ReAgent Gives Investment to Vapour Compression Water Distiller
Top UK chemical suppliers ReAgent has invested in an energy efficient project involving a vapour compression water distiller.
The company has invested in the water distiller at its new manufacturing site in Cheshire.
The distiller will provide an output of almost 100 litres per hour, making this one of the most energy and water efficient means of producing bulk distilled water.
Water distillation is one of the oldest methods of producing ‘pure water’. It involves heating water in a vessel until water vapour or steam is created. This water vapour is then collected in a separate vessel, cooled and the resultant liquid is known as distilled water.
ReAgent operations director Darren Wilson said: “The main benefit of having a vapour compression distiller over a regular distiller is that it uses less energy and less water to produce distilled water.
“This is because the boiling chamber operates at a reduced pressure which means that the water boils at a lower temperature. Water normally boils and creates water vapour at 100 degrees centigrade at one atmosphere pressure. However, if you lower the pressure, the water will boil at a lower temperature which is what happens in a vapour compression distiller.”
A standard countertop laboratory water distiller generates approximately eight litres of distilled water and also generates much more waste water and uses far more energy.
ReAgent sees their investment in the Mueller Vapour Compression Distiller as a significant investment at a cost of over £40,000, which includes purchasing and installation.
The distiller has to be fed with very high purity water; therefore tap water cannot be used as it would damage the heat exchangers by furring them up with lime-scale.
ReAgent managing director Richard Hudson added: “Very few companies in the UK have one of these machines as few companies have the need to purify water on the same scale as ReAgent.
“We decided to invest in a vapour compression distiller to meet our requirements for the cleanest water possible in our products. We manufacture to European Pharmacopeia (EP) Standards and our water meets pharmaceutical requirements.
“Our water is regularly checked in-house to test for pH level, conductivity and nitrates but we outsource the bacteriological testing to a specialist laboratory. Our distilled water meets the requirements of the EP for purified water in bulk.
“Periodic de-scaling treatments are required but apart from that, the heating elements and motor are the only parts that could go wrong. It is an extremely reliable and very robust piece of equipment.”
ReAgent use distilled water as a raw material as part of the wide range of high quality chemical solutions which they manufacture.
Keek Raises $18m Investment For Social Video Service
Keek, the exciting new way to share video clips has received a further $18 million in funding enabling continued development to the growing video sharing platform. The round of investment attracted firms such as AGF Investments Inc., Plazacorp Ventures and Pinetree Capital Ltd and brings the total amount invested to $30 million. Using this new injection of funding, the Keek service will benefit from new feature development, cross-platform support and an increased infrastructure to keep on top of the growing international demand for Keek.
Keek is a social network focused entirely on video interaction. Users of the service can create video clips of up to 36 seconds, known as ‘keeks’. These can be anything from short shout-outs to micro musings. Each user has a profile for their ‘keeks’ which others can choose to subscribe and follow, people can even choose to respond to your clips with video ‘keekbacks’ or plain text comments. The service is simple enough for anyone to use and is completely free.
While initially attracting a core of users from the UK, US and Australia, the rest of the world is starting to discover the innovative service offered by Keek. Demand has shot up from various countries in Europe, the Middle East and even South America contributing to an impressive new user sign up rate of 200,000 per day. A recent press release announced that Keek has also experienced 1 billion monthly pageviews, 75 million monthly visits and 15 million monthly active unique users.
The Chairman and CEO of Pinetree Capital Ltd., Sheldon Inwentash explained some of the factors that have made Keek so attractive for users and investors alike:
“Beyond best-in-class technology, consistent stellar growth and great user experience, the thing that impresses me most is the quality of the team and its ability to execute. Keek has emerged as the leading social video network and is well positioned to translate that into significant revenue streams.”
Keek is available online at http://www.keek.com/ but also has fully featured free app for both iOS and Android based devices. These versions have also experienced the high levels of demand that the site has attracted. The Keek app has achieved the top ranking on five countries while reaching the top 10 app in 15 and top 100 in over 70 countries from around the world.
ThinkableDigital Highlights the Benefits of Facebook’s New Graph Search
Thinkable Digital gives the lowdown on Facebook’s new search tool. The ‘graph search’ was unveiled by the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg through a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park on Tuesday.
As reported earlier today on Thinkable Digital the new feature hopes to provide a more beneficial service to its users.
The report looks into the new search feature, which allows users to perform natural searches across the social media platform in order to access content shared by themselves and their friends.
Users can enter a series of requests or interests into the graph search box, such as: ‘friends who enjoy dancing’. The search results could come back with photos and videos of your friends dancing.
Thinkable Digital also looks into what Facebook hopes to achieve with the graph search. Zuckerberg insists that it is not designed to be a search engine as compared to the likes of Google.
He said: “We’re not indexing the web. We’re indexing our map of the graph – the graph is really big and it’s constantly changing.”
Since announcing the plans for the graph search on Tuesday, Facebook has received support for the changes from many sources including Thinkable Digital.
Company director Mike Gracia said: “Launching Graph Search is an interesting move for Facebook. It may well take traffic away from directory and listing sites (like Yelp), and provides users with some pretty cool features.
“Perhaps Facebook users will actually prefer to trust reviews and recommendations from within their own social friends, rather than random folks on review sites – This wouldn’t be surprising considering the various allegations of fraud against sites like Yelp.
“Let’s hope though, that Facebook has a way to deal with the inevitable onslaught of fake, spammy accounts that some people will try to use to manipulate what, on the surface (it’s early days yet!), looks like a great system.
“Although Mr Zuckerberg was careful to state that Graph Search did not provide internet search, Google’s area of expertise, I feel it does compete with, say, Google Plus Local. In fact let’s face it, ANY expansion of Facebook’s search technology could be seen as a move towards a full search engine, and be a threat to Google.
“For example, if/when Facebook do launch a search engine, the new Search Graph data could quite easily be integrated, as a way to personalise the results of a web search, in a similar manner to how Google personalise search results based on various metrics.
“I would imagine that some alarm bells are ringing over at Google HQ… But let’s remember that in most cases, competition is a good thing as it can keep dev. teams on their toes, and drive development.”
Respected news site TechCrunch has also given graph search the thumbs-up.
A TechCrunch spokesman said: “What’s interesting is that Facebook does not shy away from introducing radical changes to its products,” the site said.
“As always, it focuses on what’s best for the user and will stand behind an innovation if it believes that it will improve the user experience.”
Google Maps Headed Back to iOS
Google has released a downloadable map app for iOS though Apple’s iTunes App Store. The app will compete with Apple’s navigation solution, ‘Maps’, which received widespread criticism despite clocking up 200 million downloads since it’s launch in September alongside the iPhone 5 and iOS 6. The app release comes 2 months after Apple removed Google’s mapping app from being a default feature of iOS based devices.
Google’s app boasts industry standard features such as turn-by-turn navigation for both vehicle and pedestrian based routes as well as vector based maps which negate the need for constant data downloads; ideal for travelling through areas with no or patchy mobile reception. The app also enables users to access Google’s popular ’street view’ services for checking out routes on street level enhanced with real photos. Google also provides a programmable API for third party developers looking to make the most out of the app’s extensive set of features. Google’s app will not work alongside Apple’s voice recognition software, Siri, which allows iPhone users to demand directions from Apple’s own navigation solution.
As news outlets such as www.thinkabledigital.com have reported, since launch, Apple’s Maps app has been subject to poor reviews with complaints ranging from misspelt street names to dispensing dangerous directions to Australian drivers. The troublesome launch was uncharacteristic of Apple and prompted a public apology from CEO Tim Cook. The head of the iOS software team, Scott Forstall, was also dismissed shortly after the release of iOS 6.
The news of Google’s app’s approval comes only months after Apple decided to stop Google technology from driving the navigation experience in Apple products. This decision stemmed from a dispute between the two tech giants with Apple disagreeing with Google’s plan to generate revenue by incorporate adverts within the software. Following this, Apple decided to create its own mapping application in order to cut off their dependence on the Google product. Downloads of the app have been impressive, with the app hitting the top spot of Apple’s iTunes chart just hours after its release.
Google’s Maps application is available through the iTunes App Store free of charge. Only the iPhone platform is currently supported but iPad users are able to run this in 2X mode.
British Scientists Search for Life Isolated by Antarctic Ice
A team of British scientists has flown to the Antarctic in order to take part in a project that could shed light on the potential for alien life to exist. The scientists will join an engineering team who has already set up camp on the West Antarctic ice sheet. The aim of the project is to collect samples from a lake buried deep under the Antarctic ice. By doing this scientists hope to discover if it is possible for life to exist and develop under such harsh conditions.
Lake Ellsworth, the water body in question, is covered by over 3 kilometres of solid ice and is the size of Lake Windermere, Britain’s largest stretch of inland water. The lake is believed to have been sealed off from the outside world for a minimum of 100,000 years and potentially for far longer. The lake is cut off from any oxygen supply originating from the atmosphere, any light from the sun and has a temperature of -13 degrees. The water is around six times saltier than sea water and contains the highest levels of nitrous oxide of all naturally occurring water bodies on Earth. If the scientists are able to find life or evidence of it, it will provide valuable information as to how organisms can evolve in such adverse conditions.
In order to extract samples from the lake, the team has to first drill down through the ice. The team will not be using a traditional drill but rather a combination of pressure and water heated to 90 degrees. This process will melt through the ice, creating a bore hole from which they will extract samples of sediment and water. The team estimates they will have just 24 hours in which to complete the experiment before the bore hole freezes over. The team also has to consider the sterilisation of all their equipment. Should the collection process contaminate the lake environment, their findings will be of limited use.
Antarctic Survey Engineer, Chris Hill, described some of the challenges the team face to the Guardian:
“We’re drilling deeper than anyone has drilled with hot water, we’re drilling cleaner than anybody has ever drilled before, and we’re launching two instruments that are custom-developed and designed for the job. What keeps me awake at night? Everything.”
While Antarctica is undoubtedly one of the most hostile environments on Earth, it is actually possible to visit the continent as a tourist. Swoop Patagonia offers several tour packages that allow you to experience the icy wilderness via either a flight or cruise.
Another Exclusivity Deal for StreetCasuals
The search for non-mainstream, global streetwear brands to buy and wear can be time consuming. StreetCasuals have made that search one notch easier this week by announcing that they have signed yet another exclusivity deal with a major US brand. The deal covers Wales and follows hard on the heels of the signing of an East Coast Label two weeks ago.
StreetCasuals have been very busy in 2012, they have gone from strength to strength with their internet sales driven by their attention to the shopping experience they provide for their customers; with the two lookbooks launched this year and the frequent, eye catching, promotions that they have run too. More recently they have opened a store in Cardiff city centre and have added more brands to their stable.
This announcement adds the L.A. born Crooks & Castles to the list of truly global labels that they stock. Crooks & Castles have been growing in popularity for over 10 years and their range of urban streetwear is impressive. They recently launched a women’s streetwear collection to a market waiting for quality ladies urban clothing.
The stables at Streetcasuals.com has many thoroughbreds in it already; such as http://streetcasuals.com/43_Obey, Actual Pain, Dunderdon, Penfield and Clae to name but a very few. This new exclusivity deal means that In Wales there will be only one place to stop and shop for US and global brands. All stock, whether it be sweats, tees or snapbacks, is held in this country; StreetCasuals actually stock US styled snapbacks and caps in the UK rather than having to order stuff from over the pond and wait an age for it to arrive, it is all here and available at 2 speeds (2 to 3 day or next day) neither of which is anywhere close to waiting for stuff to arrive from the US.
So Christmas shoppers, if you are out and about in Cardiff take a look at the shop in Morgan Arcade and for the rest of you savvy streetwear shoppers take a look at their website.
British Airway Flights to Sydney to Leave from Terminal Five
British Airways have announced that from March 31st 2013, all flights from London Heathrow to Sydney Australia will be leaving from Terminal 5. BA will also be upgrading its service to Australia, with new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
The change in terminal will make internal transfer quicker and easier for passengers at Heathrow Airport; passengers currently have to change terminals in order to catch connecting domestic or short-haul flights. Terminal Five is home to BA’s flagship lounge and is in brand new premises with state of the art facilities, restaurants shops and bars.
Syntax, a company that rates and reviews airlines and airports has ranked Heathrow’s Terminal Five as the ‘World’s Best Airport Terminal’ in 2012 – as rated by passengers. Heathrow’s plans to expand are a constant source of news for sites like www.holidayspress.com and a reaction to this latest announcement is bound to be expected by airport bosses, with those living in the airport’s flightpath, and ecology and conservation campaigners sure to get their voice heard.
Jamie Cassidy, British Airways’ area general manager for Asia Pacific, said: “This move confirms British Airways’ commitment to Australia,??”It’s an important part of our network and we’re underlining that by putting our newest aircraft and cabins on the Sydney route and moving the flight to Terminal Five, to sit alongside the majority of our other services.”
British Airways Boeing 777-300 is home to BA’s First Class, World Traveller Plus and World traveller cabins, in which the seats go fully flat, turning into a bed for luxurious and comfortable travelling. Inflight entertainment on board has 50% more films and features available for passengers to enjoy.
In partnership with Qantas, the Australian international airline, the BA flights will include stop overs in Singapore. The partnership between BA and Qantas however, is set to end in 2013, when Qantas joins in partnership with Emirates.
The move will see flights transferring from the older terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport to terminal 5 in March 2013, and should vastly improve the flight experience for those travelling to Australia with British Airways.
Street Casuals’ Cardiff Streetwear Boutique – Launch Party
Cardiff has gained an exciting new streetwear boutique this week, run by the online clothing retailer, Streetcasuals.com, and to celebrate the opening of their first physical retail outlet they are hosting a launch party this week on Thursday 15th November. The fan fare surrounding this new shop has been loud and is set to get even louder. Shouting about such a long needed independent urban clothing retailer in Cardiff is a good thing at a time when many businesses are contracting and down-sizing this one is leaping forward in their, customer driven, expansion.
The shop is situated in Morgan Arcade, near the St. David’s Centre, and has been brought about in collaboration with F.A.O., a Cardiff based events and promotion company. The background to the opening started with some pithy market research earlier this year in Cardiff which highlighted the fact that many streetwear buying customers were travelling to Bristol to spend their bucks a situation that seemed at odds with the forward thinking nature of Cardiff’s city centre policy. Conversations were had, investigations initiated and plans were drawn up; Culminating in the launch of the boutique this week.
Owner Will said, ” We are having a little shindig on Thursday evening – 15th November starting at 6pm – when we will be inviting all those that have supported this enterprise and invite anyone that would like to come along and see what we have created here. There will be a live DJ set and some goody bags to give away.” The DJ concerned is from the Bristol music hub that is SLNK – and the freebies no doubt will be worth grabbing but Will was determined not to give any more information on what they might be saying, “You will have to come down to find out”.
The shop itself is stocked with a variety of worldwide streetwear brand ranges and has been developed to provide a relaxed space within which to browse and shop. S.C. sell Penfield jackets, the Obey Clothing Company range, Dunderdon, Clae, Libertine and Herschel amongst many others and hold both ladies and men’s urban streetwear.
The party starts at 6 and runs till 8pm on Thursday 15th November. So if you need to start your Thursday night with something different, start at Street Casuals and then move on to the next part of your night out.
Obey Streetwear Creator, Shepard Fairy, Exhibition Opens With Packed First Night
The buzz in East London surrounding the opening of Shepard Fairey’s exhibition has been incredible. The launch night last Friday was a huge success and the feedback from attendees has been incredibly positive. The creator of the streetwear brand, Obey Clothing Company, who is also a world renowned street artist, has brought music, art and other media together to create a sensory experience that has wowed visitors to the Sound and Vision exhibition at the StolenSpace Gallery in Brick Lane, London.
Last Friday saw the opening of the first showing of the works of Shepard Fairey, in the UK, for 5 years. This latest body of work has been brought back to the same space that he used the last time he exhibited here in 2007, the StolenSpace gallery, The launch night was awash with approximately 2000 people all attending to experience the mixed media bonanza and by all accounts they were not disappointed.
One of the attendees, Will, the owner of streetcasuals.com which is a Bristol based online streetwear retailer, was there and when interviewed earlier this week he told me “The opening was incredible, it was very well attended and the atmosphere was buzzing. Not only were we regaled by the sights and sounds that Shepard has created but there was a pop-up shop for the Obey Clothing Company which added an extra dimension to the already brilliant evening. His work is something that I follow and as a stockist of the Obey range I was incredibly impressed by the exposure that this brand has achieved in and around East London. All in all a great night out and it is great to be a stockist of this incredible streetwear brand”
This year has seen an incredible leap from underground to mainstream for street art in general, with the Olympic Pleasure Gardens’ street art works and more recently the ‘See No Evil – 2012′ in Bristol. Shepard Fairey was involved with the Pleasure Gardens and the event in Bristol, whilst not featuring Fairey, has put street art into the public eye – and they seem to like it. This exhibition of pieces of art that can be bought, taken down and hung at home – as opposed to having to resort to a digital photo of the side of a building – helps to connect the once frowned upon world of incredible art found on the street with the acceptable face of art in general. People like Banksy and Fairey (and many others) are bridging this gap and in the process allowing some of the ugliest of buildings of our cities to become canvases for great, eye-catching street art.
The exhibition continues until 4th November 2012 at the STOLENSPACE GALLERY, The Old Truman Brewery, Dray Walk, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL.
Victory is Sweet for Airplane Passengers
Travelling with young children can be a trying affair. If you’ve ever flown, you likely know how it can be: you’ve done your research through a website such as http://www.holidayspress.com, tickets are booked and ready, you get through security, feeling a little stressed and tired, and then you’re sat beside a crying baby. The child’s parents give you an apologetic smile, and you prepare yourself for a long flight.
Not only can crying and tantrums affect other passengers, but it also puts great strain upon parents, who not only suffer the barrage of noise along with everyone else, but also feel somehow responsible for not keeping the child quiet. Bringing kids on holiday has become increasingly taxing in the post-9/11 world of stringent airport security [http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/index.shtm]. Sadly, it is an issue which cannot just ‘go away’. Sometimes, it is necessary for young children to travel on-board planes, and people tend to just take a ‘grin and bear it’ approach.
This was not the case a couple of days ago, however, when parents taking their 14 week old twins on a plane for the first time took steps to compensate fellow travellers for any trouble they might face from the children. Upon entry to the plane, passengers were handed sweets and other goodies, with notes attached which read:
“We’re twin baby boys on our first flight and we’re only 14 weeks old! We’ll try to be on our best behaviour, but we’d like to apologise in advance just in case we lose our cool, get scared or our ears hurt. Our mom and dad (AKA our portable milk machine and our diaper changer) have ear plugs available if you need them. We are all sitting in 20E and 20F if you want to come by to get a pair. We hope you have a great flight.”
The story was originally posted on Reddit by user giantomachy (under the title “Brilliant and thoughtful parents handed these out to everyone on my flight.”), where it garnered hundreds of thousands of views, and many thousands of comments in a single day. Many users expressed admiration for the considerate parents. One user commented “I love when people are overly considerate. It makes me tolerant of any behavior.” Others shared their own stories of humorous in-flight happenings and moments of strangers being kind to others.
While not necessarily setting a precedent, the story simply exposes the kindness people are capable of. Being considerate is not a difficult thing to do, and while people needn’t go to such extremes, gestures of kindness go a long way.