International Dawn Chorus Day

As nature lovers all over the world wake up to enjoy the enthusiastic sounds of birdsongs on International Dawn Chorus Day on 2 May, scientists at British Antarctic Survey's (BAS) Halley Research Station will listen to a very different Dawn Chorus.

Each morning, as the Earth and its enveloping atmosphere turn towards the Sun, very low frequency radio waves produced in space, travel down to the ground where they can be "heard" using a simple radio receiver. When converted to audible sound waves, they are remarkably like birdsong and for this reason were named "Dawn Chorus" when they were discovered in the mid 20th century.

But there is more to this phenomenon than enchanting sounds. Dr Andy Smith and colleagues at BAS believe that 'chorus waves' are the accelerating power behind so-called 'killer electrons' that damage communications satellites during space storms. Massive eruptions on the Sun, known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) cause the solar wind to blow harder than usual, which accelerates these electrons to very high speeds.

Deep within the Earth's protective magnetic field lies the van Allen radiation belt - a region of charged particles in space that surrounds the Earth like a doughnut. Scientific opinion is divided on exactly how the so-called "killer electrons" penetrate the belt.

Scientists at Halley Research Station record chorus waves in an attempt to understand space weather processes. The ability to anticipate magnetic storms could help insurance, telecommunications and aerospace industries to better protect spacecraft costing upwards of 200 million US dollars.

A recent theory by BAS scientists and colleagues, based on measurements in space and Antarctica, has proposed that chorus waves generated by the solar wind interact with and accelerate the electrons. Andy Smith says "by understanding this process we are better informed on how to minimize disruption to satellites".

Google Talk增20个语言版本 支持简繁体中文

据Google（谷歌）软件工程师Kataya Rogers透露，昨天谷歌对在基于网络的GoogleTalk 又增加了对简体中文、繁体中文等 20 种语言的支持。

据悉，此次增加的这些语言是：简体中文、繁体中文、丹麦语、荷兰语、英国英语、芬兰语、法语、德语、意大利语、日本语、朝鲜语、挪威语、波兰语、葡萄牙语（巴西）、俄语、西班牙语、瑞典语、泰国语、土耳其语和越南语。
据了解，用户如需获得支持所用语言的GoogleTalk，可登录GoogleTalk主页，在屏幕右上角的下拉菜单中选择所需要的语言，并点击"启动 Google Talk工具"链接即可。此外，用户也可以将Google Talk 小工具加入到 iGoogle 主页上。

Metal Machinings

China Renyi Casting Machinery Factorty is one of China professionally manufacturer and dedicated supplier of various castings including machining parts, metal machinings, investment casting, sand casting and aluminum die casting one. For investment casting, we adopt the method of soluble glass, complex shell, silicasol to make precision casting parts. And for sand casting, we adopt resin sand process to make grey iron and ductile castings. As for die casting, mostly we make the aluminum or alloy aluminum casting parts. If you have any interesting to our factory, pls feel free to contact with us by email or fax. We can accept the files with the form of Pdf, Jpg, CAD, IGS, STP, Pro-E as well as SOLIDWORKS via email. We sincerely wish we will be your reliable casting, machining parts, metal machinings supplier at the base of mutual benefit.

Lost-wax casting

Lost-wax casting, sometimes called by the French name of cire perdue, is the process by which a bronze is cast from an artist's sculpture. An ancient practice, the process today varies from foundry to foundry, but the steps which are usually used in casting small bronze sculptures in a modern bronze foundry are generally quite standardized.
Sand casting is mainly used for casting flat, relief-like sculptures. Aluminium is one material which is commonly used in sand-casting. The process starts with a tub filled with sand. The sand is wetted, and an object is pressed into the wet sand, or the sculptor uses his hands or tools to make the desired design in the sand, which is then dried. Molten aluminium is carefully poured into the depression and left to cool. Then the artist may choose to continue refining the object by "chasing" it or leave it with the roughened surface that is characteristic of sand-cast objects.

Bonded sand molds are used for creating more complex sculptural works. A fine grit sand is mixed with a chemical binder in a mixing machine. The resulting mixture is packable, and is carefully pressed into the detail of the pattern, or original sculpture which is to be duplicated by casting. A mold consisting of two or more pieces is created around the pattern in stages; usually each mold piece is allowed to solidify before the next piece is begun. When all the pieces of the mold are completed, they are carefully removed from the pattern, which is set aside. The hardened sand pieces of the mold may then be reassembled, leaving empty space where the pattern originally was. Metal such as aluminum, bronze, iron, or another metal may be poured into this mold cavity. The metal cools and hardens, resulting in the casting which may then be removed from the mold, chased, and finished.

The Navajo use a natural form of the bonded sand method for silversmithing, by carving molds from Tufa Rock, a fossilized volcanic ash.

Cuttlebone casting using cuttlebone as a mold is a traditional casting method used by jewellers and silversmiths for small objects, especially in taking a copy from a metal original. The fine grain of the calcium carbonate cuttlebone offers good definition, although it imparts a characteristic surface texture to the cast.

加油泵指路 Google为司机提供导航服务

eNet硅谷动力消息11月8日消息，据国外媒体报道，迷失方向的美国司机将很快能从汽油加油泵上得到Google的指路帮助。Google公司在周三宣布：通过与其他公司合作，从明年开始，Google将在整个美国的成千上万个加油泵上向过路司机提供导航服务。

　　由GilbarcoVeeder-Root制造的加油泵将内置网络连接功能，它能在一块小屏幕上以色彩显示Google的地图服务。通过滚动几项分类，驾驶者可找到加油站所有者提供的当地地标、旅店、饭馆和医院。

　　在驾驶者选定目的地后，加油泵将打印出行车指南。GilbarcoVeeder-Root公司最终期望这种新设备能让驾驶者输入特定地址，并得到具体方向。GilbarcoVeeder-Root公司发言人称，公司认为这项新服务将为零售商带来更多的忠诚用户。

　　与绝大多数Google服务不同，新服务不会给Google带来广告收入。但参加服务的零售商们可从其他为服务提供赠券的商家中得到额外收益。Google公司商业开发经理Davis称，让Google地图出现在加油泵上,是因为Google希望人们能随时随地得到他们需要的服务。

　　Google本周还发布免费手机软件计划，新软件将使得手机上网更方便实用

消息称谷歌下周一公布手机战略

北京时间11月3日消息，据国外媒体报道，消息人士周五透露，谷歌将于下周一公布业界期待已久的手机战略，其中包括一款手机操作系统，以及同多家无线服务提供商和手机厂商建立合作伙伴关系。

　　据消息人士称，谷歌手机操作系统主要基于开放源代码的Linux，除谷歌自己的服务之外，它还将支持来自不同软件开发商的应用。谷歌的合作伙伴将包括Sprint Nextel、德意志电信旗下的T-Mobile USA、摩托罗拉、以及三星电子。一名消息人士透露，基于谷歌平台的手机将于2008年上市。他说：“谷歌的目标是赢得更多受众，这是该公司希望进军手机领域的主要原因。但到目前为止，谷歌付出的努力还没有带来太多回报。最终，谷歌计划采用不同的战略，以自己为中心创建一个更加广泛的工作组。”

　　一名消息人士表示，谷歌联盟已经拥有25家会员，主旨是推动移动互联网迅速普及。值得注意的是，全球第一大手机厂商诺基亚并没有加入这一联盟。诺基亚是手机操作系统开发商Symbian的第一大股东，拥有47.9%的股份。在PC网络搜索市场占据垄断性优势之后，谷歌又瞄准了手机互联网。谷歌高管曾多次表示，手机互联网将成为推动该公司增长的重要动力。

　　另一名消息人士称，如果谷歌希望自己的手机产品能应用在大量手机上，该公司必须采用全新的方式与多家公司合作。微软Windows操作系统垄断了PC市场，手机操作系统市场则完全不同，目前仍然是群雄争霸的局面。受此影响，手机应用提供商必须针对不同的设备定制自己的软件。他说：“谷歌并不一定想让消费者使用它的手机，但该公司希望将自己的业务模式扩展到所有手机。”

　　最近一段时间，有关谷歌将公布手机计划的消息愈演愈烈。受此影响，谷歌股价本周突破700美元大关，距离突破600美元仅过了20多天。本周五，谷歌股价在纳斯达克上涨1.1%，报收于711.25美元。过去6个月里，谷歌股价上涨了50%。与此同时，谷歌主要竞争对手雅虎的股价仅上涨了9%。