What's the greenest car? An extremely short guide to vehicle emissions

Credit: Shrink That Footprint/The Energy Collective

http://theenergycollective.com/lindsay-wilson/372286/what-s-greenest-car-extremely-short-guide-vehicle-emissions / green greenest vehicles car vehicle emissions vehicle emissions petrol cars mpg EV electric vehicle using electricity coal oil gas solar emissions vehicle manufacturing petrol electricity emissions well-to-wheels accounting manufacturing fuel economy gasoline gasolene petrol car emissions electric car source electricity lowest emissions electric car solar electricity solar 45 g CO2e/kWh high co-ownership solar EVs hydro nuclear wind low carbon electricity diesel petrol low carbon vehicles biofuels hydrogen fuel cell vehicle emissions check posts electric vehicle emissions driving emissions greenest vehicles. /

Plastic heals itself by mimicking the human body (video)

Credit: Ryan Gergekey/GigaOm

http://gigaom.com/2014/05/09/plastic-heals-itself-by-mimicking-the-human-body/ / University of Illinois researchers created vein-like tubes carry healing liquid damaged sites system repair damage stretch stretches more inch across LG mobile phone self-repair minor damage plastic casing novelty shallow scratch damage remained paper published Science today subscription required create plastic objects self-repair damage damaged repeatedly repair itself compromising its strength two liquids flow into holes cracks form criss-crossing lines create gel-like scaffolding third material causes structure harden object repaired study lead Scott White release forms a gel tubes run through a plastic material damage damaged ooze liquid area needs repair research team University of Illinois plastics often-damaged items car bumpers industries industry difficult to make repairs aerospace /

Zuta printer: truly portable & prints on any size paper

Computing has become mobile. As mobile as you want. Smartphone, tablet, laptop. Almost any screen size between 2.8 & 20 inches. This web page has been created, almost exclusively, on mobile devices. Currently, an 8 inch tablet.

Printers, on the other hand have been much less successful in the mobile sphere. Generally they are not actually very portable, & create restrictions on paper size. Paper size restrictions are greatest in the most portable devices.

Zuta took a different view: a printer is a print head in a box, along with the mechanics & electronics to move the print head & paper around. Why not get rid of the box & the bits to move the paper, attach the remaining mechanics & electronics directly to the print head, & print on a stationary sheet of paper?

Result: a smaller printer with the potential to print on any size of paper.

Connects via a Bluetooth interface with Android, IOS, Linux, OSX & Windows.

Zuta printer is a Kickstarter project:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1686304142/the-mini-mobile-robotic-printer

http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/10/zuta-labs-pocket-printer/

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/128397-zuta-labs-mini-mobile-robotic-printer-moves-on-paper-to-print-anything-anywhere / mobile printing printer prints smart phone smartphone any size page A4 legal mobile smartphones tablets laptops leave office fully connected work on the go device left behind mobile revolution printer working efficiently outside homes offices place to print mobile printer can be taken anywhere prints any device laptop tablet smartphone any sized page size printhead running left and right moving piece of paper printhead on a set of small wheels run across a piece of paper rechargeable battery connects directly smartphones PCs print on any size piece of paper neat silicone cover mars black printer reward titanium white activate activated slide sliding hatch bottom of the printer inkjet USB connection battery charging charge recharge device 1,000 printed pages grey scale greyscale gray scale grayscale omni-wheel system accurate accurately turn and drive any direction place the printer accurately accurate properly page guarantee an accurate outcome stabilizing sensors color colour colours colors Mars black Titanium white polycarbonate project college Jerusalem College of Technology Friedberg Entrepreneurship Program students programme sustainable business plan rigorous acceptance process capital prototype design designing production /

Google Drive Android app update to version 1.3, removing some features

It's not as bad as it may sound. Lost functionality is replaced by new Docs & Sheets apps.

Some time ago, Google bundled some of their existing apps, including Docs, into Drive. Now they're unbundling them. What gives? My take: purpose of the new modularised Drive is to avoid creating a larger RAM footprint with the new & promised Drive functionality.

New features:
● ability to work on Drive documents offline
● Powerpoint equivalent, called Slides, in the works

Android runs on a large range of hardware. Not all devices have 3GB of RAM. A Drive app composed of separate modules will have a smaller RAM footprint. It may also be an indicator of additional functionality to come.

To emulate the old Drive functionality, do the following:
● update Drive app
● install Docs app
● install Sheets app
● use Drive just as you have to date. When you attempt to create, or edit, a Docs or Sheets file, Drive will seamlessly call the appropriate Docs or Sheets app.

Having done the above, I created the text for this post using the new version of Drive. No loss of functionality that I have observed, although there is a check-spelling-as-you-type function that I hadn't noticed before.

If you prefer, delete the desktop shortcuts for Docs & Sheets. You may wish to do the same with Slides, when it appears.

A relatively minor difference from previous versions is that by default, copies of documents are now kept on the device. Not surprising, given the new offline editing capability.

http://www.talkandroid.com/205569-google-drive-android-app-update-to-version-1-3-removing-some-features/?utm_source=feedburner-ta&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AndroidNewsGoogleAndroidForums+%28TalkAndroid+-+Android+News%2C+Rumours%2C+and+Updates%29#readsoruce_bottom / Google update updating Google Drive app Android remove some functionality release separate apps documents spreadsheets edit documents users install new Docs Sheets apps documents viewed Drive app new apps installed features functions old Drive app Play Store download link powerpoint presentations presentation app work same way other apps Google Drive family /

Google Street View mod shows your town under water

Credit: World Under Water screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET

Over 97% of climate scientists accept the evidence for climate change. If, as a majority of climate change models predict, sea level rises by 2 metres this century, many of the world's major cities with be inundated.

World Under Water is a project to show how some cities would look under 2 metres of water.

http://www.cnet.com/news/google-street-view-mod-shows-the-world-under-water/ / US government climate change already happening National Climate Assessment Google Street View world's cities flooded rising sea levels marketing agencies BBDO Proximity Singapore climate change crowdfunding platform CarbonStory accurate representation city sea levels actually rise 6 feet this century many scientists predict flood New York London 6 feet of water centre center city landmarks underwater National Climate Assessment /

Flying 3D printers could help seal off nuclear waste (video)

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/05/flying-3d-printers-could-help-seal-off-nuclear-waste/ / quadcopter outfitted on-board 3D printer seal off transport nuclear waste build structures inventor Mirko Kovac University College London world world’s first flying 3D printer New Scientist drones work together help remove waste nuclear sites patch up damaged buildings nest-building behaviour swifts construct spaces machine mixture two chemicals combine form quick-hardening polyurethane foam precise precisely quadcopter’s stability adhesive stick sticking drone small containers waste airlifted to safety safe tech radiation-resistant foam new construction process /

UK to invest half a billion pounds to promote EV adoption

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/uk-to-invest-half-a-billion-quid-to-promote-ev-adoption/ / UK EV-friendly EV friendly Europe government invest £500 million boost ultra low emission vehicle ULEV industry automotive sector economy growth future investment create jobs reduce emissions Britain forefront green technology local areas ambitious plans Ultra Low Cities £35 million drivers green cars bus lanes park for free local areas cleaner taxis buses taxi bus
research development R&D world leader design manufacture green vehicles charging infrastructure DC fast charger every motorway service station network of 500 rapid chargers across the country best network in Europe cash grants £5,000 EV buyers extend extended road tax congestion charge EV ULEV owning electric vehicle electric car dream inconvenience manufacturers new technology help motorists everyday journeys green and clean Prime Minister Nick Clegg major investment driving electric car affordable convenient free from anxiety battery running out creating a culture change towns and cities driving greener vehicle no-brainer most drivers ultra low emission vehicles most successful manufacturing sectors climate change Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander developing manufacturing using ULEV /