Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 October 6

= October 6 =

FPGA release cycle
How far in the future are the next ~$200 FPGA boards? If I googled right Xilinx's zedboard/microzed/picozed line (z70XX fpgas) dates back to 2012/2013. Likewise for Altera's de1-soc and sockit (cyclone v fpgas). Are yearly releases typical (implying something coming out in the next few months), or should I just buy something right now? --Koronki (talk) 01:12, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * You might have better luck over at WP:RD/C. — 71.20.250.51 (talk) 03:42, 8 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that's where I meant to post. After a bit of research I still haven't found anything new with a promised release date. The most interesting definite thing is the Bemicro CV-A9, which might have been cancelled (it is a few weeks delayed at the very least) but supposedly would come out at a highly subsidized price. The gotcha is that thel FPGA is high-range enough that is not supported by the free edition of Quartus II, and the full version costs $3000. As far as I can tell there is no cheap way to buy the full version, not even as a student. --Koronki (talk) 20:14, 8 October 2014 (UTC)

how the rainbow vacuum cleaners exported to various countries around the world?
i want to know about how the rainbow vacuum cleaners exported to various countries around the world. also, are they exported in containers after packaging? and what u.s. seaport that the vacuum cleaners exported from (both west and east coast)? --Kiel457 (talk) 09:57, 6 October 2014 (UTC)


 * For those who are wondering (and are equally as ignorant about vacuums as I am), Rainbow seems to be a brand of vacuum cleaner. Rexair is the article about the company that makes them.  I have no idea the answer to OP's question.  Dismas |(talk) 10:24, 6 October 2014 (UTC)


 * This is 's third question on this desk about whether something rather specific is shipped in containers or not. --ColinFine (talk) 13:43, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * There is a 90% chance that X item is shipped to Y location in standardized shipping container.  — 71.20.250.51 (talk) 17:15, 6 October 2014 (UTC)


 * This reminds me of the user who continually asked how certain cars were imported to certain landlocked countries. μηδείς (talk) 17:21, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * It's actually the same guy. Check out the User talk:Kiel457 page.  If you don't want to answer the question (I don't) - then just don't bother.  No need to make a fuss. SteveBaker (talk) 17:27, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Maybe he's trying to create an international business, one product and one country at a time. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 18:02, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Oh, please just bugger off Baker, we know you think your created image files surpass actual policy. Trolling is to be removed as noticed, not as recognized by you. μηδείς (talk) 21:51, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

where does ISIL publish its videos?
Hi there,

The media always says that ISIL publish its decapitation videos through the net.

My question is where?AboutU200 (talk) 12:23, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * A dedicated YouTube channel: 71.20.250.51 (talk) 17:44, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * That link is a story about videos posted against ISIL, as part of a counterterrorism initiative which has "a dedicated YouTube channel". I haven't looked yet, but I think I remember something about them posting to YouTube originally, then moving videos to LiveLeak because of the ban. (The linked article has a brief section about the video of the murder of James Foley, so I think I might have gotten it right for once.?)  ~Helicopter  Llama~  21:33, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * The source says the Murder of James Foley. Unless you believe being a non-muslim is a crime you should adhere to that. μηδείς (talk) 21:48, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I was confused as to what you were talking about then i realised you had changed the section title after i'd copied and pasted; fix'd.  ~Helicopter  Llama~  22:09, 6 October 2014 (UTC)


 * While that link is indeed about videos against ISIL/ISIS, it mentions various other stories with links, and if you go down the rabbithole, you'll find this: "The video, uploaded to YouTube, reportedly shows journalist James Foley being killed by an Isis fighter speaking with a British accent." (among others) -which would have been a better link, since it includes other relevant info concerning that video. Although originally uploaded to to YouTube, I can find no verifiable source stating that it was from the "dedicated YouTube channel" that ISIS uses for propaganda. -sorry 'bout that. 71.20.250.51 (talk) 22:26, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Does anyone have the help number for Homeland Security or the NSA? I think the CIA is out of business. μηδείς (talk) 02:49, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes: — 71.20.250.51 (talk) 03:31, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I tried to thank this edit, but it apparently doesn't work with IP's. Note this is only DHS, not a real agency. μηδείς (talk) 04:13, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Contact info for N ational S ecurity  A gency→ (aka: "No Such Agency")  —71.20.250.51 (talk) 04:24, 7 October 2014 (UTC) (You're welcome!)

Postage stamps
In the United States who dictates what size a postage stamp should be? 21:59, 6 October 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.74.2.32 (talk) moved to new section  ~Helicopter  Llama~  22:09, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Stamps come in several sizes. First, they need to conform to standards established by the Standards Board of the Universal Postal Union (if they are to be accepted internationally); then, assuming size →[physical dimensions] is part of the design, it is reviewed and chosen by Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee and submitted to the Postmaster General, who makes the final decision.   —71.20.250.51 (talk) 00:13, 7 October 2014 (UTC) Edit (clarify):03:01, 7 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Obviously the price of postage stamps have changed since teh very first postage stamp was developed. Today the price of general postage stamps rise above 45 cents. A year ago, the price of a first-class mail stamp went up by 1 cent in January according to CNN Money ( http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/24/news/economy/postal-stamp-price-hike/ ).


 * From How Products Are Made Volume 1, the postage stamp was designed and first used by Sir Rowland Hill, a tax reformer, as a way to collect fees upon delivery. Because he developed the first stamp which was .75 by .875 inch (1.9 by 2.22 centimeters), it has been the standard size ever since.
 * ( http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Postage-Stamp.html )


 * And the value for vintage stamps keep increasing ranging anywhere from $.75 to $110,000 according to The Swedish Tiger ( http://www.theswedishtiger.com/ ) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cfwi222 (talk • contribs) 23:56, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Cfwi222 (talk) 23:56, 6 October 2014 (UTC) CFWI222


 * I think the OP is asking about physical dimensions, not the price on the stamp. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 02:18, 7 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Dictates? μηδείς (talk) 04:10, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, 'dictates', why not? See here and here and here, and plenty of others. Richard Avery (talk) 07:27, 8 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I just wasn't aware that the constitutional power to set standards and establish a post office used the term "dictate". μηδείς (talk) 20:03, 8 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Postage stamp design does not directly answer the question, but says "The smallest postage stamp on record was issued by Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1856, and was a square, with sides measuring 10 millimeters. The biggest stamps in history were used in the USA from 1865 and measured 52 by 95 millimeters, but were used exclusively for mailing newspapers."  It does not list the smallest US stamps ever issued.  Edison (talk) 17:58, 8 October 2014 (UTC)

What is the market share for intrinsically safe two way radios?
I would like any info that would help me find out how big this market is and who are it's players. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Geemack1 (talk • contribs) 22:40, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Define "intrinsically safe". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:26, 6 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Presumably as described in our intrinsic safety article - electrical equipment designed for use in hazardous areas, where sparks etc could be an ignition source. AndyTheGrump (talk) 23:32, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * That occurred to me, along with the question of whether they could be listened-in-on. The OP is probably asking about your scenario, but clarification would be good. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:36, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't know about the size of the market, but most companies that make radios (Motorola, Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu, etc) include an intrinsically-safe model in their range. Tevildo (talk) 23:47, 6 October 2014 (UTC)


 * An aside: It would seem pretty easy to seal up a radio so that no internal spark or hot component could ignite an explosive atmosphere around the radio. It would obviously be better to use such a device than one which sparked when power was turned on and off or when it transmitted. But it does not seem very "safe" to operate a radio transmitter with any significant output power in said explosive atmosphere. 19th century researchers studied radio by means of its ability to cause a spark across a gap in a detector, and the detector could be pretty basic, like a piece of wire with a small gap between it and another piece of metal, or even a circle of wire with the two ends in close proximity and no ground connection.How much actual RF power did Hertz's transmitter put out, to be able to produce a visible spark between the ends of a circle of wire? An imperfect connection/small gap between metal objects might be able to produce a spark when an "intrinsically safe" transmitter is operated nearby. I suppose a good practice would be to bond metal things together in rooms where an explosive atmosphere is likely. Edison (talk) 17:52, 8 October 2014 (UTC)