Optic Land

2007-01-30T04:57:00.000-08:00

Specialist UV lenses and lens systems

Of the many UV lenses Resolve Optics has supplied over the years, most have been designed to provide optimised performance for a range of specialised applications including forensic analysis (fingerprinting), high-speed imaging (combustion analysis), military (ballistics), microlithography and nuclear inspection. Ultraviolet lenses can often be very expensive and it can be difficult to find a lens that meets your specific needs. Many customers have come to Resolve Optics as off-the-shelf UV lenses do not match their UV intensifier/sensor resulting in a significant loss in throughput, resolution or even spectral range covered. Resolve Optics designs optical elements out of synthetically fused silica or UV grade calcium fluoride, to provide the best possible transmission in the UV range.

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Range of replacement optics IMTS Laser Specialists

IMTS Laser Specialists carries a wide range of OEM approved replacement optics for every part of CO2 laser system, including focusing lenses and focusing (parabolic) mirrors, bend mirrors, collimators, polarisers, rear mirrors, output couplers, and output windows. IMTS Laser Specialists laser optics are from II-VI (pronounced Two-Six), the world leader in CO2 laser optics and are recommended by leading laser manufacturers around the world. II-VI manufacture their own zinc selenide (ZnSe), as well as copper (Cu), gallium arsenide (GaAs), germanium (Ge), molybdenum (Mo), and silicon (Si). A wide variety of world-class thin film coatings, such as the MP-5 ULA coating with an industry benchmark of <0.12% absorption, are applied to enhance optical properties to help maintain lasers power and mode.

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SPIE: Photonics West Reveals Upbeat Industry

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 29, 2007 -- Photonics West 2007 -- with its sold-out exhibition, 3000 presentations, 70 courses and record attendance -- surpassed expectations and indicated an upbeat optics and photonics industry, event organizer SPIE said. Photonics West concluded last Thursday and maintained its position as the largest optics and photonics exhibit in the US and the largest photonics technology conference anywhere in the world, said SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering. SPIE said more than 17,000 people attended the six-day event that also included plenary talks, market seminars, technology road-mapping workshops, standards group meetings, technical poster sessions and dozens of receptions hosted by industry leaders and government agencies.More than 17,000 people attended Photonics West 2007 in San Jose, Calif., from Jan.

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2007-01-29T04:52:00.000-08:00

Bruker BioSciences Announces Preliminary Fourth Quarter 2006 ...

Bruker BioSciences Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR) today announced preliminary financial results for its fourth quarter, which ended on December 31, 2006. The Company is providing this preliminary financial information prior to its planned public offering roadshow. Bruker BioSciences plans to release its fourth quarter and full year 2006 financial results on February 22, 2007. On July 1, 2006, Bruker BioSciences completed its acquisition of Bruker Optics Inc., which was accounted for in a manner similar to a pooling of interests. As a result of this accounting treatment, all historical financials have been pooled as if the companies had always been combined. On December 15, 2006, the Company filed a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which presents pooled historical financial statements as of and for the three years ended December 31, 2005.

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Associate Professor for Experimental Physics (Photonics ...

The Institute of Optics, Information and Photonics is jointly operated with the Max Planck Society for an initial period of five years (Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2008) as a "Max-Planck-Forschungsgruppe". Candidates with a good publications record in experimental research related to areas such as photonic crystal fibres, photonic crystals, nanophotonics, light-matter interactions or guided-wave optics are encouraged to apply. The post will be linked to Division III of the Max Planck Research Group (Director: Prof. Philip Russell), which has a state-of-the-art photonic crystal fibre fabrication facility and a wide range of other specialist fabrication, laser and test equipment. The successful candidate will be expected to collaborate closely in existing research projects, as well as starting new ones, and will undertake both teaching and research.

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2007-01-28T04:50:00.000-08:00

National Technology Transfer Training Seminar Schedule Added to ...

A training course schedule of upcoming National Technology Transfer Industrial training seminars is now available on FindaSeminar.com the worlds largest training search engine. Scott Alliy President of FindaSeminar.com announced today that over 800 new National Technology Transfer industrial training seminars have been added. According to Scott "The addition of the new National Technology Transfer training seminars along with a list of training seminars by other industrial training providers like American Trainco make shopping and registering for industrial training seminars on Findasmeinar.com a smart decision for training seekers and training managers and coordinators tasked with organizing and obtaining industrial training for their company". National Technology Transfer NTT is one of the few private career schools in the nation to offer Hands-On training programs on these real-world trainers.

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Kinematic Optical Mounts provide precision adjustment.

January 25, 2007 - With more than 25 options, TECH SPEC(TM) Mechanics consist of optical mounts and mounting table platforms that are adaptable to variety of applications. Mounts feature 5 of tip/tilt, 100 TPI fine adjustment screws, aluminum plates, and common mounting bores for No. 8/M4 socket-head cap screws. Stainless steel adjustment mechanisms ensure repeatability, while nylon contact rods and screws protect optics. Optical holders are available for common sizes of English and Metric components. .

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Photonics industry on an upswing, helped by Canadian booth at forum

Ottawa's photonics companies are seeing blue skies ahead for the industry, if the response to this week's Photonics West trade show is any indication. Sixteen Canadian exhibitors represented the country's photonics industry in the first Canadian booth at the forum in San Jose, Calif. from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25, including 10 Ottawa-area companies and organizations. Michael Darch, executive director of the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation's Global Marketing department, which was part of the delegation at the trade show, says the interest levels in the forum seems to have increased since last year's event. "There's been line-ups at 7:30 a.m. for the breakfast meetings and we've had to kick people out!" he laughs. "People are getting solid leads and the positive interest is there." Mr.

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2007-01-28T04:49:00.000-08:00

Taiwan eyes more IPOs as Young Optics climbs 78%

The Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday launched its first stock listing of 2007 with much fanfare, but analysts doubt it will be able to achieve its goal of nearly doubling the number of IPOs this year. Drum rolls, champagne and confetti greeted debutant Young Optics Inc., an integrated optical product designer, which surged 78 percent to NT$80, compared with a 1.3 percent decline on the main index. The exchange hopes the number of listings this year will reach 24 compared with 13 last year, but analysts say Taiwan needs to create a friendlier capital market to lure back firms that are increasingly looking overseas to raise capital. "It doesn't make any sense for big firms to list in Taiwan now since they have to deal with so many restrictions going into China, where the big piece of the pie is," said Primasia Securities analyst Takao Fujiki.

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Kimmich working full time at Adams Optics

Athens optometrist Dr. Richard Kimmich has joined the downtown location of Adams Optics on a full-time basis, according to Kimmich and optician Jim Adams, who owns Adams Optics. Kimmich also will maintain his specialty practice on corneal refractive therapy in Watkinsville. Kimmich graduated with a bachelor's degree and master's degree in science from the University of Georgia. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1980 and received his fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry in 1992. Since 1988, he has traveled to third world countries once a year to lead teams aiding the poor with their vision needs. .

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2007-01-27T04:49:00.000-08:00

SPIE Photonics West Surpasses Expectations as Visitors Exceed 17000

BELLINGHAM, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 26, 2007 -- Photonics West concluded yesterday and SPIE -- the event organizer -- reports that the technical conference, courses and exhibition attracted over 17,000 people during the week-long event. Photonics West continued the distinction of being the largest optics and photonics exhibit in the USA and the largest photonics technology conference anywhere in the world. Photonics West drew this audience with over 3,000 technical presentations, over 1,000 exhibiting companies, 70 professional development courses and a career fair with recruiters from 20 world-class companies. Associated events included plenary talks, market seminars, technology road-mapping workshops, standards group meetings, technical poster sessions and dozens of receptions hosted by industry leaders and government agencies.

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Blind trusts about optics

Blind trusts, reserved almost exclusively for senior politicians such as government leaders and cabinet ministers, are designed to transfer control of property to an independent executor -- typically a lawyer -- thereby keeping beneficiaries in the dark about the specific assets they own. Such arrangements are considered not only the best way to prevent officials from using public office to advance their personal business fortunes but also to guard against the mere perception of conflict. .

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Young Optics sees 2007 sales rising 10 percent

Taiwan's Young Optics Inc., an integrated optical product designer, sees sales rising more than 10 percent in 2007 on higher orders and the launch of new products, a senior executive said Thursday. "Based on conservative estimates, sales for 2007 should rise at least 10 percent," company spokesman Sam Tai told Reuters. "Profit growth for the year will be higher since we have put our effort on cutting costs," he said. The company, which shifted its listing to the main board from the island's gray market on Friday, recorded a 50 percent rise in sales last year to NT$6.17 billion due to the addition of a second micro display TV (MDTV) customer. Young said its customers included two of the world's five-biggest MDTV manufacturers. The top five are Japan's Sony Corp., Panasonic, Toshiba Corp.

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2007-01-26T04:49:00.000-08:00

Thermal cameras for analysing high-speed events

The non-contact, non-destructive capabilities of infrared have made it a vital instrument in the study of thermal performance in R+D and scientific environments. It is more powerful, more flexible and easier to use than ever yet this has been achieved in tandem with cost reduction. One of the architects of this change is Flir Systems and it will be marking its appearance at Ipot with the demonstration of several new cameras. For analysing high-speed events the new ThermoVision SC6000HS camera is unmatched. Available as an off-the-shelf package it can be specified with a choice of detector, software platform, high-speed data recorder and optics to optimise performance. The product of two and half years of R+D itself, this high performer has been designed to record and analyse the thermal performance of dynamic events typically in the field of pulsed laser detection, atmospheric phenomenology, non-destructive test and target signature research.

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Y Rocks Bouldering Competition

On February 3rd, 2007 the Y Rocks Climbing Gym in Hailey will host its 2nd Annual Bouldering Competition. Competitors ages 15 and up will be grouped according to climbing ability and compete for prizes donated by the American Bouldering Series, Lost River Sports, the Elephants Perch, River Rat, Wiseguy Pizza Pie, and Smith Sports Optics. Competitors scores are tallied and submitted to the American Bouldering Series, a national organization dedicated to promoting indoor climbing competitions. A $15 entry fee will be charged to all competitors, debriefing will occur at 11am on the morning of the competition, and bouldering will commence at 11:30. For information contact the Y Rocks climbing gym at 788.1155 or email yrocks@woodriverymca.org. .

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Associate professor in Nanophotonics - Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

A position as an associate professor within nanophotonics is available from 1st June 2007 at COM-DTU, the Department of Communications, Optics and Materials, the Technical University of Denmark. The Nanophotonics competence area of COM-DTU is featuring high-level education, research and innovation within semiconductor-based nanomaterials, photonic structures and devices. The work spans from basic materials and optics research to development of new optoelectronic and photonic devices for optical information, communication and sensing technologies and includes design, fabrication, optical characterization and modeling. We are seeking a highly qualified scientist with a strong and proven background in fabrication and/or optical characterization of novel materials and structures who can take responsibility in heading research and education within semiconductor nanomaterials and photonic structures.

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2007-01-25T04:49:00.000-08:00

Specialist in telescope spectrograph optics

Drawing upon a highly experienced team of optical designers, engineers, and skilled production staff and a unique high stability manufacturing environment, Optical Surfaces says it has established an international reputation for supplying high precision spectrograph optics for land and space based telescopes. A spectrograph is an instrument that is used to study the chemical / physical conditions that exist through a cross-section of space. Combined with an astronomical telescope a spectrograph can reveal the details that are stored in the spectral distribution of light from a distant astronomical body. Notable spectrograph optics projects completed by Optical Surfaces include high precision optics and optical systems for the Fibre-fed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph (Feros) at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in La Silla, Chile, the Espadons project at the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope (CFHT) and the Wide Field Fibre Optic fed Spectrograph (Wyffos) based on the 4.2m William Hershel Telescope on the island of La Palma.

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Investors Cheer Corning's Bright Results

Investors were selling shares of telecommunications equipment maker Corning Inc. (GLW) only months ago, as they worried about falling prices of liquid crystal displays used in trendy products such as flat panel desktop monitors and LCD televisions. But the Street often changes its mind. Investors bid up Corning stock on Jan. 24 after the company, which makes the glass substrates used in LCDs, announced stronger sales and profits during the December quarter. Corning earned $646 million during the three months ended Dec. 31, including $158 million in special gains related to one-time items like a charge for restructuring the company's telecommunications business. That compares to a loss of $33 million during the same period of 2005. On a per share basis before special items, Corning earned 31 cents, vs.

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New Meadowlark Optics Product Catalog

FREDERICK, Colo., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Meadowlark Optics today announced the release of Transitions, their 2007-08 Polarization Handbook. This comprehensive new product catalog provides detailed descriptions and specifications for the company's longstanding component products including Linear and Circular Polarizers, Precision, Achromatic, and Wide Field Retarders, as well as Liquid Crystal Retarders, Attenuators, and Polarization Rotators. Additionally, system-level offerings now include Polarimeters, Spatial Light Modulators, and new Tunable Optical Filters. In-house customization capabilities enable Meadowlark Optics to tailor its product solutions to meet demanding OEM and laboratory research requirements. Visit http://www.meadowlark.com/ or call (303) 833 - 4333 for a free copy of this essential reference.

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2007-01-24T04:47:00.000-08:00

Bookham enhances Tunable Laser Offering With Two New iTLAs

Bookham, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKHM), a leading provider of optical components, modules and subsystems, today announced the launch of two new versions of its fully-qualified LambdaFlexTM integrable Tunable Laser Assembly (iTLA). The products - one a completely new iTLA offering L-band capability with in-service power adjustment, the second bringing in-service power adjustment to the existing C-band iTLA - are designed to give vendors the flexibility and scalability they need to meet future network capacity demands. The L-band iTLA will be on display, alongside a live demonstration of the C-band capability for the first time at the Fibre Optics Expo (FOE) in Tokyo later this week. The product will be demonstrated on the stand of Japanese distributor, JLC. "These new products extend Bookham's leadership in the development of next generation tunable platforms," said Jon White, product line manager for tunable sources at Bookham.

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Tower Optical Launches Photonics Internet Site

Optics Manufacturer Partners with CEOExpress Company to Launch PhotonicsConnection.com, a Major Information Portal for Engineers and Other Members of the Optics Industry. The site is "powered by CEOExpress." The CEOExpress Company, owner of the extremely popular ceoexpress.com website, is now bringing its considerable skills at developing a major reference website to other industries that are seeking the same format but geared to their own specific needs. "This is really the first time we have worked with a manufacturing company. There's just so much information out there, even in a fairly narrow area like photonics, that it is wonderful to take the ceoexpress.com formula of identifying and aggregating quality sites and apply it to the needs of a particular industry," said Patricia Pomerleau, Founder and President of CEO Express Company and an authority on the impact of emerging technologies on business.

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Canadian penny is favoured currency of espionage

Now we know why bad pennies keep turning up. They want to keep an eye on you. Canadian pennies with embedded radio transmitters are being implanted on US defence industry workers, says a Pentagon report on technology espionage. The Pentagon's Defense Security Service in its 2006 "Technology Collection Trends in the US Defense Industry" report says there were "at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006" when this occurred. In each case, US defence industry workers with security clearance had one cent coins with transmitters inside them planted on them while they were travelling through Canada. Canadian media speculated third country intelligence agencies were responsible. The Pentagon declined to provide further details. The most likely suspect would be China.

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2007-01-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

Intel Pushes Silicon Modulator

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC - message board) is continuing its silicon photonics push with the announcement today of a 30-Gbit/s modulator in silicon. Thirty is such an awkward number in telecom. Intel assures the world it expects to push to 40 Gbit/s (OC768) soon -- the device does have the headroom for that -- and the goal is to produce a version that does 100 Gbit/s, says Mario Paniccia, director of Intel's photonics technology lab. .

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Light Blue Optics

Light Blue Optics Limited has developed ground-breaking laser projection technology, which will power a new generation of pocket-sized digital video projectors. Digital video projectors that produce large, high quality images are becoming increasingly popular, but there are limitations in the technology that make miniaturisation very difficult, preventing projectors from making inroads into the potentially lucrative mobile device markets. Laser projection using computer-generated holograms (CGHs) represents a compelling alternative to conventional image projection. Video projectors based on this CGH technology are efficient and require only a very few components, which means they can be made very small - and the smaller the CGH, the bigger the image that results. So a tiny projector producing large images could, for the first time, be integrated into a laptop, a PDA, or even a mobile phone.

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Ahling Joins Meadowlark Optics

FREDERICK, Colo., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Meadowlark Optics today announced the addition of Jay Ahling to its engineering development group. Ahling has a BS degree from the University of Wisconsin and brings years of liquid crystal device (LCD) design, development, and process optimization to Meadowlark. Prior to joining Meadowlark Optics, Jay worked with Planar-Standish and Syntax-Brillian on liquid crystal on silicon microdisplay technologies. Mr. Ahling's experience includes LCD product and process development, material selection, and device qualification. "We are thrilled to have Jay on board," says Garry Gorsuch, President and CEO at Meadowlark. "His personality and technical background are a perfect fit for us at Meadowlark Optics. In fact, Jay is already making real contributions in new products, working on next generation liquid crystal devices." As Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Ahling will continue his work on liquid crystal device manufacturing improvements, metrology, and qualification at Meadowlark.

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2007-01-22T04:48:00.000-08:00

SHOT hit with outdoors fans

Before long, the New Haven company was turning out camouflage coveralls, jackets, shirts and pants under its own label as well as for retail stores such as Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's and Gander Mountain. "It built to a point in the late '90s and probably peaked about 2002," said Jeff Chrisman, the company's marketing manager. "Since then it's flattened off. A lot of companies we used to produce for have their own manufacturing teams or they go overseas to have their products made. That's where we're competing now." That competition took center stage last weekend at the 29th annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, otherwise known as the SHOT Show. Although hunting clothes account for only 20 percent of Berne Apparel's business these days, Chrisman said missing the SHOT Show is not an option considering the contacts the company has made since first going to the event in 1990.

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From wireless boloney to fibre-optics

The main stories in the January 07 issue of the Industrial Automation Insider newsletter are as follows. * Emerson says battery life criticisms of its network are 'boloney' as 2.4GHz Smart Wireless launches in Europe. Emerson Process Management duly brought its in-plant wireless technology to Europe, and indeed to the rest of the world outside North America, in the second week of January when it summoned the European press to Bologna in Northern Italy for the launch of the 2.4GHz version of the 'Smart Wireless' solutions it unveiled in the US last October (See INSIDER, October 2006, page 1). Why Bologna? It's the birthplace of Guglielmo Marconi and, to put everyone in a suitably wireless mood, proceedings commenced on the Wednesday evening with a tour of the Villa Griffone, the former Marconi family seat where young Guglielmo conducted his experiments which is now a wireless museum.

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2007-01-21T04:56:00.000-08:00

Montana's plan for wolf management much more sensible than Idaho ...

Far up the East Fork of the Bitterroot, about as close to the Continental Divide as anyone wants to hike in mid-November, I paused to catch my breath and size up the competition.Tracks in the snow suggested a large mountain lion and I had the same idea: That saddle ahead looked promising for elk. Some 100 yards back, crisp new tracks in the snow showed a bear also was on the prowl - probably looking for his bed at this late date, but surely not averse to a bedtime snack of elk haunch. Farther down the way I'd cut a man's tracks, another hunter heading south as I climbed east. .

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Science hopes to change events that have already occurred

Ever wish you could reach back in time and change the past? Maybe you'd like to take back an unfortunate voice mail message, or rephrase what you just said to your boss. Or perhaps you've even dreamed of tweaking the outcome of yesterday's lottery to make yourself the winner. Common sense tells us that influencing the past is impossible -- what's done is done, right? Even if it were possible, think of the mind-bending paradoxes it would create. While tinkering with the past, you might change the circumstances by which your parents met, derailing the key event that led to your birth. Such are the perils of retrocausality, the idea that the present can affect the past, and the future can affect the present. Strange as it sounds, retrocausality is perfectly permissible within the known laws of nature.

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Casino smoking rooms shock naïve Ontarians

The Ontario government announced on Tuesday that government run casinos in Windsor and Niagara Falls will be allowed to build outdoor smoking rooms in order to keep their smoking clientele happy. These self contained rooms are prohibited for bars and restaurants under the Smoke Free Ontario Act that came into force last June with much fanfare. Jim Watson, who holds the cutesy and politically correct title of Minister of Health Promotion, vigorously defended the province's move saying that unlike bars and restaurants, the primary function of casinos is gambling and not the consumption of food and beverages. Watson never did explain why gamblers who smoke are less likely to suffer adverse affects from smoking and second hand smoke than those who simply eat and drink. Perhaps one day, he will enlighten us.

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2007-01-19T04:47:00.000-08:00

Coretronic DLP light engine subsidiary to list on TSE soon

Young Optics Incorporated (YOI), a Taiwan-based maker of light engines and key components of light engines, will list on the main board of the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) on January 26, with an estimated share price of about NT$40-50, said company president Frank Juang at an institutional investor conference on January 18. Young Optics stocks are currently traded on Taiwan's Emerging Stock Board (ESB). YOI is a subsidiary of backlight unit (BLU) maker Coretronic, which is also a leading OEM maker of projectors in Taiwan. Coretronic currently holds a 50.04% at YOI, according to today's report in the Chinese-language Commercial Times. In addition to key components of light engines, such as color wheels and integration rods, YOI produces DLP (digital light processing) and LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) light engines as well as projection lenses, Juang indicated.

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Advanced Medical Optics Acquires WaveFront Sciences

SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. (AMO) (NYSE:EYE) , a global ophthalmic surgical and eye care products company, today announced the acquisition of WaveFront Sciences, Inc., a leading provider of proprietary wavefront diagnostic systems for refractive surgery and medical research. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050324/AMOLOGO ) WaveFront Sciences, Inc. designs and manufactures the industry's highest resolution Shack-Hartmann-based aberrometer, which precisely measures the total refractive error and wavefront aberrations of the human eye as part of the wavefront-guided custom laser vision correction procedure. The acquisition expands AMO's portfolio of industry-leading laser technologies and strengthens its pipeline of new wavefront-guided diagnostic innovations.

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2007-01-18T04:58:00.000-08:00

Bursting the cheap-chip bubble barrier

A Princeton-led team has developed a method of eliminating the tiny air bubbles that form when liquid droplets are moulded into intricate circuits, which could lead to smaller, cheaper microchips. Led by Professor of Engineering Stephen Chou, the team worked to troubleshoot one form of nanoimprint lithography, a method invented by Chou in the 1990s. Nanoimprint uses a nanometre-scale mould to pattern computer chips and other nanostructures, in contrast to conventional methods that use beams of light, electrons or ions to carve designs onto devices. This technique allows for the creation of circuits and devices with features not much longer than a nanometre, which the researchers say is more than 10 times smaller than is possible in today's mass-produced chips, yet more than 10 times cheaper.

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Disruptive technologies needed to promote social innovations

Disruptive technologies and multi-disciplinary approach questioning the ideas of 20th Century are required to promote technological as well as social innovations, says Sam Pitroda, chairman, Knowledge Commission, Government of India. He said the tools for the new century should be different in a developing country like India. Social innovations are equally critical to improve the quality of life of 400 million-odd Indians living in poverty. .

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Thump Pro Sunglasses

That would be the THUMP PRO Sunglasses, not the Galaxy soccer team. Oakley has taken the guts of the Motorola/Oakley's -- same patented optics and light-weight comfort of THUMP 2-- and put it in a slim sports model, minus the Bluetooth phone feature. This sport design is even more lightweight, but what's new about these is that you download your tunes DIRECTLY to your sunglass frame (via a USB cord.) Hence, no cumbersome wires to get in your way. The speakers, which fit in your ears, are fully adjustable, so you can position them for a perfect fit .The frame is sweat resistant and it features UNOBTAINIUM® components that actually increase grip with perspiration. (I tried them out roller blading and they didn't budge an inch.). Figure you can store up to 240 songs on the 1 GB version, 120 songs on the 512 MB version, or 60 songs on the 256 MB version.

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2007-01-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

AMO to buy rival IntraLase for $808M

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Advanced Medical Optics Inc. said Monday that it will buy rival laser vision correction company IntraLase Corp. for about $808 million, or $25 a share. The cash deal represents a 12.5 percent premium over IntraLase's closing price on Friday of $22.23 on the Nasdaq stock market. .

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Advanced Medical Optics To Buy IntraLase For $808 Mln Cash - Stock ...

(RTTNews) - Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (EYE | charts | news | PowerRating) revealed Monday that it has agreed to acquire IntraLase Corp. (ILSE | charts | news | PowerRating) for approximately $808 million in cash. Under terms of the agreement, Advanced Medical Optics, or AMO, will pay $25 in cash per share of IntraLase stock and the individually determined cash value per share of outstanding stock options. AMO expects the transaction to be completed early in the second quarter of 2007, subject to customary closing conditions. AMO expects the transaction to be dilutive to 2007 adjusted earnings per share (EPS | charts | news | PowerRating) and slightly accretive to 2008 adjusted EPS. As a result of this transaction, AMO expects amortization to increase by approximately $30 million on an annualized basis, which would bring the company's total annual amortization to approximately $70 million or about $0.70 per share on an after-tax basis.

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2007-01-16T04:47:00.000-08:00

IntraLase Shares Climbed Following Buyout By Advanced Medical Optics

(RTTNews) - Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (EYE | charts | news | PowerRating) revealed Monday that it has agreed to acquire IntraLase Corp. (ILSE | charts | news | PowerRating) for approximately $808 million in cash. Under terms of the agreement, Advanced Medical Optics, will pay $25 in cash per share of IntraLase stock and the individually determined cash value per share of outstanding stock options. IntraLase shares gapped up at the bell Monday and saw little movement over the course of the day. The stock closed up $2.28 at $24.51 on vastly accelerated volume, to set a new multi-year high. Previous to today's advance, the stock had been moving roughly sideways since early December. Copyright(c) 2007 RealTimeTraders.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved .

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Making light work of keeping secrets

The cavernous Royal Hall of Industries in Sydney is decked out in plush drapes and coloured lights. A huge screen looms behind a stage at one end, casting a pale wash over the hundreds of people inside. The floor of the hall is packed with tables, around which business and industry leaders, politicians, media pundits and intellectuals talk with good humour, affected by the nervous excitement that seems to crackle through the room. People look around, noting respected and familiar faces. It could be the Oscars, but here the crowd are lauding smarts, not celebrity. .

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2007-01-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

Eye Surgeons Comment on AMO/Intralase Merger

Leading Lasik surgeons agree that the sale of the no-blade laser company Intralase (ILSE) to Lasik blades manufacturer American Medical Optics (AMO) confirms the superiority of All-Laser Lasik procedures. AMO is giving up its blade manufacturing and pays $808 million to acquire their competitor, Intralase. New York, NY (PRWeb) January 14, 2007 -- It was announced on Monday that the boards of two of the major Lasik companies have agreed to merge: American Medical Optics will acquire Intralase for $808 Million. AMO has been in the eye care field for many years furnishing contact lenses, eye pharmaceuticals, as well as cataract instruments. AMO was spun off from Allergan in 2002 and quickly entered the Lasik field by buying up Visx, the first and major Lasik company. The manufacturer benefits not only from the sale of the laser but also every time the laser is used on an eye - a royalty fee is paid by the doctors.

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Fibre Optics for Every Home

Last year Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG lost one million customers in the fixed network sector, a reminder of the turmoil the telecommunications branch is currently undergoing. More and more customers are not only surfing the Internet, but are also turning to the net for telephony and in the future will be using it to watch television as well. The pace of this trend towards "Internetisation" of telecommunications will be picking up, according to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research in Karlsruhe, Germany. .

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New Members of N-series: Awesome Threesome

The emergence of Nokia N-series mobile phones is a boon to the people who love to have everything at their fingertips. Right from good connectivity to web access, from imaging experience to music-the Nokia N series give you all the pleasures of latest mobile telephony. Nokia N-series incorporates innovative features and cutting-edge technology to deliver you new experience, new heights of imagination. The Nokia N70, the Nokia N71, the Nokia N72, the Nokia N73, the Nokia N80, the Nokia N90, the Nokia N91 and the Nokia N92 were the initial members of the popular N-series. The most recent to join the N-series bandwagon are the Nokia N93 and the Nokia N95. The Nokia N97 is yet to hit the market. The Nokia N93 is a gorgeous 3G phone with numerous futuristic features like 3.2 megapixel camera ( with 20 x digital zoom, autofocus and flash ), Carl Zeiss Optics Tessar lens, dedicated camera key, video player, video recorder ( MPEG4 ), video streaming, video stabilisation, second camera for video calls, direct TV connection, email, instant messaging, music player, visual FM radio, voice commands and the list goes on and on.

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2007-01-14T04:52:00.000-08:00

Rensselaer Licenses Microscope Technology To

An innovative microscope technology invented by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been licensed by Thorlabs Inc. a manufacturer of photonics products. The device, which is called the Adaptive Scanning Optical Microscope (ASOM), provides the ability to view large areas of a sample without sacrificing image resolution. It is especially suited for automating difficult tasks in biological laboratories, from diagnosing cancer to discovering new drugs. The technology was invented at the Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) at Rensselaer by Ben Potsaid, John Wen, and Yves Bellouard, based in part on funding from the National Science Foundation. Thorlabs has donated equipment to CATS in the past and also actively supports the Smart Optics Laboratory, one of several labs at CATS, where the ASOM research is continuing.

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GOC answers points queries

The GOC is urging practitioners with queries about their CET points total to get in contact ahead of the January 31 deadline for disputes. The Council has received a number of calls from professionals concerned about securing registration, but communications manager Kate Fielding said that most queries have been easily resolved. ‘Anyone who is unsure about their points should contact us. Everyone has received a letter to explain their total number of points and for those who do have a shortfall CET Optics has provided a list of courses to help them meet their target by the March 15 2007 deadline,' she said. The GOC has also announced that registrants completing the retention form must declare all relevant offences, including road traffic offences where the registrant committing the offence has received an endorsement on their licence.

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2007-01-13T05:01:00.000-08:00

Nikon D40 Digital SLR is Nikon's First Camera to be Certified for ...

Melville, New York -- Nikon (www.nikondigital.com), the world leader in high quality digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology, today announced its new D40 digital SLR camera will be Nikon's first camera certified to deliver the highest quality images and photo sharing capabilities with the new Windows Vista. Using the Nikon D40 along with Windows Vista will make it easier and more fun to capture, organize and share beautiful pictures with family and friends. "The D40 is Nikon's smallest digital SLR to date and provides the customer with the confidence and ability to quickly and easily capture stunning pictures of life's most important moments," says Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing and planning for Nikon Inc. "Nikon is confident that the D40 will satisfy users of Windows Vista with superb image quality and enhanced functionality at a significant value." "We're excited about the tremendous support and enthusiasm Nikon is providing for Windows Vista at this year's Consumer Electronics Show," said Brad Goldberg, general manager for Windows Client at Microsoft Corp.

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Review: Smith Optics Premise Helmet

Any on-snow specialist will tell you skiing is about rhythm. (We recommend Snoop's “Vato.") To get you in the groove, the Premise—part of Smith Optics' first-ever line of protective lids—has Skullcandy speakers built comfortably into each earpad. The Twin Tip cord connects to both your MP3 and mobile phone and has volume and answering controls that are easy to use with gloves or frozen fingers. But the Airevac system is what warmed our hearts: Smith built two plastic vents into the helmet's eyebrow line. The simple openings channel sweaty air away from your forehead so you can kill it on the slopes without goggle fog. —Katy Neusteter WIRED Crunch-resistant polycarbonate shell with polystyrene inner takes tree branches (not to be confused with trees) to task. Wicking liner. Removable earpads.

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LightPath Technologies Fiscal 2007 Second Quarter Comments

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) , manufacturer and integrator of families of precision molded aspheric optics, precision molded infrared optics, GRADIUM(R) glass products, and high-performance fiber-optic collimators and isolators, reported today that projected results for its second quarter of fiscal 2007 include sales of approximately $3.8 million compared with $3.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2006, an increase of 28%. The Company reduced delinquent shipments in its backlog by $500k and experienced an increase in communications-based shipments in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. Our current quarter sales of approximately $3.8 million compared to our first quarter sales of approximately $4.4 million, decreased 15%, but are nearly flat quarter to quarter when considering the reduction in delinquent shipments.

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2007-01-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

Plan your life in 60 seconds

1 'BRAND NEW' SOUND Denton's Robert Gomez will play a hometown show at Dan's Silver Leaf, and we hope he'll preview some of the material from the forthcoming album Brand New Towns. Check it out – if you don't take to his tunes, you'll still love his hair. Opening act is Troublepuppet Theater Company. 9 p.m. 103 Industrial St. in Denton. 940-320-2000. 2 OR IF YOU LIKE THE THROWBACK JAMS ... Get to Glass Cactus, that new club at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine. Taking the stage will be Foreigner, the '80s band behind the hits "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is." If you go, make sure you scream at the top of your lungs, "I want you to showww meee!" 7 p.m. at 1501 Gaylord Trail. $48.50. 817-778-2800 or www.etix.com. 3 YES, ANOTHER GAY MOVIE ...

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TV as You've Never Seen It Before: Verizon Launches FiOS TV in 106 ...

FREEHOLD, N.J. -- The future of television arrived in New Jersey Thursday (Jan. 11) as Verizon announced that its industry-leading FiOS television service is now available to consumers in 106 communities in the state, with more soon to come. "This is great news for New Jersey consumers, who've waited far too long for true competition and a superior choice of television service for the home," said William Foshay, senior vice president and general manager, Verizon New Jersey. "Verizon's FiOS TV will bring something to consumers they've never had before: incredible picture-and-sound clarity and innovative new services - all from a brand they know and trust." In New Jersey, Verizon's FiOS TV is available now to approximately 250,000 households in parts of 106 communities in Bergen, Camden, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties. The service will soon be expanded to hundreds of thousands of additional households in more than 100 additional communities. Under the state's new streamlined video franchise law, Verizon has announced plans to offer FiOS TV over its all-fiber network in more than 300 communities in the next few years. "We're looking forward to quickly offering consumers in New Jersey the industry's absolute best product in home entertainment," said Foshay. "We're delivering a product that customers are demanding and no other company can match: a superior TV service with more channels, more choice and more value, delivered on an all-fiber, next-generation network. Customers will also be delighted with the new interactive features we announced this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including our new interactive media guide that makes watching FiOS TV easier and better than ever." Verizon launched the service in New Jersey Thursday at the company's video hub office in Freehold. The new, state-of-the-art video distribution center receives video signals from Verizon's super-head-end offices and then distributes the programming throughout the state over the new fiber network.

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Nokia N73, SoftBank 705NK Starts Shipping to SoftBank Mobile in Japan

Nokia has started deliveries of Nokia N73 to SoftBank Mobile Corporation in Japan. Nokia N73 has been customised for SoftBank, and will be released by SoftBank under the name of Nokia N73 (SoftBank 705NK) from January 13. It will be available in three coloursdeep plum, light sand, and newly added colour, metallic red. According to Nokia, the Nokia N73 is a 3G (W-CDMA) multimedia computer handset. This is the first mobile device in Japan to feature 3.2 megapixel camera with manufacturer Carl Zeiss optics. Moreover, users can take pictures by sliding the lens cover on the back, holding the handset sideways and pressing the dedicated shutter button like a digital camera. In addition, users can e-mail pictures straight from the camera display, and connect directly to a home printer which support PictBridge.

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2007-01-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

New MIRAO Deformable Mirror

The all-new "Mirao" deformable mirror. Mirao is the most advanced deformable mirror available, providing users with 52 actuators in a 15mm useful pupil diameter, excellent optical quality in mirror shape at 15nm rms (actively flattened), a exceptionally large stroke achieving 100µm wavefront correction, excellent linearity, absolutely no hysteresis, and comes with an integrated tip-tilt. An improved version of wavefront measurement and analysis software, HASOv3.exe. The software interface has been redesigned to be even more ergonomic and easy-the-use than before, while packing in great new features including: Distance command via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, Dynamic, real-time parameter adjustment, even during acquisition, Automatic adjustment of the time to integration during the acquisition as well as many other new capabilities.

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Three New Ways to See Games in 3D

If, like me, you remember all those nausea-inducing stereoscopic shutter glasses from a few years back, then you're already skeptical. However, these new products have some interesting and updated spins on the same underlying immersive concept, and each also makes use of the stereo drivers available for most Nvidia graphics cards (ATI offers no equivalent). iZ3D 3D Display First up is Neurok Optics' latest iZ3D 22-inch widescreen LCD monitor, which succeeds an existing 17-inch model. Though the iZ3D can function just like any other 2D monitor, it contains two LCD panels to display into- and out-of screen 3D images when you're wearing the company's polarized eyeglasses (available in seven styles). I briefly tested the new display at the ShowStoppers event here at CES, and found the glasses to be lightweight and the effect surprisingly non-fatiguing.

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2007-01-10T04:49:00.000-08:00

Advanced Medical Optics "neutral weight," target price raised

In a research note published yesterday, the analyst mentions that the acquisition of IntraLase strengthens Advanced Medical Optics total refractive solutions position. Advanced Medical Optics expects the deal, which is valued at approximately $808 million in cash, to dilute its 2007 earnings and be earnings accretive in 2008. The company has reduced its EPS guidance for 2007 by $0.45 to $1.40-$1.55, which implies that its standalone guidance has been reduced by about $0.22, the analyst adds. .

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High performance Stem has new electron optics

Hitachi High-Technologies has announced the launch of the HD-2700 ultra-high resolution scanning transmission electron microscope (Stem). This instrument is characterised by new electron optics which now includes a spherical aberration correction system (developed in collaboration with CEOS). By reducing the performance-limiting spherical aberration, the HD-2700 offers significantly improved resolution and analytical sensitivity, enabling atomic level imaging on many specimens. The HD-2700 has applications in materials science, semiconductors and nanotechnology, both in research and development and quality control. High speed, high sensitivity EDX analysis is possible since the HD-2700 can achieve exceptionally high probe current density (ten times greater probe current than other models in the HD-series).

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Absolute Fizeau Interferometer Test Optics

The Melles Griot Optics Group, a provider of optical components, multielement lenses and contract-manufactured assemblies, has released additional Fizeau interferometer test optics to complement its Absolute Fizeau λ/40 transmission sphere product line.The company said the addition of Absolute Fizeau λ/50 concave and convex reference spheres allows users to record and store reference wavefronts for subtraction from interferometric test data, substantially improving their interferometer system's absolute accuracy.Also added to the product lineup are Absolute Fizeau λ/50 transmission and reference flats that cost-effectively increase the absolute accuracy of Zygo-style Fizeau surface and wavefront-testing interferometers to λ/50 without the need to store, manipulate or subtract reference wavefronts during the testing process.

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2007-01-09T05:07:00.000-08:00

Emerson introduces turbo vaporizer for thin films

HATFIELD, PENN (January 8, 2007) - Emerson Process Management has introduced the Brooks / MSP Model 2820 Turbo-Vaporizer System for fine droplet, Direct Liquid Injection (DLI) vaporization. This new model is designed to generate high purity vapor from liquid precursors required for thin film deposition, in applications including semiconductor films, chemical research, catalyst production, fiber optics, optical coatings, industrial coatings and fuel cells. The new Brooks Model 2820 features fine droplet atomization, precision liquid and gas mass flow control and low temperature vaporization. An efficient multi-stage turbo-vaporizer with integral hot gas filtration generates vapor for delivery to the process while maintaining the integrity of the liquid molecule. Stable and repeatable liquid flow measurement and control are key to consistent film formation.

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Beyond Bifocals: Wavefront Technology Benefits Patients With ...

For those whove reached the age when reading a newspaper means holding it at arms length or fumbling for reading glasses, wavefront-optimized lens technology may offer a better solution, according to data presented at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmologys 2006 Joint Meeting. According to Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, progressive lenses developed using wavefront technology offer significant improvements over standard lenses for treating presbyopia, also known as Over-40 Near-Blur Syndrome. Dr. McDonald, a cornea/refractive surgeon with the Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island in Lynbrook, NY and a leading researcher in ophthalmology and wavefront technology, cited a 609-person study that showed 72 percent of patients reported better or clearly better near vision with the wavefront-optimized progressive lenses.

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2007-01-08T05:06:00.000-08:00

Pacer strengthens North American presence

The office in Blue Bell, Philadelphia will be the headquarters of the company's North American operation, Pacer USA. Pacer has appointed David House to head the US sales and support team. House joins Pacer from PerkinElmer, where he was western US sales leader for the optoelectronic industrial sensors division. David House commented: 'US users of optoelectronic components, assemblies and systems as well as information displays, fibre optics, lasers and laser components will directly benefit from Pacer's investment in local support for customers. 'Working with our established network of specialist representatives it is our aim to set a high standard for quality support and innovative products and applications. 'However, we offer much more than component sourcing - Pacer's Design Centre enables us to provide full design and build services to customers - a complete outsourcing solution.

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Continental honours Carter

John Carter of Continental Eyewear has retired after 44 years in optics, the last 17 of these as area sales manager for Continental in the south east of England. At a retirement party held in his honour near the company headquarters on Merseyside, John was presented with gifts from the directors of the company, in recognition of his long and valued service, together with a gift from the office and sales staff. Neal Grimason, sales and marketing director, said: 'We wish John a long, happy and healthy retirement.' .

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2007-01-07T04:51:00.000-08:00

Simpson on Khan's defection

Wajid Khan's rumoured crossing over to the Conservatives was announced while The Globe's political columnist Jeffrey Simpson was online answering reader questions today. Here's what Mr. Simpson had to say: Jeffrey Simpson: Wajid Khan will disappear after the next election. He signed up several thousand Muslims and won the Liberal nomination in a safe Liberal seat. The Liberals will nominate another Muslim against him, and he will likely lose. It gives a government a visible minority presence that it lacks, so in the short term this is good, and it balances a little the optics of a government that had pretty much handed its Middle East policy over to the Canada-Israel committee. Read the complete transcript, here. .

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Beyond Bifocals: Data Shows Wavefront Technology Benefits Patients ...

For those who've reached the age when reading a newspaper means holding it at arm's length or fumbling for reading glasses, wavefront-optimized lens technology may offer a better solution, according to data presented at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2006 Joint Meeting. According to Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, progressive lenses developed using wavefront technology offer significant improvements over standard lenses for treating presbyopia, also known as "Over 40 Near Blur Syndrome." Dr. McDonald, a cornea/refractive surgeon with the Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island in Lynbrook, NY and a leading researcher in ophthalmology and wavefront technology, cited a 609-person study that showed 72 percent of patients reported better or clearly better near vision with the wavefront-optimized progressive lenses.

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2007-01-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

Rifle match, pistol league held

The Carmi Rifle Club held its second .22 caliber indoor rifle match of the season this past week. The three-position match consisted of a three-stage relay. Stage 1 was 10 rounds, fired in the prone position. Stage 2 was also 10 rounds, in a sitting or kneeling position, and the final stage of 10 rounds was fired while standing unsupported. In each stage, shooters had 10 minutes to fire all 10 rounds.Shooters competed in the Light Rifle Division (for rifles weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces or under) or Heavy Rifle Division (those weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces or more). Each division was then subdivided into categories of Open Sights or Scope. .

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Lothians fibre optics pioneer dies aged 81

A MATHEMATICIAN whose work on unusual waves - first observed in the Lothians over 180 years ago - paved the way for fibre optic technology, has died. In the 1960s, Martin David Kruskal explained a phenomenon that had puzzled scientists since 1834, when Scottish engineer John Scott Russell had noticed a "bump" of water travelling along the Union Canal at Hermiston and followed it for two miles. Kruskal called such waves solitans, and found that light transmitted over fibre optic cables had the same properties. The 81-year-old was also given a National Medal of Science in 1996 for using the Theory of General Relativity to help explain black holes. His death, following a series of strokes, was announced yesterday by Princeton University. This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=30702007 Last updated: 06-Jan-07 11:42 GMT .

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2007-01-05T04:49:00.000-08:00

Honours for optics

Rosie Varley, chairman of the General Optical Council, was among a clutch of optical folk who received recognition in The New Year Honours list. Varley was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her services to the NHS and healthcare through her work on the NHS appointments commission and through her chairmanship of the GOC. Also receiving the OBE was Douglas Anderson, founder of Optos Plc, for services to the life sciences. Varley said she was overwhelmed to receive the award and paid tribute to the many colleagues she has worked with during her 30-year career in healthcare. Of her time in optics she said: 'My involvement with the world of optics over the last eight years has been enormously rewarding and I will continue to do all I can to gain greater government recognition of the critical role of the optical profession.' Among those becoming Members of the Order of the British Empire were Beckenham optometrist Ivor Lask for his work within Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust and for services to the NHS and James Michael for his work with the visually impaired and disadvantaged in Scotland.

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Absolute Fizeau Test Optics

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 3, 2007 -- The Melles Griot Optics Group, a provider of optical components, multielement lenses and contract-manufactured assemblies, has released additional Fizeau test optics to complement its Absolute Fizeau l40 transmission sphere product line.The company said the addition of Absolute Fizeau l50 concave and convex reference spheres allows users to record and store reference wavefronts for subtraction from interferometric test data, substantially improving their interferometer system's absolute accuracy.Also added to the product lineup are Absolute Fizeau l50 transmission and reference flats that cost-effectively increase the absolute accuracy of Zygo-style Fizeau surface and wavefront-testing interferometers to l50 without the need to store, manipulate, or subtract reference wavefronts during the testing process.

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NEUROK OPTICS SHOWING GAMER LCD AT CES

Neurok Optics, LLC, designer, developer, and marketer of advanced 3D visualization systems, will preview a new iZ3D brand 22-inch widescreen 3D LCD monitor at CES 2007. Designed to replace a standard two-dimensional monitor, it offers commercial-grade image quality and display brightness, while supporting long-term viewing without causing fatigue or eyestrain. The 22" monitor will be available for pre-order Q1 2007. CES attendees can see the new 22" monitor on display and speak with iZ3D personnel at the NEXGEN MediaTech, Inc Booth 70605 at the Sands. The monitor will also be showcased in the Westinghouse booth 21707 in South Hall. "The 22-inch widescreen version of the iZ3D monitor gives players the experience of physically being in the game," stated Thomas Striegler, CEO of Neurok Optics, LLC.

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2007-01-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

US$20 clip-on x6 optical zoom lens for camera phoines

January 4, 2007 Mobile phones with cameras are proving to be immensely useful for many purposes, mainly because they have the advantage of always being with you. Sadly, the evolution of many potential niche markets is being held back by phone manufacturers who wish to sell you their latest 2MPX and no optical zoom model this year before theyll sell you another one with 4MPX and x2 zoom next year, even though they could deliver a much higher spec now if they wanted to. Accordingly, cameras with high quality optics are still rare and optical zoom lenses on cameras are even rarer. So if youre one of those people who would like to have a x6 optical zoom on your mobile and would gladly pay big bucks for it, heres one that will do the job for just US$20. It has a manual zoom and focus but as you can see from the images on their site, it works very well, particularly at that price.

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Digital cameras at CES: Predictions

Digital SLR enthusiasts can keep their lens caps on during CES -- no one is expecting any major releases until later in the year. Still, we should see a fair number of new compact cameras from fringe manufacturers, and hopefully we'll witness something wonderfully quirky like last year's show-stealing dual-lens camera, the Kodak Easyshare V570 (pictured). Canon and Nikon will have a strong presence at CES, but are likely to flaunt their wares from the end of last year, rather that unveil anything to shake journalists from their fugue.The emphasis in this market remains on megapixels -- a hugely misleading, but nonetheless oddly persuasive, measurement of a digital camera's abilities. Expect to see 6- and 7-megapixel compacts edged out by newer 8-megapixel models, but don't expect any radical improvements in optics.

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Cop under probe makes detective

A city constable under investigation for shooting a fleeing suspect six times after the man stabbed his police dog is being promoted this month, the Sun has learned. Const. Bruce Edwards will become Det. Bruce Edwards as of Jan. 22, Edmonton Police Service spokesman Staff Sgt. Greg Alcorn confirmed yesterday. Edwards is at the centre of a police investigation into the July 27 shooting of parolee Kirk Steele, 33, during a police stakeout on the south side. Cops were on an undercover operation near 99 Street and 69 Avenue when they saw four men with batons, bats and a pit bull heading to a house they were watching. Officers stopped two of the men, but the other two got away. .

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2007-01-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

Avago touts 'thinnest' high-luminosity SMT LEDs

Avago Technologies touts the thinnest SMT LEDs in the smallest industry-standard (0603) footprint available. With an ultrasmall form factor about the size of a pencil tip, the low-power LEDs use high-brightness chips to provide excellent illumination with minimum current consumption. These ChipLED lamps are available in blue and phosphor white—the colors most widely used by handset manufacturers. The ultrathin HSMR-CL25 (blue) and HSMW-CL25 (white) LEDs are suitable for backlighting keypads and status indicators in the thinnest handsets, as well as for office automation devices and CE. Moreover, these top emitting LED packages represent a lower-cost alternative to electroluminescent backlighting, Avago said, eliminating the need for high voltages and difficulties with high-frequency electrical noise.

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A List of Recommended Handsets!

Well into the second day of 2007, and we thought it a good idea to share with our readers - what a couple of leading mobile phone dealers recommended as the best handsets on the market today... While the Nokia 6600, the Nokia N73, the Sony Ericsson P990i, the Motorola Ming, and the Motorola Razr v3i emerged as the unanimous choice of most dealers we spoke to, these guys also made it a point to appraise us of a few good handsets under each brand. .

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2007-01-02T05:11:00.000-08:00

Diamonds Shine Bright Under Fiberstars EFO

SOLON, Ohio, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fiberstars, Inc. , the global leader in fiber optic lighting, today announced that Metals in Time, an upscale retailer of fine diamonds and designer jewelry, has chosen Fiberstars EFO (Efficient Fiber Optics) to illuminate 28 custom built jewelry cases at the luxury retailer's new location in Royal Oak, Michigan. Exhibiting the versatility of the Fiberstars EFO technology, the installation replaces traditional fluorescent and incandescent alternatives and will enhance the visual presentation of the items displayed in the cases such as diamonds, engagement rings, timepieces and other gems and accessories. "Metals in Time found Fiberstars EFO to be the perfect solution to highlight the beauty and brilliance of their luxury jewelry items," said John Davenport, CEO of Fiberstars.

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Ample Communications and Finisar Demonstrate 10 Gigabit Ethernet ...

Ample Communications, a leading provider of communications silicon for wire line network systems, and Finisar Corporation, a technology leader in fiber optic solutions for high-speed data networks, today announced interoperability between Ample's Redhawk dual port 10 Gigabit Ethernet MAC, and Finisar's pluggable XFP optical transceiver modules. This proven solution enables customers to reduce design time and cost for enterprise, security, and metro Ethernet switching platforms deploying 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Ample's Redhawk, the industry's first full rate and oversubscribed two-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet MAC with integrated XFI SerDes, and Finisar's pluggable XFP modules, provide customers with a universal 10 Gigabit Ethernet line card that supports short, long, and extended reach functionality for 10 Gigabit Ethernet networking applications.

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2007-01-01T04:52:00.000-08:00

Business briefs, December 22

Defense contractor Raytheon Co. plans to sell its aircraft business for $3.3 billion to Hawker Beechcraft Corp., a new company formed by an affiliate of Goldman Sachs and Onex Partners. The world's fifth-largest defense contractor said Thursday it expects to pocket $2.5 billion after taxes from the sale of the Wichita, Kan.-based unit that makes Hawker and Beechcraft planes for commercial and military markets. The business has more than 8,500 employees and about 100 centers worldwide. 30-year mortgage rates increase for 2nd week Rates on 30-year mortgages, after sinking for a month, crept up for the second week in a row. Nevertheless, 30-year mortgage rates are still lower than they were for the corresponding week a year ago. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.13 percent this week.

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Landingham wins 'Bull's Eye'

Eli Landingham of Grayville took home the Bull's Eye award for his efforts at last week's Carmi Rifle Club Pistol League match.Shooting in the Expert Class' Open Sights Division, Landingham took first place with a score of 464. Ken Landingham, also from Grayville, took second place with 456 and Bernie Raether of Carmi was third with 436. .

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What's Next: Zaid Hassan

TS Eliot's masterful poem, "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock," is the story of a man who cannot muster up the courage to confront what he needs to confront. The poem hauntingly charts Prufrock's failed attempt to cope with the modern condition. In the course of his musings Prufrock asks himself, "do I dare to eat a peach?" In the fading light of 2006 I find myself wondering the same thing. Given the state of the world, do we dare to bite deeply and unconditionally into the reality of the world? Our mission at worldchanging is to shine a light on the seeds of the new, to cultivate the seeds of a future that looks very different from today. In the search for this different future, in reporting on it and representing it, we face a real tension between seeing the world as we would like it to be and seeing the world as it is.

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2006-12-31T04:53:00.000-08:00

As economy shifts, workers follow suit

After 24 years at Eastman Kodak Co., she was laid off last year as a manager for a group of chemists. A native Rochesterian, Staudenmayer, 48, and her husband, Tom Wild, did not want to leave the area. So she enrolled in a 10-week certification program at Rochester Institute of Technology's Center for Bioscience Education and Technology. Undergoing the intensive training enabled Staudenmayer to get a job as a pharmaceutical chemist at UCB Manufacturing Inc. in Henrietta. "The fact I went back to school, it demonstrated I was very interested in working in a lab environment," she said. "I feel very, very fortunate. I feel like I hit the jackpot." Like many in the Rochester area who have been downsized, Staudenmayer had to update her skills to make herself marketable.

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Early birders give a hoot for Christmas count

Mahwah, 6 a.m. Saturday: Green Acres wetlands off Stag Hill Road. Nothing like beginning a three-day holiday weekend standing in the damp, cold darkness. It's the start of the national Christmas Bird Count for this neck of the woods, and team leader Mark Kantrowitz and fellow birder Doug Morel of Mahwah are listening for great horned owls. .

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2006-12-30T04:54:00.000-08:00

What's Next: Michael Graham Richard

I think that 2007 needs to be the year when the pace of the transition to a green future accelerates. We need something to super-charge the process, just like the Internet revolution came much faster because of all the over-investments in fiber-optics and infrastructure caused by the dot-com bubble. I sincerely wish that the catalyst would be a positive event, but there are also chances that it could be something catastrophic like a super-Katrina or a new alarming scientific discovery. Let's not wait for a cataclysm. Let's start now. The good thing is that we have all the technologies and tools, and many things that would assuredly quicken the pace of change are also known: Correct distortions in the market -- Remove subsidies to fossil fuels, take into account that ecosystems are very valuable on many levels (including economic) even when untouched by humans, and start adding environmental costs to the price of many things (e.g., coal, suburbs) instead of "externalizing" them, and have society as a whole pick up the bill.

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Hot Technologies for 2007: OCT:Imaging of the Future

Advances in optical imaging are improving many facets of everyday life, the most important of which is healthcare. One optical technique that stands out above the rest is optical coherence tomography (OCT). Developed in 1991 by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, OCT is exploding onto the medical diagnostics scene with a bounty of potential uses, including the prevention of blindness and heart attacks, and even the early detection of cancer. Getting hot OCT is a near real-time imaging technique similar to ultrasound that uses light instead of sound to achieve far greater resolution. Low coherence infrared light is directed onto the sample under test, and, using principles of interferometry, the intensity of the reflections is measured and compared to a reference beam to produce high resolution images of the sample.

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2006-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

INNOTELCO to Commence Shipments of Telecommunications Products ...

TORONTO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- December 28, 2006 -- INNOTELCO, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: ILCO) today announced that it expects to commence shipments of telecommunications products which will be shipped from China to the North African countries of Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. INNOTELCO believes that the initial shipment can expand into a series of shipments which will create a revenue stream for several years. Approximately $3,000,000 to $6,000,000 in telecommunications products should be shipped by the end of June 2007. INNOTELCO may realize as much as $1.8 million in revenues for its participation in the facilitation of these shipments. This contract is in addition to the revenues that the company expects to realize from the sugar and feed barley shipments which were announced this month.

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COROT on its way

Launched from Kazakhstan, the unique astronomy mission COROT is on its way. Its twin goals are to detect exoplanets orbiting around other stars and to probe the mysteries of stellar interiors as never before. COROT is a French national space agency (CNES)-led mission to which ESA and European partners are adding a particularly strong international flavour. COROT was launched by a Soyuz-Fregat from Baikonur in Kazakhstan at 15:23 CET. Status reports on the mission are available from CNES at: http://www.cnes.fr/corot_en/ What is COROT? COROT stands for 'Convection Rotation and planetary Transits'. The name describes the mission's scientific goals. 'Convection and rotation' refer to the satellite's capability to probe stellar interiors, studying the acoustic waves that ripple across the surface of stars, a technique called asteroseismology.

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Queanbeyan company wins multi-million dollar defence contract

A Queanbeyan business has won a multi-million dollar contract to produce sophisticated weapons systems for Australian troops to use in the Middle East. Electro Optics Systems has designed a weapon station that is mounted on armoured vehicles and is operated by remote control. Company chief executive Ben Green says the 44 stations, at a cost of $350,000 each, will better protect soldiers at war. "What's missing off these vehicles at the moment is a weapons system that can be operated from inside the vehicle," Mr Green said. "Once you expose a gunner outside the vehicle he becomes very vulnerable to these kind of attacks and other types of attacks, like sniper attacks and random gunfire." Mr Green says 19 of the machines were shipped to the Middle East yesterday, and will reach the troops by Christmas.

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2006-12-28T04:48:00.000-08:00

Internet approaching traffic tie-up

Think about this today as you click on that shiny, new high-definition TV: U.S. broadband, the communication system that pumps Internet, cable TV and other data to users nationwide, is quickly filling up. That is primarily because of Web sites such as YouTube.com and the transfer and exchange of bandwidth-devouring videos. Even as cable companies make all kinds of efforts to digitize and compress television programming into smaller broadband pockets, Internet trends still reflect bigger, wider and flashier entertainment. .

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New Textbook Introduces Readers to the Fundamental Concepts of ...

DUBLIN, Ireland-(Business Wire)-December 22, 2006 - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c47548) has announced the addition of Lectures on Quantum Information to their offering. Quantum Information Processing is a young and rapidly growing field of research at the intersection of physics, mathematics, and computer science. Its ultimate goal is to harness quantum physics to conceive — and ultimately build — "quantum" computers that would dramatically overtake the capabilities of today's "classical" computers. One example of the power of a quantum computer is its ability to efficiently find the prime factors of a larger integer, thus shaking the supposedly secure foundations of standard encryption schemes. This comprehensive textbook on the rapidly advancing field introduces readers to the fundamental concepts of information theory and quantum entanglement, taking into account the current state of research and development.

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2006-12-27T04:56:00.000-08:00

Firm makes 'Mission Impossible' eyeglass

An Israeli optics company says it has developed a miniature video projector that turns regular eyeglasses into a personal video screen. The technology, which until now has only been seen in movies such as Mission: Impossible, projects a widescreen video image unnoticeable to anyone but the bespectacled individual. "Imagine you're sitting in a meeting and you want to read an email ... you just click a button on the phone in your pocket and you start reading away while you're looking attentively at the person who's giving the presentation," Ari Grobman, business development manager at Lumus Ltd, said. Lumus has been approached by major manufacturers of mobile phones and portable media players and expects the product to be on the market during 2007, Grobman told Reuters.

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Cambridge University licenses projector technology to Alps

LONDON The University of Cambridge has granted an exclusive license to a core patent for holographic video projector technology, developed in the Department of Engineering, to Alps Electric Co. Ltd. Alps intends to manufacture miniature projectors suitable for inclusion in laptops, mobile phones and other portable equipment, the University said. The technology works by converting the image to be projected into a phase-only holographic pattern. This pattern is displayed inside the projector on a small, fast, high-definition liquid crystal over silicon (LCOS) panel. A laser is trained on to the panel and the light bouncing of the millions of pixels interferes to reconstruct the original picture on a conventional white screen, office wall or any convenient surface. The same basic principal lies behind the tiny projector of Light Blue Optics Ltd.

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Zygo Corporation Announces Appointment of James Northup as ...

MIDDLEFIELD, CT -- (MARKET WIRE) -- December 19, 2006 -- Zygo Corporation (NASDAQ: ZIGO), a leading worldwide optical metrology supplier, today announced that it has appointed James Northup as President, Metrology Division. Mr. Northup recently joined the company as executive vice president, corporate business development. Prior to joining ZYGO, Mr. Northup was chief operating officer with Toppan Photomasks, Inc. (formerly DuPont Photomasks, Inc.), and president of Photronics, Inc. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering with high distinction from the University of Rhode Island. Commenting on the appointment, Bruce Robinson, ZYGO's chief executive officer, stated, "ZYGO has experienced excellent growth over the last few years, and at this time we are taking the opportunity to structure the company for continued success.

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2006-12-26T05:05:00.000-08:00

Juniper's New Technology For Core IP Routers

Juniper Networks, has expanded its portfolio of IP and optical innovations by announcing a new T-series physical interface card (PIC) with long reach optics and other advanced features. Juniper's new 4xOC-192 PIC features standards-based 10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable (XFP) optical transponders and inverse multiplexing to 40 Gbps. The new 4xOC-192 PIC aim to enable providers to transport either a single OC-768 stream or four discrete OC-192 connections by using cost-effective 10 Gbps optical transponders and leveraging their installed base of T-series routers. XFP optics allow non-disruptive upgrades and interface additions, while ensuring interoperability with a wide range of standards-based optical equipment, claimed the company.With an initial range of up to 80km, expandable as new optics become available, the new PIC supports regional inter-POP connections directly from existing routing platforms, reducing costs by eliminating the need for separate optical transponders.

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Juniper Networks Delivers Innovative New Technologies

Juniper Networks, Inc. today expanded its portfolio of IP and optical innovations by announcing a new T-series physical interface card (PIC) with long reach optics and other advanced features that enable providers to reduce the cost and complexity of next-generation core networks. Juniper's new 4xOC-192 PIC features standards-based 10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable (XFP) optical transponders and inverse multiplexing to 40 Gbps, providing unprecedented interoperability and service agility over optical transport and IP infrastructures. Leveraging Juniper's leadership in control and data plane technologies, this flexible approach to optical integration enables service providers to greatly improve operational efficiencies as they deploy next-generation core networks to support the increasing demand for emerging services such as IPTV and advanced multiplay offerings.

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SRAM Technical University offers dealers free in-depth training

With the advent of online retailers, many smaller brick-and-mortar bicycle shops have realized that they often can't compete on price alone in order to stay afloat. As such, quality customer service has become more important than ever, along with having a knowledgeable and skilled sales and service staff. SRAM is doing its part to provide its dealers with that knowledge and skill base by virtue of its SRAM Technical University, or STU, program. Now in its fourth season, the program offers dealers in-depth training on its full range of supported products, including new and several-year-old offerings from its SRAM, Avid, Truvativ, and Rock Shox lines. STU instructors Herc Castro and Jim Mathis supply attendees with a wealth of theory behind each piece of technology covered, and then follow with extensive hands-on overhaul and teardown instruction on actual product.

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2006-12-25T04:51:00.000-08:00

Micron Optics releases new optical strain gauge

ATLANTA, GA – Micron Optics, Inc., a developer of fiber-optic sensing and instruments and tunable components, has announced the release of the new optical strain gauge, the os310. The os310 is designed to work with Micron Optics' line of optical sensing products, and can be used as a strain gauge for automotive, aircraft/aerospace, structural, geotechnical, and energy monitoring applications, as well as a “building block for higher level sensors" for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Jeff Miller, CEO of Micron Optics says, “The os310 is a revolutionary product based on Micron Optics' patented opto-micromechanical technology. This product utilizes all the advantages of fiber optic sensing and even improves upon long-term environmental stability and fatigue." Founded in 1990, Micron Optics is a privately-held company based in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Light Blue Optics closes funding round

Light Blue Optics, the Cambridge based developer of miniature laser projection technology has announced the closing of a 512k extension to its seed funding round as it accelerates its commercialisation timetable. 3i led the round, which also included investment from NESTA, the Cambridge Capital Group and business angels, and follows the closure of a $2.5m seed round in July. LBO said proceeds would enable it to accelerate its product development programme. LBO has also signed an exclusive licensing agreement on a key patent with Cambridge Enterprise Ltd, the University of Cambridges technology commercialisation service. The patent is a method for real-time, full-colour holographic laser projection, and was invented in 2003 by LBOs director of business development, Dr Edward Buckley, and CTO, Dr Adrian Cable, while they were PhD students at the University of Cambridge.

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Ocean Optics Introduces System for Thin Film Measurement

Dunedin, Fla., November 2006 - The NanoCalc Thin Film Reflectometry System from Ocean Optics measures the thickness of up to three optical layers from 10 nm to 250 um in less than one second. Users can analyze the thickness and removal rates of both single-layer or multilayer semiconductor process films and anti-scratch, anti-reflection and hard coatings. Several options are available for measuring thin films with spectral response in UV-VIS, VIS-NIR and NIR wavelength ranges. The NanoCalc System is especially useful for in situ, on-line thickness measurements of oxides, silicon nitride and photoresist films, as well as the thickness of rough layers on substrates such as steel, aluminum, brass, copper, ceramics and plastics. Coating-measurement applications in the semiconductor, automotive, packaging and biotechnology industries are also typical.

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2006-12-24T04:49:00.000-08:00

Japanese Optics Maker Hoya to Buy Pentax

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese optics maker Hoya said Thursday it has agreed to buy camera maker Pentax in a stock swap estimated at 91 billion yen, or $771 million, giving the glass maker access to digital imaging technology. The companies will combine operations on Oct. 1, 2007, and the new company will be called Hoya Pentax HD Corp., Tokyo-based Hoya said in a release. Under the accord, each Pentax shareholder will get 0.158 Hoya shares for each share of Pentax. Hoya President and Chief Executive Hiroshi Suzuki will stay on to lead the combined company. The acquisition comes amid increasingly tough competition in the digital imaging market, with both old guard camera makers like Pentax and Nikon struggling against electronics giants like Sony and Samsung to gain the lead in digital cameras.

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Optics maker Hoya to merge with Pentax

Japanese optics maker Hoya will merge with camera maker Pentax, Hoya said amid increasingly tough competition in the digital imaging market. The companies will combine operations on October 1, 2007 and the new company will be called Hoya Pentax HD Corp, Hoya said in a release. Under the accord, one Pentax share will be exchanged for 0.158 Hoya share. The growth of digital cameras has old guard camera makers like Pentax and Nikon Corp. struggling against electronics giants like Sony and Samsung. Falling prices have undermined profit margins upping the pressure on firms to seek partners. The merger would also make Hoya and Pentax more competitive in the imaging field against rivals Olympus and Konica Minolta, which also make copiers and other optical equipment.

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Fiber Optics Turn Eyeglasses Into Movie Screen

JERUSALEM, Dec 20 - An Israeli optics company says it has developed a miniature video projector that turns regular eyeglasses into a personal video screen. The technology, which until now has only been seen in movies such as Mission: Impossible, projects a widescreen video image unnoticeable to anyone but the bespectacled individual. "Imagine you're sitting in a meeting and you want to read an e-mail ... you just click a button on the phone in your pocket and you start reading away while you're looking attentively at the person who's giving the presentation," Ari Grobman, business development manager at Lumus Ltd., said in an interview. Lumus has been approached by major manufacturers of cellular phones and portable media players and expects the product to be on the market during 2007, Grobman told Reuters.

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2006-12-18T04:59:00.000-08:00

Business briefs

Eastman Kodak Co. got the OK to continue pursuing a lawsuit against Wachovia Corp. stemming from the bankruptcy of a chain of photo stores four years ago. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider Wachovia's appeal of a ruling that gave Kodak the right to press its claims in lower federal courts. At issue: a $30 million loan from Kodak to Wolf Camera of Atlanta. Kodak says the loan was intended to help Wolf open new stores and renovate old ones. Instead, Kodak contends, Wachovia one of Wolf's creditors required the chain to use the money to pay down debt. Harris exec to be an adviser Harris Corp. said Monday that President Bush intends to appoint Howard Lance, the company's chairman, president and chief executive, to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.

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Oerlikon Acquires Assets of UK Laser Maker Exitech

PFÄFFIKON, Switzerland, Dec. 8, 2006 -- OC Oerlikon Corp. Ltd. announced it has acquired the laser technology, staff and equipment of nano- and microlaser systems maker Exitech Ltd. of Oxford, England, in an asset deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. Oerlikon said its Optics, Solar and Wafer Processing business units will benefit from the acquisition. Exitech will be integrated in the Optics business unit, Oerlikon said, which has its headquarters in Balzers, Liechtenstein, and makes optical thin-film products. Exitech supplies pulsed-laser processing systems used for production and research and development in areas such as photolithography, microdrilling and micromachining in industries such as semiconductor, microelectronics, telecom, aerospace, automotive and biomedicine. Exitech also makes deep-UV and extreme-UV microstepper tools used by the semiconductor industry to make future generations of silicon chips.

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Astronomy workshops help introduce space to children

The Kitt Peak Observatory is hosting several nights' worth of fun to introduce children and adults alike to the mysteries of the universe. All events are limited to the first 20 people at will be hosted at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 N. Cherry Avenue, near the University of Arizona campus. Check out: Family Astro: Night Sky Adventure is Friday, January 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will feature hands-on activities to introduce guests to the night sky. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, military and children under 16 and $8 for members with current membership card Clues to the Constellations Program is scheduled for Friday, January 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests will learn stories about visible constellations the cost is $15:00 for adults, $13.00 for seniors, children under 16, and military, and $11.00 for members with current membership card.

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2006-12-17T04:55:00.000-08:00

ESO Greenlights 'Extremely Large Telescope' Study

GARCHING, Germany, Dec. 12, 2006 -- The ESO Council, the governing body of the Garching-based European Southern Observatory (ESO), has authorized detailed studies for the European Extremely Large Telescope. The 57 million euro (approximately $75.4 million) studies will make it possible to start construction in three years on the optical/infrared telescope that officials said will revolutionize ground-based astronomy. "The decision by the ESO Council to go ahead with the design study for a European Extremely Large Telescope is a very exciting one for European astronomy," said Richard Wade, president of the ESO Council. An artist's impression of the European Extremely Large Telescope provides a bird's-eye view of the structure, which features a 42-m diameter primary mirror -- its total rotating mass is 5500 tons -- and two platforms on each side of the structure to hold large instruments.

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New Skorpion Switches Bring Greater Distances and the Security of ...

Contemporary Controls adds new 5- and 8-port fiber switches to its Skorpion family to boost link distance and provide galvanic isolation increasing immunity to electrical noise and lightning strikes. The rugged fiber series can extend distances up to 2 km multimode and 15 km single-mode. "In addition," says Operations Manager George Karones, "this series will provide you with peace of mind knowing that your exposed connections be they outdoor, underground, or installed in a hostile environment are immune to their surroundings." The EISK5 and EISK8 models provide reliable connectivity for industrial and building automation systems in a cost-effective manner backed by a 5-year warranty. Fiber ports are used when distances exceed the 100 meter limit of copper, when immunity to EMI/RFI is important or for additional communication security.

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2006-12-15T04:57:00.000-08:00

Advanced Medical Optics updates recall

Advanced Medical Optics Inc. does not expect to recover all market share lost in Asia from a recent contact lens solution recall, but plans to increase its presence in the laser eye surgery market, Chief Executive James V. Mazzo told investors Wednesday. Mazzo said at a Piper Jaffray health care conference he is confident all four production lines at a plant in China will be up by May, with the first of those lines up by February. The CEO said he was comfortable with the timeline because the company was cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration and Chinese regulators to tear down and sterilize the lines. The company shut down the China plant earlier in the month after it recalled 2.9 million units of its Complete MoisturePlus multipurpose contact lens solution and Active Packs because of bacterial contamination in three lots made at the China plant.

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Verizon expanding fiber optics

It's $42.99 for 200 channels. Map of coverage area, C6. By Akweli Parker Inquirer Staff Writer Verizon Communications Inc. said yesterday that it would make its new fiber-optic telecommunications network available to three million additional homes per year, and would offer a 200-channel television package for $42.99 a month. Sales of the new TV service, which will compete directly with Philadelphia's Comcast Corp. in many markets, began yesterday in 35 towns in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. An additional 60 towns in those counties are wired and approved for service, the company said, and will go online with TV service in the coming weeks. In New Jersey, 360 towns have been wired and approved for service statewide, according to Verizon officials.

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Rosco lights Christ figures

UK - When a church in Dartford, Kent wanted to precisely light the background around two Christ figures, it seemed a very difficult problem to surmount. When the newly-built St Edmund's Church in Temple Hill, Dartford was planned, a bold statement was wanted. So instead of the conventional crucifix, the church commissioned Japanese artist Tomoya Yamaguchi to paint two giant Christ figures - one in a crucifixion scene, the other depicting Christ as risen - on large scale white cross backgrounds. Lighting for the feature was designed by Peter Moore of local company PM Lighting Services, in collaboration with lighting designer John Roffey. They planned to light the crosses at night, giving them a very different ambience to how they appear by day. However, the crosses were to be lit in blue, whereas the figures and their halos needed to be lit in white.

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2006-12-14T04:52:00.000-08:00

Zooming Microscope utilizes telecentric optics.

December 13, 2006 - Suited for biomedical and industrial applications, AZ100 Multizoom macro/micro microscope system supports various observation techniques and has 5-500X magnification range. Zooming magnification optical system has 8:1 ratio, and triple place nosepiece allows various objective lenses to be attached. Also included, NIS-Elements software and Digital Sight cameras facilitate digital image capture. Other features include trinocular tilting tube and arm-mounted double focusing system. .

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Post-doctoral positions in semiconductor optoelectronics/photonics ...

The Nanophotonics group at COM-DTU, Department of Communications, Optics and Materials at the Technical University of Denmark invites applications for two one-year post-doctoral positions within the fields of fabrication of nanophotonic com-ponents and optical signal processing, respectively. The positions will be offered as part of the European Network of Excellence ePIXnet, which provides a platform to its academic and industrial partners for sharing and inte-grating research facilities and research know-how in the field of photonic integrated components and circuits. The successful applicant within nanophotonic fabrication will perform optical design, work with device fabrication in DTU's state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities and char-acterize components in the optical laboratories at COM-DTU.

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2006-12-13T05:04:00.000-08:00

Utah patents

Process for repairing sulfidation-damaged turbine components, patent No. 7,146,990, invented by Ky D Ngo of Imperial, Calif., David C. Fairbourn of Sandy and Xuan Nguyen-Dinh of Mexicali, Calif., assigned to Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corporation of San Antonio, Texas. Medical connector, patent No. 7,147,252, invented by L. John Teuscher of Springville, D. Theron Van Hooser of Salt Lake City, Edward B. Madsen of Riverton and Chet M. Crump of Draper, assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. of Neenah, Wis. Hinged assembly locking system, patent No. 7,147,266, invented by Laren K. Huntsman of Castle Dale and Thomas S. Martin of Camarillo, Calif. Methods for injecting dry bulk amendments for water and soil treatment, patent No.

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Hunting for holiday gift? Safety vest among popular items

RICHFIELD, Wis. - If you spend any time hunting from a tree stand - or someone on your Christmas list does - you might want to consider an innovation called the Hunter Safety System. The system is a combination hunting vest and safety strap. "A lot of the other ones are just a strap system," said Nick Bartlein, a salesman in the archery department at the Cabela's store in Richfield. "This one is built into a vest. The strap comes up from the back of the vest. It's actually woven into the vest." Bartlein demonstrated by putting on a reversible camouflage-blaze orange version of the vest, fastening the two clips in front, plus one around each leg. "With the old ones, it was a strap around your waist or under your arms," he said. "If you fell, you could be upside down, hanging, and have a real hard time getting in the upright position again." The design of the vest keeps up you upright, Bartlein said.

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North County Business Briefs: SAIC's profit jumps 8 percent

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Defense contractor SAIC Inc., posting quarterly financial results for the first time since selling shares to the public, reported Tuesday that profits grew 8 percent in the company's third fiscal quarter. SAIC earned $98 million, or 28 cents a share, in the three-month period ended Oct. 31, up from $91 million, or 25 cents a share, the same period last year. .

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2006-12-12T04:48:00.000-08:00

Fiber network may become movie star

With the state bent on luring all of the movie-making business it can, the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative could be Louisiana's star behind the big screen. Louisiana might make its ultrahigh-speed computer network available to production companies to promote growth in the movie industry. The move could speed up the movie-making process. .

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This train suicide was a first. A passenger walked out the back ...

At 5 p.m. last Monday, Via Rail Train 66 -- the fastest train in Canada -- pulled out of Union Station on the express run to Montreal, and was going full-clip when a male passenger walked to the end car, opened the door, and stepped into the next world at 155 km/h. "No foul play is suspected," is all the press release out of the Cobourg-area Northumberland OPP detachment would offer, employing the phraseology most often used as codespeak for suicide. CN Police Insp. Frank Binder has been an investigator for the railroad for 28 years, and has personally investigated 127 fatalities along this country's federally owned railway tracks. But this death was a first. "It's the first time I've ever investigated someone stepping off the back of a train," Binder said. .

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2006-12-11T04:50:00.000-08:00

Syntax-Brillian completes acquisition of Vivitar

By consolidating resources, contract manufacturing relationships, expertise and distribution channels, the acquisition of Vivitar is expected to produce significant economic and logistical advantages for Syntax-Brillian. Vivitar is a leading manufacturer and marketer of photography equipment and optics, including a range of high-quality, affordable digital cameras, film cameras, lenses, flashes and tripods, sports optics and digital imaging products. The company has a diverse portfolio of intellectual property assets and patents and maintains a variety of international distribution channels in the U.S., France, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. About Syntax-Brillian Syntax-Brillian Corporation is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of LCD and LCoS HDTVs and digital entertainment products.

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Grid Gets Transactional

Let's face it: this isn't your father's Grid computing. Gone are the days when Grid was relegated to the back rooms of universities, supercomputing centers and national labs, being used only by "dreamers" with a fantastical vision of sharing the rapidly growing computing resources at their fingertips. They say a technology has reached the big time when it makes the leap from academia to the business world. If this is true, then Grid has not only reached the big time, but done so in ways probably unforeseen to many.While big business been has using Grid for years now to speed up compute-intensive applications and handle the huge volumes of data they produce, it is more recently, since Grid began its evolution into Grid 2.0, that enterprises have been finding more everyday uses for Grid technology, focusing more on Grid's inherent flexibility and distributed nature than on its brute processing power.

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Don't use company's software in e-mails

I use a photo program of a well-known camera company that came when I bought the camera. When I send an e-mail using the company's software, it attaches an ad that takes more than a half-page. I e-mailed the company's support about how I could eliminate the ad tagged to my e-mails. They replied: "E-mail feature in your software is a free service. In keeping with industry practices, the company attaches a brief message to your e-mail identifying the service." The company never asked my permission. After all, I'm paying for the Internet service. Why use the photo company's software to send photos by e-mail? In Windows XP, you can right-click any photo or group of photos and select "Send to e-mail recipient." You are then given the option to send them full size, or change to a size more friendly (smaller) to your e-mail connection (recommended).

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2006-12-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

Precision Optics Corporation Announces Receipt of $1M New Medical ...

GARDNER, Mass., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Precision Optics Corporation, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: POCI.OB - News) Since February of 2006 Precision Optics Corporation has shipped numerous prototypes of an advanced surgical visualization system to a significant new customer. As a result of successful evaluations of these prototypes and a rigorous audit of the Company's quality system and processes, Precision Optics Corporation is pleased to announce the receipt of initial production orders totaling over $1 million. Production activities in support of this effort are to begin during the quarter ending 30 December 2006 and to be completed by 1 June 2007. Possible follow-on orders after 1 June will be dependent upon market acceptance and other considerations at that time and no assurances regarding any such orders can be made.

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Rochester Business Journal

RBJ Daily Report readers are sharply—and virtually evenly—divided on whether Midtown Plaza should be redeveloped as a casino. Fifty percent approved of the idea, and an equal percentage disapproved. With a total of 935 poll participants, 470 answered “no" and 465 said “yes." The participants in the poll—conducted Monday and Tuesday—also were asked: “Among all possible future uses of the Midtown site, in your opinion what idea has the most potential for boosting downtown?" Nearly 450 people submitted comments (see below). (To take part in the next Snap Poll, sign up for the free Daily Report at http://www.rbjdaily.com/dailyform.htm.) Here is a selection of comments submitted by poll respondents: We should take full advantage should such an opportunity be available to us.

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2006-12-05T05:09:00.000-08:00

V8 Supercars: Tander dominates again in Tasmania

"Fourth is better than a poke in the eye with a hot stick, but the race was there to be won and we were doing it very comfortably," he said. "To have a failure like that is very disappointing. I think it was a broken rocker in the engine but there was nothing in the data to suggest any cause. It was just one of those things."However, with the issue fixed for Sunday's two races, Tander stormed to a double victory in cold, wet and often chaotic conditions to close to within twelve points of defending champion Russell Ingall for fourth in the championship standings.Tander won a race-long duel with the FPR Falcons, first with Bright and then with Winterbottom in race two on a drying track, but his run to the flag in the final race was less eventful as he made it five wins in the last six Symmons Plains starts."I like this place - I might buy a house down here!" he said.

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Yangtze dolphin may be extinct, researchers say

THE search for the rare Yangtze River dolphin by an international team of marine biologists is reaching the conclusion that it may no longer exist. The white flag dolphin, long a feature of Asia's mightiest river, is probably now extinct - and died out only recently, the experts said. "We had reports of a sighting earlier this year, but it couldn't be verified. On this expedition we have seen none so far," said Wang Ding, deputy director of the Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology and a white flag dolphin expert. "The chances of there being any white flag dolphins left now look very slender indeed. Our only hope is that we can find a couple and keep them in a nature reserve." The white flag dolphin, also known as the baiji, has been an endangered species for more than 10 years.

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Christmas golf gifts: Something for every male golfer, new and old

Shopping for Christmas gifts for male golfers is both simple and difficult. Simple in that there are a million products out there; difficult in that there are a million products out there. How to choose? Here are some suggestions to help narrow it down: Golf clubs What, your husband or boyfriend doesn't have any hybrids in his bag? That won't do. Hybrid golf clubs are one of those recent inventions that actually live up to the hype. They're easier to hit, and many top manufacturers are making good ones. Check out Adams (adamsgolf.com), which has just come out with a new set of Pro hybrids to go with its earlier A2 and A2 OS models. Alpha Golf's V5 Hi-COR line (www.alphagolfclubs.com) is another safe place to turn if you're just getting used to these clubs (or buying one for someone else).

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2006-12-04T05:18:00.000-08:00

New Microscope for Eye Surgery

Although modern medical technology has reduced the time it takes to perform ophthalmic surgery, the workload has steadily increased as more operations are performed per day with less time between cases. To meet the needs of the busy surgical suite, Leica Microsystems has designed the Leica M620 F18, which combines easy set-up and control with high-quality optics, precise illumination, a compact, durable design, at a better price/performance ratio than ever before. Stable, intensive Red Reflex Using Leicas high-precision OptiChrome optics and new Direct Halogen Illumination, the surgeon sees a clear, sharply-focused image throughout the entire operation. The sterile jalousie device allows the surgeon to adjust illumination and contrast to the unique physical characteristics of the patient, such as extreme eye pigmentation.

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Fibre Optic Design Engineer - Cambridge, UK

My client is an Internationally recognised manufacturer and designer of fibre optic communication components and systems. Due to expansion of the UK based design team they are currently seeking two Fibre Optic Engineers to work on the design of their next generation of optical modules. The Role Design and development of optical modules up to 40G. The Individual Desire to succeed in a commercially focussed environment. Ability to fit into a small focussed team with a high degree of self-motivation, adaptability and energy. The Experience/Education Desired 1st position 1 x Degree qualified or equivalent in Electronic Engineering or similar. Post Doctoral candidates are also be welcome to apply. Proven experience in the Telecommunication industry preferably with Fibre Optic Experience.

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2006-12-03T05:01:00.000-08:00

Many questions persist over mountain lions

Questions continue to outnumber answers after the close of North Dakota's second experimental mountain lion season almost a month ago.The charismatic cats, the state's largest resident carnivores, continue to pique the public's curiosity, spawning fervent opinions pro and con about the presence of cougars in North Dakota.Witness two recent letters - both anonymous - sent to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department: .

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Big Catawba tax hike may hit homes on lake

Lakefront homeowners in Sherrills Ford can expect their home values to increase an average of about 50 percent through the county's revaluation. Values of 85,000 real estate properties in Catawba County were updated over a 2 1/2-year process to mirror current market prices. The new values take effect Jan. 1. The increase in Sherrills Ford is much higher than the county's average increase of 10 percent to 11 percent for residential properties farther away from the lake. "There's a high demand for lake properties, and people that have the means to afford those properties want to live on the lake," said Catawba County Tax Administrator Randy Moose. "It's a limited supply, and they're not making anymore lake lots." Catawba County had its last revaluation four years ago, when most property values increased about 14 percent to 15 percent, Moose said.

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Bandpass Interference Filters

Optarius introduces a new range of Interference Filters with bandwidth down to 10nm. These can be supplied for specific wavelengths covering a wide range throughout the spectrum from 400-1650nm. Optarius introduces a new range of Interference Filters with bandwidth down to 10nm. These can be supplied for specific wavelengths covering a wide range throughout the spectrum from 400-1650nm. These thin film filters have a high peak transmittance and excellent blocking to OD4 from UV to NIR. They are normally circular in shape and supplied in a metal mounting ring. Un-mounted or special shape filters can be considered for OEM applications. These are part of a new selection of Optical Filters offered by Optarius. Contact: Please email inquiries about these products to optarius@optarius.com About Optarius: Optarius is a specialist in optical components.

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2006-12-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

Finisar's Earnings Fail To Impress

Finisar Corporation (FNSR), a technology leader in gigabit fiber optic solutions for high-speed data networks, today reported record quarterly revenues for its fiscal second quarter ended October 29, 2006 of $108.2 million, an increase of 24.9% over the second quarter of last year, marking the thirteenth consecutive quarter of revenue growth and the ninth consecutive quarter of record revenues. Sounds great, until one realizes that the consensus expectation was $110 million in revenue. Perhaps the company is making up the revenue shortfall with cost reductions? We don't know, because their backdated options are going to force a charge, the amount of which they haven't figured out yet. Not surprisingly, the stock declined significantly after hours. The revenue shortfall perhaps is unsurprising, as it appears there is adequate capacity out there to cover current demand.

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COMPANY PROFILE—OptoSigma: 'Our High Tech is Our High Touch'

SANTA ANA, Calif., Dec. 1, 2006 - Optical thin-film coating specialist OptoSigma Corp. has invested money in a lot of new technologies over its 11-year history, but an automated phone system isn't one of them. "Our people are our best-kept secret," said Sales Manager Michelle Young. "We know what it's like to get transferred five times and enter the phone system 'black hole,' or you e-mail someone and they never get back to you or no one ever calls you. Here at OptoSigma, a live voice connects the customer to another live voice, and we get back to a customer within 24 hours of an e-mail or message. We feel our customers' sense of urgency ... that is how we offer great customer support, by being there for our customers with the resources they need when they need them." OptoSigma is "small but mighty and growing," Young said.

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2006-12-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

Enable Gigabit Ethernet Device Gigabit Fiber Ready

Korenix Technology has announced the JetCon 3301 Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter series, the reliable and flexible solution to expand your network via Gigabit fiber optics. To support mission-critical industrial applications, network infrastructure needs connectivity solutions that are reliable and scalable as well as secure and manageable. Designed to convert 1000Base-T to 1000Base-SX/LX signals, 3301 Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter expands network through gigabit fiber optic connection, extending single mode fiber link up to 20 km. Devices feature LC and SC connector formats in multi- and single-modes, and can be installed stand-alone or mounted on media converter chassis. Supporting packets up to 10 KB, series features auto-negotiation and flow control function on RJ-45 copper port.

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NASA Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #4249

This program consists of a set of basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development of hot pixels and test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. The files, biases and dark will be used to create reference files for science calibration. This programme will be for the entire lifetime of ACS. Changes from cycle 13:- The default gain for WFC is 2 e-/DN. As before bias frames will be collected for both gain 1 and gain 2. Dark frames are acquired using the default gain {2}. This program cover the period May, 31 2006- Oct, 1-2006. The first half of the program has a different proposal number: 10729. ACS/SBC 10578 Eclipsing Binaries in the Local Group: Calibration of the Zero-point of the Cosmic Distance Scale and The Andromeda Galaxy {M31} is potentially a crucial calibrator for the Cosmic Distance Scale, and thus for determining the age and evolution of the Universe.

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2006-11-30T04:58:00.000-08:00

Precision Optics Corporation Announces First Quarter Results

GARDNER, Mass., Nov. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Precision Optics Corporation, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: POCI - News; "Precision Optics") today announced operating results on an unaudited basis for the first quarter of fiscal year 2007 ended September 30, 2006. First Quarter Operating Results Revenues -- For the quarter ended September 30, 2006, revenues were $474,154, compared to $419,582 for the same period last year, an increase of 13%. Net Loss -- For the quarter ended September 30, 2006, net loss was $688,179, or $0.04 per share, an increase of $128,308 from the net loss of $559,871 or $0.08 per share, for the same period last year. The net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2005 included a gain of $165,700, resulting from the sale of equipment previously used in the Company's discontinued telecommunication business.

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Advanced Medical Optics Announces Financial Impact of Voluntary ...

SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. (AMO) (NYSE: EYE - News) today announced the anticipated financial impact associated with the voluntarily recall of certain eye care product lots and the related manufacturing capacity constraints caused by a production-line issue at its manufacturing plant in China. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050324/AMOLOGO ) AMO expects the recall to reduce revenue for the remainder of 2006 and 2007 by a total of $40 million to $45 million. This is due to expected product returns, supply shortages and temporary lost market share, primarily in Japan and Asia Pacific where the vast majority of products produced at the China facility are shipped. As a result, AMO now expects its 2006 revenue to be between $985 million and $1 billion, compared to prior guidance of $1,010 million to $1,020 million.

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2006-11-29T04:50:00.000-08:00

Media Converter allows network expansion via fiber optics.

November 27, 2006 - Designed to convert 1000Base-T to 1000Base-SX/LX signals, 3301 Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter expands network through gigabit fiber optic connection, extending single mode fiber link up to 20 km. Devices feature LC and SC connector formats in multi- and single-modes, and can be installed stand-alone or mounted on media converter chassis. Supporting packets up to 10 KB, series features auto-negotiation and flow control function on RJ-45 copper port. .

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Lithium Fluoride Optics

ENCINITAS, Calif., Nov. 28, 2006 -- Laser measurement, systems and components and precision optics supplier Impulse Optics announced it is now offering lithium fluoride (LiF) optics. LiF is used for windows, mirrors and refracting components in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths. LiF has the lowest refractive index of all common infrared materials. It also transmits ultraviolet radiation more efficiently than any other material, with a transmission range of 150-6000 nm. LiF optics are used in many applications, including imaging, thermal imaging, astronomy, microlithography, x-ray monochromators, heat sink materials, laser research and for the study of fundamental properties and defects in crystals. LiF optics are available as lenses, windows, beamsplitters, optical filters, wedges and prisms.

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OSU physicists discover faster optical signals

Physicists at Oregon State University have discovered a way to manipulate the transmission of optical signals in tiny wires, slowing, stopping or even speeding them up to velocities faster than the speed of light. They say that is a major advance that could open the door to a new era of computing and information processing based on optics. .

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2006-11-28T04:59:00.000-08:00

New range of LEDs from Dialight Lumidrives

UK - Dialight Lumdrives has launched its new Linkled IP range based on its original Linkled RGB system. Offering the ability to control a line of LEDs extending over a considerable distance, Linkled IP brings new benefits including IP rating to IP67 and multichip technology which enables colour mixing at source. It is suited to cove lighting, interior and exterior feature lighting. New Linkled IP expands the flexibility and performance of the original Linkled system and is compact, faster and easier to install than previously, and is designed for OEMs who require a simple plug and play solution. Benefits include less fringing, it is ideal for direct view applications, strips of six or 12 modules can be supplied preassembled, an integrated heatsink for direct mounting to any surface is standard and cabling spacing can be supplied at 100mm or 200mm.

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Veeco Introduces New Surface Profiler with High Repeatability and ...

Veeco Instruments Inc., a leading supplier of instrumentation to the nanoscience community, today announced the launch of the new Dektak(R) 150 Surface Profiler for high-performance research and industrial metrology applications. The Dektak 150 delivers the highest repeatability and lowest noise over the largest scanning range available for a stylus profiler, enabling Veeco's customers to benefit from greater scan range and ease-of-use. After successful in-depth beta testing at the University of Arizona, the Dektak 150 is being released for customer purchase on November 28 at the Materials Research Society's Fall 2006 Conference, in Boston, Massachusetts. "The Dektak 150 provides the performance and application flexibility we require for our cutting-edge research in the fields of optics and nanotechnology," says Dr.

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Relive Your Memories with Nokia N95

Nokia presents Nokia N95, the best companion for mobile photography enthusiasts. The smart handset is well-designed with innovative 2-way slider mechanism, ensuring you high-end specifications including premium user interface and easy-to-use navigation keys. Nokia presents Nokia N95, the best companion for mobile photography enthusiasts. The smart handset is well-designed with innovative 2-way slider mechanism, ensuring you high-end specifications including premium user interface and easy-to-use navigation keys. Take a look at Nokia N95 it impresses you with its in-built 5 mega pixel camera including auto focus, flash and Carl Zeiss optics. Capture your special moments with it in full screen landscape mode, and relive your memories with friends by viewing them on the high resolution 2.6" QVGA display.

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2006-11-27T05:17:00.000-08:00

Software-enhanced Optics Will Transform Camera Phones, Says Future ...

Future Image released a market research study on software-enhanced optics for camera phones during its 6Sight(R) conference taking place in Monterey, CA, USA, this week. Over the past ten years, photographic cameras have almost completely transitioned from silver halide film to electronic sensors, yet their other key component -- the lens -- has remained largely unchanged until now. .

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Business people on the move

The Executive Service Corps of Southeast Florida Inc. announced that Stanley Sherman was elected chairman of the board. Sherman retired in April 2001 as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp. in Tarrytown, New York. Jan-Marie Coniglio was appointed the manager of Spa Cara in Palm Beach. Sole practitioner William E. Johnson, a West Palm Beach lawyer, was recently named to the American Board of Trial Advocates. Broward County Linda Carter Sobell, professor and associate director of clinical training at Nova Southeastern University's Center for Psychological Studies, has been selected as the 2006 winner of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse Betty Ford Award.

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SEGA Confirms Full Auto 2 For PSP

Featuring a single-player mode with over fifty races, a strong selection of weapons-ready vehicles, and the trademarked "Unwreck" feature, the PSP version of Battlelines seems to have everything covered - though the question is whether the handheld will be able to cope with the level of physics driven destruction that's quintessentially Full Auto is yet to be answered... SEGA is yet to announce a release period for the PSP version of Full Auto 2: Battlelines; we'll have more news shortly... .

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2006-11-26T04:45:00.000-08:00

Advanced Medical Optics recalls contaminated contact lens solution

SINGAPORE : Advanced Medical Optics has recalled 115,000 bottles of its "COMPLETE" contact lens solution in Southeast Asia due to contamination. Due to a problem with the filtration system in its manufacturing plant in China, 2.9 million bottles of Advanced Medical Optics contact lens solution has been contaminated with the ralstonia bacteria, and are being recalled. There are 115,000 infected bottles of solution in Southeast Asia. Details on which batches are contaminated are listed on the company's website www.amo-eyecare-sea.com. "Firstly, I would like to apologise for the inconvenience we have caused some of our consumers. In about a week's time, we will give details on refund procedures in all countries that are affected," says Anthony Chung, VP of Asia Pacific, Advanced Medical Optics.

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Advanced Medical Optics Fell On News Of Recall, Forecast Revisions

(RTTNews) - Advanced Medical Optics (EYE | charts | news | PowerRating) announced before the open on Tuesday that it will voluntarily recall certain lots of its 12-ounce COMPLETE MoisturePLUS multipurpose contact lens care solution and Active Packs. The recall was caused by the discovery that 3 lots, which were sold in Japan, were found to have bacterial contamination. The company also reduced its earnings per share and revenue forecasts for the full years 2006 and 2007, due to the recall. Advanced Medical Optics fell sharply over the first 15 minutes of Tuesday's session and was range-bound for the remainder of the day. The stock closed down 3.50 at $37.75 on above average volume. The stock dropped below a one-week range, to set a new 52-week low. Copyright(c) 2006 RealTimeTraders.com, Inc.

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Urgent: Advanced Medical Optics recalls products from 'Complete' ...

An ophthalmic surgical and eye-care products company has recalled a number of its Complete brand multi-purpose eye-care solutions from the market. In announcing the recall, Advanced Medical Optics (Amo) said the solutions are being removed due to some manufacturing problems at production lines at its plant in China. The problem were believed to have affected the sterility of the products as three lots manufactured for sale in Japan from the same production lines were found to be non-sterile. Amo, however, affirmed that the recall was not related to product formula. Its vice-president of Eye Care, Asia Pacific, Anthony Chung said there were no adverse health reports associated with product lots distributed in Malaysia. Amo has taken this precautionary action in the best interest of consumers, he said.

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2006-11-26T03:52:00.000-08:00

Advanced Med. Optics recalls lens solution

SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Advanced Medical Optics said Tuesday it recalled 18 lots of its Complete MoisturePLUS Contact Lens Care Products sold in the United States. The company said bacterial contamination was found in the lots of its 12-ounce COMPLETE MoisturePLUS multipurpose contact lens-care solution and Active Packs, which were sold in Japan. AMO said it has traced the problem to a production-line issue at its manufacturing plant in China, where the 18 lots sold in the United States were manufactured. However, the company said probability of contamination in the U.S. lots is "low." The company said its recall -- encompassing about 183,000 units in all -- does not include 4-ounce and 16-ounce bottles, or professional samples and packs provided to eye-care practitioners.

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Advanced Medical Optics Recall Contact Lens Care

Santa Ana, CA - infoZine - Advanced Medical Optics, Inc., a global ophthalmic surgical and eye care products company, today announced a nationwide, voluntary recall of certain lots of its 12-ounce COMPLETE MoisturePLUS(TM) multipurpose contact lens care solution and Active Packs. Three lots sold in Japan were found to have bacterial contamination, which compromised sterility. Because of this production-line issue at its manufacturing plant in China, AMO is recalling 18 lots distributed in the U.S. that were manufactured on the same production lines during the same production period. Non-sterility of a contact lens solution may have serious health consequences, including eye infection and microbial keratitis. AMO has not received any reports of adverse health events associated with the recalled product lots in the U.S.

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NL Grits attack Wlliams in fibre-optics 'cablegate' deal

Newfoundland Opposition leader Gerry Reid plans to call for an independent inquiry Wednesday into the fibre-optic deal that provided millions of dollars of public money to a private consortium of companies. In what the Liberals are calling "cablegate," Premier Danny Williams has been accused of cronyism for putting $15 million into a fibre-optic network backed by his former business associates. Premier Danny Williams has been accused of cronyism for putting $15 million into a fibre-optic network backed by his former business associates. (CBC) Reid will call on the government to appoint an independent inquiry with broad powers to investigate "all the details and circumstances of the fibre-optic deal." The Liberals previously wanted the legislature's public-accounts committee to hold public hearings on the deal.

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College gets grant for optics education

2006-11-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

Camden County College plans to use a $744,000 grant to develop a National Science Foundation-designated center for optics and photonics education. Laser eye surgery, supermarket scanners and laser light shows are among the common applications of this technology. The OP-TEC program will receive the funding over the next four years and will be used to develop career pathways for local students and purchase new equipment such as lasers, fiber optics and telecommunications equipment. send a letter to the editor. .

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Optics to Boost Interconnect Bandwidth in Computer Systems

2006-11-14T02:27:00.000-08:00

At this year's Electronica trade fair in Munich, IBM Research , Varioprint AG, and IntexyS Photonics are displaying a jointly developed optical interconnect system prototype that brings optical data transmission in computer systems closer to reality. Thanks to integrated optical technology, the processor-to-processor interconnect bandwidth can be increased significantly, which is a major requirement for future computing systems. The industry partners are presenting a complete novel board-level optical interconnect solution that features low-cost standard mass-manufacturability of the components and assembly. With the ever-growing performance of processor chips, the data flow to and from a processor has to scale accordingly. This is where today's copper wires are approaching their physical limitations.

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Impulse Optics Introduces Variable Attenuator

2006-11-13T02:53:00.000-08:00

San Diego, CA, November 6, 2006 – Impulse Optics introduces a variable attenuator / beamsplitter. The variable attenuator / beamsplitter is designed to work with lasers at a variety of wavelengths to provide an affordable and easy solution to dividing beams. The Variable Attenuator / Beamsplitter divides an incident polarized light beam into two beams by 90°, the intensity ratio of the two beams can be continuously varied by rotating the input half-wave plate. This high-performance unit can be used as a beamsplitter in holography and precision interferometry applications and as an efficient attenuator for general laboratory applications. The unit includes two half-wave plates set in graduation disks. The input half-wave plate is used to adjust the intensity ratio, while the output half-wave plate revolves the polarization plane of one beam to make it either parallel to the polarization of the adjacent beam or go in any other required direction.

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Oerlikon Optics: New Technology for Coating Plastic Reflectors

2006-11-12T04:47:00.000-08:00

Oerlikon Optics has developed a new technology for coating plastic reflectors used in high-performance, state-of-the-art lighting systems in operating rooms and dentists' offices: Sophisticated reflector and heat protection filter systems ensure excellent light quality and high patient comfort. Surgeons and dentists need homogeneous, cool, and precise lighting in their work. Manufacturers of medical lighting systems therefore rely on Cold Conversion Reflectors, Cold Light Reflectors, and Calflex(TM) Heat Protection Filters from Oerlikon Optics. The vast experience accumulated by Oerlikon Optics has enabled the company to develop a novel technology for coating Cold Conversion Reflectors made of plastic. The material applied for this purpose is high-grade ULTEM(R). Switching from glass to plastic reflectors marks a crucial milestone in the field of medicine and offers a multitude of advantages: -- Weight reduction: The weight of the reflectors is reduced by a factor of about 2 in comparison to conventional glass reflectors of the same size.

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Key to lighting up your home

2006-11-12T04:46:00.001-08:00

When should you think of the lighting in your home? The best time is at the drawing board before the shovel even hits the ground to begin construction. It used to be that you'd be hard put to find an outlet on the wall where you needed it. Then certain construction changes went into effect, and now you have an outlet every 12 feet or so and at least one on each wall. But that is still not enough because not all light has to come from lamps that need to be plugged into an outlet. Good lighting has proper illumination for art objects, mood lighting for different atmospheres in the evening, landscape lighting, task and reading light and lights that make you look good. How much should you spend on lighting your home? Experts say you should spend at least 3 percent of the value of your home on it.

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Luxottica to buy DOC Optics chain; posts growth

2006-11-12T04:46:00.000-08:00

Luxottica Group SpA, the international eyeglass maker that operates its North American retail business out of Mason, has entered a deal to acquire the 100-store retail business of D.O.C Optics for $90 million. The deal will expand Luxottica to more than 4,700 stores in North America, where it operates LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sunglass Hut and others. D.O.C operates stores in Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida. It is projected to post 2006 sales of more than $100 million. .

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Advanced Medical Optics to Present at Two Investor Conferences in ...

2006-11-09T05:06:00.000-08:00

SANTA ANA, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 07, 2006 -- Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. (AMO) (NYSE: EYE) today announced that Chairman, President and CEO Jim Mazzo, will present at the Annual Credit Suisse Health Care Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday, November 16 at 10:00am ET. Mr. Mazzo is also scheduled to speak at the 18th Annual Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference in New York on Wednesday, November 29 at 10:00am ET. To access an audio webcast of these presentations, please visit AMO's Investors site at http://www.amo-inc.com. About Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) AMO is a global medical device leader focused on the discovery and delivery of innovative vision technologies that optimize the quality of life for people of all ages. Products in the ophthalmic surgical line include intraocular lenses, laser vision correction systems, phacoemulsification systems, viscoelastics, microkeratomes and related products used in cataract and refractive surgery.

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Impulse Optics Introduces Variable Attenuator

2006-11-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

Oerlikon Optics: New Technology for Coating Plastic Reflectors

2006-11-09T02:21:00.000-08:00