![[Electronix Express Logo]](http://www.elexp.com/buttons/exp_sml.gif){kind=small}
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
To Alpha. Index
To Manuf. Index
To Category Index
Part No. Index
WEB SPECIALS
NEW PRODUCTS
VIEW CART
Welcome to the October 2007 Issue of the Electronix Express Newsletter
STORIES |
|
|||||||
Some of the top findings include 86 per cent of respondents citing the use of USB flash drives as the device most often used to exchange data between computers. Data-centric smart phones came in second. The use of iPods in the workplace ranked high amongst respondents with 61 per cent noting that they use their iPods while traveling or at work. But there was a lack of understanding as to the threat iPod use poses to an organization as more and more workers are using these devices for data storage and less for music listening. Today's iPods can hold up to 80 gigabytes of data.
Despite the fact that 67 per cent of all respondents believe that iPods are a security threat, 49 per cent said they would not take any preventative action to protect against potential breaches until they know the devices are more widely used to store business data.
In view of that, businesses are preparing for employee-owned notebooks with a thorough review of security, compliance and the application delivery architecture. By taking security precautions and investing in foundational security technologies now, enterprises can prepare themselves for increasing use of consumer devices, services and networks with their organization, and manage these risks. The only real solution is to increase core system and information security while relaxing user constraints and shifting responsibility to them. A 2006 Gartner survey of medium-sized businesses in six countries found that 42 per cent of organizations had policies or schemes allowing personally-owned PCs to connect to the corporate network, and this figure was higher in the U.S. (51 per cent) and U.K. (49 per cent).
The active ingredient in the fuel cell is sodium borohydride. The material splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then pushed through a membrane that extracts electrons. The sodium borohydride also stores hydrogen safely. Others are also working on similar solid storage systems for hydrogen.
Sources, however, say the company is probably working with quantum dots, tiny particles measuring a few nanometers, or tens of atoms, in diameter. Partly because of their small size, quantum dots can be highly sensitive to physical phenomena and can be used to trap electrons. Since solar panels work by wiggling electrons out of sunlight and transferring them to a wire, quantum dots in theory could work well in solar panels. Coming up with a solar material that can be applied to thin foils or sheets of plastic is one of the major goals in the solar industry. Most solar cells on the market today extract electricity from sunlight with silicon and are integrated into glass substrates, which is relatively heavy. First Solar uses a glass substrate too, but the active ingredient in its cells is cadmium telluride, which is currently cheaper. Quantum dots, however, remain highly experimental.
Cellulosic ethanol promises several advantages over corn-based ethanol. Making ethanol from forestry or agricultural waste does not involve the same intensive farming as corn, which requires more water and labor. Also, in the ongoing food-versus-fuel debate, cellulosic ethanol advocates say that forests don't compete for land with food crops.
The Soperton, Ga., plant will be using wood cast away by loggers. Tree branches will go into a large tank where enough heat and pressure are applied to the mix to turn it into a gas. That synthetic gas is treated and then passed through a chemical catalyst which converts the gas to alcohol. Finally, the alcohol gas is converted to fuels and then turned into liquid. The Georgia plant will be completed next year and will be capable of making 20 million gallons of ethanol a year. It intends to later expand to 100 million gallons per year. It is estimated that the state has enough wood residue from tree farming and milling to create 2 billion gallons per year.
Although solar and wind energy are the best-known renewable energies, generating power from biomass is getting a closer look, as societies try to diversify their fuel sources. AgriPower's combined heat and power system was originally envisioned for developing countries that could burn agricultural wastes to make electricity and heat. The multi-piece unit includes a large feed hopper that holds 5 tons of material, and a high-temperature incinerator that vaporizes biomass as it comes in. The resulting heat can be used to turn a turbine to make 300 kilowatts of electricity. The heat can also be used to power other processes like heating.
There are already large-scale combined heat and power systems that use biomass as fuel to make on-site electricity. Incinerating municipal waste to make power is also done in almost 90 locations in the United States, according to the Solid Waste Association of North America.
Copyright © 1996-2004 Electronix Express
A Division of R.S.R. Electronics, Inc.
365 Blair Road
Avenel, New Jersey 07001
Phone 1-800-972-2225 (In NJ 1-732-381-8020)
Fax 1-732-381-1006; 1-732-381-1572
To Top Of Page