Over the 2009 holiday shopping season, Amazon, com processed an estimated 73 Tiffany Circle clasp necklace per second and 6.3 million items on a typical day. That may not come as much of a surprise. But what you may not know is that it's all powered by cloud computing from Amazon Web Services (AWS). And Amazon isn't even the biggest AWS customer, according to CEO Werner Vogels. Amazon's Infrastructure as a Service is so far ahead in the cloud that competitors are struggling to keep pace. AWS is not about to rest on its laurels. Fortunately for the rapidly growing number of AWS users, it is aggressively innovating and improving its services. One might even say that during the 2009 holiday season, it left us some presents under the tree.

One ofthe major barriers to cloud adoption in enterprise IT departments, as with running data through any hosted service, comes down to security. Most of it boils down to IT staff protecting their jobs or downright paranoia. As my colleague Chris Dagdigian said at Bio-IT World Europe (see "The C Word," ???·?? World, Nov 2009), "It's very funny to see people demanding security practices on the cloud that they're unable to run in-house."

To address those customers' concerns, Amazon recently announced Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) service. VPC offers a secure bridge between existing IT infrastructure and cloud resources through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. With VPC enabled, your company's security services and firewalls can extend to cover AWS compute resources running on Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2). While this should ease concerns at pharmaceutical companies and other security-conscious IT departments, it does come with the caveat of VPN overhead. If your internal IT bandwidth is poor, it will become the bottleneck when pushing terabytes of data through VPC.

The Data Flow Tiffany Somerset Bangle

Another major announcement from AWS is the Import/Export service for Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3). Let's say you have 200 TB of data you want to load into S3 for analysis on EC2. No matter how fat your link to Amazon, it's going to take a long time to move that data. Dagdigian alluded to this service last April at the Bio-IT World Expo, when he said: "If the ingest problem can be solved... I see petabyte-scale datas ets that would flock to utility storage services." Amazon has answered the call with S3 Import/Export. You put your data on USB or SATA hard drives and send it to Amazon through standard mail. Amazon takes those disks and physically loads them up in their datacenter running S3. After a couple of days, your data are available for processing on EC2 or distributing to customers and colleagues.

When it comes to raw data S3 is a fantastic solution, but what about all the data living in relational databases? Amazon knows that an infinitely scalable relational database is impossible to engineer. As an alternative, AWS has offered SimpleDB, a non-relational distributed database service. In addition there's Elastic Block Store (EBS) providing elastic disk storage that many customers use underneath of their own managed MySQL, Postgres, and Oracle instances. Amazon realized their customers were spending too much time managing MySQL on top of EC2 and EBS. Relational Database Service (RDS) gives AWS users an API for a self-contained MySQL database instance without having to launch new EC2 servers or deal with EBS volumes and snapshots. Currently in beta, RDS supports up to 20 databases per customer each allowing up to ITB of storage. There's nothing to install, configure, or tune. Simply issue a few commands to launch a fully functional database server with the same on-demand pricing we've come to appreciate from AWS.

Perhaps the most interesting announcement from AWS is a new pricing model called Spot Instances. Tiffany 1837 ring the 10 cents/hour on-demand pricing of EC2 is what made the service initially so popular, James Hamilton, vice president of AWS, calls Spot Instances "a fundamental innovation in how computation is sold." Spot pricing allows customers to bid on instances effectively balancing the peak and off-peak capacity of EC2. Under this model the spot market drives EC2 pricing. If demand is low you pay less, if demand is high you pay more. Workloads with soft time constraints such as compression, encryption, and exhaustive sampling can be processed at a potentially lower cost than standard EC2 rates.

Nov. 4--Link Wachler has been making handcrafted jewelry of his clients' Small Elsa Peretti Sevillana pendant, lost loved ones and more, for years.

But being able to donate two pieces of jewelry to a nonprofit pet sanctuary headquartered in Minnesota was a unique opportunity for the jeweler to rub elbows with one of his idols, he says.

Wachler, co-owner of David Wachler & Sons Jewelers in downtown Birmingham, and his brother, Glenn, presented two handcrafted bracelets to Home for Life, a charitable organization, on Oct. 19.

The pieces, which depict a man leading a sled with dogs, on a gold and silver bracelet, are similar to the kind of work the pair gets orders for during the seasonal holidays.

The two donated one of the two bracelets to Cesar Millan, better known as the Dog Whisperer. Millan was the guest of honor at Home for Life's annual fund-raiser, Wags to Whiskers.

Link made one piece to be auctioned off and another for Millan, who has his own television show about dog training, "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan" on the National Geographic Channel.

"It was fantastic," says Wachler of meeting Millan, whose tips for calming hard-to-train dogs have made him famous worldwide. He even gave Wachler, 55, of Troy, some tips that helped him with his 9-year-old mixed Labrador retriever, Coco.

Millan's advice helped Wachler get Coco to stop running out the front door or barreling up and down stairs in front of him.

"It's not a matter of yelling anymore, it's more a matter of calm Medium Elsa Peretti Sevillana pendant," says Wachler, who, with his brother, also owns Wachler Ultimate Expression , a side business that makes custom jewelry. "It's a pleasure to see the changes in our relationship."

Home for Life, based just outside St. Paul in Stillwater, Minn., takes in animals from all over the United States that might otherwise be euthanized and provides them a home. The nonprofit has a pet sanctuary across the state border in Wisconsin that currently houses 263 animals -- mostly dogs and cats, though they boast a handful of parrots and rabbits and even a large tortoise, among other animals.

Most weren't likely to be adopted because of medical or behavioral problems.

The organization's founder and executive director, Lisa LaVerdiere, had read about the Wachler brothers' business making custom jewelry in an industry magazine for dog lovers. She contacted the pair and after finding out more about her organization, they were eager to donate.

The two pieces Wachler made are worth roughly $650 each. When he and his brother, who works more on the business side of things, heard Millan would be at the fund-raiser, they were eager to go.

"Of course I'm so thankful," says LaVerdiere. "They helped us do something for Cesar that hopefully he'll remember us by, and it hopefully elevated us above the herd since we were able to make this gesture."

"It was awesome ... to be up there onstage, making the presentation" to Millan, says Wachler, whose custom jewelry for dogs, and other pieces, can fetch $1,000 and often way more. The price range on bracelets such as the two he donated typically run from $75 to $750.

He says making such less-conventional jewelry allows him to work in an even more creative fashion than his family business Large Elsa Peretti Sevillana pendant. He even wears one of his own handmade bracelets.

"I keep mine on at all times," he says. "It reminds me of what my values are."

DEAR CAROL: When I used to keep my earrings in a box, they all became tangled and some even got ruined. Now I hang them on a wide strip of lace attached to the wall next to my bed. I put a pretty bow on top of the lace strip for Tiffany 1837 Bar key ring.

I stick the earrings randomly on the lace each night before bed and they are all displayed for easy selection in the morning. Another way to store earrings with hooks on the back is to hang them on the rim of a decorative glass. - MS. L.D., FITCHBURG.

"To organize coupons more quickly and easily," says MS. K.P. of HOLDEN, "I use small, plain white envelopes and write a category on the front of each for every group of coupons. Then I file all the envelopes in alphabetical order and place them in a small box to carry with me when grocery shopping. The box fits easily into the carriage and doesn't take up much space."

DEAR CAROL: My hint has to do with the care of make-up purses, which most women carry in their handbags. I used to find that the plastic lining in mine would get torn before long and the purse would have to be discarded too soon.

Now I fold in half, sticky side in, a small "light days" sanitary pad and place it in the purse. It enables me to carry manicure scissors, tweezers or other sharp implements without puncturing the lining. - MS. H.W., LEICESTER

From MRS. I.M.D. of WORCESTER comes this idea: "Since I don't have a car and one needs an appointment to get eyeglasses fixed, I've found a way to keep the bow on when one of the tiny screws falls out. I strip a twist tie and pull the wire through the glasses. Then I twist it and cut it off. It lasts until I can get to the optician and it isn't really noticeable."

DEAR CAROL: Recently while on a trip, I realized that I had forgotten my small travel iron that I like to have with me. Since I never go anywhere on a trip without my hair dryer, I decided to run it over my wrinkled blouse.

I was amazed to discover that it took out all the wrinkles. Now I find myself doing the same thing here at home when I take something out of the closet and it needs a light pressing. Occasionally I do this even after I have put the garment on, but sometimes I just place the article on the bed, set the dryer on high, and run it over it there. - MS. D.F.S., Tiffany Circle clasp necklace

A WEBSTER reader, MRS. L.H.M., says, "When my electric oven is not in use, I use it to store rolls, candies and crackers."

DEAR CAROL: I was doing a lot of walking lately wearing my inexpensive sneakers. My heels became sore and felt like they were burning all the time.

I took two off my old shoulder pads that I had cut out of a shirt and placed them in the heel sections of my sneakers. They cushioned my heels and they also keep my feet nice and warm. They can be removed and thrown into the wash easily and would be good for any type of shoe that produces the same problem. - MS. F.D., BOYLSTON

"While wrestling with heavy glass candle holders that never come completely clean," says MS. B.D. of OXFORD, "I hit upon the idea of using the microwave oven to rid the glass of wax residue. I first rubbed off all the large pieces of wax, filled a disposable plastic container with water and put in the candlesticks. After the water boiled, I retrieved the candlesticks with tongs and polished them with a towel - with sparkling results!"

NO Heart and Tiffany Box Charm

There will be no prize awarded this week, since no winning hints have been received. If you have one you've beeen meaning to submit, send it in soon.

Do you have questions about household tasks, cooking, or decorating, or hints to share on these subjects? Send them to "About the House" in care of the Sunday Telegram, Box 15012, Worcester, MA 01615-0012. A prize of $10 will be awarded each week for the best original household hint offered.

How could the Internet, jewelry and good value be connected in one Frank Gehry Fish earrings?

Hampel/Stefanides' first ad for Net startup OrbitGems.com may have the answer.

The print effort for the New York-based discount estate and contemporary jewelry e-- tailer breaks nationwide early this month.

The ad has a tongue-- in-chic tone; it shows a well-heeled woman in a huge feathered hat wearing a computer mouse as an earring.

The copy: "You no longer have to be wealthy to buy one-of-a-- kind estate jewelry. Just well-Tiffany Cushion Drop earrings."

Hampel/Stefanides won the business a couple of months ago, said Robert Ireland, vice president, account director of the New York shop, adding it was a challenge to link all the clients aspects.

"You can't rely just on, 'Hey, you can buy jewelry on the Internet,' because that's become point-of-entry," Ireland said. "You need to try and differentiate the HEART LINK DROP EARRINGS."

Spending is about $1-1.5 million. The ad will run through Christmas in such magazines as The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair and in newspapers.

Keywords Jewellery, History

Archaeological evidence suggests that both men and women have been wearing earrings from the third century Bc. Originally the idea for piercing ears and inserting a metallic ornament comes from the Orient. This book, however, focuses on the history of mainstream earrings for Western women from pre-history to the I Love You Lock charm necklace.

From earliest times through to today, earrings can be divided into two types -- hoops and pendants and this is reflected throughout this historical survey The book is divided into four main chapters, which each cover a major historical time period. Photographs are placed at the end of each section to illustrate the preceding text. The illustrations in this book are particularly fine, with more than 600 examples of designs, 108 in colour. The book concludes with an index, glossary and very useful and detailed biographical notes on designers.

The fashion for wearing precious metals spread from Egypt to the classical Greek, Roman and Hellenistic worlds to Byzantium. During the Middle Ages, however, with the advent of high ruff collars, earrings practically disappeared. It was not until the eighteenth century that earrings became an essential form of adornment. The perfecting of techniques for cutting coloured gemstones and diamonds paved the way for the development of very glamorous and stylish designs. During the nineteenth century we see a great vogue for Elsa and Roman motifs in jewellery design. The First World War changed many people's lives forever, and in particular women, who became more emancipated and adopted shorter dresses and shorter hairstyles. This gave way to a rise in popularity for long pendant earrings, which has continued right through to the 1990s. The introduction of clip earrings in the 1930s also allowed women to wear heavy earrings without piercing their ears.

This is an excellent historical survey of the development of earrings, how styles evolved and the impact of technological developments in cutting stone. Although there are many excellent works published on jewellery generally, there is little to compare in terms of detail and depth of research on the subject of earrings Elsa Peretti Sevillana lariat This book is likely to be of great interest and use to professionals, students and collectors and is recommended for purchase for all art collections.