#Surface Mount Technology

[plainramennoodles]

There are two kinds of trans people and you can tell the difference by asking them what they think SMT stands for

[viasiontechnology]

Discover the basics of SMT assembly in this introductory guide. Learn about Surface Mount Technology (SMT), its components, assembly process, and its significance in electronics manufacturing.

[aimarketresearch]

Surface Mount Technology Market Size, Share, Trends, Demand, Future Growth, Challenges and Competitive Analysis

Surface Mount Technology Market report is an important manuscript for every market enthusiast, policymaker, investor, and market player. The market research and analysis conducted in this report assists clients in forecasting the investment in an emerging market, growth of market share or success of a new product. In addition, this business report endows with a delegate overview of the market where it identifies industry trends, determines brand awareness, potency and insights and provides competitive intelligence. Report contains strong and weak points of the competitors and analysis of their strategies with respect to product and  industry. Surface Mount Technology Market is the most established tool and hence used widely to generate market research report.

With the complete understanding of business environment that is best suitable for the requirements of the client, Surface Mount Technology Market business report has been generated. Businesses can also achieve insights into profit growth and sustainability programs with this market report. Market drivers and market restraints explained in this report gives idea about the rise or fall in the consumer demand for the particular product depending on several factors. This market document contains all the company profiles of the major players and brands. Each of the topics is properly elaborated with the in-depth research and analysis for generating an absolute Surface Mount Technology Market survey report.

Access Full 350 Pages PDF Report @

Surface mount technology market will grow at a CAGR of 8.86% in the forecast period of 2021 to 2028. Rise in the supply for electronic products to miniaturized consumers is an essential factor driving the surface mount technology market.

Surface mounting (SMT) technology is defined as a type of technique of generating electronic circuits where the parts are installed or put straight on the printed circuit board (PCB). An electronic device thereby generated is a surface mount device (SMD). It has mainly substituted the technique of connecting parts with cable leads in the circuit board through-hole technique design in the sector. Both technologies, such as huge transformers and heat sinked power semiconductors, can be used in the same board for components not suitable for surface mounting.

Surface Mount Technology Key Benefits over Global Competitors:

The report provides a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Surface Mount Technology Market trends, forecasts, and market size to determine new opportunities.

Porter’s Five Forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders to make strategic business decisions and determine the level of competition in the industry.

Top impacting factors & major investment pockets are highlighted in the research.

The major countries in each region are analyzed and their revenue contribution is mentioned.

The market player positioning segment provides an understanding of the current position of the market players active in the Personal Care Ingredients

Table of Contents: Surface Mount Technology Market

1 Introduction

2 Global Surface Mount Technology Market Segmentation

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insight

5 Market Overview

6 Surface Mount Technology Market, by Product Type

7 Surface Mount Technology Market, by Modality

8 Surface Mount Technology Market, by Type

9 Surface Mount Technology Market, by Mode

10 Surface Mount Technology Market, by End User

12 Surface Mount Technology Market, by Geography

12 Surface Mount Technology Market, Company Landscape

13 Swot Analysis

14 Company Profiles

Critical Insights Related to the Surface Mount Technology Included in the Report:

Exclusive graphics and Illustrative Porter’s Five Forces analysis of some of the leading companies in this market

Value chain analysis of prominent players in the market

Current trends influencing the dynamics of this market across various geographies

Recent mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, and partnerships

Revenue growth of this industry over the forecast period

Marketing strategy study and growth trends

Growth-driven factor analysis

Emerging recess segments and region-wise market

An empirical evaluation of the curve of this market

Ancient, Present, and Probable scope of the market from both prospect value and volume

The major players covered in surface mount technology market report are ASM Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG, YXLON International, Viscom AG, Universal Instruments Corporation, Teradyne Inc., Saki Corporation., Panasonic Corporation, Orbotech Ltd., OMRON Corporation, Nordson Corporation, Nikon Metrology Inc., Naprotek, Inc., Mycronic, Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc., KOHYOUNG TECHNOLOGY Inc.,  JUKI CORPORATION., Illinois Tool Works Inc., GLENBROOK TECHNOLOGIES, FUJI Corporation, Electro Scientific Industries, Inc and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. among other domestic and global players. Market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America separately. DBMR analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

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[semiconductors-and-technology]

Surface Mount Technology Market Insight, Size, Share and SWOT Analysis by Key Players, Forecast 2030

Surface Mount Technology (SMT) revolutionizes electronic assembly by directly mounting components onto PCBs, eliminating the need for through-hole insertion. This method enhances device compactness, weight reduction, and component density, making it the preferred choice in contemporary electronics manufacturing.

Market Dynamics: The Surface Mount Technology market has witnessed rapid expansion owing to the escalating demand for compact, lightweight, and high-performance electronic devices across diverse industries. The surge in smartphones, tablets, wearable tech, IoT devices, and automotive electronics has propelled the adoption of SMT solutions. Additionally, advancements in SMT equipment, materials, and processes have bolstered productivity, yield rates, and cost-effectiveness, further amplifying market growth.

Request Sample Report: https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/3433

3. Key Components and Technologies:

The Surface Mount Technology market encompasses a wide range of components, equipment, and materials tailored to meet the diverse needs of electronics manufacturers. Key components include surface mount devices (SMDs) such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, integrated circuits (ICs), and microcontrollers. SMT equipment includes pick-and-place machines, solder paste printers, reflow ovens, and inspection systems. Materials such as solder paste, solder masks, and adhesives play a crucial role in the SMT process.

4. Market Segmentation:

The Surface Mount Technology market can be segmented based on component type, equipment type, application, and geography. Component types include passive SMDs, active SMDs, and electromechanical components. Equipment types encompass placement machines, soldering equipment, inspection systems, and cleaning systems. Applications range from consumer electronics and telecommunications to automotive, aerospace, medical devices, and industrial equipment.

5. Future Outlook:

The future of the Surface Mount Technology market looks promising, with continued advancements in miniaturization, automation, and smart manufacturing driving innovation and market expansion. The rise of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to further accelerate the adoption of SMT solutions, as manufacturers seek to improve efficiency, flexibility, and connectivity in their production processes. Moreover, the increasing demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and smart infrastructure will create new opportunities for SMT technology providers.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Surface Mount Technology market is at the forefront of electronics manufacturing, enabling the production of smaller, lighter, and more advanced electronic devices. As the demand for high-performance electronics continues to grow, SMT solutions will play an increasingly critical role in driving innovation and competitiveness across industries. With ongoing advancements in technology, materials, and processes, the Surface Mount Technology market is poised for sustained growth and innovation in the years to come, shaping the future of electronics manufacturing.

Access Full Report Details: https://www.snsinsider.com/reports/surface-mount-technology-market-3433

[generalmarketresearch-blog]

https://www.htfmarketintelligence.com/report/global-surface-mount-technology-market

[aaloktronix]

Surface mount technology is a modern method of assembling electronic components onto a printed circuit board (PCB). Get more details about SMT in this post.

[neha24blog]

Surface Mount Technology Market Trends Analysis Report By Service, Equipment, Application, Region And Forecast To 2030: Grand View Research Inc.

San Francisco, 31 July 2023: The Report Surface Mount Technology Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Equipment (Inspection Equipment, Placement Equipment, Others), By Service, By Application, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies, and Segment Forecasts, 2023 – 2030 The global surface mount technology market size is expected to reach USD 8,222.0 million by 2030, expanding at a CAGR…

[downwiththemutantnjnjaturtles]

Donatello's First Love—Splinter's Talk

mostly bayverse, could be 2003 if you squint hard enough. did it a little different with this one compared to the others :0 word count: 1.6k

Spanning his messy corner of the Lair, Donnie's many monitors mounted to the wall were alight with a blue glow. The same few camera feeds rotated between the locations outside of their home and other places, monitoring, and allowing surveillance to take a backseat in his mind while he worked. At his desk, he gently squeezed a pipette into the mouth of a breaker, waiting for the reaction he was looking for to occur. 

"Interesting," he mumbled to himself, "I wonder what happens if I were to supercool the mixture." 

He placed the substance in a tray and prepared another batch, this time, much more concentrated. There wasn't much to do around the house besides experiment with the materials he'd salvaged. That was fine; he enjoyed the process, and filling notebooks—and his walls—to the brim with chemical equations, notes and mathematics that hardly anyone but he could read. 

Careful with his large fingers to not drop the pipette, he sucked a few drops up from the test tube, going in to add to the mixture. He squinted, almost there. And then the startling alarm pinged on the screen next to him, making him jump and squirt the chemical on his work surface. He quickly wiped up and looked over at the computer. "'Motion detected: [y/n]'s apartment complex'," the screen read, switching camera feeds to one of the multiple tiny cameras he had set up. He only put cameras where he thought it mattered; he was paranoid about an ambush, and even more so at her place than theirs, now that she was coming and going from the Lair. The likelihood of their enemies finding out her association with them was about a fifty-seven percent chance, fifty percent too much for Donnie.

He scanned the monitor for signs of anything suspicious, but it turned out to be only a friend dropping by with a key to put a package inside, with [y/n]'s permission. 

"Oh," he muttered, suddenly feeling silly. He made sure the person left her apartment—and locked it back—before quickly switching the feed. That was his one secret nobody had managed to catch him out on yet. Even so, he felt slick and a little guilty for spying. But, justifiably, they needed to know if she ever was in danger! He dismissed the notification and rotated the feeds manually. "Whoops. Sorry, [y/n]...yeah, I'll just switch that back." 

He shuffled around to resume his work titrating. Except Splinter stood curiously behind the desk, eyes trained close on the monitors, and then Donnie. Donnie flinched—Splinter usually didn't come in or near his lab. In fact, none of his family normally bothered him when he had his nose in his work, because none of them understood it. Not even Leo bothered to try to get the details. The details went over their heads. 

"So, Donatello, what is it you are working on?"

"Oh, Master Splinter," Donnie greeted him, glancing back to make sure the monitor was no longer on the door to her apartment. He picked up the pipette and test tube he'd knocked over before, "What is it?"

"Refer back to my last question," Splinter replied. He leaned calmly against his cane and looked all around the cluttered lab. Notes taped, tacked, even glued to walls. A whiteboard full of impossible equations, various pieces of technology in disrepair he'd picked up from trash and things going to recycling. Quite the mess, but Donnie knew where everything was. Splinter cocked his head slightly. "What disorganization," he commented.

"Disorganized to you," Donnie corrected with a smile, "but I can find anything I'm looking for—it's actually 'unorganized', implies that it never was organized. The definition of 'disorganized' suggests that something once was organized but now isn't, but I never once had this place in order," he rambled. 

"Donatello," Splinter interrupted. Once his son got talking, it was hard to stop him. He just had to interject to get a word in. "What is it you are doing? You have been very unfocused lately. This is strange for you."  

"Unfocused" was an understatement. With a mind already running miles per minute, he was getting caught up in his own head. Getting his work station back to a functional state, he set up his tube tray, answering, "Titrating these and writing out their chemical equations. The brain's like a muscle, gotta exercise it and stay sharp," he said. And with all that sharpness, he was only half-suspicious as to why Splinter was suddenly interested in what he was doing. 

Splinter nodded. "Then I must not have seen miss [y/n]'s apartment complex on your screen. Carry on." 

Donnie froze, watching Splinter out of the corner of his hazel eyes. His stomach dropped. So, it was one secret—they weren't going to understand, he was just as protective of their home, too! What if she couldn't call the police, or even them in time if someone broke in? Her apartment wasn't in a good area, Donatello already didn't like that. What if someone grabbed her? He couldn't put his mind at ease without knowing. 

"I—well, this was a recent development, you see," Donatello stuttered, fidgeting with the purple wraps around his hands. He realized then how weird it all looked and panicked. He'd never meant for it to go this far; his cautionary measures just kept escalating more and more with his feelings for her. "I swear, it's just outside of her place! I would never put a camera in her apartment, that would be creepy, and way overstepping," he explained. "I told her I'd always look out for her and that she can count on me."

"Oh, I suppose it's no problem, then, since she gave you such consent," Splinter said, looking away momentarily to scratch his chin. His eyes snapped back over to his anxious son and popped a hairy brow up as he knocked the end of his cane on the floor to grab his attention further. "Is that right, Donatello?" 

He wanted to go into his shell. I'm busted, this is not good. "Don't tell her! So, I, um…I didn't exactly…" The thought trailed off. He didn't need to finish that sentence for both of them to know. 

"Precisely my point. Now that we have made that clear, would you like to tell me what this is really about?" 

"No! I mean, I will, since you're asking, but—agh, I swear, I'm not a creep," he said. "I just wanted to make sure she'd be okay. That's it." 

Splinter crossed behind his desk, slipping an arm around his son's shell. Donnie wanted to pull away. "Come with me. Let's take a walk." 

He led them out of the Lair into the tunnels outside their home. They could loop around easily and end up back at the Lair, and Splinter knew Donnie was going to resist talking if the others could be around to hear. Sometimes, you must play on other people's terms, he thought, listening to the quiet drip echo as they ambled through the sewer. He figured it was time to do a little damage control, although he normally pledged not to interfere with his sons and them making their mistakes. However, he didn't want to see Donatello make a potentially hazardous one to himself. 

"Now, you must understand, my son, you cannot know everything at once," Splinter said, avoiding an accusatory tone. "You have a brilliant mind, but you certainly don't tend to see the obvious." 

"What do you mean, master?" Donnie questioned. The "obvious" being under any other circumstances, his actions would definitely be seen as "creepy". The notion flew right under his radar as something to worry about, as their circumstances were anything but normal. 

"Of course, you are a young man, you want to watch out for the one you love," Splinter pointed out. Donnie cringed, even though he hasn't made much of an attempt to hide that fact. He was excited to explore something new, why should he have hidden thos feelings? He didn't shout them to the world. But it was well-known among their family that he'd beaten his brothers to the punch when it came to her, and no going for it was an unwritten but understood boundary. Still, this wasn't a conversation he was prepared for have tonight; his mind was still back at his lab.

"About everyone but Michelangelo has noticed you've been retreating to your lab more often recently." He chuckled. "And your antics around her are obvious, again. Loosen your grip a little. You are annoying your brothers vying for her attention." 

Donnie felt a rush of embarrassment come over him. Yes, he was showy—expressive, maybe too quick to whisk her away to demonstrate his new inventions, the stuff he'd discovered. Donnie knew he could hyperfixate on and obsess over things; she was on his mind more than not. As for annoying his brother, he wasn't the strongest, but he was the smartest. He was much more eager with his staff and putting his siblings back in their lane when she was around. The electric component on his weapon came in handy for quick corrections, and goofing around. 

Through all of that, he remembered having a moment of clarity when she was inspecting his computer setup one night and the camera almost flickered to hers, to which he scrambled to shut it off. Conveniently, he brushed that aside. 

Donnie lifted his goggles, rubbing his face sheepishly. "I guess you're right," he admitted. 

"The things you do for love," Splinter shook his head. "Be sure you do not push her away by accident. You are fortunate I had the mind to come talk to you about this before you made a mistake and a fool of yourself. Consider it a fair warning," he said as he looked over at his son, who waited quietly for him to continue, "to not overstep." 

"I understand, loud and clear." 

Splinter nodded in agreement, "Good. I trust you will take this advice well. You have a good heart and good intentions, Donatello, do not be clouded by your mind. Your brain is not your only quality."

"Thanks, master Splinter. I'll let up on it," Donnie relented with a small smile. He was still uncomfortable, feeling a bit dumb. He always was so caught up on making predictions, keeping everything running smoothly and safely that he didn't always consider how that worked for other people. Just because it made sense to him, didn't mean it made sense to them. Note that for later, Donatello, he reminded himself. He turned around to head back to the Lair. 

Splinter stopped to take in a little sunlight from the grate above his head, stopping Donnie in his tracks. "Oh, and Donatello," he called. 

"Yeah?" 

Splinter assumed parental status, and Donnie knew that scolding tone all too well. "Tell her about it, or turn that damned camera off." 

~wooOoOOOoooOooOooo partitionnnnnnn~

Side rant: I actually hate it when people portray Donnie (except for 2012 iterations) as shy and unconfident. He is literally the opposite in 2003 and Bayverse. Donatello is not "a little baby uwu" and I'm tired of people making him look so meek 😭

[nasa]

The Artemis I Mission: To the Moon and Back

The Artemis I mission was the first integrated test of the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We’ll use these deep space exploration systems on future Artemis missions to send astronauts to the Moon and prepare for our next giant leap: sending the first humans to Mars.

Take a visual journey through the mission, starting from launch, to lunar orbit, to splashdown.

Liftoff

The SLS rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launched on Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The world’s most powerful rocket performed with precision, meeting or exceeding all expectations during its debut launch on Artemis I.

"This is Your Moment"

Following the successful launch of Artemis I, Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson congratulates the launch team.

“The harder the climb, the better the view,” she said. “We showed the space coast tonight what a beautiful view it is.”

That's Us

On Orion’s first day of flight, a camera on the tip of one of Orion’s solar arrays captured this image of Earth.

Inside Orion

On the third day of the mission, Artemis I engineers activated the Callisto payload, a technology demonstration developed by Lockheed Martin, Amazon, and Cisco that tested a digital voice assistant and video conferencing capabilities in a deep space environment. In the image, Commander Moonikin Campos occupies the commander’s seat inside the spacecraft. The Moonikin is wearing an Orion Crew Survival System suit, the same spacesuit that Artemis astronauts will use during launch, entry, and other dynamic phases of their missions. Campos is also equipped with sensors that recorded acceleration and vibration data throughout the mission that will help NASA protect astronauts during Artemis II. The Moonikin was one of three “passengers” that flew aboard Orion. Two female-bodied model human torsos, called phantoms, were aboard. Zohar and Helga, named by the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) respectively, supported the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE), an experiment to provide data on radiation levels during lunar missions. Snoopy, wearing a mock orange spacesuit, also can be seen floating in the background. The character served as the zero-gravity indicator during the mission, providing a visual signifier that Orion is in space.

Far Side of the Moon

A portion of the far side of the Moon looms large in this image taken by a camera on the tip of one of Orion’s solar arrays on the sixth day of the mission.

First Close Approach

The Orion spacecraft captured some of the closest photos of the Moon from a spacecraft built for humans since the Apollo era — about 80 miles (128 km) above the lunar surface. This photo was taken using Orion’s optical navigational system, which captures black-and-white images of the Earth and Moon in different phases and distances.

Distant Retrograde Orbit

Orion entered a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon almost two weeks into the mission. The orbit is “distant” in the sense that it’s at a high altitude approximately 50,000 miles (80,467 km) from the surface of the Moon. Orion broke the record for farthest distance of a spacecraft designed to carry humans to deep space and safely return them to Earth, reaching a maximum distance of 268,563 miles (432,210 km).

Second Close Approach

On the 20th day of the mission, the spacecraft made its second and final close approach to the Moon flying 79.2 miles (127.5 km) above the lunar surface to harness the Moon’s gravity and accelerate for the journey back to Earth.

Cameras mounted on the crew module of the Orion spacecraft captured these views of the Moon’s surface before its return powered flyby burn.

Heading Home

After passing behind the far side of the Moon on Flight Day 20, Orion powered a flyby burn that lasted approximately 3 minutes and 27 seconds to head home. Shortly after the burn was complete, the Orion spacecraft captured these views of the Moon and Earth, which appears as a distant crescent.

Parachutes Deployed

Prior to entering the Earth’s atmosphere, Orion’s crew module separated from its service module, which is the propulsive powerhouse provided by ESA (European Space Agency). During re-entry, Orion endured temperatures about half as hot as the surface of the Sun at about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). Within about 20 minutes, Orion slowed from nearly 25,000 mph (40,236 kph) to about 20 mph (32 kph) for its parachute-assisted splashdown.

Splashdown

On Dec. 11, the Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California after traveling 1.4 million miles (2.3 million km) over a total of 25.5 days in space. Teams are in the process of returning Orion to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once at Kennedy, teams will open the hatch and unload several payloads, including Commander Moonikin Campos, the space biology experiments, Snoopy, and the official flight kit. Next, the capsule and its heat shield will undergo testing and analysis over the course of several months.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[qqueenofhades]

In light of OceangateGate, by show of hands, who still wants Elon Musk to send them to Mars?

I mean, this whole thing (like I kept saying in tags) is both grimly fascinating and utterly predictable. Because there's this whole culture that you could and should do absolutely anything anywhere on earth, if you're able to pay for it, and at the same time that the companies offering these experiences can do absolutely everything to cut corners and make profits while placing people in incredibly dangerous situations. Whether it's the mountain adventure companies who take tens of thousands of dollars to shunt total novices up Mount Everest, or this, it's just like... MAYBE YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE EVERYTHING INTO A HYPER-CAPITALIST COMMODITY JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE RICH AND/OR WANT TO TAKE MORE MONEY FROM RICH PEOPLE! MAYBE!

Within 48 hours of this story breaking, we have learned that:

The sub is not tested or certified by literally any regulatory agency, because "innovation can't wait for rules"

The sub is built of fucking camping store gear and a video game joystick, they did not pay for appropriately certified parts for the depths they wanted to go, and the company fired the guy who pointed it out, rather than dealing with any of the issues he raised

The CEO (one of those now missing on the sub) gave an interview talking about how "at some point, safety is just waste"

In 2018, a literal group of esteemed submersible experts wrote to this guy about how his plans were bad and he should feel bad; he ignored it

The sub does not have basic safety equipment, a readily available backup vehicle, an acoustic beacon, etc, and has gone missing several times before; it is only luck that they found it those times

You can't get out of the fucking thing by yourself even if it is on the surface

It used Elon Musk's Starlink satellites for communication and cited SpaceX as a private adventure tourism model (as noted, you know, the rockets that keep literally blowing up)

You have to sign an enormous waiver (after paying $250,000 a head) acknowledging this entire thing is completely unregulated and you may very well die

Which it looks like these poor schmucks either have or are soon going to, either by imploding instantly at great depth (the merciful option) or slowly suffocating in a freezing coffin in the dark (the absolute hell option)

Like?!?! How was this not COMPLETELY predictable?

And this happened WHILE THEY WERE GOING TO THE TITANIC

You know, the most famous case of Man vs. Nature technological hubris in history

I mean. This is the ultimate outcome and perfect encapsulation of the "no rules no regulations ever, everything including the most dangerous things are crassly commodified for money, everyone is an expert and/or experience is irrelevant, safety rules only exist to hamper innovation and disrupt The Free Market, costs should be cut on everything for more profits, and this should all continue regardless of the consequences or the impact on the other people then required to endanger themselves to rescue them" late-stage capitalist hellscape we are living in. And maybe I shouldn't have laughed, but uh, I laughed:

[alastor-x-reader-stories]

Safety n Shadows - Part 1 of ?

SUMMARY: Two creatures who shunned the light, sticking close to the shadows that were your Sanctuary. You were bound to meet eventually. A deal is struck, a bargain made, a pact formed. Whatever else will it turn into?

TAGS: Reader x Alastor, fluff, humor, eventual romance, Typical Alastor Behavior, some horror aspects.

For as long as you can remember, shadows were your sanctuary. Which wasn’t very long, you lost your memories when you fell but whatever.

You swam through them with ease and grace, as though this was your domain your entire existence. Which you doubted. But you guess you couldn’t assume.

Hell was observed from their safety, the mediocre the depraved… The soft and the dangerous. You’ve seen many things, you’ve heard many things, you’ve learned many things. The shadows of others were little pockets of their owners where you can climb inside and come along for the ride. Skimming closer to the boundary was where you could be seen- but not touched – and the deeper you went the less there was of you to be detected.

You’ve never gone to the bottom of the shadows. That was probably for the best. You have seen what shouldn’t be seen, waved at it, and went about your way. That which shouldn’t be seen didn’t seem to mind as long as you never wandered that deep again.

Some have seen you, some have heard you, but you were always Safe.

When skimming along, you heard a song. Curious, you surfaced enough so your ears can pass the Boundary, poking above the ground to hear more clearly. Slowly you peaked your eyes above as well. On the television display of a small store you watched as the princess of hell talked about her hotel. Or. Sung about it.

It was a good song, and not a bad idea. But how could you be redeemed for something you don’t even remember? You figured there was no point and submerged yourself in shadows once again.

Several months passed before you thought of it again. The early Extermination frightened you, seeing the exorcists arrive in flocks to destroy any sinner they came across. You had pressed deeper into the shadows, away from the sounds and the sights. But you saw something. Someone. In your domain.

And he Saw you.

Would he have reached out? Would he have said something? Would he have hurt you? You could tell he was injured, the shadows were stained red where he passed. He stayed near the Boundary and you wondered if that was by choice or simply because he was injured and couldn’t go further.

When you tried to approach, he bared bleeding fangs at you in a silent warning. Much like for That Which Should not Be Seen, you took the hint and moved away.

You’ve never seen anyone else in the Shadows. You wonder if he ever had.

~~~~~~~~~~(￣▽￣)~~~~~~~~~~~

He’s never seen anyone else in the Shadows. He wondered if you ever had.

It’s been a couple months since the last Extermination and the Hotel was wrapping up its last renovations. Alastor paced around his new room. The walls were a deeper red than the others in the Hotel, the fireplace more ornate and firewood nicely stacked on one side. There was a mounted gator skeleton on the wall, curled over to one side with its snout facing a small bayou. The bayou itself was separated from the main room with a wall that was more a window, and a door made of dark wood separated it from the rest of the place.

It was curated specifically for him, Charlie had told him. He’d be touched if he wasn’t so offended that they didn’t think he could do this himself. However, he had still thanked Charlotte and gave a half-hearted compliment to Vagatha for remembering the details she had.

Alastor’s room was placed down the hall from his new Radio Tower. The one that was built specifically by Charlie and Nifty. It was sleek and elegant and more securely fastened to the hotel than his last one had been. When he first heard of it he was prepared to walk in and find modern technology and blinking lights and smooth screens which he would have to destroy the moment he was alone. Instead, the inside was a near perfect replica of the tower he had lost.

That was thanks to Nifty, apparently. Silly girl had a good memory for that kind of thing.

That, he was able to be grateful for - almost sincerely.

 Time had marched on and memories of the Extermination blurred together. Of course he still remembered that fear - … rage, of being nearly sliced in half. The panic- …irritation, of realizing his microphone had been sliced in half. But what he was dwelling on now…

Was you.

What were you? Where were you? WHO were you?

It had been enough time to recover. So he had sent his shadow to find you, and was now waiting for its return.

Preferably, with you in tow.

[terrantechnocrat]

I've been fixated on this Rain World AU idea: an overview of a future long after the great ice age present in the Saint's lifetime.

The surface of the world has warmed up, leading to an explosion of greenery from underground refugia. All animals have either become extinct or transformed to occupy new ecological niches.

The Slugcats survived the eon of cold through symbiosis with their old frenemy: the Scavengers. In the present epoch of the jungle-mounts, their nomadic tribes have evolved into more static communities, which have begun to integrate machinery powered by crude Void Fluid technology. Along the fringes of their rugged settlements thrive the families and colonies of the scugs.

The player scugs' adventures persist in an altered form within Scavenger culture countless cycles after their souls' passing as enduring motifs in stories:

Artificer, singlehandedly responsible for the partial collapse of scav society and possibly their relations with scugs in the game's regions, has long since morphed into a red, antagonistic, Satan-like creature—the Adversary, wrath incarnate.

Saint ultimately became the Savior whom, through their echo's mediation with Scavenger tribes, taught scavs how to think beyond mere survival. There is, however, something willful and terrifying in his depictions.

Gourmand's expedition into the game's regions to feed their colony had lingering consequences as the scavs came to represent them as a large, charitable, powerful force that inadvertently taught scavs the art of storytelling. Thus they are the Artist.

[stevebattle]

SLIM Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2, AKA SORA-Q) by Tomy, JAXA, Sony Group, and Doshisha University (2023). The Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon, or SLIM (final photo), was launched from Japan on September 6 2023, due to make a precision lunar landing on January 19 2024. It will deploy LEV-2, an 8cm diameter, ball-shaped, transforming robot. Once on the surface of the moon, the robot splits, expands left and right, and a reaction trail pops out in a vehicular configuration. The wheels are mounted on an eccentric axle able to run in two modes, 'butterfly running' or 'crawling running'. The LEV-2 will be released from the lander 1.8 metres above the lunar surface, and begin rolling around to capture SLIM's landing and the surrounding area. LEV-2's battery is only expected to last about two hours.

"SORA-Q looks something like a metallic Wiffle ball and takes its name from sora, which means “sky” in Japanese; the “Q” is a homonym for the Japanese word meaning “sphere.” As the dust settles, SORA-Q will unfold like a Transformer: the sphere will split in half, exposing a pair of cameras and dividing its two hemispheres into wheels. In the case of M1, mission controllers will remotely instruct their SORA-Q to turn toward the main lunar lander and transmit images back to Earth." – A Mini Moon Rover from the Toy Company That Created Transformers, by Matt Alt, The New Yorker.

"We designed the vehicle to be a spherical object with expandable wheels and a stabilizer using the transforming technologies for toys. Moreover, we adopted the robust and safe design technology for children's toys, which reduced the number of components used in the vehicle as much as possible and increased its reliability." – Hirano Daichi, Palm-Sized Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2).

In 2023, Tomy released a retail model, called the Sora-Q Flagship Model. It has the same transformer abilities, and can be remotely controlled with a smartphone app.

UPDATE: The Tomy LEV-2 / SORA-Q rover successfully returned this incredible image of the SLIM lander nose down on the Moon (final image).

[harwood-pmc-official]

Corax woke to the sound of a softly snoring Robert Harwood. The grizzled mercenary leader was still asleep. Robert's head was buried face down in the plumage on Corax's upper chest. Corax lay in the functional, if comfortable, bed, and took in the sights of the room around him - there had been little time to do so six - neg, eight - hours earlier. Upon their arrival, it had been two minutes of frantic (and drunken, in Robert's case) undressing, an hour and a half of intense, intimate, and wall-shakingly loud coupling - Robert face down or otherwise receiving for much of it - then thirty minutes of afterglow, a quick fifteen minute shower tandem shower, and finally, sleep for the remainder of the time elapsed. Corax decided he would allow Robert as much sleep as he desired. So he looked around the room - his genetically-augmented avian night vision allowing him a good view of everything, even in the dark - at the bare metal walls, the holovid player and CD audio system on the far wall, the open door to the surprisingly well appointed bathroom... it was a nice, if functional, room. Not as well-appointed as the Argo's quarters, but better than the barracks and sibko facilities Corax had been raised in. Idly he ran his taloned hands softly across Robert's still naked back, as his mind began to wander... there are adjustments for hot drop that needed to be made to the Haast Eagle before we drop, and the stravag PPC was still showing a .085% transfer inefficiency with the capacitor off-line - but he shook off those thoughts. He wanted to take Robert there, and show him. Every Mech pilot, and many Aerospace pilots, found LAMs an alluring, fascinating, "dead end" technology, but the Haast Eagle was the first to be built since the Jihad. It was the first of a new generation - especially since the Argo's prodigy of an engineering whiz-cum-electronics sorceress Jaela Yang-Murad had cracked the problem of mounting Ferro-Fibrous armor to a LAM.

So he lay, thinking, stoking his sleeping coupling partner's back, breathing, and feeling very content.

( @is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not )

After a while, at precisely 5:00 Taurian Standard Time, (though Corax had no way of knowing that), Robert's eyes opened, quickly snapping around the room until they settled on Corax. For a moment, his bleary eyes widened, and his jaw went slack with awe, but as the fog of sleep cleared, recognition came over him, and he schooled his expression back to pleased neutrality.

"Mornin', Nevermore," Robert says. "Nice of you to to stick around. I'm led to understand that with you Clan folk it can be a bit of a 'Wham, bam, thank you ma'am' type situation." He sits up in bed, joints making all sorts of creaks and cracks from decades of abuse. He leans over the edge of the bed, pulling himself closer to the edge.

After a moment’s looking, he turns back to Corax with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Alright, where the hell are my limbs. I'm too hungover to remember taking them off, and I need them if I'm gonna make us coffee and breakfast." He says, gesturing with his arm to the three mounting surfaces that adorn his other arm and legs.