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MEMS
I was first aware of MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) with Texas Instruments DLP chips in projectors which were key to digital cinema and vast improvements in home projectors alongside LED light sources. I did a bit of freelance work for AOL Germany and had a review of the DLP technology that had been installed in Leicester Square and used to show the remastered original Star Wars trilogy. Depending on the MEMS, they do not even have mechanical parts.
They are classified as MEMS because they use structures used in conventional machinery, such as springs, channels, cavities, holes and membranes. Some MEMS devices convert a measured mechanical signal into an electrical or optical signal, they may also be referred to as transducers. In Japan, MEMS are more commonly known as micromachines, and in European countries, MEMS are more commonly referred to as microsystems technology (MST).
MEMS are in every modern smartphone as digital compasses and accelerometers that provide essential functionality for these phones. Asianometry provide a really good background of the potential in MEMS.
The Goodwill Project
The Goodwill Project published an interesting spoken word work by Milorgia (Georgia Anne Muldrow and Milo better known as R.A.P. Ferreira). You can hear more of the project on the Bandcamp page. It’s an interesting freewheeling collaborative work that draws from R&B and hip hop.
Russia’s situation
Interesting interview with Russian opposition politician Vladimir Milov at the Austrian Institute For Europe and Security Policy. Some of the comments about the importance of the Orthodox Church in Russia has been overblown in importance is very interesting.
Saab 900
Big Car did a great history of the original Saab 900, for a car that was as revolutionary in the 1980s as Tesla had been in the 2010s. The reality is that the Saab 900 was a mix of clever engineering and hand me down parts from the likes of British Leyland.
Saab never managed to get scale in its car business, which was the reason why it disappeared under the disastrous ownership by General Motors. However, looking at other manufacturers like Rover Group, there is no guarantee that an alternative owner could have done any better. The Saab 900 Turbo, alongside the Audi Quattro was the stuff of my pre-teen automotive dreams.
Iain Tyrell this tour around a beautiful example of the Saab 900 Turbo 16S. His detailed explanation on turbos is really interesting. Its also interesting to hear that its a bit lighter than a Porsche Boxster.
Lessons from Ukraine
Interesting BBC segment on how the Ukraine war is changing the nature of war. Integrating information into the fighting is interesting. Their assumptions about the tank doesn’t take into account that the Russians haven’t used infantry and armoured vehicles in a tactically smart way. Infantry without tanks are vulnerable, as are tanks without infantry.