Laman jaringan sosial mampu jadi pemangkin perubahan!

Kerajaan, pemimpin dan ahli politik perlu manfaat alam siber untuk kekal relevan

KEPADA mereka yang kurang tahu, laman Facebook adalah contoh fenomena jalinan media sosial yang terhasil daripada teknologi internet. Seseorang mendaftar menjadi ahli Facebook, dengan mengisi butir diri, betul atau tidak, tiada siapa yang akan periksa dan meletakkan gambar ataupun video. Ahli Facebook mengemaskini laman mereka dengan butiran terkini mengenai diri mereka serta menyatakan pendapat mereka dan segala yang mereka suka atau tidak.

Setiap ahli Facebook boleh meminta untuk menjadi 'kawan' ahli facebook yang lain. Lebih banyak kawan, mungkin lebih popular agaknya seseorang ahli Facebook. Baru-baru ini ada dilaporkan Perdana Menteri mempunyai lebih 100,000 'kawan' di laman Facebook beliau.

Berdasarkan statistik terbaru, ada lebih 350 juta ahli Facebook di dunia - kalaulah Facebook sebuah negara, maka ia adalah negara keempat terbesar di dunia. Lebih menarik lagi, di Malaysia terdapat 4.2 juta ahli Facebook, iaitu kesembilan paling ramai di dunia, di mana nombor satu ialah Amerika Syarikat.

Apa yang penting yang perlu diambil tahu ialah pengaruh yang luas oleh Facebook dan laman media sosial lain. Juga perlu diingat bukan semua yang di internet itu tidak baik. Cuma apabila kita tidak memahaminya, maka kita akan bimbang dan ragu. Satu lagi yang perlu diingati, tiada apa yang boleh dilakukan untuk menghalang atau mengawal internet. Sebarang cubaan akan membawa kesan lebih negatif daripada baik.

Kini terdapat beratus-ratus laman umpama Facebook, antara yang terkenal Friendster dan Myspace. Satu lagi statistik yang menarik - menurut beberapa laporan, hampir dua pertiga rakyat Malaysia adalah ahli salah satu daripada ratusan jalinan sosial media. Jelas, ini bukan fenomena kecil atau boleh diremeh-temehkan. Malah tahun ini dikatakan sebagai tahun media sosial di mana akan ada ledakan fenomena ini.

Di Malaysia saja pertumbuhan keahlian Facebook, umpamanya, bertambah 10 peratus atau lebih 300,000 pada Disember lalu. Baru-baru ini juga Timbalan Perdana Menteri juga melancarkan laman Facebooknya. Apakah maksud semua ini? Apakah penting dan relevannya kesemua ini untuk hidup kita? Ada orang kata aktiviti media sosial kurang bernas.

Sememangnya ia boleh merugikan, seperti juga perkara lain, jika dilakukan berlebihan. Sudah tentulah kita boleh terlebih makan atau bersuka atau mengemaskini laman Facebook kita, maka ia memanglah memudaratkan, tetapi itu tidak menjadi sebab kita tidak boleh bersuka-ria. Ahli seramai lebih empat juta, umpamanya adalah lebih daripada mana-mana parti politik di negara ini.

Walaupun jika separuh daripada mereka tidak aktif, jumlah yang berada di alam siber itu adalah cukup banyak dan memberikan banyak peluang dan kemungkinan. Rasanya ledakan yang dikatakan itu ialah di mana fenomena ini berjaya menguasai bidang sosial, ekonomi dan politik. Siapa sangka mainan pelajar sedekad lalu kini menjadi pemangkin perubahan.

Dikatakan kempen politik Presiden Amerika Syarikat yang lalu dimenangi oleh calon yang faham dengan kuasa dan pengaruh jalinan media sosial, dan seterusnya menggunakannya untuk membantu di dalam kempen. Presiden Barack Obama menggunakan teknologi ini dengan sepenuhnya dan berjaya menyampaikan mesejnya kepada golongan muda yang tidak lagi cenderung dengan media arus perdana.

Beliau juga berjaya memahami teknologi ini untuk menentukan segala mesej dan matlamat kempennya tidak lagi ditentukan dan ditapis oleh pemberita dan pengarang, malah adakalanya beliau terus langsung tidak menggunakan media arus perdana untuk sesetengah strategi kempen. Jelas dia berjaya, manakala lawannya yang tidak menerima media sosial secara menyeluruh, tidak.

Kekuatan utama laman seperti Facebook ialah pengaruh kawan-kawan. Contohnya, jika kawan kita berkata dia suka sesuatu filem, kita mungkin lebih percaya untuk membeli tiket, berbanding kata-kata iklan ataupun pengkritik. Kita lebih percaya jika kawan kita kata ada gerai yang menjual nasi lemak sedap yang perlu kita kunjungi, berbanding jika orang tidak dikenali berkata demikian.

Maka jika seorang rakan alam maya kita berkata dia percayakan Obama, jelas kata-kata ini akan menyerap ke jutaan, malah mungkin puluhan juta rakan yang terangkai dalam jalinan yang luas meliputi dunia. Sedikit sebanyak ada yang akan terpengaruh. Jika seseorang itu berkata ia menyokong sesuatu parti atau seseorang calon, besar kemungkinan dia akan dapat mempengaruhi kawannya lebih lagi daripada berjela-jela laporan media arus perdana. Maklumlah 'kawan' kita mesti bercakap betul.

Mungkin sebagai media arus perdana ini bukan satu perkembangan yang baik, namun sesuatu organisasi yang dinamik perlu melihat bagaimana ia boleh kekal di dalam keadaan yang mencabar. Untuk media arus perdana kekal relevan, ia mesti memahami serta mendakap fenomena ini. Begitu juga kerajaan, pemimpin dan ahli politik. Fenomena jalinan media sosial kini sudah lama dikenali oleh pakar pemasaran sebagai satu alat yang amat berguna untuk kerja mereka.

Begitu juga perlulah parti politik dan pemimpin mereka menerima, memahami dan menggunakan media sosial untuk kekal relevan. Satu lagi statistik yang menarik - lebih 80 peratus ahli Facebook pula berumur antara 18 hingga 44 tahun. Jelas jika mahu berinteraksi dengan golongan muda, haruslah pergi di mana mereka berkumpul.

Putra-Design

Burj Dubai dibuka hari ini!

Biarpun diselubungi krisis ekonomi dan hutang, menara tertinggi di dunia, Burj Dubai yang juga monumen terhebat di Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE) akan dibuka kepada orang ramai, esok.

Dibina dengan ketinggian 160 tingkat bersebelahan pantai Teluk Parsi, Burj Dubai mengatasi ketinggian menara Taipei yang setinggi 101 tingkat pada 508 meter, menjadikannya menara tertinggi di dunia dengan ketinggian 818 meter.

Menara itu turut mempunyai 1,000 kediaman, 160 bilik hotel mewah dan 37 tingkat bilik pejabat korporat. Ia direka oleh Adrian Smith, seorang arkitek dari Chicago, Amerika Syarikat (AS). Pembaziran terbaru oleh negara Teluk itu, memecahkan semua rekod sebelum ini dan ia mungkin merupakan penamat kepada satu era yang dimulakan pada 1994, apabila pembinaan kompleks hotel Burj Al Arab dimulakan.

Pada tahun 2000 semasa pembukaan hotel tersebut, Dubai mencatat rekod baru apabila memiliki hotel kedua terbesar di dunia. Kehidupan sosial dan mewah di bandar itu melampaui had ketika pertumbuhan ekonomi 'bersatu' dengan keseronokan peribadi dan nilai tradisi Islam yang semakin merosot, sebahagiannya akibat pengaruh penduduk asing yang tinggal di Dubai.

Bagaimanapun, apabila krisis kewangan global mula melanda, kebanyakan rakyat asing pulang ke negara mereka. Bangunan-bangunan bertukar menjadi 'rumah hantu', menjadikan keseluruhan kawasan kejiranan yang dulunya dianggap simbol kemegahan berubah kepada lambang ketamakan.

Pada 25 November lalu, keadaan sampai ke kemuncaknya apabila konglomerat Dubai World mengumumkan ia perlu membekukan pembayaran balik hutangnya berjumlah AS$59 bilion (RM206.5 bilion). Biarpun dianggap sebagai kemegahan baru bagi bandar raya itu, menara Burj Dubai dijangka memburukkan lagi 'penderitaan' yang ditanggung UAE melalui penambahan satu lagi hartanah dalam pasaran yang sesak.

Di sebalik kehebatan Burj Dubai

Menara adalah kuasa, demikian tulis Judith Dupre dalam bukunya, Skyscrapers yang diterbitkan sepuluh tahun lalu. Ketika buku ini diterbitkan, dua bangunan tertinggi di dunia berada di Kuala Lumpur iaitu Menara Berkembar Petronas. Kini selepas sepuluh tahun, Menara Berkembar Petronas berada pada tangga kelima dan esok dengan rasminya sebuah lagi bangunan tertinggi di dunia akan dibuka.

Burj Dubai yang terletak di Dubai menjadi satu mercu tanda keajaiban seni ketukangan serta teknologi pembikinan manusia dalam pembinaan bangunan. Burj Dubai mengulangi tamadun hebat manusia dalam pembinaan di Asia Barat selepas piramid yang muncul sebagai binaan tertinggi empat alaf lalu.

Burj Dubai yang tingginya 818 meter (bayangkan ketinggian bangunan hampir satu kilometer) mempunyai 160 tingkat memecah rekod Taipei 101 yang dirasmikan tahun 2004. Taipei 101 tingginya 509 meter mempunyai 101 tingkat. Benar seperti kata Judith Dupre, menara adalah kuasa. Membina bangunan tinggi menjadi simbol ketinggian tamadun dan kuasa sesuatu bangsa.

Sejak manusia mula membina tamadun, mereka sudah berlumba-lumba mendirikan bangunan yang tinggi mengatasi yang lain. Lihat saja bagaimana orang Mesir zaman kuno sudah membina pencakar langit lebih 2,000 tahun sebelum Masihi iaitu piramid.

Piramid paling tinggi ialah Cheo setinggi 146.6 meter (481 kaki) di Giza. Orang Greek pula sudah membina Parthenon pada kira-kira tahun 432 Sebelum Masihi. Pada zaman moden bangunan pertama paling tinggi ialah Washington Monument yang didirikan pada 7 Ogos, 1783 bagi memperingati Presiden Amerika Syarikat (AS) yang pertama, George Washington.

Pada dekad pertama alaf baru, bangunan tertinggi yang berada di Asia berpindah ke Asia Barat dan Dubai memang layak untuk menjadi pemilik bangunan tertinggi kerana kekayaan negara Emeriat Arab Bersatu (UAE). Sebelum ini bangunan tertinggi Menara Berkembar Petronas (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), International Commerce Centre (Hong Kong, China), Shanghai World Financial Centre (Shanghai, China) dan Taipei 101 (Taipei, Taiwan).

Kini Burj Dubai menjadi mercu tanda terbaru penciptaan manusia membangunkan sebuah bangunan yang tingginya hampir satu kilometer. Dengan ketinggian yang "luar biasa" itu, dijangka rekod yang dipegang oleh Burj Dubai tidak mungkin dapat diatasi sekurang-kurang 20 tahun akan datang. Ketinggian yang paling hampir ialah Taipei 101 itu pun hanya 509 meter.

Ini disebabkan oleh faktor krisis ekonomi global khususnya negara-negara maju yang menjadi penghalang untuk membelanjakan berbilion ringgit untuk membina sebuah mercu tanda.
Kerana itu banyak penganalisis ekonomi meramalkan tingginya Burj Dubai mencakar langit dan membelah awan akan menjadi mercu tanda merudumnya Dubai. UAE kini mendepani krisis ekonomi dan hampir tumbang pada akhir November.

Bagaimanapun bernasib baik apabila negara jiran, Abu Dhabi yang juga kaya dengan minyak menyuntik lebih RM38 bilion kepada UAE. Burj Dubai yang boleh dilihat sejauh 100 kilometer kini menjadi mimpi ngeri dan seperti kata pepatah, biar papa asal bergaya. Mata yang memandang memang melihat Burj Dubai sangat bergaya tetapi UAE ligat memikir mencari jalan untuk menjadikan mercu tanda ini sebagai penyumbang kepada ekonomi Dubai.

"Burj Dubai belum mampu menyakinkan pelabur, " demikian ulas Pengarah Bersekutu agensi CB Richard Ellis, Mathhew Green. Dia seterusnya berkata, kadar sewa bangunan komersial turun lebih 55 peratus dari tahun ke tahun. Inilah realiti yang dihadapi oleh Burj Dubai apabila sebahagian besar ruang pejabat dan kediaman untuk disewa masih kosong.

Adakah badi "bangunan tinggi" dengan "keruntuhan ekonomi" yang berlaku sebelum ini terkena pada Burj Dubai seperti yang tercatat dalam The Skycraper Index: Faulty Towers? Buku ini memaparkan hubungkait antara bangunan pencakar langit akan diikuti dengan krisis ekonomi. Misalnya New York Stock Exchange mengalami kejatuhan pada 1907 sebaik saja bangunan pencakar langit Singer Building dan Metropolitan Life Tower didirikan.

Selepas terbinanya Bangunan Empire State diikuti pula oleh krisis ekonomi di Wall Street yang seterusnya mencetuskan Great Depression tahun 1929. Begitu juga setelah siapnya bangunan World Trade Centre (WTC) di New York (yang diletupkan dalam tragedi 11 September 2001) yang dibuka pada 1973 diikuti dengan krisis ekonomi global.

The Skycraper Index: Faulty Towers juga mencatatkan ketika Menara Berkembar Petronas dalam pembinaan krisis ekonomi yang teruk melanda Asia pada 1997. Maka krisis ekonomi apa pula yang akan melanda dunia atau dunia Arab saja selepas Burj Dubai megah berdiri menggapai awan? Adakah krisis ekonomi global yang melanda Amerika Syarikat (AS) sekarang ini menjadi petanda yang dikaitkan dengan Burj Dubai seperti yang dicatatkan dalam The Skycraper Index: Faulty Towers?

Mungkin ada benarnya kalau kita melihat kedudukan ekonomi UAE masa kini menjelang persiapan akhir perasmian Burj Dubai esok. Burj Dubai yang menelan belanja RM67 bilion mempunyai lebih 3,000 unit kediaman, 1,200 ruang untuk membeli belah dan sembilan hotel itu sekaligus menjadi pusat membeli belah terbesar di dunia. Rekod lain yang dipegang oleh Burj Dubai adalah bangunan yang paling banyak tingkat (160 tingkat walaupun jumlah sebenar masih dirahsiakan oleh pemaju Emaar sehingga esok), lif yang paling tinggi dan lif yang paling laju (kelajuan 64km/j)

Reka bentuk Burj Dubai dicetuskan oleh arkitek Skidmore, Owings dan Mervill dan dibina dengan kepakaran syarikat kontraktor dari Korea Selatan, Samsung Engineering & Construction yang juga pernah membangunkan Menara Berkembar Petronas dan Taipei 101. Burj Dubai dibina dengan bahan asasnya konkrit sebanyak 333,000 meter padu konkrit dan 39,000 tan besi.

Samsung Engineering & Construction berkerjasama dengan syarikat kontraktor Besix dari Belgium dan Arabtec dari UAE. Burd Dubai yang dilengkapi dengan ciri-ciri keselamatan untuk mendepani gegaran gempa tetapi masih tidak selamat daripada serangan pengganas yang mengambil pendekatan serangan 11 September 2001 ke atas WTC.

Sumber Utusan Malaysia

Putra Design

China unveils 'world's fastest train link' !

BEIJING (AFP) – China on Saturday unveiled what it billed as the fastest rail link in the world -- a train connecting the modern cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan at an average speed of 350 kilometres (217 miles) an hour.

The super-high-speed train reduces the 1,069 kilometre journey to a three hour ride and cuts the previous journey time by more than seven and a half hours, the official Xinhua news agency said. Work on the project began in 2005 as part of plans to expand a high-speed network aimed at eventually linking Guangzhou, a business hub in southern China near Hong Kong, with the capital Beijing, Xinhua added.

"The train can go 394.2 kilometres per hour, it's the fastest train in operation in the world," Zhang Shuguang, head of the transport bureau at the railways ministry, told Xinhua. Test runs for the service began earlier in December and the link officially went into service when the first scheduled train left the eastern metropolis of Wuhan on Saturday.


Chinese workers put the final touch on the interior of a new railway station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province. China has unveiled what it billed as the fastest rail link in the world -- a train connecting the modern cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan at an average speed of 350 kilometres (217 miles) an hour.(AFP/Str)

By comparison, the average for high-speed trains in Japan was 243 kilometres per hour while in France it was 277 kilometres per hour, said Xu Fangliang, general engineer in charge of designing the link, according to Xinhua. Beijing has an ambitious rail development programme aimed at increasing the national network from the current 86,000 kilometres to 120,000 kilometres, making it the most extensive rail system outside the United States.

China unveiled its first high-speed line at the time of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 -- a service linking the capital with the port city of Tianjin. In September, officials said they planned to build 42 high-speed lines by 2012 in a massive system overhaul as part of efforts to spur economic growth amid the global downturn. The network uses technology developed in co-operation with foreign firms such as Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom.

Pengajaran penarafan THE-QS World University 2009

SEBAGAI satu sistem pengajian tinggi yang kolektif, kedudukan purata lima institusi yang termasuk dalam penarafan THE-QS World University Ranking 2009 - Universiti Malaya (180), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (291), Universiti Sains Malaysia (314), Universiti Putra Malaysia (345) dan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (320) sebenarnya telah meningkat daripada 294 ke 290.

Berasaskan kepada dapatan 2007, tahun pertama perubahan besar metodologi penarafan dilakukan oleh THE-QS, semua universiti telah menunjukkan kemajuan pada 2009 kecuali sebuah. Naik turun tahun ke tahun dijangka berlaku disebabkan kesan perubahan dinamik respons survei dan ubah suai kecil terhadap metodologi kajian.

Menurut Ben Souter, Ketua Penyelidik QS, tiga faktor menyebabkan ketidaktentuan ketara dalam ranking THE-QS, misalnya kedudukan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia yang berubah seperti "yo-yo" memberikan contoh yang paling jelas (307 pada 2007, 250 pada 2008 dan 291 pada 2009).

Institusi-institusi baru yang memasuki senarai tersebut membawa kesan secara langsung terhadap kedudukan institusi sedia ada, bergantung sama ada penyertaan mereka pada kedudukan di atas atau di bawah institusi sedia ada. Responden survei yang pada awalnya diwakili ramai dari Malaysia, juga mulai dicair dengan penambahan responden dari negara-negara yang dahulunya kurang diwakili seperti Jepun.

Selain itu mulai tahun 2008, respons dalam negara diasingkan daripada respons antarabangsa dan hanya membawa pemberat 15 peratus. Kesan kepada perubahan ini terhadap penilaian keserakanan akademik akan memuncak pada 2010 dan institusi yang paling teruk padahnya adalah institusi dari negara-negara yang memiliki sebilangan kecil institusi sahaja tetapi mempunyai jumlah responden yang tinggi (Malaysia adalah satu contoh).

Kita tidak harus melihat ini sebagai suatu ketidakadilan kerana kita ingin mengecap pengiktirafan antarabangsa selain disanjungi rakan akademia di Malaysia. Sungguhpun terdapat perubahan kaedah yang tidak menyebelahi institusi di Malaysia, kita tidak wajar mengetepikan data penarafan THE-QS kerana ia boleh dijadikan asas perbandingan selain membantu kita merencana pelan strategi dan tindakan untuk peningkatan berterusan.

Sebagai contoh, iltizam UKM untuk memanfaat sumber yang ada telah menghasilkan peningkatan nisbah pelajar fakulti, tenaga pengajar antarabangsa dan pelajar antarabangsa.
Tumpuan UKM kepada pengukuhan penyelidikan dan menggalakkan penerbitan telah meningkatkan jumlah penerbitan dalam jurnal terindeks oleh Scopus, serta jumlah sebutan pada 2008, berbanding jumlah terkumpul empat tahun sebelumnya, sungguhpun jumlah besar belum mencapai keberkesanan global.

Sebagai sebuah universiti penyelidikan, inilah ruang bagi UKM memberikan tumpuan terbesar.
Strategi transformasi dan tindakan yang dirancang dan dilaksanakan, telah direka bentuk untuk memenuhi sasaran yang akan meletakkan UKM sederap universiti penyelidikan lain menjelang 2020. Penyelidikan memacu pendidikan dan perkhidmatan, dan hasilnya tidak seharusnya memberi dampak kepada penarafan dan reputasi akademik sahaja, malah lebih penting lagi menyumbang kepada pembinaaan ekonomi dan masyarakat yang mapan.

Ben Souter merumuskan, dengan KDNK 6.3 peratus, kerajaan telah melakukan pelaburan yang baik dalam pendidikan. Peruntukan kepada pengajian tinggi harus diagih secara berkesan dengan pemberat kepada pengukuhan universiti penyelidikan dan kemajuan negara jangka masa sederhana. Gaya tadbir urus dan kesinambungan kepemimpinan strategik di peringkat institusi adalah kritikal sebagai asas untuk bersaing pada tahun-tahun mendatang.

Sharifah Hapsah Shahabudin
Naib Canselor
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Anti-Wi-Fi paint keeps your wireless signal to yourself

With a quick lick of paint, your wi-fi connection could be secured

Don't like the idea of your neighbors rudely snooping on the wireless signal you slaved to pay for from the lazy comfort of their living room? It's not just about slowing down your connection; while they're downloading Mad Men via bittorrent, you could be on the hook for their actions.

Wireless security and encryption systems are fraught with problems and insecurity, and other methods to restrict your signal to a small area are cumbersome at best.

The idea is simple: Use a special paint on walls where you don't want wireless to pass through (say the exterior of your house). The secret is mixing aluminum-iron oxide particles in with the paint. The metal particles resonate at the same frequency as Wi-Fi and other radio waves, so signals can't pass through the thin layer of pigment.

Outsiders would simply be unable to access your wireless network, just as you, inside the house, won't be able to interlope on anything beamed on the outside. Developed by the University of Tokyo, the paint is said to be the first that can block radio frequency in higher spectra where Wi-Fi and other higher-bandwidth communications occur rather than just low-frequency wireless like FM radio.

Most Wi-Fi technologies operate at 2.4GHz; the Tokyo paint can reportedly block frequencies all the way up to 100GHz, with a 200GHz-blocking paint now in the works. The paint isn't just of interest to those concerned about wireless leaking out of the building. Movie theaters have long been interested in finding a legal way to keep cell phones silent during screenings.

Electronic jammers that actively block wireless signals are illegal, but passive materials that prevent wireless signals from getting through are not. Since the wireless-blocking paint can also block the lower-frequency signals that cell phones use, addled mobile junkies would have no outlet for reaching the outside world.

Some aren't convinced that anti-Wi-Fi paint makes a lot of sense for a secure situation, though. Says one engineer, "Surely the thought of having to redecorate a building in order to provide Wi-Fi security is more costly and complex than the security functionality available in even the cheapest of Wi-Fi access points..."

Good point.

More about the Paint : Anti-wi-fi paint offers security .

Researchers say they have created a special kind of paint which can block out wireless signals. It means security-conscious wireless users could block their neighbours from being able to access their home network - without having to set up encryption.

The paint contains an aluminium-iron oxide which resonates at the same frequency as wi-fi - or other radio waves - meaning the airborne data is absorbed and blocked. By coating an entire room, signals can't get in and, crucially, can't get out. Developed at the University of Tokyo, the paint could cost as little as £10 per kilogram, researchers say.

" You could block phone signals from outside and stop people's phones ringing during the movie. " Shin-ichi Ohkoshi, University of Tokyo.

Cost-effective security

The makers say that for businesses it's a quick and cheap way of preventing access to sensitive data from unauthorised users. Presently, most companies have to invest in complicated encryption software to deter hackers.

Speaking on the BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme, Shin-ichi Ohkoshi, who is leading the project, explained how the paint could have many uses beyond security.
"In a medical setting, you could transmit large volumes of data from a medical device, such as an endoscope, to a computer.

"By painting a solution containing our magnetic particles on the walls, you would quickly, and effectively, shield the room from stray electromagnetic radiation from outside." While paints blocking lower frequencies have been available for some time, Mr Ohkoshi's technology is the first to absorb frequencies transmitting at 100GHz (gigahertz).

Signals carrying a larger amount of data - such as wireless internet - travel at a higher frequency than, for example, FM radio. "I'm working on a material that can absorb a larger range of frequencies. We are capable of making a paint that can absorb over 200 gigahertz." He hopes that soon the technology could be woven into clothing. "We're not sure about the true effects of electromagnetic waves, in this range, on the human body.

"We're assuming that excessive exposure could be bad for us. Therefore we're trying to make protective clothes for young children or pregnant women to help protect their bodies from such waves."

At the movies

The paint could also provide some much-needed relief during nights out at the cinema. "Our current mobile phones work at much lower frequencies, around 1.5 gigahertz. But, our material can also absorb frequencies that low, so you could block phone signals from outside and stop people's phones ringing during the movie," he said.

As well as helping to keep the cinema quiet, the paint may also pave the way for higher quality screens. "Movie pictures are beamed on the screen by the projector at the back of the cinema. But in the future, you could use a data link that works with millimetre waves. "You would have problems with interference, unless you painted the wall and ceiling of the theatre with an absorbent material like ours.

"In fact, we've had an order from an American company keen to use our ink in its movie theatre - we've just sent them a sample."

'Nothing new'

Some security experts remain unconvinced by the paint. "The use of electromagnetic shielding techniques are nothing new," said Mark Jackson, security engineer at Cisco UK. "They have been utilised by highly sensitive environments for many years." Mr Jackson notes that while the paint may block eavesdroppers, it would not prevent other types of hackers or intruders.
"Paint that blocks RF based Wi-Fi transmissions does not in any way remove the need to ensure a robust security model is deployed," he added.

"Surely the thought of having to redecorate a building in order to provide Wi-Fi security is more costly & complex than security functionality available in even the cheapest of Wi-Fi access points?" he said.

DIGITAL PLANET

By Dave Lee

BBC World Service

How Products Are Made : Aluminum Beverage Can

Background

Ninety-five percent of all beer and soft drink cans in the United States are made of aluminum. American can makers produce about 100 billion aluminum beverage cans a year, equivalent to one can per American per day. While almost all food cans are made of steel, aluminum's unique properties make it ideal for holding carbonated beverages.

The typical aluminum can weighs less than half an ounce, yet its thin walls withstand more than 90 pounds of pressure per square inch exerted by the carbon dioxide in beer and soft drinks. Aluminum's shiny finish also makes it an attractive background for decorative printing, important for a product that must grab the attention of consumers in a competitive market.

Aluminum was first identified as an element in 1782, and the metal enjoyed great prestige in France, where in the 1850s it was more fashionable than even gold and silver for jewelry and eating utensils. Napoleon III was fascinated with the possible military uses of the lightweight metal, and he financed early experiments in the extraction of aluminum.

Although the metal is found abundantly in nature, an efficient extraction process remained elusive for many years. Aluminum remained exceedingly high-priced and therefore of little commercial use throughout the 19th century. Technological breakthroughs at the end of the 19th century finally allowed aluminum to be smelted cheaply, and the price of the metal fell drastically. This paved the way for the development of industrial uses of the metal.

Aluminum was not used for beverage cans until after World War II. During the war, the U.S. government shipped large quantities of beer in steel cans to its servicemen overseas. After the war most beer was again sold in bottles, but the returning soldiers retained a nostalgic liking for cans. Manufacturers continued to sell some beer in steel cans, even though bottles were cheaper to produce.

The Adolph Coors Company manufactured the first aluminum beer can in 1958. Its two-piece can could only hold 7 ounces (198 g), instead of the usual 12 (340 g), and there were problems with the production process. Nevertheless, the aluminum can proved popular enough to incite Coors, along with other metal and aluminum companies, to develop better cans.

The next model was a steel can with an aluminum top. This hybrid can had several distinct advantages. The aluminum end altered the galvanic reaction between the beer and the steel, resulting in beer with twice the shelf life of that stored in all-steel cans. Perhaps the more significant advantage of the aluminum top was that the soft metal could be opened with a simple pull tab.

The old style cans required the use of a special opener popularly called a "church key," and when Schlitz Brewing Company introduced its beer in an aluminum "pop top" can in 1963, other major beer makers quickly jumped on the band wagon. By the end of that year, 40% of all U.S. beer cans had aluminum tops, and by 1968, that figure had doubled to 80%.

While aluminum top cans were sweeping the market, several manufacturers were aiming for the more ambitious all-aluminum beverage can. The technology Coors had used to make its 7-ounce aluminum can relied on the "impact-extrusion" process.

The modern method for making aluminum beverage cans is called two-piece drawing and wall ironing, first introduced by Reynolds Metals company in 1963. where a punch driven into a circular slug formed the bottom and sides of the can in one piece.

The Reynolds Metals company introduced an all-aluminum can made by a different process called "drawing and ironing" in 1963, and this technology became the standard for the industry. Coors and Hamms Brewery were among the first companies to adopt this new can, and PepsiCo and Coca-Cola began using all-aluminum cans in 1967. The number of aluminum cans shipped in the U.S. rose from half a billion in 1965 to 8.5 billion in 1972, and the number continued to increase as aluminum became the nearly universal choice for carbonated beverages.

The modern aluminum beverage can is not only lighter than the old steel or steel-and-aluminum can, it also does not rust, it chills quickly, its glossy surface is easily imprintable and eye-catching, it prolongs shelf life, and it is easy to recycle.

Raw Materials

The raw material of the aluminum beverage can is, of course, aluminum. Aluminum is derived from an ore called bauxite. U.S. aluminum producers import bauxite, primarily from Jamaica and Guinea. The bauxite is refined and then smelted, and the resulting molten aluminum is cast into ingots The aluminum base, for beverage cans consists mostly of aluminum, but it contains small amounts of other metals as well.

These are typically 1% magnesium, 1% manganese, 0.4% iron, 0.2% silicon, and 0.15% copper. A large portion of the aluminum used in the beverage can industry is derived from recycled material. Twenty-five percent of the total American aluminum supply comes from recycled scrap, and the beverage can industry is the primary user of recycled material. The energy savings are significant when used cans are remelted, and the aluminum can industry now reclaims more than 63% of used cans.

The ManufacturingProcess

Cutting the blank

1 .The modern method for making aluminum beverage cans is called two-piece drawing and wall ironing. The process begins with an aluminum ingot which was cast to be about 30 inches (76 cm) thick, then rolled into a thin sheet. The first step in the actual manufacture of the can is to cut the sheet into a circle, called a blank, that will form the bottom and sides of the can. Each blank is 5.5 inches (14 cm) in diameter. Some material is necessarily

The small ripples at the top of the metal are called "ears". "Earing" is an unavoidable effect of the crystalline structure of the aluminum sheet. lost between each circle, but manufacturers have found that minimum aluminum is lost when the sheets are wide enough to hold two staggered rows of seven blanks each.

About 12-14% of the sheet is wasted, but can be reused as scrap. After the circular blank is cut, it is "drawn" or pulled up to form a cup 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) in diameter.




Redrawing the cup

2. The small cup resulting from the initial draw is then transferred to a second machine. A sleeve holds the cup precisely in place, and a punch lowered swiftly into the cup redraws it to a diameter of about 2.6 inches (6.6 cm). The height of the cup increases simultaneously from the initial 1.3 to 2.25 inches (3.3 to 5.7 cm). The punch then pushes the cup against three rings called ironing rings, which stretch and thin the cup walls.

This entire operation—the drawing and ironing—is done in one continuous punch stroke, which takes only one fifth of a second to complete. The cup is now about 5 inches (13 cm) high. Then another punch presses up against the base of the cup, causing the bottom to bulge inward. This shape counteracts the pressure of the carbonated liquid the can will contain. The bottom and lower walls of the can are also a little thicker than the upper walls, for added strength.

Trimming the ears

3. The drawing and ironing process leaves the can slightly wavy at the top. These small ripples in the metal are called "ears." "Earing" is an unavoidable effect of the crystalline structure of the aluminum sheet. Aluminum companies have studied this phenomenon extensively, and they have been able to influence the placement and height of the ears by controlling the rolling of the aluminum sheet. Nevertheless, some material is lost at this stage. About a quarter inch is trimmed from the top of the can, leaving the upper walls straight and level.

Cleaning and decorating

4. The drawing and ironing process leaves the outer wall of the can with a smooth, shiny surface, so it does not require any further finishing such as polishing. After the ears are trimmed, the can is cleaned and then imprinted with its label. After the can is decorated, it is squeezed in slightly at the top to a make a neck, and the neck is given an out-ward flange at the very top edge, which will be folded over once the lid is added.

The lid

5. The lid is made of a slightly different alloy than the aluminum for the base and sides of the can. The inward bulge of the bottom of the can helps it withstand the pressure exerted by the liquid inside it, but the flat lid must be stiffer and stronger than the base, so it is made of aluminum with more magnesium and less manganese than the rest of the can. This results in stronger metal, and the lid is considerably thicker than the walls.

The lid is cut to a diameter of 2.1 inches (5.3 cm), smaller than the 2.6-inch (6.6 cm) diameter of the walls. The center of the lid is stretched upward slightly and drawn by a machine to form a rivet. The pull tab, a separate piece of metal, is inserted under the rivet and secured by it. Then the lid is scored so that when the tab is pulled by the consumer, the metal will detach easily and leave the proper opening.

To ensure that the cans are made properly, they are automatically checked for cracks and pinholes. One in 50,000 cans is usually found to be defective.

Filling and seaming

6. After the neck is formed, the can is ready to be filled. The can is held tightly against the seat of a filling machine and a beverage is poured in. The lid is added. The upper flange formed when the can was given its neck is then bent around the lid and seamed shut. At this point, the can is ready for sale.

Byproducts/Waste

Some aluminum is lost at several points in the manufacturing process—when the blanks are cut and the ears are trimmed—but this scrap can be reused. Cans which have been used and discarded by consumers can also be reused, and as mentioned above, recycled material makes up a significant percentage of the aluminum used for beverage cans. The savings from recycling are quite significant to the industry.

The major expense of the beverage can is in the energy needed to produce the aluminum, but recycling can save up to 95% of the energy cost. Can producers also try to control waste by developing stronger can sheet so that less aluminum goes into each can, and by carefully controlling the manufacturing process to cut down on loss through earing. The lid of the typical can is smaller in diameter than the walls in order to conserve the amount of aluminum that goes into it, and as world-wide demand for beverage cans continues to grow, the trend is to make the lid even smaller.

A new can introduced in 1993 with a lid a quarter-inch smaller in diameter than most cans can save manufacturers $3 per thousand. This figure seems small until it is multiplied by the hundreds of millions of cans produced each day in the U.S. It becomes clear that any small savings in raw materials or energy can be a major step in conserving both money and resources.

The Future

Worldwide production of aluminum beverage cans is steadily increasing, growing by several billion cans a year. In the face of this rising demand, the future of the beverage can seems to lie in designs that save money and materials. The trend towards smaller lids is already apparent, as well as smaller neck diameters, but other changes may not be so obvious to the consumer.

Manufacturers employ rigorous diagnostic techniques to study can sheet, for example, examining the crystalline structure of the metal with X-ray diffraction, hoping to discover better ways of casting the ingots or rolling the sheets. Changes in the composition of the aluminum alloy, or in the way the alloy is cooled after casting, or the thickness to which the can sheet is rolled may not result in cans that strike the consumer as innovative. Nevertheless, it is probably advances in these areas that will lead to more economical can manufacture in the future.

Where To Learn More

Book

Smith, George David. From Monopoly to Competition: The Transformations of Alcoa, 1888-1986. Cambridge University Press, 1988.

Periodicals

Hosford, William F. and John L. Duncan. "The Aluminum Beverage Can." Scientific American, September 1994, pp. 48-53.
Larson, Melissa. "New Ideas Come In Cans." Packaging, April 1993, pp. 30-31.
Singh, S. Paul. "Internal Gas Pressure on the Compression Strength of Beverage Cans and Plastic Bottles." Journal of Testing and Evaluation, March 1993, pp. 129-31.

Prepared by : Putra-Design

Proton unveils its first MPV, the Exora.

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd unveiled its first multipurpose vehicle (MPV), the Exora, to the public in a gala event here Wednesday night. Launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the 1.6-litre Exora has already received orders of 2,500 units, even before its public unveiling.

The seven-seater -- Proton’s most important model for the year -- also marks the company’s entry into the MPV market, which is growing domestically and regionally.
In addition to an interior that is easily more spacious than other MPVs in its engine class, the Exora also comes with a separate air-conditioner blower with ceiling mounted vents for the second and third row passengers. Large doors allows for easy entry and exit while the second and third row seats can be folded for a flat floor layout when carrying bulky items.

The vehicle is also not short on safety features with dual front airbags, pretensioner seatbelts and an anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution.
In the safety department, the MPV has the equivalent of a four-star crash safety rating in the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

The vehicle also has a steering wheel with audio buttons, reverse sensors, an immobiliser and radio/ CD player that supports MP3 and WMA files and Bluetooth handsfree connectivity.
The Exora is a result of an investment of RM450mil and 18 months of intense in-house research and development, the company said.

It is powered by a 1.6-litre CamPro CPS engine with 125bhp and torque of 150Nm, and is available in a four-speed automatic version, in trim levels of Mid-Line and Hi-Line.
The Mid-Line Exora costs RM69,998 and the Hi-Line variant, RM75,998 for the metallic colours.

The Hi-Line variant gets additional features such as a rear DVD monitor, tinted glass, portable satellite navigation system, cruise control, fog lamps, rear spoiler, and leather seats and finishing. Colour choices are Solid White, Genetic Silver, Tranquillity Black, Blue Haze, Pyrite Brown and Gaia Blue.

A fine achievement indeed

As an offering, this one must surely rank as an absolute highlight for a company that has well and truly come back from the ropes. Indeed, it’s all the more impressive given the fact that it’s unchartered waters that’s being treaded.


Say hello then to the Proton Exora, the country’s first fully homegrown MPV. As the third part of the great comeback, following on the successes of the Persona and Saga, the vehicle - developed from design to completion in 18 months and at a cost of RM450mil - is quite a sterling showpiece, and essentially completes the circle of reinvention for the brand.

As a platform, there’s nothing radical about it - a seven-seater MPV isn’t exactly a new type. But for what it is, it’s a very clever offering, rolls in at an excellent price point and incorporates enough winsome features that there surely must be little to complain about, and there really isn’t, but more as we go along.

At the point of launch, two versions of the Exora go on sale - the 1.6l AT Medium-line and 1.6l AT High-line, and both only come with a four-speed automatic gearbox, which features a retuned transmission control unit and a revised final drive. There’s a manual variant, though this is only slated for launch later in the year.

Visually, the Exora is best described as elegant; shades of the Toyota Wish and Honda Stream, benchmarks in the development of the vehicle, as well as the Mitsubishi Grandis, can be traced in the exterior lines and general flow, but the Exora has enough of its own identity, helped by a prominent enough looking front end and a tail that has one of the best looking tail-lamp clusters in recent memory.

The sleek vehicle, which has a coefficient drag of 0.33Cd, looks sizeable, and once you get inside, you’ll find it is indeed quite the spacious offering it promises to be. The dashboard is unfettered, there’s plenty of space, and the legroom on the second row is rather good, with the third adequate for short hauls. The rear doors open to a maximum angle of 80 degrees, making for easier ingress and egress for passengers.

As for seating layout combinations, the Exora does pretty well in this regard too, with six different seat folding configurations. Granted, with the rear seats up, there's little cargo space, but with the third row seats fully flat-folded and the second row stored forward the load-carrying space becomes very convincing. Ingress to the third row is by means of a single-lever seat-folding mechanism on the second row, and in use getting in and out is accomplished easily enough.

In terms of trim, the Medium-line version comes with a simple grey interior with fabric seats, whereas the High-line variant features leather and Alcantara-finished seats in light grey. Surprisingly, I thought the fabric seats offered a better visual perspective, both in terms of shade and texture - the leather looked a little on the pasty side.

Much attention has been paid to reducing the noise levels in the cabin - the firewall, door panels and floor pan have been given soundproofing insulation treatment, and all the pillars are injected with foam; effectively, it makes everything less zingy. As for fit and finish, there were some small assembly imperfections here and there on some panels, but nothing that would make you scream murder.

Plenty of new and subtle features abound, courtesy of an integrated Body Control Module (BCM) unit from Siemens VDO; this is the first Proton to be equipped with BCM and offers a whole new range of application options and items. With a total of 24 different functions, from follow-me-home lights, programmable door locking configurations and wiper speeds (this one is done rather neatly) to automatic hazard light activation during emergency braking from above 96kmh, the list is pretty comprehensive.

Indeed, there’s no shortage of mod cons throughout - yes, items such as 10 cup holders may seem like overkill, but better to have more than less, yes? Among the many small, but nice, touches is the inclusion of what is tagged a teh tarik holder, located below the glove compartment area, for your takeaways. Not new, but handy nonetheless.

In terms of safety, twin front airbags - standard fitment in both versions - and front seat-belt pretensioners are part of the kit, as well as ABS and EBD.
Elsewhere, the primary differences in both variants, besides the seat material, are with equipment levels, as the chart below shows:

Opting for the High-line version bags you fog lights, front seat armrests, cruise control, a remotely mounted navigation system, a roof-mounted DVD/LCD monitor - with SD/MMC card slots and USB port - for rear passengers, a rear spoiler and tinted glass. And of course, those leather seats.

Powering the Exora is the tried and tested 1.6l Campro CPS engine, here offering 125bhp at 6,500rpm and a maximum torque of 150Nm at 4,500rpm. Placed in a vehicle that weighs in at 1,422 (M-line) and 1,442kg (H-line), the result isn’t ever going to be breathtaking, but surprisingly the Exora goes about its business ably enough as an entire package.

The chance to sample the final product came at a press preview last week, and as is usually the case with previews, there wasn’t enough time spent with the vehicle to offer a firmer opinion than a mere skim-through, but it’s certainly a very likable sort.
First impressions reveal a vehicle that is as comfortable and pliant as promised. Ride comfort is high, and in general everything is geared towards cosy, though the softness comes through without being overly mushy.

A quick ride being seated in the third row showed very little undue modulation, with only large dips causing some discomfort. The lack of lower-end support here means that if you’re an adult - and a strappy one at that - it’s definitely not going to be rosy if you decide on say, doing Penang from KL, but at least you won’t be shaken senselessly while at that.

Performance-wise, the 1.6l pot is adequate enough for the job, under most conditions - at the preview, the vehicle showed a slight lack of urgency on take-up unless pushed, and doing so results in the block being a little shouty, but once you get moving the vehicle pulls along well enough, and at cruising levels the car feels tractable. This, mind you, with five adults on board.

As for fuel consumption figures, the claim is 7.2l per 100km at a steady rate of 90kmh, while for a combined cycle it is 9l per 100km. In the real world, with some of the loads that are going to be expected in many Exoras, those figures might differ a fair bit. Still, we’ll be able to tell you more about how well it does in terms of actual fuel economy - as well as operation over a wider range of conditions - when a full road-test is done, hopefully soon.

The pricing for the Exora Medium-Line is RM69,998, while the High-Line goes for RM75,998 (both on-the-road, without insurance). Six colour choices are available - Pyrite Brown, Gaia Blue, Genetic Silver, Tranquillity Black, Blue Haze and Solid White - and the vehicle comes with an extended warranty of 175,000km or five years, whichever comes first.

On the whole, this one should hit it right on the spot for a very large audience, and there are 2,500 of these so far from pre-launch bookings. Undoubtedly, detractors will continue to do the usual, but surely three out of three is more than commendable.

Putra Design - TheStar