 Fracking in the Karoo - will AAA save the SKA? by Dr. Adrian Tiplady, SKA South Africa
Our economic future lies in the development of a knowledge economy, in the harnessing of renewable energy resources and reducing dependence on resource based commodities. Let's not go after another fossil fuel - it's like something out of the Stone Age... ( more) |
 In conversation with Carlos Poņe Hans van de Groenendaal in conversation with Carlos Poņe, president ABB South Africa
From the environmentally-sensitive landscape to the main office block on the ABB campus in Longmeadow in Gauteng, it is apparent that ABB and its people walk the green talk - they are 101% environment-friendly... ( more)
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 Industry's role in skills developmentby Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
The shortage of technical skills is often blamed for the slow pace of industrial development which in turn can be directly linked to lack of job creation. Blaming government or industry or both is simply not productive... ( more) |
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What is the real cost of social networking?
by John McLoughlin, J2 Software
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn are rapidly becoming an everyday part of the business environment. These platforms are even viewed as essential business tools in many organisations... ( more) |
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Customer self-service can ease CPA compliance
by Kevin Meltzer, Consology
The Consumer Protection Act, which comes into effect on 1 April 2011, promises to turn South Africans into some of the most heavily protected consumers in the world. For large companies, however, the act brings along with it a set of daunting challenges... ( more) |
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Preventative maintenance strategy for data centres
by Olivier Delepine, APC by Schneider Electric
In the broadening data centre cost-saving and energy-efficiency discussion, data centre physical infrastructure preventive maintenance is sometimes neglected as an important tool for controlling total cost of ownership and downtime... ( more) |
Is Green computing real or just fashionable?
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
Green computing addresses the issues of energy consumption, the use of environmentally-benign components, and sustainable disposal of redundant equipment. In South Africa, with the recent 25% hike in electricity tariffs, energy efficiency is taking centre stages... ( more |
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LTE drives tests in research mobile radio networks
by Matthias Pötschke, Technical University of Dresden and Nils Posegga, P3 Communications, Germany
The Technical University of Dresden uses a LTE research mobile radio network to investigate the range of individual sectors and the optimum tilt angles of antennas, to characterise individual channels by evaluating the channel impulse response...
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Teleconferencing - the new way of doing business?
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
Teleconferencing provides the means to interact verbally and visually with anyone, anywhere. Close on the heels of video recorders came the cellphone, the DSTV decoder, the laptop and the smart phone. Somewhere in between is video conferencing... ( more) |
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Digital FM exciter technologies for community radio
by Vaughan Taylor, Taylor Engineering and Consulting Services
Enter the digital age of FM exciters. Several manufacturers have long considered the use of digital signal processing and direct digital synthesis techniques to achieve direct-to-FM carrier modulation, without the headaches of doing this via analogue... ( more) |
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A vision for the future - zero energy buildings
by Karl van Eck, Johnson Controls Global Energy Solutions Africa
As environmental responsibility and eco-consciousness grow across the globe, the world is looking to move towards more sustainable, greener practices, reducing carbon footprints and creating environments that have a lesser impact on the planet... ( more)
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Facilities management for manufacturing
by Leon Williamson, Wonderware
When most people think of facilities management they think of monitoring building systems and environmental variables. Both are typically associated with institutional or commercial facilities... ( more) |
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Automated load-out station
by Jasten Munsami, Systems Automation & Management
The high output demands placed on ore/coal mining operations, coupled with the advancements in rail infrastructure and technologies, necessitate that mines automate their loading stations with the latest control and automation technology... ( more)
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Safety, security and process monitoring and playback
by Doron Kowensky, H3iSquared
With the growing requirements for safety and uptime in today's utility, industrial, military and intelligent traffic solutions (ITS) sites and solutions, remote monitoring and recording of events has become critical... ( more)
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Understanding and comparing IGBT module datasheets
by Dr. Arendt Wintrich, Semikron, Germany
Comparing insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules using datasheets is not as easy as is might appear. A rough comparison can, of course, be made using the component blocking voltage... ( more)
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Fundamentals of FBG optical sensing
by Nathan Yang, National Instruments, USA
Electrical sensors have for decades been the standard mechanism for measuring physical and mechanical phenomena. Fibre optic sensing uses light rather than electricity and standard optical fibre in place of copper wire... ( more) |
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Medium voltage drives reduce energy costs
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
Rockwell Automation MD Francois Retief believes that as new technically advanced and more reliable MV drives with more functionality become available, customers and consultants are increasingly specifying MV rather than LV drive applications... ( more)
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| Telecoms developments in Africa
compiled by Matthew White, Iona Press Services
- Cross-border call rates "holding back" East African trade
- Cameroon minister promises 40 more community telecom centres
- Work begins on Ethiopia's first ICT park
- New twists in long-running NITEL privatisation saga
- Price war drives Kenya's call rates to lowest in Africa
- Libya's telecom industry faces uncertain future
- Five more countries linked to Seacom network
- Chinese building a secret eavesdropping facility for Mugabe
- Cellphone users benefit as Namibia imposes price cap
- Rwanda completes fibre optic cable rolloute... (more)
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Gadgets for geeks
A phone that saves you money; a funky software "gadget"; your key to PC safety; tired of a headset? Try this for comfort; into gaming? This mouse is for you; and a white Blackberry... ( more) |
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Industry and institute news
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