Both Samsung and Toshiba are itching to capitalize on the portable tablet market that Apple created this year with the introduction of the iPad. Apple, which has sold over 3,000,000 iPads since this spring will keep the tablet crown for now as there are so many applications and components already released for the iPad and iPhone devices that it will take a while for the Android based tablets to catch up.

HP, Dell and LG are all said to have their own tablets in development but it is expected that the Toshiba and Samsung tablets will be the only ones to make an appearance in 2010.

The price of both the Samsung and Toshiba tablets has not been finalized but it is expected that they will be comparable to the iPad in price and features.

One notable difference with the Toshiba tablet is that it will have a larger screen than it’s iPad counterpart. What ever else may be different will have to wait until it’s closer to their release.

Flexible solar panels have many advantages over traditional framed solar panels. The flexible solar panels are lightweight so there is less worry in the installation process and during use. They can also be installed on a semi-permanent basis because they are very easy to remove and install elsewhere.

Probably the biggest advantage is that they can be manufactured in any size or shape so they can be used in unconventional places.

In the past, the biggest disadvantage of the flexible solar panels is that they could only power low-wattage devices however that has changed significantly in the past year as new solar technology has been introduced. The newest flexible panels that are available for commercial applications have the ability to collect more energy than earlier versions.

In the future, we will be seeing even more advances in solar energy products based on this emerging technology.

Keep in mind that adding a server to your business is not a huge expense - in fact you can get started by putting an unused desktop computer to work, but the rewards go beyond the financial concerns.

Here’s how to recognize the signs that it’s time for you to invest in a server for your small business.

- Has your business grown beyond a few desktop computers, laptops and other data collectors including PDA’s?
- Is the thought of losing the company data that is stored on different computers making you uneasy? In fact, have you experienced a loss of data or incurred costs associated with the recovery of lost data?
- Do multiple employees need to access the same programs and documents?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are your business is ready for a server.

Some of the benefits are that your business can use the server as a security gateway to regulate the different levels of access to your data, particularly for your employees. It is also possible to host your website on your company’s server but if your site has a reasonable amount of traffic, you might want to leave that alone.

They are very small, easy to manufacture and many MOS-FETS consume a small amount of power making them an excellent choice for many applications.

It is the most common type of transistor available for either digital or analog circuits, replacing the bipolar transistor which was much more common in the past.

The word ‘metal’ in the name is actually now a misnomer because what was originally the gate material (often Aluminum) is now more often a layer of polysilicon (aka polycrystalline silicon).

Could you buy the same thing for just a few dollars more? Sure you could, but you’d miss out on the satisfaction of assembling this project all by yourself.

Here’s what you need:
2 high intensity white LEDS (you can use other colors if desired)
small perf board
2 470 ohm resistors
toggle switch or slide switch
9V battery snap
9V battery
small project box (you can use an Altoid tin)
electrical wire (about 2′ total)
soldering iron
solder
hot glue
electrical tape

For full assembly instructions, you can view the pages here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/9-Volt-Headlamp/

Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M Mims III

I’ve had my copy so long that it is almost time to replace it but even though it is an old, worn out copy, the information is still as good today as it was 15 years ago when I got my book. Of course, there are some things that won’t be found in here, but for the beginner, you can’t go wrong with this book.

The chapters are logically laid out and easy to read and each chapter builds on the previous lessons. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about electronics - from child to adult.

Introduction to electronics

An even bigger accomplishment is the fact that Android based phones now account for 34% of the market - topping all other platforms including Apple’s popular iPhone platform.

The press release from Canalys also reports that Android devices combined reached almost 475,000 units in Q2 2010 from no presence in the country a year ago. The Google-backed Android is available in phones from HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG, among others.

In total, the US market for smartphones is the largest established market in the world, and it still continues to show rapid growth. In the 2nd quarter of 2010, there were 14.7 million smart phone units shipped.

Typically, there are two reasons that oxidation occurs on boards.

The main reason is improper storage and handling. Boards should be received from your supplier in a vacuum pack, which would render them clean and ready to accept solder. Once the vacuum seal has been broken, the boards are exposed to the environment. Boards that are stored in facilities with high humidity will experience accelerated deterioration. When handling boards, use only gloved hands and handle by the edges whenever possible.

Another way PCBs become contaminated is at the factory level. If your boards have just been removed from their packaging, chances are the problem is not oxidation. Much of the contamination is at the manufacturing level which is found after the bag has been opened. The main reasons this happens is because of incorrect ph levels, careless handling of the PCBs or if the boards are poorly washed with the surface film.

How can this be avoided? Handle the boards properly including using proper storage methods. Keep the boards in dry storage area, free from humidity. Make sure that anyone that handles them wears gloves to keep body oils from the pads and instruct everyone to touch only the edges of the boards. If your problems are from the factory, address the factory about the issues to avoid the same problems with future orders.

Nearly 20% of the cost of the handset is from the processor which cost $31.40. Right behind the processor was the display and touch screen which is manufactured by Samsung. The display, which is an advanced Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED), cost $31.20. In third place was the memory at $29.80 or 18.2%. It is interesting to note that cost of the 8MP Auto Focus camera in the handset was only $15.70.

The cost to manufacture the phone is a reported $10 bringing the grand total to about $175. That is amazing considering everything the Incredible can do. Think of the Incredible as a handheld computer plus camera for less than $175!

iSuppli did make note of the similarities between the HTC Incredible and the Nexus One. According to iSuppli Director, Andrew Rassweiler, “The Droid Incredible could have been dubbed the ‘Nexus Two’ given its similarity to HTC’s Nexus One introduced early this year.”

This restructuring would effect the bottom line of the company in many ways including the elimination of 400 - 500 jobs and the closing of their thin-film solar technology lab among other plans.

The future of Applied Material’s solar technology would focus on the crystalline silicon solar product development over the thin-film solar business. Historically, crystalline silicon (c-Si) has been used in many solar cells as a light-absorbing semiconductor although it is considered a relatively inefficient for light absorption. It also requires a considerable thickness (several hundred microns) of material.
Despite this, it has proven to be desirable because it produces stable solar cells with good efficiencies (11-16%, which is half to two-thirds of the theoretical maximum). It uses process technology developed from the huge knowledge base of the microelectronics industry.