#Power Electronics Market Research | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

stevebattle · 5 months ago

Text

The Grivet Arm (1978) by Gallaher Research Inc., Western-Salem, North Carolina.

"Purchasing some form of "experimenter's arm" kit? There has been one attempt at a commercial kit product for the robot arm experimenter, a product which was advertised in this magazine starting last spring. I refer to the Gallaher Research "Grivet" arm, which is shown in photo 1. The photograph was taken using the kit I bought for $400 and put together one Sunday morning in September. … Mr Gallaher's robot arm was a crude start at best, for all we got is a rather shaky mechanism with six DC motors. The purchaser's inventiveness must supply the details of electronic interface and control. A suggestion, in the marketing literature supplied with the kit, is that relays be used to provide control of the 6V DC which will run the motors. This kit provided what you see in the photograph: a limited mechanical start on a complete arm which must include a mounting of some sort, power supplies, bidirectional motor drive electronics, and sensory feedback. There is not even a suggestion of how to mount and use sensors to provide feedback control of the arm in a practical object manipulation environment such as a chessboard with chess pieces as the objects.

The designer of this arm did his homework with respect to balance, for it will sit upright on its counterweight with no particular urge to topple over. The photograph was taken with the arm in this position. But if mounted in a horizontal position as suggested by the sales literature (assembly drawings, but no instruction manual, come with this device) several of the parts are under enough stress to be visibly bent. The only way I can see to practically mount this arm is by having it hang down from the shaft furthest from the hand mechanism (flipping it 180 degrees around the vertical axis of photo 1).

The Gallaher arm kit's parts are apparently handcrafted. When you think of the time and energy that went into its creation, it is obviously a bargain at $400, even if incomplete. Some of the first microcomputer kits such as the Mark-8, Altair and Sphere were similarly incomplete, and a whole industry was formed filling in the gaps to provide a complete computer system in assembled form. Therefore, we can expect more complete robotic systems as further products are offered to the experimenter. Just as "hardheaded realists" (ie: unimaginative people) scoffed only four years ago at the idea of a personal computer, I can almost hear the equivalent comments about domestic robots being uttered as I pen these words at the keyboard of my personal computer." – Byte Magazine February 1979, Volume 04 Number 02 (p6).

#cybernetics #robot #robot arm #1978 #Gallaher Research

22 notes · View notes

fourthdistrictfishie · 1 month ago

Text

Imagining The New Panem after the deconstruction and reconstruction of the Government Post Books:

• Imagining Panem keeps the general Name/Districts + Capital system, just with some changes. The New Government opens borders and makes Panem a more joyfully Unified nation and a pretty cool place! They encourage relocation and more cross-district industry.

• The Districts and Capital relatively remain the same, and in the same places, but a lot of them restructure a bit. This is how I see that:

The Capital:

The Capital is one place I see changing a bit. They change from the Governmental ruler to being a place devoted to being Panem’s genuinely trusted News Source. It becomes a District of Ambassadorship, and Rebuilding Panem’s Culture into something healthy. The Capital’s former ‘Culture’ of just Dictatorship and Money and Body Modification becomes a Culture devoted to Improving the lives of its Citizens and taking pride in having so much Diversity. It becomes a place devoted to celebrating advancement in Culture, Fashion, Technology, Education, Agriculture and Environmental efforts, and so on. They also begin to develop a new, healthier entertainment industry.

District One: Luxury to Economy

D-1 completely reorganizes from a place of greed and superficial luxury to becoming essentially Panem’s Bank/Wall Street/Stock Market. They also become responsible for creating a trade route between the districts. They’re where the districts send the products they make, and they distribute them to the people and Companies throughout Panem who buy them.

District Two: Masonry (and Construction)

D-2 reworks its industry into being the Construction Headquarters of Panem. They’re responsible for LITERALLY REBUILDING PANEM. They lose the Defense responsibilities, but still make the weapons. They make All of the Weapons and industrial Tools used in Panem.

District Three: Electronics/echnology

D-3 shifts from being a Factory for The Capital’s toys to becoming a Hub for Technological advancement. With a bit of freedom, and a healthier culture, I can see D-3 shooting Panem SO FAR INTO THE FUTURE IT’S INSANE.

District Four: Fishing, Seafood, Ocean, Marine Science.

D-4 expands its duties to becoming a place of Seafood Culture, Beach Life, and its government is in charge of Panem’s Navy. I see it becoming home to Marine Science centers and Aquariums and general coastal life.

District Five: Power and Electrticity

D-5’s duties are also similar to before the Revolution, but it becomes a more ethical system. They also become devoted to clean energy for All of Panem.

District Six: Transportation

Ok so admittedly we don’t get much about D-6 except that they make the Trains and Cars for the Capital..

So.

I think after the Revolution D-6 becomes responsible for developing Panem’s new Inter-district transportation system. A unified sky railway system throughout all of Panem that is Solar Powered and ends up being the best thing to ever happen to Panem. They also work on getting Solar Powered Cars into all of the districts.

District Seven: Lumber

D-7 becomes closely knit with D-2 and they basically head the efforts to Physically Rebuild Panem. They basically just shift to having a more open industry.

District Eight: Textiles

Instead of being yet another Capital Sweat Shop, D-8 becomes a more ethically run place with a better industry. It becomes a place of Fashion culture and Textile factories.

District Nine: Grain

D-9 also remains largely the same but joins in Panem’s new Industry.

District Ten: Livestock

D-10 works with D-1, and D9 to create a new network of Grocery Markets across Panem and generally becomes a better place.

District Eleven: Agriculture

D-11 becomes a much MUCH less oppressed place. They develop a more mutually beneficial and less Government controlled Agricultural system.

District Twelve: Coal (but also Medical?)

Ok so HEAR ME OUT. D-12 is rebuilt, the mines never to reopen, and takes charge of Panem’s Medical Research. They have Apothecaries that supply all of Panem with Medicine after they Reconstruct. I imagine Panem’s medical industry to be very natural remedies meets a little bit of technology. I have a headcannon that before the first war D-12 WAS actually in charge of medicine, but I have zero proof other than the Apothecary Katniss’s mom runs and Prim being a Doctor.

District Thirteen: Government, Law, Space, and Nuclear Research

District Thirteen has a MASSIVE rebuild, becoming a Multi-Level, Multi-industry district.

I imagine they rebuild above ground to become the face of their Nation Wide, normal Government stuff. Laws, Elections, important jobs.

But I also think they keep their Military, and Nuclear research in some of their Underground facilities. I also think D-13 becomes the home of Panem’s Space Research Program kind of like Nasa.

And I also think they are in charge of the new Peace Keeping forces. Of course most of that is FBI level facilities who are in charger of smaller, more classic government programs in the other districts. Those programs are more important than the ones in charge of them though honestly.

#the hunger games #hunger games #hunger games au #Hunger Games Future Headcannon #Hunger Games Headcannon #Panem #Panem Headcannon

11 notes · View notes

mello-t-befan · 11 months ago

Text

youtube

The video accompanying this project (turn the english subtitles ON ^^)

If, like me, you grew up watching the animated series of the 2000s, those broadcast on Disney Channel should be among your favorites. There was a bit of everything : spin-offs for the films of this experimental period of the studios, "Kim Possible" for the adventurers among us, "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" for space-opera fans and urban fantasy fans were entitled to "American Dragon: Jake Long" !

In my new pitch, the world would be mostly like how it is in the original series. Except that not all dragons have the charge of a specific territory. This is the role of the Dragon Protectors, trained and formed to defend magical beings and humans from each other. And if a Potential is particularly worthy, then the Great Council of Dragons designates them as some place's Protector and entrusts them to a familiar spirit, in charge of assisting them in their task. Under the tutelage of his maternal grandfather, Jake Long learns to control his dragon powers in New-York City so that he can become its Protector in the future. And as in the original series, it will be a semi-follow up story in which Jake will become aware of the responsibilities of a Dragon Protector, learn more about the magical world and face the setbacks of the transition to adulthood.

Name : Jake Long Age : 13 Occupations : middle-schooler, dragon in training Territory : New-York City Power/Abilities : acrobatics, skateboarding, dancing, transformation, ochre-colored flames, sharp senses, improvisation, flying, fighting Likes : skating, rap, hanging out with his pals, winning, his family, magical beings Hates : studying, losing, bullies/show-offs, his loved ones being hurt, the Huntsclan, the Dark Dragon

To read how I would rewrite him, just check the pitch ^^

Name : Luong Lao Shi Age : 60s Occupations : electronics store owner, ex-Dragon Protector Territory : Hong Kong (formerly) Power/Abilities : transformation, white flames, sharp senses, flying, fighting, magical knowledge, tinkering Likes : his family, magical beings, reading, disco Hates : his loved ones being hurt, the Huntsclan, the Dark Dragon, insolence, scammers, bad drivers Name : Fu Dog Age : 600 (approx.) Occupations : ex-familiar, pet/therapy dog Dragon charge : Luong Lao Shi Power/Abilities : speech, bipedal walk, magical knowledge, alchemy, bargaining, spying Likes : his family, magical beings, betting, winning his bets, romance, enjoying life Hates : his loved ones being hurt, the Huntsclan, the Dark Dragon, losing his bets, having debts, getting scammed, talking about the past

In my new pitch, Lao Shi is the former Protector Dragon of Hong Kong and Fu Dog was his familiar spirit. Except that after being seriously injured in his duel against the Dark Dragon, Lao Shi had to stop everything and Fu Dog was deprived of most of his powers for not having properly protected Lao Shi. Years later, as Jake shows that he inherited the dragon powers from their family, Lao Shi decides to train him to become the New York Protector Dragon and be ready should the Dark Dragon ever return. But is he really doing it to protect Jake, or is he doing it for revenge... ?

Name : Trixie "Trix" Carter Age : 13 Occupations : middle-schooler, DJ in training Territory : New-York City Power/Abilities : acrobatics, skateboarding, dancing, music mixing, improvisation, marketing Likes : her family, skating, being DJ, rap, hanging out with her pals Hates : her loved ones being hurt, biology, bullies/show-offs, stereotypes Name : Arthur "Spud" Spudinski Age : 13 Occupations : middl-schooler, busboy Territory : New-York City Power/Abilities : acrobatics, skateboarding, dancing, computer science, research, improvisation Likes : his family, skating, eating, rap, hanging out with his pals Hates : his loved ones being hurt, proving his intelligence, bullies/show-offs

In my new pitch, Trixie would be the band’s main music fan and would be the amateur DJ at the school parties; so I gave her a headset. For Spud I want to take the "lazy and weird but brilliant" approach. Namely that he pretends to be an average student -AVERAGE, not stupid- to camouflage his intellect known only to Jake and Tracy. That doesn’t stop him from playing with the school machines to have fun anonymously. The both of them will be Jake’s best friends since elementary school and then his partners once informed of his magical identity. Moreover, they will guarantee a certain simplicity/normality in the regime sometimes too strict to which Lao Shi submits him.

Name : Rose Age : 14 Occupations : middle-schooler, Huntsmaster's ward and apprentice Territory : New-York City Power/Abilities : acrobatics, combat, improvisation, weapons handling, dancing, acting Likes : reading, acting, variety music, being with friends Hates : magical beings, dragons, suck-ups, broccoli

In my new pitch, I would like to focus a little more on her heel-face turn. Rose grew up in hatred and disgust of magical beings, who were always designated as natural errors by the Huntsclan. Especially Dragons who, with their power of transformation, are insults to Humanity -from the Hunters' point of view, I mean. She's therefore convinced to act in the interest of mankin by helping these genocidal poachers. And when she learns that the boy for whom she developed a little crush is actually one of those monsters she was taught to kill on sight, you can imagine that her vision of life and the rest collapses in a huge crash. Will Rose accept to change her vision of things, or will she sink into the darkness she's always known ?

29 notes · View notes

reasoningdaily · 1 year ago

Text

Children still mining cobalt for gadget batteries in Congo

A CBS News investigation of child labor in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo has revealed that tens of thousands of children are growing up without a childhood today – two years after a damning Amnesty report about human rights abuses in the cobalt trade was published. The Amnesty report first revealed that cobalt mined by children was ending up in products from prominent tech companies including Apple, Microsoft, Tesla and Samsung.

There's such sensitivity around cobalt mining in the DRC that a CBS News team traveling there recently was stopped every few hundred feet while moving along dirt roads and seeing children digging for cobalt. From as young as 4 years old, children can pick cobalt out of a pile, and even those too young to work spend much of the day breathing in toxic fumes.

What's life like for kids mining cobalt for our gadgets?

So, what exactly is cobalt, and what are the health risks for those who work in the DRC's cobalt mining industry?

What is cobalt?

Cobalt – a naturally occurring element – is a critical component in lithium-ion, rechargeable batteries. In recent years, the growing global market for portable electronic devices and rechargeable batteries has fueled demand for its extraction, Amnesty said in its 2016 report. In fact, many top electronic and electric vehicle companies need cobalt to help power their products.

The element is found in other products as well.

"Cobalt-containing products include corrosion and heat-resistant alloys, hard metal (cobalt-tungsten-carbide alloy), magnets, grinding and cutting tools, pigments, paints, colored glass, surgical implants, catalysts, batteries, and cobalt-coated metal (from electroplating)," says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than half of the world's supply of cobalt comes from the DRC, and 20 percent of that is mined by hand, according to Darton Commodities Ltd., a London-based research company that specializes in cobalt.

Health risks of chronic exposure

According to the CDC, "chronic exposure to cobalt-containing hard metal (dust or fume) can result in a serious lung disease called 'hard metal lung disease'" – a kind of pneumoconiosis, meaning a lung disease caused by inhaling dust particles. Inhalation of cobalt particles can cause respiratory sensitization, asthma, decreased pulmonary function and shortness of breath, the CDC says.

The health agency says skin contact is also a significant health concern "because dermal exposures to hard metal and cobalt salts can result in significant systemic uptake."

"Sustained exposures can cause skin sensitization, which may result in eruptions of contact dermatitis," a red, itchy skin rash, the CDC says.

Despite the health risks, researchers with Amnesty International found that most cobalt miners in Congo lack basic protective equipment like face masks, work clothing and gloves. Many of the miners the organization spoke with for its 2016 report – 90 people in total who work, or worked, in the mines – complained of frequent coughing or lung problems. Cobalt mining's dangerous impact on workers and the environment

Some women complained about the physical nature of the work, with one describing hauling 110-pound sacks of cobalt ore. "We all have problems with our lungs, and pain all over our bodies," the woman said, according to Amnesty.

Moreover, miners said unsupported mining tunnels frequently give way, and that accidents are common.

Miners know their work is dangerous, Todd C. Frankel wrote late last month in The Washington Post.

"But what's less understood are the environmental health risks posed by the extensive mining," he reported. "Southern Congo holds not only vast deposits of cobalt and copper but also uranium. Scientists have recorded alarming radioactivity levels in some mining regions. Mining waste often pollutes rivers and drinking water. The dust from the pulverized rock is known to cause breathing problems. The mining industry's toxic fallout is only now being studied by researchers, mostly in Lubumbashi, the country's mining capital."

"These job are really desired"

Despite the dangers and risks of working as miners in the cobalt industry, at least of the some miners in the Congo "love their jobs," according to Frankel.

"When I talked to the miners there, none of them want to lose their jobs or give up their jobs. They love their jobs," Frankel said Tuesday, speaking on CBSN. "In a country like Congo, mining is one of the few decently paying jobs to be had there, and so they want to hold onto these jobs."

They also want fair treatment, decent pay, and some safety, "and they would love for their kids to not work in the mines," he said.

"It's a poverty problem," Frankel said. "These parents I talked to – they don't want their kids working in these mines. The problem is that their school fees – schools cost money, and you know, food costs money, and they sort of need their kids to work in there."

Poverty also drives children into the mines instead of school – an estimated 40,000 of them work in brutal conditions starting at very young ages.

The thousands of miners who work in tunnels searching for cobalt in the country "do it because they live in one of the poorest countries in the world, and cobalt is valuable," Frankel wrote in the Washington Post article.

"Not doing enough"

CBS News spoke with some of the companies that use cobalt in their lithium-ion batteries. All of the companies acknowledged problems with the supply chain, but said they require suppliers to follow responsible sourcing guidelines. Apple, an industry leader in the fight for responsible sourcing, said walking away from the DRC "would do nothing to improve conditions for the people or the environment."

Read company responses here

Amnesty said in November, however, that "major electronics and electric vehicle companies are still not doing enough to stop human rights abuses entering their cobalt supply chains."

"As demand for rechargeable batteries grows, companies have a responsibility to prove that they are not profiting from the misery of miners working in terrible conditions in the DRC," the organization said. "The energy solutions of the future must not be built on human rights abuses."

An estimated two-thirds of children in the region of the DRC that CBS News visited recently are not in school. They're working in mines instead.

CBS News' Debora Patta spoke with an 11-year-old boy, Ziki Swaze, who has no idea how to read or write but is an expert in washing cobalt. Every evening, he returns home with a dollar or two to provide for his family.

"I have to go and work there," he told Patta, "because my grandma has a bad leg and she can't."

He said he dreams of going to school, but has always had to work instead.

"I feel very bad because I can see my friends going to school, and I am struggling," he said.

Amnesty says "it is widely recognized internationally that the involvement of children in mining constitutes one of the worst forms of child labour, which governments are required to prohibit and eliminate."

#cobalt #PD Congo #PDR Congo #cobalt mining by children #amnesty university #The toll of the cobalt mining industry on health and the environment #Congo Economic Theft #minerals #rare earth minerals #tesla #iphones #cellphone batteries #ev batteries #lithium batteries #child labour #forced child labor #poverty #systemic racism

53 notes · View notes

qqueenofhades · 8 months ago

Note

Okay. So. I have a question about academia and completely understand if you’d rather set this one aside. It’s a bit of a long-winded one on my part.

I started a masters program abroad last fall but had to leave after the first term because of serious illness (compounded by homesickness and burnout of course of course). I’m so happy that I made that decision, despite it grating against everything I have been telling myself for years about what it takes to live a fulfilling life. In truth, my illness revealed that I’d thrown myself deeper into academia for the wrong reasons. I’m grateful to have that insight now.

However, I’ve also gained a lot of new insight now that I’ve been working a normal office job for several months now. It’s a good job, maybe a little too disorganized on the leadership side, but the pay is good and my supervisor is great.

But I’m also really missing my research and classroom discussions and academic library access. If I give grad school another try, I wont be filling out any apps until next winter. I definitely can recognize I need more time (plus I have an idea for a research paper that I’d love to use as a writing sample — my research interests shifted A LOT in the one semester I spent in school).

Of course, that’s also nerve-wracking, considering how poorly I handled grad school the first time around. In addition to that, there’s the frustration with how academia is treated both internally and externally, as well as the fact that the job market for professors is just.. not great.

All of this is to say, what would you tell a grad-school-dropout who’s thinking about making a comeback? Is it worth the money, the time, the job insecurity once the PhD is hanging on the wall?

Thanks so much for taking the time (and congrats on the new bed!!) <3

Welp. Hmm. As ever, I both deeply sympathize with your desire to return to academia and also want to stand on your shoulder as a little Kronk shoulder angel (and/or devil) going BUT ARE YOU SURE???

(Yes, as the most pathologically Eternal Academite possibly to ever, I have zero ability to tell anyone else not to do it, but just picture me as a Greek chorus of worms standing on the passage as your ship sails in, spookily singing BEEEEEEEEWARE.)

As you note, you have a reasonably fulfilling setup now, you're making decent-ish money (surely more than you would make as an academic, BUT LET US NOT TALK ABOUT THAT) and you crashed and burned the last time you tried grad school. Now, that is not a reason NOT to do it again, since as you point out, things have changed, you're in a better place, you know what you want out of the experience, you changed research interests, etc. All of that means that yes, it is possible that you can rejigger yourself and try again, but I would definitely advise taking it very carefully.

First of all, don't apply for a masters-to-PhD program directly, as that will put more pressure on you and lead to the feeling that you HAVE to finish it if you've applied for the terminal degree. Apply for a master's program in your new field, check out flexible or part-time options for attendance, see what the financial aid is like (I have by far the most student debt from my master's degree, not my BA or PhD, which is... not great) and everything else to see how you can best ease yourself back in and make sure that you haven't committed too much money, time, and irreversible changes if it all goes FUBAR again. Trust me, I KNOW that deep deep yearning for research, academic credentials, and library database logins; witness me singing to the heavens when I got this job and LO, ALL MY BELOVED ELECTRONIC JOURNALS RETURNED TO ME, I HAVE WANDERED IN THE DESERT. I'm researching a new book chapter now, 18 months-ish later, and I still get drunk with power over being able to JUST OPEN FULL TEXT PDFS and USE A UNIVERSITY LIBRARY TO ORDER OBSCURE ACADEMIC BOOKS. It really does just tickle some deep KNOWLIDGE!!! button in your brain, and I get it. I really very much do. So yes, if you still feel that itch despite all the Horrors of last time, it might be worth following up.

I would not recommend uprooting your entire life again to go somewhere else, unless you get a really gangbusters financial-aid offer and/or there's some compelling reason that makes it worthwhile. There may be a school nearer you that offers what you want and which may allow you to stay in your current place and work at your current job, even part-time. Or there might be an online option; plenty of reputable name-brand schools are expanding into online programs, so it's not just scammy diploma mills and the University of Phoenix in that arena. If you want to have the traditional campus in-person experience and don't feel as if a virtual degree is bang for your buck, that is something else to consider, but yes: do take it carefully, apply for only the master's first (as I have said before, if you can be happy doing anything other than a PhD especially in the humanities, please do that), see what your part-time options are, don't rush, reach out to faculty at some potential schools, reach out to the financial aid department, generally do your homework and make sure it feels right. I'm absolutely not going to say don't do it, since as noted that would make me a blazing hypocrite. Just take the hard-earned lessons of last time and put them to careful and thoughtful use, and I'm sure you'll discover what's best for you.

Good luck!

#anonymous #ask #school stuff #academia: not even once

10 notes · View notes

dailyanarchistposts · 7 months ago

Text

J.4.7 What about the communications revolution?

Another important factor working in favour of anarchists is the existence of a sophisticated global communications network and a high degree of education and literacy among the populations of the core industrialised nations. Together these two developments make possible nearly instantaneous sharing and public dissemination of information by members of various progressive and radical movements all over the globe — a phenomenon that tends to reduce the effectiveness of repression by central authorities. The electronic-media and personal-computer revolutions also make it more difficult for elitist groups to maintain their previous monopolies of knowledge. Copy-left software and text, user-generated and shared content, file-sharing, all show that information, and its users, reaches its full potential when it is free. In short, the advent of the Information Age is potentially extremely subversive.

The very existence of the Internet provides anarchists with a powerful argument that decentralised structures can function effectively in a highly complex world. For the net has no centralised headquarters and is not subject to regulation by any centralised regulatory agency, yet it still manages to function effectively. Moreover, the net is also an effective way of anarchists and other radicals to communicate their ideas to others, share knowledge, work on common projects and co-ordinate activities and social struggle. By using the Internet, radicals can make their ideas accessible to people who otherwise would not come across anarchist ideas. In addition, and far more important than anarchists putting their ideas across, the fact is that the net allows everyone with access to express themselves freely, to communicate with others and get access (by visiting webpages and joining mailing lists and newsgroups) and give access (by creating webpages and joining in with on-line arguments) to new ideas and viewpoints. This is very anarchistic as it allows people to express themselves and start to consider new ideas, ideas which may change how they think and act.

Obviously we are aware that the vast majority of people in the world do not have access to telephones, never mind computers, but computer access is increasing in many countries, making it available, via work, libraries, schools, universities, and so on to more and more working class people.

Of course there is no denying that the implications of improved communications and information technology are ambiguous, implying Big Brother as well the ability of progressive and radical movements to organise. However, the point is only that the information revolution in combination with the other social developments could (but will not necessarily) contribute to a social paradigm shift. Obviously such a shift will not happen automatically. Indeed, it will not happen at all unless there is strong resistance to governmental and corporate attempts to limit public access to information, technology (e.g. encryption programs), censor peoples’ communications and use of electronic media and track them on-line.

This use of the Internet and computers to spread the anarchist message is ironic. The rapid improvement in price-performance ratios of computers, software, and other technology today is often used to validate the faith in free market capitalism but that requires a monumental failure of historical memory as not just the Internet but also the computer represents a spectacular success of public investment. As late as the 1970s and early 1980s, according to Kenneth Flamm’s Creating the Computer, the federal government was paying for 40 percent of all computer-related research and 60 to 75 percent of basic research. Even such modern-seeming gadgets as video terminals, the light pen, the drawing tablet, and the mouse evolved from Pentagon-sponsored research in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Even software was not without state influence, with databases having their root in US Air Force and Atomic Energy Commission projects, artificial intelligence in military contracts back in the 1950s and airline reservation systems in 1950s air-defence systems. More than half of IBM’s Research and Development budget came from government contracts in the 1950s and 1960s.

The motivation was national security, but the result has been the creation of comparative advantage in information technology for the United States that private firms have happily exploited and extended. When the returns were uncertain and difficult to capture, private firms were unwilling to invest, and government played the decisive role. And not for want of trying, for key players in the military first tried to convince businesses and investment bankers that a new and potentially profitable business opportunity was presenting itself, but they did not succeed and it was only when the market expanded and the returns were more definite that the government receded. While the risks and development costs were socialised, the gains were privatised. All of which make claims that the market would have done it anyway highly unlikely.

Looking beyond state aid to the computer industry we discover a “do-it-yourself” (and so self-managed) culture which was essential to its development. The first personal computer, for example, was invented by amateurs who wanted their own cheap machines. The existence of a “gift” economy among these amateurs and hobbyists was a necessary precondition for the development of PCs. Without this free sharing of information and knowledge, the development of computers would have been hindered and so socialistic relations between developers and within the working environment created the necessary conditions for the computer revolution. If this community had been marked by commercial relations, the chances are the necessary breakthroughs and knowledge would have remained monopolised by a few companies or individuals, so hindering the industry as a whole.

Encouragingly, this socialistic “gift economy” is still at the heart of computer/software development and the Internet. For example, the Free Software Foundation has developed the General Public Licence (GPL). GPL, also know as

“copyleft”, uses copyright to ensure that software remains free. Copyleft ensures that a piece of software is made available to everyone to use and modify as they desire. The only restriction is that any used or modified copyleft material must remain under copyleft, ensuring that others have the same rights as you did when you used the original code. It creates a commons which anyone may add to, but no one may subtract from. Placing software under GPL means that every contributor is assured that she, and all other uses, will be able to run, modify and redistribute the code indefinitely. Unlike commercial software, copyleft code ensures an increasing knowledge base from which individuals can draw from and, equally as important, contribute to. In this way everyone benefits as code can be improved by everyone, unlike commercial code.

Many will think that this essentially anarchistic system would be a failure. In fact, code developed in this way is far more reliable and sturdy than commercial software. Linux, for example, is a far superior operating system than DOS precisely because it draws on the collective experience, skill and knowledge of thousands of developers. Apache, the most popular web-server, is another freeware product and is acknowledged as the best available. The same can be said of other key web-technologies (most obviously PHP) and projects (Wikipedia springs to mind, although that project while based on co-operative and free activity is owned by a few people who have ultimate control). While non-anarchists may be surprised, anarchists are not. Mutual aid and co-operation are beneficial in the evolution of life, why not in the evolution of software? For anarchists, this “gift economy” at the heart of the communications revolution is an important development. It shows both the superiority of common development as well as the walls built against innovation and decent products by property systems. We hope that such an economy will spread increasingly into the “real” world.

Another example of co-operation being aided by new technologies is Netwar. This refers to the use of the Internet by autonomous groups and social movements to co-ordinate action to influence and change society and fight government or business policy. This use of the Internet has steadily grown over the years, with a Rand corporation researcher, David Ronfeldt, arguing that this has become an important and powerful force (Rand is, and has been since its creation in 1948, a private appendage of the military industrial complex). In other words, activism and activists’ power and influence has been fuelled by the advent of the information revolution. Through computer and communication networks, especially via the Internet, grassroots campaigns have flourished, and the most importantly, government elites have taken notice.

Ronfeldt specialises in issues of national security, especially in the areas of Latin American and the impact of new informational technologies. Ronfeldt and another colleague coined the term

“netwar” in a Rand document entitled “Cyberwar is Coming!”. Ronfeldt’s work became a source of discussion on the Internet in mid-March 1995 when Pacific News Service correspondent Joel Simon wrote an article about Ronfeldt’s opinions on the influence of netwars on the political situation in Mexico after the Zapatista uprising. According to Simon, Ronfeldt holds that the work of social activists on the Internet has had a large influence — helping to co-ordinate the large demonstrations in Mexico City in support of the Zapatistas and the proliferation of EZLN communiqués across the world via computer networks. These actions, Ronfeldt argues, have allowed a network of groups that oppose the Mexican Government to muster an international response, often within hours of actions by it. In effect, this has forced the Mexican government to maintain the facade of negotiations with the EZLN and has on many occasions, actually stopped the army from just going in to Chiapas and brutally massacring the Zapatistas.

Given that Ronfeldt was an employee of the Rand Corporation his comments indicate that the U.S. government and its military and intelligence wings are very interested in what the Left is doing on the Internet. Given that they would not be interested in this if it were not effective, we can say that this use of the “Information Super-Highway” is a positive example of the use of technology in ways un-planned of by those who initially developed it (let us not forget that the Internet was originally funded by the U.S. government and military). While the internet is being hyped as the next big marketplace, it is being subverted by activists — an example of anarchistic trends within society worrying the powers that be.

A good example of this powerful tool is the incredible speed and range at which information travels the Internet about events concerning Mexico and the Zapatistas. When Alexander Cockburn wrote an article exposing a Chase Manhattan Bank memo about Chiapas and the Zapatistas in Counterpunch, only a small number of people read it because it is only a newsletter with a limited readership. The memo, written by Riordan Roett, argued that “the [Mexican] government will need to eliminate the Zapatistas to demonstrate their effective control of the national territory and of security policy”. In other words, if the Mexican government wants investment from Chase, it would have to crush the Zapatistas. This information was relatively ineffective when just confined to print but when it was uploaded to the Internet, it suddenly reached a very large number of people. These people in turn co-ordinated protests against the U.S and Mexican governments and especially Chase Manhattan. Chase was eventually forced to attempt to distance itself from the Roett memo that it commissioned. Since then net-activism has grown.

Ronfeldt’s research and opinion should be flattering for the Left. He is basically arguing that the efforts of activists on computers not only has been very effective (or at least has that potential), but more importantly, argues that the only way to counter this work is to follow the lead of social activists. Activists should understand the important implications of Ronfeldt’s work: government elites are not only watching these actions (big surprise) but are also attempting to work against them. Thus Netwars and copyleft are good examples of anarchistic trends within society, using communications technology as a means of co-ordinating activity across the world in a libertarian fashion for libertarian goals.

18 notes · View notes

moose-mousse · 1 year ago

Text

So I made an app for PROTO. Written in Kotlin and runs on Android.

Next, I want to upgrade it with a controller mode. It should work so so I simply plug a wired xbox controller into my phone with a USB OTG adaptor… and bam, the phone does all the complex wireless communication and is a battery. Meaning that besides the controller, you only need the app and… any phone. Which anyone is rather likely to have Done.

Now THAT is convenient!

( Warning, the rest of the post turned into... a few rants. ) Why Android? Well I dislike Android less than IOS

So it is it better to be crawling in front of the alter of "We are making the apocalypse happen" Google than "5 Chinese child workers died while you read this" Apple?

Not much…

I really should which over to a better open source Linux distribution… But I do not have the willpower to research which one... So on Android I stay.

Kotlin is meant to be "Java, but better/more modern/More functional programming style" (Everyone realized a few years back that the 100% Object oriented programming paradigme is stupid as hell. And we already knew that about the functional programming paradigme. The best is a mix of everything, each used when it is the best option.) And for the most part, it succeeds. Java/Kotlin compiles its code down to "bytecode", which is essentially assembler but for the Java virtual machine. The virtual machine then runs the program. Like how javascript have the browser run it instead of compiling it to the specific machine your want it to run on… It makes them easy to port…

Except in the case of Kotlin on Android... there is not a snowflakes chance in hell that you can take your entire codebase and just run it on another linux distribution, Windows or IOS…

So... you do it for the performance right? The upside of compiling directly to the machine is that it does not waste power on middle management layers… This is why C and C++ are so fast!

Except… Android is… Clunky… It relies on design ideas that require EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM AND APP ON YOUR PHONE to behave nicely (Lots of "This system only works if every single app uses it sparingly and do not screw each-other over" paradigms .). And many distributions from Motorola like mine for example comes with software YOUR ARE NOT ALLOWED TO UNINSTALL... meaning that software on your phone is ALWAYS behaving badly. Because not a single person actually owns an Android phone. You own a brick of electronics that is worthless without its OS, and google does not sell that to you or even gift it to you. You are renting it for free, forever. Same with Motorola which added a few extra modifications onto Googles Android and then gave it to me.

That way, google does not have to give any rights to its costumers. So I cannot completely control what my phone does. Because it is not my phone. It is Googles phone.

That I am allowed to use. By the good graces of our corporate god emperors

"Moose stares blankly into space trying to stop being permanently angry at hoe everyone is choosing to run the world"

… Ok that turned dark… Anywho. TLDR There is a better option for 95% of apps (Which is "A GUI that interfaces with a database") "Just write a single HTML document with internal CSS and Javascript" Usually simpler, MUCH easier and smaller… And now your app works on any computer with a browser. Meaning all of them…

I made a GUI for my parents recently that works exactly like that. Soo this post:

It was frankly a mistake of me to learn Kotlin… Even more so since It is a… awful language… Clearly good ideas then ruined by marketing department people yelling "SUPPORT EVERYTHING! AND USE ALL THE BUZZWORD TECHNOLOGY! Like… If your language FORCES you to use exceptions for normal runtime behavior "Stares at CancellationException"... dear god that is horrible...

Made EVEN WORSE by being a really complicated way to re-invent the GOTO expression… You know... The thing every programmer is taught will eat your feet if you ever think about using it because it is SO dangerous, and SO bad form to use it? Yeah. It is that, hidden is a COMPLEATLY WRONG WAY to use exceptions…

goodie… I swear to Christ, every page or two of my Kotlin notes have me ranting how I learned how something works, and that it is terrible... Blaaa. But anyway now that I know it, I try to keep it fresh in my mind and use it from time to time. Might as well. It IS possible to run certain things more effective than a web page, and you can work much more directly with the file system. It is... hard-ish to get a webpage to "load" a file automatically... But believe me, it is good that this is the case.

Anywho. How does the app work and what is the next version going to do?

PROTO is meant to be a platform I test OTHER systems on, so he is optimized for simplicity. So how you control him is sending a HTTP 1.1 message of type Text/Plain… (This is a VERY fancy sounding way of saying "A string" in network speak). The string is 6 comma separated numbers. Linear movement XYZ and angular movement XYZ.

The app is simply 5 buttons that each sends a HTTP PUT request with fixed values. Specifically 0.5/-0.5 meter/second linear (Drive back or forward) 0.2/-0.2 radians/second angular (Turn right or turn left) Or all 0 for stop

(Yes, I just formatted normal text as code to make it more readable... I think I might be more infected by programming so much than I thought...)

Aaaaaanywho. That must be enough ranting. Time to make the app

#PROTO #codeblr #programming #Softeware #Kotlin #Kotlin is.... so bad....

31 notes · View notes

mohitbisresearch · 1 month ago

Text

The global inductive power transfer system (IPT) market is evaluated $27.5 billion in 2024, is projected to expand at a CAGR of 26.1%, to reach $280.5 billion by 2034.

#Inductive Power Transfer System Market #Inductive Power Transfer System Report #Inductive Power Transfer System Industry #Electronics and Semiconductor #BIS Research

0 notes

trendingjournals · 12 days ago

Text

US Tech Stocks Stabilize After DeepSeek AI App Disrupts Market

US tech stocks held steady on Tuesday after experiencing a sharp decline on Monday, triggered by the unexpected rise of the Chinese-made artificial intelligence (AI) app, DeepSeek.

Shares of chip giant Nvidia, which had fallen sharply on Monday, rebounded by 8.8% as experts suggested the AI market selloff may have been an overreaction. Investors were quick to adjust their positions after DeepSeek claimed its AI model was developed at a fraction of the cost of its competitors' offerings.

The news sparked concerns over the future of America's AI dominance and raised questions about the scale of investments US companies are planning. US President Donald Trump described the situation as "a wake-up call" for the tech industry, while also suggesting that the development could ultimately be beneficial for the US economy. He remarked that if AI models could be produced more cheaply while delivering the same results, it would be a positive outcome for the country.

Trump downplayed concerns, emphasizing that the US would remain a key player in the AI field. The surge of optimism around AI investments has fueled much of the US stock market's growth over the past two years, prompting fears of a potential market bubble.

DeepSeek, launched just a week ago, quickly became the most downloaded free app in the US. Its rise comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and China over AI technology, with the US restricting the export of advanced AI chips to China.

Chinese AI developers, facing limited access to these chips, have shared research and explored alternative approaches that demand less computational power. This has led to the creation of AI models that are significantly cheaper to produce, challenging industry norms and threatening to disrupt the market.

Nvidia, the leading provider of advanced chips used in many AI applications, was hit hardest by the market selloff. Its share price dropped 17% on Monday, erasing nearly $600 billion from its market value.

Analysts, including Janet Mui of RBC Brewin Dolphin, explained that investors typically respond with caution to groundbreaking developments due to uncertainty. However, she noted that the cheaper AI models could benefit tech giants such as Apple and other firms, who have faced scrutiny over their high AI investments.

After the initial shock, US stock markets stabilized on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, the S&P 500 gained nearly 1%, and the Nasdaq saw a 2% increase. In the UK, the FTSE 100 closed 0.35% higher. Meanwhile, AI-related stocks in Japan, including Advantest, SoftBank, and Tokyo Electron, saw sharp declines, contributing to a 1.4% drop in the Nikkei 225. Several Asian markets remained closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, with mainland China's markets set to reopen on February 5.

DeepSeek's Founder: Liang Wenfeng

DeepSeek was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng in Hangzhou, China. The 40-year-old, an engineering graduate, also established the hedge fund that financed the development of the AI app. Liang recently attended a meeting with industry leaders and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. In a July 2024 interview, he expressed surprise at the sensitivity surrounding the pricing of his AI models, stating that the company had simply focused on cost-efficient development and pricing without anticipating such a reaction from the market.

#USTechStocks #DeepSeek #Nvidia

3 notes · View notes

ishaanveeresh · 1 month ago

Text

Buying a Premium Refurbished MacBook Pro in Bangalore with Insurance!

If you’ve been considering upgrading to a MacBook Pro but are hesitant due to the hefty price tag of a brand-new device, refurbished options might just be the ideal solution. For those in Bangalore, the market for refurbished electronics, including MacBooks, is steadily growing, offering a blend of affordability and quality.

Why Consider a Refurbished MacBook Pro? Refurbished MacBook Pros are pre-owned devices that undergo a rigorous testing and repair process to ensure they meet performance standards. They’re perfect for professionals, students, or anyone seeking high-performance laptops without breaking the bank. Whether you need it for video editing, graphic design, coding, or general productivity, a refurbished MacBook Pro can handle it all with ease.

One of the main advantages is cost savings. Buying refurbished allows you to access premium Apple hardware at a significantly reduced price. Additionally, many sellers in Bangalore now offer warranties and after-sales support, giving buyers peace of mind.

Where to Find Quality Refurbished MacBooks in Bangalore Bangalore is a tech-savvy city, making it a hotspot for reliable refurbished electronics. You’ll find numerous local stores and online platforms specializing in certified pre-owned gadgets. When selecting a seller, always ensure they provide:

Certification: Look for certified refurbished devices that guarantee quality and reliability.

Warranty: A minimum 6-month warranty is essential for a worry-free purchase.

Customer Reviews: Check online reviews or ask for references to ensure the seller is reputable.

Return Policy: A flexible return policy is crucial in case the product doesn’t meet your expectations.

Some platforms even offer benefits like easy EMI options, product insurance, and doorstep delivery, making the buying process seamless and convenient.

What to Check Before Purchasing When buying a refurbished MacBook Pro, keep the following in mind:

Condition of the Device: Inspect for physical damages and test its performance.

Battery Health: Ensure the battery still holds a good charge.

Specifications: Confirm the model, storage, RAM, and other features align with your needs.

Software Updates: Check if the device supports the latest macOS updates.

The Growing Trend of Sustainability Opting for a refurbished MacBook Pro isn’t just a smart financial decision, it’s also an environmentally friendly choice. By purchasing refurbished electronics, you’re contributing to the reduction of e-waste, a growing concern in urban hubs like Bangalore.

Final Thoughts Buying a refurbished MacBook Pro in Bangalore is an excellent way to get a high-quality device at an affordable price. With trusted sellers and the availability of warranties, you can make a purchase with confidence. Whether you’re a student, professional, or tech enthusiast, a refurbished MacBook Pro can offer the performance and style you need without the premium price tag.

If you’re exploring your options, take your time to research and compare. A trusted seller can make all the difference in your experience. Invest smartly and enjoy the power of a MacBook Pro without compromising on quality or budget. For more information do visit: https://www.shofus.com/

#iphone #laptops #macbook #mobile #refurbished laptops in india #second hand laptops #shofus

2 notes · View notes