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Sorry, never heard of "NOVEC".

It's 3M's replacement for halon(aka halon 1301), it's also a HFC, doesn't do as much damage as CFC's, and doesn't cause ozone damage. It's toxic to aquatic life though and is known to cause long-lasting genetic problems in fish. You can read about it here or on 3M's website.

Thanks! Sounds great, unless you're a fish...

Sorry, never heard of "NOVEC".

It's 3M's replacement for halon(aka halon 1301), it's also a HFC, doesn't do as much damage as CFC's, and doesn't cause ozone damage. It's toxic to aquatic life though and is known to cause long-lasting genetic problems in fish. You can read about it here or on 3M's website.

This is the company, that the company I work for uses.

Want some tasty data on the differences between non-conducting fluids, CO2, inert gas? 3M is there for you too.

I had the exact same problem, so I got one of these filters:

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/co...

It wasn't cheap, but it fixes the problem exactly like it was done on the old monitors.

I can very much recommend the "3M Peltor X5A ear defenders" for this purpose.

They stick out so far they're visible in your peripheral vision, and provide a sizeable visual deterrant that says 'stay away'. -37dB of noise reduction, comfortable enough to wear all day.

Apparently they're also used in gun ranges and Formula One.

Get a wrap, or paint protection film.

(disclaimer: I do own a bit of 3M stock, but it's because they make a lot of useful and popular stuff like the above)

Umm...I came here looking to crack a joke about needing a screen protector for your car, and find this.

It is truly a strange world we live in...and now I find myself thinking about putting these things on my pretty new Murano... :S

Get a wrap, or paint protection film.

(disclaimer: I do own a bit of 3M stock, but it's because they make a lot of useful and popular stuff like the above)

Umm...I came here looking to crack a joke about needing a screen protector for your car, and find this.

It is truly a strange world we live in...and now I find myself thinking about putting these things on my pretty new Murano... :S

Get a wrap, or paint protection film.


(disclaimer: I do own a bit of 3M stock, but it's because they make a lot of useful and popular stuff like the above)

Get a wrap, or paint protection film.


(disclaimer: I do own a bit of 3M stock, but it's because they make a lot of useful and popular stuff like the above)

Even with ear plus in, I can't stand the volume -- it physically hurts.

If this is not just hyperbole for the purpose of highlighting your point, then you're either using the wrong ear plugs or you're not inserting them correctly. I suggest plugs like E-A-R Superfit, as they have an indicator band to show you when they're not correctly placed.

I seriously doubt there is a movie theater sound system that can be uncomfortably loud with correctly placed in-ear earplugs of 30+ db noise reduction. Most theaters I've been to have under-built the speakers and try to over-drive them anyway. Result: clipped signal that destroys the fidelity of the sound and generally sounds like shit, but isn't enough to cause hearing damage.

Ever seen the auxiliary corps, color guard or flag team of a marching band in the US? The flag ("silk") is ALWAYS affixed to the pole using good, old-fashioned electrical tape. (Black, white, or colored depending on show needs.)

Brand used varies by region and climate, but in California nothing beats Scotch Super 33+.

Rolls of it are in every performer's and coach's bags for use in an emergency, and if you're a roadie/techie, you'll buy a case of it for a season. Pretty funny looks at Home Depot, actually.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/po...

I'm sure there are many more vendors but that was the top of my google juice.

I have been looking at 3M's NOVEC line of products for a couple of years. 3M claims their fluids are safe and I've seen it demonstrated a couple of times. I'm wondering how this compares. I've seen it for sale for around $250 gallon so it aint cheap but the cooling savings over time should more than pay for itself.

I guess if they were stealing the recipee for Charmin that would also be military secrets.

No that is civilian tech only. For the military version they need to talk to 3M.

I suspect a liquid future isn't too far off if the price of 3M Novec drops just a little bit more

Welcome to the 21st century.

There's also the fact that Fluorinert is potentially toxic, but it's also a greenhouse hazard. One would hope that 3M learned their lessons in the development of Novec and it's not an environmental hazard.

All right, I'll bite. Aside from "OMG, it is, gasp, a CHEMICAL", if it is inert, how can it be toxic? From the MSDS for Fluorinert FC-40:

"Not classified as hazardous according to OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200."
"No occupational exposure limit values exist for any of the components listed in Section 3 of this SDS."
"Skin protection is not required."
"Inhalation: Vapors from heated material may cause irritation of the respiratory system. Signs/symptoms may include cough, sneezing, nasal discharge, headache, hoarseness, and nose and throat pain."
"Skin Contact: Contact with the skin during product use is not expected to result in significant irritation."
"Eye Contact: Vapors from heated material may cause eye irritation. Signs/symptoms may include redness, swelling, pain, tearing, and blurred or hazy vision."

Note, when they are talking about "heated", they are talking about heating to well above any proper operating temperature - greater than 200 C. The stuff CAN break down chemically under such conditions, and noxious/toxic products result. More or less the same as any fluorocarbon, including the refrigerant in your refrigerator.

It is non flammable, period. There is no flash point.

As for the GHG designation, absolutely true. However, essentially no evaporation of Fluorinert into the open should occur in a properly designed and maintained system.

None of the articles I've seen mentioned which version of Novec is being used. They have a great variety: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/po...

http://www.3m.com/product/info...

Allied Control has been using Novec 649 which has the same MSDS as 3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid.

Since a wide variety of materials trade under 'Novec' with various model numbers, it's hard know which MSDS to link to; but hydrogen fluoride/hydrofluoric acid seem to be common to almost all of them, if thermally displeased, with some oddities like Perfluoroisobutylene and Perfluorinated acid fluorides for flavor, in certain compositions.

All claim to be pretty well behaved at lower temperatures; but at 3-400 degrees (Celsius) I'm staying the hell away.

Apparently you haven't seen Z-Axis tape yet.

The tape in action

This is how we mount our EZ-Pass transponders. You can even request new ones for free from your EZ-Pass online account.

Use metalized tape. Like the aluminum film stuff you are supposed to use on ducts instead of duct tape.

Serious question - what is that tape called?

Aluminum foil tape. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Adhesives/Tapes/Products/?N=5471909&rt=c3

While I don't share your ADHD, I am easily disturbed by noise and sounds that most others are either unaware of or have the ability to ignore.

If you read a bit about sound propagation, it's clear that in any typical building you really only have two choices. 1) reduce at the source (make them talk quieter, turn down their awesome stereo), or 2) distance (move very far away from the source). If you are stuck in the room assigned to you in a dorm, neither option is available to you... the people suggesting "move away" are right, but I expect there are a bunch of factors on whether you can do that or not.

While Active Noise Cancelling headphones or earbuds are a comfortable way to greatly reduce lower pressure stuff like airplane cabin noise, they totally suck at people noise like the yammering and stereo wars of a dorm. They are also somewhat expensive if you want anything good.

Rubber earplugs generally don't do as good as foam earplugs, and the need to insert a foam earplug into the ear canal properly for it to be effective is offputting for some. But with a bit of practice it's not difficult.

If you want to seriously block your ears, though, you don't want the fluff sold in drug stores, department stores, etc. You want the real stuff used by people who work daily in hazardously loud environments. Someone mentioned a gun shooting range. Gear for that market is great against sharp, sudden noises - like gunshots - but not so great against e.g. voices as users are looking for something that saves their hearing against sudden sharp noises (*bang*) but allows them to hear warnings, commands, etc. Gear for the construction/factory workplace market is great against continuing noise (machinery) and as a byproduct works well against voices & music, and is what I'd suggest looking into. You can get passive protection fairly cheap, very sturdy and not a heart-breaker if it gets lost or stolen.

A $27 example

Look at the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of any product you consider. The higher the better. The example above is NRR 30, quite good. Combine the earmuffs above with some NRR 30 foam earplugs and you may as well be deaf.

There are many steps that can be taken to improve energy efficiency.

New York is located close to the Atlantic ocean and that's one decent heatsink, so by pumping out excess heat in the summer into the ocean would be more efficient in two steps - less heat put out in the city, and the temperature difference when doing heat pumping will be lower which can result in lower costs. The disadvantage here is that a lot of pipes needs to be laid down for central cooling in addition to central heating.

Buildings themselves can also be built in a more efficient manner to avoid energy loss. Use of heat exchangers in the ventilation system can reduce heat loss, triple-glass windows with heat reflecting film (like the 3M Prestige 90) will keep energy exchange with the outside to a minimum while still providing daylight.

Another factor is that New York at least has a decent sized subway system, and therefore it's easy to extend it. A subway is one of the more effective commuting systems a city can have, but not all politicians understands that, which means that some cities should have had a subway long ago, but don't and they suffer from that today.

Another energy saver is bicycle lanes. But that may be tougher to introduce in a city like New York.

Make sure that vault comes from a trusted source... Who's that?

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSufSevTsZxtUox_9lx_UevuSevTSevTSevTSeSSSSSS--&boundedSize=310

I'm not sure you've ever seen these... or you are talking about something entirely different?

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSu7zK1fslxtUPY_1l8TSev7qe17zHvTSevTSeSSSSSS--&fn=190%20Flyer.pdf

1. They only need to be visible from two cones of angles, the angles you are driving toward them. I don't know if I've ever needed to see a reflector driving sideways across a road... They even have some reflectors that have the back side colored red so if you try to go down the wrong way you see red reflectors.

2. One could say the same about the dots... the space behind the dot could collect rocks.

3. The whole mechanism sticks up out of the ground. That's the point of the metal ribs to the left/right of the reflector... to protect it from plows. If it were recessed, the plow would skip right over and there'd be no need for the metal.

4. I can't say I've ever seen one collect ice...

Recycling is cool and all, but it's not like this is a new / unique / unanticipated capability:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/SDP/Privacy_Filters/

William

See http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSu7zK1fslxtUM8_S5Y_Bev7qe17zHvTSevTSeSSSSSS--&fn=Ensure%20Brochure.pdf for how that idea won't work.

Admittedly, some jurisdictions (such as Massachusetts) do have a small population of valid and current plates that are so old they don't have that, so in those corner cases your idea may work.

3M has a fix for that...
...and it protects your real screen from scratches, etc.

Probably can't because of http://www.3m.com/ ... :(

...to rule them all. Seriously though, as someone with a RSI, this sounds like a great alternative. I have tried everything from the 3M Ergonomic Mouse to the Wacom line of tablets (which I am currently using). This device sounds like a great alternative to the mouse...I only hope a Bluetooth version is made for the PC.

While I agree that a lot of tablet gestures are probably not ergonomic, I would hesitate to make a generalization that small gestures are always more ergonomic than large ones. Our bodies are made to undertake certain kinds of large and small movements. Some small movements can cause tendon and other soft tissue problems, especially those related to improper mousing and keyboarding. In same cases larger gestures can cause fewer problems.

Take this 3M ergo mouse: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ergonomics/home/products/ergonomicmouse/

It encourages you to make larger gestures using your middle and upper arm instead of mousing only with your wrist. My experience with it has been very good, though it takes some getting used to. I often switch back and forth between this and a regular mouse depending on what I'm doing..

Hell, if you decided to boycott Proctor & Gamble, you'd probably never be able to buy a single thing for the rest of your life.

Well, yeah, some people don't finish to understand the massive size of conglomerates like P&G, Unilever, 3M, etc. I always think of 3M as the best example for a boycott.

After reading a little bit, and I perhaps didn't read right, NBC is part of GE and not the other way around.

What's really going on in solar is that big US companies with real manufacturing expertise are moving in.

• Dow Chemical is about to release solar shingles. "About to release" means "passed UL certification last week" and "volume shipments in 2011". Solar enthusiasts have blithered about solar shingles for a decade, but Dow actually solved all the real world problems, like the roof not leaking, the interconnect system being safe, and the installation being do-able by a typical roofer.
• General Eletric is now active in solar. They make not only panels, but major parts you need to really get things done, like megawatt-sized inverters.
• 3M now makes solar panels.

This is where the action is. Solar is a heavy-manufacturing business, and it's the companies with experience in running big factories that are now taking over.

Solutions depend upon the exact nature of the RSI. Common locations are wrist or elbow, usually on the right.

One classic aid would be trackballs...

Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical (Silver)
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Trackman-Wheel-Optical-Silver/dp/B00005NIMJ/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1286280359&sr=1-17

Ione Scorpius 35PRO USB Mechanical Trackball Keyboard
http://www.amazon.com/Scorpius-35PRO-Mechanical-Trackball-Keyboard/dp/B000UC3EXI

Another possible option is a "hulapoint" device, which is similar to a thumbpad. These tend to be popular in industrial and rugged applications, so may be expensive for home.
http://www.cyberresearch.com/store/lcd-monitors-displays-keyboards-kvm-switches/mouse-trackballs-pointing-devices-touchpads/OIX_4310-U_6096.2.htm

Another option would be a very different mouse:
3M Ergonomic Mouse
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ergonomics/home/products/ergonomicmouse/

Another possible option is a frogpad (look at both right and left models).
http://www.frogpad.com/

The 3M Ergonomic Mouse is another alternative that might work well for mouse/wrist issues. It keeps those stable, instead using your elbow and shoulder for movement. Only available for right-handed use. I've been much happier with 3M's product than the conceptually similar Evoluent VerticalMouse, mainly because the 3M stick uses a completely different set of muscles. The VerticalMouse might work OK for wrist issues, but it's easy to just move your injury to somewhere else that's weak from years of mouse abuse, because it's not really that different.

Someone might suggest a trackball next. When I last had wrist issues, those didn't help at all. Way too many muscles close to the injured ones involved in using one of those.

3M has done some innovation in the types of available electrical tape. Try some of this. I stopped using standard electrical tape years ago. I have shown more than one "electrician" how the rubberized tape is more effective and easier to use than standard electrical tape. No more 15kv shocks from your ignition system or other high voltage sources.

light source as reported here: http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/3m-announces-autostereoscopic-3d-gaming-for-mobiles-641343 Perhaps the 3M Scotch Optical Lighting Film combined with a lenticular film? http://www.3m.com/product/information/Optical-Lighting-Film.html Unless the LED light source direction can be changed then the geometry is fixed and very sensitive to the viewing position and viewing distance.

This is why I thought of Post its. Look at the very bottom of the page.

The "Canary Yellow" color of Post-It Notes is a trademark of 3M. See the legalese at the bottom of that site. Canary? Yellow? Too easy.... let's see some punchlines!

Careful! You need to use the correct product for this problem.

This is relatively old tech. 3M has been making a window film that's bomb proof for years. The problem is that the the window frame and the surrounding structure has to be able to take the load when the film is anchored to the frame.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/WF/3MWindowFilms/Solutions/Government/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQGG44_nid=R14R9R3CBCbeT4DCJBL6BVgl

Heck, two layers of ordinary mylar film stuck to a window are "bomb proof" - as long as you anchor them to something.

As for the comments about structure - most commercial buildings today are steel frame with infill. That infill can be masonry or stud or prefab wall sheets. You can take out all of the infill and not hurt the structure. Heck, you can take out a lot of the structural pieces and the structure will still stand.

If you know this is coming, get extra air filters, use the absolute kind (like 3M Filtrete), and be prepared to change them frequently. With absolute filters, the filters will gradually stop letting air through as they clog, so you must inspect them regularly or have clogged-filter sensors. The usual fibreglas filters don't even try to stop 100% of the particles above the filter's size limit, but they tend to still pass air even when clogged, so neglecting them doesn't stop airflow.

And use duct tape to fix any leaks around the filters.

Now that the US has been operating in the sandbox for years now, keeping gear going during sandstorms is well understood.

At least for what I have in mind for a personal project. I haven't been able to find a decent optical see-through HMD that is affordable for regular people.

Liteye makes a system for the military, but this seems like a rather limited system.

I wouldn't mind seeing an OLED system in this form factor. They're quite sturdy, allowing you to mount decent loads onto it, the bridge and resting pads are quite big making them rather comfortable even with a big load on them. The stems are wide allowing big mounting points for stuff like camera(s) and wires. Connect it to something like an nVidia Tegra and you'd have an optical see through display, head mounted cameras and a small computer that can handle augmented reality with apparent ease.

But I suspect I'd be better off hoping to see Megan Fox splayed across my bed.

Ever since some years ago we read on /. that they had discovered the secret behind geckos' amazing abilities, I've been waiting for practical applications of this in the form of gecko tape and the soon-to-follow gecko shoes and gloves.

...

Not to detract too much from your post... but Ive been using gecko tape and gloves for a few years now though probably not as advanced as the stuff in TFA:

Greptile is 3m's name for it. I use handlebar tape made with it on my road bike, and before it went out of production (Seems to be only used for golf equipment and Nascar steering wheels these days), had the gloves to match. With the gloves on the tape it was like a weak velcro. Even with normal gloves it has more grip than normal tape.

Tm

Problem 1: Fire codes. To date, nobody has come up with a non-flammable insulating oil to replace PCBs (carcinogenic, nasty stuff). Oil is flammable and, in combination with electrical equipment, a very bad idea. Generally, it is not allowed within occupied ares outside of fireproof vaults.

Mineral oil is not classified as 'flammable', but 'combustible'. It must be heated to 275F (its flash point) before its vapor will support combustion.

Canola oil's flash point is extremely high - 620F, with no autoignition temperature. One of the Novec fluids has no flash point, but autoignites at 375C/707F. I'd say they're essentially the same from a fire hazard standpoint. If anything gets close to 620-700F, my computer coolant is the last thing I'll be worrying about.

Here's the main claim from the patent:
7,414,845 Attlesey, et al. August 19, 2008
Circuit board assembly for a liquid submersion cooled electronic device

1. A liquid submersion cooled computer, comprising:

• a case having a liquid-tight interior space;
• a lid removably connected to the case for closing a top of the interior space,
• the lid including at least one pass-through connector;
• a motherboard disposed in the interior space and attached to the lid,
• the motherboard having a top end with electrical contacts engaged with the pass-through connector that permits inputs/outputs and/or power to be passed to the motherboard;
• a plurality of components mounted on the motherboard, including one or more of a plurality of processors,
• a plurality of memory cards,
• a plurality of graphics cards, and a plurality of power supplies;
• a dielectric cooling liquid within the interior space and submerging at least one of the components on the motherboard so as to be in direct contact therewith;
• and an impingement cooling system that includes a plurality of tubes for directing a flow of the dielectric cooling liquid directly onto two or more of the plurality of components.

The only novelty here seems to be in putting the connectors in the removable lid.

Incidentally, the cooling liquid isn't an "oil" at all. It's one of 3M's Novec engineered fluids, probably HFE-7500, which is 3-ethoxy-1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-dodecafluoro-2-trifluoromethyl-hexane. It's usable for cooling up to 150C, nonflammable, does not irritate skin, does not contribute to global warming, ozone depletion, or smog, and the MSDS even says "Ingestion: no health effects are expected". 3M developed it as a replacement for PCBs and perfluorocarbons like Fluorinert. So it can be used safely by the idiots who overclock.

Flourinert is readily available from 3M in a variety of different compositions. It is the only exotic portion of this type of project and it's cost is the main reason why we don't see more full immersion cooling. I don't know about the rest of Slashdot, but I'd prefer not to spend several hundred dollars per gallon on cooling liquid in exchange for saving myself a little hassle removing cooling blocks from a [more] traditional closed loop contained coolant system. Not a whole lot to be gained from going to full immersion. Also, IIRC, California recently added Flourinert to it's list of potentially cancer causing chemicals, which IMHO makes it less than ideal for a warm LED lit water fall in your living room or office...