In a January 16, 2020 Washington Post article, Abha Bhattarai writes about LEGO’s growing demographic of stressed-out adults. One person’s LEGO time is described as a “kind of guided meditation.” The author of the LEGO book, Build Yourself Happy: The Joy of Lego Play, calls her LEGO pieces “therapeutic.” LEGO is capitalizing on the growing adult market by […]
In a
January 16, 2020 Washington Post article, Abha Bhattarai writes about LEGO’s growing demographic of stressed-out adults. One person’s LEGO time is described as a “kind of guided meditation.” The author of the LEGO book,
Build Yourself Happy: The Joy of Lego Play, calls her LEGO pieces “therapeutic.”
LEGO is capitalizing on the growing adult market by improving their instructions and introducing new lines of models to provide a “joyful creative challenge.”
Eric Honour, founder of Honourcode, a Systems Engineering training company now owned by Applied Technology Institute, LLC, has used LEGOs for years in a couple of the training classes. Students build robots using Mindstorms Robotic Invention System 2.0. Both successes and failures with the final LEGO robots results in great fun and a huge learning experience.
ATI courses which incorporate the Mindstorm RIS 2.0 Lego Sets include:
Applied Systems Engineering has four different groups building LEGO robots to interact as a whole. The LEGO exercise demonstrates concept, methods, requirements, system architecting, product design and implementation, integration and test, and leadership and collaboration.
Applied Test & Evaluation uses LEGOs in groups for a Test Challenge: Plan for T&E, build the robot per instructions, then follow their T&E plan.
What an amazing toy! Fun for kids of all ages. Valuable as a means to relax, to collaborate, to test, and to learn to better work with yourself and others.
%MCEPASTEBIN%
New INCOSE Handbook – New CSEP Opportunities The newest INCOSE SE Handbook (version 4.0) is expected this month (June 2015). Now is a great time to plan for the CSEP/ASEP exam best suited to you, because the transition gives you a choice!. Insider Hint – Since the CSEP application process can be long and time […]
New INCOSE Handbook – New CSEP Opportunities
The newest INCOSE SE Handbook (version 4.0) is expected this month (June 2015). Now is a great time to plan for the CSEP/ASEP exam best suited to you, because the transition gives you a choice!.
Insider Hint – Since the CSEP application process can be long and time intensive, sign up first to become an ASPE. Once you pass the exam, you then can take your time to complete the more demanding CSEP application process.
The Handbook was delayed to coincide with the recent release of ISO-15288. Now INCOSE will offer a transition period for you. From now through December 2015, the current exam will continue to be primary, based on Handbook v3.2.2. The new exam will become primary in January 2016 – but the new exam can also be available by special request as early as July.
ATI matches the transition with our Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) Preparation course. You can still take our 2-day course based on Handbook v3.2.2 on July 7-8, 2015 in Chantilly, VA. Or you can expand your knowledge with our new 3-day version based on Handbook 4.0 on September 24-26 (and forward). The new course will cover the significant expansion in the new Handbook (another 50 pages!) and will also include more exercises and activities to help you “seal in” the knowledge for the exam.
You can choose! Take the shorter course and get your ASEP/CSEP now, before the change – or take the longer course to get the full set of new knowledge and more learning activities. Either way, you advance your career by gaining the INCOSE certification!
Last week when a customer had questions I talked with Tom Logsdon about the 6 methods of training used in his Creativity & Innovation course. The six methods are spelled out in his book Six Simple Creative Solutions that Shook the World. Tom is a mathematician and rocket scientist by training (and he teaches courses […]
Last week when a customer had questions I talked with Tom Logsdon about the 6 methods of training used in his
Creativity & Innovation course. The six methods are spelled out in his book Six Simple Creative Solutions that
Shook the World. Tom is a mathematician and rocket scientist by training (and he teaches courses on GPS and
Orbital & Launch Mechanics in his spare time) who teaches creativity paired with discipline.
Yesterday, my husband called to alert me to a minor crisis at home. Our 2 year old gas stove, both burners and
oven, had ceased to heat. It was fine at breakfast and not at lunch. Although fueled by gas it has electric igniters.
During the phone call we took a scientific approach.
Six Simple Creative Solutions that Shook the World #1: Break your problem apart & put it back together:
we concluded that since the burners could be started with a lighter that the problem was not in the gas
feed. Additionally, the digital clock didn’t work. Everything pointed to something electric. However, the
circuit breaker was fine.
Later, when I came home we pulled the stove out and
6SCStStW #2: Take a fresh look at the interfaces. The electric connection appeared secure on both ends
and it didn’t work with an alternate outlet.
By this time -in a too-crowded kitchen with a malfunctioning appliance- the (wall) clock was ticking, no food was
being prepared and my husband and mother were chomping at the bit. I reached for the iPod, plugged it in to the
speaker and turned on some vintage Eric Clapton Unplugged….and nothing…..happened. Zero sound. Then the
Eureka moment occurred! Or
6SCStStW #6. Happy Serendipity. Believe me, I needed those mellow acoustic notes. That is when I
realized that the outlet circuit had tripped. I hit the reset button and Voila! Eric Clapton strummed the
guitar and Chuck Leavell dazzled on the piano.
Electricity was restored to the stove and dinner was prepared and served. Thank you Tom Logsdon & Eric Clapton!
Note: Tom Logsdon’s Creativity & Innovation course is available for training at your facility.
Author Bio: Jack is interested in everything to do with technology and has recently purchased secure web hosting with JaguarPC so he can launch his own analysis and opinion website related to the industry. In his spare time, Jack enjoys painting. As far back as the 1990s, technology analysts were saying that wars of the […]
Author Bio: Jack is interested in everything to do with technology and has recently purchased secure web hosting with
JaguarPC so he can launch his own analysis and opinion website related to the industry. In his spare time, Jack enjoys painting.
As far back as the 1990s, technology analysts were saying that wars of the future wouldn’t be fought with tanks on the battlefield. Instead, war would rely on technology experts being able to hack computer systems and access and extract data for analysis by individuals in various fields. While there are still plenty of examples today of ‘traditional’ wars being fought around the world, there is no question that the level of cybercrime has increased.
Increased Problems
There are many reasons why cybercrime occurs. The most common appears to be when cybercriminals deliberately target a specific organisation with the objective of stealing data or accessing personal details with a view to committing fraud of some type. However, cybercrime, or a cyber-attack, might be committed by an individual or a group who mean to expose how flawed a system is. These people aren’t hacking to necessarily cause harm, but to raise awareness and say “This is what would happen if…” although critics of this approach often scald such initiatives, as they are perceived to be an open invitation to criminals.
Cyber Security Priorities
Because of these issues, cyber security is an increasingly large priority both for governments and for companies around the world. At the beginning of 2013, we saw high profile hacking cases involving the New York Times, while Google have also been a target and, in recent days, Adobe have admitted that details of nearly three million customers have potentially been compromised.
The Chinese Government have also publicly admitted in recent weeks that they have been victims of a cyber-attack, while it is thought Western governments “legally” target so-called rogue states like Iran and North Korea to get information about potential nuclear development, among other things.
When names such as these are being targeted, it is clear the size of the problem is gargantuan. The important thing with cyber security is that it is seen as a continuous priority and that it is accepted that the job is never done. As soon as an update is released or a website or database protected and made more robust, there is someone somewhere trying to break it, and history tells us that eventually they will do.
Small Business Risks
In recent months, analysts have been pointing out the dangers of not having adequate cyber security to small businesses. Although a small business might not have the depth of data a large corporation or a government will hold, they could be seen as an easy target, particularly if security is seen as lax by criminals and they’re able to get all the information they need almost unnoticed.
The lesson for all webmasters to heed is that, if it can happen to Google and Adobe, for example, it can happen to them. An attitude of “I have nothing to offer so I’m not at risk” is a dangerous one to have. Even a large company would struggle to maintain its reputation if it was compromised to the extent that large-scale fraud was carried out based on data gleaned from them, so how would a small one survive?
The importance of cyber security is clear, what matters now is that everyone acts on it and ensures they’re in the best position not to be compromised.
While Scotchie may or may not be recruited by the Iranians to go to the ISS, Hunter will be thinking deep thoughts about the Ground Control aspects of the launch. Incidentally, Hunter would benefit from attending ATI’s November 11-13, 2013 Ground Systems Design & Operation course in Columbia, MD. Learn more about ATI Staff here.
While Scotchie may or may not be recruited by the Iranians to go to the ISS, Hunter will be thinking deep thoughts about the Ground Control aspects of the launch.
The Washington Post had an article on June 30, 2013 titled “They said the sequester would be scary. Mostly, they were wrong.” It said the effects were largely mitigated by political means and methods after all. I just want to say that for us at ATI, the predictions of large cutbacks are mostly correct. It […]
I just want to say that for us at ATI, the predictions of large cutbacks are mostly correct. It has had a tremendously adverse effect with attendance at public courses down more than 40 % People either do not have money for travel and/ or they do not have money for training. Both training and travel are the first to be cut in a tight budget. The story that best illustrates this came to me from a gentleman who, along with his colleague, had registered –and paid- to attend one of our courses last winter. In the eleventh hour they had to withdraw as travel funding was no longer permitted.
I contacted him when the course was next being held to find out if they might be able to attend this time and the answer was “no”. He elaborated, “They’ve even stopped cutting the grass (knee high is some places) and our restrooms only get cleaned twice a week. Sequestration is hurting us badly.”
To this I responded, “Holy cow! Knee high grass.”
He came back with, “We could use a few cows.”
Please feel free to share your Sequestration story.
The sound woke Nicholas and Lisa Badart just after 3 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 28. You know Lisa as the course registrar for Applied Technology Institute. “I heard this rumble, and then a creaking noise, and I was half asleep, and I thought, ‘Oh no,’ and the whole roof came in,” said Nick Badart. Seconds later […]
The sound woke Nicholas and Lisa Badart just after 3 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 28. You know Lisa as the course registrar for Applied Technology Institute.
“I heard this rumble, and then a creaking noise, and I was half asleep, and I thought, ‘Oh no,’ and the whole roof came in,” said Nick Badart.
Seconds later the family was trapped by their champion ash tree. It was the second largest white ash in the country with a 9 foot diameter. Whipped by the heavy overnight winds of Hurricane Irene, and destabilized because of saturated soil, the award-winning, 300-year-old ash tree in the front yard of Badart’s historic home in the Lawyer’s Hill area of Elkridge had uprooted – and came smashing into the second-story bedroom.
Lisa was pinned to the bed, under the ceiling fan, surrounded by drywall, insulation, and 4” x 6” beams from the ceiling. Lisa realized that 2 feet or so from the edge of the bed was one trunk of the prize winning ash and the roof and ceiling were gone. If it had shifted about 3 foot feet, it would have been fatal. Lisa couldn’t move at first, because the fan was on top of her. Wind and rain came swirling into the room.
Cell phones and flashlights. You gotta love them. Lisa called 911. Rescue was there within 15 minutes. They had to signal with flashlights to determine where each group was located. The rescue personnel had to crawl over and under the massive tree to free the Badarts. Fortunately the whole family, including two dogs and several cats, escaped with minor injuries.
Lisa said “ I’m as much a junkie for hurricane forecasting as anyone and had watched the satellite pics on The Weather Channel, local news, and NASA links (
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2011/h2011_Irene.html) as Hurricane Irene moved her way toward the mid-Atlantic. Last Friday, “just to be safe” she made preparations in the ATI office “in case” something would prevent business as usual on Monday.” In fact, ATI was without power for 3 days. Lisa calmly worked on Monday from her temporary hotel suite checking emails and sending confirmation letters.
Repair of the house could take up to nine months. Periodically we will post updated pictures on the blog.
Freddy posed the following question to Dr. Robert A. Nelson: Dear Dr. Nelson: I understand that GEO satellites are 2 degree appart in its orbital position. How is possible that some satellites ( Telstar 11N and NSS 10 located at 37.5W; Astra 2C and 1D at 31.5 E) occupied the same orbital position ?. Could […]
Freddy posed the following question to Dr. Robert A. Nelson:
Dear Dr. Nelson: I understand that GEO satellites are 2 degree appart in its orbital position. How is possible that some satellites ( Telstar 11N and NSS 10 located at 37.5W; Astra 2C and 1D at 31.5 E) occupied the same orbital position ?. Could you please, help me to understand this ?.
Thank you Dr. Nelson.
Dr. Nelson responded as follows:
The two-degree spacing requirement applies to satellites that use the same
frequencies at C-band or Ku-band. Interference is avoided through the use
of highly directional Earth Station antennas, although there is inevitably
some adjacent satellite interference, with a C/I typically around 22 dB.
Satellites that share the same orbital slot use different frequency bands
and sometimes also different polarizations. For example, at 101 degrees WL,
there are several satellites, including an SES Americom C/Ku-band satellite,
an MSAT L-band satellite, and three or four DirectTV satellites that use a
special portion of Ku-band for DBS and also use different polarizations.
These satellites are separated by only about 0.02 degrees, or about 15
kilometers. Very exact stationkeeping must be maintained.
Dr. Nelson’s
Satellite Communication Systems Engieering course is next scheduled December 8-10, 2009 in Beltsville, MD.
Yesterday, instructor Mark Lewellen was explaining some of the background to UAVs: from aerial attacks on Venice through Marilyn Monroe to sizes of UAVs and likely future uses. If prospective attendees knew they would enjoy the thought-provoking subject half as much as I did, ATI would be running this course once a month.
Yesterday, instructor Mark Lewellen was explaining some of the background to UAVs: from aerial attacks on Venice through Marilyn Monroe to sizes of UAVs and likely future uses. If prospective attendees knew they would enjoy the thought-provoking subject half as much as I did, ATI would be running this course once a month.
Additonal Acronyms ABS – Accounting and Billing Server ARP – Address Resolution Protocol CRTT – Compressed Real Time Transport Protocol CS-ACELP – Conjugate-Structured Algebraic Code-Excited Linear Prediction CTP – Circuit to Packet DAS – Direct Access System DCM – Dynamic Coding and Modulation DVP – Distance Vector Protocol FEC – Forward Error Correction FH – […]
Additonal Acronyms
ABS – Accounting and Billing Server
ARP – Address Resolution Protocol
CRTT – Compressed Real Time Transport Protocol
CS-ACELP – Conjugate-Structured Algebraic Code-Excited Linear Prediction
CTP – Circuit to Packet
DAS – Direct Access System
DCM – Dynamic Coding and Modulation
DVP – Distance Vector Protocol
FEC – Forward Error Correction
FH – Frame Header
FT – Frame Trailer
IANA – Internet Address Naming Association
IKE – Internet Key Exchange
IPH – IP Header
IS-IS – Intermediate System to Intermediate System
LSP – Link State Protocol
MIB – Management Information Base
MOS – Mean Opinion Score
OC – Optical Carrier
PPP – Point to Point Protocol
RAS – Remote Access System
RED – Random Early Detection
RTCP – Real Time Control Protocol
SIP – Session Initiation Protocol
TCPH – TCP Header
TIPH – Tunnel Internet Protocol Header
VAD – Voice Activity Detection
IP Networking Over Satellite taught by Burt H. Liebowitz was held on July 20-22, 2009 in Laurel, MD and was very well reviewed by all. One attendee, Dennis Almer, supplied the preceding acronyms to complement the course.
The Washington Post had an article on June 30, 2013 titled