Tag: UV

Smart Glass Technology for Innovative Interiors

Smart Glass Technology has given construction contractors, engineers, architects and interiors designers a completely new way to define interior spaces. Smart Glass Panels use low energy electric currents to control the opacity of the glass via manual or automatic triggers. Smart Glass Technology can be used for skylights, doors, windows, dividers and partitions. Ships and planes can utilise a similar application to Smart Glass but engineered from scratch resistant polycarbonate which is more lightweight.

Whether you are going for the bold futuristic look or an understated modern interior – the ‘openness’ associated with glass elements is an appealing way to increase space. Smart Glass adds to this by allowing you to control privacy levels of defined interior sections with a remote or with the flick of a switch.

Interior application example one: Boardroom

Creating a separate sales or boardroom area with smart glass walls allows you to create spacious interiors which can be switched to privacy mode in an instant. The frosted glass doubles its usefulness by also being an ideal surface for screen projections.

Interior application example two: Featured Display Area for Car Launch

A circular room section containing the new car is installed as a chamber in the centre of the launch room. Guests can be congregate and relax in close proximity to the new product without actually viewing it until the ‘unveiling’. Guests can then view the car from all exterior angles whilst allowing you to control direct access to the product at your discretion.

Interior application example three: Hygienic Room Divider for upmarket Spa

Utilising Smart Glass Technology room dividers allows you to construct eye catching interiors with a clever use of light. Privacy on demand is complimented by the easily cleaned glass panels. No need to worry about fussy blinds and curtains.

Products using Smart Glass Technology provide significant benefits to end-users. These benefits include:

– Immediate Control of light.
– Improvement in users’ comfort, health and privacy.
– Greater security.
– Energy savings through reduced cooling and lighting costs.
– Cost-effectiveness and functional relative to solar shading or other smart window technologies.
– Durability – solid state technology with no moving parts.
– Protection of people and interior furniture and other valuable items from UV damage.
– Exceptional optical qualities.

This technology is available from a variety of suppliers but you will need to be watch out for the companies who promise to add smart glass laminates to existing glass surfaces. Laminates have a shorter lifespan and are less effective than glass panels which are manufactured with the electrochromatic layers in mind from the very beginning

Smart Summer Travel Gadgets

Every traveler knows that a vacation is not a vacation without at least a few handy gizmos to enhance the overall experience. Though the whole point of a vacation is to disconnect, nowadays many of us find it nearly impossible to do so whether its prompted by a mounting workload left behind at the office or simply the urge to stay on top of your latest batch of Tweets. Thats where nifty travel devices from travel adapters to language translators come in, all of which help to alleviate some of the stresses of travel. You dont have to be a tech guru to appreciate how the four gadgets below can make excellent travel companions for the summer.

1. Kensington Travel Plug Adapter: Priced at $19.99 and weighing just 8 ounces, the Kensington Travel Plug Adapter makes both an affordable and lightweight tool to keep your iPhone, iPod, camera, notebook or other mobile device charged on the go especially if you plan to travel outside of the country. In fact, the pocket-size device features AC power plugs all are built into the adapter itself for more than 150 different countries. A built-in safety release button and fuse ensure safe operation, and the adapter comes with a 1-year warranty. Hows that for staying connected while abroad?

2. SteriPen: Contaminated water is a leading cause of illness in travelers, hence the reason why many travelers refrain from drinking tap water while on airplanes and at hotels, stores and restaurants in their target destination. That wont be necessary, however, if youre thirsty for water and have a SteriPEN in tow. Compact and portable, the SteriPEN its name being a nod to its neat pen-like appearance and capacity to sterilize water uses UV light to kill off 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and protozoa that produce water-borne illness. Not only does it work faster than chemical treatments, but it doesnt have the unpleasant taste of iodine or chlorine. Plus, this handy gadget has earned the Water Quality Associations Gold Seal. Talk about seeing water in a whole new light!

3. Nikon GPS Geotagging Device: How often have you glanced at pictures taken on vacation and had trouble recalling the name of the river, bridge, street or famous landmark that graces the background? With the Nikon GP-1 GPS Unit firmly affixed to your Nikon camera, youll be able to remember the exact coordinates of where you snap every single photo. Moreover, geotags can be added to your images so you can record longitude, latitude, altitude and time information. To put it another way, its like having a slick device that takes the place of your memory as needed. The only caveat, of course, is that youll need a Nikon camera.

4. Franklin Speaking 12-Language Translator: Interested in boning up on your Spanish before traveling to sunny Miami? How about polishing your French ahead of your trip to New Orleans? The TGA-490 pocket-size translator by Franklin translates and speaks over 200,000 words and 12,000 travel phrases in 12 languages. In addition, Franklins phonetic spell correction allows you to enter words by how they sound. Other great features include five games, a local/world clock, metric converter, and a Databank that stores and instantly retrieves important names and numbers.

Although these products wont ease all of your travel worries, they make great finds for summer travel and will help keep you at least a tad more relaxed and occupied. After all, a vacation should be as stress-free as possible!