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Google Glass applications abound

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GooglGlass applications abound

Google Glass applications abound

Google’s short-lived experiment with wearable technology may not be so short-lived after all. Recently, reports of Google Glass’s role in different medical treatments came to light. Now, aircraft manufacturer Boeing says that it uses Google Glass to aid technicians in the assembly of airplanes.

Business may rescue Google Glass

That’s probably good news for Google, based on new information that suggests that Google is getting ready to re-release Glass as a business-only product. The latest iteration of Glass is expected to have the basics – a display camera, a touchpad and the “eyeglass” frame. It’s also expected to include a bigger display, a built in rechargeable battery, a newer CPU and support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

The focus on business seems to reflect the high potential for business applications. Doctors can use a Google Glass based transcription service to make notes in a patient’s medical records as an exam is taking place. A transcriptionist is connected via Glass to the doctor, so the doctor has immediate access to reference information in the medical record. According to doctors who use the service, it saves about 90 minutes each day, which permits additional time to see more patients.

Boeing says it uses Google Glass to provide information to electricians making wiring harnesses for their airplanes. Up to this point, Boeing’s techs have used .pdf based schematics displayed on a laptop screen. Each harness is constructed manually, owing in part to the high degree of complexity of the harness, and the stakes involved in getting the harnesses right.

Once Boeing applied Google Glass to the process, it reported that its production time was reduced by 25% and half of all errors were eliminated. Not all of Boeing’s success is due to Glass as it comes out of the box. Boeing had a special app developed for its technicians that scans QR codes, displays the appropriate harness schematics and responds to the technician’s voice commands.

Boeing says that it may also introduce Google Glass into its operations on the assembly line and perhaps even on International Space Station.

Glassprimer™ glass paint doesn’t have built-in 5 GHz wireless support, but it does offer superior UV resistance and creates a permanent bond with glass surfaces. If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Geoff Livingston, via Flickr.com

PPG Sells Flat Glass Division

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PPG Sells Flat Glass Division

PPG Sells Flat Glass Division

Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) – a historical giant in the glass manufacturing industry – announced last month that it was selling its flat glass division to Vitro, another glass manufacturer in Mexico. The glass division was valued at $750 million at the time of the agreement.

Flat glass didn’t factor into company’s long-term plans

PPG has been a leader in flat glass manufacturing for more than 130 years, but according to company officials, glass was not a strategic part of PPG’s future plans. Selling the glass division was a logical step.

According to officials, the companies had been in discussions regarding the sale of PPG’s glass division for a couple of years, but Vitro lacked the capital to make the purchase. Once Vitro sold its container division, it had enough capital to close the deal.

This is not the first time PPG has sold a major division. In 2008, the company spun off Pittsburgh Glass Works, its automotive business, to an auto parts maker. It also recently announced its planned divesture of its European fiberglass business.

For this sale, PPG wanted to find a buyer that was interested in making glass. According to Vitro, the company intends to keep PPG’s glass facilities and assets intact, and will employ all of PPG’s glass division 1,200 workers in the US and Canada. The sale includes PPG’s facilities in Fresno, CA; Salem, OR; Carlisle, PA; and Wichita Falls, TX, as well as the company’s Research and Development facility in Harmar, PA, and its assets in Canada.

PPG has moved heavily into glass coatings. Approximately 90% of its revenues came from paint and specialty coatings. Following this sale, more than 98% of the company’s revenues will be derived from paint and coatings.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialty paint designed to provide exceptional adhesion to glass and other non-porous surfaces. Glassprimer™ is a leader in glass coating, and the product offers superior UV-resistance for both interior and exterior applications. If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Samuel Silva, via Flickr.com

Gorilla Glass 5 Is On The Market

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Gorilla Glass 5 Is On The Market

Gorilla Glass 5 Is On The Market

Last month, Corning introduced Gorilla Glass 5, the latest version of the super-strong mobile device glass. Apple, Samsung and other major cell phone manufacturers have already signed on to use the new surface. The new glass offers better resistance to scratches, and an improved ability to resist breakage after being dropped.

Gorilla Glass 4 was designed to resist breakage from falls of less than 3 feet. Because many people raise their phones overhead, or to shoulder height to take selfies, Corning re-engineered Gorilla Glass 5 to resist breakage from falls of as much as 5 feet. Additionally, the new glass is thinner than previous versions. According to Corning, the new glass has an 80% survival rate when dropped from a height of 5 feet or less. Corning used .6mm thick sheets of Gorilla Glass 5 to conduct the original testing on which those claims were made. The production version of Gorilla Glass 5 will be .4mm thick, so the survivability of the glass may still be an issue.

Corning is already shipping the product and consumers can expect to see Gorilla Glass 5 on iPhones in the fall. Corning also says it has the next generation of Gorilla Glass in the works, and believes that may be virtually unbreakable. Corning announced earlier this year that it was working on “Phire” – a new formulation of Gorilla Glass that is believed to incorporate sapphire into the surface. Sapphire is the second-hardest surface behind diamond, and is exceptionally resistant to scratching.

Corning hasn’t predicted when Phire may be ready for market, but it would not be the first time someone has tried to incorporate the properties of sapphire into mobile screens. Apple contracted with a company called GT Advanced to create sapphire-based mobile screens for its iPhones. Although the proof-of-concept worked, the company encountered serious production problems that it could not resolve, and was unable to deliver the product. Eventually, Apple canceled its order. Although Apple will be using the product, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be the first phone on the market to use the new glass.

While you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, check out the rest of our site for some inspiration for working with glass. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Doctor Popular, via Flickr.com

PurePods – a glass twist on glamping

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PurePods – a glass twist on glamping

PurePods – a glass twist on glamping

If you’re looking for a supreme vacation that includes “getting back to nature” without all of the inconvenient truths about nature, consider the PurePod. What is a PurePod? Buried in a few unmarked locations in New Zealand and located on private land, you can indulge in a fully stocked, completely private luxury camping experience while enjoying the benefit of an entirely glass-enclosed structure.

The structure is made from tempered glass on all sides – including the floors, roof and windows. It includes a bed, a kitchen and a bathroom – all glass enclosed. (If you’re shy, there are curtains you can pull.) You’re unlikely to encounter anyone else, but you might run across some of New Zealand’s wildlife. (And domesticated life, too – there are ranches nearby.)

When you get to the PurePod, you’ll find solar-powered LED lighting, refrigeration, running water, a bathroom and kitchen. You can order food for the PurePod, or you can bring your own. The PurePod isn’t air conditioned, but you can open up the platform to circulate air. It’s naturally heated in the winter, but you’ll want to bring warm clothing.

Booking a PurePod is easy. Simply go online to the PurePod website, choose your location and choose your preferred dates. Each day will set you back about USD$350, and you’ll receive directions to your chosen location once you’ve booked your stay. The locations are reachable by car, but you won’t be parking anywhere near your PurePod.

Can’t get along without your electronics? You can recharge them via an on-site USB port, but there are no available outlets to plug in your other gear. The on-site electricity is reserved for lighting and refrigeration.

The running water is locally sourced and locally disposed of near the PurePod. If you’re worried about finding nothing to do nearby, that’s actually the point. You can sleep under the stars, read a good book, reconnect with a friend or get lost in your own thoughts, but you’re not going to find a lot of touristy things nearby. In some locations – there are currently three available – you may get cellular service.

There are no harmful native creatures nearby, but you’ll be treated to plenty of birds and picturesque scenery all around. Check-in is at 3:00 PM, checkout is at noon.

If you’re looking for some glass inspiration, please check out the rest of our website! If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Rod Cuthbert, via Flickr.com

China’s latest glass walkway attraction

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China's latest glass walkway attraction

China’s latest glass walkway attraction

It seems that China can’t get enough of glass bridges and walkways. The latest glass walkway attraction opened in Shanghai at the Jinmao Tower last week. If heights make your knees weak, then you’ll definitely want to pass on this one. The glass walkway is just 60 meters long, but oh, what a difference 60 meters can make when it’s suspended more than 1,100 feet in the air.

And has no handrails.

At all.

None.

Glass walkway sits on Shanghai’s third tallest building

The glass walkway accommodates a mere 15 people at a time and is staffed by two attendants. Visitors are allowed to spend 30 minutes on the walkway, and although there are no handrails between you and the rest of the world, you’ll be wearing a harness that connects you to an overhead rail. You can move freely on the walkway, and the whole heart-stopping mess will only set you back about USD$60. That includes access to the observation deck, as well as the cost to access the platform.

The Jinmao Tower is an 88-story affair, and already hits the record books as the third-tallest building in Shanghai. It’s also the 18th tallest building in the world. For what it’s worth, the glass walkway isn’t at the very top of the building, but it is the highest rail-free walkway in the world. The building has other observation decks, but those are not open to the general public. The Jinmao Tower walkway is less than five feet wide, so visitors will get an up-close and personal experience with the ledge, whether they want to or not!

The Jinmao Tower was constructed in 1999, and was the first super skyscraper in the city. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) of Chicago, the Jinmao Tower makes heavy use of glass, and is characteristically geometric. The building is wind, monsoon and earthquake resistant, and features a swimming pool on the 57th floor. The pool is more than just entertainment. It helps damper the natural motion of the building. Jinmao Tower was dedicated on August 28, 1998 (8/28/98), an auspicious date in China, but was not fully operational until 1999.

The building features shops, restaurants, office space and hotel space. Like many SOM buildings, the Jinmao Tower is column-free to increase available floor space. The building has been scaled at least twice by freehand climbers. Both climbers were arrested. One, a Chinese national was jailed for about two weeks. The other, famed urban climber Alain Robert, was arrested, jailed for 5 days, then expelled from the country. (If you’re planning to visit China, don’t scale the Jinmao Tower. The building has an elevator that will take you from the basement all the way to the top in just 45 seconds.)

If you’re looking for a little lofty glass inspiration, please check out the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: mifl68, via Flickr.com

Nevada glass farm yields clean energy

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Nevada glass farm yields clean energy

Nevada glass farm yields clean energy

A massive solar farm near Tonopah, NV generates and stores 110 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 75,000 homes at peak electrical demand. The Crescent Dunes project, which was constructed by California-based SolarReserve, opened for business earlier this year. Its massive 10,000-panel glass solar array sits on 1,500 acres.

Highly polished glass collects sunlight

The Crescent Dunes Project uses finely tuned, highly polished glass heliostats to concentrate the intense desert sun onto a central collector. The collector, a 640-foot tower, contains molten salt that ranges between 550° F and nearly 1,100° F. The molten salt can both transfer and store the heat energy. To generate electricity, the molten salt travels through a heat exchanger that creates super-heated steam, and powers a conventional steam turbine engine. The project can generate electricity 24 hours a day, without interruption.

The glass arrays precisely track the sun throughout the day, and focus the collected energy to avoid waste and inefficiency. The goal of the project is practical, zero-emission electrical production. The designers say that the plant can produce solar electricity for more than 30 years with little to no loss in efficiency and little negative impact on the environment.

The salt mixture, which is used in a closed-loop system combines sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. It contains no harmful or toxic components, and could be converted into fertilizer after the plant is decommissioned. The company does not expect to add any salt to the facility during the plant’s lifetime, because the salt mixture does not degrade or leak or evaporate during energy collection, storage or conversion.

SolarReserve says the cost for a Crescent Dunes style collector is comparable to that of a new traditional coal-fired, natural gas or nuclear electric plant. The solar array offers the benefit of zero greenhouse gas emissions and a low environmental impact.

Glassprimer™ glass paint won’t help you generate solar electricity, but it can provide superior UV protection in both commercial and residential construction. UV control is an important element of reducing solar heat gain in interior spaces. It’s also cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Doc Searls, via Flickr.com

Iconic Glass Structures – Palais de congres de Montreal

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Iconic Glass Structures – Palais de congres de Montreal

Palais de congres de Montreal. Photo by Caribb.

One of the most recognizable structures in Montreal is the Palais de congres de Montreal, Montreal’s premier convention center. The Palais was built in the 1970’s. It underwent a major expansion between 2000 and 2002, which doubled its size. One of the defining features of the building is its multi-colored glass panel façade.

Construction added glass façade, preserved historic buildings

When it was constructed, the Palais incorporated the façades of a number of existing buildings, including the Rogers and King Building, a Victorian-era brick-and-stone foundry built in 1885. The Palais also incorporates the façade of Fire Station Number 20, originally constructed of brick and limestone in 1908. The Palais has completely assumed the entire Tramways Building, which originally opened in 1928. Ross & MacDonald, the preeminent Canadian architects of their day, designed this Art Deco building. This portion of the Palais continues to serve as the headquarters for the Montreal Transit Authority.

The building’s multicolored façade was added as part of the 2000 expansion. The Palais de congres de Montreal features 390 glass panels, 332 of which are colored. The remainder are clear glass. During the day, the sunlight enters the building and creates a shower of color in the main lobby. At night, the building’s interior lights create a colorful display for passersby. The current façade was designed by architect Mario Saia.

Iconic Glass Structures – Palais de congres de Montreal

Palais de congres de Montreal. Photo by Wally Gobetz

Aside from the colored glass façade, the Palais de congres de Montreal is also home to the Lipstick Forest, a permanent art installation consisting of 52 pink concrete trees inside the Palais. The Lipstick Forest was constructed as a nod to the city’s cosmetic industry and eliminates the need to find live greenery that can tolerate Montreal winters. The building itself offers more than 20,000 square feet of exhibition space and 65 meeting rooms. It is directly connected to more than 4,000 hotel rooms via interior walkways, as well as transit corridors, including the Metro, and Montreal’s underground city.

If you’re looking for more glass inspiration, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Caribb, via Flickr.com
Photo Credit: Wally Gobetz, via Flickr.com

Tunable glass goes opaque instantly

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Tunable glass goes opaque instantly

Tunable glass goes opaque instantly

Tunable glass – glass that can transition from clear to opaque – isn’t new. This special type of glass is composed of nano-sized crystals and metals that work together when jolted with electricity. The current production method for tunable glass involves vapor deposition, a painstaking process that is neither rapid nor cheap.

New approach to tunable glass

Two Harvard researchers have developed an inexpensive alternative that converts glass from transparent to opaque in less than a second. Better still, the production methodology promises to be much less expensive to manufacture.

According to the researchers, their approach is based on a physical reaction rather than a chemical one, so it allows the glass to make the transition much more rapidly. The tunable glass consists of a sheet of glass sandwiched between two sheets of a soft elastomer. The elastomeric layers have been coated with silver nanowires and are transparent in the absence of electrical current.

Once a current is applied, the nanowires are attracted to each other and deform the elastomeric layers. The deformation causes transmitted light to scatter, rather than pass through the window. The opacity of the layer increases as the current increases. Sufficient current will cause the windows to become completely opaque.

Currently, the researchers’ approach to tunable glass is still in the tweaking stage. The researchers hope to create an even thinner layer of silver nanowires, which would allow the technique to use less current. They’ve also applied for a patent in the hope that their technique can soon be brought to market.
Being able to control light as it approaches glass is a key component of energy efficiency in modern construction. Opaque glass can also create privacy in urban areas, where dense construction is the norm.

Glassprimer™ glass paint offers the opportunity to do both affordably. Glassprimer™ glass paint is highly UV-resistant, which means it can be used to coat glass in a way that allows light to penetrate, but rejects the heat-producing UV-radiation. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be applied permanently to glass to create an opaque effect for about $1 per square foot. That’s less expensive than using traditional frosted glass. And unlike frosted glass, Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color.

If you’d like more information about decorating with Glassprimer™ glass paint, or about its UV-resistance, please check out the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: tanakawho, via Flickr.com

Chanel store façade made with glass bricks

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Chanel store façade made with glass bricks

Chanel store façade made with glass bricks

Dutch design firm MVRDV has remodeled the traditional brick façade of the Chanel store in Amsterdam using glass bricks. The building, which was built originally as a residential structure, still has private residences on the upper floors.

Glass bricks are strong, energy efficient

The unique brick façade took about a year to build, and makes the apartments above appear to be floating over the ground floor retail space. The private residences still have a terra cotta brick façade, as required by city building codes, so the glass bricks from the retail space appear to meld into the building’s traditional brickwork.

The new façade mimics the original building design. It allowed the designers to add interior space and augment the vertical height of the building to meet existing building codes. Poesia, a glassmaker near Venice, casted the glass bricks that were used in the building remodel. The bricks are held in place with a special UV-activated transparent glue developed in Germany.

Despite appearances, the glass bricks are actually stronger than concrete, as proven by strength tests conducted by researchers at the Delft University of Technology. The doorway frame, known as an architrave, is strong enough to withstand the impact of two SUVs. In addition, the team created a replacement and repair plan for the bricks, in the event that one or more are damaged. According to the designer, individual bricks can be removed and replaced as needed.

The building’s façade wasn’t the only point of upgrade during the remodel. The building was outfitted with a ground-source heat pump to optimize the indoor climate year-round.

Many existing buildings have traded their original designs to accommodate modern the needs of modern retailing. The designers aimed to retain the original character of the building façade. The new glass front design mimics the style of the building’s original door and window frames, while at the same time, creating an attractive space for high-end retail activity. Other tenants on the once residential street include Dior, Prada and Rolex.

Because the façade is made entirely of glass, it is completely recyclable. That is in keeping with the design firm’s commitment to incorporating environmentalism into its work. The firm says that during the building process, several imperfect bricks were melted down and reformed, conserving both energy and material. It also pointed out that the entire façade could be melted down and reformed in the future, if it becomes necessary.

If you’re looking for additional inspiration for decorating with glass, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: jpmm, via FreeImages.com

Bio glass might help regrow cartilage

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Bio glass might help regrow cartilage

Bio glass might help regrow cartilage

The passage of time and injuries can take their toll on the cartilage in the human skeleton. The body’s capacity to repair itself is well known, but certain tissues don’t self-repair very well or very easily. Cartilage – that flexible, semi-rigid tissue that cushions joints, and gives noses and ears their distinctive shapes – is among those tissues that don’t really regrow. Bio glass developed by scientists at the Imperial College London and the University of Milan Bicocca may change that.

Bio glass could revolutionize joint replacement

The bio glass material acts like cartilage in load-bearing joints in the body, including the knees and spine. It offers the potential to help people who have lost cartilage due to injury or illness, and could help patients avoid having spinal fusion surgery. Spinal fusion is a typical treatment for people who have experienced the degradation or destruction of cartilage between vertebrae. The loss of cartilage causes significant pain, but spinal fusion reduces the patient’s ability to move freely.

The bio glass material, which is a combination of silica and a polymer called polycaprolactone. The compound is exceptionally interesting because it can be made into a biodegradable ink, which could permit 3-D printing of replacement cartilage. The substance can also be used to create a structure that encourages the growth of natural cartilage. It is resilient and shows some ability to “self-heal.”

The ultimate goal for bio glass is to develop a formulation that has the same mechanical properties as natural cartilage, but does not require any additional supportive structure. This would allow the bio glass to be implanted easily in a joint during reconstruction.

Bio glass isn’t new. The initial formulation was developed in then 1960’s as a way to help heal badly damaged bones. The new material is a reformulation of the initial substance, and is designed for both strength and flexibility. Don’t look for the new material just yet, however.

Scientists still need to refine their manufacturing techniques, test the material in humans, and develop ways to implant the material safely. They estimate that the treatment could be perfected and approved for use in about a decade.

While you may have to wait until 2026 for a replacement knee, you can get Glassprimer™ glass paint right now. Glassprimer™ glass paint is an industry leading product formulated especially to bond permanently to glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match the palette of any major paint manufacturer. If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jerry Edmunson, via Flickr.com