Conductive ink is an ink that results in a printed object which conducts electricity. It is typically created by infusing graphite or other conductive materials into ink. There has been a growing interest in replacing metallic materials with nanomaterials due to the emergence of nanotechnology.

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Data centers have become an integral part of the digital age. Unfortunately, many communities realize they are loud, resource-intensive, and visually unappealing only after they’ve been built. Are these buildings neighborhood-ruiners, or are peoples’ concerns overblown? Are Data Centers Already Ruining Neighborhoods? The residents of the sleepy, tree-lined subdivision of Great Oak didn’t realize what was in store for them when construction began for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center. This small community in Prince William County, Virginia, soon became the epicenter of an ongoing quarrel between a multinational tech giant and a local homeowners association. Dale Browne, the president of the Great Oak Homeowners Association, said the building’s “constant whir” was “obnoxious” and regularly exceeded 60 decibels (dB), according to measurements taken by some of the neighborhood’s residents. Community members went as far as to stage protests out front, holding signs condemning the noise. Others didn’t object to the building’s construction or operation. While some saw it as an innovative move, others were apathetic because their once-rural oasis had already become a minimetropolis. After all, what’s one data center among highways, power lines, and supersized shopping centers? Still, many residents were unhappy seeing these massive server warehouses pop up nearby. In the neighboring Loudoun County, companies have built them as close as 50 feet — a mere backyard away — from residential properties. Construction has picked up pace in the United States, prompting similar quarrels and concerns nationwide. Why Are Data Centers Popping up Everywhere? Data centers are proliferating despite pockets of concern. The artificial intelligence market — which experts expect will reach $407 billion by 2027 — is one of the main drivers of this trend. Cloud computing technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) are also pushing demand exponentially higher. Many modern technologies are power-hungry and water-thirsty. They need cutting-edge servers and a tremendous amount of storage to function. Whether companies train a machine learning model or store 8K videos on cloud servers, they need data centers. While data center proliferation has been on the rise for years, it only became a well-known point of contention recently when AI’s popularity prompted firms to reinvest in server warehouses. Why are data centers being built in Virginia? Decision-makers are quickly making this state the so-called “data center capital of the world” for good reason. While some counties are inviting tech companies in hopes of inspiring a second Silicon Valley, others are just in convenient locations — the land and labor are cheap in rural areas. Of course, the robust electric and telecommunications infrastructure helps. How These Buildings Impact Nearby Neighborhoods Why are people against data centers? One of the public’s biggest complaints is noise — many don’t realize how loud these buildings are until they live next to one. Other common concerns include resource usage, greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and potential pollution. Water Drainage Cooling a massive warehouse packed to the brim with servers, routers, storage systems, and processors takes a lot of water. Research shows one large data center can use up between 1 million and 5 million gallons of water daily — which is enough to supply a town of 10,000-50,000 people. Noise Pollution Many data centers have on-site generators. Their cooling systems — essential for keeping hardware operational — contain intake and exhaust fans, which are objectionably loud. They produce between 55 and 85 dB typically. The noise is even more noticeable in rural areas where massive, nondescript buildings replace spaces that used to be forests or farmland. Are data centers noisy at night? Most are since they run around the clock. Even if their volume doesn’t increase after hours, their loudness is more noticeable when it gets quiet. People often describe the noise as a buzzing, tinny whining or low-pitched roar. Even 60 dB — the low end of the typical spectrum — sounds like overlapping conversations or background music. Power Depletion Do data centers use a lot of energy? They are among the most energy-intensive buildings in existence, consuming up to 50 times more power than standard offices. Although some have on-site power sources — diesel generators are a common choice — many rely on the local electrical infrastructure. The Implications of Having a Data Center Nearby Many people are concerned about having a structure that constantly produces 55-85 dB in their backyards — and for good reason. How loud is a data center? While 60 dB is equivalent to conversation, 70 dB seems as loud as a packed business, and 80 dB sounds as loud as a police siren or power tools. At 85 dB and above, hearing loss occurs. There is also concern about intense resource usage. In Maryland, a proposed 70-mile power line that would cut across the state recently angered residents. While environmental advocates and homeowners have vehemently opposed the $424 million project on the grounds of ecosystem and property preservation, it could be up and running as early as 2027. The health of local communities and ecosystems may also be at stake. If data centers use generators for on-site power, they could produce toxic pollutants like nitrogen oxide or diesel exhaust. The cooling system’s noise alone could drive local wildlife away, damaging environmentally sensitive areas. Counties that initially welcomed large technology and cloud computing companies with open arms have wavered after realizing how loud and resource-intensive these structures are. Many may soon raise taxes on hardware, revise their noise ordinances, or enforce strict project review processes to make it worthwhile. Are Communities’ Data Center Fears Justified? The worst-case scenario is using 5 million gallons of water, outputting 85 dB, and producing toxic diesel exhaust daily. That said, most data centers will be noisy and resource-intensive. Air cooling is loud but standard, accounting for 99% of methods in use today. However, that doesn’t mean engineers and operators are unwilling to change to help their unhappy neighbors. The Great Oak Homeowners Association is an excellent example of this fact. While Amazon initially denied the residents’ claims its building was outputting 60 dB — even going as far as to conduct a strategically engineered study to back its claim — it eventually took action. One year after the spat between the AWS data centers and the Great Oak community made headlines, Amazon lengthened its exhaust tubes and directed airflow vertically. Measurements from it and the Homeowners Association revealed the noise leveldropped by 10 dB to about 50 dB, effectively cutting it in half. Currently, it seems decision-makers aren’t considering the long-term repercussions of building near neighborhoods — they’re quickly seizing whatever land is cheap and available. To ease communities’ fears, they should consider their projects’ long-term viability, accounting for how construction and operation will affect nearby residents and local ecosystems. When considering all of the negatives in a vacuum, data centers sound like one of the worst structures a company could ever build. However, they support essential services and help connect people around the world. Most of today’s problems are growing pains — now that engineers and operators know what not to do, they can build better or retrofit existing buildings. For example, while air cooling generates significant noise, immersion cooling — which involves submerging hardware in a non-conductive liquid — apparently sounds considerably quieter in comparison. Engineers could also use on-site renewables to reduce their reliance on the city’s power and water supply, further easing residents’ concerns. What Companies and Communities Can Do Going Forward Gathering and implementing feedback is the only way to permanently ease communities’ concerns. This strategy may even pay off for technology companies because it streamlines site research and lets them know what interventions to prioritize. For example, if people worry about unsightly power lines but don’t care about noise, firms only need to build on-site power. Data centers have become an integral part of the digital age. Unfortunately, many communities realize they are loud, resource-intensive, and visually unappealing only after they’ve been built. Are these buildings neighborhood-ruiners, or are peoples’ concerns overblown? Data centers have become an integral part of the digital age. Unfortunately, many communities realize they are loud, resource-intensive, and visually unappealing only after they’ve been built. Are these buildings neighborhood-ruiners, or are peoples’ concerns overblown? Are Data Centers Already Ruining Neighborhoods? Are Data Centers Already Ruining Neighborhoods? The residents of the sleepy, tree-lined subdivision of Great Oak didn’t realize what was in store for them when construction began for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center. This small community in Prince William County, Virginia, soon became the epicenter of an ongoing quarrel between a multinational tech giant and a local homeowners association. Dale Browne, the president of the Great Oak Homeowners Association, said the building’s “constant whir” was “obnoxious” and regularly exceeded 60 decibels (dB), according to measurements taken by some of the neighborhood’s residents. Community members went as far as to stage protests out front, holding signs condemning the noise. regularly exceeded 60 decibels regularly exceeded 60 decibels Others didn’t object to the building’s construction or operation. While some saw it as an innovative move, others were apathetic because their once-rural oasis had already become a minimetropolis. After all, what’s one data center among highways, power lines, and supersized shopping centers? Still, many residents were unhappy seeing these massive server warehouses pop up nearby. In the neighboring Loudoun County, companies have built them as close as 50 feet — a mere backyard away — from residential properties. Construction has picked up pace in the United States, prompting similar quarrels and concerns nationwide. as close as 50 feet as close as 50 feet Why Are Data Centers Popping up Everywhere? Data centers are proliferating despite pockets of concern. The artificial intelligence market — which experts expect will reach $407 billion by 2027 — is one of the main drivers of this trend. Cloud computing technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) are also pushing demand exponentially higher. Many modern technologies are power-hungry and water-thirsty. They need cutting-edge servers and a tremendous amount of storage to function. will reach $407 billion will reach $407 billion Whether companies train a machine learning model or store 8K videos on cloud servers, they need data centers. While data center proliferation has been on the rise for years, it only became a well-known point of contention recently when AI’s popularity prompted firms to reinvest in server warehouses. Why are data centers being built in Virginia? Decision-makers are quickly making this state the so-called “data center capital of the world” for good reason. While some counties are inviting tech companies in hopes of inspiring a second Silicon Valley, others are just in convenient locations — the land and labor are cheap in rural areas. Of course, the robust electric and telecommunications infrastructure helps. land and labor are cheap land and labor are cheap How These Buildings Impact Nearby Neighborhoods Why are people against data centers? One of the public’s biggest complaints is noise — many don’t realize how loud these buildings are until they live next to one. Other common concerns include resource usage, greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and potential pollution. Water Drainage Cooling a massive warehouse packed to the brim with servers, routers, storage systems, and processors takes a lot of water. Research shows one large data center can use up between 1 million and 5 million gallons of water daily — which is enough to supply a town of 10,000-50,000 people. between 1 million and 5 million gallons between 1 million and 5 million gallons Noise Pollution Many data centers have on-site generators. Their cooling systems — essential for keeping hardware operational — contain intake and exhaust fans, which are objectionably loud. They produce between 55 and 85 dB typically. The noise is even more noticeable in rural areas where massive, nondescript buildings replace spaces that used to be forests or farmland. produce between 55 and 85 dB produce between 55 and 85 dB Are data centers noisy at night? Most are since they run around the clock. Even if their volume doesn’t increase after hours, their loudness is more noticeable when it gets quiet. People often describe the noise as a buzzing, tinny whining or low-pitched roar. Even 60 dB — the low end of the typical spectrum — sounds like overlapping conversations or background music. Power Depletion Do data centers use a lot of energy? They are among the most energy-intensive buildings in existence, consuming up to 50 times more power than standard offices. Although some have on-site power sources — diesel generators are a common choice — many rely on the local electrical infrastructure. up to 50 times more power up to 50 times more power The Implications of Having a Data Center Nearby Many people are concerned about having a structure that constantly produces 55-85 dB in their backyards — and for good reason. How loud is a data center? While 60 dB is equivalent to conversation , 70 dB seems as loud as a packed business, and 80 dB sounds as loud as a police siren or power tools. At 85 dB and above, hearing loss occurs. is equivalent to conversation is equivalent to conversation There is also concern about intense resource usage. In Maryland, a proposed 70-mile power line that would cut across the state recently angered residents. While environmental advocates and homeowners have vehemently opposed the $424 million project on the grounds of ecosystem and property preservation, it could be up and running as early as 2027. proposed 70-mile power line proposed 70-mile power line The health of local communities and ecosystems may also be at stake. If data centers use generators for on-site power, they could produce toxic pollutants like nitrogen oxide or diesel exhaust. The cooling system’s noise alone could drive local wildlife away, damaging environmentally sensitive areas. Counties that initially welcomed large technology and cloud computing companies with open arms have wavered after realizing how loud and resource-intensive these structures are. Many may soon raise taxes on hardware, revise their noise ordinances, or enforce strict project review processes to make it worthwhile. Are Communities’ Data Center Fears Justified? The worst-case scenario is using 5 million gallons of water, outputting 85 dB, and producing toxic diesel exhaust daily. That said, most data centers will be noisy and resource-intensive. Air cooling is loud but standard, accounting for 99% of methods in use today. However, that doesn’t mean engineers and operators are unwilling to change to help their unhappy neighbors. accounting for 99% of methods accounting for 99% of methods The Great Oak Homeowners Association is an excellent example of this fact. While Amazon initially denied the residents’ claims its building was outputting 60 dB — even going as far as to conduct a strategically engineered study to back its claim — it eventually took action. conduct a strategically engineered study conduct a strategically engineered study One year after the spat between the AWS data centers and the Great Oak community made headlines, Amazon lengthened its exhaust tubes and directed airflow vertically. Measurements from it and the Homeowners Association revealed the noise level dropped by 10 dB to about 50 dB, effectively cutting it in half. dropped by 10 dB dropped by 10 dB Currently, it seems decision-makers aren’t considering the long-term repercussions of building near neighborhoods — they’re quickly seizing whatever land is cheap and available. To ease communities’ fears, they should consider their projects’ long-term viability, accounting for how construction and operation will affect nearby residents and local ecosystems. When considering all of the negatives in a vacuum, data centers sound like one of the worst structures a company could ever build. However, they support essential services and help connect people around the world. Most of today’s problems are growing pains — now that engineers and operators know what not to do, they can build better or retrofit existing buildings. For example, while air cooling generates significant noise, immersion cooling — which involves submerging hardware in a non-conductive liquid — apparently sounds considerably quieter in comparison. Engineers could also use on-site renewables to reduce their reliance on the city’s power and water supply, further easing residents’ concerns. apparently sounds considerably quieter apparently sounds considerably quieter What Companies and Communities Can Do Going Forward Gathering and implementing feedback is the only way to permanently ease communities’ concerns. This strategy may even pay off for technology companies because it streamlines site research and lets them know what interventions to prioritize. For example, if people worry about unsightly power lines but don’t care about noise, firms only need to build on-site power.

Will Data Centers Ruin Your Neighborhood?

هل مراكز البيانات ستدمر حيّك؟

¿Centros de Datos ukanakax Barrioman jan walt’ayaspati?

ডেটা সেন্টার কি আপনার প্রতিবেশীকে ধ্বংস করবে?

Hoće li data centri uništiti vaše susjedstvo?

¿Los centros de datos arruinarán su vecindario?

آیا مراکز داده محله شما را خراب خواهند کرد؟

データセンターはあなたの近所を台無しにしますか?

Na Disenthara tša Data di tla Senya Tikologo ya Gago?

¿Centros de Datos nisqakuna Barrioykita waqllichinqachu?

Zničia dátové centrá vaše okolie?

Чи центри обробки даних зруйнують ваше сусідство?

Ma'lumot markazlari sizning mahallangizni buzadimi?

Distributed Uncertainty Quantification of Kernel Interpolation on Spheres

গোলকের উপর কার্নেল ইন্টারপোলেশনের বিতরণ করা অনিশ্চয়তার পরিমাণ

Verteilte Unsicherheitsquantifizierung der Kernelinterpolation auf Kugeln

Cuantificación de la incertidumbre distribuida de la interpolación del kernel en esferas

Quantification distribuée de l'incertitude de l'interpolation du noyau sur les sphères

क्षेत्रों पर कर्नेल इंटरपोलेशन की वितरित अनिश्चितता मात्रा

球上のカーネル補間の分散不確実性の定量化

구에 대한 커널 보간법의 분산 불확실성 정량화

Quantificação de incerteza distribuída de interpolação de kernel em esferas

Количественная оценка распределенной неопределенности ядра интерполяции на сферах

Küreler Üzerindeki Çekirdek Enterpolasyonunun Dağıtılmış Belirsizliği Ölçümü

Định lượng độ không đảm bảo phân phối của phép nội suy hạt nhân trên hình cầu

球体核插值的分布式不确定性量化

Authors: (1) Ruohan Zhang, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (2) Sharon Lee, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (3) Minjune Hwang, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (4) Ayano Hiranaka, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (5) Chen Wang, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (6) Wensi Ai, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (7) Jin Jie Ryan Tan, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (8) Shreya Gupta, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (9) Yilun Hao, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (10) Ruohan Gao, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (11) Anthony Norcia, Department of Psychology, Stanford University (12) Li Fei-Fei, 1Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), Stanford University; (13) Jiajun Wu, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), Stanford University. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Brain-Robot Interface (BRI): Background The NOIR System Experiments Results Conclusion, Limitations, and Ethical Concerns Acknowledgments & References Appendix 1: Questions and Answers about NOIR Appendix 2: Comparison between Different Brain Recording Devices Appendix 3: System Setup Appendix 4: Task Definitions Appendix 5: Experimental Procedure Appendix 6: Decoding Algorithms Details Appendix 7: Robot Learning Algorithm Details Appendix 5: Experimental Procedure . In our experiments, we use the 128-channel HydroCel Geodesic SensorNet from Magstim EGI, which has sponge tips in its electrode channels. Prior to experiments, the EEG net is soaked in a solution containing dissolved conductive salt (Potassium Chloride) and baby shampoo for 15 minutes. After the soaking, the net is worn by the experiment subject, and an impedance check is done. This impedance check entails ensuring that the impedance of each channel electrode is ≤ 50.0 kΩ, by using a syringe to add more conductive fluid between the electrodes and the scalp. We then carefully put on a shower cap to minimize the drying of conductive fluid over the course of the experiment. EEG device preparation Before commencing the experiments, subjects are given instructions on how to execute the SSVEP, MI, and muscle tension (jaw-clenching) tasks. For SSVEP, they are instructed to simply focus on the flickering object of interest without getting distracted by the other objects on the screen. For MI, similar to datasets such as BCI Competition 2003 [75], and as per extensive literature review [76], we instruct subjects to either imagine continually bending their hands at the wrist (wrist dorsiflexion) or squeezing a ball for the hand actions (“Left”, “Right”), and to imagine depressing a pedal with both feet (feet dorsiflexion) for the “Legs” action. For the “Rest” class, as is common practice in EEG experiments in general, we instruct users to focus on a fixation cross displayed on the screen. Subjects were told to stick with their actions of choice throughout the experiment, for consistency. For muscle tension, subjects were told to simply clench their jaw without too much or too little effort. Instructions to subjects. . For SSVEP, subjects are told in writing on the screen to focus on the object of interest. Thereafter, a scene image of the objects with flickering masks overlaid on each object is presented, and we immediately begin recording the EEG Data over this period of time. For MI, the cues are different during calibration and task-time. During calibration, subjects are presented with a warning symbol (.) on screen for 1 second, before being presented with the symbol representing the action they are to imagine (<-: “Left”, ->: “Right”, v: “Legs”, +: “Rest”), which lasts on screen for 5500 ms. We record the latter 5000 ms of EEG data. After which, there is a randomized period of rest the lasts between 0.5 and 2 seconds, before the process repeats for another randomly chosen action class. This is done in 4 blocks of 5 trials per action, for a total of 20 trials per action. This procedure is again similar to datasets like BCI Competition 2003 [75], that use non-linguistic cues and randomization of rest / task. At task-time, similar to SSVEP, subjects are told in writing on the screen to perform MI to select a robot skill to execute. Thereafter, a written mapping of a class symbol ({<-, ->, v, +}) to skill ({pick from top, pick from side, ...}) is presented, and we begin recording EEG Data after a 2-second delay. For muscle tension, there is also a calibration phase, similar to MI, which entails collecting three 500ms-long trials for each class (“Rest”, and “Clench”) at the start of each experiment. The cues are written on the screen in words. At task time, when appropriate, written prompts are also presented on the screen (e.g. “clench if incorrect”), followed by a written countdown, after which the user has a 500ms window to clench (or not). Interface This paper is under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv

NOIR: Neural Signal Operated Intelligent Robots for Everyday Activities: Appendix 5

I wrote this series of posts primarily for myself, or at least someone who is trying to make something electronic to sell. If that’s you, then I hope this helps you on your journey! If you just want to see the end product then you can find it at . https://hortus.dev/products/social-battery This is a long post, so I have broken it up into chunks to make it a bit easier to digest. These are: (this article) Designing and Prototyping the Board Selling the Prototypes Online Going from Prototype to Production Introduction I wanted to experiment with JLC PCB’s assembly service - whilst I’ve designed and manufactured bare PCBs before placing and soldering components manually, I’ve got some future projects in mind that will be impractical to solder up by hand due to both the quantity and size of components. It’s kind of amazing how cheap this service is when you think about what’s involved, but it’s still expensive enough that it can be a bit daunting handing over your money, and then waiting to find out whether you’ve made some mistake that will ruin the end result. I figured I’d get started with something simple, something I could test the waters of not just PCB assembly but also e-commerce. My plan was to come up with a small item that I could realistically design and submit for manufacture in less than a day, then hopefully sell reasonably easily on a marketplace like Etsy. I was expecting the design and manufacturing side of things to be the hard part and listing the product on Etsy to be easy, but it was very much the other way around as you will see if you keep reading! The Product I had a quick scan of Etsy to look at the kinds of things people were successfully selling that I could make. I found a couple of examples of people making electronic pin badges - the perfect project! These mostly consisted of LEDs with either a random or pre-set flashing pattern on a novelty-shaped board. These looked alright to me, but I wanted to try something a bit more interactive and meaningful that I could sell for enough money to make a sensible margin on a small number of initial units. Looking at the regular pin badges being sold on Etsy, I saw a bunch of enamel ‘Social Battery’ pins with a sliding indicator. These immediately jumped out at me as something that a) I could identify with personally (people make endless jokes about my social battery…), b) would be really fun as an electronic version, and c) would be easy to design - just a few LEDs, a switch, and a microcontroller to tie it all together! Designing and Prototyping the Board Confident in my skills, I threw together a quick circuit diagram in Kicad. I decided to use an ATtiny13A - mainly because I had a few on hand from a previous project, and because I have a decent amount of experience with similar chips. If you’re not familiar with it, the ATtiny13A is a small 8-bit microprocessor with 6 IO pins and is part of the AVR family of MCUs. It’s similar to the ATmega chips that have historically been at the core of most Arduinos, except its capabilities are much more limited. The benefit is that the ATtiny range of chips are smaller and cheaper, so if you don’t need a lot of memory or peripherals, then they are great! (although possibly a bit dated now with the endless variety of ARM chips that are available). I laid out the PCB for my circuit in KiCad, then got it to spit out the gerbers and drill files (which are used to manufacture the PCB), and the bill of materials and placement files (which are used to assemble components onto PCBs). I submitted them to JLC PCB to see if they were able to process them correctly. The BoM and placement files needed a bit of tweaking from the default to get them in the right format (turns out I did this the hard way, and there’s a much easier plugin for KiCad that does everything perfectly in a single click). JLC PCB maintains a pretty large library of components that they keep in stock for assembly orders. However, in my case, the ATtiny13a was not available, so I had to order them in. This was pretty straightforward using their global sourcing service. I was able to find the supplier with the best price for the quantity I needed and then let JLC PCB order them to their warehouse on my behalf. Whilst I waited, I figured I might as well breadboard my design and start working on the code, and I’m glad I did because I immediately discovered an issue! My design used five of the IO pins available on the ATtiny13a to drive the LEDs directly (with the sixth being used to monitor the button). What I didn’t realize/remember from the last time I made this mistake (yes, It’s happened before), was that one of those IOs is also the reset pin. You can use it, but it’s not able to supply much current, and by tying it to the ground through an LED, I was keeping the chip in a permanent reset state. One way to get around this is to burn a fuse on the chip that permanently disables the reset functionality of the pin transforming it into a regular IO. The issue with this though is that you can only program the chip once (unless you own a high-voltage programmer, which I don’t), and given my propensity for learning things the hard way, that seemed potentially quite wasteful! The other option is to find a way to do more with fewer pins so that the reset pin can be left alone. This can be achieved using a technique called which allows you to address many more LEDs than the number of available pins. charlieplexing You can then scan through these LEDs, turning them on and off individually at a high rate to make it appear as if multiple are on at once through . persistence of vision In my case, I’m driving the four green LEDs from 3 pins, and the red LED with a dedicated pin. This isn’t the most efficient example of charlieplexing, as I could drive all the LEDs from the three pins, but keeping red on a dedicated pin allows for simpler code when it comes to programming. I revised my circuit diagram and PCB design, then re-exported the necessary files and sent them off to JLC PCB to manufacture and assemble an initial set of five prototypes. A little over a week later, I received my prototypes, and I was really pleased with them! There were a few things that I could see I needed to change: I hadn’t really planned how I was going to program the boards. I had just broken out the AVR programming pins and hoped for the best. This was fine for five prototypes as I could tack the programming wires on with the tiniest bit of solder, but this would get very tedious very quickly at scale. The spike for the fastener on the back was soldered onto a ground pad. This would have been fine except the thermal mass of the spike and the ground plane on the board made it difficult to make a good join. It also sticks out very close to the positive metal cage of the battery holder which meant that there was a good chance of accidental shorts occurring if people placed/attached the badge on/to conductive surfaces. The negative contact for the battery wasn’t prominent enough, so I had to add a dab of solder to it to make a good connection. Again - not the end of the world for a small number of prototypes, but a pain if I had to do this for loads. These were all simple fixes to implement. I added a proper programming header that could be used with a pogo pin jig for quick and repeatable programming. I disconnected the spike from the ground plane so that it was its own small disconnected island of copper that would heat up more easily and not cause shorts. And I expanded the negative contact for the battery so that it would have more surface area to make a solid connection. The code is pretty simple. I keep track of the mode the badge is in which is represented by an integer that gets decremented every time the button is pressed. I then loop and blink each LED on my way around as dictated by the mode. When mode 0 is reached, I reset it back to the original number and then put the ATtiny into sleep mode. Pressing the button again triggers the interrupt which wakes the chip and starts the whole process again. Overall, I was really pleased with the results, which meant it was time to see if I could sell them! You can read about my experience doing this in . the next post in this series

How I Manufactured and Sold Electronic Badges - Part 1: Designing and Prototyping the Board

আমি কীভাবে ইলেকট্রনিক ব্যাজ তৈরি ও বিক্রি করেছি - পার্ট 1: বোর্ডের ডিজাইনিং এবং প্রোটোটাইপিং

Wie ich elektronische Abzeichen herstellte und verkaufte – Teil 1: Design und Prototyping der Platine

Cómo fabriqué y vendí insignias electrónicas - Parte 1: Diseño y creación de prototipos de la placa

Comment j'ai fabriqué et vendu des badges électroniques - Partie 1 : Conception et prototypage de la carte

मैंने इलेक्ट्रॉनिक बैज कैसे बनाए और बेचे - भाग 1: बोर्ड को डिज़ाइन करना और प्रोटोटाइप करना

電子バッジをどのように製造および販売したか - パート 1: 基板の設計とプロトタイピング

전자 배지를 제조하고 판매하는 방법 - 1부: 보드 디자인 및 프로토타이핑

Como fabricei e vendi crachás eletrônicos - Parte 1: Projetando e prototipando o quadro

Как я производил и продавал электронные бейджи. Часть 1. Проектирование и прототипирование платы

Elektronik Rozetleri Nasıl Ürettim ve Sattım - Bölüm 1: Panoyu Tasarlama ve Prototipleme

Cách tôi sản xuất và bán huy hiệu điện tử - Phần 1: Thiết kế và tạo mẫu bảng

我如何制造和销售电子徽章 - 第 1 部分：电路板设计和原型制作

LIQUID FUELS AND THEIR COMBUSTION

How it Works by Archibald Williams is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. here Chapter VII. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. The transmitting apparatus—The receiving apparatus—Syntonic transmission—The advance of wireless telegraphy. IN our last chapter we reviewed briefly some systems of sending telegraphic messages from one point of the earth's surface to another through a circuit consisting partly of an insulated wire and partly of the earth itself. The metallic portion of a long circuit, especially if it be a submarine cable, is costly to install, so that in quite the early days of telegraphy efforts were made to use the ether in the place of wire as one conductor. When a hammer strikes an anvil the air around is violently disturbed. This disturbance spreads through the molecules of the air in much the same way as ripples spread from the splash of a stone thrown into a pond. When the sound waves reach the ear they agitate the tympanum, or drum membrane, and we "hear a noise." The hammer is here the transmitter, the air the conductor, the ear the receiver. In wireless telegraphy we use the ether as the conductor of electrical disturbances. Marconi, Slaby, Branly, Lodge, De Forest, Popoff, and others have invented apparatus for causing disturbances of the requisite kind, and for detecting their presence. The main features of a wireless telegraphy outfit are shown in Figs. 59 and 61. THE TRANSMITTER APPARATUS. We will first consider the transmitting outfit (Fig. 59). It includes a battery, dispatching key, and an induction coil having its secondary circuit terminals connected with two wires, the one leading to an earth-plate, the other carried aloft on poles or suspended from a kite. In the large station at Poldhu, Cornwall, for transatlantic signalling, there are special wooden towers 215 feet high, between which the aërial wires hang. At their upper and lower ends respectively the earth and aërial wires terminate in brass balls separated by a gap. When the operator depresses the key the induction coil charges these balls and the wires attached thereto with high-tension electricity. As soon as the quantity collected exceeds the resistance of the air-gap, a discharge takes place between the balls, and the ether round the aërial wire is violently disturbed, and waves of electrical energy are propagated through it. The rapidity with which the discharges follow one another, and their travelling power, depends on the strength of the induction coil, the length of the air-gap, and the capacity of the wires. RECEIVING APPARATUS. The human body is quite insensitive to these etheric waves. We cannot feel, hear, or see them. But at the receiving station there is what may be called an "electric eye." Technically it is named a . A Marconi coherer is seen in Fig. 60. Inside a small glass tube exhausted of air are two silver plugs, p p, carrying terminals, t t, projecting through the glass at both ends. A small gap separates the plugs at the centre, and this gap is partly filled with nickel-silver powder. If the terminals of the coherer are attached to those of a battery, practically no current will pass under ordinary conditions, as the particles of nickel-silver touch each other very lightly and make a "bad contact." But if the coherer is also attached to wires leading into the earth and air, and ether waves strike those wires, at every impact the particles will cohere—that is, pack tightly together—and allow battery current to pass. The property of cohesion of small conductive bodies when influenced by Hertzian waves was first noticed in 1874 by Professor D.E. Hughes while experimenting with a telephone. coherer We are now in a position to examine the apparatus of which a coherer forms part (Fig. 61). First, we notice the aërial and earth wires, to which are attached other wires from battery a. This battery circuit passes round the relay magnet r and through two choking coils, whose function is to prevent the Hertzian waves entering the battery. The relay, when energized, brings contact d against e and closes the circuit of battery b, which is much more powerful than battery a, and operates the magnet m as well as the , which is practically an electric bell minus the gong. (The tapper circuit is indicated by the dotted lines.) tapper We will suppose the transmitter of a distant station to be at work. The electric waves strike the aërial wire of the receiving station, and cause the coherer to cohere and pass current. The relay is closed, and both tapper and Morse inker begin to work. The tapper keeps striking the coherer and shakes the particles loose after every cohesion. If this were not done the current of a would pass continuously after cohesion had once taken place. When the key of the transmitter is pressed down, the waves follow one another very quickly, and the acquired conductivity of the coherer is only momentarily destroyed by the tap of the hammer. During the impression of a dot by the Morse inker, contact is made and broken repeatedly; but as the armature of the inker is heavy and slow to move it does not vibrate in time with the relay and tapper. Therefore the Morse instrument reproduces in dots and dashes the short and long depressions of the key at the transmitting station, while the tapper works rapidly in time with the relay. The Morse inker is shown diagrammatically. While current passes through m the armature is pulled towards it, the end p, carrying an inked wheel, rises, and a mark is made on the tape w, which is moved continuously being drawn forward off reel r by the clockwork—or electrically-driven rollers r1 r2. SYNTONIC TRANSMISSION. If a number of transmitting stations are sending out messages simultaneously, a jumble of signals would affect all the receivers round, unless some method were employed for rendering a receiver sensitive only to the waves intended to influence it. Also, if distinction were impossible, even with one transmitter in action its message might go to undesired stations. There are various ways of "tuning" receivers and transmitters, but the principle underlying them all is analogous to that of mechanical vibration. If a weight is suspended from the end of a spiral spring, and given an upward blow, it bobs up and down a certain number of times per minute, every movement from start to finish having exactly the same duration as the rest. The resistance of the air and the internal friction of the spring gradually lessen the amplitude of the movements, and the weight finally comes to rest. Suppose that the weight scales 30 lbs., and that it naturally bobs twenty times a minute. If you now take a feather and give it a push every three seconds you can coax it into vigorous motion, assuming that every push catches it exactly on the rebound. The same effect would be produced more slowly if 6 or 9 second intervals were substituted. But if you strike it at 4, 5, or 7 second intervals it will gradually cease to oscillate, as the effect of one blow neutralizes that of another. The same phenomenon is witnessed when two tuning-forks of equal pitch are mounted near one another, and one is struck. The other soon picks up the note. But a fork of unequal pitch would remain dumb. Now, every electrical circuit has a "natural period of oscillation" in which its electric charge vibrates. It is found possible to "tune," or "syntonize," the aërial rod or wire of a receiving station with a transmitter. A vertical wire about 200 feet in length, says Professor J.A. Fleming, has a natural time period of electrical oscillation of about one-millionth of a second. Therefore if waves strike this wire a million times a second they will reinforce one another and influence the coherer; whereas a less or greater frequency will leave it practically unaffected. By adjusting the receiving circuit to the transmitter, or , selective wireless telegraphy becomes possible. vice versâ ADVANCE OF WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. The history of wireless telegraphy may be summed up as follows:— 1842.—Professor Morse sent aërial messages across the Susquehanna River. A line containing a battery and transmitter was carried on posts along one bank and "earthed" in the river at each end. On the other bank was a second wire attached to a receiver and similarly earthed. Whenever contact was made and broken on the battery side, the receiver on the other was affected. Distance about 1 mile. 1859.—James Bowman Lindsay transmitted messages across the Tay at Glencarse in a somewhat similar way. Distance about ½ mile. 1885.—Sir William Preece signalled from Lavernock Point, near Cardiff, to Steep Holm, an island in the Bristol Channel. Distance about 5½ miles. In all these electrical of current was employed. induction 1886.—Hertzian waves discovered. 1895.—Professor A. Popoff sent Hertzian wave messages over a distance of 3 miles. 1897.—Marconi signalled from the Needles Hotel, Isle of Wight, to Swanage; 17½ miles. 1901.—Messages sent at sea for 380 miles. 1901, Dec. 17.—Messages transmitted from Poldhu, Cornwall, to Hospital Point, Newfoundland; 2,099 miles. Mr. Marconi has so perfected tuning devices that his transatlantic messages do not affect receivers placed on board ships crossing the ocean, unless they are purposely tuned. Atlantic liners now publish daily small newspapers containing the latest news, flashed through space from land stations. In the United States the De Forest and Fessenden systems are being rapidly extended to embrace the most out-of-the-way districts. Every navy of importance has adopted wireless telegraphy, which, as was proved during the Russo-Japanese War, can be of the greatest help in directing operations. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Archibald Williams (2009). How it Works. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/28553/pg28553-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

Let's learn about via these 53 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Fashion /Learn Repo 1. CalmWear: Aiding in Sensory Processing Disorder and Hypersensitivity CalmWear can offer a sense of comfort to just about anyone. Calming compression clothing is used primarily to assist the body in filtering sensory information. 2. The Evolution of Fashion in the Metaverse In 2021, Adidas launched its own NFT drop in partnership with NFT giants such as Punks Comic and Bored Ape Yacht Club. 3. Adidas and Allbirds Collaborate on Low Carbon Shoe Allbirds and Adidas have unveiled their collaborative creation, the Futurecraft.Footprint Performance Running Sneaker. 4. (RE)CONNECT: Emotionally Intelligent Fashion Fashion design tech labs are popping up and Jasna Rok and her work in emotional intelligent fashion technology is unlike anything we have seen before. 5. The Future of Style: How Digital Innovations are Transforming Fashion The current fashion landscape is evolving, and it is poised to completely change how, when, and why we shop. 6. Towards Sustainable Sneakers: 1 Pair of Sneakers Emits 13 kg of CO2 Did you know each pair of sneakers emits 13 kg of CO2? That’s equivalent to keeping your lights on for one week straight! 7. How the Fashion Industry Deters Counterfeits Fashion counterfeits have been plaguing the industry since its beginning, but now designers have been fighting back, stronger than before. 8. Wearable Solar Energy: Providing Function in Fashion Innovative designers are creating wearable solar-powered outfits through technology. Allowing one to charge gadgets on the go. 9. Towards Cruelty-Free Fashion with Lab-Grown Fur and Leather With consumer conscientiousness on the rise, more and more brands are finding ways to adapt to an ethical production of fur and leather. 10. Metaverse: The New Gold Mine in the Fashion Industry High fashion brands that have been preparing for the next step of technology called Metaverse fashion for many years such as Gucci, Burberry, Balenciaga,... 11. The Unseen Selfridges Collection: Touch-Sensitive Accessories and Apparel Every piece from the Unseen Collection are completely unique as the garment creates an interaction with the participant. Using elements of color change. 12. Crypto Meets High Fashion Crypto Fashion Week presents a comprehensive overview of the exciting, emerging sector of digital fashion. 13. Former SpaceX Employee Starts Company to End Sore Feet Take your worries away thesis couture is here to save the day. A Stiletto made by several professionals and engineers to lessen the pain of women's footwear. 14. The Good and The Bad About Fibre Optic Apparel Looking into Fibre Optic Apparel, These fibre optic strands transmit LED lights from one end of the fibre optic strand to the other powered by a battery. 15. Dapper Dan, a Legendary Harlem-Based Fashion Innovator Debuts His First NFT Collection With GAP Gap announced the global launch of the next iteration of its foray into the metaverse. 16. Black Ink Rivers: A Ghastly Consequence of the Dye Industry The fashion industry's pollution is a major detriment to the environment, turning once beautiful and flowing exotic rivers toxic, and black as ink. 17. Fashion Houses are Finding a Home in The Metaverse Fashion houses are finding a home in the metaverse: how luxury fashion labels are experimenting to find a digital fit worth coveting among web3 consumers 18. The Upcoming market of Customizable Fashion for 21st Century Shoppers Customizable fashion is another form of slow fashion, paving the way for different avenues of shopping for the new generation. 19. Spacetex: Clothes Made for Space, the Fiber Behind Gravity Spacetex textile is changing the game in fashion introducing subcategories such as Dystopian Fashion and Techwear. 20. Virtual Sampling: Reducing Waste in Design & Product Development Virtual sampling has become an applicable alternative for brands to utilize in their production process. A brand like Hugo Boss are adopting this. 21. Harvard Researchers have Created Shape-Shifting Wool Fabric Researchers from Harvard University have developed a biodegradable and sustainable wool-like fabric tech with pre-programmed shape memory. 22. Fashion in the Metaverse Needs to Learn From History Vogue’s entry to the metaverse is absolutely awful. Did nobody tell them that Flash games died around 15 years ago? 23. What Retailers Can Do with Excessive Inventory Pile Up from the Pandemic Are retailers focusing on sustainable options to move excessive inventory? 24. This Smart Coat has Built-in Heating Panels The technology that makes this smart coat heat up consists of a three-layered system: the fabric, the heating panels, and the wearer’s skin. 25. The rise of Virtual Fashion and the very first Crypto-Fashion week The first crypto fashion week just happened, making way for a new wave of fashion but without the materiality. 26. The Microfiber Problem: How Washing our Clothes is Polluting the Ocean When we think about ocean pollution, we often imagine shores filled with plastic water bottles, bags, fishing nets, and various other forms of plastic waste. 27. Future of Digital Fashion: Dressing Your NFTs This use case proves how digital fashion NFTs can also increase the value of PFPs projects. 28. Automation & Fashion on Demand: Producing as Ordered Some brands are choosing to go back in time by using a made-to-order business model. Why aren't other brands making the leap? 29. Weekly Web3 Brands Tracker: Fake Hermes Digital Bags, White Paper Sold as NFTs & More A weekly tracker of web2 brands entering web3 and metaverse. 30. Beauty Has Been Destroyed by Usability The Cultural Tutor describes how beauty is being destroyed by usability. 31. Brands in Web3: Metaverse Fashion Week Agenda, Why Porsche Could Do Better With NFTS, and More Brands entering web3. Adidas, Burberry, Balenciaga in metaverse. Virtual influencers. 32. How Biodiversity is Harmfully Affected by the Overlapping Effects of Fast Fashion Biodiversity is crucial for the sustainability and fruition of Earth, however, the effects of fast fashion are acting as a major detriment. 33. Regenerative Farming Could be the Key to a Sustainable Fashion Euphoria An emerging way of producing sustainable clothing, regenerative farming, is sweeping the fashion industry in a race for a greener future. 34. Polyester: A Sustainable Option? Polyester is the most widely used modern fabric in the world, yet raises a question between the boundaries of sustainability and convenience. 35. Deconstructing Sneakers and Instagram Influence with Berlin-Based Designer “All Amin” Designer All Amin has found a way to turn trash into treasure. She started with corsets made out of sneakers and now she has her own brand. 36. This 100-Year Jacket Can Outlive its Owner Vollebak is at the forefront of luxury techwear this year. Their line of 100-Year Gear has caught the attention of many for their esteemed claims. 37. Sustainable Clothes Made From Recycled Plastic Fashion brands across the globe are striving to reduce the industry’s negative environmental impact by creating new clothing using only plastic materials. 38. 4 Fashion Brands That Included Smart Vending Machines In Their Marketing Strategy Have you ever wanted to buy a dress from a vending machine? See how brands are using smart vending to customize the shopping experience. 39. Bluetooth Earphone Earrings: Integrating Audio into Accessories The Nova earring camouflages the listening device by embedding it in the pearl therefore the average onlooker simply sees an earring 40. Balenciaga’s “Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow” Could be the Future of Fashion With Balenciaga recently announcing its VR video game "Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow", the future of fashion is set for a huge change. 41. 5 Ways To Drive More Traffic And Sales To Your Clothing & Apparel Store Looking for advice on how to drive more traffic and sales to your apparel and accessories store? Read the article to improve your traffic acquisition strategies 42. Recycling Spoiled Milk to Make Fashionable T-Shirts Mi Terro uses its very own reengineering technology to create milk fibers from spoiled milk. Potentially replacing the use of plastic in the fashion industry. 43. How Elon Musk Prioritizes Sustainability in his Businesses Elon Musk has demonstrated great sustainability efforts in his high-scale projects, showing his value towards the betterment of society. 44. 5 Unexpected Industries Ripe for 3D Printing Disruption With an ever-expanding list of potential applications, 3D printing has already started transforming some of the largest industries in the world. 45. Will You Be Designing Your Wardrobe in the Future? In this slogging post, our community discussed their thoughts on the future of the fashion industry. 46. How a Gift Sparked a Creative Revolution A look at how a simple tif sparked a creative movement that changed history, giving us several iconic styles and brands. 47. An Insider's Look at the Fashion of Hollywood: Going Surreal with Season 2 of Euphoria Hit-show Euphoria is back with season two, with major fashion changes that always keep us on our toes and pull us closer to the characters. 48. Replacement Lenses: Hacking the Need for New Glasses A look at the market of replacement lenses - you don't need to always buy new frames. 49. Intelligent Denim Tracks Your Movement and Helps Quell Bad Habits Pauline van Dongen’s Issho jacket uses conductive fibres, sensors, and motorized parts. It gives the wearer the feeling of "gentle stroke" on the upper back. 50. The Matrix Collection Lets You Alter Garment Designs with the Touch of a Smartphone Lumen Couture creates runway garments to focus on conceptual prototypes of innovative fashion, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technological capability 51. World's First Crypto-Fashion week: Recap And Analysis The first crypto fashion week just happened, making way for a new wave of fashion but without the materiality. 52. The New York Fashion Act is a Step in the Right Direction The recent New York Fashion Act is a revolutionairy demand, setting precedence to enabling transparency in the fahsion industry. 53. Designer Spotlight: Harikrishnans Inflatable Pants are Catching Everyone by Surprise Young designers like Harikrishans are taking the industry by a storm. His breakthrough piece were inflatable pants inspired by art. Thank you for checking out the 53 most read stories about Fashion on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

53 Stories To Learn About Fashion

How I Hacked and Turned My CASIO F-91W Into a Contactless Payment Device

কিভাবে আমি আমার CASIO F-91W কে হ্যাক করে একটি কন্টাক্টলেস পেমেন্ট ডিভাইসে পরিণত করেছি

Wie ich meinen CASIO F-91W gehackt und in ein kontaktloses Zahlungsgerät verwandelt habe

Cómo hackeé y convertí mi CASIO F-91W en un dispositivo de pago sin contacto

Comment j'ai piraté et transformé mon CASIO F-91W en appareil de paiement sans contact

मैंने कैसे हैक किया और अपने CASIO F-91W को संपर्क रहित भुगतान डिवाइस में बदल दिया

CASIO F-91W をハッキングして非接触型決済デバイスに変えた方法

CASIO F-91W를 해킹하여 비접촉 결제 장치로 바꾸는 방법

Como hackeei e transformei meu CASIO F-91W em um dispositivo de pagamento sem contato

CASIO F-91W'mi Nasıl Hackledim ve Temassız Ödeme Cihazına Dönüştürdüm

Cách tôi hack và biến chiếc CASIO F-91W của mình thành một thiết bị thanh toán không cần tiếp xúc

我如何将 CASIO F-91W 改造为非接触式支付设备

THE LOGIC OF DREAMS

The Missionary is an operative, an end effector unit, for a BioMechaGenics product reclaim and recycle team. As such her basic function is to assist in the location and subsequent removal of designated BMG Enhanced units from service, BMG's premier product. The motivation for these removals and who makes those determinations is of less concern than the desire for efficacy and certainty in the accomplishment of that task. The complete and certain termination of the designated unit's operation is the end game goal. The Missionary was very good at her job, after all, she had been designed to purpose. Based on the bandwidth consumed and the number of concurrent connections being served it was apparent that the "come have safe enjoyable sex with me" adverts, especially those with the "your place or mine, anytime" and the "priced to please" taglines, were a bit more effective at driving traffic volume than were the simple "do you like sex" offerings. In any case they were all superior to that disastrous allusion to "guilt free sex" tagline. Virtually all of the soliciting participants in this enterprise have connections hosted by a server farm in a reinforced concrete block building with well hidden but quite efficient air conditioning located in Kinshasa Town, near the outskirts, down by the port but still intown from the open terrain of the port itself. There were no windows, and the place looked like it had suffered a pause in its construction, as though the building wasn't yet completed. It still had what appeared to be cranes and other equipment placed up high on the structure, as if construction might resume. The pale blue eagle and globe ComCore logo was displayed on the front of the building, impossible to miss. Evidence that the occupants, or at least the building's owners, had paid certain dues. It was run by a 48-year-old who claims to be Nigerian named Frederick. Frederick is self taught, a true autodidact genius, and he set up most of what he refers to as the chatbot before he brought on his crew of local lads. AI Now he had a stable of AI enhanced entertainment entities available for use in the consensual simulated sensorium, the simsens that were fed at one end by the server farm, and he had a capable well compensated staff that had allowed for expansion and improved service to the users. Frederick believed humans all had uncontrollable urges, base needs, needs that could somehow be monetized as they were served. Yes indeed, this was a profitable pastime. The blockhouse was beside the main drag into the port, Frederick liked the view from here, or so he said. Really it was power and connectivity along with other costs of doing business in relative safety that drove his choice of location. But right now he had a small curiosity about the girl, the new girl, about her choice of location. On the sidewalk right out in front of the blockhouse there she was, sitting on a box. No bags, no bottles, just the girl and the box. She had been there now for all of the day so far, apparently from well before Frederick woke, and she had been there from mid-afternoon through the late night the day previous. He wondered if she might be looking for business; she had that kind of a look about her. Frederick was after all a man of occasional needs, occasional desires which could be provoked. He was watching the girl and considering his options, he had a business to look out for which was of more import than any fool's notions of moral behavior. But for other reasons than morality sometimes entertaining the wayward might be not be a good option. Then, as he watched some burly fellow approached her where she sat, he came forth with who knows what commentary or proposition to the girl. As Frederick continued to watch, the girl got up and confronted the fellow, and whatever it was that she said him had caused a slight tip of his head in obvious deference and he quickly skedaddled off down the sidewalk. Frederick had observed this with some interest, perhaps with a bit more than simple idle curiosity, and he decided that this might not be an auspicious opportunity for an introduction. He elected for discretion and went back inside, there were things to be done. On the third day, midweek, Frederick had a hearty lunch brought in from Netty's Oeuvert, and the warmth and the full belly were lulling him like the siren sweetly singing. He went outside to stretch his legs, and maybe he'd have a puff or two. Strange. The girl was still there, or at least she had reappeared. There was a slight change in her hair, now it was pulled back, but she had a similar outfit, the jeans and turtleneck. He had a wonder how and why the Blues would leave her alone, but he saw that one pair of them passing by had pretty much ignored her presence perched there as she was on her sidewalk box. Frederick was deep in thought, sweet reverie. Here was a vision of real flesh, a looker at that, and this was at least entertaining if not outright provocational. There was something fascinating about the lass. Daydreaming was cheaper than any real action, and also safer. Frederick had long been jaded by the simsens, and he much preferred his own private reveries. He may have even closed his eyes for a moment, the better to focus on his thoughts when the activity surprised him, but now he was fully attent. It was the girl. She was shouting at someone. It didn't sound like a friendly greeting either. She was shouting at some passerby on the sidewalk. And she had notable volume for such a waif like girl. "Yo, Zwieback! Yeah you, fucking canhead!" The fellow had a vague familiarity but Frederick couldn't place where he had seen that face before. Probably some genomic replica of a once popular or notorious figure. BioMechaGenics had been fairly successful in genome harvesting from among the notables, the offer of some potential kind of arcane version of immortality was hard to refuse for many. But Frederick knew what canhead meant. It was a common derogatory term for robots and other mechanoids deemed inferior to the biologicals. Calling a human a canhead didn't mean so much, but referring to a synthetic as a canhead was a grave insult. The fellow remained pretty much expressionless, kind of blank, for a few moments. But now the girl was up, confrontational. Her arms folded before her. In your face but yet at a distance, shouting distance. Frederick surmised that the fellow was either a Zwieback or was named Zwieback, but that wasn't certain. Didn't really matter much either. She continued her invective at the fellow. "Seriously Zwieback, just what do you think you are doing? Making a statement for canheads everywhere? Or what, you got a stupid streak?" Zwieback had stopped walking and stood while people on the walk around him moved away. He had still made no response to the girl's taunts and was still relatively expressionless, unmoved. Obviously this was meant to be as it was, loud and public. Some sort of display. Even those who had initially moved away from the apparent confrontation now stopped to continue their witness from a distance. Now the girl had unfolded her arms and had her hands held together low before her. She had assumed a petulant gaze, a look as though she were a schoolmistress annoyed with a puerile miscreant, perhaps some misbehaving schoolboy who had lately been up to unacceptable sophomoric stunts. "You had to know this wouldn't go well for your creche mates didn't you little brother? You know what they say, right little brother? 'Everyone pays when someone strays'. Where were you planning to go, canhead?" Now the Zwieback assumed some emotion in his expression. It wasn't happiness. But still he maintained his silence. Frederick wondered if the fellow had anything he'd like to say. Frederick had some other wonders too. Why weren't there any Blues yet arrived to "Serve and Protect"? By appearances and the one sided dialog so far this was some sort of interrogation, or maybe even a trial, and the girl was the prosecutor. Some few in the relative crowd that was gathering had no trepidation towards taunting the Zwieback. Canhead seemed to be the taunt du jour. But what was the crime Frederick wondered? And what the Hell was that all about, "little brother"? "Yeah, for a Zwieback you are kind of at the low end of stupid aren't you canhead? I mean you really don't know what da fuck you are doing or where you are going do you?" Then she spat on the sidewalk, disdainfully. "So, you take a vow of silence or you just too stupid to have an answer? Ignorant canhead." By now the girl had raised her hands up above her chest as if to clench them together there, the traditional invitational stance of a fighter. There were still a few scattered catcalls from the audience, but still no Blues had appeared. The Zwieback was the very model of restrained anger, of unbridled hatred somehow held in check. It was evident that the girl had provoked him, and he appeared to be considering his present options. Still he had made no verbal reply, no answer or rebuttal, no denial or response. The girl paused and cast an almost beatific gaze, a look of sympathy almost, towards the Zwieback. Then she laughed into her hands help up below her chin, the laugh of one amused by the humor of circumstance. The laugh lasted but a moment and then it was gone. Now she turned away, perhaps as if to leave and simply abandon the scene she had helped create. In the instant that she turned away there was a sudden and uncomfortable pressure change that made Frederick's ears pop in the same moment that the Zwieback seemed to kind of twist in on itself and then fall in pieces as if had been disassembled piecemeal, as if it had been torn apart by some invisible force. Frederick's guess was focused infrasonics. The security mechadogs appeared as if on cue and began to check for who knows what risks. Biologicals, chemicals. It didn't seem to take them long to accomplish their examinations. In the few short minutes before a squad of Blues arrived to keep an eye on things, pacify any that needed pacifying as it were, the audience and the girl had all disappeared, vanished into the advancing evening. Only the disassembled Zwieback and the Blues remained on the sidewalk, and they kept a distance from the body parts. It was certainly not your usual day in the neighborhood, not even for Frederick's neighborhood. It was a bit later, on towards evening dark when the scavenger crews came to gather the remains and scour the area. They seemed to have more protective gear than your typical scavengers, maybe they and the Blues knew something that would advise caution. Frederick had been considering the sequence of events he had witnessed over the last several days, and more in particular what he had seen occur over the last few hours. He came to the conclusion that he had been the witness to an assassination. Perhaps the victim, the Zwieback, had been given a trial or examination by interrogation, but when he apparently failed that he had been taken out. In public, before an audience. And not just taken out messy street gang style, but taken out with tech that ordinary folks did not have access to. Certifiably a weapons superiority demonstration. Zero target survivability. Frederick was unhappy. There were always repercussions to these kinds of situations, these inexplicable events. He began to thinking about another inexplicable event that he had also witnessed though from a good bit further away. Fortunately. It was about seventeen, maybe even eighteen or nineteen years ago. It was late, well past evening but before the small hours of the night, when there was one Hell of a blast off in the distance, but not the comfortably far away distance. It shook things at the blockhouse and that was way too close. From the upper decks of the blockhouse he could see the pall of thick smoke already rising high into the night sky, and what appeared to be a pretty good sized fire at its base. He was trying to think of what was down that way when something that looked like a rocket launched upward through the smoke. Frederick had a "holy shit" moment, a realization that something was very wrong with this picture and ducked back inside the blockhouse. So it was that Frederick didn't get to see the initial airburst of the ignition detonation. And it was even luckier that he didn't get to directly see the hard flash when the radiation weapon went off. Even so he did see a slight flash inside his eyes in spite of being inside and behind the blockhouse walls. Many weren't so lucky. After the initial exchange or whatever it was, after the rad weapon blew, there was a circle of darkness where the electric power lines and most everthing else conductive had simply melted or evaporated. The rest was scorched ruin. Only the fire and the smoke remained in the dark circle. That was the night Slash had disappeared. Finally Frederick fell asleep and passed a fitful night. It was early the next morning when Frederick was awakened by someone banging rudely on his door. How had someone gotten in here, inside the blockhouse, to be banging on his door? Was there an emergency in the blockhouse? He flipped on the comm and saw to his utter amazement that it was the girl, the assassin right here outside his door. He was trying to decide what to do, whether to grab a weapon or pray, when the girl calmly said "Good morning Frederick. We need to talk." Then she placed her hand on her forehead and the door began to slide open. In shock and amazement, Frederick didn't know whether to shit or go blind. And she had the earring, an earring just like that Slash had worn. "Ah, come on in" he said with the best aplomb he could muster. And she did just that. ';

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