Archives

All posts for the month September, 2017


Curta Calculator
Curta
Curta Org

The Curta mechanical calculator is an incredible feat of mechanical engineering. Developed in the 1940s, these devices are roughly the size and shape of a salt shaker. When a series of mechanical sliders and a carriage set correctly, it can makes calculations with the turn (or turns) of a handle. The results can then be reset using a lever, making for a very interesting piece of mechanical hardware.

Though it’s amazing what this device can do, its origin story is perhaps even more incredible. Its creator, Curt Herzstark, was taken to the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1943, where rumors spread that he was working on a new calculating machine. Strangely enough, development of this device was encouraged as something that could be presented to Adolf Hitler upon Germany’s predicted victory in World War II. As this prediction didn’t come to fruition, Herzstark was able to make working prototypes of this invention after the war, and then put them into production under his own name. This continued until they were phased out in the 1970s with the invention of the electronic calculator.

A8

Built my Anet 3D Printer on the weekend of Irma, started on Saturday evening and ending on Monday. Mostly.

Printed two things, the new fan nozzle and a part for the feather robot. Both seemed to have gaps and holes, googled that and got this info.

1. You are under extruding. Raise the extrusion multiplier by at least 5%.
2. Slow down print speed.
3. You have loose belts and excessive play in the printer (the A8 has tons of play it’s really junky but fun). If you don’t add a tensioner to the belts, it’s tough to keep them tight.
4. Raise the temperature to 230. The A8’s temperature probe is off on my unit.

Irma is among the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record based on wind speed.

The major hurricane could notch more historic moments in the days ahead.

Hurricane Irma is one of the most powerful hurricanes to roam the Atlantic basin in more than a decade, and it could hit more historical benchmarks in the days ahead.

Here’s a rundown of Irma’s notable extremes so far.

Strongest Winds in Almost 12 Years

Irma’s maximum sustained winds have so far maxed out at 185 mph. Those winds are well above the 157 mph Category 5 threshold and are the highest registered in any Atlantic hurricane since 2005.

Hurricane Wilma on Oct. 19, 2005, was the last hurricane to have maximum sustained winds reach 185 mph.

One of Four Hurricanes With 185+ MPH Winds

The 185 mph winds also place Irma in the upper echelon of Atlantic hurricanes based on wind speed.

Only three other hurricanes have had winds of 185 winds or greater, including Wilma (2005), Gilbert (1988) and Allen (1980), according to Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a tropical scientist at Colorado State University.

Allen had the strongest winds of those four hurricanes, maxing out at 190 mph in early August 1980.

Longest Duration of 185 Winds Anywhere in the World

Irma’s winds were at 185 mph for 33 hours as of late Wednesday evening. That’s the longest a tropical cyclone has maintained winds at that level or stronger anywhere in the world, according to Klotzbach.

The previous record was Super Typhoon Haiyan (2013) in the northwest Pacific which held winds of that intensity for 24 hours.

Most Powerful Hurricane to Strike the Leeward Islands

Irma’s maximum winds were 185 mph as it raked through the Leeward Islands, including Barbuda, Anguilla and Saint Martin.

Klotzbach says that Irma’s winds are the strongest for any hurricane on record to wallop the Leeward Islands region, beating out the Okeechobee Hurricane (1928) and David (1979). Both of those hurricanes had 160 mph winds at their peak in the Leeward Islands.

Lowest Central Pressure in a Decade

The central pressure observed in Irma dropped to 914 millibars early Wednesday morning, the lowest pressure for any Atlantic hurricane since Dean in August 2007, according to Klotzbach.

Irma’s pressure, however, does not rank among the top 10 lowest in the historical record for the Atlantic.

In general, a lower pressure means a more intense hurricane in terms of its winds and overall destructive potential. Conversely, a higher pressure indicates a weaker system when it comes to wind speeds.

Irma Ranks Among Longest-Lived Category 5 Hurricanes

Hurricane Irma has been a Category 5 for more than 48 hours as of Thursday early morning.

Hurricane Allen (1980) and Hurricane Ivan (2004) hold the record for the longest duration as a Category 5 in the Atlantic at three days total.

Irma now ranks third overall since the reconnaissance era began in 1944 with Category 5 strength lasting two days, according to data from NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division.


Atlantic Category 5 Hurricanes 1924-2015 (Red Indicates Category 5 Intensity)

Things to try tonight after BOTM.

Try disabling the “Wi-Fi Assit” option located at the bottom of the “Cellular” page under “Setting” . Make sure to reboot the phone after that… and try again.

Go to Setup > Network and uncheck ‘uPnP’ and ‘uPnP Port forward’ and save settings.
Now try adding the camera to your account through the app.

2017 Could Be the First Year With Two U.S. Category 4 Landfalls

Irma has a chance to be the second Category 4 hurricane landfall in the U.S. this season.

The first Category 4 landfall was Hurricane Harvey which roared ashore near Rockport, Texas, with 130 mph winds on Aug. 25.

In historical records dating to 1851, the U.S. has never been struck by two Category 4 or stronger hurricanes in the same year, according to Bob Henson, a meteorologist with wunderground.com.


History of Hurricane Harvey.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.