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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Militer AS Ciptakan Peluru Ramah Lingkungan

Zams Site - Teknologi yang sangat dikenal di persenjataan Angkatan Darat Amerika Serikat akhirnya mendapatkan upgrade. Perangkat yang di-upgrade adalah M855, peluru yang didesain pada tahun 1970-an dan terus digunakan sampai saat ini.

Sebagai informasi, meski masih digunakan, peluru itu sering dikeluhkan oleh pasukan tentara karena sering kali tidak efektif dalam mematikan lawan.

Adapun M855A1, peluru yang telah didemonstrasikan di Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Amerika Serikat terbukti lebih cepat, lebih mematikan, dan dalam waktu dekat akan menggantikan saudara tuanya.
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“Amunisi baru ini lebih “hijau” karena ia sudah bebas timah. Artinya, peluru tersebut juga ramah lingkungan,” sebut juru bicara militer AS, seperti dikutip dari Foxnews, 9 Mei 2011. Militer AS sendiri, menurut juru bicara itu, telah memasok amunisi bebas timah pada tentara AS yang bertugas di Afghanistan, sejak Juni lalu.

M855 sendiri diakui oleh militer AS tidak menyediakan kemampuan mematikan seperti yang diinginkan pengguna saat menembak musuh dari jarak kurang dari 150 yard atau sekitar 137 meter. Namun, pakar balistik menyebutkan, tidak ada peluru yang sempurna, dan peluru baru itu juga tidak lebih mematikan secara signifikan.

“Tidak ada peluru di dunia ini yang bisa dipastikan mampu menghentikan lawan,” kata Martin Fackler, mantan direktur dari Wound Ballistics Laboratory at the Letterman Army Institute of Research. “Bahkan jika Anda menghancurkan jantung lawan, ia masih punya waktu 15 detik untuk balas menembak karena masih punya cukup oksigen di otaknya untuk melakukan itu,” ucapnya.

Namun demikian, angkatan darat menyebutkan, amunisi tersebut memang dibuat sebagai bagian dari “menghijaukan” amunisi senjata kaliber kecil agar lebih ramah lingkungan. (eh)
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10 Kapal selam paling mematikan di Dunia

Dalam dunia persaingan militer dunia, salah satu yang paling dititikberatkan adalah kendaraan dan senjata air, itu tak lain karena hampir dua per tiga wilayah di bumi kita adalah air. Masing-masing negara berlomba-lomba untuk dapat menciptakan kendaraan air terbaik agar jika kelak terjadi perang besar, mereka tak akan mudah tersingkir.

Salah satu kendaraan perang air yang paling banyak diproduksi oleh militer adalah Kapal selam, karena selain sebagai kendaraan, kapal selam juga kerap kali digunakan sebagai senjata tempur yang mematikan.

Berikut adalah daftar 10 Kapal selam paling mematikan di dunia yang dirilis berdasarkan kecanggihan senjata tempur disertai dengan kecepatan jelajahnya:

10. Los Angeles Class – USA
Kecepatan mencapai 20 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur 4 bow tubes10Mk48 ADCAP torpedo reloadsTomahawk land attack missile block 3 SLCM, Harpoon anti–surface ship missile, Mine laying Mk67, Mobile Mk60 captor mines.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/102-550x303.jpg

9. Rubis Class – France
Kecepatan mencapai 25 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur 4 Anti-submarine tubesF17 mod2 torpedoes14 Exocet SM39OR, Mines in place of torpedoes.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/92-550x352.jpg

8. Victor III Class – Soviet Union
Kecepatan mencapai 32 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur 2 x SS-N-15 ‘Starfish’ anti-submarine missiles, plus 2 x SS-N-21 ‘Sampson’ cruise missiles or 2 x SS-N-16 ‘Stalion’ missiles2 x 650-mm and 6 x 533-mm bow tubes (two 533-mm tubes with 406-mm liners). 6 x 650-mm torpedoes an up to 18 x 533-mmOR, 36 ground mines in place of torpedoes.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/83-550x360.jpg

7. Sierra Class – Soviet Union
Kecepatan mencapai 10 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur SS-N-15 Starfish or SS-N-16 Stallion anti- submarine missiles; SS-N-21 Samson cruise missiles4 x 650-mm and 4 x 533-mm torpedo tubesOR, 42 mines in place of torpedoes.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/73-550x374.jpg

6. Trafalgar Class – UK
Kecepatanya mencapai 30 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur 5 x 21 inch torpedo tubesTomahawk land-attack cruise missilesSpearfish wire-guided heavyweight torpedoes. Harpoon anti surface missiles.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/62-550x305.jpg

5. Type 093 Shang Class – China
Kecepatanya mencapai 35 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur YJ-82 anti-ship missiles6 x 533-mm torpedo tubes.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/53-550x204.jpg

4. Astute Class – UK
Kecepatanya mencapai 29 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur Tomahawk cruise missiles; Harpoon anti-ship missiles in place of torpedoes6 x 533-mm bow tubes for 36 Spearfish torpedoesOR. Mines in place of torpedoes.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/4a1-550x412.jpg

3. Seawolf Class – USA
Kecepatan mencapai 18 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur 8 x 660-mm torpedo tubes for 50 torpedoes or cruise missiles OR Up to 100 mines in place of torpedoes or missiles.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/33-550x312.jpg

2. Akula II Class – Soviet Union
Kecepatan mencapai 12 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur 4 x 650 mm and 4 x 533-mm torpedo tubes for up to 40 torpedoes or missiles OR Up to 42 mines in place of torpedoes.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/22-550x337.jpg

1. Virginia Class – USA
Kecepatanya mencapai 25 knot dengan spesifikasi senjata tempur 12 x vertical launch system tubes for UGM-109 Tomahawk missiles4 x 533-mm bow tubes for Mk.48 torpedoes, Smart mines in place of torpedoes.
http://realitypod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/17.jpg


Sumber : Aby-Web
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Protein dan Air Dapat Menyimpan Gas Hidrogen

Zams Site - Para peneliti yang terinspirasi oleh alam telah menggunakan protein biasa untuk mendesain bahan yang dapat menyimpan energi gas hidrogen. Bahan sintetis ini bekerja 10 kali lebih cepat daripada protein asli yang ditemukan dalam air tempat tinggal mikroba.

Penelitian ini hanyalah salah satu bagian dari serangkaian upaya untuk memisahkan air dan membuat gas hidrogen. Namun peneliti menunjukkan hasilnya bahwa mereka bisa belajar dari alam seputar bagaimana mengontrol reaksi-reaksi untuk membuat katalis sintetik tahan lama untuk penyimpanan energi, seperti di sel bahan bakar.

Selain protein alami dan enzim, peneliti menggunakan logam yang tersedia banyak dan murah dalam desain tersebut. Saat ini, bahan-bahan itu - yang disebut katalis karena mereka memacu reaksi bersama - bergantung pada logam mahal seperti platinum.

“Katalis berbasis nikel sangat cepat,” kata Morris Bullock, peneliti dari Departemen Energi Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, seperti dikutip dari Science Daily, 16 Agustus 2011. “Ini sekitar seratus kali lebih cepat dari rekor sebelumnya dan katalis dari alam. Kini kita tahu itu bisa dilakukan dengan nikel yang melimpah dan murah atau besi," ucapnya.

Seperti diketahui, energi listrik tidak lebih daripada elektron yang mengikat atom bersama-sama ketika mereka terikat secara kimia satu sama lain dalam molekul seperti gas hidrogen.

Memasukkan elektron dalam ikatan kimia adalah salah satu cara untuk menyimpan energi listrik, yang sangat penting bagi sumber energi terbarukan dan berkelanjutan seperti tenaga surya atau angin.

Mengubah ikatan kimia yang mengalir kembali ke listrik ketika matahari tidak bersinar atau angin tidak bertiup memungkinkan penggunaan energi yang tersimpan, misalnya di dalam sel bahan bakar yang berjalan pada hidrogen.

Elektron sering disimpan dalam baterai, namun Bullock dan koleganya ingin mengambil keuntungan dari kemasan tertutup yang tersedia dalam bahan kimia.

"Kami ingin menyimpan energi sepadat mungkin. Ikatan kimia dapat menyimpan sejumlah energi besar dalam ruang fisik yang kecil," kata Bullock.

Biologi menyimpan energi padat sepanjang waktu. Tanaman menggunakan fotosintesis untuk menyimpan energi matahari dalam ikatan kimia, yang digunakan orang ketika mereka makan makanan. Dan sebuah mikroba umumnya menyimpan energi dalam ikatan gas hidrogen dengan bantuan protein disebut sebuah Hidrogenasi.

Karena hidrogenasi ditemukan dalam alam tidak bertahan lama seperti yang lainnya yang dibangun dari bahan kimia yang lebih keras (kertas vs plastik), para peneliti ingin menarik keluar bagian aktif dari Hidrogenasi Biologis dan mendesain ulang dengan dasar kimia yang stabil.

Dalam studi ini, para peneliti melihat hanya satu bagian kecil dari pemisahan air menjadi gas hidrogen, seperti proses yang cepat ke akhir sebuah film. Dari banyak langkah, ada bagian di akhir ketika katalis telah memegang dua atom hidrogen yang telah diambil dari air dan terkunci bersamaan.

Katalis melakukan hal ini dengan benar-benar membongkar beberapa atom hidrogen dari sumber seperti air dan memindahkan ke sekitar potongan. Karena kemudahan atom hidrogen, potongan-potongan ini adalah proton bermuatan positif dan elektron bermuatan negatif. Katalis mengatur potongan-potongan ini dalam posisi yang tepat sehingga mereka dapat disatukan dengan benar. "Dua ditambah dua elektron sama dengan satu molekul gas hidrogen," kata Bullock.

Dalam kehidupan nyata, proton akan muncul dari air, tetapi karena tim hanya memeriksa sebagian dari reaksi, para peneliti menggunakan air yang mengalir seperti asam untuk menguji katalis mereka.

"Kami melihat hidrogenasi dan bertanya apa yang bagian penting dari ini?" kata Bullock. "Hidrogenasi menggerakkan proton di dalam apa yang kita sebut proton yang dikembalikan. Kemana Proton pergi, elektron akan mengikutinya," katanya

Pengujian katalis dipangkas, tim menemukan itu menjadi jauh lebih baik daripada yang diduga. Pada awalnya mereka menggunakan kondisi di mana tidak ada air seperti sekarang (ingat, mereka menggunakan air stand-in), dan katalis dapat menciptakan gas hidrogen pada laju sekitar 33.000 molekul per detik. Itu jauh lebih cepat daripada inspirasi alami mereka, yang melaju sekitar 10.000 per detik.

Namun, sebagian besar penerapan dalam kehidupan nyata akan memiliki air, sehingga mereka menambahkan air untuk melihat bagaimana reaksi itu akan terbentuk. Katalis berlari tiga kali lebih cepat, menciptakan lebih dari 100.000 molekul hidrogen setiap detik. Para peneliti berpikir air bisa membantu dengan menggerakkan proton ke tempat yang lebih menguntungkan pada amina liontin, namun mereka masih mempelajari rincian.

Namun katalis mereka memiliki kelemahan. Ini cepat, tapi itu tidak efisien. Katalis berjalan pada listrik - setelah semua, perlu elektron untuk memindahkan barang-barang mereka ke dalam ikatan kimia - tetapi membutuhkan listrik lebih praktis, sebuah karakteristik yang disebut overpotensial.

Bullock mengatakan tim telah mempunyai beberapa ide tentang bagaimana mengurangi inefisiensi. Dan pekerjaan di masa depan akan memerlukan perakitan katalis yang membagi air selain membuat gas hidrogen. Bahkan dengan overpotensial yang tinggi, para peneliti melihat potensi tinggi untuk katalis ini. (eh)
READ MORE - Protein dan Air Dapat Menyimpan Gas Hidrogen

Satelit 6.5 Ton Sudah Jatuh Ke Bumi

Zams Site -- Badan Antariksa Amerika Serikat, NASA yakin satelit rongsok mereka telah jatuh dari orbitnya. Mereka yakin Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) jatuh pada Sabtu pagi waktu Amerika. Saat ini, para peneliti sedang memastikan di mana reruntuhan satelit itu akan jatuh.

"Kami kira puing-puingnya telah jatuh sekarang," pernyataan NASA sebagaimana dilansir foxnews.com, Sabtu 24 September 2011.

"Kami sedang menunggu konfirmasi dari Komando Setrategis Amerika dimana jatuhnya sambil tetap memantau puing-puingnya di langit."

Satelit berusia 20 tahun itu sebelumnya ditarget jatuh ke bumi pada Jumat atau Sabtu ini. Kanada dan negara-negara di Afrika diperkirakan menjadi tempat jatuhnya puing-puing UARS.

Saat menuju Bumi, satelit rusak itu terbakar karena gesekan dengan atmosfer. Namun, diperkirakan ada 26 bagian yang tetap utuh saat sampai di permukaan bumi.
Lebih Cepat
Meningkatnya aktivitas matahari hingga Jumat kemarin membuat satelit seukuran bus ini jatuh dengan lebih cepat ke bumi. Namun, di penghujung Jumat, NASA mengatakan matahari bukan merupakan faktor utama yang mempengaruhi kecepatan jatuhnya satelit ini.

Kemarin, NASA mengatakan kemungkinan besar satelit berbobot 6,5 ton itu akan jatuh dari orbitnya pada Jumat pukul 11.45 malam hingga Sabtu 12.45 siang waktu setempat. Pada Jumat kemarin, satelit ini sedang mengorbit melintasi Atlantik, Pasifik, dan Samudera Hindia, dan kemudian menuju Afrika dan Kanada.

Satelit pemantau atmosfer ini diluncurkan pada 1991 silam. Satelit ini dinyatakan tidak beroperasi lagi pada 2005.

Kemungkinan puing-puingnya menimpa manusia adalah 1/3.200. Jatuhnya satelit ini diharapkan berada di permukaan lautan. (ren)
READ MORE - Satelit 6.5 Ton Sudah Jatuh Ke Bumi

How to Lower Your Private Student Loan Consolidation Payments

If you're having trouble repaying your private student loans you can get help now with private student loan consolidation payments. A consolidation of student loans both consolidates all your private education loans into one loan and resets the loan's terms.





Because, for the most part, you can't consolidate private student loans with federal student loans, the low federal student loan consolidation interest rates would not be applicable. However, it still is possible for you to pay less each month.


Chase Student


You actually have quite a few options that can lower your monthly loan payments.


1. Because your credit score strongly influences your interest rates, if your credit score has significantly risen since you applied for your loan, for example by fifty points or more, you might be able to get a lower rate when you consolidate your loans with a different lender.

After doing your initial research, talk to your current lender and see if they can lower your interest rate on your current loans. They might consider doing this if they see that they could lose your business to a different lender.

2. If you're a homeowner, compare the interest rate on your variable interest rate school loans to a fixed rate home equity loan rate. If interest rates look like they are going to go up, you may want to get a home equity loan and use the money to pay off your private education loan. Doing this would guarantee that your interest rates will not increase.

On the other hand, it also guarantees that they won't go down if interest rates fall. And, worst case scenario, you could possibly lose your home, so be cautious with this option.

3. You can consolidate student loans with an educational lender, such as the private consolidation loan divisions of either Wells Fargo, Chase, the Student Loan Network or others.

These companies offer different repayment plans. Some offer up to 15-year term while others offer up to 30-year term. The interest rates they charge as well as fee structures also vary.

Because these differences can amount to thousands of dollars in savings, most people that consider consolidating their student loans do extensive research and even do a spreadsheet analysis comparing the pros and cons of each offer before choosing the option that's right for them. Luckily, the Internet makes it very easy to get the information you need to make these comparisons.

When you evaluate private lenders consolidation loans, make sure to find out

1. If their interest rates are fixed or variable

2. If there are any prepayment penalties, and

3. Whether or not there are any fees and what they are.


How to Lower Your Private Student Loan Consolidation Payments


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How To Refinance A Student Loan With Bad Credit

How To Refinance A Student Loan With Bad Credit

The main reason why students are interested in refinancing their current student loans is to reduce their monthly payment amount. If you decide to refinance student loans with bad credit, there are several different things that you need to consider.

First, you will need to determine what type of loan that you presently have open. There are federal advances that are granted to students that want to attend a higher learning institution and private advances. These two lending options cannot be combined into one payment. Therefore, they will both need to be refinanced separately.

A lot of the federal cash advances that are given to students have a lower interest rate than the private advances. The private advances are normally given to students with the assumptions that their income will increase when obtaining additional education. If you were to mix both of these cash advances together when refinancing your loans, you will end up paying a higher interest rate than if you were to refinance both of these advances separately.

Each lender will have different eligibility requirements that their customers must meet in order to be serviced by them. There are some lenders that will not require students to pay any money on the funds that they were lent until they graduate from college. However, there are other lenders that have a minimum balance requirement, and credit guidelines that they expect their clients to adhere to.

When you decide to refinance student loans with bad credit you can reduce the amount of funds that you are expected to pay every single month on the money that was given to you. The two ways that you can lower your monthly payments is to obtain a lower interest rate, or extend the total duration time of your loan.

Even though your rating is one of the main things that most lenders pay close attention to when refinancing loan obligations, there are some lenders that do not care if your credit is poor. Lenders that allow students with low scores to refinance their loans may ask for a little bit of extra money because of your poor payment history.

It is important to do a lot of research on various lenders that offer students with low credit ratings the ability to refinance loans that they had to take out for their education. In order to ensure that you are getting the lowest repayment rate that you can get, you need to do some homework and take out some time researching your refinancing options.

We help borrowers who seek personal loans and bad credit student refinance loans to help refinance existing higher interest loans. Contact us today for more information on how to bad credit student refinance loans and an online refinance loan application.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_T_Stewart
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6553751

By Joan T Stewart
READ MORE - How To Refinance A Student Loan With Bad Credit

Student Loan Debt Consolidation Tips

Student Loan Debt Consolidation Tips

There's something about credit card money or student loan money that people find hard to take seriously. You're young when you take on student loans; it's hard to really get a feeling for how difficult money usually is to make. The $20,000 or $30,000 that you take on can easily seem like Monopoly money. All you need to do is get on the Sally Mae website, fill in a simple form and wait for the money. Shortly before graduation, when you begin applying for jobs all around, and you begin to see how tough it can be to make a decent salary, that's when it sinks in - you have to pay about $300 every month. At least three out of four people entering college leave at the end with some kind of massive student loan. It's a major problem. One of the first things that can occur to anyone struggling with a clutch of seven or eight student loans is this - student loan debt consolidation.

Doing this can really lower your payments in a way that can make all the difference to a struggling young graduate. Not only does it simplify everything to have one or two loans to pay instead of seven or eight, it can actually make it cheaper every month. Every loan comes with a high minimum payment. Bring everything together under consolidated loan and you have to pay just one minimum payment. And then of course, there's the hope that consolidating helps lower your interest rates and helps lower your payment in general by stretching out your repayment period.

Not every student loan debt consolidation package works that way though. To begin with, federal student loans come with fixed interest rates these days. This means that with federal loans, student loan debt consolidation doesn't really lower your rate that all. It only simplifies things and it could help stretch your repayment period out (although you'll have ended up paying thousands of dollars more in interest by the time you've paid everything down).

You should only consider student loan debt consolidation plans if you're having a great deal of trouble making your payments right now -in the hope that things will improve in the future. Because while any kind of consolidation you take on will certainly lower your monthly payments, you really will end up paying dearly in the end in added interest.

Starting in 2009, borrowers have been able to opt for what is known as an income-based plan. They work out a certain percentage of your salary that you need to pay every month. They don't charge you a fixed sum. The good news is that you don't need to have opted for such a plan going in. You could opt for an income-based plan at any stage. The great part here is that when you do this, you reset the clock on your repayments; you get a fresh 25 years.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melain_Earcher
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6566924

By Melain Earcher
READ MORE - Student Loan Debt Consolidation Tips

A Student Loan Refinance Deal to Help Organize Your Finances

A Student Loan Refinance Deal to Help Organize Your Finances

Student loan experts often get asked this - is a student loan refinance move possible the way a home loan refinancing deal is? Well, if you've taken out more than one student loan and you have several minimum payments to make every month, a student loan refinance deal certainly would be possible and even advisable.

A refinancing deal should be of interest to anyone who finds it difficult to make all their payments every month. You wouldn't have different minimum payments to make nor different interest rates to deal with. When a deal like this works out in your favor, you'll be able to get everything together under one interest rate that is lower than what you would have paid with all the discrete payments. At the end of your student loans, when you've paid every cent down (yes, the very possibility does feel good to hear) you will find that you will have paid thousands less in interest.

Before you actually go and apply for something like this, a look at your credit report wouldn't be out of place. If there's any kind of credit-lowering entry in your credit report, you should probably take care of it first before you go in to file for your refinancing deal. You stand a great chance of getting the lowest possible interest coming to you this way. You would also benefit by smoothing out the application process to a considerable degree.

So where exactly do you go for a student loan refinance deal? In general, regular banks and credit unions do this. For an easier time so, an online lender might be better; you would get more competitive rates with an online lender. Shopping around would be a great idea.

If you're really keen on getting the best refinancing deal possible, you should probably keep in mind that getting it done during the six-month grace period you get right after graduation would be a great way to get at least a half percentage point knocked off your interest rate. Lender incentives can be great way to get a point or two knocked off too. Applying with a lender to have an auto debit set up with your bank account for the payments to go out automatically each month could get you a quarter percentage point off. ScholarPoint is one company that does this. If you pay on time every single month for three years, lenders like these will even knock another percentage point off your rate.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melain_Earcher
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By Melain Earcher
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How To Obtain Student Loans With Bad Credit And No Cosigner

How To Obtain Student Loans With Bad Credit And No Cosigner

When you are interested in continuing your education, you may have a hard time getting the money you need to pay for it. This can ring true if you do not have a good credit rating and you could be scrambling around to find the money you require. Finding bad credit student loans can be difficult, but it can be done.

The first thing you need to do is determine how much money you are going to need. This will help you to decide on what kind of loan to find for yourself and your educational needs. Often you must be enrolled in a program to get the loan, and in doing this you will have a pretty good idea about how much you are going to need.

Once you have figured out the amount you need, you can certainly try to borrow money from a bank or alternative lending company. This may not always be successful if you have poor credit because you do not have a cosigner who can guarantee the loan. You may need to do some research to find places that consider this kind of loan with your financial constraints.

There are some federal programs that can help you with the money you need for school. Some are loans that you do not have to pay back until you graduate from your program. Others are federal grants that have been created to help students with limited funds and less than acceptable rating to get funding for school.

The grant that is federally provided only requires that you have not graduated with a bachelor degree at the time of application. This grant does not have to be paid back at all. It is free to apply and the money you get is also free.

The federal loans that are available to students who cannot rely on good scores to get are based on no credit, no cosigner situations. These loans need to be paid back, but you do not have to pay it back until after you are finished with your education. They generally have a lower interest rate and other options that are palatable to students starting their careers.

When you need bad credit student loans it can be a bit harrowing to locate them. If you do a little bit of research, you are likely to find what you need and what will suit your needs. Often times the admissions staff of the school you are interested in going to can help you find the options that will work for you.

Even if you have had, or are now faced with some worrisome or severe credit issues we have bad credit student loans to meet your needs. Visit us now for bad credit studentl loans, an easy online application, and fast approval.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Westbrook
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6570631

By Susan Westbrook
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Consolidating Federal Student Loans - Fundamental Data That You Ought to Know

Consolidating Federal Student Loans - Fundamental Data That You Ought to Know

The latest state of the economic system has turned schooling into some type of luxury, somewhat limiting the power of this proper to using those that can only afford it. For this reason, those who wish to work their means into finishing their degrees have turned to numerous financial assist options to do so. After graduation, these students normally flounder to meet the terms of the loans that they have incurred during their student years. One option that many individuals have tapped into with a purpose to make the compensation process easy includes consolidating federal student loans. Listed below are some basic things that you should perceive about this reimbursement possibility and about how you could use it to your advantage.

Most of the time, the principle downside that people has in the case of paying off the loans that they've incurred over the years is dealing with a number of payments that they must make for a number of loans. By consolidating federal student loans, you get to do away with the effort and the stress of getting to meet varied payment deadlines and are in a position to repay all their debt via one fee, which is also performed regularly. Basically, you would be combining all of your loans into one single amount, which might be easier to work with as a result of the calls for are much less tasking. This is an easy luxury that may make the over-all compensation course of much simpler.

In addition to combining multiple funds to a single one, you might also use this compensation choice to minimize the sum of money that you would have to use to get rid of the interest rates of your loans. Students are likely to fall prey to unfavorable interest terms, both as a result of they did not know higher after they utilized for the loan or because they simply had no other choice. This simple mistake will hang-out them for all through the entire period of their repayment period and would drain their funds in the process. Consolidating your loans would allow you to cast off this minor problem, mainly as a result of consolidation choices usually supply low interest rates. This implies which you can start paying off your excessive-interest loans simply by consolidating them with the others.

The method of consolidating federal student loans can be quite simple, so long as you've got the necessary items of documents in your possession. You may additionally get the help of knowledgeable in having your case assessed and in having the method carried out, if you wish to make the duty as efficient as possible. There are also numerous varieties of companies that can afford you this repayment possibility, each public and private, all of which may give you consolidation programs that can fit your needs and your financial capacity. See to it that you simply peruse the market for all the options which are accessible to you prior to making your choice. Consult together with your peers as properly, especially those that have successfully used this selection previously, to make sure that you could be dealing only with highly dependable and highly able individuals.

Do not let your odds for university education passing bye. If you don't have sufficient funds to finance your profession now at the beginning, take into consideration how you are going to have enough funds once you get a greater job with a better degree level, and to be able to repay your federal student loans. Additionally, learn more on the subject of consolidating federal student loans.

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By April Lowesin
READ MORE - Consolidating Federal Student Loans - Fundamental Data That You Ought to Know

Is a Credit Union Any Better Than the Average Payday Loan Lender

Is a Credit Union Any Better Than the Average Payday Loan Lender

Personal finance advisors and columnists have worked hard to put the word out that credit unions are far better when it comes to fair customer dealings. When retail banking customers find their banking experience far from satisfactory at the large banks, the credit unions often appear as a breath of fresh air. So if the unions are so clean cut, what are they doing turning to the payday loan lender business?

Does this mean that the credit unions are trying to clean up payday loans? Are they going to do it right?charging borrowers reasonable interest rates and so on? The traditional loan business isn't all that happy with the way credit unions are entering their turf. Especially when they believe that they aren't going to be much more reputable than the traditional businesses have ever been. They are just unhappy that unions are going to take business away from them by pretending to be better than the traditional lenders.

Let's take a closer look. The National Credit Union Administration, which is the body that supervises federally chartered unions, is where the new credit union payday loan idea was born. They call these an alternative to what the traditional payday loan lender usually offers, for those who are tired of the predatory lending practices of those businesses.

People who borrow from the traditional payday loan lender are usually driven into debt by the high rates of interest and how they allow you to keep the loan indefinitely as long as you pay their killing rates of interest. The credit union loan on the other hand charges a perfectly reasonable 28%, they make sure that you don't get to borrow more than $1000, and they make sure that you don't get to keep it longer than six months. This has the effect of limiting how far people will end up driving themselves into debt. Only union members are eligible to apply.

So are these really fairer terms than what you find at your typical payday loan lenders? Well, the way personal finance experts see it, 28% is still quite expensive. But the unions help borrowers, by making sure that there are no extended rollovers allowed, protect their borrowers. So yes, you could say that they were fairer.

But this isn't the only type of payday loan they make. Some of their loans charge 100%. As expensive as that sounds, it's still cheaper than your regular loan lender. But isn't 100% rather extortionist nevertheless? Why would credit unions involve themselves in this kind of business?

Because they need to make money, like anyone else. And they feel they actually are bringing a degree of fairness to the industry by charging a mere 100%.

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By Melain Earcher
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The Cons That Come Your Way With Cash Advance Payday Loans

The Cons That Come Your Way With Cash Advance Payday Loans

The moment you see those big flashing lights advertising cash advance payday loans, you know that there is something quite shady about the whole deal. The first half of 2011 has been quite eventful for law enforcement officials trying to clean up the payday loan industry. There have been at least two major scams.

In March, two people who were behind a fraudulent business, were fined nearly $1 million for their crimes. Their business claimed to try to match people who wanted cash advance payday loans with payday businesses that needed customers. The fraud they indulged in had to do with how they deceived loan applicants into getting prepaid debit cards against their will. What they would do was, they would open a website and advertise their services - if you wanted a payday loan, they said they would find you a lender. As you filled out an application online, you would find that there were three or four new offers for prepaid debit cards that were included in the form. All but one of them would have the "I'm not interested" box checked. One though, would have the "Sign me up!" box checked by default. If a person didn't notice this and he just went on with filling out this payday loan form, in the end, it would be like he applied for a payday loan and a prepaid debit card together. And the agreement included handing rights over to the company to debit his bank account to pay for it.

Sometimes, they would offer the card as this free bonus; information about the exorbitant charges associated with the "bonus" would be buried deep in fine print. Each consumer lost about $55. But all of this was kind of decent compared to the latest scam to do with cash advance payday loans that has turned up. The IC3, a joint venture between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, has been investigating a very disturbing trend.

In this scam, people minding their own business at home get a call from a con artist claiming to be an official of the IC3or the FBI. The callers are very obviously not the US government employees - they barely speak English. But whatever they lack in language skills, they make up for with extremely threatening language. They tell the people they call that they owe money for payday loans they've taken out and that if they don't pay it back immediately, there'll be someone coming along any minute to arrest them. Sometimes, they claim to be from the Attorney General's office and say that the FBI or the IC3 is suing them for not paying back the loan.

Of course, all of this is beyond ridiculous. Why would the FBI or any government agency sue you for not paying back a loan to the some company? But they did get a few people to believe them - because they had done their homework. They had somehow found the victim's Social Security number and used that to look like they knew what they were talking about.

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How To Find The Lowest Rates For Online Payday Loans

How To Find The Lowest Rates For Online Payday Loans

Most people have came up short on a bill or two in their life. Whether their car broke down or their fridge died, something unexpected that you don't have the cash to fix at the time. When this sort of thing happens, most are able to borrow from a family member or a friend. For some this isn't an option, so other options can be using your credit card, getting a loan from your employer, or taking a line of credit or small personal loan. Others pawn valuables or use their overdraft protection from their bank account.

If none of these things are an option and you have an emergency in your midst you might consider taking a payday loan online. I suggest taking this route only if you have exhausted all other alternatives and only if you absolutely need this money. Never use this type of loan to make a purchase or pay for a service that isn't critical to your life.

The reason a payday loan online should only be used in an emergency and as a last resort is the APR rate. The fees associated with a payday loan range typically from $15 - $35 per $100 borrowed for a 2 week period. Say you take a $300 loan and get a $25 per $100 borrowed rate (600% APR) and pay it back by the due date. You will have to pay back $375. This isn't so bad for getting cash fast and easily. Lets say you take the $300 loan and keep defaulting and renewing it for a year and only paid off the interest but not the principal amount at the same rate of $25 per $100 borrowed. That $300 loan will now cost you $950. That's an expensive loan. If you missed paying down the interest it will cost even more as the interest compounds.

This is why it is crucial to pay these loans off as soon as their due. That way you don't lock yourself into a debt trap. The best place to look for a payday loan is online since it is so easy to compare rates and the terms of the loan from the multiple lenders available on the net. This makes it easy for you to shop and compare until you find a lender that suits your needs. There are also review websites that have done the research for you, so you can find the right lender that much easier online.

Qualifying for this type of loan is generally pretty easy. In most cases you need to be over 18, have an income of $1000 per month and a checking account. These rules are because it's illegal for a person under 18 to enter a legal contract. You need to have a sufficient income to pay the loan back, and they need to be able to deposit the money into your account.

If you only take online payday loans when an emergency arises and you have exhausted all other options. You pay back the loan when it's due to avoid paying more fees, than taking a payday loan online will not cause you any financial hardship.

Visit us for a payday loan online. Get the best online payday loans here.

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How to Save Money on Utility Bills - Use Less Energy and Save More Money

How to Save Money on Utility Bills - Use Less Energy and Save More Money

Energy prices are only going to continue to go up and up. If you rely on fossil fuels in any way you will be interested in knowing how to save money on utility bills.

You will be relieved to know there are a lot of simple and inexpensive things you can do to reduce the amount of money you use on the various utilities that have become indispensable for us in the modern industrialized world. Here is a list of things you can do to save on heating, cooling, lighting and electrical appliances.

1. Heating and Cooling

All of these are notorious for burning up a lot of energy and increasing your bills.

You ought to be using a natural gas water heater if you are not already. These things are great and they use a mere 50% of the energy that a conventional water heater does.

Take advantage of methods to cool down your house naturally. If you can plant trees on the east and west of your home. The shade they provide will keep your house up to four degrees cooler in the summer by reducing the amount of sun that hits your roof and windows. They will also act as a wind breaker in the winter to keep your house warm. You should investigate which kind of trees are suitable for the soil you have as some trees will have roots that will stretch under your house and undermine the foundations.

Make sure that you seal up all the cracks in your house where air leaks out. This is especially needed to stop warm air escaping in the winter. Be sure to seal any ducts, close the damper if you have a fireplace and turn of extractor fans when they are not necessary.

2. Lighting Tips

Use dimmers so you can adjust the brightness of the bulbs in your home. Only use them at the brightness you need for work. Use task lighting when you are working instead of trying to illuminate a whole area with a big overhead light.

For outdoor light use a timer or motion sensor to turn them on and off.

Use as much natural light as possible in your home. Thing about the design of your rooms and how you can direct more natural light into dark spaces. People don't realize how to save money on utility bills sometimes as the solutions are not obvious. Consider installing skylights and using mirrors to reflect light.

3. Home Electronics

Did you know that over 60% of the power that electronic devices use is when they are on standby. That is a lot of energy to be wasting and so you should turn them off when you are not using them. All they do is flash the time at you in a green light. To make it easier you can plug multiple devices into an extension board and switch them all off together.

Turn off computers that are not being used. See above for the amount of juice they burn when on standby. At least set them to sleep or hibernate as this will use a lot less energy.

4. Appliances

Replace your refrigerator if it was manufactured before 1993. Due to efficiency regulations that came into place that year newer models use a lot less energy. In fact a simple old refrigerator could be sucking up $140 of electricity more than a new one.

If you use a dryer try to wash multiply loads on the same day. When you put a second load in the dryer you will use up residual heat. This is how to save on bills.

If you are serious about putting more away each month and having an easier life then you must know how to save on bills. It is an essential part of any plan to improve your situation and get the things you want.

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By David Gregson
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What Is the Edge of Internet Banking Over the Traditional Banking?

What Is the Edge of Internet Banking Over the Traditional Banking?

We have seen a lot of companies offering a variety of customer services ranging from personal up to but not limited to phone transaction. With the growth of commercialized internet and electronic transactions, a lot of companies are beginning to take advantage of this method to provide customer service. More and more industries around the world have decided to add one service option to accommodate their internet savvy customers and that is online service. With this, the banking industry has decided to offer a sort of internet portal for their customers to perform some basic transactions like account transfers, balance inquiries, bill payments and stop payment requests. Online banking is one way to perform transactions with your bank through its secure site. This can be very useful for a customer who doesn't have the time to make it within the regular banking hours since it enables them to perform banking activities via the internet.

I'm sure that a lot of people have at least heard of online banking but not quite a few of them has tried. A lot would think the process is too complicated. Some would feel more comfortable dealing with a real person about their money and to most, it's the trust factor that's stopping them to perform bank activities online. Of course, we cannot take that away from them. Clearly, there are a lot of advantages or shall I say comfort that online banking can provide than traditional banking. Let me discuss a few of them.

While traditional banking follows a regular business hours, online banking is available 24/7. No matter where you are in the world, you can perform a lot of bank activities with just your PC or laptop anytime of the day. Instead of adjusting your own personal schedule to go to the bank, you can access your account online from the comfort of your home so long as you have internet access. Otherwise, customer service via the telephone is normally provided around the clock.

Online banking is fast and convenient. Transactions made through the internet are a lot faster as compared to doing it with an ATM machine or waiting for a bank teller to accommodate your concern. Traditional banking can be relatively slow especially if you encounter a line of persons waiting to be assisted. Online banking offers a secured portal that uses the latest technology to secure your information and make your experience faster and hassle-free. It also offers a comprehensive set of features like managing investments, loan calculators and tools for functional budgeting and forecasting.

Better rates are also one significant effect of online banking. Without the actual infrastructure and a lot of office equipments to pay, interest rates are paid at a higher cost on savings and lower on other loans. This leaves more money left to pay depositors and still maintain a profit. Some accounts can even be opened with no minimum deposits or service fees.

With just internet access, online banking can be performed with the use of your mobile phone. New phone features are continually being enhanced to further expand and improve this capability on smart phones and other mobile devices. Imagine doing bank transactions in your mobile phone? With traditional banking, more information are required in order for you to set up an account as compared to online banking that only requires you once to fill in your information and subsequently retains these information for future use. Moreover, a lot of internet savvy customers prefer to input data online and/or downloading forms for mail. If problem occurred, you can just call or email the bank directly.

Lastly, online banking is environment-friendly. Take note that transactions made through the internet are paperless, reduce traffic and free of pollution. It also does not require the use of offices and some office equipments that are hazardous to the environment, directly or indirectly.

Since both online and traditional banking has its advantage and disadvantages, it is not necessary that you have to choose one over the other. To some, online banking makes banking transaction easier and more convenient. Nevertheless, others still prefer to make transactions about their money with a real person. It is I think more of an advantage to do online banking and enjoy its conveniences and savings while maintaining an branch account in your area for customer service and personal relationships.

Checking accounts are not the only ones that use routing number on check. Visit routing number on check website to check out how to locate routing numbers for any bank account type.

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By Orlando H Goldstein
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The Best Free Online Personal Finance Tools

The Best Free Online Personal Finance Tools

Proper financial management - most coveted by millions and millions of consumers all over the globe. Faced with this tough economy, it is harder than ever to handle your finances well. But the great news is that establishing a solid financial plan for your future has become more affordable and attainable. There are a lot of online personal finance tools that are offered to individuals for free to help them manage their finances better. These are effective instruments to become financially stable while saving yourself from getting into debt trouble.

In today's modern time, tracking every single detail is quite hard and even more difficult when money is the issue. Thus, getting help from online personal finance tools sounds very beneficial. In addition, these tools come free and very handy. Calculating your cash inflow and outflow can be easily done in the comfort of your home facing the computer.

Personal finance is a method of following your finances in a more streamlined manner. Since listing down on a paper every detail of your expenditures does not function well any longer, a personal finance device found online gives a far bigger and better assistance.

The following are some of the best online personal finance tools from budgeting to checking one's credit score that are offered to individuals for free:

For Money Budgeting

1.) Mint.com

·Mint.com is one of the most popular and well-loved free online personal finance tools by the people. With over 8,000 financial company connections worldwide, this online means offers a wide variety of understandable and easy to use tools.

·Once you have registered an account, you get 100% access of your whole finances such as your credit cards, grocery bills, loans and other personal expenses.

·It offers a very detailed tracking program about everything that goes on with your finances from - the things you spend your money on, how much monthly savings you have as well as your investment's performance.

·Automatic alerts are also given to you through a text message or an e-mail especially when you are on the brink of reaching your card's credit limit or if you have too little money deposited in your bank account.

·In addition to these services, this online tool can also show you budgeting charts and spread sheets that teaches you how to budget in every expense category.

2.) Wesabe

·Wesabe.com is a website that provides strong financial management instruments while at the same time having that social networking appeal since it offers an active forum for clients who seek support and give encouragement to each other in order to reach their respective monetary goals.

·Since it is more hands-on website as compared to Mint, you have the choice of putting your bank or credit card statements on your own. Since this is not done automatically, you safeguard your identity as well as important details such as your account numbers and passwords better.

For Financial Planning

3.) Buxfer

·A more basic and less updated free online personal finance tool found in the web, it is best for people who are looking for fuss-free financial planning instruments.

·However, what makes it stand out among other online financial planning device is its user-friendly interface. Buxfer is equipped with a step-by-step how to guide, easy to understand instructions as well as fast account set up.

For Investment Tracking

4.) Social Picks

·SocialPicks.com is a business based online company that focuses more on tracking a person's investments. It provides an independent service wherein you can easily gain access of your asset's performance while at the same time allowing you to make comparisons with other investors. Financial advice is also provided to help you market your investment better.

For Credit Score Checking

5.) CreditKarma.com

·Functions just like your credit score bureau company, this website offers you an updated status of your credit score. Also, advice is given on how you can improve your rating as well as tips on how you can repair a rating with glitches.

·The only main difference is that you need not give out your credit card details. All you have to type in is your name, address and SSS (Social Security Number).

Online personal finance tools are great devices in keeping yourself up to date with your finances current status while at the same time giving you help to make financial planning more effective without the scare of getting scammed.

Andrew owns a website that provide personal finance help and more. You can visit his website at: DebtHelpAdvisor.org.

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By Andrew Parkin
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Finance for Beginners - The Best Way to Learn Online Finance

Finance for Beginners - The Best Way to Learn Online Finance

Gone is the moment when you may get out with any type of basic knowledge. The entire sector is very competitive. You will be left out or overtaken in case you do not have an excellent educational background. Online educational programs assist you to maintain the competitors without taking a day off.

However, economics online training is still a difficult exercise. This is an important factor and it is capable of identifying the failure or good results of your educational plan. If it is not properly prepared and executed, you will be spending your time, work, and losing your cash.

Listed here are 5 recommendations on how to pay for your education on the internet:

1) Think about less common scholarships

Today, many different types of scholarships are available for online college students. It is very easy to finance your web classes through scholarships if you are a solitary parent, officer dependent, etc. A bit of consistency and intelligent search for this type of scholarships online can assist you find the appropriate one for you.

2) Safe students mortgage

Education loans are a fantastic help in the event you plan the full process with accuracy. These type of loans are very simple to get. The payment period of time starts only after 6 months of finishing the training course. The interest costs are generally lower in comparison to other loans. The credit score necessary for securing student can also be obtained without any problems.

3) Bank on scholarships

Scholarships are a great way to finance your web training program. Many scholarships are available now. To make things simpler, you can get need-based scholarships. This means that the lesser money you have to utilize, the greater could be the grant quantity!

4) Impress your manager

This is great for those who have demonstrated their mettle in their office. If you are able to make your manager known that an additional degree is needed for you to get rid of your responsibilities properly, he/she is going to be more than happy to finance your web training classes.

5) Discover more alternatives

These are not the only techniques for you to pay your internet school course. Equity loans, credit cards, etc. are some options. However, make sure that you have analyzed these type of alternatives inside and out before you make use of them in order to finance your web training program.

Paying for your web lessons is not difficult if you take a short look at all alternatives. You will find a lot more techniques by talking to family and friends, aged people, and co-workers.

If you want to take a Finance for beginners training course don't forget these guidelines or visit http://www.globalfinanceschool.com/.

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By Jonas Francella
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Media Sosial untuk Bantu Sesama

IST-Festival Media Sosial

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Ada banyak cara membantu sesama, salah satunya dengan mengembangkan media sosial. Valencia Mieke Ramda merintis bantuan kemanusiaan dengan mengembangkan komunitas Blood for Life Indonesia , yang berhasil menggerakkan orang mendonorkan darah.

Komunitas itu tumbuh atas kesamaan hasrat untuk membantu sesama, demikian ungkap Mieke, khususnya yang dalam kondisi kritis dan membutuhkan darah. Mieke membangun situs www.blood4lifeID.org para tahun 2009, dan berhasil menarik begitu banyak orang berhasil menyalurkan darah.

"Ribuan tabung darah sudah disumbangkan bagi penderita yang kekurangan darah. Kami hanya membantu jadi perantara bagi pendonor dan orang yang butuh darah," ujarnya, di sela Festival Media Sosial di Plaza FX Jalan Sudirman, Jumat (23/9/2011).

Dalam acara ini, komunitas Blood for Life membuka kesempatan bagi pengunjung untuk mendonorkan darah, dan bekerjasama dengan Palang Merah Indonesia. Hingga sore, ada 60 orang yang menyumbangkan darahnya. Peminat cukup banyak, tambahnya lagi.

Menurut Mieke, ada banyak orang ingin m endonorkan darah, namun tidak memiliki informasi untuk menyalurkannnya. Di sisi lain, ada banyak orang membutuhkan darah, namun tidak mengetahui akses untuk mendapatkannya.

"Di sinilah kami hadir menjadi perantara bagi pendonor dan penderita. Semua relawan bekerja tanpa dibayar. Ini kerja kemanusiaan sepenuhnya," ujar Mieke.


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Pengembangan INDOMI dengan Radar Terbesar


SHUTTERSTOCK
-Ilustrasi.

KOMPAS.com - LAPAN saat ini tengah menggiatkan pengembangan INDOMI (Indonesia Monsoon Index). Pengembangan dilakukan dengan Radar Atmosfer Khatulistiwa (RAK), radar terbesar dan terlengkap di khatulistiwa setelah MST (Mesosphere Stratosphere Thermospeher) Radar yang ada di India dan Peru.

Dr Eddy Hermawan, peneliti radar dari LAPAN mengatakan, bahwa INDOMI sudah dikembangkan sejak 2 tahun lalu dan masih berlangsung sampai sekarang. Tujuan pengembangan ini adalah melengkapi pemahaman tentang Monsoon yang berdampak pada iklim Indonesia dan global.

"Selama ini orang memahami Monsoon itu curah hujan, padahal sebenarnya berkaitan dengan angin. Lalu juga selama Monsoon itu dipahami di lapisan bawah atmosfer, padahal di lapisan atas," kata Eddy saat ditemui di gedung BPPT Jakarta, kemarin (22/9/20111).

Menurut Eddy, pemahaman mendasar tentang Monsoon tersebut harus diketahui masyarakat. Dengan demikian, RAK tidak hanya menghasilkan penemuan yang langsung bisa diaplikasikan tetapi lebih pada penguatan kapasitas.

Meski demikian, dengan pengembangan INDOMI, beberapa aplikasi praktis sudah terbayangkan. Misalnya memahami fenomena musim basah panjang dan kemarau panjang yang dalam konteks Indonesia berkaitan erat dengan angin barat dan angin timur.

"RAK bisa melihat pola angin secara 3D. Jadi, pergerakan angin bisa diketahui, lokasinya dimana dan waktunya kapan. Dengan adanya indeks Monsoon ini nanti kita bisa mengetahui kapan terjadinya musim basah panjang dan kemarau panjang," jelas Eddy.

10 Tahun Beroperasi RAK adalah radar terbesar di Indonesia yang ditempatkan di Kotatabang. Radar ini punya kelebihan sebab memiliki antena putar, didesain untuk mencitrakan secara 3D dan bisa memetakan fenomena elektromagnetik pada jarak hingga 100 km.

Radar ini adalah hasil kerjasma LAPAN dengan Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH) di Universitas Kyoto, Jepang. Hingga saat ini, RAK telah beroperasi selama 10 tahun.

Peringatan 10 tahun beroperasinya radar ini digelar kemarin di gedung BPPT Jakarta. Setelah 10 tahun beroperasi, beberapa hasil telah didapatkan.

"Dinamika atmosfer di ekuator dan prosesnya semakin banyak yang terkuak. Misalnya tentang plasma bubble, bagaimana naik ke atas," kata Mamoru Yamamoto, professor dari RISH.

Yamamoto menambahkan bahwa beberapa fenomena berhasil ditangkap RAK. "Contohnya, sebelum tsunami Aceh pada 26 Desember 2006, RAK menangkap dinamika atmosfer yang berbeda, meski masih perlu diteliti apakah hal tersebut betul-betul berkaitan dengan tsunami," tambah Yamamoto.

Saat ini, tengah ada proposal kerjasama RISH dan LAPAN lagi untuk menambah radar guna memahami lebih lanjut dinamika atmosfer. Radar tambahan itu 10x lebih sensitif dari RAK. Perwujudan proposal ini akan membantu memperluas pemahaman tentang dinamika atmosfer khatulistiwa.


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Pedemu Negeri, Pede Berkarya untuk Negeri

KOMPAS.COM.RODERICK ADRIAN MOZES

KOMPAS.com - Menumbuhkan semangat cinta Tanah Air tidak harus dengan cara mengikuti upacara bendera semata. Saat ini sudah banyak komunitas-komunitas dunia maya yang berhasil menumbuhkan cinta Tanah Air dengan cara mencintai diri sendiri terlebih dahulu. Dengan kebanggaan sebagai anak Bangsa Indonesia, maka anggota komunitas akan percaya diri untuk berkarya dan memberikan sesuatu bagi perkembangan bangsa ini.

Salah satu komunitas yang berhasil melakukan itu adalah komunitas Pedemu Negeri. Website komunitas ini dibuat dengan dasar social network seperti Facebook. Semua anggota web bisa berbagi file berupa foto, musik, puisi, bahkan film pendek. Uniknya, file yang dipublikasikan harus merupakan karya sendiri.

"Web kami memberi kesempatan seluas-luasnya kepada anggota untuk memamerkan karyanya. Nanti setiap karya yang dipublikasikan di web akan dikomentari oleh anggota yang lain sehingga apresiasinya interaktif. Kami juga menampilkan karya mereka di Fan Page kami di Facebook, juga linknya kami bagi lewat Twitter, agar yang tidak sempat mengakses web bisa tahu perkembangan karya teman-temannya setiap hari," ujar Shinta Dwi Destarina, koordinator Social Media untuk Pedemu Negeri saat ditemui Kompas.com di Social Media Festival 2011, fX Plaza, Jakarta, Kamis (22/9/2011).

Untuk membuat suasana berkarya dan berbagi karya ini menjadi lebih menantang, pengelola Pedemu Negeri pernah mengadakan lomba menyanyikan Jingle Pedemu Negeri, Surat Cinta Indonesia, dan kompetisi video dengan tema Pede 17-an. Berbagai hadiah menarik dan kesempatan untuk diekspose media merupakan daya tarik bagi para peserta mengikuti lomba-lomba ini.

Komunitas ini pernah mengadakan gathering Kopdar Jakarta pada Juli 2011 di Kafe 247 Panglima Polim. Suasana Gathering diisi oleh penampilan dari para anggota komunitas ini seperti baca puisi, menyanyi, hingga menampilkan film pendek. Saat itu komunitas ini telah memiliki jingle yang diciptakan oleh para pendirinya yang kemudian dinyanyikan oleh Anda Bunga pada saat gathering.

Pedemu Negeri berdiri pada November 2010, didirikan oleh tiga orang yakni Widy Prasetya, Windy Andina, dan Dion Albert. Komunitas ini berdiri di Jakarta, namun setelah disurvei, anggota komunitas ternyata mayoritas berada di Yogyakarta dan sisanya di luar pulau Jawa. "Usia mereka antara 17 hingga 24 tahun," ungkap Shinta.

Hingga kini anggota resmi web Pedemu Negeri sudah berjumlah 4.100 dengan like di Fan Page Facebook sebanyak 2.579. Meski follower-nya masih sekitar 977 di Twitter, komunitas ini telah mendapat tawaran untuk menyelipkan logo mereka di pesawat Lion Air. JIka ada yang menyadari, pada kursi penumpang Lion Air di bagian kepala, kini sudah ada logo Pedemu Negeri. "Kami didukung penuh oleh Kementerian Perdagangan, sehingga logo kami bisa masuk pesawat untuk kampanye cinta Tanah Air," jelas Shinta.

Komunitas ini didukung oleh Kementerian Perdagangan bersama dengan komunitas-komunitas lain yang mengusung semangat cinta Tanah Air dalam program Halo ACI (Halo Aku Cinta Indonesia). Pada 25 November mendatang komunitas Pedemu Negeri bersama komunitas lainnya akan mengadakan roadshow di Jabodetabek.

Bagi yang penasaran dengan komunitas ini dan ingin bertanya lebih jauh, bisa mengunjungi stand mereka di Social Media Festival di F6 FX Plaza, Jakarta sejak 22 hingga 24 September 2011. Adakomputer yang disiapkan akan membantu memberikan visualisasi bagaimana cara bergabung dan berbagi karya di website Pedemu Negeri. Ada pula televisi dan DVD player untuk menunjukkan jingle Pedemu Negeri yang dinyanyikan Anda Bunga.


KOMPAS
READ MORE - Pedemu Negeri, Pede Berkarya untuk Negeri

Mudah bagi Indonesia beri insentif RIM

Saham Research In Motion (RIM) terperosok tajam pertengahan pekan lalu setelah penjualan BlackBerry dan tablet PlayBook tidak sesuai perkiraan dalam kuartal ini (Foto ANTARA/Lukisatrio)

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika menyatakan bahwa bagi Indonesia sangatlah mudah untuk memberikan insentif kepada Research in Motion, bila produsen BlackBerry itu memang menanamkan modalnya di Indonesia.

Pernyataan itu disampaikan oleh Kepala Pusat Informasi dan Humas Kemenkominfo Gatot S Dewa Broto terkait rencana RIM mendirikan pabrik di Penang, Malaysia. Malaysia dikabarkan memberikan insentif khusus kepada RIM bila bersedia membangun pabrik di Negeri Jiran.

"Sebenarnya sangat mudah bagi pemerintah Indonesia untuk memberikan insentif bagi RIM," kata Gatot di Jakarta, Jumat.

Menurut Gatot Dewa Broto, dalam pemberian insentif persoalannya hanya terletak pada koordinasi antarinstansi terkait, meliputi Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal (BKPM), Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Perekonomian, dan Kemkominfo.

"Persoalannya hanya pada masalah koordinasi, kami siap seandainya ada instansi yang bersedia untuk me-lead atau berinisiatif untuk ke arah itu," katanya.

Gatot berpendapat, pada dasarnya Indonesia sangat terbuka terhadap para investor yang ingin menanamkan modalnya di Tanah Air.

Dibandingkan negara lain di kawasan Asia Tenggara, maka Indonesia termasuk negara yang paling akomodatif terhadap investor.

Apalagi, bagi RIM, kata Gatot, akan sangat menguntungkan untuk mendirikan pabriknya di Indonesia sebab Indonesia merupakan basis pasar yang sangat gemuk bahkan paling besar di kawasan Asia Pasifik.

"Indonesia pasarnya gemuk, dari sisi distribusi akan sangat menguntungkan bagi RIM karena akan memotong rantai distribusi jadi langsung ke konsumen dan mempermudah delivery logistik," katanya.

Sayangnya, Gatot menambahkan, pihaknya tidak memiliki kewenangan khusus untuk memberikan insentif ataupun sanksi sehingga hanya dapat memberikan imbauan agar RIM menanamkan modalnya lebih banyak termasuk mendirikan pabrik atau pusat distribusinya di Indonesia.

"Ada instansi lain yang berhak dan berwenang untuk memberikan itu," katanya.

Kemkominfo hanya memiliki kewenangan terkait komitmen RIM untuk menyaring konten pornografi, mendirikan pusat purna-jual, serta membangun network aggregator dan jaringan. (H016/A011)



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ITS-DSME Korea lakukan riset "floating-LNG"

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) dan "Daewoo Shipyard and Marine Engineering" (DSME) Korea melakukan riset bersama tentang "Floating-LNG" (FLNG).

Hasil riset bersama itu dikaji dalam workshop ke-5 di kampus setempat, Kamis (22/9). Workshop itu menyampaikan kajian-kajian terkini dalam pengembangan teknologi FLNG.

"Workshop kali ini merupakan waktu yang tepat untuk menyampaikan hasil yang telah dicapai pada join riset tahap pertama pada tahun lalu," kata Rektor ITS Prof Dr Ir Trioyogi Yuwono DEA.

Oleh karena itu, workshop F-LNG itu menjadi sangat penting, karena kelangkaan energi sudah menjadi isu internasional yang dibarengi dengan adanya isu penggunaan energi bersih untuk kemaslahatan manusia.

"ITS sebagai salah satu universitas teknik terbesar di Indonesia mempunyai tanggung jawab yang sangat besar untuk menjawab masalah kelangkaan energi yang dihadapi masyarakat," katanya.

Senada dengan itu, "Vice President of DSME" Dr Jung Han Lee mengatakan, kerja sama riset ini menjadi sangat strategis, mengingat banyaknya cadangan gas alam Indonesia.

Hal itu melihat kondisi beberapa daerah di Indonesia yang tidak memungkinkan untuk menggunakan "fixed structure", karena itu pemanfaatan teknologi FLNG akan menjadi sangat penting untuk mengeksploitasi gas, memproduksi LNG dan mentransfer LNG.

"ITS menjadi bagian dalam pengembangan teknologi tersebut dankerja sama riset itu akan menjadi masukan yang sangat bermanfaat bagi pemerintah Indonesia dalam menentukan kebijakan pengelolaan gas alam di masa yang akan datang," katanya.

Dalam kesempatan itu, juga dilangsungkan penandatanganan perjanjian "join riset" tahap II antara ITS dan DSME.

"Join riset" tahap I berakhir pada akhir 2010. Pada Tahap I, "conceptual design" dari FLNG berdasarkan komposisi gas beberapa ladang gas alam di Indonesia.

Sementara tahap II akan diarahkan untuk melanjutkan desain konseptual yang diperoleh di tahap I menjadi desain yang lebih detail, termasuk memasukkan beberapa aspek lingkungan dan keselamatan secara lebih mendalam.

Sebelumnya (21/9), sebanyak 150 peneliti MIPA dari Universitas Airlangga (Unair) Surabaya-Indonesia dan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) bertemu dalam "International Conference and Workshop on Basic Sains" (ICoWoBaS) di Surabaya pada 21-23 September.

"Itu pertemuan peneliti MIPA Unair dan UTM yang ketiga kalinya, karena kami sudah pernah mengadakan pertemuan pertama di Surabaya pada tahun 2007 dan pertemuan kedua di Johor pada tahun 2009," kata Wakil Ketua ICoWoBaS III, Dr Nanik Siti Aminah.

Ketika ditemui ANTARA di sela-sela konferensi internasional Unair-UTM itu, ia menjelaskan ICoWoBaS merupakan pertemuan yang membahas hasil riset bersama yang dilakukan peneliti Unair-UTM di bidang ilmu dasar yakni Matematika, Biologi, Kimia, dan Fisika. (E011/M026)



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Pengembang Aplikasi Android Beradu Karya

Kompetisi ini diikuti 20 peserta yang dikualifikasi lebih dari 100 calon peserta.

Aplikasi perekam suara di Android (symantec.com)

VIVAnews -
Pengguna Android di Indonesia berkembang pesat dalam beberapa tahun terakhir. Berdasarkan data dari Gfk Juli 2011, total pangsa pasar Android untuk smart handled dan tablet mencapai sekitar 179.000 unit per bulan atau seperempat dari total smartphone dan feature phone. Tren pasar Android juga meningkat dari 8 persen pada kuartal I menjadi 16 persen pada kuartal II-2011.

Perkembangan positif ini membuka kesempatan bagi para pengembang aplikasi Indonesia untuk dapat berkarya. Untuk itu, Acer menyelenggarakan Acer HackDay, sebuah even untuk para pengembang aplikasi guna menciptakan berbagai prototype yang mampu bekerja dengan baik dan berbasis sistem operasi Android Honeycomb.

“Acer berkomitmen mengembangkan komunitas kreatif dalam negeri dan membudayakan inovasi pada sektor ini,” ujar Country Manager, President Director PT Acer Indonesia, Jason Lim, di Jakarta, Jumat, 23 September 2011.

Andoid Honeycomb merupakan sebuah versi dari platform berbasis Android yang dioptimalkan untuk perangkat dengan layar yang lebih besar, terutama tablet. Android memperkenalkan tampilannya yang paling baru, dengan desain virtual ‘holographic’ yang juga elegan dan fokus pada interaksi konten. Sementara itu, Acer Iconia merupakan PC pertama yang mengadopsi sistem operasi ini.

Meski kompetisi lokal, hasil karya para peserta akan ditaruh di Android Market. “Karya mereka ditaruh di sana, jadi terserah di sana, bisa jadi digunakan luar negeri,” kata Head of Marketing Communications Acer Indonesia, Helmy Anam di sela kompetisi Acer Honeycomb.

Helmy menambahkan, tujuan kompetisi ini untuk mencari bakat baru dalam pengembangan aplikasi Android Honeycomb. Lantas, apakah tindak lanjutnya nanti?

Dia menekankan, fokusnya saat ini menumbuhkan potensi dulu, untuk selanjutnya, pihaknya belum berpikir sejauh itu. “Kami mau lihat ini dulu lah, kami tidak membatasi,” tambahnya.

Segmen yang dikompetisikan adalah segmen entertainment. Target Acer dari kompetisi ini adalah menghilangkan hambatan dalam penggunaan komputer atau PC, terlebih lagi saat momentum meledaknya sosial media.

Kompetisi ini diikuti oleh 20 peserta yang sebelumnya dikualifikasi lebih dari 100 calon peserta. Peserta diberi waktu 24 jam untuk menciptakan aplikasi yang paling terbaik. Program ini merupakan bagian dari tanggungjawab perusahaan Acer untuk memfasilitasi komunitas online. Sebelumnya, Acer sudah melakukan kompetisi teknologi untuk kalangan guru. (art)



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READ MORE - Pengembang Aplikasi Android Beradu Karya

Energi Listrik Hibrid dari Pantai Pandansimo

Teknologi ini memanfaatkan potensi sumber daya angin laut dan angin darat.

petani garam manfaatkan kincir angin (Antara/ Saiful Bahri)

VIVAnews
- Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) dan Kementerian Negara Riset dan Teknologi (RISTEK) tengah mengembangkan pemanfaatan energi listrik hibrid dari hasil potensi energi angin dan energi panas matahari di pantai Pandansimo, Bantul, Yogyakarta.

Terdapat 35 unit turbin angin yang sudah dipasang dengan tinggi rata-rata 18 meter . Terdiri 26 turbin angin dengan kapasitas 1 kW, 6 turbin angin 2,5 kW, 2 turbin angin 10 kW, dan satu turbin angin 50 kW. Ditambah 175 unit sel surya dengan kapasitas 17,5 kWp.

Rahmawan Budiarto, anggota tim peneliti, mengatakan teknologi tersebut memanfaatkan potensi sumber daya angin laut dan angin darat di pantai Pandasimo Bantul yang memiliki kecepatan rata-rata 3-4 meter/detik dan intensitas sinar matahari yang besar dan tetap.

“Kekuatan kecepatan angin di Pandansimo termasuk rendah, sehingga dikombinasikan dengan energi sel surya. Dari keduanya, setiap hari hasilkan 130 kW,” kata Rahmawan, Yogyakarta, Jum'at 23 September 2011.

Instalasi turbin dan sel surya yang sudah terpasang akhir tahun lalu tersebut, kata Rahmawan, telah dimanfaatkan oleh masyarakat yang tinggal di sekitar pantai guna produksi listrik untuk menghidupkan mesin es untuk produksi es balok yang sering dimanfaatkan para nelayan.

“Untuk sementara ini, pemanfaatan energi listrik hibrid ini sepenuhnya untuk membantu pengembangan ekonomi masyarakat nelayan dan petani sekitar,” ujarnya.

Bambang Susilo, salah satu anggota tim pengembangan ekonomi berbasis energi mandiri, menuturkan timnya tengah memanfaatkan energi listrik hibrid untuk mengangkat air dari sumur renteng melalui mesin pompa air. Air tersebut selain mengairi 40 kolam yang masing-masing berukuran 8x4 meter juga dimanfaatkan untuk menyiram tanaman untuk kegiatan pertanian di lahan marjinal.

“Air dari kolam, tiap pagi dinaikin lewat pompa air. Limpahan kotoran air dari kolam ini digunkan untuk menyiram tanaman cabe dan terong, dan bayam” ungkapnya.

Sementara untuk produksi es balok, kata Bambang, saat ini sepenuhnya dikelola oleh kelompok masyarakat sekitar. Tiap hari sekitar 70-100 es balok yang dijual ke nelayan dengan harga Rp 1000 per satu es balok.

Laporan : Erick Tanjung l Yogyakarta, umi



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LAPAN: Indonesia Aman dari Satelit Jatuh

Berdasarkan laporan, UARS jatuh saat mengorbit di atas Samudera Pasifik.

Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) (space.com)

VIVAnews
-
Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (LAPAN) menyatakan Indonesia aman dari jatuhya puing-puing satelit Amerika Serikat, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). Lokasi jatuhnya satelit disinyalir terletak di Kanada.

"Indonesia aman dari puing-puing UARS. Karena berdasarkan laporan terakhir sudah jatuh di atas Samudera Pasifik," kata peneliti LAPAN, Thomas Djamaluddin kepada VIVAnews.com, Sabtu 24 September 2011.

Menurut Thomas, UARS terjatuh saat mengorbit pada 120 km di atas Pasifik. Satelit itu sebagian telah terbakar karena gesekan dengan atmosfer.

"Analisis orbit tengah hari tadi menyatakan satelit jatuh dan terbakar pada saat melewati wilayah Pasifik dan Kanada," kata dia.

"Jadi, laporan terakhir menyatakan satelit itu jatuh di sekitar Kanada. Hanya sekarang masih dicari bukti puing-puing itu apakah benar dari UARS," lanjut Thomas.

Satelit pemantau atmosfer ini diluncurkan pada 1991. Satelit seberat 6,5 ton ini dinyatakan tidak beroperasi lagi pada 2005. (ren)



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Student Loan Deferment - Obama And Clinton Pledge

Loan deferment is a program in which the payments will be reduced or not be required to pay back for a specific amount of time. The good thing about deferring your student loans if you lost your job, have military duty or go back to school is that interest will stop accruing for that period of time. You do not have to pay interest or the regularly scheduled monthly payment during this time period. This alone can be a life safer to many Americans who find themselves in a credit crunch and have too many bills.

There is also terms referred to as forbearance, this means that you can stop required payments for a specified amount of time. The difference between forbearance and deferment is that you don't have to pay the required interest back on these types of loans. Yes forbearance will temporary suspend your monthly scheduled payments but the interest will continue to add up and increase the balance of your loan.

To sign up for either one of these programs you must file an application with your student loan consolidation provider. Student loans can also fall into default but can still be consolidated, many people fall into this category because of financial problems. The Loan can automatically go into default if you miss a monthly payment even one time. Missing your schedule payment does have a negative effect on your credit rating and can haunt you for a long time.

Make sure if you get into circumstances in which you can make your required monthly payment that you file for forbearance or deferment, this can save you a lot of headache in the long run and you'll be glad you did it.

READ MORE - Student Loan Deferment - Obama And Clinton Pledge

Friday, September 23, 2011

Air France-KLM Terbang Pakai Minyak Goreng

Zams Site - Maskapai penerbangan asal Eropa, Air France-KLM, akan menggunakan minyak goreng sebagai bahan bakar pesawat terbangnya mulai September tahun ini. Lebih dari 200 penerbangan dari Paris ke Amsterdam, Belanda, akan memakai minyak goreng sebagai bahan bakar.

"Pada November 2009, kita telah mendemonstrasikan bahwa secara teknik memungkinkan terbang menggunakan biokerosin," kata Managing Director Air France-KLM, Camiel Eurlings, sebagaimana dimuat laman physorg.com.

"Sekarang, satu setengah tahun setelah percobaan di Camelina, fase baru telah tiba di dunia, yaitu sertifikasi. Autorisasi segera diberikan kepada operasi penerbangan komersial dengan menggunakan biofuel."

Penting dicatat, penggunaan minyak goreng bekas tak bisa dikompromikan dengan keamanan pesawat. Minyak goreng bekas harus dimurnikan terlebih dahulu, sehingga memiliki spesifikasi sama persis dengan kerosin biasa.

Salah satu keuntungan penggunaan minyak goreng ini adalah pesawat terbang tidak perlu dimodifikasi menggunakan bahan bakar terbarukan ini.

Bahan bakar dinamis yang bisa menghasilkan biofuel ini bisa berasal dari pelbagai sumber, termasuk lemak hewani, minyak sayur-sayuran, tall oil (produk sampingan dari pengolahan pohon pinus dan bubur kayu atau kertas), dan lemak.

Ide penggunaan biofuel oleh maskapai gabungan asal Prancis dan Belanda itu adalah bagian dari usaha mereka menurunkan emisi karbon. The International Air Transportation Association telah menyusun target pada 2007 yang lalu untuk menghapuskan emisi karbon dioksida dari perjalanan udara pada 2050 mendatang.

Tidak jelas berapa persen biofuel yang akan digunakan dalam penerbangan Air France-KLM ini. Tapi, selama uji coba pada 2009 silam, campuran 50:50 telah sukses diujicobakan dalam satu mesin Boeing 747.

Namun Eurling mengatakan masalah harga masih menjadi penghalang utama untuk menggunakan biofuel 100 persen.

"Biaya penggunaan biofuel perlu diturunkan secara substansial dan permanen. Ini bisa dicapai melalui inovasi, kolaborasi, dan perundang-undangan yang mendorong penggunaan biofuel dalam industri penerbangan, tapi dalam kompetisi yang jujur," kata Eurlings.
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