Science & Technology

The most conventional technology now being used in order to produce a good quality biodiesel requires a higher grade feedstock such as canola or soybean oil.  Because of their lack of availability production is limited and so also the location of the plants where the biodiesel can be used.  However now biodiesel and technology are begining to work side by side and are looking for others ways in which it can be produced.

There are companies across the world who are looking at alternative products to use in the production of biodiesel and one such company is BBD who are able to utilise feedstocks from local multiple sources.  Also instead of using the conventional method of adding caustic chemicals and a water wash cycle in order to produce biodiesel they have now found a new method instead.

The proprietary technology that they use is a self contained hyper efficient high volume continuous flow production method which has not caustic chemicals and no toxic waste water to dispose of.  Because of this their production costs are much lower and the time it takes to produce the biodiesel have been reduced.

Where are previously to produce 28,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel a day would need several acres of open land in order to evaporate the amount of water that was needed to wash the fuel and the fuel storage needs to be larger in order to accommodate the batch production.  However, with BBD they have a 8′ x 40′ module in which they can process 28,000 gallons of fuel per day.  Thus making the storage tanks they use for the feedstock oils and the finished fuel are much smaller because of their continuous technological improvements.

A benefit of the BBD equipment is that it contains over 100 computer sensors and monitors the production at all times to ensure that the fuel produced meets ASTM D-6751 standards  so the quality of their diesel is to a much higher standard than that produced by conventional manufacturing methods.  They are also able to quickly and easily increase or decrease production volumes in order to meet demand.

Also as biodiesel is a natural solvent it is actually better for a cars engine.  Although in the beginning when changing over to biodiesel an car owner will need to change the fuel filter more often until such time as the biodiesel has stripped away the petrol varnish residue that has built up on the engine.

But as you can see from above biodiesel and technology can easily work side by side and hopefully make the world a little greener as technology advances even further where biodiesel is concerned.

The infra structure of technology has not quite reached puberty. The very best is yet to come. In particular I am referencing Internet technology and mobile access to the world wide market place of information and support system that enables total remote access. Additionally, the use of technology in the field of medicine, health care and other related services.

The list of products and services in the pipeline of small, medium and large companies is astounding.  Within the field of technology is the corner stone of all the products is security software and services. The talk on Wall Street is that technology stocks are ripe for investing in todays market.  This piece of information is noteworthy, but having watched the exuberance of gross gains in the last decade go blow , not all technology stocks are the same.

The specific areas that appear in my opinion to be situated well for future growth are in health care related stocks, multi-media and graphic software, security software, networking and communication devices and specialized areas of electronics.  There are other categories, but these areas of technology are poised for future gains in my opinion.

Health Care Related Stocks:

Imagine the future of delivering health care services. The physician practicing in a remote town in Alaska who can consult with a specialist located at John Hopkins Medical Center. In real time the rural doctor can send and receive vital radiological and metabolic tests and results. Imagine medical scientists, physicians and university medical centers consulting on their data enable mobile phone devices.  Some of these technologies exist today, but the future is going to be fantastic.

In the small cap arena several health care delivery stocks are generating interest. Mediware Information Systems is a $7 stock that will likely double in the foreseeable future. It trades under the stock symbol MEDW on the NASDAQ stock exchange.  This relatively small company has a huge presence in the hospital services area.  MEDW has three components in its software applications all that aid hospitals and physicians to track and modify drug orders, blood management and perioperative functions.  These tools are used extensively in the United States and their application is being applied in other countries including African nations.

Another interesting low cost health care information technology stock is HLTH Corp. it trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker HLTH.  The way most consumers recognize this health technology stock is by its subsidiary WebMD.  HLTH Corp. is the data management behind WebMD.  The company is diversified in that it has public services as well as private accounts for paid customers like Blue Cross Blue Shield.  It also supports a payee and bill service for health care providers.  The company is valued at 2.6 billion dollars and employs over 2200 employees.  Its current price is $14.60 and the growth potential is solid.

Multi-Media & Graphic Stocks:

The name Konami may not be familiar to most people, but it is the underpinning to virtually all of the video games utilized on all platforms. Konami trades on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker KNM. Its primary function is the development, distribution, publishing and marketing of video games around the world. It is based in Tokyo and has been virtually unscathed by fluctuations in the Tokyo Exchange.

Recently it announced the development of a mobile platform for its most popular games that will be available on September 8, 2007 through AT& T and other mobile phone carriers.  The video game industry is only going to get better.  The stock sells for approximately $24 a share. Another stock to watch is Electronic Arts that trades under the ticker ERTS.

There are various ways to invest in the technology area. Some brokerage houses do offer technology index funds that include a cross section of technology companies.  The other method is simply to pick stocks from the technology sector that offer sustained growth, good value and potential for the future.

By now most people will have heard of the plasma screen and how it works. But there are some facts that may surprise you.

For example, did you know that a plasma screen if showing a bright picture - perhaps a football match - will use more power than if you are watching a darker screen - such as a night scenes in a movie?

Most of todays’ plasma screens can be set to a certain “mode”. “Shop” mode uses twice as much power as when the set is set to “home” mode. Make sure your dealer works this out for you before you take the set home.

The newer generation of plasma screens are estimated to last about twenty seven years of “normal” viewing. After this they are probably still watchable but will not be as bright and clear as they were originally.

The picture quality of the plasma screen is due largely to the contrast between light and dark colors.

Some industry players quote the difference as twenty thousand to one although it would be hard for the human eye to notice if it was anything else.

These screens also show a truer “black” than their predecessors because of the technology being used.

However, the brightness and sharpness of the image is very pleasing and makes this a “must have” in a lot of homes today.

One word of caution though. Brightness settings should never be elevated to its highest level. This will significantly shorten the lifespan of your monitor.

When people are physically sick, they usually go to the doctor and have their bodies assessed for whatever pain or sickness they have.  When people are mentally or emotionally disturbed, they usually go to a counsellor, psychiatrist or psychological to alleviate their emotional anguish and psychological distress.

However, there is an alternative technology that offers both healing and improvement of physical, emotional and mental health.  This alternative technology is better known as subliminals.

What Are Subliminals?

The theory behind the utilization of subliminals is that the messages which are under a person’s visual level or audio level will be received directly by the “unconscious” mind, thus by-passing conscious detection and evaluation.  People who listen to subliminal tapes just hear music or sounds from nature, such as waves, waterfalls, chirping birds, rustling leaves, dolphin calls, etc on the surface.

Underneath these music or nature sounds are subliminal verbal messages and affirmation that are inaudible to cognisant perception. According to this theory, the “subconscious” mind can and will tell apart the inaudible verbal messages from the audible sound messages, react to them, and act upon them.

The concept of receiving messages unconsciously through finer discerning mechanisms unavailable to the conscious mind is founded on Sigmund Freud’s theory of the unconscious.

Freud proposed that the driving force behind human behavior is the unconscious mind. He described the mind as being like an iceberg. The mass below the surface is referred to the unconscious mind and the conscious mind is referred to as the “tip” of the iceberg.  Freud emphasized that the unconscious mind makes up most of the human brain, what is obvious and conscious is only a small part of the wholeness of a person. Hence, the promoters of the alternative technology of subliminals are fundamentally Freudian.

What Do Subliminals Offer?

Through the use of subliminal messages and recordings, the supposed power of the Freudian-invented unconscious is said to be at work.  Individuals are told that they can be able to lose weight, stop smoking, improve their sleep, improve their sex life, overcome phobias and fears, relieve and totally eliminate stress, reduce migraines, etc.

Some subliminals even suggest cures for cancer, as well as liberation from physiological problems. Although such promises seem to be a rip-off to some people, there are actually some individuals who are willing to testify about the effectiveness of subliminals.  There is an ongoing debate on whether subliminals are really effective or not.

In spite of the partial deficiency of scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of subliminals, they have grown to be quite accepted among Christians. There are now available “Christian” subliminal tapes distributed by a number of Christian “ministries.”

Instead of using the customary Drink Coke or Eat Popcorn advertising subliminal messages, the Scripture is used along with, or in place of, other messages. These Christian subliminal promoters guarantee about the same things as their secular counterparts, with one exception; unlike their secular counterparts, they assert Christian rootedness and Christian spiritual aid for the listeners.

To conclude, alternative technologies subliminals are not 100% proven to be effective.  People are divided whenever the issue of subliminal messages arise.  Some would say that subliminal messages are just rip-offs and may be referred to as “placebos”.

However, some people would also say that subliminal messages are effective; they are not only believable because they don’t really target the conscious mind of individuals.

DVD player with Divx technology is the latest in the market. Divx works like MP3 with the only difference MP3 is for music and Divx is for videos. Millions of people all over the world are now using the Divx technology. It can be matched with DVD outputs. It can support DVD, CD, CD-R, CD-W and Mp3. It has parental lock facility so that you can restrict your children to view the selected movies only especially when you are not at home. It has wireless remote control system and can provide digital output.

Divx represents Digital video express and it is most suitable for viewing children movies and old favorite collections. It enables the users to view digitally encrypted movies. Now there are more disks available in the market that can be viewed only in DVD player with Divx technology.

DVD with Divx technology comprises 25 % of the total market. But it is believed that the number will increase. This is because many people want to watch the movies in their living room on TV. Divx technology provides more entertainment experience with digital outputs. Divx technology is the most widely used technology at present all over the world. More than 100 million people are using this technology and nearly 2 billions divx files are currently online.

This technology is mostly consumer oriented and can compress video file 10 times more than MPEG files. The Divx technology based video files can be used in any Divx certified electronic devices from the most popular manufacturers like Sony, Philips, Toshiba and Pioneer.

DVD players with Divx technology has got world wide support and it provides real value to the user by offering high quality and high compressed video files. It enables the entire film to fit on a single CD and can be used with any broadband connections.

One of the best features of Divx is its compatibility to all DVD outputs. You can use Divx to back up DVD’s on your player without sacrificing the quality. This will be of great user for an user when he does not have DVD burner. You can store DVD quality movies in normal CD-R disks with Divx. It enables easy searching through search engine.