected products China International Hardware Show 2009 New exhibition. Organizing Committee will have special exhibits with confirmed exhibitors to confirm, confirm and so on promotional materials.

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