78 lines
4.0 KiB
Prolog
78 lines
4.0 KiB
Prolog
*******************************
|
||
* PS NEW TECHNOLOGY DIGEST *
|
||
********************************
|
||
Here's news of intriguing developments--large and small--in the world of
|
||
modern technolgy.
|
||
|
||
** STEALING HBO **
|
||
Is it illegal to snag HBO microwave signals with a home rooftop antenna? It
|
||
apparently is in Minnesota, where a U.S. District Court in St. Paul has found
|
||
one TV bandit guilty of violating the antipiracy section of the communications
|
||
Act. And cable officials in Minneapolis are now using patrol trucks armed with
|
||
electronic surveillance gear to locate home receivers.
|
||
|
||
But all this could become academic in the near future. Zenith, for example,
|
||
is presently designing a reasonably priced scrambler for microwave
|
||
transmissions.
|
||
|
||
|
||
** VIDEO DISC NEWS **
|
||
It looks like the VHD disc player will now never make it to the store shelves.
|
||
JVC, Matsushitas, Thorn, and GE, partners in the venture, have suspended video
|
||
disc and player production for the U.S. (JVC may still introduce it in Japan.)
|
||
That leaves RCA's SelectaVision and the Pioneer/Philips Laservision the only two
|
||
contenders for the present and future video disc market.
|
||
|
||
** DIGITAL PIONEER **
|
||
Pioneer has gone digital: A new Digital Direct Decoder circuit eliminates the
|
||
need for conventional filters in a tuner. It improves separation, signal to
|
||
noise ratio, and adjacent channel interference. A second digital circuit is
|
||
being used in what may be the next generation of PCM (pulse-code modulation)
|
||
tape recorders. Audio signals are recorded as a 14-bit digital "word" on eight
|
||
tape tracks. Result: a frequency response of 2Hz to 20kHz, signal to noise
|
||
ratio of 85dB, and no distortion. And, unlike other PCM systems that require
|
||
special tape, this model 2814 uses standard video tape in a conventional audio
|
||
cassette shell. Sorry folks, but both the tuner and recorder circuits are still
|
||
in the experimental stage.
|
||
|
||
** SATELLITE BOOSTER **
|
||
ATT has announced a system that doubles the number of TV transmissions present
|
||
satellites can carry--with no loss in picture quality. A third transmission
|
||
could be squeezed in, according to a spokesman, with somewt;t lower picture
|
||
quality. If it works, the technique could have a dramatic effect on the use of
|
||
ixresent--and future-- satellites./exit
|
||
|
||
**ARROW-WING F-16**
|
||
Swept-back, arrow-shaped wings on the F-16XL have twice the area as the
|
||
standard F-16 fighter plane. The new design lets this research plane carry 80
|
||
percent fuel--doubling its range or its payload capacity. The Mach 2 fighter
|
||
has an aluminum fuselage and graphed composite wings.
|
||
|
||
**SOLAR BREEDER UPDATE**
|
||
The sloping south roof of the Solarex factory in Frederick, Md. has a
|
||
massive,27,000 sq.ft. solar array. The giant banks of solar cells generate 200
|
||
kW. That's enough to power the factory's assembly line. The factory makes--you
|
||
guessed it--solar photovoltaic cells.
|
||
|
||
**LIFT-OFF TRAILER**
|
||
No giant cranes are needed to change cargos on a new breed of trailer truck.
|
||
A fork lift can remove the light-weight, plastic body of British Telecom trucks.
|
||
The trailer can then be unloaded while the truck chassis is seri seviced
|
||
elsewhere. The system cuts driver waiting time from six hours to about 10
|
||
minutes claims the company--and will save $3 million a year.
|
||
|
||
**OFF-ROAD GO-CART**
|
||
With its fat, knobbly tires, the Gumball rides easily over sand, snow, and
|
||
mud, claims maker (Bluebird Industrial Estate, Park Lane, Wolverhamption,
|
||
England). The 10-hp, rear-mounted engine goes for three hours on a gallon of
|
||
gas, maker says. Price: $3000 (in Britain).
|
||
|
||
**HIGH-MPG TESTBED**
|
||
It gets 67.5 mpg at highway speeds--yet zips from 0 to 60 in 11 seconds, says
|
||
Britian's BL Technolgy. Built of plastic, aluminum, and special steels, the
|
||
12.5 ft. long car weighs 1463 lb. A smooth, turbulence-reducing underbody
|
||
helps lower the drag coefficient to 0.25. The concept car also has an
|
||
experimental engine--a 1.1 liter three cylinder powerplant with four valves per
|
||
cylinder.
|
||
|
||
|