Cricket targets Target with Muve Music phones

Samsung Vitality

What’s that sound you hear? It’s the tune of Cricket Wireless selling smartphones with all-you-can download music plans from yet another retail giant.

Starting today, nearly 1,600 Target stores will carry the Samsung Vitality and ZTE Score on Cricket’s network. Both
Android smartphones feature Muve Music, the unlimited music and ringtone download plan that Cricket pioneered in January 2011.

Target is selling the Samsung Vitality for $99.99 and the ZTE Score for $69.99 (for the record, we prefer the Vitality.)

In addition to unlimited song downloads, ringtones, and ringback tones, the $55 per month plan also gets you nationwide calling, unlimited text and multimedia messaging, and 3G data.

The Squeezed Middle: Exploring the Future of Library Systems

Workshop Format
The role and functions of the LMS are, to say the least, fairly well embedded in the workflows and everyday business of the academic library. It’s a cliche to invoke the paradigm word, but it could be argued that much of the discussion within this space is caught up in a historic paradigm that has, for a long time, prevented the evolution (let alone revolution) of this business critical system.

The format of the workshop aimed to disrupt this paradigm.
The workshop began with some contextual information on the current library systems landscape.  The first day of workshop was divided into two group discussion sessions focused around four themes: Space, Collections, Systems and Expertise.
The workshop watched a short video presentation by Lorcan Dempsey of OCLC that provided some business modelling context to the discussions. Lorcan’s full video is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzxA4vdJYok&context=C3b48ce9ADOEgsToPDskJJB-K_kohdSvm4fK0yprv9
Each of the break out discussions sessions were interrupted by four ‘provocations’ from within and beyond the library world. These short, provocative presentations were designed to help extend the discussions around library systems, and prevent the groups from falling back on long held assumptions and arguments. These future visions (they were meant to be a vision of the library world in 2020), were both very creative, and helped provide talking points for the groups.
An example of the presentations can be found on Paul Walk’s blog and Paul Stainthorp’s blog. The other two were by Ken Chad (Ken’s provocation can be found here) and David Kay, and all their presentations will be made available shortly.
The day ended with some ‘homework’ where delegates were asked to prioritise and comment upon some 60 ‘objectives’ on the future role and functionality of the LMS.
The second day was focused on cementing the discussions and explorations of the first day – groups prioritised some of the identified objectives from the homework exercise and slowly a number of critical themes emerged.

World's Most Advanced Container Vessels: Mærsk Line's Triple-E

Mærsk Line's Triple-E is not only the world's largest container vessel, but also boasts world record energy efficiency. Triple-E incorporates a 'twin skeg' or two-engine, two-propeller propulsion system with two 'ultra-long stroke' engines contributing to efficiency by operating at slower revolutions, thereby consuming about four percent less energy than the single engine / single propeller system used on the company's Emma Mærsk class vessels.
Coupled with other engineering advances, such as the ship's specially optimised hull and bow structures (which accommodate the lower operational sweet spot of the twin skeg propulsion system), as well as an advanced waste heat recovery system which captures and reuses energy from engine exhaust gas, the Triple-E achieves industry-leading environmental efficiency.
The waste heat recovery system effectively prevents the loss of 25% of the energy contained in the vessel's fuel by harnessing the hot exhaust gas before it escapes into the atmosphere.
This captured exhaust gas is used to turn turbines, creating mechanical energy to operate an electrical generator and reducing the engine's fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by roughly nine percent.

Manmade Satellites

Manmade satellites are classified by types, and there are over ten types. Some of the main types of satellite used today include astronomical satellites, communication satellites, earth observation satellites, weather satellites and space stations. Other types of satellites include those used to monitor earth from a military standpoint, and biosatellites, which may carry animals or other lifeforms for the purpose of research on earth lifeforms in space. Navigational satellites are now popular and form a vital part of the global positioning system (GPS) now available in many cars.

Further distinctions exist to describe the type of orbit a manmade or natural satellite has. For example, Pluto has a slightly elliptical orbit. Also a satellite is often classed by what primary object it orbits. A satellite that circles the Earth has a geocentric orbit, for example. The earth, and the planets in our solar system are classed as having a heliocentric orbit since they circle the sun.
A manmade satellite can serve many purposes. We currently use many different types of satellite systems to track things like weather, to make our cellphones work, to find out how to get somewhere and to gather more information about earth, and about the galaxy. About 5000 manmade satellites currently orbit earth, and on clear dark nights, it’s often possible to see one in the night sky. Of course, viewing a planet, the stars, or comets is also viewing a satellite. We also must remember, we live on a satellite, and are not stationary in the sky.