Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for melting snow. The snow melting system may include a container having a cavity that is at least partially filled with a liquid. There should be a sufficient amount of liquid in the container to submerge a heating section of a heating assembly that is located within the cavity. The heating assembly is operably coupled to a source of steam, such as the steam generated from a boiler or steam generator in an existing building. The heating assembly may also include a condensate recovery section that is configured to flow condensate from the steam back into the liquid in the cavity of the container. The snow melting system also includes a spray assembly that pumps the heated liquid to a plurality of sprayers that then spray the heated liquid back down onto snow placed within the cavity of the container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the capacity of a hard disk drive is provided. In one embodiment, a portion of timing information is written to a first disk prior to coupling the first disk with a hard disk drive. The first disk is then coupled with the hard disk drive having a read element aligned with a write element on a head portion of a head gimbal assembly. The timing information is then provided to the read element during a writing of a set of servo track information on the disk, wherein the portion of timing information allows the read element to be aligned with the write element on the head during the writing of the set of servo track information.

Abstract: The performance capability of different heads that are part of the same hard disk drive (HDD) are utilized by an adaptive format that includes a plurality of storage zones and at least one reset zone that are distributed along a radius of the hard disk such that a reset zone is disposed between two adjacent storage zones. Each storage zone has a plurality of associated data tracks and each reset zone includes a plurality of data tracks. The number of data tracks associated with each respective storage zone is based on a performance capability of a head associated with the hard disk and includes at least one data track of at least one reset zone adjacent to the storage zone when the number of data tracks associated with the storage zone exceeds the number of data tracks that are between each reset zone adjacent to the storage zone.

Abstract: Format efficiency of a hard disk of a hard disk drive having a rotary actuator and a read/write head having a read element that is offset from a write element is improved by writing a data track having a length that is based on an arc of the rotary actuator, the radial position of the read/write head with respect to the hard disk and the offset between the read element and the write element.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for detecting and correcting polarity reversals in signals generated by read/write heads that are used to read magnetic data. Directional patterns are stored in regions of each data track. The directional patterns are used to indicate whether the read/write head has reversed polarity. The read sensor reads the directional patterns along with other data stored on the disk. Electronic circuitry decodes the directional patterns to determine if the read/write head has reversed polarity. If the circuitry determines that the polarity of the read/write head has reversed, the circuitry reverses the polarity of output signals generated by the read sensor to correct for the polarity reversal of the head.