Prints Indelible Mark - Part 2

Prints Indelible Mark - Part 2 Prints Indelible Mark - Part 2 Prints Indelible Mark, Part 2Part 1 of Prints Indelible Mark introduced some of the earliest advances in printing. Here are a few more that, in their own ways, influenced future printing technologies.Twains Blank PaigeThe Paige Compositor, developed between 1872 and 1888 by inventor James W. Paige, was one of several mechanized typesetting machines vying in the race eventually won by Mergenthalers Linotype machine. The Paige incorporated a mechanical arm to replace the human typesetters skilled hand. However, the complex device required constant adjustments to compensate for its lack of precision, and customers balked. Whatever its mechanical innovations may have been, the Paige is primarily remembered today as a contributing factor in iconic American author Mark Twains creative and financial downfall.A former printer himself, Twain was captivated by the Paiges promise of fast, foolproof typesetting and laid everything he had on the line to help commercialize it. He championed the device and backed its development with most of his fortune as much as $6 1000000 in todays dollars only to be wiped out when the company folded. Twain moved his family to Europe and spent more time on the lucrative lecture circuit than on writing. Ultimately only two Paige compositors were manufactured, one of which was recycled for scrap metal during World War II and the other of which is displayed at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT.For You How Artificial Intelligence Transforms Manufacturing Shackletons Nimrod expedition crew work on Aurora Australis, the first book published in Antarctica. Image Wikimedia CommonsCold TypeMarshall McLuhan classifies print as a hot medium. But tell that to the authors of Aurora Australis, the first book published in Antarctica. Written, illustrated, printed and bound by the crew of Ernest Shackletons Nimrod expedition, the book was a make-work project to help the men fend off polar ennui while hunkered in over the long, totally dark winter of 1908 at Cape RoydsonRoss Islandin theMcMurdo Sound. Working in a crowded hut heated with a coal-seal blubber mixture, the crew braved the brutal elements and typical temperatures of minus 72 degrees F to compile 120 pages of articles, fiction, poems, lithographs, and etchings of their adventures. The finished book was bound between covers of venesta, an oak/chestnut wood composite reclaimed from storage boxes brought on the expedition.Complex TypecastingNo mechanical printing technology has endured more derision than the Chinese typewriter. To the Western mind, the very idea is absurd. Pop culture icons from Lisa Simpson to M.C. Hammer have lampooned the notion that a mere machine could reproduce a language built on a complex system of symbols. However, before they were superseded by digital technology, Chinese typewriters were a real thing. Patented in 1946, the Ming Kwai electromechanical typewriter may have actually inspired todays smartphones. Image Wikimedia CommonsA hefty, mechanically bewildering thing, perhaps, but a thing nonetheless with a degree of sophistication that may have inspired todays smart phones. In 1916, Shanghai-based mechanical engineer Hou-Kun Chow developed what is considered the first Chinese typewriter, a 40-pound hulk with 4,000 characters arranged on a revolving cylinder. While a student at MIT, Chow became interested in American typewriters and grew determined to develop a practical version for use by Chinese businesses. Thirty years later, Lin Yutang obtained a U.S. patent for the Ming Kwai typewriter, a in vielen zungen electromechanical model more or less the same size as a conventional office typewriter of the time. The device was equipped with six character-containing rollers, which could be used one or two at a time to produce a total of 90,000 distinct characters. Placement of character radicals and partial characters was based on Lins novel system of categorization. Although a prototype was produced, the typewriter was never commercialized.Typewriters in China were uncommon, usually restricted to institutional use by a government concerned about the spread of information. Many were ultimately destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Most commercial models incorporated a tray of about 2,500 frequently used characters organized in a grid. A selector lever was used to plektrum out the correct symbol. Once activated, the typewriter mechanism performed a five-step process of selecting, inking, typing, and replacing the character. Many common characters could only be reproduced using multiple keystrokes, complicating the already daunting task of organizing the character grid to facilitate faster typing speeds. Engineers efforts to develop a logic for character location based on usage are believed by some collectors to have influenced modern smartphone features such as predictive text and autocomplete.Michael MacR ae is an independent writer. Read MoreSuper-Fast Lasers Detect Poisonous AirTake a Spin and a Splash on the Hydro BikeHandheld Dronut Brings Drones Indoors For Further Discussion

What to Expect From a Career as a Legal Transcriptionist

What to Expect From a Career as a Legal TranscriptionistWhat to Expect From a Career as a Legal TranscriptionistLegal transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by attorneys, paralegals, and other legal professionals and then transcribe them into legal documents. They generally listen to recordings on a headset, using a foot pedal to pause the recording when necessary, and key the text into a computer. The documents they produce can include correspondence, pleadings, motions, discovery, legal memorandums, agreements, and time entries. Documents that have been transcribed can end up being produced in court. The Difference Between a Legal Transcriptionist and a Court Reporter Transcriptionists use a computer keyboard to transcribe dictated recordings. This differs from a court reporter, who uses stenography equipment to transcribe the spoken positiv. A court reporter is charged with capturing live conversation- dialogue as it occurs in a courtroom or a deposition where te stimony is taken prior to court proceedings. A transcriptionist types dictation. The attorney records what she wants to say in correspondence, memos, or the content of legal documents. The pace is typically slower and more deliberate than the testimony of a witness in court. Job Duties Legal transcriptionists must continually edit the information they transcribe for clarity. They must ensure that the transcribed copy is free of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and typographical errors. Legal transcriptionists might also perform administrative duties such as organizing and filing legal documents and tracking deadlines. Necessary Skills Legal transcriptionists must have a knack forgrammar and the written word, as well as extremely good listening skills. They must have the ability to comprehend the content of the dictated material theyretranscribing. Other key skills include Proficiency with transcription softwareFast (85 words per minute) and accurate keyboarding skillsSolid un derstanding of legal terminologyExcellent command of the English languageStrong proofreading skillsProficiency with popular word processing, spreadsheet, and billing software applicationsAbove average computer skills Comprehensive knowledge of the legal system can be very helpful as well, particularly for those who have an eye on advancing to a paralegal position. Training and Education A high school diploma and experience in an office or legal setting are often the only requirements necessary for an entry-level position. Legal transcriptionists often receive on-the-job training from an attorney, paralegal, or office manager. Many community colleges, vocational schools, and technical schools offer legal transcription training programs to help expand your employment options, however. You can complete some programs in as little as five months or earn a certificate in legal transcription in as little as one years full-time study. You can earn an associate degree in legal transcript ion technology in two years. Legal transcriptionist career diploma programs are also sometimes available online, such as with CourtReporterEDUor TranscribeAnywhere, if squeezing in classroom time is difficult for you. They teach legal concepts and the basics of the U.S. legal system, as well as the art of legal research, common legal terms, and jurisdictional laws. But many go beyond that. Theyll also train you in areas such as time management and communications skills. If you opt for a classroom setting, youll most likely also gain the benefit of real life practice exercises. Some other core courses found in a legal transcriptionist training program include word processing and typing, court reporting theory, English and editing for transcription, computer-aided transcription, legal dictionary building, and basic dictionary building. Its possible to become nationally certified through the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers. Can You Work From Home? Many transcriptionists are independent contractors who work from home and offer their services to attorneys and legal employers. Other legal transcriptionists work as legal secretaries, legal assistants, or clerks in law offices, corporations, banks, insurance companies, public interest venues, or the government. Legal transcriptionists whowork at homeare more likely to work irregular hours, including part-time, evenings, and weekends. But they have the flexibility of scheduling their own hours to fit their lifestyles so that they can work around family demands. If the job involves secretarial or administrative duties, however, this would typically necessitate that the transcriptionist have access to a clients file. Most reputable attorneys will not allow files to leave their office premises because of issues of attorney-client confidentiality. Typical Work Environment Legal transcriptionists often sit in the same position for long periods. They can suffer wrist, back, neck, or eye problems caused by strain, and they risk repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. They are sometimes required to work at a prescribed productivity pace- for example, theyre expected to transcribe 1,015 lines or more per day or 145 lines per hour while maintaining 98 percent accuracy. This fast-paced environment and the constant pressure to be accurate and productive can be stressful. Salaries The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not track salary information specifically for legal transcriptionists, but those in similar jobs earn between $20,000 and $60,000 per year with an average of about $26,400 as of 2018. Those who work as legal secretaries or legal assistants at large law firms tend to earn incomes at the higher end of that salary range. Law firms in larger metropolitan areas tend to pay more than those in more rural or suburban areas. The average in Philadelphia is about $40,000 as of 2018 while transcriptionists in Johnstown, Pennsylvania earn about $10.35 an hour- about $21,500 a year.

Single Crystal Turbine Blade Named ASMEs 265th Landmark

Single Crystal Turbine Blade Named ASMEs 265th Landmark Single Crystal Turbine Blade Named ASMEs 265th Landmark Single Crystal Turbine Blade Named ASMEs 265th LandmarkASME Past President Gene Feigel (left) presented the ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark plaque to Frank Preli, chief engineer of Materials and Processes Engineering at Pratt Whitney, at the landmark designation ceremony in Windsor Locks, Conn. (Photo courtesy of Pratt Whitney)Last month, Pratt Whitneys single crystal turbine blade was designated as an ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark at a ceremony at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Conn. The innovative blade, which is ASMEs 265th landmark, is credited with improving jet engine efficiency, lowering emissions and extending time intervals between engine repairs.The landmark ceremony, which was held Feb. 21, drew a crowd of approximately 75 people including senior Pratt Whitney personnel, former Pratt Whitney employees who helped de sign the turbine blade, ASME History Heritage Committee member Lee Langston, who was also involved in designing the blade, and friends of the New England Air Museum. The fest was also attended by ASME Past President Gene Feigel, who presented the landmark plaque, and ASME Past President Bill Weiblen.The single crystal turbine blade was developed in the early 1960s at Pratt Whitneys Advanced Materials Research and Development Laboratory (AMRDL) by a team led by Maurice Bud Shank and Frank VerSnyder, who were attempting to develop a stronger, more heat-resistant blade for use in jet engines. The turbine blades traditionally used in jet engines were composed of nickel-based superalloys, which had a crystalline structure with grain boundaries weakened areas that were susceptible to cracks and fractures. The single crystal turbine blade invented by Shank and VerSnyders team had no crystalline boundaries, resulting in greater resistance to fracture and corrosion as well as vastly impro ved creep performance than nickel alloy blades. Lee Langston, a member of the ASME History Heritage Committee who helped design the single crystal turbine blade, addressed the audience at the landmark ceremony on Feb. 21. (Photo by Wil Haywood, ASME Public Information)Single crystal turbine components were used for the first time commercially in the early 1980s in the JT9D-7R4 engine for the Boeing 747, Airbus A300 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The technology also had military applications in TF30 and F100 jet fighter engines. Pratt Whitney was recognized for its achievement with the ASM International Materials Achievement Award in 1975 and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.The single crystal turbine blade is a most deserving addition to ASMEs roster of mechanical engineering landmarks, said ASME President Charla K. Wise. With this landmark, we recognize the engineering attributes of the single crystal blade, as well as the corporate effort of Pratt Wh itney to develop a technology that contributed to the advancement of the gas turbine industry.For more information on the ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks program, click here.