Lavatory

No country takes toilets quite so seriously as Japan. The master of the modern convenience is the Panasonic Corporation; a new flush has been invented which does away with the need for a tank and saves dramatically on water.

Machine with heated seats, built-in bidet and a dynamic range of flushing options are almost ubiquitous.

One even sends a tiny electrical charge through the user's buttocks to check their body-fat ratio; it will take a guess at the gender and lifted up the seat as well. The control panel beside the seat and gentle light classical music began to play;a loo that glowed in the dark and another that had built-in loudspeakers with sound effect that provided the impression one was seated upon a white plastic throne surrounded by songbirds in a springtime meadow.

Space

According to NASA,this Urine Processor Assembly managed to get through three rigorous testing sessions, and apparently was good enough for officials to leave it in orbit; but no one takes the first sip - $154 million water recycling system which is designed to convert sweat, moisture and urine into digestible fluid .

Space Debris U.S. scientists are looking for a way to clear the clutter in space, which some say is becoming troublesome on the heavenly highways. So far, ideas have fallen into two buckets -- limiting new debris and eliminating existing debris. The space junk problem is increasing, in part because of collisions between materials in space, rocket stage failures and activities such as anti-satellite testing. "Even though recent efforts have been successful in minimizing the amount of new debris, the number of debris pieces continues to increase, if space-faring nations continue to ignore this growing space access challenge, we will reach a gridlock situation in which launching satellites is too risky.” According to space.com .

Ocean

Ocean waters are growing more acidic faster than previously thought and pose a threat to sea life. In addition, the increase acidity correlates with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. "Of the variables the study examined that are linked to changes in ocean acidity, only atmospheric carbon dioxide exhibited a corresponding steady change," researchers from the University of Chicago said.

The increasingly acidic water has begun causing harm to some sea animals and could reduce the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide. The University scientists' study is based on 24,519 measurements of ocean pH taken during an eight-year period at Tatoosh Island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington.

"The acidity increased more than 10 times faster than had been predicted by climate change models and other studies. This increase will have a severe impact on marine food webs and suggests that ocean acidification may be a more urgent issue than previously thought, at least in some areas of the ocean."

High Definition Television

HDTV will be compatible with the digital TV signals that are going to be the norm once the analog to digital switchover takes place early next year. Make sure that the television you buy has HDMI input. This is the one-stop-shop cable that gives you both high-quality high definition video and digital stereo and surround sound, making for a better quality home theater experience, not to mention less cable clutter.

HDMI also enables certain TV features such as video up scaling (a feature on televisions and A/V receivers that upgrades standard TV quality to HD quality); you'll want as many HDMI inputs as possible on your TV so that you can plug in all your state-of-the-art components, from cable boxes and DVD players to video game consoles.

A television with "HDMI 1.3,' is the most up-to-date version and can enable your TV to play the latest video technologies such as Deep Color and audio processing formats such as DTS Master Audio or Dolby HD (of course, you'll also need a television that's capable of showing this stuff and a surround sound home-theater setup to maximize HDMI 1.3). Now, to complicate matters further, not all versions of HDMI 1.3 are created equal, which is why even the HDMI association recommends looking for features -- Deep Color, DTS Master Audio, etc -- rather than HDMI version number .

Alternatively, you can connect these various devices via component video connections, but it's not always the same quality and it means you still have to find a way to connect the audio (via optical, digital audio, or traditional red-and-white cord audio connections). For anything older, such as that VCR you're still using, you'll likely connect via composite video or the slightly better S video connections, both of which are also on most TVs today . To truly enjoy HDTV, it should be capable of displaying in at least 720p resolution, which is the minimum HD resolution.

California Fire

Image shows region around north west Las Angeles where smoke spreading far to the west over the Pacific Ocean ;.on Nov 16, the Sayre Fire north of San Fernando was 8,000 acres and 20 percent contained. The Freeway Fire was 5,800 acres and 5 percent contained.




(aerial view of area destroyed by fire)






Fears that hot, strong Santa Ana winds would whip the blazes into firestorms overnight and Tuesday morning did not materialize, though gusts remained strong. Crews were still working to put out major fires statewide that have burned 26,800 acres and destroyed 64 structures, including number of homes today.

Plastics Container

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires that plastics used in food packaging be of greater purity than plastics used for non-food packaging. This is commonly referred to as food grade plastic. Plastics used to package pharmaceuticals are held to an even higher standard than food grade.

Below are some of the general classification :

1)Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) is a clear, tough polymer with exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties. PET's ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in soft drink bottles.

Common uses: Plastic bottles for soda, water, food, liquid soap, and lotion.

2) High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Its chemical resistance properties also make it well suited for items such as containers for household chemicals and detergents.

Common uses: Plastic bottles and jars for cosmetic, food, milk, and detergent.

3)Vinyl or Polyvinyl Chloride, (PVC) provides excellent clarity, puncture resistance and cling. As a film, vinyl can breathe just the right amount, making it ideal for packaging fresh meats that require oxygen to ensure a bright red surface while maintaining an acceptable shelf life.

Common uses: Clear food and non food packaging, medical tubing, and wire insulation.

4)Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) offers clarity and flexibility. It is used to make bottles that require flexibility. To take advantage of its strength and toughness in film form, it is used to produce grocery bags and garbage bags, shrink and stretch film, and coating for milk cartons.

Common uses: Plastic bottles for honey, mustard, and bread or food bags.

5)Polypropylene (PP) has high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold tightly on to threaded openings. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hot-filled with products designed to cool in bottles, including ketchup and syrup. It is also used for products that need to be incubated, such as yogurt.

Common uses: Plastic containers for ketchup, yogurt, margarine, and medicine.

6)Polystyrene (PS) in its crystalline form, is a colorless plastic that can be clear and hard. It can also be foamed to provide exceptional insulation properties. Foamed or expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for products such as meat trays, egg cartons and coffee cups. It is also used for packaging and protecting appliances, electronics and other sensitive products.

Common uses: Packaging for CDs, aspirin bottles, cups, plates and cutlery.

7)Polycarbonate, a clear shatter-resistant material used in restaurant food storage containers and recently in the Rubbermaid Stain Shield line of home food storage containers.

Common uses : Plastic Bottles for squeezable Ketchup and syrup.

Some of the containers are not suitable for reuse as a storage for food or liquid for human consumption due to chemical leakage after certain period of time; it is always important for the consumer to double check with the food and drug agency safety department regarding the reuse-ability , and it is strongly advise that never heat your food in the plastic container in microwave as the combination of plastic , fat and high thermos heat trigger a chemical reaction that produce dioxin - a highly carcinogenic and toxic compound.