ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY LIBRARY

The Appropriate Technology Library is 150,000 pages of full text and graphics from 1050 books covering all areas of village-level and do-it-yourself technology--all on 27 CD-ROM’s or 4 DVD’s. The AT Library gives you all the benefits of a comprehensive appropriate technology library in the space it takes to store a shoe box. The AT Library gives you the knowledge to solve real-world problems such as; harvesting clean drinking water, making tools, growing your own crops, building and maintaining an irrigation system, preserving crops, reforesting a denuded watershed, starting a small fish hatchery, building a small-scale hydropower scheme, building and maintaining pumps, treating human and animal waste, utilizing solar energy, improving rural cookstove efficiency, constructing energy efficient structures, caring for the sick, non-formal education, preparing for a natural disaster. -- too many uses to list

The Appropriate Technology (AT) Library

The most comprehensive, compact, and cost effective appropriate technology and sustainable living resource in the world! The AT Library contains the full text and images from over 1050 of the best books dealing with all areas of do-it-yourself technology. Portable and easy to use on 28 CDs or 4 DVDs. The AT Library is currently in use in sustainable development projects in over 74 countries worldwide. It's like a portable internet of appropriate technology solutions!

Historically Significant

Major revolutions in mobility may come along only once in a hundred years," said Terry Gettys, president of Michelin Americas Research and Development Center in Greenville, S.C. "But a new century has dawned and Tweel has proven its potential to transform mobility. Tweel enables us to reach levels of performance that quite simply aren't possible with today's conventional pneumatic technology."
The most intriguing application may be Michelin's early prototype Tweel fitment for passenger cars. The mobility company released video of promising Tweel performance on an Audi A4.
"The Tweel automotive application, as demonstrated on the Audi, is definitely a concept, a stretch application with strong future potential," said Gettys.
"Our concentration is to enter the market with lower-speed, lower-weight Tweel applications. What we learn from our early successes will be applied to Tweel fitments for passenger cars and beyond

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Although there are differing opinions about the nature of instructional technology, the Commission on Instructional Technology (1970) provided the following definition:
Instructional technology is a systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communication, and employing a combination of human and nonhuman resources to bring about more effective instruction. (p. 199)
Typical applications of instructional technology may use conventional media such as videotapes, computer assisted instruction, or more complex systems, such as hypermedia programs in which computers are used to control the display of audio and visual images stored on videodisc (Blackhurst & Morse, 1996), CD-ROM and digital video discs. The use of telecommunication systems, particularly the Internet (Williams, 1995) and its World Wide Web component (Williams, 1996), have great promise for use in classrooms and for distance education. Computer software systems are now available that can be used to manage the delivery of instruction via the Web. Such systems have been used successfully to deliver instruction to undergraduate and graduate students on topics related to special education (Blackhurst, Hales, & Lahm, 1997).

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

The field of medicine continues to amaze us with the advances constantly being made in medical technology. In addition to seemingly miraculous surgical procedures that are technology-based, many individuals are dependent upon medical technology to stay alive or otherwise enable people to function outside of hospitals and other medical settings. It is not uncommon to see people in their home and community settings who use medical technology.
For example, artifical limbs and hip and knee implants can help people function in the environment. Cochlear implants can often improve the hearing of people with auditory nerve damage. Some devices provide respiratory assistance through oxygen supplementation and mechanical ventilation. Others, such as cardiorespiratory monitors and pulse oximeters are used as surveillance devices that alert an attendant to a potential vitality problem. Nutritive assistive devices can assist in tube feeding or elimination through ostomies. Intravenous therapy can be provided through medication infusion and kidney function can be assumed by kidney dialysis machines (Batshaw & Perret, 1992). In addition to keeping people alive, technologies such as these can enable people to fully participate in school, community, and work activities.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Assistive technology employs the use of various types of services and devices designed to help people with disabilities function within the environment. Assistive technologies include mechanical, electronic, and microprocessor-based equipment, non-mechanical and non-electronic aids, specialized instructional materials, services, and strategies that people with disabilities can use either to (a) assist them in learning, (b) make the environment more accessible, (c) enable them to compete in the workplace, (d) enhance their independence, or (e) otherwise improve their quality of life.
Assistive technologies may include commercially available or "home made" devices that are specially designed to meet the idiosyncratic needs of a particular individual (Blackhurst & Lahm, 2000). Examples include eyeglasses, communication aids, alternative computer keyboards, adaptive switches, and services such as those that might be provided by speech/language pathologists

THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

To many of us, the term technology conjures up visions of things such as computers, cell phones, spaceships, digital video players, computer games, advanced military equipment, and other highly sophisticated machines. Such perceptions have been acquired and reinforced through exposure to televised reports of fascinating devices and news articles about them, science fiction books and movies, and our use of equipment such as automobiles, telephones, computers, and automatic teller machines.
While this focus on devices and machines seems to be very prevalent among the general population, many educators also hold a similar perspective. Since Pressey developed the first teaching machine in 1926 (Nazzaro, 1977), technology applications in public schools and post-secondary education institutions have tended to focus on the acquisition and use of equipment such as film projectors, audio and video tape recorders, overhead projectors, and computers.
Since the early 1960s, however, a trend has emerged that is changing the way we perceive technology in education. At that time, educators began considering the concept of instructional technology. Subsequently, after considerable deliberation, a Congressional Commission on Instructional Technology (1970) concluded that technology involved more than just hardware. The Commission concluded that, in addition to the use of devices and equipment, instructional technology also involves a systematic way of designing and delivering instruction.

Technology

Technology is a broad concept that deals with an animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects an animal species' ability to control and adapt to its environment. Technology is a term with origins in the Greek "technologia", "τεχνολογία" — "techne", "τέχνη" ("craft") and "logia", "λογία" ("saying"). [1] However, a strict definition is elusive; "technology" can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines, hardware or utensils, but can also encompass broader themes, including systems, methods of organization, and techniques. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include "construction technology", "medical technology", or "state-of-the-art technology".
The human species' use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The prehistorical discovery of the ability to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons.
Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as pollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of the Earth and its environment. Various implementations of technology influence the values of a society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional norms.
Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism, and similar movements criticise the pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, opining that it harms the environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and techno-progressivism view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that the development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but recent scientific studies indicate that other primates and certain dolphin communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to other generations

TECH YOUR BRAIN TO MOVE THE TRAIN

A new technology in Japan could let you control electronic devices without lifting a finger simply by reading brain activity.
The "brain-machine interface" developed by Hitachi analyses slight changes in the brain's blood flow and translates brain motion into electric signals.
A cap connects by optical fibers to a mapping device, which links, in turn, to a toy train set via a control computer and motor during one recent demonstration at Hitachi's Advanced Research Laboratory in Hatoyama, just outside Tokyo.
"Take a deep breath and relax," said Kei Utsugi, a researcher, while demonstrating the device.
At his prompting, a reporter did simple calculations in her head, and the train sprang forward - apparently indicating activity in the brain's frontal cortex, which handles problem solving.
Activating that region of the brain - by doing sums or singing a song - is what makes the train run, according to Utsugi. When one stops the calculations, the train stops, too.
Underlying Hitachi's brain-machine interface is a technology called optical topography, which sends a small amount of infrared light through the brain's surface to map out changes in blood flow.
Although brain-machine interface technology has traditionally focused on medical uses, makers like Hitachi and Japanese automaker Honda have been racing to refine the technology for commercial application.

Electric car

An electric car is an alternative fuel car that uses electric motors and motor controllers in place of an internal combustion engine (ICE). Electric cars are a variety of electric vehicle (EV); the term "electric vehicle" includes any vehicle that uses electricity for propulsion, while "electric car" encompasses all road-going automobiles. Most modern electric cars derive their electrical power from on-board battery packs, and as such are battery electric vehicles (BEVs), in contrast to vehicles such as electric trains, which may draw their power from overhead lines. Other on-board energy storage methods that are expected to come into use in the future include the use of ultracapacitors, or storage of energy as potential energy in a spinning flywheel.[1]
Electric cars enjoyed a period of popularity during the mid-19th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for automobile propulsion. Popularity waned in the early 20th century, largely due to the low range of electric cars, an effect of the inferior battery technology of the time. The quick refueling times and growing petroleum infrastructure enjoyed by users of gasoline vehicles, which facilitated long-range travel, made the low-range, largely city-only functionality of the electric car a fatal disadvantage. The mass production of gasoline vehicles by companies such Ford reduced their prices to nearly 50% of that of equivalent electric cars, resulting in their disappearing from important markets such as the United States by the 1930s.
In recent years, increased concerns over the environmental impact of gasoline cars, along with reduced consumer ability to pay for fuel for gasoline cars, has brought about renewed interest in electric cars, which are perceived to be more environmentally friendly and cheaper to maintain and run, despite high initial costs. Electric cars currently enjoy relative popularity in countries around the world, though they are notably absent from the roads of the United States, where electric cars briefly re-appeared in the late 90s as a response to changing government regulations. As of 2009, the world's most popular electric car is the REVAi, which is produced by an Indian company and sold in a number of countries in Europe and Asia

Toyota unveils new hybrid-only Lexus

Toyota unveiled Tuesday its first Lexus sedan available only as a hybrid, hoping that the popularity of fuel-efficient vehicles will help the luxury range buck the economic downturn.
Toyota Motor said the Lexus HS250h sedan offered improved fuel efficiency of 23 kilometres per litre.
The company said it had received more than 3,000 pre-launch orders for the new model and aims to sell 500 of the vehicles per month in Japan, with a price tag starting from 3.95 million yen (42,500 dollars).
The Lexus luxury line-up already has several hybrid models, but the HS250h is the first that comes only with the fuel-sipping system, combining a 2.4-litre petrol engine with an electric motor.
"This is a new challenge for Lexus," Toyota president Akio Toyoda said at the launch.
The new Lexus, which has a system showing the driver how efficiently it is being driven, will go on sale in North America in September.
Japanese automakers have made strides with hybrid cars -- which are powered both by petrol and electricity -- because of high oil prices and growing concern about emissions blamed for global warming.
Helped by the launch of a remodelled version, Toyota's Prius has been the top-selling car in Japan for the past two months, boosting the company's efforts to recover from its first ever annual loss.
Rival automakers are seeking to challenge its lead. Honda's new Insight hybrid was the top-selling car in April, before being overtaken by the Prius.
The Lexus range was launched by Toyota in 1999 for the North American market, and was later expanded elsewhere, though it was only introduced in Japan in 2005.

Tires Made From Trees

Automobile owners around the world may some day soon be driving on tires that are partly made out of trees - which could cost less, perform better and save on fuel and energy.
Wood science researchers at Oregon State University have made some surprising findings about the potential of microcrystalline cellulose - a product that can be made easily from almost any type of plant fibers - to partially replace silica as a reinforcing filler in the manufacture of rubber tires.
A new study suggests that this approach might decrease the energy required to produce the tire, reduce costs, and better resist heat buildup. Early tests indicate that such products would have comparable traction on cold or wet pavement, be just as strong, and provide even higher fuel efficiency than traditional tires in hot weather

Communications-enabled application

A communications enabled application (CEA) is a set of information technology (IT) components and communication technology components that are integrated using a particular service-oriented architecture (SOA) to increase the productivity of an organization and/or improve the quality of users' experiences.
Communication enablement adds real-time networking functionality to an IT application. Providing communications capability to an IT application:
removes the human latency which exists when (i) making sense of information from many different sources, (ii) orchestrating suitable responses to events, and (iii) keeping track of actions carried out when responding to information received;
enables users to be part of the creative flow of content and processes.
What distinguishes a CEA from other software applications is its intrinsic reliance upon communications technologies to accomplish its objectives. A CEA depends on real-time networking capabilities together with such network oriented functions as location, presence, proximity, and identity.
Another distinguishing characteristic of a CEA is the implicit assumption that network services will be available as callable services within the SOA frameworks from which the CEA is constructed. To provide callable services, the network services which are available today must be made virtual and component-like.
CEAs apply to business processes as well as instances where no obvious business process which requires improvement exists (e.g., games, entertainment video). CEAs that apply to business processes are referred to as communications enabled business processes or communications enabled business solutions.

Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D

is a general term referring to the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within the field of socioeconomic development. ICT4D concerns itself directly with overcoming the barriers of the digital divide. ICTs can be applied either in the direct sense, where their use directly benefits the disadvantaged population in some manner, or in an indirect sense, where the ICTs assist aid organizations or non-governmental organizations or governments or businesses in order to improve socio-economic conditions. In many impoverished regions of the world, legislative and political measures are required to facilitate or enable application of ICTs, especially with respect to monopolistic communications structures and censorship laws.
ICT4D can be interpreted as dealing with disadvantaged populations anywhere in the world, but it is more typically associated with applications in developing countries. It is becoming recognized as an interdisciplinary research field as can be noted by the number of conferences, workshops and publications in the field.[1][2] Such research have been spurred on in part by the need for scientifically validated benchmarks and results, which can be used to measure the efficacy of current projects.[3] Many international development agencies recognize the importance of ICT4D. For example the World Bank's GICT section has a dedicated team of some 200 staff working on these issues.
A good example of the impact of ICTs on development are African farmers getting better market price information and thus not being impoverished by unfair corps buy-out people.[4] Another example includes mobile telecommunications and radio broadcasting fighting political corruption in Burundi.[5]
The dominant terminology used in this field is "ICT4D". Alternatives include ICTD and development informatics

Information technology (IT),

as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware."[1] IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.
Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. The information technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.
When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or "infotech". Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.
The term information technology is sometimes said to have been coined by Jim Domsic of Michigan in November 1981.[citation needed] Domsic, who worked as a computer manager for an automotive related industry, is supposed to have created the term to modernize the outdated phrase "data processing". The Oxford English Dictionary, however, in defining information technology as "the branch of technology concerned with the dissemination, processing, and storage of information, esp. by means of computers" provides an illustrative quote from the year 1958 (Leavitt & Whisler in Harvard Business Rev. XXXVI. 41/1 "The new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology.") that predates the so-far unsubstantiated Domsic coinage

Software-based growth

A software-based communications environment will simplify adding users, features and applications – without the old-school hassles of adding more hardware at each major increment of users. A highly scalable infrastructure, such as Siemens' OpenScape Voice application, enables you to implement just two highly resilient servers and grow up to 100,000 users without adding more hardware. It eliminates cost spikes and allows growth one user at a time, if needed, so that you can keep your cashflow optimized.

A centralized solution means that adding users at any location is equally efficient, with no servers or systems to be added at each location. Users can be added directly to the central system. Local gateways can be added to support local trunking and network fail-over as warranted. What isn't needed is a site implementation and management team at every branch. You can manage it all from your data center.

A well-architected communications infrastructure also simplifies the addition of applications. Look for software suites that are well integrated by design, sharing core functions – like session management, routing, SIP and SOA engines and administrative environments – among multiple applications. These solutions will generally offer more integrated functionality out of the box and will be considerably simpler for users and service staff alike.

For example, Siemens' OpenScape UC Suite is built upon the OpenScape UC Server, a common software foundation for voice, comprehensive unified communications, unified messaging, integrated video, contact center solutions and more. Once the OpenScape UC Server is installed, adding applications, users or sites is, in many cases, a matter of software licensing and configuration. The core infrastructure – the communications engine - is already in place. A software-based communications architecture gives you greater functional and user scalability, with less drama and for a lower cost.

State Science and Technology award nominations sought

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah State Advisory Council on Science and Technology is accepting nominations for the 2009 annual Governor's Medal for Science and Technology Awards. The Governor presents The Governor's Medal as a symbol of recognition to those individuals who have provided distinguished service to the state of Utah in science and technology and he will present them at gala later in the year.

Hyundai-Kia's 3.28 bln dlr 'green' project plans

The logo of South Korean auto-maker Hyundai Motors in Seoul. The firm and its affiliate Kia Motors Wednesday announced plans to invest 4.1 trillion won (3.28 billion dollars) by end-2013 to develop fuel-efficient cars and cut carbon emissions.
South Korea's Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors Wednesday announced plans to invest 4.1 trillion won (3.28 billion dollars) by end-2013 to develop fuel-efficient cars and cut carbon emissions.

Science, engineering and technology

The distinction between science, engineering and technology is not always clear. Science is the reasoned investigation or study of phenomena, aimed at discovering enduring principles among elements of the phenomenal world by employing formal techniques such as the scientific method. [8] Technologies are not usually exclusively products of science, because they have to satisfy requirements such as utility, usability and safety.
Engineering is the goal-oriented process of designing and making tools and systems to exploit natural phenomena for practical human means, often (but not always) using results and techniques from science. The development of technology may draw upon many fields of knowledge, including scientific, engineering, mathematical, linguistic, and historical knowledge, to achieve some practical result.

Alternate fuel Morgan sports car

When we think of Morgan automobiles, we don’t usually associate them with alternate fuel, low emission technology. Morgan is the oldest privately-owned automobile manufacturer in the world and has been pumping out full-fendered, minimalist sports cars for almost 100 years. Even today, most Morgans utilize an ash-wood body tub and front suspension designed in 1910, and for many non-cognoscenti, today’s breed of 4/4 or Plus-4 is indistinguishable from the ones that came out of the plant fifty years ago.But there are changes in the wind. Morgan recently debuted its alternate-fuel Life Car, and it couldn’t be more different from the traditional models that come out of the plant in Malvern Hills. In almost every respect, it has absolutely nothing in common with its tweedy stablemates."We have been trying to demonstrate that as a business we have a very high technical capability," explains Morgan’s public relations manager, Matthew Parkin. "This has been hard when we continue to make traditional cars, as there are such strong associations with this car not changing. The Life Car project seemed a good opportunity to help to re-position the business as modern and capable, using a mixture of high tech materials and craftsmanship."

The Basics of Speaker Technology

A Speaker is a device that delivers the air vibrations, which are heard by our ears. Actually, a speaker converts the electric signals into mechanical vibrations or sound that we hear. Magnetism is the base of speaker technology as it works on this principle, the oldest principle of physics for reproducing sound. In fact, the technology of speaker is just the reverse technology of the microphones, which even follows the same principle.

As the principle is old, the technology of the speaker is also an old one. Though many changes have happened regarding the design, quality and the functioning, the basic operating principle is the same as it has been for decades. The only difference that can be noticed is the non-electric permanent magnet made from highly refined metallurgic materials, in place of an electrical field coil used to create the magnetic field used before.

Why To Own A Road Bike

This articles gives information on road bikes and figures out why they are popular.

The oldest and most popular form of bikes is the Road Bike. These have been an eye-catcher for people since decades and one can easily find several deals on the internet to buy Vintage Road bikes. These bikes are popular as they are light weight and have been designed specifically to ride on smooth roads. One can easily sail on a flat road for miles with an ease and speed, which cannot be found in any other bike ride

Bigfoot Monster Truck

BIGFOOT® all began in the mid 1970's. Bob Chandler, the creator of BIGFOOT® with his wife, was a construction contractor working in St. Louis, USA. Bob used his Ford 250 4X4 Pickup Truck for both work and also off road family fun at the weekends. After breaking the toughest of trucks it soon became apparent that there was nowhere close by for him to get 4X4 parts and spares. Seeing the gap in the market, Bob and his wife Marilyn started up Midwest Four Wheel Drive. The Chandler's used their truck as a work vehicle, as well as using it for promotional purposes. They tried out new parts on the truck, and kept on making it bigger and better. It escalated so much that the truck actually became an attraction in its own right. In 1979, at the Denver car show, the Chandler's used their truck in its first paid event. Truck pulls in arenas and stadiums were soon to follow.

Green Car Technology for the Future

Manufacturers and researchers have been dabbling with technology that helps build hybrids,electic cars, and alternative fuel vehicles, for quite some time now, because of the growing concern for our environment. With a shocking revelation that our planet was on the verge of an ecological disaster, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, by the mid nineties, leading car manufacturers around the world finally came to a consensus regarding fossil fuel consumption, and started producing greener, fuel efficient cars by the turn of the century.

Advancements in Mobile Technology and Influence of the Internet

The telecommunications industry has come along way in recent decades. Mobile phones, as such, are more for making a style statement these days and the rich features that they provide are proof enough for the advancements in the mobile technology sector. The technology has erased boundaries and enabled people to communicate across the globe.

Starting off a wireless cell-phones used by business class people in the 1970’s and 80’s, mobiles have evolved into a daily use gadget for the masses. 3g mobiles are the most popular and widely used phones of late. The latest 4G technology is now being deployed on WiMAX systems and reaches out to many remote places through wireless broadband technology. Recent players like Adobe and Google have come up with text-rich features for mobile platforms that contain every imaginable feature in-built in.

water fuel hidden technology

Water fuel is old technology, now rediscovered, with a real potential to help you live through the coming oil crisis. Its simple clean-burn technology can double your mileage, greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and you get greater horsepower through water power.

Basically his radio wave generator releases the oxygen and hydrogen in salt water and makes an intense flame. Since the world is mostly covered in salt water this type of new fuel would be the best type of clean fuel for the world. If you get a chance check out this great clip on YouTube about salt water fuel and probably one of the coolest inventions ever made this century