If time is crucial to you or your office, consider investing in atomic clocks so that everyone knows exactly what time it is and everyone has the same time. These are the most accurate time keeping pieces you can get, and more and more businesses are using atomic wall clocks to make sure that accurate time sheets and appointments are kept.

But what are atomic clocks and why are they so much more accurate than regular clocks? A standard clock, whether wind-up, electric or battery operated, counts time by the number of “ticks” that a resonator makes. The resonator is the device that actually keeps track of time. In most clocks the resonator is either a swinging pendulum or (in digital clocks) oscillations in the power line (which is a bit different in the U.S. and in Europe).

Atomic clocks also use a resonator, but the resonator counts based on the resonance frequency of atoms. Resonance is the emission or absorption of microwave electromagnetic radiation by an atom. It is very regular, and no matter which atom of cesium used, the frequency of resonance is always exactly the same. This is why atomic clocks are so much more accurate than other clocks – the resonators in other clocks can be affected by lots of variables like temperature, moisture and atmospheric conditions. None of these affect the atoms, so the atomic clocks never lose or gain time.

Synchronization of Atomic Clocks

The reason all atomic clocks show the same time anywhere you go is because they don’t each have their own cesium atom – this would be impossible because it’s incredibly expensive and requires very precise conditions. Atomic clocks are actually receiving the time from a shared location where one of the world’s few of the world’s atomic clocks operates. A low -frequency radio signal broadcasts the time from that location to all atomic clocks within its range. There are currently approximately 200 atomic clocks world-wide in sixty countries.

In the United States, most atomic clocks used for home and offices are synchronized to the National Institutes of Standards and Technology atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado. The other official atomic clock is at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. and is the official time clock of the Department of Defense. Since both of these atomic clocks are within one second of each other over a million years of time, it is unlikely that time displayed on atomic wall clocks at the Pentagon will differ from the time displayed on an atomic clock in your home office!

How Do At-Home Clocks Get the Information from Master Atomic Clocks?

Global positioning satellites (GPS) in the skies above us transmit the signals from the official atomic clocks to individual receivers in atomic wall clocks and desk clocks all over the world. In other countries, the signal would come from whichever clock is the official atomic clock for that region, just as the one in Boulder, Colorado is the one for the United States.

These amazingly accurate atomic clocks are also responsible for the fact that all computers with built-in clocks are synchronized and accurate and keep time whether on or off. With such accurate time keeping and the use of GPS, you can be sure that your atomic clocks will let you know exactly what time it is, down to the nano-second!

Phil Tripp
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-do-atomic-clocks-work-92788.html

Tired of your traditional clocks with just a few chimes or chirps? Well, a company out of Japan, Rhythm Clock Company, has taken the world of animated and musical clocks one step further. Established in 1950, they developed what is now the standard for sound and motion clocks. Their rhythm clocks are not some cheap promotional clock, but are high quality, musical timepieces. They display magical motion and brilliant sound for your entertainment.

What Does a Rhythm Clock Do?

If you have never seen a rhythm wall clock in action, you are in for a real treat. These amazing clocks not only announce the time, but put on a real show. A typical rhythm clock’s dial will split open into 2 or 3 sections, parts and figures will start spinning, synchronized lighting will start flashing, and quality sound and music will start playing. What a treat for your senses!

But don’t worry – these clocks generally have an automatic night shut-off sensor to disable the lighting and sound options once the lights go out. The “show” could prove a bit much at two o’clock in the morning!

What Sound and Music Does the Clock Play?

Here is where rhythm clocks really set themselves apart from your more traditional musical clocks. These clocks have a high-quality sound system built into the mechanism that would do stereo aficionados proud. Each clock utilizes either a Clarion Sound System or Dynamic Wave Sound to produce their exquisite sound. These systems produce a crisp and melodic sound while playing a variety of tunes.

If you are a music fan, a rhythm clock will play famous Broadway show tunes, a little Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, or any number of familiar favorites, depending on the model. Some will even play a few Christmas carols to get you into the holiday mood. Not only do these clocks produce music, but include a lighting system that is synchronized with the beat of the music and motion of the figures.

What Does a Rhythm Wall Clock Look Like?

Surprisingly, these wall clocks look like any high end model, with frames constructed of walnut, oak, or composite materials. The clock faces are very attractive with numbers or numerals set in gold and silver. Some models even have Swarovski crystals to give the clock a more elegant appearance.

Rhythm clocks come in a number of different styles – Traditional, Contemporary, and even a Cuckoo – to match all types of decors. Their attractive appearance would make you comfortable decorating with one of these clocks in almost any room. Their elegant styling lends these clocks for use in your living room, den, or most family living areas.

So, if you are looking for a wall clock that is unique and attractive at the same time, a rhythm clock is an outstanding choice. These time-focused “entertainment” centers are truly a joy for family and friends to watch.

Bill Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/a-rhythm-clock-puts-on-a-real-show-128607.html

Mankind has always been preoccupied with measuring and recording the passage of time. Timekeeping has been essential for the development of civilisations; from knowing when to plant or harvest crops to identifying important events in the year.

Time has historically been measured in relation to the movement of the Earth; a day, is one revolution of the planet; while a year is an entire orbit of the Sun. Calendars were developed from as far back as 20,000 years ago when hunter-gatherers scratched lines and gouged holes in sticks and bones to possibly count the days between phases of the moon.

Civilizations from the Ancient Egyptians to the Roman Empire have used differing methods to discover what day of the year it is. However, measuring time as it passed throughout the day had always proved difficult to early mankind. Sundials were perhaps the first time pieces and they can trace their origin back over five thousand years; when obelisks were built, possibly to allow the telling of time by the cast of their shadows.

However, the time told on a sundial was based on the movement of the sun in the sky, which would differ throughout the seasons and of course would not work on cloudy days or at night. Other methods such as water clocks or the hourglass would simply act as crude timers. Telling the time of day would prove difficult with people relying on comparisons as time references such as: “As long as it would take a man to walk a quarter mile.”

People were reliant on these methods and others such as bell ringing to indicate important moments until the 14th century, when mechanical clocks first appeared which were driven by weight and regulated by a verge-and-foliot escapement (a gear system that advancing the gear train at regular intervals or ‘ticks’). These clocks were far more reliable than sundials or other methods allowing accurate and reliable telling of the time of day for the first time in human history.

The next step forward in horology came in the 17th century when the pendulum was developed to help clocks maintain their accuracy. Clock making soon became widespread and it was not for another three hundred years that the next revolutionary step in horology would take place; with the development of electronic clocks. These were based on the movement of a vibrating crystal (usually quartz) to create an electric signal with an exact frequency.

While electronic clocks were far more accurate than mechanical clocks it wasn’t until the development of Atomic Clocks and around fifty years ago that modern technologies such as communication satellites, GPS and global computer networks became possible.

Most atomic clocks use the resonance of the atom caesium-133 which vibrates exactly at a frequency of 9,192,631,770 every second. Since 1967 the International System of Units (SI) has defined the second as that number of cycles from this atom which makes atomic clocks (sometimes called caesium oscillators) the standard for time measurements.

Atomic clocks are accurate to less than 2 nanoseconds per day, which equates to about one second in 1.4 million years. Because of this accuracy, a universal time scale UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Temps Universel Coordonné) has been developed that maintains a continuous and stable time scale and supports such features as leap seconds – added to compensate for the slowing of the Earth’s rotation.

However, atomic clocks are extremely expensive and are generally only to be found in large-scale physics laboratories. However, NTP servers (Network Time Protocol), the standard means for achieving time synchronisation on computer networks, can synchronise networks to an atomic clock by using either the Global Positioning System (GPS) network or specialist radio transmissions.

The development of atomic clocks, GPS and NTP time servers has been vital for modern technologies, allowing computer networks all over the world to be synchronized to UTC.

Richard n Williams
http://www.articlesbase.com/networks-articles/history-of-horology-sundials-to-atomic-clocks-398539.html

With the innovation of the internet buying a desktop alarm clock has never been easier. Until recently there was only one way to get a desktop alarm clock – you had to go to a store and buy one. Not only you would have to select from a very limited number of desktop alarm clocks, but hopefully you will find one that would suit your tastes.

Well, the problem with this approach to buying yourself an alarm clock for you desktop is that you are not likely to find sufficient styles of timepieces at any one store except if you go in knowing exactly what it is that you want. For instance, you may have no problem to find a digital desktop alarm clock at one store, but there might be no good looking analog kind with the classical look that some people may prefer. Or, just maybe you might find yourself in the position of shopping at a more expensive boutique and only discover flashy desktop alarm clocks with silly fake pillars at the sides of them, whilst all you want is something to display the time and maybe wake you up in the morning with a horribly annoying ring that is impossible to ignore.

No matter what you want in a desktop alarm clock, it should be pretty easy to find one at the supermarket or even your local drug store. As a matter a fact, desktop alarm clocks are undoubtedly the easiest piece of electric gear, one can find anywhere – so you shouldn’t have a problem.

For those who are looking for a desktop alarm clock, I recommend getting one with a clock radio, as the sounds coming out from the other one are really annoying, and for sure you can start off in a bad mood! Of course, you should also think about what you want the desktop alarm clock for. Well if you would like one to travel, perhaps you will find one for lesser than 15 dollars, wherein these small desktop alarm clocks can be powered for quite some time on nothing more than a battery. On the other hand if you want something that will look nice in your room, however, the considerations are more comfortable.

Frankly speaking, I hardly ever use my desktop alarm clock now that I have an alarm clock on my computer desktop. To wake me up in the morning, it can play any of my mp3s in stead of having to put up with whatever is on the radio, or even worse that awful beeping that most desktop alarm clocks have. In my opinion I believe it will soon leave the traditional desktop alarm clock obsolete.

Tracie M. Loewe
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/be-more-in-control-of-time-with-the-desktop-alarm-clock-93052.html

There are times when people look at their existing clock and think about replacing it for another type. You will find in this case that you have a wide choice to look at. Some of these will include the ones which are digital in format. These digital alarm clocks can be found in different styles and makes. You will need to choose the one which is most suited for you.

When you are choosing one of these digital alarm clocks the main thing that you will need to remember is that you need a clock which is reliable. You can find these digital alarm clocks set at varying prices.

As this is the case you will have a wide choice of clocks to look over. You should understand that since you are looking to buy one of these clocks it is in your best interests that you buy one which is known to be free from electrical problems.

You can find these different digital alarm clocks in the stores which sell these types of products. You can also order the alarm clock that you want from various online stores. This route is one that you will need to take some care with as sometimes you will end up buying a digital clock which is not right for the tasks that you have.

Among the many different types of digital alarm clocks you will see ones for adults as well as ones for children. In these digital alarm clocks you will see that the price is based on the clock type itself. Additionally you will see that there are alarm clocks which can combine the facilities of music to them.

These digital alarm clocks are better known to us as radio alarm clocks, CD alarm clocks and then you also have mp3 alarm clock radios. With all of these alarm clocks you will find that you can set the alarm so that you awaken to music. While this is one of the more pleasant ways to wake up there are other types of digital alarm clocks that you can buy.

These digital alarm clocks look like ordinary alarm clocks. These however are known to be talking clocks. The alarm that you can choose from these clocks will range from the mild ringing of a bell to that of the strident rooster crow. When you buy one of these digital alarm clocks you will see that you have a better chance of starting your day as you desire. Fresh and ready to take on the world.

Uladzislau Suski
http://www.articlesbase.com/shopping-articles/digital-alarm-clocks-287754.html

Duration : 0:2:38

Technorati Tags: 5:45pm, Attraction, Bells, Blair, Bros, Brothers, CLIP, clock, Correct, day, Daytime, Disney, Disneyland, Exterior, Fair, Fantasyland, Imagineering, Lve, March, Marching, Mary, music, Parade, Sherman, Small, Snd, time, Toys, Walt, WDI, WED, world, Worlds

Duration : 0:2:20

Technorati Tags: 13, 2009, 313, Air, airborne, aircraft, airport, Cessna, clocks, clouds, coldplay, County, Detroit, DreamexX, facebook, flight, international, Jets, July, King, Kingair, KPTK, Landing, Michigan, Oakland, Pictures, Pontiac, PTK, runway, sky, Takeoffs, youtube

Great band, great music, support them!

From left to right:
David Solinhac: Keyboard, Vocals
Raphaël Passerin: Guitar, Vocals
Clément Charbonneau: Drums
Nicolas Bourrigan: Bass Guitar
Yanis Benhamed: Guitar, Vocals

Duration : 0:3:23

Technorati Tags: 2009, clock, international, Lovely, O', Paris, Rita, Six

Duration : 0:2:25

Technorati Tags: clocks, desktop, free, mac, macmost, macmostnow, vladstudio, wallpaper

Duration : 0:2:33

Technorati Tags: Disnyland, Hong, It's, Kong, Small, world