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Comment Re:power points, shelves and lighting (Score 2) 174

Some additions from a decade in my labs...

Power points - you cannot have enough, but plan them.

  • Don't place them too low to the benchtop. Many devices these days run off plugpacks and they need more clearance than the standard plug.
  • Use a combination of narrowly spaced and widely spaced sockets (plug packs again)

LAN - at least some access is a must.

  • A desktop switch is just as convenient as multiple sockets, requires less patching further afield, and allows for you to isolate the lab when necessary.

Computers

  • These days a laptop is more convenient and requires less space than a full blown desktop.
  • With just a little planning you don't need parallel ports any more.
  • You can still find laptops with a serial port if really necessary.

Toolchest

  • use a tool chest on wheels
  • choose one that has shallow slide out drawers - it really helps you avoid filling it up with clutter and helps ensure [others / you] keep it organised

Electronics supplies

  • Work it in with your toolchest (if appropriate)
  • Plastic specimen phials are a great way of keeping a couple of sizes of all the passive electronic components close to hand, organised, without taking much space.

Soldering station

  • Have a decent permanent station with fume extraction / filtering.
  • Have the right tools - it saves you plenty of time from fixing poorly done jobs.

Decent lighting, microscope

Plenty more, but that'll do for now.

Biotech

Baby To Be Born Without the Gene For Breast Cancer 259

manoftin writes to tell us that next week a baby will be born without the gene for breast cancer, according to the BBC. "But he said that, in this case, not carrying the BRCA1 gene would not guarantee any daughter born to the couple would be unaffected by breast cancer because there are other genetic and environmental causes. Dr Alan Thornhill, scientific director of the London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre, said: 'While the technology and approach used in this case is fairly routine, it is the first time in the UK that a family has successfully eliminated a mutant breast cancer gene for their child. It is a victory for both the parents and the HFEA that licensed this treatment.'"
Google

Running Google Android On iPhone Clones 191

wooby writes "With the release of Android's source code, we may see iPhone and Nokia clone phones of Chinese origin capable of running Google Android. These phones, often available for less than $200 without a contract, are available on DealExtreme and elsewhere. But the software running on them is universally awful. Is the clone phone market a vast, nascent install-base for Android, and part of Google's end game? According to Google's Dave Bort, 'One of our goals would be, just to get Android all over the place' [YouTube link]."

ARM Offers First Clockless Processor Core 351

Sam Haine '95 writes "EETimes is reporting that ARM Holdings have developed an asynchronous processor based on the ARM9 core. The ARM996HS is thought to be the world's first commercial clockless processor. ARM announced they were developing the processor back in October 2004, along with an unnamed lead customer, which it appears could be Philips. The processor is especially suitable for automotive, medical and deeply embedded control applications. Although reduced power consumption, due to the lack of clock circuitry, is one benefit the clockless design also produces a low electromagnetic signature because of the diffuse nature of digital transitions within the chip. Because clockless processors consume zero dynamic power when there is no activity, they can significantly extend battery life compared with clocked equivalents."

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