Thermal printers are types of printers that print using carefully controlled heat generated by the print head. There are two types of thermal printers. Direct thermal and thermal transfer printers. Direct thermal printers, as their name implies prints directly on to the media. The media has a chemical coating that changes color with the heat of the print head. Thermal transfer printers use a ribbon that makes contact with the print head and the media. To create an image the heat from the print head is “Transferred” through the ribbon melting the ink in the pattern generated by the printer. The ribbon usually consists of a plastic lining that is coated ink on one side. Thermal transfer ribbons can come coated inside, or coated outside depending on the make and model of the printer the ribbon is used with. The ink is usually made of a wax and/ or resin. Wax ribbons are good for printing on natural paper media. Resin blended ribbons are usually reserved for printing on synthetic media that is very smooth. The higher the resin content the more smudge resistant the printed media will be. Since both of these printers rely on precise temperatures to create an image, both print technologies are affected by very cold conditions.

Direct thermal printers have an advantage when it comes to printing in cold conditions. Since the print head makes contact directly with the media, it can tolerate temperatures a little colder than thermal transfer printers can. Direct thermal printers … Continue Reading ...

So you just went out on the proverbial limb and invested in a new or “new to you” recreational vehicle. In this time of economic uncertainty I say GOOD FOR YOU! If you can afford to take the plunge, more power to you.

Usually the first step after the purchase is to make sure everything works on the coach, then go for a nice extended drive, hopefully over night at least. After a few more of these trips you should know your new toy pretty well.

OK, now the season’s over and your all camped out for the year (boy, that didn’t take long, I hope it was fun). What do we do with this thing now to keep it clean and dry over the winter? Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones with warm, dry inside storage. That seems to be a pretty small percentage of the population so if you’re reading this I”m guessing you aren’t that lucky.

You can always rent an enclosed RV storage facility. If that’s in the budget GREAT. There’s probably no need for you to read any further. The prices for that luxury in most areas of the US will run from around $150 to as much as $500 per month. There is a less costly alternative.

RV storage covers can do the job for as little as $5 to $15 per month, amortized out over an average lifespan of 36 months. There are inexpensive units available that will fit a variety of … Continue Reading ...

Magicians of all sorts keep their secrets well guarded. One allure of magic is trying to figure out how magicians succeed at pulling off those marvelous maneuvers. For those interested in learning magic, many resources are available for every level magician. There are magic kits available to help any magician learn new tricks.

One of the best products on the market today that the aspiring magician should purchase is Street Magic Deluxe, available from Hobbytron. This is the most thorough package you can find. It includes 150 illusions that even the most inexperienced novice can learn. With the aid of this easily understood, illustrated guide, you will be able to perform these tricks anywhere, at anytime with utmost skill.

Street magic is as much about the performing, as it is about the performance. It takes a tremendous amount of bravery to get out there on the street, and persuade people to stop their lives, just to watch you. Though the ability to draw and hold an audience is frequently cited by practitioners as a skill of greater importance than the illusions themselves.

There are many kinds of magic acts; such as sleight of hand, card tricks, coin tricks, and hypnosis, just to name a few. All require practice, dedication and more practice. Oftentimes, a magician will specialize in several aspects of his or her preferred class. For those who have chosen to master the art of street magic, they have learned to make the most of variations of these magic … Continue Reading ...

It is a known fact that weather conditions can affect the quality of calls you make. Extreme weather conditions have the power to affect your device’s performance. Some of the weather conditions that can adversely affect your signal reception are:

Heat
Extreme temperatures are not good for any cell. Extreme heat can disable your cell from picking up signals properly. The radio waves that make up the cell signals get distorted or often totally lost due to the extreme temperature. Very hot weather can even cause the battery to leak.

Quoting Motorola’s warning here, “A car’s internal temperature can exceed 80 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of a dashboard with direct exposure to the sun can exceed 120 degrees Celsius.”

The statement highlights how dangerous extreme heat is not just to the signals, but also to your cell phone. Make sure you keep it in a proper atmosphere – away from heat, fire, and direct sunlight.

Cold
If heat can affect your phone – so can cold. Through research, it has been proven that extreme cold can affect a cell phone’s ability to catch signals properly. It can also destroy its components and cause greater damage in the long run.

A study at the Environ Laboratories in Minneapolis showed the adverse affects that cold temperature can have on cell phones and their performance. According to the result, the screen started to dim at 10 degrees Fahrenheit. As the temperature started decreasing, the conditions only worsened. At minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, … Continue Reading ...

When you are dealing with your skin in the cold, dry weather, find out how to protect skin in winter with a number of tips and suggestions. If you’re unsure of the best way to take care of your dry skin, this article outlines a few ways to take care of your chapped, flaky, and dry itchy skin.

To keep your dry skin in winter healthy during the cold weather, it’s important to know what is necessary for your skincare routine when the temperature changes and becomes colder.

In the winter, make sure you exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating eliminates dead skin cells from the surface of your skin allowing moisture to penetrate your skin more efficiently. Because if you don’t exfoliate dry skin in winter often, your skin will look greyish and dull.

A crucial step in your skincare routine is to moisturize. Use a moisturizing skincare product formulated with the right substances which helps prevent your skin from losing moisture. And for more relief from dry itchy skin, try using a humidifier in your room so the air won’t be so dry.

Learning how to protect skin in winter starts with knowing the ingredients that are found in creams and lotions. In order to create a protective barrier and help keep moisture in, look for specific ingredients such as: Shea Butter, Avocado oil, and Babassu wax to help restore your skin’s natural oil balance.

There are many body washes on store shelves, however, they can also contribute to your … Continue Reading ...

Attributing Global Warming to Extreme Weather Events

Ten years ago from a scientific perspective regarding climate, attempting to attribute to global warming for producing a particular Category 3 hurricane in the North Atlantic (as Hurricane Sandy that affected New York City in 2012) would have been considered risky.

Today, it is well understood that during the last century the earth’s seas have been absorbing solar energy that has not returned to the atmosphere. As a result, the seas’ mean temperature is increasing. Climate scientists are now investigating how global warming is affecting what would be considered extreme weather events in certain geographical areas. Swanson (2013) summarizes the idea of the relationship between the greenhouse effect, global warming, and extreme weather events, pointing out that the likelihood of these extreme weather events is increasingly tied to manmade global warming-too much carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. This is not an abstract idea anymore. It is felt on every level. [1]

Global Warming and the Arctic’s Ice Melting

As a result of global warming, temperatures in the Arctic Ocean have been rising. This higher temperature is extending the summer melting of Arctic ice well into the fall and winter. Arctic areas that were formerly covered by white reflecting snow have now been replaced by dark land and sea areas that do not reflect sunlight. Estimating the amount of glacier mass lost in Greenland, Jay Zwall of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, pointed out that each year from the received snowfall “20 … Continue Reading ...