Everyone is reading this long and fascinating story about elevators. I enjoyed the passage on elevator etiquette Instinctively, people know how to conduct themselves when boarding an elevator. A pair of strangers gravitate to the rear corners, another stands by the door, until the fourth arrives. Then these last two cover the front corners, opening the center for the fifth and whoever follows. As more arrive, they all re-position into open space.

The goal is to block potential intimacy and strive for maximum distance. A familiar code of subway riding and urinal sharing. Looking ahead is a must, with a slight vertical motion perhaps. Mirrors amplify the feeling of awkwardness.
Silence is customary, although generic small talk and neighborly greetings are reluctantly allowed.

Reminds me of two things.

1. People facing backward in The Great Candid Camera Stunt (and those not in
the stunt following their cue, like sheep)

2.This marvelous anecdote about Alfred Hitchcock:

Of Hitchcock, my favorite memory is an incident in New York, at the St.Regis Hotel in 1964. With Hitch red-faced and cheerful, and I a bit tipsy after some frozen daiquiris, we boarded the elevator on the 25th floor, riding in silence until the 19th, whereupon three evening-attired folks entered. Suddenly, he faces me and says, “Well, it was quite shocking, I must say there was blood everywhere!” Confused, I thought because of the many daiquiris that something was amiss, but he continued his tale: “There was a stream of blood coming from his ear and another from his mouth.” Certainly, all had recognized him but nobody would look. Two more arrived as he went on: “Of course, there was a huge pool of blood on the floor and his clothes were splattered with it. Oh! It was a horrible mess. Well, you can imagine…”It was apparent that everyone had stopped breathing, including myself. Now he glanced at me, I made a silly nod, and he again continued: “Blood all around! Well, I looked at the poor fellow and I said, Good God, man, what’s happened to you?” Just then, as the elevator doors opened to the lobby, Hitchcock said “And do you know what he told me?” and paused. Reluctantly, the amazed passengers departed the elevator, anxiously staring at the director while passing in silence. After foggy moments passed, I asked, “So what did he say?” Hitch put on a beatific smile and said,  “Oh nothing–that’s just my elevator story.”

The trouble may begin when the lift doors first separate to open. There is a tightness that wells up in the chest. Fear and anxiety flood in, and the heart beats at an accelerated pace the closer one walks to the elevator. Excessive sweating commences and irrational fears may set in long before the lift doors snap closed. The idea of being trapped inside the walls of the lift becomes very real. For a person suffering the debilitating effects of elevator phobia, this scenario is a common reaction felt keenly each time a lift is within sight.

For those who suffer with the fear of lifts, life can become very difficult. Especially for those who live in a larger city, elevator phobia may become an almost daily companion. The panic attack symptoms lay just below the surface, ready to come forward in the most ordinary circumstances of life. A trip to the doctor’s surgery or any other office building may quickly become a fight for sanity and composure. Avoiding lifts altogether may work for a while, but can make it very difficult to function normally. Running into an elevator is a very common part of normal adult life. A profound elevator phobia creates difficult social and work situations, often compounding the sufferer’s anxiety all the more.

Fortunately, there are several therapies that have proven effective in the treatment of elevator phobia. Elevator phobia is very often a conditioned fear, and learning to overcome the anxious response is quite possible.

Desensitization techniques work very well as well, but take a great deal of time to prove effective. Hypnotic therapy can provide relief for sufferers. Hypnotherapy quickly removes the automatic, unpleasant response surrounding experience with lifts and replaces it with a more pleasant reaction. Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, works very well in combination with hypnosis. Seeking treatment for elevator phobia is the first step to living a life free of this paralyzing fear.

Skiing is always a thrilling adventure, but skiers may be a bit more nervous the next time they get into a chair lift. A new film explores what happens when an innocent ski trip goes very, very wrong. Some ski enthusiasts may be interested in taking a look at the film, despite the rather macabre take on their favorite hobby.

In the upcoming thriller Frozen, three young American skiers named Dan, Lynch, and Parker, portrayed by Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore, and Emma Bell, find that their holiday has turned deadly serious when they are left stranded on a chairlift after the resort closes, not to be reopened until the following weekend. Trapped and isolated, dangling at a dizzying height, and with no chance of rescue, the three friends must decide how far they are willing to go to survive. They soon discover that they have more to fear than just the rapidly dropping temperature.

The film is directed and written by Adam Green, who previously directed the 2007 horror film Hatchet and the 2000 comedy Coffee and Donuts. Anchor Bay Entertainment is the distributor. Shooting took place in February 2009 at Snowbasin, one of the oldest ski resorts in the United States, located in Ogden in the state of Utah. This is not the first time Snowbasin has received attention: it was previously seen hosting several events during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The film has received mostly positive early reviews, according to movie review site www.rottentomatoes.com, though it seems more likely to appeal to fans of horror movies than general audiences. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010 and was given limited release shortly thereafter. It is scheduled for a wider release on Friday, February 5, 2010 in the United States; no international release dates are available at this time. The film’s official website, where interested viewers may watch the official trailer and find out more information about the cast and crew, is located at http://www.frozen-film.com/. It also has an official Facebook page.

NASA has held an annual contest called the Power Beaming Challenge since 2005. In this contest, the general public is asked to create a robotic climber to be used on a possible space elevator.

The space elevator project as NASA started with the idea of extending a cable, starting at the equator on Earth, thousands of miles into space. The rotation of the Earth would keep the cable tight by centrifugal force.

The contest required participants to design a robotic climber that could not only climb this cable, but could be powered by a wireless means.

NASA offered $2 million in prize money, to win a portion of this money, contestants had to meet one or both of the following two criteria:

To win the $900,000 in prize money, the crawler had to climb a test cable at a rate faster than 2 meters per second.

The remaining amount of $1.1 million, would be paid to a contestant who could design a crawler that could climb the cable at a rate faster than 5 meters per second. So far, no one has been able to achieve 5 meters per second.

On November 4th, 2009, the contest was held at Edwards Air Force Base, in Mojave California. A cable was hung from a helicopter, 900 meters in the air. This would serve as a testing cable for the climbers

The winning team, LaserMotive of Seattle Washington, not only accomplished the 2 meters per second goal, but surpassed that. Utilizing solar panels, and a ground based infrared laser, the climber achieved an average speed of 3.7 meters per second. The second attempt defeated the first, climbing the cable at a rate of 3.9 meters per second.

A space elevator is still just an idea, and is many years from implementation, but the results of this competition show that the technology is definitely possible. This same technology though, is expected to help in other applications. For instance, a lunar rover that normally wouldn’t be able to be powered in a dark, unlit crater, would be able to still be powered using this technology.

In need of a face lift, of sorts, the Derriford Hospital, a large teaching hospital that serves Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall, recently had their bed lifts repaired. The hospital asked Bristol to refurbish both of the hospital’s 32 person bed lifts. Bristol, a branch of Stannah Lift Services, specializes in refurbishing lift systems of any type. The traction driven bed lifts inside the Hospital’s Terence Lewis building were completely overhauled as part of the hospital’s initiative towards continued excellence in patient care.

A high level hospital manager commented that one of the hospitals highest priorities is to ensure the safety of Derriford patients, and that ensuring that equipment as important as bed lifts function at their most optimal is an important part of the safety initiative. Thus, the hospital commissioned Bristol to completely overhauled the bed lifts, replacing everything: stainless-steel lift cars, entrances, controllers, and slings; every replaceable piece of the lifts were replaced with new components, helping to ensure that patients at in the Terence Lewis building are treated on safe beds. The revamped beds should now provide dependable, lasting service – something that is very important in an environment as fast paced and important as a hospital.

This highly sophisticated, and expensive, dual bed lift technology ensures that the hospital can provide superior service to their patients. Having the Bristol branch of Stannah Lift Services on hand to complete these upgrades has made hospital life easier for patients and staff alike.

Stannah Lift Services custom builds bespoke lifts, to meet any customers unique needs and specifications. Stannah also maintains, services and refurbishes every type of lift, including bed lifts, escalators, and moving walkways. While they specialize in repairs to the Stannah family of products, Stannah repairmen are adept at renovating lift equipment made by any manufacturer.

Mitsubishi Electric has been around for over 80 years. They have developed products that are used in space and office buildings. In 2009 the company made a group sale of 3,665.1 billion yen. They have now come up with an energy efficient elevator. The elevator will be installed in buildings starting in April.

Many businesses that reside in tall offices have been complaining about energy costs and wanted an energy efficient elevator. Mitsubishi Electric invented an elevator that will be in buildings shortly. The elevator is now being called a smart control system and can reduce energy used in offices by 10 percent. The elevator uses smart technology by prioritizing when the most people will use the elevator. It is going to have a “non-stop” feature which allows passengers to get to the floor they desire without having to stop at other floors on the way.

The elevator is going to save the most money during non-peak hours. It is going to take about 1.6 seconds more for someone to catch the elevator. That isn’t a very large number compared to how much energy is going to be saved in the long run. The elevator saves so much energy because it figures out which elevator would use the least energy to get to you and then your destination.

In the morning and afternoon (when most people are going to use the elevator) the elevator is going to run normally and isn’t going to use energy efficient methods. However, it will know that more people are going to use the elevator so it is still going to save some money by predicting how many people are going to use it.

The 1.6 added seconds isn’t a long wait time. Right now the average wait is 20 seconds so most people won’t notice a difference. However, businesses will notice a decent amount of money saved when they look at their bill. Right now there are only a couple models to choose from. Mitsubishi Electric has stated that they are going to come out with more models in the next coming years.

Mitsubishi Electric is predicted to have a higher gross income than last year and their stocks are also predicted to rise with the new technology.

It’s the ultimate fantasy. You’ve been working after hours in the offices of your company’s downtown high-rise. Finally you glance at the clock: how did it get to be so late at night? You make your way down the foyer, press the button for the lift… and, much to your surprise, it’s not empty. The other passenger is a woman with blonde hair, veiled eyes, kissable lips, a neckline that shows just enough. (Or possibly the other passenger is a tall dark handsome stranger in an Armani suit. Sexual fantasies are not solely the prerequisite of the male gender.)

She doesn’t say a word. You glance at the control panel – the lobby button is lit. Yet somehow you know it’s going to take you more than the usual fifteen seconds to get there.

Your eyes lock. She doesn’t say a word as she hits the button marked “Stop,” and reaches for your tie to pull you closer with one hand while her other hand slowly begins to unbutton her blouse…

You know the rest of that story.

Or you should. Shagging in a lift is one of the most persistent erotic fantasies, and it doesn’t always involve an anonymous encounter. For that matter, it doesn’t always involve the “Stop” button.

Maybe it’s the allure of risky behavior. You’re in a public place that because of its closed doors and the necessity of standing very close to other people is simultaneously a private space. Yet the rules of personal space don’t apply. So what rules do?

Or maybe it’s the erotic posture. Sex standing up – because in most elevators except freight elevators there really is no room to lie down, and nobody fantasizes about sex in a freight elevator (unless you’re hot for the UPS driver.)

Or maybe it’s the physical sensation of the g-force, the actualization of Newton’s Second Law: as you accelerate upwards in a lift you feel heavier; lighter as you descend. Maybe what you’re really seeking is the weightlessness of freefall but gravity dictates you must settle for love – or sex in a lift.

Something tells me the people who set up the celebrations for this event were not thinking to clearly when they decided to mix fireworks and ticker tape.

Corinthians had just clinched the Brazilian championship and were celebrating the win in front of their fans when the fire starts. Not only are these nearly burnt but they also 15ft up in a scissor lift. They decided to hire the scissor lift to make the occasion memorable and they certainly achieved that.

Take a look at the video.

KONE is once again teaming up with the illustrious building team of Sorouh, Khatib & Alami, and the Arabian Construction Company to create the new Gate Towers in Abu Dabi. KONE will be supplying a total of 41 elevators to this massive and impressive series of structures, which should see completion in the latter part of 2012.

KONE has been designing world-class elevators for over 100 years. They specialize in what they call “people flow”, a term used to describe getting people where they need to be in the most effortless way possible, and with short wait times. One of the global leaders in this industry, KONE has designed and installed elevators and escalators all over the world, and creates innovative solutions for maintenance and priority placement in ways that will maximize human traffic and comfort.

The new Gate Towers will sit at the entrance of the island of Al Reem and will create an incredible new skyline. KONE will provide three different types of elevators for the buildings: 11 KONE MonoSpace Special Platforms; 27 KONE MiniSpace elevators; and 3 KONE TranSys freight elevators. There will also be an installation of 4 KONE TravelMaster escalators.

The Gate Towers will be a part of the Gate District in SHAMS. Existing Towers 3,4 and 5 are 65-storied buildings, and Tower 7 is 22-storied. The Towers have already won the prestigious Best High Rise Award by the International Residential Property Awards.

Sorouh Real Estate developed the Towers. The architects responsible for designing the unique and commanding buildings are Khatib & Alami. Construction is being handled by the Arabian Construction Company and is being overseen by Hill International, one of the world’s largest construction and consultation firms whose reputation is impeccable.

KONE has stated that they are excited and proud to be a part of the project. Their aim is to provide the most sophisticated technology and the ultimate in comfort and movement for the people who will be living and working inside these new towers. The integrity of their craftsmanship and dedication to their goal has made them world-renowned.

The Kingkey Finance Center, located in Shenzhen City, in the Guangdong Province of China is to be a 98-floor super high-rise. The building will house office, commercial establishments, and a luxury hotel. Completion is expected in 2012. The contract for the 129 elevators required for the main and neighboring buildings is being fulfilled by Mitsubishi, a leader in elevator technology.

The products ordered are valued at over $25 million (188 million RMB) and include the following:

6 double-deck elevators with a high carrying capacity of approximately 42 people (7000 pounds)
1 super-high-speed elevator with a maximum speed of 1770 feet/ minute
54 high-speed elevators with a maximum speed of 390 feet/ minute
8 low-speed elevators with a maximum speed of 345 feet/ minute
60 standard elevators to be installed in nearby buildings.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation facilities at Inazawa and Shanghai will be the manufacturer of the elevators. A high level of services and cutting edge technology was offered by the Inazawa works, the Mitsubishi Elevator Company and Mitsubishi Electric Shanghai Elevator Company, which contributed to the awarding of the contract.

The first Mitsubishi elevator was sold in China in 1950, and that country has remained a strong market for the Japanese manufacturer. Despite the difficulties of the global market, the need for elevators and escalators has remained strong, particularly in China. Over 200,000 units were purchased in China in 2009, which represents about 30% of the world share.

Mitsubishi Electric is a global leader in elevator technology. Since entering the field in the 1930s, Mitsubishi has always stood for high standards of precision. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009 the company’s group sales are reported as exceeding $35 billion. Their newest smart elevator technology can decide whether to respond to an elevator call button with the most prompt (at peak use times), or with the most energy efficient (at slower use times) elevator cage. This feature will be ready for the market as early as spring 2010.

Mitsubishi continually strives to provide safe, comfortable and efficient products, including elevators.