Quartz

Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. Its crystal structure is a continuous framework of SiO₄silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical formula of SiO₂.

There are many different varieties of quartz, several of which are semi-precious gemstones. Since antiquity, varieties of quartz have been the most commonly used minerals in the making of jewelry and hardstone carvings, especially in Europe and the Middle East.

Etymology

The word "quartz" is derived from the German word "Quarz" and its Middle High German ancestor "twarc", which probably originated in Slavic, cf. Czech tvrdý ("hard"), Polish twardy ("hard"), Serbian and Croatian tvrd ("hard").

The Ancient Greeks referred to quartz as κρύσταλλος (krustallos) derived from the Ancient Greek κρύος (kruos) meaning "icy cold", because some philosophers (including Theophrastus) apparently believed the mineral to be a form of supercooled ice. Today, the term rock crystal is sometimes used as an alternative name for the purest form of quartz.

Crystal oscillator

A crystal oscillator is an electronic oscillator circuit that uses the mechanical resonance of a vibrating crystal of piezoelectric material to create an electrical signal with a precise frequency. This frequency is commonly used to keep track of time, as in quartz wristwatches, to provide a stable clock signal for digital integrated circuits, and to stabilize frequencies for radio transmitters and receivers. The most common type of piezoelectric resonator used is the quartz crystal, so oscillator circuits incorporating them became known as crystal oscillators, but other piezoelectric materials including polycrystalline ceramics are used in similar circuits.

Quartz crystals are manufactured for frequencies from a few tens of kilohertz to hundreds of megahertz. More than two billion crystals are manufactured annually. Most are used for consumer devices such as wristwatches, clocks, radios, computers, and cellphones. Quartz crystals are also found inside test and measurement equipment, such as counters, signal generators, and oscilloscopes.

Quartz (publication)

Quartz (qz.com) is a global digital-only business news publication. It is owned by Atlantic Media Co., the publisher of The Atlantic, National Journal, and Government Executive. Its team of 150 staff members was pulled together from prominent brands in business journalism: Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The New York Times." The four initial sponsors of Quartz were Boeing, Chevron, Cadillac, and Credit Suisse. Quartz's core market is global business people, with its focus on international markets. Its news articles cover global economy news, ranging from geo-political conflicts to policies and regulations.

History

Name

The name "Quartz" was chosen for various reasons. The name "Quartz" is named after a type of mineral that can be found all over the world and contributed to intense geological activity. The ability of this mineral would then associate with the brand identity, creating new brand's character: global, disruptive and digital. Furthermore, "Quartz" contains two of the rarest letters in English Language, Q and Z, making it a special-looking word. When referring to the Quartz publication website, they took off all the ordinary characters leaving behind qz.com, making it a distinctive website. Also, the fact that there are fewer letters to type into a small mobile keyboard makes it a more user-friendly website.

Fanny

Fanny may refer to:

Given name

In slang

Plays and films

Fanny (band)

Fanny was an American all-female band, active in the early 1970s. They were one of the first notable rock groups to be made up entirely of women, the third to sign with a major label (after Goldie & the Gingerbreads and The Pleasure Seekers), and the first to release an album on a major label (in 1970). They achieved two top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and released five albums.

Career

Sisters June Millington (born April 14, 1948, Manila, Philippines) and Jean Millington (born May 25, 1949, Manila, Philippines) moved with their family from the Philippines to Sacramento, California in 1961. In high school they formed an all-girl band called The Svelts with June on guitar, Jean on bass, Addie Lee on guitar, and Brie Brandt on drums. Brandt was later replaced by Alice de Buhr (born 1950, Mason City, Iowa). When The Svelts disbanded, de Buhr formed another all-female group called Wild Honey. The Millington sisters later joined this band, which played Motown covers and eventually moved to Los Angeles.

Fanny (singer)

Fanny Biascamano (born September 16, 1979, in Sète, Hérault), known as Fanny, is a French singer.

Biography

She became known in 1991 by participating at the age of 12 years to sequence "Numéro 1 de demain" in TV show Sacrée Soirée host by Jean-Pierre Foucault on TF1. Her performance of Édith Piaf's rock hit "L'Homme à la moto" allows her to release her first single. It became a top seven hit in France and earned a gold record.

The same year, she released her first album, entitled Fanny, and her second single, "Un poète disparu". In 1993, she released her second album, wrote by Didier Barbelivien, but its success was confidential.

In 1997, she was chosen to represent France at Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin with a title called "Sentiments songes". She was ranked at the seventh place with 95 points.

Discography

Albums

Singles