Gold is such a magical rare metal. If you’ve ever picked gold up in its purest form you’ll know that it can hold your fascination and is a thing of beauty. The Incas even referred to gold as ‘tears of the Sun’ because it represented the power of their Sun god.
Part of the allure of gold is that it is very rare. In fact, the world pours more steel in a single hour than there has been gold poured in the history of mankind. Gold never rusts and it makes for a good conductor of heat and electricity. If you’ve ever bought a pair of earphones and noticed that the jack is coated with gold, this is the reason why – it makes an excellent conductor.
Around 85% of gold is still in circulation from when gold mining began. Therefore, the gold necklace or ring you are wearing could well have been part of an ancient civilisation’s  jewellery item or decorative item. People have always been fascinated by gold. Even Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus were motivated by discoveries of gold, just as much as the thrill of exploration. There has only been 161.000 tons of gold mined from the past until now.
In the U.S.A. the California gold rush gets the most publicity, but it was not the first gold rush, however. The North Carolina gold rush was the first large-scale gold rush.
Gold is such a malleable and pliable metal that it can even be made into sewing thread. The ancient Egyptians even called it ‘the indestructible metal that was the excrement of the gods.
Gold is edible and some people even decorate food with gold. The biggest gold nugget that has ever been found is the ‘Welcome Stranger’ that was discovered by John Deason and Richard Oates on February the 5th in Australia. The nugget had 2,248 ounces of pure gold and was 25 x 10 inches big, found just a few inches below ground level.
Gold is chemically inert and will not cause a skin reaction. However, if you do get a skin reaction from wearing gold, this is probably due to gold being mixed with alloys. The West in particular has almost an expected procedure to mix gold with alloys, whereas in places such as Thailand it is not popular to mix pure gold with alloys.
Seeing as one cubic foot of gold can weigh half a ton, when you see bank vault robbers on movies with swag bags full of gold bars running around, this is of course unrealistic.
The ancient Greeks were mystified by gold and concluded that it must be water mixed with sunlight. Alchemy, the quest to find a way to turn ordinary metals into gold was very popular in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance period.
Gold was discovered as early as around 5000 B.C., together with copper.
South Africa is the main supplier of gold to the world with mines reaching down to a maximum of 12,000 feet with temperatures within the mines reaching up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pure gold is so malleable and soft that you can even mold it into different shapes by hand.
Of course, gold makes a fine ‘safe haven’ investment and when any recession comes about, people rush to invest in gold. Gold will never lose its full value or be as risky as stocks and shares. Most investment advisors recommend investing between 10% to 25% of savings in gold. It’s better to have bought gold and have it in your possession rather than buying gold online.
There is only one situation in which gold prices would crash, and that’s if it ever becomes possible to mine asteroids. This is not likely to happen in our lifetime of course, but as an example a recent scan of the asteroid Eros, an asteroid nearby Earth, revealed that the asteroid held around 200 million tons of gold. Remember, that’s just one asteroid!
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net
The word â??laserâ? is an acronym for â??Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.â? Albert Einstein predicted the possibility of laser technology in 1917, but the first laser was not created until over 40 years later. When the technology was first developed, it was billed as “a solution looking for a problem.â? Since that time, hundreds of uses for lasers have been found, in such diverse fields as medicine, printing, music, steel fabrication, art and space technology.
In 1954, the maser was invented by scientists, including several who went on to win the Nobel Prize. Maser stands for â??Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.â? The maser was a precursor to laser technology, and amplified microwaves instead of light waves. The first laser, using amplified light waves, was developed by Dr. T.H. Maiman in 1960. Maimanâ??s laser used a flash tube that illuminated a ruby cylinder. The name â??laserâ? was coined by Gordon Gould, a graduate student of one the inventors of the maser. Gould claimed to have developed the laser before Dr. Maiman, but did not file for a patent at the time of his claimed invention.
Diverse uses were quickly found for the new technology. The first medical use of a laser occurred in 1961, when doctors used a ruby laser to destroy a tumour. In 1965, only five years after it was first invented, a laser was put to use as a cutting tool on industrial diamonds. Since that time, lasers have also been used to cut such diverse materials as steel, titanium, paper, wood, fabric, glass and crystal. Lasers are also commonly used for engraving and drilling.
Throughout the 1960s, different types of lasers were developed, using a wide range of gases and other substances, and featuring differing methods of amplification. Lasers were first used as a visual art medium in the late 1960s, in laser light shows and light sculpture. In 1971, the first laser printer was invented, followed closely by the laser scanners that are found in most retail stores today. Fibre optic cables, which use laser technology, began to replace standard telephone lines in the late 1970s.
In 1982, the music industry was revolutionized by the introduction of the compact disk, which is played by striking the surface with a laser. DVD and Blu-Ray technology built upon the invention of the compact disk. Laser technology was utilized in the development of the modern computer, primarily in disk drives, disk burners, printers and scanners.
In the mid-1990s, lasers were first used to clean ancient statues and sculptures. This technology was modified from the process of laser engraving by using a weak laser that removes only the thin surface of grime and weathered material. Many ancient sculptures that were unable to be cleaned for fear of permanent damage were able to be restored and beautified. In 1997, Adele de Cruz, an associate professor of chemistry at Duke University pioneered the use of lasers to clean paintings. In a similar manner to cleaning sculptures, centuries of grime can be removed from paintings. Lasers can also read the materials present in the original paint, giving researchers a non-destructive means of analysing the substances from which the paint was made.
Lasers are used in many common products and industrial processes. Most people cannot go through their day without encountering numerous lasers, or using products created or improved by lasers. Although many great laser-based inventions have already been made, additional practical and beneficial uses of lasers are sure to be found in the future.
Featured images:
This article was supplied by Josh Hervall, a technology and history enthusiast and keen blogger. He writes for www.Fimark.co.uk, specialists in Laser Marking and Laser Engraving in the UK.
Courtesy of Shutterstock.
Modern smart phones could help you with almost anything. You can download apps to help you find the best restaurants in town, lose weight or even buy clothes. If youâ??re on a mission to redecorate your house, get inspired with various iPhone and iPad Apps. Explore modern technology to revolutionize your interior design. These apps would give you more interior ideas and designs to renovate your home than any design magazine.
Home Interiors Ideas HD
This design wizard is a must for anyone who wishes to redecorate a house. The app gives you access to hundreds of interior designs for a kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom, and pool area. You can go through a list of HD pictures, zoom in the details and highlight the original ideas. Bookmark and share these pictures via email. You will have a chance to customize these designs in your own apartment. This app was recognized a â??Top Paid iPad App of the Yearâ? in 2010. The app would provide you with the latest innovations in interior design industry.
Color Capture by Benjamin Moore and Co.
This is a great app to makeover your house. Benjamin Moore created this app to provide his customers with an ability to identify any color they like. Take a picture of the bright car on the street or a wall at your friendâ??s house, the app would identify the selected color with a paint color from Benjaminâ??s paint collection. No need to guess the right color for your living room. Now you will have a chance to get the exact color you like. You can also create your own color combinations or choose from the provided color options.
Dream Home HD
This app allows you to create your own virtual designs and see whether it would work for your room. Select your room type, color, light, style from the list of provided ideas. You can also add some decorative accents into your designs. The weekly update would provide you with a multitude designs from the leading interior designers.
Home Sizer
This great app would help you on the early stages of building your own house. It would calculate the square footage of your future house; estimate the cost per sqm and the amount of your mortgage payments. Even if youâ??re only thinking of building your house, this app would give you a clear idea of the process and its cost.
Houzz Interior Design Ideas
This app would give you access to one of the largest databases of interior design ideas. You can go through 70,000 pictures and ideas, get inspired and start renovating your apartment. You can search for designers, architects and even workers in your neighborhood. Bookmark your favorite design ideas and discuss their further implementation with your new designer. You can also connect with the local designer community in order to discuss your design troubles. This community has first-hand experience in design industry, thatâ??s why these professionals would be able to identify the problem and find the best solution.
Guest post by contributing author, Breton, working together with Worldmarket, a place for throw pillows.
NES Console System. CC Image courtesy of Evan-Amos. Source – Wikipedia
The Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the best consoles ever made. It is a favourite console to collect by retro console collectors and with good reason why.
Nintendo had the smart idea to market a console as basically a toy. They did this by making a bundle that came with the NES Zapper and of course ROB The Robot.
The NES actually is the western version of what Japan calls the Famicom.
Nintendo pretty much had the whole industry to themselves at this point and the console was a huge hit. While it was the Zapper and R.O.B. that got the console into the stores. It would be the monster hit that was Super Mario Bros that really made this become a world wide icon.
Nintendo changed everything. Many people in the 80â??s and even into the 90â??s would not ask â??do you play video gamesâ? they would ask â??do you play Nintendoâ? actually many people still to this day call all video games Nintendo.
On many greatest consoles of all time lists the NES comes out on top. This is not just down to nostalgia either as many great gaming franchises started on this console. And lets not forget it was the NES that brought the video game industry out of the crash of 83. While it is far from the first video game console ever made. Very few could argue the point that the NES is the most important video game console ever made.
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
1984
The look of the NES was unlike any other video game console and this was done on purpose. Nintendo knew that a new game console would not be wanted by retailers. So they designed the NES very differently to the consoles that came before it.
It actually resembles a toy VCR. It is a grey box with a nice black stripe and of course that iconic red Nintendo logo on the cartridge slot. The cartridge slot on the NES is a front loading mechanism. This is an iconic feature of the console and it can be a real pain for many gamers. You are not a real gamer unless you have blown into a NES cartridge to get it to work. Overall the look of this console is the definition of classic. The classic box design is one that will always be fondly remembered for as long as gaming is around.
The controller was an absolute game changer. They were just like the controllers on the Japanese Famicom, but they felt a little thicker and chunkier. Once you had played a game using a NES controller it really was hard to go back to using a regular joystick.
R.O.B. The Robot. CC Image courtesy of Evan-Amos -source Wikipedia
Speaking of controllers, the amount of peripherals for the NES is absolutely insane. There is no way I could list them all as that would be another 1000 word article. But the most notable ones are probably the NES Advantage which was an arcade stick that had turbo buttons. This thing was a beast, but it is probably the best arcade stick for the console. As well as this there was a NES MAX; this was a turbo controller that has somewhat split decisions on whether or not it is good by the gaming community. Of course, we have the famous Power Glove. Which let you control games using motions. These are just tiny samples of what this console had in terms of its peripherals.
The main reason though above all else as to why the NES was so successful is because of the games. Mario Bros, Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania, Kid Icarus, Donkey Kong, Contra, Final Fantasy and many more games were all on the NES. As well as this, pretty much every single movie, TV and toy license that was under the sun had a game released on the NES. In all there are over 800 games for this system. The games were the pinnacle of 2D gaming and many of them still hold up well to this day. Every single gaming genre is covered on the NES. It has arguably one of the strongest video game libraries of any game console.
The NES is actually very easy to collect for. There are some really expensive games, but for the most part you can put together a decent NES collection on a fairly modest budget. Getting games boxed with manuals can be very expensive and as the boxes were made of cardboard getting them in great shape is going to cost you some serious money. But if it is just the games you are after then the NES is a great system to collect for.
In all the NES is more than just a game console, it is a classic icon and it will still be fondly remembered many years from now.
LG the South Korean company is up in arms and ready to fight it out in the mobile market.
Their mission is to sell approximately ten million smart phones in each quarter and double the sales of LTE devices by 2013. They have just declared their four tier strategy and by the looks of it, things are going to be very exciting for mobile phone geeks and enthusiasts alike. With this new strategy, LG hopes to cover all spectrums of the mobile world, from prices to sizes, to surprises! They have announced four ranges of LG devices, their recent additions to the amazing portfolio â?? The Optimus G series, Vu series, F series and L2 series.
Optimus G Pro:
- The LG Optimus Pro is already showing a lot of promise in the phamlet market and if critics are right; it may as well overthrow the Samsung Galaxy Pro II.
- It is 20 grams lighter in comparison to its competitor, although both are of a similar size.
- It comes with a 5.5 inch display which gives crisp and amazing quality experience for its users.
- With a quad-core Snapdragon processor of 1.7GHz, RAM of capacity 2GB and 18 megapixel camera, LGâ??s Optimus G pro is one beauty with brains.
 Optimus Vu:
- Although not much of a hit, LG is still plodding on with this range of phones, the first of which has the same 5.5 inch brilliant display and an aspect ratio of 4:3 which makes it ideal for reading documents as well as browsing the web.
- At the moment there are two Vu phones in the market; the second one has already been launched in Korea.
Optimus F:
- There are two ranges of phones in the market currently-the F5 and the F7.
- Â Both have dual-core processors and an internal storage space of 8GB.
- These Android devices are made for those users who are about to make the shift from 3G to 4G connectivity.
- The F7 has better configurations with a 1.5 GHz processor and a camera resolution of 8 Megapixel.
Optimus LII (2):
- This series of phones prioritize on LGâ??s exclusive design capabilities.
- There are three smart phones in this tier â?? the L3II, L5II and L7II.
- These phones have a processor of 1.4 GHz, a camera of 8 megapixels, RAM of 768 MB and a storage capacity of 4GB.
- All of them work on the Android Jelly Bean software.
- Their display screens are smaller on an average, as compared to the other phones in the previous three tiers.
- These 3G phones flaunt bold artistic qualities and are miles ahead of their predecessor, the LG Optimus L.
- These stylish phones have flawless layouts and curves that are molded with precision while the star attraction is the LED lighting.
These new ranges of phones definitely seem worthwhile, and while users are excited to get their hands on all of them, time will tell whether the hard work of the LG engineers will bear the expected fruits.
You can visit the online newsroom of LG to get more information on mobile offerings for 2013.
Tim Johnson is head buyer for an electronics retail chain in Brisbane. He spends most of his hours testing new gadgets and home equipment before deciding which ones to carry in the stores. Smartphones are his current favourite.
Image courtesy of domdeen / freedigitalphotos.net
Being in the market for a decent and reasonably priced mobile phone may mean that you’re not considering a Windows phone.
There are a couple of good reasons for that, firstly because older Windows phones were notoriously bad and difficult to use, and secondly because they tend to be expensive. But the Nokia Lumia range has changed all that. Updates to the Windows operating system have made it more reliable and easier to use, and the Lumia line contains both phones that are top of the line and ones that are more affordable options. To prove our point we put the Nokia Lumia 900 up against the Motorola Motosmart, a similarly priced Android device, to see exactly how they compared. What we found is that if you’re looking for a good deal on a mobile phone, then you really might want to think about a Windows phone…
What the Nokia Lumia 900 Does So Well…
The biggest advantage of the Lumia probably lies in its screen. The Lumia has a bigger display, which measures in at 4.3 inches, rather than just 3.5 inches on the Motorola. But you also get a screen that has two and a half times higher resolution and more than thirty per cent more PPI (pixels per inch). These two things mean that the display on the Lumia is noticeably brighter, sharper and better defined than that on the Motosmart. The built in camera is also higher resolution, it’s 8 MP (as opposed to just 3 MP on the Motorola) making for better quality photos that have more fine detail. Another big advantage is the massive amount of storage space on the Nokia. For some reason, Motorola thought that a smart phone could operate efficiently with only 168 MB of memory. The Nokia has 16 GB. That’s an awful lot more music, photos, games and videos that you can store on your device. Plus, you get faster maximum data speeds on the Nokia, meaning quicker downloading and faster opening of web pages…
What the Motorola Motosmart Can Do…
The Motosmart does have a couple of advantages of its own though. Firstly, because it’s an Android phone, you get access to a lot more apps. The Android App Market contains around seven and a half times more apps than the Windows Phone Marketplace. You also get newer Bluetooth support on the Motorola, which is equipped with Bluetooth 3.0 rather than the older 2.1 version on the Nokia. If you use Bluetooth frequently, such as with hands free, that means faster data transfer and that your phone uses less battery power when connecting to these devices. There’s a lot more stand by time on the Motorola, which averages twenty one days of stand by time per battery charge cycle, rather than twelve and a half days on the Lumia; if you don’t use your phone often, than means less battery charging. Finally, the Motosmart comes in lighter and smaller, but then it does have a smaller screen…
What’s the Best Deal?
Indisputably, the Nokia is by far the best deal. Particularly with all that extra storage space, but the better screen quality doesn’t hurt either. Don’t be put off by a Windows phone, they really have changed.
Phil Turner has been asked to look out for a Nokia Lumia for a friend. He has found contract deals where the phone comes free that look pretty good.
With so many contracts around to choose from it can be difficult to find the right one. And after wading through the details of so many people will begin to wonder why they should bother with a contract at all.
Those who regularly use their phone will find that they are much better off on a contract. These often have plenty of call minutes and text messages included as part of the deal so that there are no extra charges unless you go over the set number for each of these. This way costs can be kept low and the user will not need to worry about running out of minutes or money, which is always the danger with a pay as you go mobile.
Upgrades
Contract phones are also great for making sure that you can keep up to date with the market. The mobile phone market is changing all the time and manufacturers regularly bring out new handsets. This can be hard to see when they cost a few hundred pounds each to buy and you feel as though you are stuck with your outdated model. However, with a contract phone you can upgrade your handset when the contract runs out and you can often get some of the latest models free of charge if you are prepared to commit to a new contract.
Budgeting
A contract phone also makes it much easier to manage your budget. There is a set monthly fee for the phone and you agree to this for a set period of time. It can be 12, 18 or 24 months. You only pay more than this amount if you go over your minutes or free texts or if you use services that are not included as part of your contract.
Most contracts will also allow you a certain amount of time using online services such as internet and email and this can be a problem for heavy users if the data usage is low on the contract as there will be charges. If you think you are going to use online services quite a bit then you need to look for a contract that allows unlimited data usage.
Choice!!!
As there are so many contract providers to choose from, you need to look carefully at what everyone is offering. You can be sure that they will all tell you that their deals are the best, but each one is different and what suits one person will not necessarily suit another. Make sure that there are no hidden extras included such as insurance and be sure that you know what you are signing up for before you sign anything.
The last thing you need is to get a contract believing that you get 500 minutes a month only to discover when it is too late that the contract only provides 100 minutes. For most people, a contract deal is the best way to go and with the variety of handsets on offer, you can be sure that once you have found the deal for you, you will not be disappointed.
Phil Turner has a Tesco phone on Pay as You Go but as his usage is creeping up he is looking at contract phones
Image courtesy of stockphoto / freedigitalphotos.net
Purchasing a new mobile phone is a complicated process, and it’s not helped by the fact that companies offer new models all the time, and service providers are always giving discounts.
It’s pretty easy to make a decision based on finances alone. After all, we all want to save money nowadays. But that might not always be the right decision. Saving money can mean that you lose out heavily on features that could make a difference to you. And buying a phone that you quickly come to regret is not a real saving, as you’ll be tempted to trade it in as soon as you can.
We looked at the Sony Xperia Tipo, a mid-range phone that’s offered steeply discounted by most service providers and compared it to the HTC One SV, a new offering from HTC, that runs more expensive than the Xperia. Is spending the extra cash worth it? Keep reading to find out.
What the HTC One SV Does So Well…
The One SV does a lot of things well. It’s far faster than the Xperia, running a 1200 MHz processor over the 800 MHz processor on the Sony, making it more powerful and snappier. It also runs double the RAM, making it more responsive and enabling it to better handle multi-tasking or running more than one process at a time. You also get faster maximum data speeds, meaning you get quicker downloading and faster opening of web pages. The screen is larger, 4.5 inches as opposed to 3.2 inches. Not only that, but it’s better quality to, having three and a half times higher resolution and forty per cent more PPI (pixels per inch). This makes for a display that’s noticeably brighter, more colourful and crisper than that of the Xperia. The in-built camera is also higher resolution, its 5 MP (rather than the 3.2 MP on the Sony) taking photos that are better quality and have more fine detail. You have newer Bluetooth support (the HTC runs Bluetooth 4.0, the Xperia 2.1), which means you get faster data transfer and that your phone uses less battery when connecting to Bluetooth devices such as hands free sets. You also get more internal storage, the HTC has 8 GB of memory, the Sony only 2.9 GB. That means you can store more music, photos, data and games on your device. Finally, the One SV is also around thirty per cent thinner than the Sony. A pretty great package.
What the Sony Xperia Tipo Can Do…
Not a lot really, despite running the same Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. It is a little smaller and around twenty per cent lighter than the HTC, but it does have a far smaller screen, which is probably why.
Should I Spend the Money?
Definitely – The savings you make on the Sony Xperia Tipo just don’t make up for the huge loss in functionality that you get in return. The HTC is faster, has a better screen, a better camera and more internal memory. Sometime you get what you pay for, and the HTC One SV is definitely a phone that you won’t come to regret, and is more than worth its price.
Phil Turner likes the idea of a free text and calls contract, but his current phone usage would not justify moving from PAYG.
Perhaps the mobile market was severely missing out on was a phone with a stylus. Sure, there are plenty out there but there was a niche for another one to fill. The Alcatel One Touch Scribe has not captured the imagination of the public or critics to a great degree though.
As touch screen mobile phones go it has reasonable specifications; a 1.2 GHZ quad core processer, a 5 inch high definition display, 1 GB of RAM and Jelly Bean as the operating system (Android). The statistics and specifications certainly make the phone look like a high end competitor.
The Look
This One Touch Scribe is covered in a glossy plastic bag casing. The look and feel isnâ??t really premium and certainly it doesnâ??t impress in the same way as many of the other phones in the industry do – such as the Google Nexus 4, the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (also spotting a stylus).
Using the Phone
The phone is relatively slick with a thickness of just 8.5mm.One touch operation is pretty simple, fits nicely in the hand and the power/ lock key is easily accessible to the phone.
The phone only comes with 4 GB of internal storage and 2GB is already taken up. So the internal memory is only 2GB. Fortunately there is an easily accessible microSD slot designed to increase the memory. It really is a bit of a puzzle why Alcatel have chosen to put so little memory in a phone that is clearly designed as a media power house.
Obviously the Jelly Bean interface is easy to get around and there is no navigation buttons just as Google phones and android phones. As with other Alcatel handsets, the operating system has its design altered with new styling and icons and a few new applications.
Operation is fast and navigation is simple. The keyboard and the touch screen default to the android version which is quite usable and known by many already.
The Screen
With such a massive 5 inch screen users who watch video on their phones will enjoy the experience. The screen does not match many of the competitorsâ?? though on image sharpness and definition and some may find it a bit of a letdown. The camera on the phone is 8 megapixels, on the back and provides reasonable image quality through the addition of an LED flash for situations where there is poor lighting. On the front there is a 1.3megapixel camera if you ever feel a little vain.
The stylus that comes with the phone is to all intents and purposes pointless. It looks like a pen, is clumsy and it is a waste of time. Like a pen you twist the nib for the pointy bit to come out and in reality the pointer isnâ??t much more accurate than your finger.
If you are looking for a phone with a stylus go for a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, if you are looking for a video playing phone go for a Google Nexus4 or HTC Droid DNA.
You should probably avoid this phone if you want to spend your money on things with a good value for money.
Phil Turner is looking at touch screen mobile phones for himself to replace his ancient flip phone.
Prev1...414243...100Next 
Page 42 of 100
 