behind the z c

TrueCrypt 7.0 Gets Intel Hardware Acceleration and Better Automatic Mounting [Downloads]: "
Windows/Mac/Linux: TrueCrypt, the smart and secure way to encrypt your data, has shipped a seventh version that can encrypt faster on select Intel hardware, as well as configure your encrypted volumes or drives to automatically mount with specific preferences. More »
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Enable the Android Market When Trying Out Android on Your PC [Android]: "
We recently showed you how to test drive Android on your PC, but you only have access to the OS or directly installed apps. Here's how to enable the Android Market so you can test the full Android experience on your desktop. More »
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Remains of the Day: URLs Replace MP3s Replace CDs and So On [For What It's Worth]: "
Roughly 90 percent of network shows are available for free online at some point, the co-founder of music application Spotify thinks the URL will overshadow the MP3, and has Google gotten too big? More »
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Add Radio Streams from Web Sites to iTunes [How-to]: "
While many of you use services like Pandora or Mixtape.me to listen to music at work, some of you probably still like your local radio stations, but hate playing them in your browser. Here's how to open those streams in iTunes. More »
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NitroPDF Reader Adds Instant Sending to Evernote [PDF]: "
Windows: NitroPDF Reader is a powerful free PDF tool, with PDF printing, conversion, annotation, image extraction, and more. Now Evernote users can send items from NitroPDF right into their notebooks, making for a handy one-two combo. More »
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How to Test Drive Android on Your PC Without Buying a Phone [How To]: "
Interested in test driving the latest version of Google's Android OS without buying a new mobile device? Here's how to run Android on your PC for free with the Android SDK Emulator. More »
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Expand Your Garden by Cloning Herbs From Cuttings [Gardening]: "
Whether you want to increase the number of plants you already have or expand your garden or window box collection using plants from a friend's garden, this easy technique will help you turn one plant into many. More »

$14,999.00 : Piper Turbo Lance II Cooperative: "LetsFly.org is pleased to announce the formation of a new cooperative in SLC - 1/5 shares are available in this beautiful 6 seat 1978 Turbo Lance II.W"

DIY Solar-Powered MintyBoost USB Charger [DIY]: "
We've previously pointed to a clever hack-up of the MintyBoost DIY Altoids tin charger and small solar panels. Now the MintyBoost makers have released an official MintyBoost kit, with a detailed guide and all the parts available from one spot. More »

Jacobson's Ladder: "Most new instructors start out by teaching student pilots almost exclusively. After several months of watching, correcting, and saving their students (and themselves) from various landing catastrophes, they may begin to wonder "Do I still know how to perform a respectable landing?" Now a seasoned instructor, I still find it challenging to impart the important skills involved in getting a plane safely back on terra firma. There's nothing like teaching a student pilot how to land an aircraft for putting a flight instructor back in touch with beginner's mind.

A crucial trait for flight instructors is being open to new ideas. Truth be told, every week we instructors stand to learn (or re-learn) something important from a pilot that we're supposed to be educating. Then there's the other end of the spectrum: Instructors who think they have seen it all and know it all. After giving hundreds or thousands of hours of dual instruction, falling into a rut is all too easy. And so I found myself feeling a bit skeptical when a student who had been wrestling with inconsistent landing performance introduced me to something he had found on the Internet. It's known as the Jacobson Flare.

Before going any further, let's get this out of the way: The Jacobson Flare is not a parlor trick. It doesn't involve a deck of cards or a pact with the devil. Jacobson uses the pilot's Eye-to-Wheel Height (or EWH, based on the aircraft type), the pilot's offset from the main landing gear (also based on aircraft type), the airplane's approach angle (usually 3 or 4 degrees), and simple geometry to determine visual references on the runway surface where the pilot can aim and begin the landing flare. One of Jacobson's documents even has an appendix that lists the calculations for several transport category aircraft as well as several GA aircraft.

I followed the link my student sent me, downloaded, and then read the various documents. And I watched the two videos, one of which clearly demonstrates the technique in a C172. I was intrigued, but still skeptical.

It helps to understand the dimensions of runway markings when choosing an aiming point and a suitable cutoff point (where the landing flare will commence, based on your aircraft type and descent angle). You can find some important details in AC 150-5340-1J: Standards for Airport Markings. At most airports you will encounter one or more of three basic types of runways: Precision, non-precision, and visual. The markings and dimensions for each are shown below. Remember that there are airports out there with non-standard runway markings, so be careful about assuming the length of the centerline stripes, how tall the runway number are, or the length of the gaps between the centerline stripes.


The day after reading Jacobson's material, I had the opportunity to try out the technique with a fellow instructor who was doing some instrument currency work. On her first landing, she mentioned she had to suppress some of her normal landing instincts, but the landing was very good (7 out of 10, I'd say). We both felt skeptical until her second landing, which I would describe as a 10. Okay, interesting, but still too small a sample from which to draw any meaningful conclusions.

The second day I flew with an instrument pilot for an aircraft check-out flight. I explained the landing technique and he was game. His first landing was a 7 - not bad considering it involved an 8 knot tailwind component. His next two landings were a 9 and a 10 respectively. This was interesting considering he hadn't flown that particular aircraft type in quite a while.

The third day I flew with a student pilot and saw equally pleasing and consistent results. His normal, short field landings, even a power-off approach, were all 9s. He was excited and so was I. We switched to crosswind landings, his concentration wavered a bit, but the next two landings were a 6 and 7 (not bad considering a 15 knot direct crosswind). I mentioned that he had flared too high on one landing and he immediately recognized the problem and agreed. From an instructional standpoint, this is significant: Instead of a vague sort of Goldilocks process - 'That flare was too low, that flare was too high, Oh! That flare was just right, do that again!' - Jacobson provides objective visual references on which the pilot can concentrate.

The past week has provided the most fun I've had watching people do landings in a long, long time. Yesterday, it was my turn to do a couple of landings - one normal, one short field. I don't mean to brag, but my first landing using Jacobson's Flare was an 8. My second landing was a short field effort. I not only touched down on the selected target, it was a very soft touchdown at minimum speed - a definite 10.

It's my considered opinion that pilots who learn to apply Jacobson's techniques can make consistently good landings, provided they know how to configure their aircraft and fly a stable approach at the appropriate airspeed. Pilots still have to develop and maintain a feel for their aircraft and learn how to handle crosswinds and gusty conditions, but Jacobson's procedure is very useful. And when you haven't flown in several weeks or it's your first landing in a new-to-you aircraft type, Jacobson's approach gives you something on which to hang your hat.

From a teaching perspective, there seem to be three main advantages to Jacobson's technique: First, it gives the pilot objective visual criteria for when to begin the landing flare, tailored to their type of airplane. Second, it provides visual cues to concentrate on throughout the flare. Every experienced pilot knows that landing performance improves when they are concentrating or, in the case of challenging conditions, they are forced to concentrate. Last, but not least, applying this technique will undoubtedly save the student time and money (not to mention the wear and tear on training aircraft).

Phone Disk Mounts iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad as USB Disks in Finder [Downloads]: "
Mac only: iPhone users have been able to browse the contents of their device using apps like previously mentioned iPhone Explorer for awhile, but Phone Disk integrates it with OS X, mounting your iPhone in the Finder instead of a separate app.

Use the following registration code to unlock the full version Phone Disk: 2H96A-QK7MX-8GEYK1V-ZR6S8

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Understand your web pages better with Site Inspector: "If you're serious about web design, then you've got to make sure that your sites and their pages behave as expected under various browsers and situations. One way to deal with this is to make sure you've got several different ones running all at the same time; a more civilized approach might use a [...]"

Find the Best Broadcast Channel for a Stronger Wi-Fi Connection [Troubleshooting]: "
Your wireless router broadcasts your Wi-Fi signal on channels ranging from 1 to 11.* As more routers broadcast on the same channel as yours, your router's performance generally decreases. The solution: Scan for the least crowded channels and use one of those. More »
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Sunset over Salt Lake Valley from D L on Vimeo.

Shooting Fireworks
July 1 (technique)--With the big US fireworks demonstrations about to begin, here's the quick and dirty technique advice:

* Camera on tripod. Find your spot early. Consider foreground silhouette possibilities (option: light foreground with flash).
* Lens that has a manual focus to infinity on camera. Note that most ED lenses focus past infinity. Use an older lens that you can reliably focus to a fixed distance (usually at infinity or near it). It's almost certain that you can't focus via the viewfinder. Live View helps some, but I prefer to use a known focus distance via the lens ring.
* Use the base ISO on your camera.
* Do not use enhanced Picture Control settings. Use Neutral, -1 contrast. Believe me, you'll have enough contrast and color saturation. If you use enhanced settings you may just start blowing out channels.
* Set camera to manual exposure.
* Aperture should be f/8 to f/16. Which aperture will depend upon how close you are to the fireworks (smaller apertures for close work, larger apertures for far work). The aperture determines the "exposure of the light trails."
* Shutter speed determines the length of the trails. Often that means Bulb or long exposures to get full sets of trails or multiple bursts.
* Verify all of the above by chimping your first few shots. In brightly lit urban areas you may have to deal with foreground exposures. Your choices: silhouette, lit artificially, use aperture/shutter speed adjustments to bring in foreground.
from thom hogan

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Test Your Password Strength at How Secure Is My Password [Passwords]: "
How Secure Is My Password is a no-frills password checker that dishes the dirt on your password strength or lack there of. Plug in a favorite password or two and see how you stack up. More »