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Much can be said for this new Sony
powerhouse. It comes straight out of the box with a
2GHz processor, 512 MB DDR SDRAM, and a huge 60GB hard
drive. This machine is a perfect choice whether you
are a hardcore PC gamer or a designer using high end
software. The possibilities on this laptop are endless.
You can burn your own DVDs on the DVD-RW/ CD-RW drive.
We watched a few DVDs and have to say that the picture
quality was amazing. With the 16.1" Ultra high-resolution
screen, everything looks crystal clear. Our tests with
Wave 3’s Session video collaboration software
(www.wavethreesoftware.com) further demonstrated the
GRX’s display prowess. The video was smooth even
when blown up to full screen, the audio was perfect
and there was no lagging at all. The GRX is a great
mix of style and power and we would also highly recommend
it. For more info. On the GRX 670, go to www.sony.com.
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If you haven’t heard of Winbook computers,
you should definitely take a look if you’re considering
buying a laptop. They solely focus on mobile computing
and it shows with their latest edition of their most
powerful laptop, the J4 3.06. This J4 is loaded with
Intel’s fastest processor, the 3.06 GHz Pentium 4 with
Intel’s Front Side Bus for internal data flow and NetBurst
architecture which adds extra performance for multimedia
and Internet applications. For our lab testing we tested
the 2.2GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, and a 40GB hard drive
J4, so we can only imagine the power of the J4 3.06
GHz which was just released. We rigorously tested the
machine and played a couple of PC games that required
an extensive amount of memory and for the most part
they all ran great without any lagging. The J4 also
comes with excellent internal speakers. We conducted
an hour long video conference, with our friends at a
college in Spain, and the
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speakers made us feel like we were
in the next room. We have but only two complaints about
this computer, and they’re somewhat major ones. If you
are starting or restarting this laptop, it doesn’t always
boot up properly. The second complaint is that you are
unable to watch DVDs on this laptop right out of the
box. We tried 20 times to watch a movie, and it said
that the necessary drivers were not installed. It’s
kind of a hassle to either download or even worse, buy
the drivers that you need. We are assured that this
problem has been fixed in all subsequent J4 models since
the one we tested, but you might want to double check.
In general, if it’s processing power you are craving,
this is king of the hill. For more information on Winbooks
and the J4 go to:
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Congratulations to students from Embry-Riddle!
Two student teams from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
have been selected by NASA to conduct experiments of
their own design aboard NASA’s KC-135, a research
aircraft that flies parabolic arcs to simulate weightlessness.
The first team, which will participate in NASA’s
Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program
from April 24 to May 3, will conduct research into the
effect of near-zero gravity on fluid pressure in the
head. The second team, scheduled for July 10-19, will
test a device that cleans contaminants from the air
in reduced gravity without using filters. The program
is sponsored by NASA in an effort to increase the number
of technical professionals graduating from U.S. colleges
and universities. Held annually at Ellington Field near
the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, A review
panel of NASA scientists and engineers selected 72 student
teams from across the nation to
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participate in this year's program, which starts March
13 and ends Aug. 2. Most teams consist of four undergraduate
students, a supervising faculty member, and a professional
journalist who will report on the team’s experiences.
The Embry-Riddle students participating in the program
are pursuing degrees in aeronautical science, aerospace
engineering, and engineering physics. "Learning how
to function in near-zero gravity exactly the way that
the astronauts do is as good an experience as college
students can have," said Dr. John Olivero, chairman
of the Physical Sciences Dept. at Embry-Riddle and faculty
supervisor of the two teams. The Embry-Riddle team that
will fly in April consists of leader Alexander Potter,
Felix Chung, Matthew Link, Phillip Midler, and Martin
Potter. Their experiment is titled "Quantification of
Intracranial Pressure Using Pulse-Phase Locked Loop
Ultrasonic Technique: A Study in Gravitational Physiology.
Phew!
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About 120 first-year University of
Cincinnati architecture and interior design students
are fine-tuning their skills by fashioning musical instruments
from cast-off dishwashers, refrigerators, and parts
of disemboweled appliances. In the unusual assignment,
beginning design students are learning the score when
it comes to the challenges of their chosen profession:
Materials limitations, extreme creative demands, choreographing
teamwork under deadline pressure, followed by a very
public exhibition of their best efforts. All are very
common
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demands for working architects. The resulting range of instruments is impressive:
A saxophone of PVC pipe and sheet-metal keys; a harp fashioned
from the body of an oven range, a guitar welded from the frame
of refrigerator as well as an array of chimes, zithers, xylophones,
drums, whistles and more.
For instance, Pete Muessig of Wallkil, New York, created what
looks to be some version of a "Mad Max" guitar with
a super-tough body fashioned and welded from a refrigerator
frame. Others admitted to instruments that didn't quite perform
"on cue." Justin Smith of Orlando, Florida, made
a reed "woodwind" from copper piping that, he admits,
"makes a sound more like a choo-choo train than music."
For some, orchestrating the teamwork necessary to write their
small-group compositions is the toughest part. The challenge
is coming together nicely for the small group, Without Sun,
and their composition, "Movement in Water, #6."
Their collection of chimes, zithers and drums steadily build
in tempo, rhythm and energy for a piece that mimics rain and
thunder surprisingly well. Corrie Sedmak of Worthington, Ohio,
laughed, "Well, one good thing is that rain is random.
If you make a mistake, no one knows it."
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Students at the University of Texas have some interesting
friends living among them. While some believe it to be a myth,
the legend of the albino squirrels continues to grow in popularity
at UT.
Rumor has it that if you see an albino squirrel before a test
you will be sure to ace it. The Albino Squirrel Preservation
Society has made it their mission to educate the student body
and promote
respect for these interesting creatures.
Touting their message of squirrel rights, the ASPS has grown
to nearly 200 members at UT and now has chapters springing up
on campuses from Canada to England. Dustin Ballard, President
and Founder of the club, believes that squirrel diversity is
very important for college campuses. "Clearly this is an
issue of great interest to many students, and I am honored to
be a part of it." For more information on the club, visit:
albinosquirrel.com.
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