reveal

Machinery maximizer

Machinery is expensive to purchase, operate, and maintain, so operators need to maximize their equipment's output as well as reduce its associated costs. FullFact's OEE Toolkit offers measurable improvements in productivity. It's based on Overall Equipment Effectiveness, an operating efficiency metric for machinery and similar processes that's common in lean manufacturing environments. OEE Toolkit collects a range of data and applies analyses that reveal hidden costs and capacity.

OEE Toolkit is an extensive software package that comes with considerable documentation, including PDF-based manuals, and links to online resources like the OEE Industry Standard site. Its database … Read more

Sunlight through a window: So what if it's fake?

Those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder or dark-room disorder, take note. Brooklyn artist and inventor Adam Frank has come up with Reveal, an ambient lighting system that creates the impression of sunlight streaming through a window and onto an interior wall.

Reveal is comprised of a small projector with an ultra-white, color-adjusted 50-watt halogen bulb and slots to hold two steel slides--one showing an imaginary sunlit window, and one that creates the dreamlike effect of a light breeze blowing through trees (credit adjustable air currents passing through the projector).

The projector and two stock slides cost $380. For $50 … Read more

Fatally flawed video editor

vReveal is a set of easy-to-use tools that can greatly enhance the quality of your videos. Unfortunately, its saving capabilities leave a lot to be desired.

The program's interface is quite sleek and intuitive. Users can open videos manually or have the program scan for all existing videos, which are then represented by thumbnails in the program's gallery. Users then select the video they want to work with and choose from a variety of basic, one-click options and fine-tuning tools. Among the one-click options are tools to clean, sharpen, and stabilize videos; the fine-tuning options allow users to … Read more

AT&T launches the Pantech Reveal

AT&T has officially launched the Pantech Reveal this Wednesday, and even though we already published the review over the weekend, we wanted to mention it again. The Reveal is Pantech's first "single-slider" messaging phone, since all of its previous slider handsets have been of the dual-slider variety, like the Pantech Matrix and the Helio Ocean. The Reveal is also probably the first-ever phone we've seen with both a number keypad and a vertical sliding QWERTY keyboard. Both keypads remain active at the same time, probably so it's easier to switch between the letters … Read more

AT&T reveals two new Pantech handsets

AT&T is on a messaging-phone craze lately, and Pantech has joined the effort with two new texting handsets, the Pantech Reveal and the Pantech Impact.

The Pantech Reveal looks like a regular, fat, candy bar phone at first glance, but it actually slides vertically to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard underneath. Interestingly, both keypads stay active when you slide the handset out. You get the typical text and multimedia messaging features, of course, plus GPS with AT&T Navigator, 3G, and a music player. It will be available in both red and blue starting October 18.

The … Read more

Blip tip: Hide formatting marks in Word

A family member contacted me this morning about a problem a friend of his was having in Microsoft Word. It seems there were little dots in every blank space, paragraph marks at each "carriage return," and other formatting symbols that she didn't want to see.

To hide formatting in Word 2003, click Format > Reveal Formatting (or press Shift-F1) and uncheck "Show all formatting marks."

In Word 2007, change this option by clicking the Office button in the top-left corner, choosing Word Options, selecting Display in the left pane, and unchecking "Show all formatting … Read more