Num Pang Chef Ben Daitz on Easy Drinking and What Pairs Well ...

Food and wine are natural companions, so I'm polling some of New York's most illustrious chefs to find out what kind of wine they are drinking off and on the job. After establishing they actually drink wine (a surprising number prefer beer!), I'm asking a few questions to find out who's got a penchant for Piedmont, which chefs dislike oaky Chardonnay, and why there is no right or wrong way to enjoy wine.

In today's installation of this series, I talk with Ben Daitz, chef and partner of Cambodian sandwich shop Num Pang.

Read more of this series:
-Wolfgang Ban of Seasonal, Edi and the Wolf, and The Third Man Talks Wine
-Anita Lo of Annisa
-Frank Prisinzano of Frank, Lil' Frankie's, Supper and Sauce

Village Voice: Do you drink wine at home?
Ben Daitz: Yes, regularly.

What types of wine do you like to drink? Any grape or style preferences?
I am a big fan of Ch?teauneuf-du-Pape and wines from the southern Rhone valley in France - they are mostly composed of Grenache, which I love. I also enjoy some California Cabs, Zinfandels and Syrahs. I tend to like fruit-forward, easy drinking wine with a little bit of complexity.

Are there specific bottles you love or drink on repeat?
I really love Kosta Browne California Pinot Noir and Robert Biale's The Black Chicken Zinfandel, and I drink those often. I also love Orin Swift's The Prisoner. If I could, I would drink Pierre Usseglio R?serve des Deux Fr?res--but it's too expensive to drink on repeat!

Do your preferences carry through to your wine lists?
I leave the wine list in my restaurants to the pros.

Where do you shop for wine?
I usually order from K&L Wine Merchants in San Francisco, or I go to Astor Wine & Spirits if I need something immediately.

Do you ever buy wine by the case?
I very rarely buy it by the case because New York City apartments don't allow me to collect the way I would like to be collecting!

Is there one perfect wine and food pairing for you?
Actually there are two: The first is Pierre Usseglio R?serve des Deux Fr?res Ch?teauneuf-du-Pape paired with a Peppercorn Crusted Venison Loin, which is incredible. The second is Ch?teau d'Yquem and Foie Gras, which is just simple but classic.

Anything else you want to add?
Just that I wish I had more space to collect because I absolutely love the aging process and seeing what time does to wine.

Source: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2013/05/ben_daitz_wine.php

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A tiny programmable fly's eye

May 21, 2013 ? A novel curved artificial compound eye (CurvACE) has been conceived by a collaboration implying researchers from CNRS, Aix-Marseille Universit?, EPFL at Lausanne, Fraunhofer Institute at Jena and Universit? de Tuebingen. Compared to single-lens eyes, compound eyes offer lower resolution, but significantly larger fields of view, thin package, and with negligible distortion. Futhermore, CurvACE has embedded and programmable vision processing.

This work has been published online on 20 May 2013 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

While consumer cameras are inspired from the single-lens mammalian eye, most animal species use compound eyes, which consist of a dense mosaic of tiny eyes. Compared to single-lens eyes, compound eyes offer lower resolution, but significantly larger fields of view, thin package, and with negligible distortion, all features which are very useful for motion detection in tasks such as collision avoidance, distance estimation, and landing. Attempts have recently been made to develop artificial compound eyes, but none of the solutions proposed so far included fast motion detection in a very large range of illuminations as insects do.

The novel curved artificial compound eye (CurvACE) features a panoramic, hemispherical field of view with a resolution identical to that of the fruitfly in less than 1 mm thickness. Additionally, it can extract images 3 times faster than fruitfly, and includes neuromorphic photoreceptors that allow motion perception in a wide range of environments from a sunny day to moon light.

Furthermore, the artificial compound eye possesses embedded and programmable vision processing, which allows customizable integration in a broad range of applications where motion detection is important, such as mobile robots and micro air vehicles, home automation, surveillance, medical instruments, and smart clothing.

CURVACE is funded by the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) programme within the Seventh Framework Programme for Research of the European Commission, under FET-Open grant number: 237940. The members of the consortium CurvACE are EPFL at Lausanne, Fraunhofer Institute at Jena, Universit? de Tuebingen, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Universit?.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/Amwp8YQehpQ/130521105402.htm

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The New Kinect Is So Sensitive It Can Read Your Heartbeat

Microsoft claims that the new Kinect is so sensitive that it can see the slightest movement of your wrists and fingers, the tension of your muscles and, amazingly enough, even your heartbeat.

So next time you exercise in front of the TV, it will be able to tell how much you are really working out. But I bet there will be a lot more to this feature, like a first-person shooter reading your heart beat and muscle tension to spook you at the right moment. And kill you for real.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-new-kinect-is-so-sensitive-it-can-read-your-heartbe-509073431

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Jessica Alba's Anniversary Message to Cash Warren!

The couple celebrates their special day! Check out other cute and candid moments from the stars.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-twitter-pictures/1-b-229669?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-twitter-pictures-229669

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Samsung has announced it's got a new 13.3-inch display with a staggering 3200 x 1800 resolution read

Samsung has announced it's got a new 13.3-inch display with a staggering 3200 x 1800 resolution ready to plop into new Ultrabooks. Take that, MacBook Retina and Chromebook Pixel.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/samsung-has-announced-its-got-a-new-13-3-inch-display-w-508842362

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7 Things Microsoft Learned From Star Trek | Pocketnow

Star Trek is one of the most widely praised science fiction series of the 20th century.? I highly doubt that anybody working in the technology industry today has never seen at least one episode of Star Trek.? As is often the case, fact follows fiction and all of those people who ever saw a Star Trek episode have often thought to themselves, ?Wouldn?t that be cool if we could really make that??

This week, Microsoft has been featuring some special Star Trek images and facts as part of an Easter Egg interface on Bing.com and of course the new ?Star Trek: Into Darkness? is being released to much fanfare.? Obviously Microsoft has a bit of a thing for the science fiction series, but it also shows in many of their products and latest innovations these days.

Back in the 1960?s, handheld computing and communications devices were extremely far away from reality.? From 2002-2007 Microsoft was the front runner in terms of developing the most powerful mobile computing and communications devices known as Smartphones.? And if you wanted to, you could even make them look like Star Trek tricorders.

Remember the Touch Diamond?

?

Most PCs, tablets and smartphones these days employ a slight variation on the original graphical user interface copied from Xerox in the 1980?s.? Everything is basically a layout of icons with intricate skeuomorphic designs and text labels underneath.? In the future, according to Star Trek, human-computer interaction design has evolved to a more modern and digitally-authentic style.

The computer user interface designs in Star Trek: The Next Generation employ brightly colored shapes on a black background.? Of course you can see how that style may have influenced the design of Windows Phone?s ?Metro? design language which has shown through on Windows 8 as well.? It?s simple and easy to read? and the future has always been about making things easier.

On Star Trek, everything runs on the same computing operating system called LCARS which stands for Library Computer Access/Retrieval System.? Whether you?re sitting at a desk, standing over a table, holding a tablet (?Personal Access Display Device?), tapping your communicator, or using voice commands in the holodeck, it?s all working together off of the same code base.? That?s the same kind of thing that Microsoft is trying to do.? With Windows Phone 8, Microsoft?s lightweight mobile operating system now shares the same powerful core as its high end desktop and datacenter server operating systems.? The unified operating system will probably also come to the living room in the form of a next generation Xbox as well.

Back in 2003, Microsoft?s Voice Command software for Windows Mobile was way ahead of its time in terms of functionality.? It was extremely impressive.? These days there are all sorts of speech recognition apps, but with Windows Phone 8, Microsoft again took it to the next level with a fully extensible built in speech UI that any 3rd party developer can teach new tricks by implementing some simple APIs.

While Windows 8 doesn?t quite have the same voice recognition capabilities as Windows Phone 8, Microsoft?s Xbox 360 does happen to share the same speech engine and learning method.? In other words, as you use Microsoft?s speech UI in the living room and on your phone, both are improved from the same data.

The Holodeck on Star Trek is one of the most amazing pieces of science fiction technology.? Essentially, a physical environment is replicated around you and moved beneath your feet as you move yourself.? In order to create something like that, the computer needs to be able to see your body and instantly alter the environment to your movements.? Programmed characters need to be able to ?see? you and react to your voice, gestures, or jump kicks.

Microsoft?s Kinect is really the first step towards this type of immersive gaming technology since it?s the first bit of technology that can put your actual body inside a video game.? If you don?t know what I mean, take a look at Kinect Party for the Xbox 360. That game puts you, your friends, and your living room into the game and allows you to interact with imaginary objects and environments as if they were real.

?Xbox, play Halo 14?

?

This one is a bit of a blow to the controversial and popular Google Glass wearable computing peripheral which has already been banned in a number of places preceding its public availability.? In the Star Trek universe, nobody wears this type of technology on their face at all times unless you?re blind and require a bit of extra technology just to see, although in the recent ?Star Trek: Into Darkness? movie, the characters? space helmets did provide some heads-up graphics while navigating.? In general, science fiction writers have known for a long time that a clear?view to another person?s eyes is an important part of social interaction and communication, so the heads up display eyewear really only makes sense in certain work-related scenarios.? On the other hand, the Borg wear electronic gadgets over their faces in order to stay constantly connected to the collective at all times, so maybe that kind of thing is in our future after all.

Geordi only wears these because he has to.

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Not once have I seen anyone on Star Trek look at a screen on their wrist in day to day life aboard a futuristic star ship. Microsoft did make smart ?SPOT? watches back around the turn of the century when watches in general had begun to die out, but they?re not likely to make a resounding comeback in the future.

Dick Tracy would still like a smart watch though.

Now that we?ve taken a look at a few things that Microsoft?may have?learned from Star Trek science fiction authors. What?s the next step?? Are food replicators on the horizon?? Holodeck version 2?? Smartphones built into a pin on your shirt?? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://pocketnow.com/2013/05/20/7-things-microsoft-learned-from-star-trek

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Kanye's 'Black Skinhead' Debuts On 'SNL,' One Day After Massive Video Project Hits Streets (VIDEO)

Kanye West performed on "SNL."

Kanye West hit the stage during the May 18 episode of "Saturday Night Live" to perform some new music.

The 35-year-old West performed a new track called "Black Skinhead," rapping the song in the middle of the show. Wearing a studded black leather jacket and jumping around in front of a screen that featured the words NOT FOR SALE intercut with barking dogs, the rapper worked his way through an energetic track that includes lyrics that are filtered through a loud-speaker effect. Censores seemed to miss West's use of the n-word, which made it to broadcast during the East Coast feed.

West also performed "New Slaves," a song that he debuted by projecting it on the sides of buildings across the world.

His stint on "SNL" was one that the musician seemed less than enthused about. In the promos for the episode, hosted by actor Ben Affleck, West appeared apathetic and serious.

He also addressed the gig at a recent performance. "Someone asked me, 'When you do 'SNL,' are you going to do a skit about the paparazzi and humanize yourself?'" West said during a show, referencing his recent run-in with the paparazzi. "What the f--k do I have to apologize for? When did I become inhuman? Or was it them demonizing me and harassing me that made me less than human?"

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/18/kanye-black-skinhead-snl_n_3299430.html

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Audit THIS! Tea Party groups to protest at IRS offices nationwide on Tuesday (Michellemalkin)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/306878966?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Martiza Lam: Hope for the Future

People are often surprised to learn that though I am ethnically Chinese, I was born and raised in Peru. My parents immigrated to Peru from China in the 1980s and married there. We lived in Peru until I was in the sixth grade. When I was 10-years-old, my mother, my youngest sister, and I decided to come to New York City for a short trip. My parents saw immediately that the best life possible for the three of their daughters was in New York. Even though we had our own business back in Peru, they decided to move us all to the United States the next year. For better or worse, we left Peru and never looked back. At that point, all I spoke was Spanish and Chinese, but New York became my new home.

I must confess that at the beginning, I was terrified of starting a whole new life. It meant making new friends and navigating a completely new environment. I didn't feel ready for any of it. On top of that, I was the eldest of three sisters, and the responsibility fell to me to help out at home. I started working at the age of 15 in a store, and I haven't stopped working since. But as the months passed, I started to get used to my new life. I made friends, I was in high school, and I began making plans for the future. It was a long struggle, but this new life began to feel as though it was mine.

During my sophomore year in high school, I realized that I was "undocumented." I was used to supporting myself and my family, but suddenly there seemed so many things I could not do. Just hearing my friends talk about getting their driver's licenses made me sad and angry. Soon after, it was time to apply for college. I had been on the honor roll in high school and intermediate school, and I was used to hard work. Then it hit me that I couldn't apply for financial aid because I didn't have a social security number. The only thing for me to do was to enroll in community college and keep working to pay the bills. Of course, I was already working to support my family. My parents and younger sisters needed the money I was earning, too. I had to choose between using that money for school or for my family, and after almost two years of college, I decided my family needed it more. I had to leave school, and I started working in restaurants.

In low-wage industry jobs, it often feels like your boss has all the power over you as a worker. This is even more extreme when you're undocumented. I kept my head up by giving back to the community and becoming involved in the immigration reform youth movement. Even though I have a full-time job, I volunteer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and I joined the undocumented youth group RAISE (Revolutionizing Asian American Immigrant Stories on the East Coast). Through RAISE, I had the chance to be part of the first Asian American contingent to attend the national United We Dream gathering in Kansas City last year. Hearing people in the same situation as me share their stories was incredible and made me want to do more.

While I haven't been able to finish college, I don't regret my choices in supporting my sisters with their dreams. One of my younger sisters is now pursuing her associate degree. My youngest sister is earning straight As in high school, and she hopes to be in the medical profession. I was so proud the day I signed the checks for both of their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications, and even more happy the days they were both granted DACA status.

My DACA status is still pending, as are my dreams of furthering my education. I've had to make some difficult choices. But I share my story in hopes that in the future, myself and others in my position will not feel trapped by our circumstances, and the future will offer us many more possibilities to choose from.

This blog post is part of a series by Raise Our Story, a project for sharing the uniquely beautiful stories of undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. The series has been collected by RAISE, the first pan-Asian group of undocumented young adults on the East Coast, to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. On May 20, RAISE will be presenting #UndocuAsians, a new film and theater performance by undocumented Asian American youth.

?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martiza-lam/hope-for-the-future_b_3299970.html

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Obama's Approval Rating Survives Scandal Week

Here's one place where the president didn't have a dramatic week: in his approval ratings. According to two polls ? the Gallup daily tracking poll, and a CNN/ORC International poll released Sunday ? Obama's approval rating has more or less remained steady as potential scandal upon potential scandal blew up the news cycle.?

RELATED: Obama's Second Term Isn't Dead Yet

First, here's CNN's poll, conducted over May 17-18. According to their survey, Obama's approval rating is at 53 percent. While that's a two percent rise since early April, the difference is within the margin of error of the survey, so we'll say that the president's approval rating here remained steady. Forty-five percent of Americans, meanwhile, disapprove of the job the president's doing.?

RELATED: What Are the Solutions to This Week's Scandals?

Gallup's results are similar. Right now, the president is registering a 50 percent approval rating, with a slight increase over the course of Scandal Week that's within the survey's margin of error. Here's Gallup's tracking polls, graphed, since the end of April 2013:?

RELATED: Obama's Scandal Pivot: Dare Congress to Actually Pass Laws

RELATED: Republicans Want to Slow Down the Scandals

But that doesn't mean Americans aren't paying attention to the administration's troubles this week. While a separate Gallup poll this week found that American attention to the Benghazi and IRS stories this week was actually below average for other news stories they've tracked, most Americans (54 percent for IRS and 53 percent for Benghazi) were following the stories either "very" or "somewhat" closely, and most (74 percent and 69 percent, respectively) believe both stories warrant further investigation. In the CNN poll, majorities of respondents believing the IRS and Benghazi stories (55 percent) are important to the nation, while 53 percent would say the same about the AP phone records story.

RELATED: Which House Committee is Investigating Which D.C. 'Scandal': A Scorecard

One further note: according to CNN's results, it looks like Americans are are at least a little less likely to buy that the Benghazi and IRS stories represent the exposure of a conspiracy on the part of the White House: While a majority (53 percent) of Americans are dissatisfied with the president's handling of the Benghazi attacks and the ensuing political aftermath, 50 percent believe that the administration's inaccurate statements after the attack represented what they believed had happened at the time. Forty-four percent believe the administration intentionally misled the American public. Similarly, 55 percent of Americans believed the IRS acted on its own to target "Tea Party" and "Patriot" groups for extra scrutiny, while 37 percent thought the agency was acting under the White House's orders.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obamas-approval-rating-survives-scandal-week-002337512.html

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Lawyer for accused singer: steroids had ill effect

VISTA, Calif. (AP) ? The lawyer for a California heavy metal singer accused of trying to hire someone to kill his estranged wife says the singer's mind has been ravaged by steroid use.

U-T San Diego (http://bit.ly/16EWVKZ) reports that the detail came to light during a Friday hearing for 32-year-old Timothy Lambesis, who has pleaded not guilty to solicitation for murder. A judge at the hearing reduced Lambesis' bail from $3 million to $2 million.

Prosecutors say Lambesis, frontman for Grammy-winning band "As I Lay Dying," paid $1,000 cash to an undercover detective posing as a hitman and gave instructions on how best to kill his wife.

Lambesis' attorney Thomas Warwick said in court that his client had gotten into body building and steroid use. He said Lambesis' thoughts were "devastatingly affected" by the drugs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawyer-accused-singer-steroids-had-ill-effect-041918206.html

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Former soap actor arrested for selling cocaine

Celebs

Randee Dawn TODAY contributor

4 hours ago

Getty Images file

Dylan Patton in 2010.

Dylan Michael Patton, who earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for his role on NBC soap "Days of Our Lives," was charged on Thursday with selling cocaine from his home, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The 20-year-old actor played Will Horton for just under a year on the long-running soap and also appeared in such TV series as "Cold Case" and "That's So Raven." He was arrested Tuesday after sheriff's deputies searched his family's home in Agoura Hills, near Los Angeles.

Horton now faces one count of possession for sale of a controlled substance and was slated to be arraigned on Thursday. The Times said he was expected to plead not guilty, and that he allegedly sold the cocaine within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.

California law's health and safety codespecifies that if heroin, cocaine or a cocaine-based substance are sold near a school (or place of worship or facilities with minors present) the penalties for the sale can be increased in severity.

Patton could face up to nine years in state prison if he is convicted, and prosecutors were expected to ask the judge to set bail at $30,000.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/ex-days-our-lives-actor-charged-selling-cocaine-out-home-1C9965351

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Authorities: Hofstra student killed by police

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) ? A New York college student being held by an armed home intruder was shot and killed by a Nassau County police officer who had responded to a report of a home invasion at an off-campus home, police said Saturday.

Andrea Rebello was shot once in the head Friday morning by an officer who opened fire after the masked intruder, Dalton Smith, pointed a gun at the officer while holding the 21-year-old junior in a headlock, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said.

The Nassau County police officer fired eight shots at Smith, who has what police have described as an "extensive" criminal background, Azzata said. Smith was hit by seven bullets and died. Rebello was shot once in the head, Azzata said.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale said he had traveled to Rebello's Tarrytown, N.Y., home to explain to Rebello's parents what happened.

Earlier Saturday, police announced that Smith, 30, was wanted on a parole violation related to a first-degree robbery conviction and had an arrest history dating back nearly 15 years.

The shooting came just days before the school's commencement ceremonies, which are scheduled to take place Sunday.

A university spokeswoman said Saturday students will be handed white ribbons to wear in memory of Rebello.

Rebello was in the two-story home with her twin sister Jessica, another woman and another man were when the Smith, wearing a ski mask, walked into the house through an open front door, Azzata said. The intruder allowed the third unidentified woman to leave and collect money from an ATM, and she called 911.

Two police officers arriving at the home encountered Smith holding onto Rebello.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/authorities-hofstra-student-killed-police-003456565.html

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Nearly 50 injured as Conn. commuter trains collide

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) ? Two commuter trains serving New York City collided in Connecticut during Friday's evening rush hour, injuring about 50 people, authorities said. There were no reports of fatalities.

The Metro-North Railroad, a commuter line serving the northern suburbs, referred in a news release to a "major derailment" near Fairfield, just outside Bridgeport. It said emergency workers were at the scene of the accident, which came shortly after 6 p.m.

Bill Kaempffer, a spokesman for Bridgeport public safety, told The Associated Press approximately 49 people were injured, including four with serious injuries. About 250 people were on board the two trains, he said.

Photos taken at the scene showed a train car askew on the rails, with its end smashed up and brushing against another train. Amtrak suspended service indefinitely between New York and Boston.

"At this stage, we don't know if this is a mechanical failure, an accident or something deliberate," Fairfield police spokesman Lt. James Perez told the Connecticut Post.

The railroad said a train that departed New York City's Grand Central station en route to New Haven derailed. A westbound train on an adjacent track then struck the derailed train. Some cars on the second train also derailed as a result of the collision.

Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett said everybody who needed treatment had been attended to, and authorities were beginning to turn their attention to investigating the cause.

"Everybody seemed pretty calm," he said. "Everybody was thankful they didn't get seriously hurt. They were anxious to get home to their families."

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates the Metro-North Railroad, the second-largest commuter railroad in the nation.

The Metro-North main lines ? the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven ? run northward from New York City's Grand Central Terminal into suburban New York and Connecticut.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nearly-50-injured-conn-commuter-trains-collide-004543984.html

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Carver Bank CEO Debbie Wright Interview - Business Insider

OneWire, a leading career site for finance professionals, has another installment of its Open Door video interview series out. This time, OneWire CEO Skiddy von Stade sits down with Deborah Wright, the President and CEO of Carver Bancorp.

Wright discusses her fascinating life story, from becoming one of the first African American children to integrate the Bennetsville, South Carolina school system, to running the largest publicly traded African American bank in the United States.

Wright recalls of her childhood,

?I think for me it was first or second grade when all of the big court decisions came down striking down ?Separate But Equal.? And so one Sunday morning, my father volunteered us to be one of the families that would be the first to integrate the Bennetsville elementary school system.?

After earning an AB, JD, and MBA from Harvard University, Wright went on to pursue an incredibly successful career that has spanned both the private and public sectors. Deborah began her career as an Associate at First Boston.

From there, she joined the business advocacy group, New York City Partnership, and was soon named to the New York City Housing Authority Board by Mayor David N. Dinkins. She went on to serve in the Giuliani administration and then headed the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation in 1996.

In 1999, Mayor Dinkins asked Wright to join Carver Bancorp as President and CEO. Wright says of Carver, ?The black banking industry?really comes out of an era of segregation? But that was then, and now is now...?

Watch Skiddy?s interview with Deborah Wright below or visit OneWire to watch more videos from the Open Door series, including interviews with executives such as Tony James, President and COO of Blackstone, and Bill Comfort, Former Chairman of Citigroup Venture Capital.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/carver-bank-ceo-debbie-wright-interview-2013-5

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Sector Snap: Makers of computer networking gear

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Investors snapped up the stocks of companies that make computer networking gear Thursday after industry leader Cisco Systems Inc.'s latest quarterly earnings raised hope that business is picking up after a long stretch of lackluster demand.

Cisco led the rally as its shares surged to their biggest one-day gain in 21 months. The stock had gained $2.59, or more than 12 percent, to $23.80 in afternoon trading.

Other computer networking specialists such as F5 Networks Inc. and Juniper Networks Inc. gained in a reaction to Cisco's solid performance during its fiscal third quarter and the upbeat commentary of Cisco CEO John Chambers as he discussed the results in a conference call held late Wednesday.

Chambers said the business climate in U.S. looks good while prospects in other parts of the world seem brighter too. Although he isn't an economist, Chambers has built a reputation on Wall Street for having a good handle on the ebb and flow of business cycles during his 18 years as Cisco's CEO. He is also in a good position to see the big picture because Cisco sell its routers, switches, software and services to corporate customers and government agencies around the world.

Chambers' remarks were "surprisingly bullish," said Sterne Agee analyst Alex Kurtz in a Thursday note to investors.

That's good news after letdowns that have alienated investors in the sector lately. The most recent disappointments included discouraging financial reports last month from F5 Networks Inc. and Radware Ltd.

But Wedbush Securities Rohit Chopra believes Cisco's performance and reassuring outlook signals that demand is not getting worse for the computer networking equipment market.

Other companies in the sector rallied. F5 Networks' stock gained $4.15, or 5.2 percent, to $84.05 while Radware shares added 58 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $15.88 in afternoon trading. Other rival companies benefiting from the renewed optimism included: Juniper Networks Inc., up 78 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $17.85; Riverbed Technology Inc., up 72 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $16.35; and Infoblox Inc., up 57 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $21.89.

Infoblox is scheduled to report its fiscal third-third quarter earnings on May 23.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sector-snap-makers-computer-networking-gear-191852351.html

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Google I/O 2013 opening keynote roundup: All Access music streaming, a vanilla GS4 and more

Phew. Day one of Google I/O is far from over, but there's already been an onslaught of news. While our editors are running around the floor, why not catch up on any bits of the opening keynote you may have missed? There's now a Galaxy S 4 with vanilla Android Jelly Bean for $649, a $9.99 per-month music subscription service and a host of updates for Google+, Play, Maps and others. Join us past the break where we've got it all neatly categorized for your viewing pleasure.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Google

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/u_hr6sCQX1g/

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Former NBA union head files suit against Fisher

Ousted NBA players' association executive director Billy Hunter alleges in a lawsuit that president Derek Fisher had a secret deal with owners during the 2011 lockout that benefited himself, his publicist and certain players.

Hunter contends that Fisher undermined Hunter's efforts to make an agreement and interfered with his position by secretly negotiating with select owners in violation of union bylaws.

Filed Thursday in California Superior Court, the suit seeks unspecified damages for defamation and breach of contract. It also names the National Basketball Players Association and Jamie Wior, Fisher's publicist, and says Fisher and Wior worked after the lockout ended "to terminate his employment without cause and in violation of his contract."

"Wior harbored aspirations to assume a position of responsibility with the NBPA," the suit says. "She set out to craft a new public persona for Fisher, taking control of his media appearances and public statements and encouraging him to overreach his authority."

Hunter was ousted in February following an investigation into his business practices that found no illegal conduct but cited several conflicts of interest, questionable business decisions and hiring practices. Fisher finished the season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"It's unfortunate that I must take this action against an organization where I had the privilege of working with many dedicated associates over 17 years," Hunter said in a statement. "I'm proud of our record of achievement on behalf of players during my tenure as Executive Director and will continue to stand up for their interests. But I cannot let stand attacks on my character or accept what has been done."

The suit says owners were aided by Fisher when they locked out players in July 2011 after the expiration of the last collective bargaining agreement. It says the veteran guard realized he could have been on his last contract as a player, so he wanted to secure a "soft landing" after his career by keeping good relations with the league and team owners, even while Hunter was committed to a firm stance.

"Unbeknownst to Hunter, however, Fisher was secretly negotiating with the Certain Owners ? on his own and without any authority ? to settle the negotiations on terms less favorable to the players," the suit says.

"The NBPA's Constitution and By-Laws vest in Hunter the sole right to conduct collective bargaining negotiations on behalf of the Union. Fisher's interference in the negotiations exceeded his authority and undermined the Union's negotiating power. Wior's interference was completely without authority or basis. Ultimately, the players accepted a new CBA that left them with a greatly reduced share of the NBA's revenues."

The lockout ended in November 2011 with players' receiving a 50-50 split of basketball-related income, after they were guaranteed 57 percent in the previous deal. The relationship between Hunter and Fisher at times seemed strained, with Fisher often speaking to reporters alone after bargaining sessions while Hunter left quickly.

Fisher said he had just learned of the lawsuit before meeting with reporters in Oklahoma City and didn't want to comment.

"Obviously in any type of legal situation, you have to be very careful about what you say. So, I guess at the appropriate time I'll be able to respond or make a statement," he said.

Wior and a union official didn't immediately return messages.

Hunter led the union since 1996 before he was voted out during the All-Star break with more than $10.5 million left on his contract.

___

AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-16-BKN-NPBA-Lawsuit/id-6d707936045242488e7a9d1aabb4b274

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CSN: Tribe makes Phils' Hamels pay for mistakes

BOX SCORE

As far as anyone can tell, there is nothing physically wrong with Cole Hamels. He isn?t injured and his mechanics are just fine. Manager Charlie Manuel said Hamels? repertoire of pitches still have the same zip on them like always.

Stuff-wise, Hamels still has it.

It?s just that he doesn?t always know where it?s going.

Hamels needed 106 pitches to get through five innings of the Phillies? 10-4 loss to the hard-hitting Cleveland Indians on Wednesday afternoon. The loss snapped the Phillies? season-best three-game winning streak and sent Hamels to 1-6 with a 4.61 ERA in nine starts (see Instant Replay).

Sure, the Phillies have scored just 17 runs in the 56 2/3 innings Hamels has been on the mound this season. But if the Phillies were going to give Hamels the run support he needed on Wednesday, they would have had to score a season-high in runs.

And obviously Wednesday wasn?t the Phillies? best game of the year.

In the meantime, Manuel and Hamels are left to ponder why the pitcher has had such a difficult time this year. Compounded with Roy Halladay?s injury that will sideline him for the majority of the season, the Phillies are having trouble in the one area where they were set up the best.

Now, the Opening Day starter is having trouble throwing strikes.

?If you look, the way he?s throwing the ball, I don?t think there?s nothing with his arm or nothing, because his velocity is good, he?s using his pitches,? Manuel said. ?Right now, the last few games, he?s having trouble locating his pitches, commanding his pitches, commanding the strike zone.?

Hamels allowed five runs on six hits, a pair of walks and a hit batsman on Wednesday. Of those six hits, five of them went for extra-bases, including two homers. Against the first 12 hitters he faced, Hamels was strapped with seven three-ball counts. Though the Phillies? offense answered with three runs to make it a 5-3 game when Hamels departed, the bullpen couldn?t keep it close.

Still, Hamels agrees with Manuel that his problems this season are related to his inability to throw strikes consistently. His 24 walks lead the National League and the nine homers he has allowed are tied with Halladay for the third-most in the league.

Headed into Wednesday?s game, Hamels? strike percentage was the lowest and his home-run rate is the highest it?s ever been.

Hitters are being patient against Hamels and he hasn?t been able to make them pay.

?I?m constantly making adjustments. I feel healthy, I feel strong. I?m able to throw all four pitches for strikes at times, but I?m not able to do it nine out of 10 times,? Hamels said. ?Especially when you?re not able to do it right off the bat to get ahead of the hitter, you?re not putting them in an uncomfortable at-bat and then you have to nibble away and that?s not what you want to do.

?That?s especially true with certain teams and hitters like Cleveland. They?re very patient hitters. Shoot, they?ve been hot for six weeks, so I just have to keep tinkering until it finally locks in and I feel comfortable with what I?m doing and confident in what I?m doing ? and I?m able to go out there and get the results.?

For now, the results haven?t been good. The Phillies are just 1-8 in games started by Hamels, compared to 21-10 in his outings last year. Combined with Halladay, the Phillies are 3-13 when the first two starters of the rotation take the mound.

Don?t cast all the blame on Hamels (or Halladay), though. In the last six games leading into Wednesday?s start, Hamels had allowed just 11 runs and the Phillies were still 1-5 over that span.

?It?s not all on Cole. I mean, he?s gone out and thrown some great games,? said Ryan Howard, who went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in the loss to the Indians. ?Today was one of those games that it just wasn?t in his favor today. But we?ve had times where the offense, we haven?t been able to pick him up. You can?t put it all on him.?

The Phillies look to bounce back on Friday when they open a three-game series against the hard-hitting Cincinnati Reds. Here?s how the pitching lines up for the series:

Friday -- Cliff Lee (4-2, 2.86) vs. Tony Cingrani (2-0, 2.89)

Saturday -- Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 2.47) vs. Bronson Arroyo (3-4, 3.76)

Sunday -- Jonathan Pettibone (3-0, 3.41) vs. Homer Bailey (2-3, 3.51).

Source: http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/hamels-hurt-location-issues-phils-loss-tribe

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Texas tornadoes: 6 dead, 7 missing, dozens injured, officials say

A man injured in a tornado is carried to an ambulance in Granbury, Texas, May 15, 2013. (Mike Fuentes/AP)

Officials and residents in north-central Texas had to wait until daybreak to assess the damage caused by a string of tornadoes that touched down Wednesday night, leaving at least six people dead, dozens injured and hundreds homeless.

At least seven people remained unaccounted for Thursday morning, Hood County spokesman Tye Bell said.

In Granbury, Texas, about 65 miles southwest of Dallas, about 50 people were injured, Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said at a midnight briefing. Of those, 14 were admitted to the hospital, and two were transferred to a hospital in nearby Fort Worth. Another 50 gathered at an elementary school in the town of about 8,000 to "have their injured children examined by paramedics," the Associated Press said.

[Slideshow: Deadly tornadoes rip through north Texas]

Some of the dead were found in houses, Deeds said. Others "were found around houses."

"There was a report that two of these people that they found were not even near their homes," he added. "So we're going to have to search the area out there."

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, many homes in the hardest-hit neighborhood in Granbury?Rancho Brazos?were constructed by Habitat for Humanity.

?Most of the neighborhood is heavily damaged to destroyed,? Deeds said. ?Very little is untouched.?

More from the AP:

Behind one house in the storm's path sits a detached garage stripped of much of its aluminum siding, the door caved in and its roof torn off. Siding was scattered up to 50 yards away, and bits of fiberglass insulation draped on a fence. A tree behind the house was stripped of most of its branches, and a vacant doublewide mobile home on an adjoining lot was torn apart.

"We were all, like, hugging in the bathtub and that's when it started happening," Elizabeth Tovar, a Granbury resident, told the news service. "I heard glass shattering and I knew my house was going. We looked up and the whole ceiling was gone."

Teresa Woodward, a reporter for Dallas-Fort Worth's WFAA-TV, surveyed the damage at sunrise.

Videos uploaded to YouTube show the Granbury tornado:

According to the National Weather Service, another tornado about a mile wide tore through Cleburne, Texas, about 25 miles southeast of Granbury. There were no reports of deaths and no immediate reports of injuries, according to Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain.

Yet another tornado touched down in Millsap, west of Fort Worth. There were no injuries there, either, though hail as large as grapefruit was reported.

A Vine video shared by Granbury resident Amy Castaneda showed a large piece of hail from the storm.

(Amy Castaneda/Twitter)

At least 10 tornadoes touched down in north Texas Wednesday, weather officials said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/texas-tornadoes-granbury-photos-video-121304415.html

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First precise MEMS output measurement technique unveiled

May 14, 2013 ? The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices. The cheap and easy to apply technique will be presented for the first time today at the TechConnect World Conference 2013 by a research team from Laboratoire national de m?trologie et d'essais (LNE) in France. The researchers believe it will help manufacturers improve product performance, develop new functionalities, reduce energy consumption of mass production, respond to market demands for miniaturization, and increase reliability of MEMS devices around the world.

MEMS are very small devices that can be used as remotely powered sensors to measure variations in the physical environment such as changes in force, light, or motion, or conversely as actuators that convert changes in energy back into motion. They generally range in size from 20 micrometres (20 millionths of a metre) to a millimetre and made up of components that interact with the outside environment such as microsensors, and a central unit that processes data allowing MEMS to make decisions based on the information they receive.

Today's applications are hugely varied but include:

• As accelerometers in airbag deployment systems for modern automobiles, detecting the rapid negative acceleration of the vehicle
• In inkjet printer heads, reacting to patterns of heat provided by electric current by dispensing tiny droplets of ink at precise locations to form the image on the paper
• In smartphones, measuring the rotation of the device to create an intuitive user interface

Despite these niche applications, the commercial growth of MEMS devices since their first development 50 years ago hasn't met expectations. This is partly due to a lack of understanding of the potential power requirements and outputs of these tiny devices. The problem is for many applications of MEMS the mechanical components must be embedded in protective wafer-level packaging. Without a way to access the mechanical system itself without breaking it, it is difficult for developers or customers to understand how to best utilise their product.

To address this issue, Dr Alexandre Bounouh and colleagues at the Laboratoire national de m?trologie et d'essais (LNE) in France, developed a brand new experimental set-up to gain accurate information on mechanical values and properties of any MEMS device through electrical measurement. LNE is one of seven national research centres across Europe that makes up the Metrology for Energy Harvesting Project. The project, funded by the European Commission through the European Metrology Research Programme represents the first co-ordinated international attempt to apply the principles of metrology (measurement science) to energy harvesting products and materials.

Dr Bounouh's technique works by applying a current across the device with a varying frequency and allows you to analyse the harmonic content of the output voltage of the component parts. With some additional calculations the technique electrically determines all the mechanical characteristics of the MEMs device including the damping factor (a negative impact on the amplitude of oscillations), and the frequency that determines the maximum electrical power generation from mechanical vibrations of MEMS transducers.

"It's very easy and quick to make the measurement because all you are doing is connecting your system with two wires, applying a current and sampling the output signal," says Dr Bounouh. "This method doesn't require any big investment but still delivers very precise knowledge of the parameters and limits in the performance of your device and could easily be scaled up to measure large scale energy harvesting technologies across the microscopic and macroscopic scales" .

Since its development, several MEMS devices have been tested at LNE using the technique and their mechanical resonant frequencies have been measured with only a tiny uncertainty. In future Dr Bounouh and his colleagues believe the technique can be used to provide feedback on production methods that will allow manufacturers to design MEMS to the needs of each particular system they operate in. More accurate knowledge of the product output and energy requirements will also affect the choice of device from potential consumers who will now be able to select only those with optimised performance for their particular sector.

"Our accurate and traceable technique could be implemented for on-line production tests and measurements," adds Dr Bounouh. "This could deliver key competitive edge to EU companies and support large-scale manufacturing excellence by introducing metrological principles into industrial processes."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/fUf7QoNXQMw/130514122749.htm

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W.Va. gas prices down 4 cents, average $3.61

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Motorists in West Virginia are getting a break from price increases at the pump.

AAA East Central says the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline fell 4 cents in the past week to a statewide average of $3.61. That's 10 cents less than the same week a year ago

Ohio is the only other state in which the price of gasoline fell.

Prices in West Virginia range from $3.69 in Huntington to $3.56 in Morgantown.

Nationally, gas prices average $3.58, up 6 cents from a week ago.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/w-va-gas-prices-down-161902831.html

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Jurors find Jodi Arias eligible for death penalty

Jodi Arias looks at the family of Travis Alexander as the jury arrives on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Jodi Arias looks at the family of Travis Alexander as the jury arrives on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Jodi Arias listens to prosecutor Juan Martinez address the jury on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of Travis Alexander in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Prosecutor Juan Martinez addresses the jury on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, during the sentencing phase of the Jodi Arias murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi addresses the jury on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 during the sentencing phase of the Jodi Arias murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. If the jury finds aggravating factors in her crime, Arias could be sentenced to death. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

PHOENIX (AP) ? Jurors in Jodi Arias' trial on Wednesday found the former waitress should be eligible for the death penalty after they convicted her last week of murdering her one-time boyfriend.

The decision came after a day of testimony in the "aggravation" phase of the trial, during which prosecutor Juan Martinez hoped to prove the June 2008 killing was committed in an especially cruel and heinous manner.

Family members of victim Travis Alexander sobbed in the front row as Martinez took the jury through the killing one more time. He described how blood gushed from Alexander's chest, hands and throat as the motivational speaker and businessman stood at the sink in his master bathroom and looked into the mirror with Arias behind him.

"The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness ... was that blade coming to his throat," Martinez said. "And the last thing he felt before he left this earth was pain."

The trial now moves into the final phase, in which prosecutors will call Alexander's family and other witnesses in an effort to convince the panel Arias should face the ultimate punishment. Arias' attorneys also will call witnesses, likely members of her family, in an attempt to gain sympathy from jurors so they give her life in prison.

The aggravation phase played out in quick fashion, with only one prosecution witness and none for the defense. The most dramatic moments occurred when Martinez displayed photos of the bloody crime scene for the jury and paused in silence for two minutes to describe how long he said it took for Alexander to die at Arias' hands on June 4, 2008.

Arias, wearing a silky, cream-colored blouse, appeared to fight back tears most of the morning. She spent the weekend on suicide watch before being transferred back to an all-female jail where she will remain until sentencing.

"She made sure she killed him by stabbing him over and over and over again," Martinez said.

The defense didn't have much of a case given how many times Alexander was stabbed, the defensive wounds on his hands, the length of the attack, and the sheer amount of blood found at the scene. Defense lawyers said Alexander would have had so much adrenaline rushing through his body that he might not have felt much pain.

The only witness was the medical examiner who performed the autopsy and explained to jurors how Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body.

Minutes after her first-degree murder conviction last Wednesday, Arias granted an interview to Fox affiliate KSAZ, only adding to the circus-like environment surrounding the trial that has become a cable TV sensation with its graphic tales of sex, lies and violence.

"Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place," a tearful Arias said. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it."

However, Arias cannot choose the death penalty. It's up to the jury to recommend a sentence.

The medical examiner who performed the autopsy testified Wednesday that Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body.

Arias acknowledged killing Alexander on June 4, 2008, at his suburban Phoenix home. She initially denied any involvement then later blamed masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said it was self-defense when the victim attacked her after a day of sex.

She stabbed and slashed Alexander nearly 30 times, shot him in the forehead and slit his throat from ear to ear, leaving him nearly decapitated before she dragged his mutilated body into his shower, where friends found him about five days later.

Prosecutors said Arias planned the killing in a jealous rage, as Alexander wanted to end their affair and planned to take a trip to Mexico with another woman.

Testimony in Arias' trial began in early January. The jury reached its verdict after about 15 hours of deliberations over four days. All 12 jurors ? eight men and four women ? unanimously agreed the killing was premeditated.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-15-Boyfriend%20Slaying/id-58e8c59f6bbf49139a27918c80ae29c2

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First precise MEMS output measurement technique unveiled

Public release date: 14-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joe Meaney
joe@proofcommunication.com
084-568-01864
National Physical Laboratory

New research being presented today at TechConnect World conference forms part of the European Commission backed Metrology for Energy Harvesting Project

Tuesday 14th May, Washington DC - The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices. The cheap and easy to apply technique will be presented for the first time today at the TechConnect World Conference 2013 by a research team from Laboratoire national de mtrologie et d'essais (LNE) in France. The researchers believe it will help manufacturers improve product performance, develop new functionalities, reduce energy consumption of mass production, respond to market demands for miniaturization, and increase reliability of MEMS devices around the world.

MEMS are very small devices that can be used as remotely powered sensors to measure variations in the physical environment such as changes in force, light, or motion, or conversely as actuators that convert changes in energy back into motion. They generally range in size from 20 micrometres (20 millionths of a metre) to a millimetre and made up of components that interact with the outside environment such as microsensors, and a central unit that processes data allowing MEMS to make decisions based on the information they receive.

Today's applications are hugely varied but include:

• As accelerometers in airbag deployment systems for modern automobiles, detecting the rapid negative acceleration of the vehicle
• In inkjet printer heads, reacting to patterns of heat provided by electric current by dispensing tiny droplets of ink at precise locations to form the image on the paper
• In smartphones, measuring the rotation of the device to create an intuitive user interface

Despite these niche applications, the commercial growth of MEMS devices since their first development 50 years ago hasn't met expectations. This is partly due to a lack of understanding of the potential power requirements and outputs of these tiny devices. The problem is for many applications of MEMS the mechanical components must be embedded in protective wafer-level packaging. Without a way to access the mechanical system itself without breaking it, it is difficult for developers or customers to understand how to best utilise their product.

To address this issue, Dr Alexandre Bounouh and colleagues at the Laboratoire national de mtrologie et d'essais (LNE) in France, developed a brand new experimental set-up to gain accurate information on mechanical values and properties of any MEMS device through electrical measurement. LNE is one of seven national research centres across Europe that makes up the Metrology for Energy Harvesting Project. The project, funded by the European Commission through the European Metrology Research Programme represents the first co-ordinated international attempt to apply the principles of metrology (measurement science) to energy harvesting products and materials.

Dr Bounouh's technique works by applying a current across the device with a varying frequency and allows you to analyse the harmonic content of the output voltage of the component parts. With some additional calculations the technique electrically determines all the mechanical characteristics of the MEMs device including the damping factor (a negative impact on the amplitude of oscillations), and the frequency that determines the maximum electrical power generation from mechanical vibrations of MEMS transducers.

"It's very easy and quick to make the measurement because all you are doing is connecting your system with two wires, applying a current and sampling the output signal", says Dr Bounouh. "This method doesn't require any big investment but still delivers very precise knowledge of the parameters and limits in the performance of your device and could easily be scaled up to measure large scale energy harvesting technologies across the microscopic and macroscopic scales" .

Since its development, several MEMS devices have been tested at LNE using the technique and their mechanical resonant frequencies have been measured with only a tiny uncertainty. In future Dr Bounouh and his colleagues believe the technique can be used to provide feedback on production methods that will allow manufacturers to design MEMS to the needs of each particular system they operate in. More accurate knowledge of the product output and energy requirements will also affect the choice of device from potential consumers who will now be able to select only those with optimised performance for their particular sector.

"Our accurate and traceable technique could be implemented for on-line production tests and measurements," adds Dr Bounouh. "This could deliver key competitive edge to EU companies and support large-scale manufacturing excellence by introducing metrological principles into industrial processes."

###

Notes to editors

1. The Metrology for Energy Harvesting project brings together Europe's world-leading expertise in measurement, energy harvesting and systems engineering. Partners include many of Europe's national measurement institutes including:

• The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
• Laboratoire national de mtrologie et d'essais (LNE)
• National Metrology Institute of Finland
• INRIM, Italy
• SIQ, Slovenia
• Czech Metrology Institute (CMI)

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 14-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joe Meaney
joe@proofcommunication.com
084-568-01864
National Physical Laboratory

New research being presented today at TechConnect World conference forms part of the European Commission backed Metrology for Energy Harvesting Project

Tuesday 14th May, Washington DC - The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices. The cheap and easy to apply technique will be presented for the first time today at the TechConnect World Conference 2013 by a research team from Laboratoire national de mtrologie et d'essais (LNE) in France. The researchers believe it will help manufacturers improve product performance, develop new functionalities, reduce energy consumption of mass production, respond to market demands for miniaturization, and increase reliability of MEMS devices around the world.

MEMS are very small devices that can be used as remotely powered sensors to measure variations in the physical environment such as changes in force, light, or motion, or conversely as actuators that convert changes in energy back into motion. They generally range in size from 20 micrometres (20 millionths of a metre) to a millimetre and made up of components that interact with the outside environment such as microsensors, and a central unit that processes data allowing MEMS to make decisions based on the information they receive.

Today's applications are hugely varied but include:

• As accelerometers in airbag deployment systems for modern automobiles, detecting the rapid negative acceleration of the vehicle
• In inkjet printer heads, reacting to patterns of heat provided by electric current by dispensing tiny droplets of ink at precise locations to form the image on the paper
• In smartphones, measuring the rotation of the device to create an intuitive user interface

Despite these niche applications, the commercial growth of MEMS devices since their first development 50 years ago hasn't met expectations. This is partly due to a lack of understanding of the potential power requirements and outputs of these tiny devices. The problem is for many applications of MEMS the mechanical components must be embedded in protective wafer-level packaging. Without a way to access the mechanical system itself without breaking it, it is difficult for developers or customers to understand how to best utilise their product.

To address this issue, Dr Alexandre Bounouh and colleagues at the Laboratoire national de mtrologie et d'essais (LNE) in France, developed a brand new experimental set-up to gain accurate information on mechanical values and properties of any MEMS device through electrical measurement. LNE is one of seven national research centres across Europe that makes up the Metrology for Energy Harvesting Project. The project, funded by the European Commission through the European Metrology Research Programme represents the first co-ordinated international attempt to apply the principles of metrology (measurement science) to energy harvesting products and materials.

Dr Bounouh's technique works by applying a current across the device with a varying frequency and allows you to analyse the harmonic content of the output voltage of the component parts. With some additional calculations the technique electrically determines all the mechanical characteristics of the MEMs device including the damping factor (a negative impact on the amplitude of oscillations), and the frequency that determines the maximum electrical power generation from mechanical vibrations of MEMS transducers.

"It's very easy and quick to make the measurement because all you are doing is connecting your system with two wires, applying a current and sampling the output signal", says Dr Bounouh. "This method doesn't require any big investment but still delivers very precise knowledge of the parameters and limits in the performance of your device and could easily be scaled up to measure large scale energy harvesting technologies across the microscopic and macroscopic scales" .

Since its development, several MEMS devices have been tested at LNE using the technique and their mechanical resonant frequencies have been measured with only a tiny uncertainty. In future Dr Bounouh and his colleagues believe the technique can be used to provide feedback on production methods that will allow manufacturers to design MEMS to the needs of each particular system they operate in. More accurate knowledge of the product output and energy requirements will also affect the choice of device from potential consumers who will now be able to select only those with optimised performance for their particular sector.

"Our accurate and traceable technique could be implemented for on-line production tests and measurements," adds Dr Bounouh. "This could deliver key competitive edge to EU companies and support large-scale manufacturing excellence by introducing metrological principles into industrial processes."

###

Notes to editors

1. The Metrology for Energy Harvesting project brings together Europe's world-leading expertise in measurement, energy harvesting and systems engineering. Partners include many of Europe's national measurement institutes including:

• The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
• Laboratoire national de mtrologie et d'essais (LNE)
• National Metrology Institute of Finland
• INRIM, Italy
• SIQ, Slovenia
• Czech Metrology Institute (CMI)

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/npl-fpm051413.php

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