Month: April 2007

Finantatorul Stelei, Gigi Becali, a declarat intr-o interventie telefonica la TV Sport ca despartirea de fostul manager general, Mihai Stoica, a fost una amiabila. “Ne-am strans mana si ne-am despartit prieteneste”, a spus patronul stelist.

Despre declaratiile contradictorii despre demisia sau demiterea lui Mihai Stoica, Becali a precizat, in stilul caracteristic, ca adevarul este undeva la mijloc. “Pentru el ar da bine sa se stie ca si-a prezentat demisia insa el era oricum dat afara, pentru ca tot Consiliul de Administratie a fost dat afara acum o luna. Si eu m-am dat afara pentru ca si eu am avut partea mea de vina, asa ca nu-i lezeaza cu nimic onoarea. Vineri, Adunarea Generala adica eu, a hotarat ca toata lumea sa fie data afara, din punct de vedere legal. A fost decizia corecta demiterea tuturor tinand cont de cati bani a bagat Steaua in transferuri iar Dinamo conduce cu 15 puncte in fata”, a adaugat Becali

“Stoica a facut, cu siguranta, si lucruri bune la Steaua. Cel mai bun lucru a fost ca a pus suflet, a facut cu pasiune ceea ce a facut si tocmai pentru aceste lucruri bune pe care le-am trait impreuna nu voi dezvalui ceea ce am avut sa-i reprosez. Oricum, nu este vorba despre netransferarea lui Lobont. Eu m-am bagat mereu pentru el cand a avut probleme. Mihai a contribuit la performantele Stelei si ii multumesc. Nu sunt multe reprosuri. Doar unul, dar nu il veti afla. Am tinut la el, a fost caun frate mai mic pentru mine, dar este ceva ce nu va pot spune. Nu o sa aflati niciodata ce i-am reprosat din moment ce eu mi-am sacrificat familia pentru a-l acoperi pe el. MM a facut o greseala grava si riscam sa dam de belea”, a mai spus finantatorul.

Despre viitorul gruparii din Ghencea, Gigi Becali a precizat ca din vara vor mai veni 2-3 oameni importanti in conducere. “Vor mai veni, cu siguranta, 2-3 persoane in conducere dar nu va pot spune deocamdata cine sunt pentru ca lucreaza prin alte parti”.

ProSport a anuntat înca de sambata, in exclusivitate, ca managerul general al Stelei, Mihai Stoica, urmeaza sa plece de la echipa.

Sursa: PROSPORT.RO

Like many would-be 802.11b hackers, I’m increasingly obsessed with pushing more bits further and faster for less cost (I believe the unofficial goal of our community wireless project is to provide infinite bandwidth everywhere for free. Of course, there are problems with approaching infinity, but it’s still fun to try!)

The work that Andrew Clapp and others have done is helping to demystify the ancient black magick of Resonance (i.e. antenna building). And so, over last weekend, some friends and I decided to give it a go for ourselves.

(standard disclaimer): Anything you do with your gear is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. This is a stupid idea that will probably ruin your radio, set your house on fire, bring the FCC to your door, ruin your crops, and send famine and pestilence across the land. And as the operator, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to not take the word of some raving lunatic on the web with funny colored hair, and find things out for yourself. Your mileage will vary. I’m probably lying. You have been warned.

Anyway, our first run was a direct rip-off of Andrew Clapp’s terrific original design (knowing next to nothing about antenna construction, it’s helpful to start off with a working known good.) By using PVC, all-thread, washers, some cheap copper tubing, a Pringles can, and some scrap cardboard, we were able to make a prototype shotgun yagi in a matter of hours. Having a couple of other excited alpha geeks around can help move construction projects along very quickly.

Once this was up and running, we looked at the design, and of course speculated about ways to optimize it. While a directional antenna showing between 12 and 15db gain is impressive, it’s also pretty large, physically. We realized that, if we were careful, we could fit a full wavelength inside the Pringles can itself (at a reduced total gain), but make the entire antenna much more compact.

In about 45 minutes, we had the collector rod built, the locknuts on, and the whole thing in place. The result: A Pringles can that pulls about 12db!

Parts list:

All-thread, 5 5/8″ long, 1/8″ OD	$1.00
two nylon lock nuts	$0.10
five 1″ washers, 1/8″ ID	$0.10
6″ aluminum tubing, 1/4″ ID	$0.75
A connector to match your radio pigtail (we used a female N connector)	$3.00
1 1/2″ piece of 12 gauge solid copper wire (we used ground wire from house electrical wiring)	$0.00
A tall Pringles can (any flavor, Ridges are optional.)	$1.50
Scrap plastic disc, 3″ across (like another Pringles can lid)	$0.00
Total:	$6.45

Of course, buying in bulk helps alot. You probably won’t be able to find a 6″ piece of all-thread; buy the standard size (usually one or two feet) and a 10-pack of washers and nuts while you’re at it. Then, you’ll have enough for two, for about $10.

Tools required:

Ruler
Scissors
Pipe cutter (or hacksaw or dremel tool, in a pinch)
Heavy duty cutters (or dremel again, to cut the all-thread)
Something sharp to pierce the plastic (like an awl or a drill bit)
Hot glue gun
Soldering Iron

Construction time: about an hour

Front collector construction:

Mark and cut four pieces of tubing, about 1.2″ (1 15/64″). Where did I get this number? First figure out the wavelength at the bottom of the frequency range we’re using (2.412 GHz, or channel 1). This will be the longest that the pipe should be:

  W = 3.0 * 10^8 * (1 / 2.412) * 10^-9
W = (3.0 / 2.412) * 10^-1
W = 0.124 Meters
W = 4.88 inches 

We’ll be cutting the pipe to quarter wavelength, so:

  1/4 W = 4.88 / 4
1/4 W = 1.22" 

Now figure out what the shortest we’ll ever use is (2.462 Ghz, or channel 11 in the US):

  W = 3.0 * 10^8 * (1 / 2.462) * 10^-9
W = (3.0 / 2.462) * 10^-1
W = 0.122 Meters
W = 4.80 inches
1/4 W = 1.20" 

Practically speaking, what’s the difference between the shortest pipe and the longest pipe length? about 0.02″, or less than 1/32″. That’s probably about the size of the pipe cutter blade you’re using. So, just shoot for 1.2″, and you’ll get it close enough.

Cut the all-thread to exactly 5 5/8″. The washers we used are about 1/16″ thick, so that should leave just enough room for the pipe, washers, and nuts.

Pierce a hole in the center of the Pringles can lid big enough for the all-thread to pass through. Now is probably a good time to start eating Pringles (we found it better for all concerned to just toss the things; Salt & Vinegar Pringles get to be almost caustic after the first fifteen or so.)

Cut a 3″ plastic disc, just big enough to fit snugly inside the can. We found another Pringles lid, with the outer ridge trimmed off, to be ideal. Poke a hole in the center of it, and slip it over one of the lengths of pipe.

Now, assemble the pipe. You might have to use a file or dremel tool to shave the tips of the thread, if you have trouble getting the nuts on. The pipe is a sandwich that goes on the all-thread like this:

Nut Lid Washer Pipe Washer Pipe Washer Pipe-with-Plastic Washer Pipe Washer Nut

Tighten down the nuts to be snug, but don’t overtighten (I bent the tubing on our first try; aluminum bends VERY easily.) Just get it snug. Congratulations, you now you have the front collector.

Now for the can:

By now you should have eaten (or tossed) the actual chips. Wipe out the can, and measure 3 3/8″ up from the bottom of the can. Cut a hole just big enough for the connector to pass through. We found through trial and error that this seems to be the “sweet spot” of the can.

On the Pringles Salt & Vinegar can, the N connector was directly between Sodium and Protein.

Element construction:

Straighten the heavy copper wire, and solder it to the connector. When inside the can, the wire should be just below the midpoint of the can (ours turned out to be about 1 1/16″). You lose a few db by going longer, so cut it just shy of the middle of the can

We were in a hurry, so we used hot glue to hold the connector in place. If you have a connector that uses a compression nut and washer, and you’re really careful about cutting the hole, you could use that instead.

Now, insert the collector assembly into the can, and close the lid. The inside end of the pipe should NOT touch the copper element; it should be just forward of it. If it touches, your all-thread is probably too long.

Now, just read FCC Part 15.247, connect your pigtail, aim carefully, and have fun!

Unfortunately, I don’t have access to any of the necessary equipment (spectrum analyzer, power meter, or even an SWR meter) to properly evaluate the characteristics of the antenna. SWR in particular would be a really good idea to measure, as we’re not sure how much power is feeding back into the circuit (too much and you can easily blow your transmitter.) With the extremely low power output (15dbm) of the Orinoco cards, I don’t think this is too much of a danger, but remember, anything you do with your equipment is your responsibility, and at your own risk!

Without the proper (multi-thousand dollar) tools, how were we able to estimate antenna performance?

Using the Link Test software that comes with the Orinoco silver cards, you can see the signal and noise readings (in db) of a received signal, and your test partner’s reception of your signal. As I happen to be 0.6 mile LOS from ORA headquarters, with very little noise on the channel between, we had a fairly controlled testbed to experiment with. We shot at the omni on the roof, and used the access point at ORA as our link test partner.

To estimate antenna performance, we started by connecting commercial antennas of known gain, and taking readings. Then, we connected our test antennas and compared the results. We had the following at our disposal:

two 10db, 180 degree sector panel antennas
one 11db, 120 degree sector panel antenna
one 24db parabolic dish
a couple of Pringles cans and some tin foil

Here were the average received signal and noise readings from each, in roughly the same position:

Antenna	Signal	Noise
10db A:	-83db	-92db
10db B:	-83db	-92db
11db:	-82db	-95db
24db:	-67db	-102db
Pringles can (shotgun):	-78db	-99db
Pringles can (internal):	-81db	-98db

The test partner (AP side) signal results were virtually the same. Interestingly, even at only 0.6 mile, we saw some thermal fade effect; as the evening turned into night, we saw about 3db gain across the board (it had been a particularly hot day: almost 100 degrees. I don’t know what the relative humidity was, but it felt fairly dry.)

Yagis and dishes are much more directional than sectors and omnis. This bore out in the numbers, as the perceived noise level was consistently lower with the more directional antennas. This can help alot on long distance shots, as not only will your perceived signal be greater, the competing noise will seem to be less. More directional antennas also help keep noise down for your neighbors trying to share the spectrum as well. Be a good neighbor and use the most directional antennas that will work for your application (yes, noise is everybody’s problem.)

When trying to aim a yagi (like our little can), keep in mind that they have large side lobes that extend up to 45 degrees from the center of the can. Don’t point directly at where you’re trying to go, aim slightly to the left or the right. We also found that elevating the antenna helped a bit as well. When aiming the antenna, hold it behind the connector, and SLOWLY sweep from left to right, with the Link Test program running. When you get the maximum signal, slowly raise the end of the can to see if it makes a difference. Go slowly, changing only one variable at a time.

Remember that the can is polarized, so match the phase of the antenna you’re talking to (for example, if shooting at an omni, be sure the element is on the bottom or the top of the can, or you won’t be able to see it!) You can use this to your advantage to try to eliminate some noise on a long distance link: slowly turn both ends of the link from vertical through horizontal, and stop at the point that you see the most gain (and lowest noise.)

We haven’t looked into weatherproof housing for the can; sinking the whole thing into some 3″ PVC should do the trick. Of course, at $10 for two, it might just be more economical to replace them when they fail.

Apparently, antennas of comparable gain cost upwards of $150. Over a clear line of sight, with short antenna cable runs, a 12db to 12db can-to-can shot should be able to carry an 11Mbps link well over ten miles.

Have fun!

Rob Flickenger is a long time supporter of FreeNetworks and DIY networking. Rob is the author of three O’Reilly books: Building Wireless Community Networks, Linux Server Hacks, and Wireless Hacks.

via oreillynet.com

In armonie cu surprinzatoarea transformare fizica dupa externarea de la clinica de dezintoxicare, Britney Spears a inceput sa-si expuna noua tinuta uluitoare, completata de un abdomen tonifiat, informeaza thisislondon.co.uk.

Cantareata, in varsta de 25 de ani, a fost surprinsa in momentul in care intra la o sala de dans din Hollywood, imbracata intr-un top scurt si o fusta mini de blug.

Nu este nicio indoiala in privinta faptului ca Britney intentioneaza sa revina pe piata muzicala si sa se bucure din nou de un succes urias.

In ultimele saptamani, Britney a lucrat foarte mult, mergand frecvent la la cursuri de dans si la studioul de inregistrare.

Recent presa internationala a lansat zvonuri potrivit carora noua schimbare a lui Britney se datoreaza operatiilor estetice, insa nu a prezentat dovezi care sa confirme aceste speculatii.

HotNews.ro, S.B., 24 apr 2007

Starul Sheryl Crow a transmis un mesaj oamenilor din intreaga lume, spunand ca planeta noastra are nevoie de ajutorul nostru pentru a fi salvata, informeaza playful.com. Crow a cerut oamenilor sa reduca consumul de hartie igienica si de servetele pentru salvarea padurilor.

Recent, cantareata a sustinut un turneu de 11 concerte in diferite colegii, numit “Stop Global Warming College Tour”.

Primul concert l-a sustinut in urma cu doua saptamani la Universitatea Southern Methodist din Dallas, unde a transmis publicului urmatorul mesaj: “Planeta Pamant este un organism viu si atunci cand ea se imbolnaveste ne imbolnavim si noi.”

Sheryl Crow a fost insotita in aceasta campanie de salvare a planetei de Laurie David. Duminica, 22 aprilie, de Ziua Pamantului, cantareata a prezentat cateva solutii pentru stoparea incalzirii globale. “Cu toate ca ideile mele sunt intr-un stadiu redus de dezvoltare, in mintea mea ele ocupa un loc foarte important.

Una dintre solutii ar fi conservarea padurilor pentru ca de la ele primim oxigen. Pentru aceasta rog oamenii sa limiteze consumul de hartie igienica si de servetele.”

Laurie David a declarat: “Cred ca aceasta schimbare este una dintre cele mai urgente. Cu totii suntem vinovati pentru problema incalzirii globale si de aceea trebuie ca toti sa fim responsabili si sa incercam sa rezolvam aceasta problema.”

HotNews.ro, S.B., 24 apr 2007

Vedeta Romantica Oana Zavoranu se pregateste anul acesta de nunta. Dupa surpriza de anul trecut, cand Pepe a cerut-o de sotie chiar de ziua ei si au facut cununia civila la un restaurant din Capitala, cei doi sunt decisi ca anul acesta sa-si uneasca destinele si in fata lui Dumnezeu.

Despre iminenta nunta, Oana nu spune prea multe, explicand ca „nu ma lasa sotul“, insa ne-a dezvaluit ca evenimentul nu va fi unul planificat: „Nu vreau sa-mi fac planuri pentru nunta cu sase luni inainte, asa cum e acum la moda. Sau sa-mi comand rochia si pantofii de la vreun designer faimos si sa ma plang ca nu am gasit nimic potrivit.

Rochia o sa o iau de la un magazin oarecare din Bucuresti sau, eventual, o sa ma urc in avion si dau o fuga pana la Milano sau Paris cu o zi inainte. Daca vrei cu adevarat un lucru, este imposibil sa nu gasesti, tot ce trebuie sa faci este sa cauti.

Parerea mea este ca a-ti planifica nunta cu sase luni sau un an inainte este o pura fandoseala, iar cei care zic ca nu-si gasesc hainele potrivite pentru acest eveniment pur si simplu nu sunt siguri de acest pas“, ne-a declarat actrita.

S-au amanat filmarile telenovelei

Dupa cum se stie, Oana are in derulare un proiect ce presupune o telenovela inspirata din viata sa, proiect la care lucreaza aproape zi si noapte. Filmarile pentru „Oana“ au inceput de ceva timp, doar cadre exterioare, din cauza ca nu au fost gasiti actorii potriviti pentru personajele principale: „Deocamdata, nu am gasit actori care sa semene cu pesonajele.

Este un lucru destul de dificil, asa ca, decat sa facem vreo greseala, preferam sa nu ne grabim. Dorim sa fie o telenovela care sa readuca la viata pofta romanilor de a se uita la televizor, la un serial bun“.
Integral in Gardianul

Gardianul, Georgiana Tucan, 25 apr 2007

Bob Sinclar, unul dintre cei mai in voga DJ in acest moment, va concerta pe 23 iunie in Romania, la Arenele Romane. El ii va avea ca invitati pe Gary -Nesta- Pine & Dollarman. Potrivit organizatorilor, spectacolul din capitala face parte din cadrul turneului “World Love Generation Tour”.

In cadrul turneului, DJ-ul francez va mai sustine concerte si in locatii din Franta, Italia, Slovenia, Suedia, Elvetia, Marea Britanie, Austria, Rusia, Serbia, Portugalia, Belgia.

Bob Sinclar este autor al unor piese precum “Love Generation”, “World Hold On (Children of the Sky)” sau “Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now)”.

Biletele la acest concert pot fi achizitionate la pretul de 25 de lei, din magazinele Diverta, Muzica si de pe site-ul bilet.ro.

HotNews.ro, Dragos Comache, 24 apr 2007

Angelina Jolie a cerut in mod oficial unei instante de judecata din Santa Monica schimbarea numelui copilului ei adoptat in Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, informeaza people.com.

Cererea de adaugare a numelui de familie a iubitului ei, Brad Pitt, a fost depusa pe data de 16 aprilie la Curtea Superioara de Justitie.

Pax, in varsta de 3 ani, a fost adoptat dintr-un orfelinat vietnamez in luna martie, acesta devenind cel de-al patrulea copil al cuplului. Brad si Angelina mai au impreuna doi copii adoptati, Maddox (5 ani) si Zahara (2 ani), si o fetita biologica Shiloh (10 luni).

Din cauza ca legea din Vietnam nu permite ca un cuplul necasatorit sa adopte, Jolie l-a infiat singura pe Pax, iar numele baiatului a devenit Pax Thien Jolie.

In luna ianuarie 2006, dupa ce Jolie a facut o cerere asemanatoarea la aceeasi instanta de judecata, ceilalti doi copii adoptati, Maddox si Zahara, au primit, in mod oficial, numele Jolie-Pitt.

HotNews.ro, S.B., 25 apr 2007

Valoarea la revanzare este unul dintre elementele de care tinem cont atunci cand cumparam o masina noua. Daca in mediul normal vorbim de valori de revanzare care variaza intre cateva mii de euro si cateva zeci de mii de euro, una dintre cele mai valoroase masini din punctul de vedere al valorii ca second-hand este Rolls Royce Phantom.

Astfel, un exemplar al limuzinei superluxoase care noua costa 390.000 de euro a fost vandut luni la Nottingham cu 306.000 de euro. Masina are la bord 8.000 de kilometri.
Integral in Automarket

Automarket, 25 apr 2007

Yahoo Inc. a lansat marti o baza de date care contine versurile a 400.000 de melodii. Aceasta baza de date se doreste a fi o alterantiva la site-urile care publica versuri fara permisiunea detinatorilor de copyright, relateaza Associated Press.

Aceasta se doreste a fi cea mai mare baza de date cu versuri de melodii, legal licentiata. Sub un acord de licenta, Yahoo va imparti cu detinatorii de copyright veniturile obtinute din anunturile publicitare, care vor fi postate langa versuri, se arata in siteul msnbc.

“Aceasta initiativa umple un mare gol”, a declarat Ian Rogers, director general al Yahoo music.

Printre cele 400 000 de versuri incluse in baza de date Yahoo se vor regasi creatiile a 9000 de artisti din diferite genuri de muzica si perioade, mergand de la Beatles si pana Beyonce.

HotNews.ro, Florian Gabriel, 24 apr 2007

Luni, presedintele chinez Hu Jintao a lansat o campanie pentru eliminarea continutului “nesanatos” de pe Internet, pentru a-l alinia la standardele impuse de doctrina Partidului Comunist, conform agentiei de presa Reuters.

“Dezvoltarea si administrarea culturii Internet trebuie sa ramana pe directia culturii socialiste avansate,”, reiese dintr-un comunicat citat de Reuters si atribuit presedintelui chinez.

Guvernul chinez a instalat deja un sistem vast de filtre si cenzuri, care blocheaza majoritatea utilizatorilor de Internet sa acceseze situri care ofera stiri si opinii necenzurate.

In 2006, in China, numarul utilizatorilor de Internet a crescut cu 23.4%, ajungand la 137 de milioane, conform estimarilor oferite de autoritatile chineze.

HotNews.ro, Florian Gabriel, 24 apr 2007