The first thing that came to my mind was to convert the pdf file into an image format, and what could be closer to a pdf file format than an eps image. How can one do that on Linux?

There are actually two ways.

Method 1

A lot of Linux distributions come with the preinstalled GIMP (gnu image manipulation) program. On my Fedora 13 installation, it is located under Applications -> Graphics -> GNU Image Manipulation program. GIMP can open pdf documents and then all you should do is save them as Eps images, or any other image format you like.

When importing from Pdf it is a good idea to import page by page if the document contains multiple pages. Also, make sure you check the resolution, which should ideally match the resolution of the original pdf document.

Method 2

The second method of converting pdf to eps is by using your linux console.

Provided that you have the convert package installed you could just type convert yourfilename.pdf yourfilename.eps

like this

That's it. If your pdf document contains multiple pages, each page will be automatically converted into a separate eps image. EPS files, in fact, can only contain one page.

If you don't have the convert utility installed on your system try the following route:

pdf2ps yourfilename.pdf yourfilename.ps

pdf2eps yourfilename.ps yourfilename.eps

This is a two step process. First you convert your "pdf" document into a postscript file with extension "ps". Then, in the second step, you convert the obtained ps file into an eps file.

Hopefully one of the methods I indicated above will work with you and you will be able to convert your PDF document into an EPS image file. Happy converting!

You just need to know one command, “mkdir“. It goes like this:

pwd foldername

For example if you want to create a directory called test, type “pwd test”.

Important! Prior to creating a new folder you should determine the folder you are currently in. Open your terminal window and check the current, “working directory”. This is done by typing the “pwd” command (abbreviation for print working directory) at the command prompt, like this:

As you can see in this example, I used the pdw command to see the folder I was in. As a result, I got the current working directory, which in this case was “/home/vasa/example”.

Now I can create the new folder I had in mind, with name “example1″. It will be a subdirectory of the example directory:

After I created it, I checked for its existence using the “ls” command, changed the directory with the “cd” command, and again checked the working directory with pwd.

That’s it. Using pwd is extremely simple. Just make sure where you are and what the name of your new folder is going to be.

Using mkdir For More Advanced Directory Creation

With mkdir you can make multiple directories at once. If you type

mkdir example1 example2 example3

you will create three directories with one command.

It is relatively simple to uncompress these compressed files. The command you should type in your bash, or other favorite shell is

tar -zxvf thenameofthearchive.tar.gz

or

tar -zxvf thenameofthearchive.tar

Swithches:

• z  – handle files compressed with gzip
• x – to extract
• v – be verbose (wordy) about what is going on
• f -  force overwriting in case the file you are about to extract was already extracted

Here how it looks in my terminal window of my fedora linux installation.

The command has extracted the content of the archive named “example.tar.gz” which are two files file1.txt and file2.txt.

It is as simple as that.

Size

Both models are 46-Inch LED TVs. Sony’s dimensions are 42 1/2 x 26 x 1 11/16 Inches, whereas Samsung’s  42.9 x 25.9 x 1.2  inches -practically identical. The weight of both of them is also very similar.

Full HD 1080p

Both TVs are fully capable of delivering HD picture. This means that they can give you a Full 1090P/120hz resolution (1920 times 1080 pixels). If you have been used to your old CRT model with low screen resolution, either of these televisions will be a huge step forward.

Refreshing Rate

Samsung has an Auto Motion Plus feature of 120Hz with clear motion rate. This can be compared to Sony’s XR 240 Motionflow technology. However, note that in the latter case, 240Hz is achieved by using software improvements, and that the native frequency of the Sony 46ex720 model is also 120Hz.

Picture Quality

Both televisions are great in terms of picture quality, provided that you are not an overly concerned TV freak. In the case of this Sony model, some may complain that there is too much back-light bleed (apparent in a dark room) and local dimming for the edge led lighting. This can be a problem with some TVs with Edge LED back light. It appears that Samsung D6600 model does not have this problem, so this feature can make a difference when we speak about the TV’s black levels and screen uniformity.

3D

Sony KDL46ex720 TV is a fully functional 3D TV. It is a model from 2011, unlike Samsung UN46D6000 which is a version from 2010. The 6 Series of 2010 did not include 3D features. In contrast, the newer model “6100″ from 2011 (for example UE46D6100SKXXU) does have 3D.

Smart functionality

Samsung UN46D6000 includes enhanced Smart functionality, such as the Search All and Your Video. No Web browser and no Skype, though. Sony KDL46ex720, on the other hand, does have Skype capabilities.

Sony KDL46ex720 or Samsung UN46D6000 – Final Thoughts

Both a great in our opinion. Samsung D6000 seems to have somewhat clearer picture, but this is not something that can make a huge difference.  We slightly prefer this Sony Bravia model, due to the inbuilt 3D and Skype capabilities, but this choice reflects our own preferences.

Nanosolar

Nanosolar was established in 2002. After a quiet period of 7 years of development, they have started manufacturing nanosolar photovoltaic films in a small town near Berlin, Germany. Their factory is fully automated and uses the latest technology and equipment that enables producing one photovoltaic panel every ten seconds – a production which is an equivalent of 640 MW (megawatts) of power per year (provided that it runs without interruption 24 hours a day, 365 days a year). The company currently produces one million solar cells (about 1 MW of power) per month, including the production of their other line from San Jose, California. When you add up the production of both plants, Nanosolar could soon reach the capacity of their competitor – First Solar.

Nanosolar is a company which was founded with an initial capital of $ 150 million. Last year, they increased their value to $ 500 million before publicly revealing any details about their technology, business strategy or any kind of prediction regarding the capacity of production.

Breakthrough CIGS Technology

Nanosolar has developed a special printing of solar panels using a printing press technology, which has the potential of achieving huge savings in production. Nanosolar uses solar panels with a layer of only one micron of CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-selenide). The panels can be wired together to obtain larger high-performance panels, a feature we see today with some CIGS panels in a limited way. Instead of using glass as a substrate, they use aluminum foil. The advantages are several: first, the film is much cheaper (1-2 cents per mm of thickness). Second, the “roll-to-roll” technology enables printing films in rolls of 50,000 cells in a continuous fashion. Third, the end product is extremely lightweight and easy to use in numerous ways. The cells are hermetically sealed between two sheets of tempered glass, which makes the modules mechanically stronger, more durable and lighter than other thin-film modules so that they can be produced in larger sizes and reduce the need for cumbersome assembly aluminum frame. Nanosolar has not released the costs of production nor have they set prices, but the estimates go about $ 0.99 per Watt of power.

Nanosolar cells can convert up to 16.4% of solar energy into electricity. When the cells are connected to solar modules, the efficiency is about 11%. To compare, the traditional silicon modules have about 16% efficiency, whereas hybrid modules go up to 19.3% efficiency, but at much higher prices than thin-film modules.

Nanosolar panels can withstand 6-7 amps which allows the panels to be joined together into much longer lines before they can reach the limit of the inverter. This may reduce the need for cables used to connect to the inverter, and ultimately reduce a significant fraction of the cost of the system. Lastly, Nanosolar modules have an electrical connector at the edge of the module, rather than on the background so as to require only a short cable between the modules. This, in turn, reduces labor costs for connecting the modules.

Oakton Waterproof Dissolved Oxygen Mete

Why is measuring dissolved oxygen important?

Simply because it is a measure of the amount of oxygen molecules dissolved in water. It is very important to have adequate concentrations of oxygen if you want to maintain good water quality of your pond or aquarium. Oxygen diffuses into water in several ways, but primarily from the surrounding air, or as a waste product of photosynthesis. Oxygen dis loves at rather low concentrations in water, at values which are typically on the order of 10 ppm (parts per million).

In case you want an accurate meter for your tank, you should know that only are fish and corals using O₂, but also the nitrifying bacteria in the biological filters too. Therefore, constant monitoring of the O₂ levels in the bio system is needed.

Adequate quantities of dissolved oxygen are very important for good water quality in ponds and aquariums. If the levels of oxygen in water drop below 5 mg/l (5 ppm), aquatic life already can experience certain levels of stress. If this value further drops to 1-2 mg/l (1-2 ppm) and is maintained as such for a few hours, the result can be disastrous. Oakton D0 300 measures DO values in the range from 0 to 20 mg/l. Its working temperature should be in the range between 0 to 50 °C (32 to 122 °F), with about half degree accuracy and 0.1 degree resolution.

When measuring this quantity, one usually performs in-situ experiments, that is immediately, in place. That’s why Oakton DO 300 is equipped with a galvanic probe, meaning that you can perform your measurements instantly and read the measured values on its LCD display. Its sizable, dual-line, backlit screen has 8 levels of brightness, enabling easy viewing in dark and dirty environments. This meter is commonly used for testing in water and salt water – it displays the DO in mg/l, ppm and percentage of saturation.

Product Description

The dimensions of this meter are 3-1/2 by 1-3/4 by 7-1/2 inches.

Oakton DO 300 is waterproof, dustproof meter. It also floats and as such it is suitable for home usage as well as for severe, terrain conditions.

Along with the meter, you will get four 1.5 V AAA batteries and a supplied instructions manual with detailed instructions on how to calibrate and operate this meter. The batteries suffice for one hundred hours of continuous use.

With its automatic temperature compensation (ATC) features, Oakton 300 can store up to 50 previous measurements in its internal log. It should be calibrated with two independent points at both ends of its range in order to achieve high accuracy. It has a real time clock to meet the GLP standards of measurement.

Where to Buy

Oakton Meter, due to its sturdiness, range of features and intended mode of operation, is not a very cheap instrument. However, we find it a good investment as it is  one of the best and most affordable in this class. You can purchase it online, and one of the best deals we were able to find on the internet is Amazon.com. Click HERE to check the price.

Useful Contacts

Oakton Instruments, a Vernon Hills, IL based firm, is a reputed manufacturer of an array of scientific instruments. It owns facilities in Europe and Asia as well.

Recently we purchased this Sony Bravia KDL kdl- 46 inch ex720 model. It is a great LED television, with superior image and excellent characteristics. It is needless to say that we are very please with it. However, when connecting our external hard drive to it, initially it was not recognized. Soon we found out why – our external disk (Silicon Power Armor a70) was formatted NTFS- and Sony bravia (apparently at the moment) does not support the NTFS file system.

Fat-32 works very well – we were able to test that very easily, by plugging in another fat-32 USB drive. However fat32 file system has one inherent deficiency – you cannot store a file larger than 4 Gb on fat32. Given that a lot of high definition movies are larger than 4 Gb, it is obviously not the file system of choice here.

So we turned our attention to Exfat. Exfat should be very similar to fat32, except it enables storing files larger than 4Gb. We had to update our Windows XP operating system and with the update there came the support for Exfat as well. Windows 7 should have the exfat abilities already built in. Finally, after the Exfat formatting of our USB external hard drive, everything worked great, and our Sony LED TV was able to read all the supported movies formats stored on the Exfat file system without any problem.

After we have purchased our Sony BRAVIA KDL46EX720 LED TV, we started asking ourselves the same question.

First we tried to put our MKV movies on an external drive, and link it to our television via a USB cable. We discovered soon enough that Sony Bravia cannot play directly MKV files. It simply does not recognize the format. Mpeg1, Mpeg2 and Mpeg4 files were working just fine. We even managed to play some DivX movies, but the matroska mkv (container) was not recognized.

Next, we connected our Bravia model to the PC via a GForce graphic card that possessed a HDMI output. Our KDL46EX720 Sony Bravia has 4 HDMI inputs, one of which is HDMI PC input that we used for the connection. The LCD TV was set as an additional display, and we used the so called extended mode to play the movies. Now, our standard VLC media player did not show great abilities in playing the MKV codec. Instead, we had to install another player, likely a free one too.

The KM free media player is a nice audio and video player for Windows Operating Systems. It supports a lot of formats, including avi, flv and MKV files.

So, if you are in a similar position to ours, we suggest to try the same route. If you connect your Bravia LCD TV to a computer via a HDMI cable, you are no longer limited to the file formats your TV supports. Rather, your TV will play whatever your computer supports – virtually all possible music, video and file formats.

Portability

Usually when we think of solar cells, we tend to picture them as massive, relatively heavy panels, mounted either on roofs or in large arrays within the so called, solar cell fields. Brunton 26 Watt CIGS Solar Cells are totally different. They are foldable and portable, as if coming from the future. You can put them anywhere you like – even on the ground – as they do not require any special mounting. The technology that enables the existence of such ultra portable panels is relatively new: CIGS stands for Copper Indium Gallium di-Selenite – a semiconductor which you need not know anything about, but whose benefits you can start to enjoy instantly. In fact, there are many predicts that this technology – the CIGS solar cells  will become the major solar industry by year 2020.

Unlike silicon wafers, which are solid and inflexible, CIGS solar cells are very compact and slender, since they are based on thin film technology. More than 99 percent of the light is actually being absorbed within the first few microns from the surface, and that’s why they can be so slim. When folded, Brunton weighs merely 28 ounces (0.8 kg). Its multi-section design is responsible for its size – just 11 inches by 8.5 inches, with thickness of 1 inch only. A CD case measures 5.6 in x 5 in, provided here just as a reference to compare the product with. When fully unfolded they measure 21.5 by 37.5 in.

Who Needs Them and What Can Be Charged?

For example, if you are wilderness explorer, camper, nature photographer, or if you need a portable power source, you will definitely like the Brunton 26 power cells. They are perfect for charging laptops, lithium ion batteries for your digital cameras, mp3 players, camping and navigation electronics and satellite phones. They are ideal for camping trips, or prolonged walks in nature. This solar charger can even charge a laptop (provided that it is a low consumption laptop, like EEE PC, for example) in trickle mode.

Efficiency

At the moment of all thin film solar cell technologies, CIGS have largest efficiency. Brunton 26 is very efficient as it can pick up the slightest sun ray, and function even when the sky is overcast.  For such compact design, 26 watts of power is an impressive result. You can even connect up to 3 Brunton 26-Wat modules in case you need more power. Don’t forget that these CIGS Solaris 26 solar cells are still less efficient than any crystalline silicon based cells (up to 24.7% efficiency levels), but they are still the most efficient (10-15 percent efficiency) amongst the other thin film technologies. And, of course, the Si based cells cannot be produced in such thin design or superior shapes and sizes.

Durability

CIGS solar cell panels show much better heat resistance than solar panels based on silicon. They are sturdy and very resistant. These are great benefits, as you would like to use your Brunton 26w solar panel for decades without any problem.

What Will You Get?

Apart from the storage sack and user’s manual, you will get your Solaris 26 foldable solar panel, together with some wiring – a vehicle outlet cable, battery clamp cable and multi-linking cable. The panel is equipped with an inbuilt blocking diode designed to prevents any reverse battery discharge when there is no sun.

Environmental Issues

The environmental advantage of this type of solar cell technology is that it uses much less Cadmium content in the process of production. The other technologies, such as cadmium telluride solar cells method of production uses a lot of cadmium, which is extremely toxic and environmentally harmful atom. CIGS solar cells, such is this Brunton 26w solar panel, use cadmium sulfide in very tiny layers near the surface (window area), but in some designs zinc is being used instead. If nothing else, you should sleep better, knowing that you are not contribution to the environment pollution with this panel.

Disadvantages

One of the most obvious disadvantage is the fact that the prices of CIGS solar cells are still substantially larger that the polycrystalline silicon or cadmium telluride panels. It means that, for the price of this Brunton module, you could purchase solar panels with much higher power, albeit not so compact, thin and flexible.

Some users have complained that they have trouble connecting their devices to the panel. You should be aware, especially if you are new to solar panels, that some electronic devices require special adapters, they you would have to purchase in addition.

What People Who Bought This Panel Are Saying?

These are some of the impressions of the people who use Brunton

• I like this panel a lot.
• There are no problems with tear and weather. I am delighted.
• Even if the temperature fell as low as 25 F, the battery charger operated just fine.
• Sturdy, long-lasting, portable, powerful and efficient. Highly recommended.

Where can I buy Brunton Solaris 26 Watt and how much should I pay?

You can buy this Solar Kit from Amazon. Currently they offer free shipping and when compared to other merchants, Amazon.com have the best deal. Click here to view this kit on Amazon and to check their really affordable price.

Useful Contacts

You will get one Year Warranty from the manufacturer. You can contact their Customer Service, Technical Support and ask any question at
1-800-443-4871 (or) via email at support@brunton.com

http://store.bruntonoutdoor.com/portable-power/panels-and-chargers/

Magnetic induction, B

and

Magnetic intensity, H

In the cgs (centimeter, gram, second) system of units B equals H, but in the international SI system they are identical up to a constant.

In the international SI system magnetic induction is measured in Tesla (T) [N A-1 m-1]. The corresponding cgs unit is Gauss. The relation between Tesla and Gauss is: 1T=10 000 Gauss.

In the international system magnetic field is measured in Amperes per meter (A/m). In the cgs system, the corresponding measure is Øersted.  Their relation is 1 A/m = 4π/103 Oersted.