This week the Federal Reserve, citing fundamental weaknesses throughout the US economy, announced that it would not raise interest rates anytime in the near future.

By postponing rate hikes but again, the Fed is quietly signalling its agreement with the growing consensus of economists and investment managers that the US economy, buffeted by the same economic headwinds that are sending Europe and Japan into near-recessions and slowing China's growth, is in considerable trouble.

On Friday April 18th these fears sent financial markets in Asia, Europe, and the US into turmoil. The Dow, down 279 points, is lower than it was in November 2014.

There are few bright spots in this economy. Hiring in the US has slowed significantly in March. Consumer spending has been dropping over the last half-year. Industrial output is in a downward trend. The home construction industry has been in a veritable recession for the last several years.

Worse, the Atlanta Federal Reserve forecasts that GDP growth in the first quarter of 2015 might come in as low as 0.1 percent. Some fear that number might be adjusted down even lower and reveal a US economy actually in contraction. This would be the second time in a year that nation's economy has contracted instead of expanded--the GDP declined by 3 percent in early 2014.

According to Dennis Lockhart , president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, “Data available for the first quarter of this year have been notably weak." This weakness is "giving rise to heightened uncertainty about the track the economy is on.”

The next "target date" for raising interest rates will most likely be September, 2015. Between now and then there is plenty for the Fed to ponder.

The US debt is headed toward $20 trillion dollars, and now stands at a record 104 percent of GDP . The number of Americans out of work has just topped 93 million. Masses of millennials are unemployed or underemployed. Wages are shrinking. Americans are buying fewer new homes than they did in 1963, when the population was only 180 million. Corporate profits are weak. Tapped-out Americans must now find the money to pay skyrocketing health care premiums and deductibles.

However, the Fed is in a bind. Its zero-interest rate policy has become a hidden tax on the middle class, robbing Americans of trillions in lost interest payments on savings since 2009. But if the Fed raises interest rates, it is feared that investors might rapidly move money out of stocks and into safer fixed-income instruments such as bonds or money market funds.

Clearly, the already weak US economy could fall into recession this year or next if the correct monetary and fiscal policies are not forthcoming.

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The Mojave Air & Space Port is extremely popular. Not just among the aerospace innovators and their admirers - but within "regular" pilots and aviation enthusiasts also.

Hundreds of airplanes flew in last Saturday to display their aerial vehicle pride and to take part in the event.

People from all over California - and many even out of state - flew to the Mojave airport in order to be part of the spirit this place incorporates for the aviation and aerospace industry.

One of the highlights was a speech by famous experimental pilot and astronaut Mike Melville. He explained his work with the Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan, the probably most famous aircraft designer in decades.

Mojave Air & Space Port earned worldwide fame through a series of "firsts" such as SpaceShipOne with its first spaceflight in June 2004 and securing the ten million dollar X-Prize the same year.

Visitors had the opportunity to view dozens of different airplane models - most of them experimental aircraft.

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There is a new top of the line single engine airplane on the market: Piper Aircraft has unveiled the newest addition to their esteemed M-Class line, the M600, a single-engine, 600 horsepower, cabin class turboprop. The Piper M600 is a significant product advancement featuring a newly designed wing, the most sophisticated Garmin technology available, furnished with a redesigned, luxurious interior. The M600 is the first single-engine turboprop to feature G3000 avionics – a touchscreen-controlled glass flight deck.

This luxury plane seats six and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A 600shp engine. The aircraft has a maximum cruise speed of 260 ktas / 482 km/h, and has a max range of 1,300 nm / 2,408 km with a max payload of 1200 lbs. “Our customers and dealers asked for an aircraft with more payload and additional range,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott. “We listened and we delivered. The M600 encompasses the most advanced safety measures available today in the most ambitious package, with an overall value proposition that is extremely compelling to corporate flight departments and individuals alike.”

The very impressive avionics suite is the most sophisticated Garmin technology available and offers the most comprehensive, intuitive, and technologically advanced package on today’s market. With the G3000, the mechanics of flight deck management are easier and more efficient by design. Integrating control of various radios, audio and intercom channels, transponder codes, checklists, charts, mapping, flight plan entry and other functions, the Garmin GTC 570 touchscreen controller provides a centralized point of access for the majority of all avionics tuning, selection, and data inputs.

“With the advent of the M600, we have given our customers an option to travel nonstop from New York to Florida with added peace of mind afforded by the latest and most advanced safety enhancements,” added Caldecott.

Reportedly, the refurbished interior features ergonomically designed, aesthetically styled seats, which have been optimized for comfort. Enhanced side panels were developed for improved passenger interface. Additionally, three new color palettes have been thoughtfully created with the customer in mind. A comprehensive survey process helped identify the features and attributes that would be most appreciated by both pilots and customers.

This exciting but expensive airplane will be available before year’s end and is listed at a "competitive price" of $2.82 million.

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Apple Pay is already making its way out of the country. Its first outside conquest is said to be Canada, sources close to the matter told The Wall Street Journal on March 17.

The country would be a great get for Apple Inc., since Apple holds one-third of the market in smartphone users. In the world, Apple only holds 20 percent of the market, so they have a distinct advantage in Canada. To boot, the company is currently in talks with the six biggest Canadian banks. Should they all agree, Apple Pay would be connected to 90 percent of retail bank accounts.

Though there are already talks of a November Canadian launch, these banks aren’t being blindly led along. They have serious questions about security as well as the fees Apple will enforce. According to The Wall Street Journal, Canadian banks could be facing higher fees than American banks had to pay: Apple could be charging 15 to 25 basis points to Canadian banks per transaction when they only charge American banks 15 points.

The banks are also concerned with the growing reports of fraud occurring through Apple Pay, but it appears these banks are willing to work on a solution with Apple. The banks banded together to bring in a consultancy that will establish a safety measure plan for Apple Pay and for the banks themselves. The security measures will need to be agreed upon if the banks are to move forward in agreement with Apple Pay. For now, it involves a secondary authentication process that could slow down negotiations. The process could make using Apple Pay a clunky experience for a consumer, and could end up being more inconvenient than just pulling out and using a credit card.

With all these issues on the table, we’re finally able to see what a long road Apple Inc has ahead of it in implementing Apple Pay as a global product. Rather than simply distributing the hardware, getting Apple Pay into new countries takes long negotiations and many different approaches. After Canada, China is the next expected country for Apple to try to sell Apple Pay to.

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The International Space Station can only survive as long as supplies last. Therefore, the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft headed off the Earth this week, loaded with research so astronauts on the International Space Station can conduct experiments for the Earth and help scientists understand human reactions on long-duration flights like those required for a journey to Mars.

Called CRS-6 - for the sixth cargo resupply mission, the launch was the second station-related flight of the year for the Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX. The Falcon 9 v1.1 hit the instantaneous launch window at 4:10:41 p.m. EDT to rise above the lightning towers at Space Launch Complex 40 before arching over slightly to place it on a precise course to the space station orbiting some 257 miles above the planet. The first stage shut off its engines and separated on schedule with the second stage taking over lifting work and completing Dragon's voyage. It will take two days for the spacecraft to reach the orbiting laboratory to deliver its supplies.

"Five years ago this week, President Obama toured the same SpaceX launch pad used today to send supplies, research and technology development to the ISS," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "Back then, SpaceX hadn’t even made its first orbital flight. Today, it's making regular flights to the space station and is one of two American companies, along with The Boeing Company, that will return the ability to launch NASA astronauts to the ISS from U.S. soil and land then back in the United States. That's a lot of progress in the last five years, with even more to come in the next five."

Falcon 9 spacecraft is loaded with more than 2 tons of material, including items needed for 40 of the 250-plus experiments to be conducted by the station crews during Expeditions 43 and 44. Some of the experiments will focus on astronaut Scott Kelly, one of two men who recently began a yearlong mission on the orbiting laboratory so they can help determine changes and possible solutions to several dilemmas posed by extended missions. The work is crucial to NASA's knowledge of the effects on astronauts of missions to distant worlds including Mars.

Medical research: One of the experiments will explore the changes in common bone cells of mice to see what changes in the cells in microgravity. Astronauts routinely loose bone mass during missions and researchers want to stop that bone density drop-off. The field is also of deep interest on Earth where any solution to the problem for astronauts may also apply to people on Earth suffering from osteoporosis.

Additionally, scientists also want to determine how much fluid shifts in the body in weightlessness so they can figure out whether changes in astronauts' vision are related to additional pressure in the brain from fluids that gravity would otherwise force into lower parts of the body.

A part of this research focuses on synthetic muscle to see how it withstands radiation in low-Earth orbit. Artificial muscles could one day replace some of the metal components in robots to give them more human capabilities without reducing their capacity to perform tasks that would help astronauts on the station.

Reportedly, this Dragon's scientific contribution will not end with the delivery of its 4,300 pounds of experiments and equipment. Astronauts will pack the spacecraft with some 3,000 pounds of used gear and unneeded packaging. Completed science experiments will also be loaded into the capsule. After about five weeks in orbit, the Dragon will separate from the station and fly an automatic trajectory to return to Earth through the atmosphere and parachute to the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

According to NASA, after retrieval, the Dragon can be unloaded and the hardware sent to its home center for analysis where necessary. Scientists will get their work back, too, for more evaluation as new research is considered for upcoming missions on the station.

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With all the Apple products in the world, packaging impacts can really add up. Since Apple recently announced all of its U.S. facilities are run on 100 percent renewable energy, you won’t be surprised to hear of their latest initiative, an effort with The Conservation Fund.

On April 16, Apple announced through a blog post on Medium that they had purchased two tracts of forest land—one in Maine and one in North Carolina—that will be managed by The Conservation Fund. Not only will Apple be working to harvest natural fibers more sustainably, but it’s also saving this land— combined, it’s 2.5 times the size of Manhattan . According to BuzzFeed News, these forests are part of the estimated 45 million acres of private forest land that is in danger of being lost to development.

Apple won’t just be using the tree pulp for itself; other companies will have the ability to harvest from them as well. The land, which will be managed by The Conservation Fund, will operate as a “working forest” model, which is more sustainable than clear-cutting.

In addition to working on its impact when it comes to paper, Associated Press reports that the company is also working to improve the sustainability practices of its overseas operations. Apple’s vice president for environmental initiatives, Lisa Jackson , said, “When you talk about China, you’re talking about manufacturing partners. We’re looking to bring the same innovation there. This is the start.”

Apple is working on a solar project that will provide more than enough energy for Apple’s 19 corporate offices and 21 retail stores in China and Hong Kong, according to Jackson. The project has a capacity for 40 megawatts. Apple is currently pursuing rights to have half of the output of a 280-watt plant planned to go in near Apple’s Cupertino headquarters.

However, in foreign countries, Apple does have many contract manufacturers and the project wouldn’t cover the substantial amount of energy they consume. But for now, Apple says it wants to be sure it focuses on improving energy sustainability in the right way before it expands outward.

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If a portable projector is in your future, the Qumi Q5 ought to be on your radar. At 6” x 4” x 1-1/4”, it is just slightly larger than many of the pico projectors out there, but this thing is truly useable in many lighting conditions. While the pico projectors I’ve seen can only be used either 17” away from the screen or in totally darkened rooms, the Q5 has got enough horsepower (lumens) that it could be used during a typical business meeting.

When you first turn on the Qumi, you’ll see what’s called the Media Player Screen. From here you’ll select the media type you want to play: movies, audio, photos, office documents, etc. Yep, you read that right. The projector will play all those WITHOUT your computer, if you have them stored on a USB stick. Now we are talking portable!

With the MHL cable – you can also play directly from your Micro-USB equipped smartphone or tablet. More and more reasons you may be able to finally leave that laptop at home.

With an optional Wi-Fi dongle, you can also supposedly tap into a network and actually browse the Internet.

Setup

This DLP projector is ready to go in a matter of seconds, merely plug in the power cord and turn it on. If you are going to be displaying contents from a USB stick, go ahead and plug it in right away. Select the type media you want to project on the first screen and then toggle your way down to the file you want.

Even if all your media files are in the root directory of your USB device, the Qumi will only read one variety (video, audio, PPT, etc.) at a time – so you need to select that type file first from the opening screen. Switching from video to PPT? You’ll need to go back to the opening screen and reselect the other media type, even if they are the only two files on your USB stick.

With the enclosed remote, I was able to do everything I needed to do and from up to 20-25 feet away from the projector. I didn’t use the buttons atop the projector much at all. Buttons on top of the Qumi are fewer in number than the buttons you find on the remote, but they perform all the same functions. They need to be used in combination to perform some of the media playback options.

The owner’s manual shows a tripod mounting hole on the bottom of the unit, which I would have never otherwise discovered. It’s really cleverly covered with a sticker. That will be handy for anyone who has a tripod, because without any built-in height adjusters, you need to stack things to get the Qumi to the right height. The keystone adjustment does a good job of compensating however for any angle.

Hookup options:

According to the owner’s manual (on CD), the standard cables that come with the Qumi are VGA cable and power cable (with 19V – 3.42Amp-62W power brick - which is 1/3 the size of the Qumi itself.) It also comes with a business card-sized remote.

Listed as optional cables are the standard HDMI, MHL and Audio/Video cable. Also listed as optional are the carrying case and Q5 Wi-Fi dongle.

On the unit I tested, everything was included except the Wi-Fi dongle. Notes say that accessories vary model to model, so you’ll want to inquire.

One minor complaint – like 99% of the manufacturer’s out there, Vivitek provides a nice soft-sided case for the projector and remote, that totally ignores the power cord, power adapter and hook-up cables. There’s no way they will fit. Since the Qumi won’t run on batteries, and since you have to take the cords and brick with you, it sure would have been handy to be able to put them in the carrying case and keep everything together. Why manufacturers never show any love for the power brick is beyond me. Add in all the various media cables (VGA, HDMI, A/V) and you’ll probably want a carrying case twice the size of the Qumi. (End of rant…)

Playing your media

Since this is what it’s all about – let me say I think the Qumi shines (bad pun, I know.) It played just about all my media files, including some that the owner’s manual said it wouldn’t.

I ran a dozen videos on a USB stick through the unit and all but one played. The one that didn’t was a high bit rate, 1920x1080 MP4 homemade video and the Qumi only claims to play H.264 video up to 720p. I was able to play two other 1080p videos that even had higher bit rates than the one that didn’t play, so I can’t quite explain why that one didn’t play. All the other 11 looked great.

Again, the manuals says it will play H.264, MPEG4, VC-1, DivX, Real Video, AVS and MJPEG. I also found it works on .MOV files, so you can play back many DSLR-shot videos and Quicktime videos.

Playing Netflix videos via the HDMI worked great as well. I did need to set the controls to “Bright” to get adequate shadow detail, but it worked like a champ.

The Qumi does have a speaker on-board so you can listen to your videos or project your MP3 files and watch as the audio equalizer bounces up and down. There’s also an “audio out” jack for an external amplifier, which you’ll probably want for an audience more than one or two.

The slideshow function will display your still JPG, PNG or BMP photos. The Office function does a decent job of displaying Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files.

My various media files played perfectly from a 64GB Lexar P20 Jumpdrive but would not play from an external 64GB SanDisk Connect Wireless Media Drive that also can attach via USB cable. With the capacities of jumpdrives available these days, that’s really not a deal breaker any longer.

Specifications:

Resolution: HD (720p, 1280x800) – per user guide

Resolution: Native: 1280x800 Max: 1600x1200 – per website

Max illumination: 500 Lumens

Contrast ratio: 10,000:1

Aspect Ration Compatible: 16:10, 4:3, 16:9

Weight: 1.1#

Projection Distance: 39” – 118”

Projection Size: 30” – 90” diagonal

Audio speaker: 2W mono

Inputs: HDMI, 3.5mm AV, USB, Universal I/O port

Outputs: Earphone jack 3.5mm

Life expectancy: 30,000 hours for non-replaceable LED

Download the Qumi Q5 datasheet

Bottom Line:

Would I buy it? Absolutely. If portable is your criteria, this works well, day or night. If you want a 90” screen in your rec room, mount this to the ceiling, connect to your cable box and walla – you saved 90%. Check them out and pick your favorite color at http://ift.tt/WeOe43 .

Disclaimer: Vivitek provided the Q5 for me to test

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