Saturday, August 2, 2008

extreme constructions







While determining the world's tallest structure has generally been straightforward, the definition of the world's tallest building or the world's tallest tower is less clear. The disputes generally center on what should be counted as a building or a tower, and what is being measured.
In terms of absolute height, the tallest structures are currently the dozens of radio and television broadcasting towers which measure over 600 meters (about 2,000 feet) in height. There is, however, some debate about:
whether structures under construction should be included in the list
whether structures rising out of water should have their below-water height included.
For towers, there is debate over:
whether guy-wire-supported structures should be counted
For buildings, there is debate over:
whether communication towers with observation galleries should be considered habitable buildings.
whether only habitable height is considered.
whether roof-top antennas should be considered towards height of buildings; with particular interest in whether components that look like spires can be either classified as antennas or architectural detail.
Contents[hide]
1 Tallest structures
1.1 Tallest structure by category
1.2 Tallest destroyed structures by category, not surpassed by existing structures
1.3 Tallest building by function
2 Tallest buildings
2.1 History of record holders in each CTBUH category
3 World's tallest freestanding structure on land
3.1 History
3.2 World's highest observation deck
3.3 Timeline of guyed structures on land
4 Tallest structures, freestanding structures, and buildings
5 Future record-breaking structures
5.1 Under construction
5.2 Proposed
6 Never-built record-breaking structures
7 References
8 External links
//

[edit] Tallest structures
Main article: List of tallest structures in the world

KVLY-TV mast, the height record holder from 19631974 and 19912008.

The CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario was the world's tallest freestanding structure on land from 1975 until the Burj Dubai surpassed it in 2007, rising 553.33 m (1,815 ft). It is currently the world's tallest completed freestanding structure on land.
The tallest man-made structure is the Burj Dubai, a skyscraper under construction in Dubai that reached 636 m (2,087 ft) in height on May 12, 2008[1]. By 7 April 2008 it had been built higher than the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA, which is the tallest complete structure at 628.8 m (2,063 ft).[2]. Guyed lattice towers such as this mast had held the world height record since 1954. The Warsaw radio mast in Poland, raised to 646.38 m (2,121 ft) in 1974 and destroyed in 1991, remains the tallest structure ever built.
The CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, standing at 553.3 m (1,815 ft), is the world's tallest completed freestanding structure on land. Opened in 1976, it was surpassed in height by the rising Burj Dubai on September 12, 2007[3]. It has the world's highest public observation deck at 446.5 m (1,465 ft).
The Petronius Platform stands 610 m (2,001 ft) off the sea floor leading some, including Guinness World Records 2007, to claim it as the tallest freestanding structure in the world. However, it is debated if below-water height should not be counted, in the same manner as underground 'height' is not taken into account in buildings. The Troll A platform is 472 m (1,549 ft), without any part of that height being supported by wires.
Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan is currently the world's tallest inhabited building in three of the four main categories that are commonly measured: at 509.2 m (1,671 ft) as measured to its architectural height (spire) as well as roof height 449.2 m (1,474 ft) and highest occupied floor 439.2 m (1,441 ft). The Sears Tower is highest in the last category: the greatest height to top of antenna of any building in the world at 527.3 m (1,730 ft).
On its completion, projected for 2009, the Burj Dubai will break the height record in all four categories for completed buildings by a wide margin. While the final height has not been released to the public, Greg Sang, the construction manager, says that the building will rise to a minimum of 700 m (2,297 ft).[4] The developer, Emaar, is keeping structural details secret due to competition for the "world's tallest" with other proposed structures, including the nearby Al Burj.[5] The CN Tower will retain its record of the world's highest observation deck as Burj Dubai's deck will be at 442 m (1,450 ft).[6] The 'Symbol of Dubai' will have more than 160 floors, 56 elevators, apartments, shops, swimming pools, spas and corporate suites.

[edit] Tallest structure by category

This section needs additional citations for verification.Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007)
Due to the disagreements over how to measure and classify structures, engineers have created various definitions for categories of buildings and other structures. One measure includes the absolute height of a building, another includes only spires and other permanent architectural features, but not antennas. The tradition of including the spire on top of a building and not including the antenna dates back to the rivalry between the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street. A modern-day example is that the antenna on top of the Sears tower are not considered part of its architectural height, while the spires on top of the Petronas towers are counted.
Category
Structure
Country
City
Height (m)
Height (ft)
Skyscraper (under construction) - all categories
Burj Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Dubai
636
2,087[1]
Guyed Mast
KVLY-TV mast
United States
Blanchard, N.D.
628.8
2,063
Concrete Tower
CN Tower
Canada
Toronto, Ontario
553.3
1,815
Skyscraper - to top of antenna
Sears Tower
United States
Chicago
527.3
1,730
Skyscraper - to top of spire
Taipei 101
Taiwan
Taipei
509.2
1,671
Skyscraper - to top of roof
Shanghai World Financial Center
China
Shanghai
492
1,614
Tower for scientific research
BREN-Tower
United States
Nevada Test Site
462
1,516
Mast radiator, insulated against ground
VLF transmitter Lualualei
United States
Lualualei, Hawaii
458.11
1,503
Twin Towers
Petronas Twin Towers
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
452
1,482
Chimney
GRES-2 Power Station
Kazakhstan
Ekibastusz
419.7
1,377
Lattice tower
Kiev TV Tower
Ukraine
Kiev
385
1,263
Guyed tubular steel mast
Belmont transmitting station
United Kingdom
Donington on Bain
385
1,263
Partially guyed tower
Gerbrandy Tower
Netherlands
IJsselstein
366.8
1,203
Electricity pylon
Yangtze River Crossing, Jiangyin
China
Jiangyin
346.5
1,137
Bridge pillar
Millau Viaduct
France
Millau
342
1,122
Iron Tower
Tokyo Tower
Japan
Tokyo
333
1,092
Five-sided building
JPMorgan Chase Tower
United States
Houston
305
1,002
Dam
Nurek Dam
Tajikistan
Nurek
300
984[7]
Concrete dam
Grande Dixence Dam
Switzerland
Val d'Hérens
285
935[8]
Electricity pylon built of concrete
Yangtze River Crossing, Nanjing
China
Nanjing
257
843
Electricity pylon of HVDC-powerline
Yangtze River Crossing, Wuhu
China
Wuhu
229
751
Minaret
Hassan II Mosque
Morocco
Casablanca
210
689
Wind turbine
Fuhrländer Wind Turbine Laasow
Germany
Laasow, Brandenburg
205
673
Cooling Tower
Niederaussem Power Station
Germany
Niederaussem
200
656
Monument
Gateway Arch
United States
St. Louis, Missouri
192
630
90° twisted building
Turning Torso
Sweden
Malmö
190
623
Masonry tower
Anaconda Smelter Stack
United States
Anaconda, Montana
178.3
585
Inclined structure,Stadium
Le Stade Olympique
Canada
Montreal, Quebec
175
574
Obelisk
San Jacinto Monument
United States
Houston
173.7
570
Church Building
Chicago Temple Building
United States
Chicago
173
568
Masonry building
Mole Antonelliana
Italy
Torino
167
548
Masonry building
Philadelphia City Hall
United States
Philadelphia
167
548
Ferris wheel
Singapore Flyer
Singapore
Singapore
165
541.3
Church tower
Ulm Minster
Germany
Ulm
162
530
Industrial hall
Vehicle Assembly Building
United States
Kennedy Space Center
160
525
Memorial cross
Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos
Spain
El Escorial
152.4
500
Roller coaster
Kingda Ka
United States
Jackson, New Jersey
138.98
456
Tomb
Great Pyramid of Giza
Egypt
Giza, Cairo
138.8
455.2
Dome
St Peter's Basilica dome
Italy
Vatican City, Rome
136.57
448.06
Air traffic control tower
Suvarnabhumi Airport control tower
Thailand
Bangkok
132.2
433.7
Flagpole, free-standing
Aqaba Flagpole
Jordan
Aqaba
132
430
Equilateral Pentagon
Baltimore World Trade Center
United States
Baltimore
123.5
405
Statue (including pedestal)
Ushiku Daibutsu Bronze Buddha Statue
Japan
Ushiku
120
394
Storage silo
Henninger Turm
Germany
Frankfurt
120
394
Sculpture
Spire of Dublin
Ireland
Dublin
120
393
Light advertisement
Bayer Cross Leverkusen
Germany
Leverkusen
118
387
Wooden structure
Gliwice Radio Tower
Poland
Gliwice
118
387
Aerial tramway support tower
Pillar of third section of Gletscherbahn Kaprun
Austria
Kaprun
113.6
373
Electricity pylon of powerline for single phase AC
Bremen-Industriehafen Weser Powerline Crossing
Germany
Bremen
111
364
Lighthouse
Yokohama Marine Tower
Japan
Yokohama
106
324
Clock Tower
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower
United Kingdom
Birmingham
100
328
Sphere
Stockholm Globe Arena
Sweden
Stockholm
85
279
Pre-modern Chinese pagoda
Liaodi Pagoda
China
Ding County, Hebei
84
275
Lantern Tower
Boston Stump
United Kingdom
Boston, Lincolnshire
83.05
272
Statue (not including pedestal)
Mamayev Kurgan
Russia
Volgograd
82
269
Brick lighthouse
Torre della Lanterna
Italy
Genoa
77
253
Brick minaret
Qutub Minar
India
Delhi
72.5
237.8
Electricity Pylon (concrete, prefabricated)
Pylon 310 of powerline Innertkirchen-Littau-Mettlen
Switzerland
Littau
59.5
195
Monolithic obelisk
Tuthmosis II Obelisk
Italy
San Giovanni in Laterano
36
118.1

Friday, August 1, 2008

robotics





Crime-fighting robots duke it out
UBC students design machines to round up and catch bad guys
Mary Frances Hill, Vancouver SunPublished: Friday, August 01, 2008
VANCOUVER - They'll be the leaders in technology tomorrow. Today, they're busy playing games.
As stereo speakers at the University of British Columbia's Hennings Building blared the soundtrack to the Super Mario Bros. early video game, engineering students set up tables full of dolls and mini-robots, and tried to beat the pants off each other in speed and agility Thursday.
Although the Mountie-Bots competition -- part of the eighth annual UBC Engineering Physics Robot Competition -- looked like nothing but fun and games, the concept was inspired by darker circumstances, the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski after he was Tasered by RCMP officers at Vancouver International Airport last year.












Scientists have created a robot that reacts emotionally to the way it is treated, relaxing when it is shown kindness and flinching at anger.
Heart Robot has a beating heart, a breathing stomach, and sensors that respond to movement, noise and touch. Cuddle him, and he seems to soak up the affection. His limbs become limp, his eyelids lower, his breathing relaxes and his heartbeat slows. If he is given a violent shake he gets upset.
He flinches, his hands clench, his breathing and heart rate speed up, and his eyes widen.
Heart Robot was created by scientists at the University of the West of England in Bristol to explore how humans react to a machine that appears to show feelings. Holly Cave, who organised an event at the Science Museum in London where Heart Robot was on display, said: "Children react to him very differently. They either want to hug and cuddle him, and look after him like a doll or baby, or they just want to scare him. How humans and robots might interact in the future is something that raises lots of interesting ethical and moral questions."
Also on display was Hexapod, a metallic spider that registers faces of visitors and then follows them around.
Telegraph, London

Thursday, July 31, 2008

sports bikes


1999
The name Hayabusa translates directly from the Japanese as Peregrine Falcon, the bird capable of achieving speeds over 200 mph (322 km/h) -- and predator of (perhaps not coincidently) the common blackbird. The name is a subtle reference to Honda's competing Hawk models. When introduced in 1999, it overtook the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird as the fastest production motorcycle. The first generation of the Hayabusa was called the GSX1300R and was powered by a 1299 cc (79.2 cu in) inline-4 liquid-cooled engine. It remained relatively unchanged up through the 2007 model year.
The motorcycle in stock form was capable of the following performance:
1/4 mile (402 m): 10.02 seconds @ 143.7 mph (231 km/h)[2]
60–80 mph: 3.13 seconds[2]
80–100 mph: 3.31 seconds[2]
Top speed: 189.6 mph (305 km/h)[2]
Power: 156.1 hp (116.4 kW) @ 9,500 rpm (rear wheel)[2]

[edit] 2008

2008 Hayabusa
Competition in the hyper sport bike segment increased with the release of motorcycles like the BMW K1200S, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14. This increased competition led to Suzuki heavily revising the GSX1300R for the 2008 model year.[3] Suzuki has dropped the GSX1300R designation in some countries and simply called the motorcycle the Hayabusa. The engine size was increased to 1340 cc (81.7 cu in) with the compression ratio increasing to 12.5:1. The revised engine has a claimed 12% increase in power to 194 hp (145 kW).[4][5]
Fuel is now fed through a pair of new 44 mm (1.7 in) Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) throttle bodies. The Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS), a technology introduced on the GSX-R line of motorcycles, provides three options of power delivery for a range of touring to wide open high performance. Some of the more notable features include a new 4-2-1-2 exhaust system meets Euro 3 and Tier 2 emission regulations, a slipper clutch, and redesigned bodywork.
The motorcycle in stock form was capable of the following performance:
1/4 mile (402 m): 9.85 seconds @ 149.7 mph (241 km/h)[citation needed]
0–60 mph: 2.77 seconds[citation needed]
0–180 mph: 18.9 seconds[citation needed]
Top speed: 185.5

[edit] Specifications
1999-2007
2008
Engine
1299 cc (79 cu in), 4-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve
1340 cc (82 cu in), 4-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve
Bore Stroke
81.0 x 63.0 mm
81.0 x 65.0 mm
Compression Ratio
11.0:1
12.5:1
Power
151.1 hp (113 kW)[5]
171 hp (128 kW)[5]
Torque
93.4 lb·ft (127 N·m) @ 6750 rpm[5]
102.3 lb·ft (139 N·m)[5]
Fuel System
Keihin/Denso Fuel Injection
Fuel Injection
Lubrication
Wet sump
Ignition
Digital/Transistorized
Transmission
6-speed, constant mesh
Final Drive
#530 chain
Overall Length
2140 mm (84.3 in)
2195 mm (86.4 in)
Overall Width
740 mm (29.1 in)
Overall Height
1155 mm (45.5 in)
1170 mm (46.1 in)
Seat Height
805 mm (31.7 in)
Ground Clearance
120 mm (4.7 in)
Wheelbase
1485 mm (58.5 in)
Dry Weight
217 kg (478 lb)218 kg (481 lb) CA. model
220 kg (485 lb)
Suspension Front
Inverted telescopic, coil spring, fully adjustable spring preload, 14-way adjustable rebound damping and 13-way adjustable compression damping
Inverted telescopic, coil spring, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable compression damping
Suspension Rear
Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, 22-way adjustable compression & rebound damping
Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable compression & rebound damping
Brakes Front
Dual hydraulic disc
Brakes Rear
Single hydraulic disc
Tires Front
120/70-ZR-17
Tires Rear
190/50-ZR-17
Fuel Tank Capacity
21 l (5.5 US gal)19.0 l (5.0 US gal) CA. model
21 l (5.5 US gal)20.0 l (5.3 US gal) CA. model
Colors
1999: Silver/Copper Brown, Black/Gray, Red/Black.2000: Blue/Silver, Red/Silver, Silver.2001: Blue/Silver, Black/Silver.2002: Blue/Black, Silver/Gray, Midnight Black (Limited Edition).2003: Silver/Gray, Black/Gray, Black, Midnight Black (Canadian Limited Edition), Golden Orange (the US 40th Anniversary model).2004: Blue/Silver, Black/Purple, Limited Red2005: Blue/Silver, Black/Gray, Red/Black(New graphics)2006: Blue/Silver, Black/Gray, Red/Black.2007: Black, Red, Blue, White/Sliver (UK Limited Edition)
2008: Orange/Black, Gray/Black, White/Silver, Blue/Black

[edit] Controversy

2005 GSX1300R "Hayabusa"
After its introduction, the major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers realized that the power and speed wars among flagship sport bikes would not end and would eventually lead to increased government regulation. For the model years 2001 to current, a timing retard was added in 6th gear, as well as an earlier rev limiter (10200 RPM V.S. 11000 RPM). This limited the top speed from the 1999/2000 model's 198 mph (319 km/h) to a new maximum of 186 mph (299 km/h).

[edit] Sales
From its debut in 1999 to June 2007 over 100,000 Hayabusas were sold worldwide[6]. In the United States during the year 2005 over 10,000 units were sold.[7] For 2006 in the US sales of the Hayabusa were twice that of the Kawasaki ZX-14, which was being released that year. [8] And again for the year over 10,000 units were sold in the US.[9]
Overall, sales in the US have increased year after year since its release in 1999 until 2006 and went from just a few thousand units in 1999 to over 10,000 in 2006.[10][11] Worldwide yearly sales statistics are not known.

laptops

The best thing about technology is that it improves and develops continuously. This probably is also the most challenging bit about technology that a buyer finds difficult to deal with. The laptop that is right for you will depend solely on your need. The most important question for you to answer is: why do I need a laptop?The latest laptops are full of features enhancing connectivity, usability, communication and also your comfort. They are lighter, faster and sport trendy looks. Following are some of the outstanding features of the latest upcoming laptops. You will also understand which feature provides you what kind of service and whether you need that or not.RAM: RAM or random access memory determines the amount of bits a programme can use while it runs on your laptop. The more programmes that you need to work on, the higher should be the RAM of your laptop. If you are a multimedia developer, a gamer or an architect, you would need a laptop with higher RAM so that you can run a number of programmes simultaneously without affecting the speed adversely.The latest upcoming laptops have installed RAM from 1GB to 4GB (Sony VAIO SZ). You can also upgrade RAM. So it is best that you choose a laptop where extra memory can be added.Hard Drive: Hard Disc Drive (HDD) or hard drive as it is most commonly known as stores digitally encoded data in your laptop. Simply speaking it is the HDD that stores the newly created data and the old data even after the power supply is turned off. So if you want to play games and store your progress, keep latest flicks and music in your laptop, share it with someone else, keep a backup of your work, you will need a laptop with bigger HDD.These days laptops come with even 200GB hard disk. That’s a huge storage area. Remember though, a bigger hard drive also means heavier weight.Processor: Processor is simply put the brain of your laptop. It processes all the instruction that you enter on your laptop, starting from typing a word document to playing a game.Most manufacturers use either Intel processors or AMD processors. Intel Processors has a slower internal clock rate than AMD Processors. If you want high end graphics quality then AMD processor is your pick. But remember to check if your laptop has the latest version of the processor. The latest set of processors is Intel Core 2 Duo from Intel and AMD Opteron and Athlon Dual Core from AMD.Connectivity: Connectivity is the need of the hour. You want to keep your laptop as mobile as possible. Look for a Bluetooth and wireless enabled laptop if you want to stay connected wherever you go. Again the latest upcoming laptops come with a bouquet of wireless connectivity options. Also to consider is the number of USB ports in your laptop so that you can use the telephone, broadband or Ethernet connections as well as connect your laptop with other compatible devices like printer, camera, mobile phone etc.Once you decide on the main features, you can also accessorise your laptop according to your need.
eBay auctions move faster with Multi-Touch.Tap, flick, and pinch to browse millions of auctions, place bids, and track items you’re watching or selling with the eBay application
There’s something for everyone.No matter what you’re interested in — gaming, chatting, social networking, traveling, news, sports, finance, or business — there are bound to be iPod touch applications made especially for it. And since developers are always creating new applications, there’ll always be more for you to discover. And more that your iPod touch can do


Nokia N95 : Nokia introduced the Nokia N95, an all-in-one multimedia computer with a pioneering 2-way slide concept, integrated GPS functionality, a 5 megapixel camera and support for high-speed networks, making it easier to watch and record videos, listen to songs, take high-quality photos, browse the internet, or catch up on email while on the move. "The Nokia N95 brings a range of multimedia ingredients together, such as a fantastic display, outstanding photo and video capability and high-speed connectivity, making it the ultimate multimedia computer," said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Multimedia, Nokia. "This single device, which fits easily in your pocket, can replace stand-alone devices that you no longer need.”