Meeting small diesel emissions standards — a mystery story — update

2012 Audi A3 TDI
Credit: Green Car Reports

To meet small diesel emissions standards in the USA, most manufacturers use urea injection.

Except Volkswagen.

Mazda had a small diesel under development which would also meet emissions standards without urea injection. They have missed a number of deadlines & have gone quiet on the matter.

So how is Volkswagen able to do what no-one else can?

USA's Environmental Protection Agency has discovered that software in Volkswagen’s TDI four-cylinder diesel is able to detect emissions testing cycles & reduce emissions in response. In short, Volkswagen has been cheating.

Mystery solved.

Over 480,000 VW & Audi vehicles recalled. Cost may reach $18 billion.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100101_vw-audi-tdi-diesel-cars-had-defeat-device-that-violated-epa-rules-500k-cars-recalled-breaking

Update — Volkswagen has authorized an external investigation:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/20/vw-external-probe-diesel-emission-scandal/ / announcement U.S. Environmental Protection Agency major automaker German carmakers Volkswagen Audi ordered recall half million popular TDI four-cylinder diesel vehicles sold U.S. 2009 to 2015 EPA TDI detect emission-testing cycles significantly reduce emissions cars software turns off emissions controls driving normally turns on emissions test Cynthia Giles EPA enforcement officer teleconference reporters defeat device software cars emit 40 times maximum level nitrous oxides permitted EPA regulations regulations Tier 2 Bin 5 carmakers sell diesels regulations urea injection more complex emission-control systems control nitrous-oxide emissions Volkswagen system separate tank holding urea injected aftertreatment system small four-cylinder TDI diesel VW's vehicles EPA limits urea injection Mazda high-efficiency diesel engine U.S.A. USA market urea injection several missed deadlines Mazda engine cost recall Volkswagen $18 billion Volkswagen America EPA investigation defeat device TDI diesel engines owners affected vehicles investigation European studies passenger-car diesel engines emitting far more Volkswagen Beetle Golf Jetta Jetta SportWagen Audi A3 TDI /

Solar energy — everywhere

Solar panels on roofs in a car park
Credit: Abbey Solar

Where can you place solar collectors? Everywhere — roofs, obviously — all roofs — houses, sheds, car parks.


Transparent solar cell
Credit: Ubiquitous Energy/Extreme Tech

Lots of other places too, windows, roads, parkas, backpacks, abandoned golf courses, waste water treatment ponds & other water bodies (yes, really — read the article) …

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/09/150918-solar-pops-up-in-unexpected-places/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_tw20150918news-solar&utm_campaign=Content&sf13222872=1

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/188667-a-fully-transparent-solar-cell-that-could-make-every-window-and-screen-a-power-source / solar installations Sakasamaike Pond Kasai Hyogo Prefecture Japan good real estate for sun power desert expanses panels mirrors solar energy's growth renewables' next wave researchers new ways to make solar smaller see-through adhesive sticky any surface under the sun clean power solar photovoltaic capacity wind solar parkas wearables phone charging power wearing solar-powered watches panels parka solar pocket Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen charge smartphone prototype designs parkas solar backpack golf course in Japan Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster solar array golf courses close solar developers open real estate densely populated places Japan solar plants abandoned golf courses solar productive environmentally friendly defunct golf courses Kyoto solar system maker Kyocera high sun exposure low concentration of shade trees Solar Roadways Idaho replace asphalt solar panels development solar pavers Amsterdam SolaRoad photovoltaic cells topped with tempered glass generated kilowatt hours electricity future applications generate power pavement energy generated footsteps piezoelectricity footpath sidewalks Toulouse France shopping center Sydney dance clubs generate electricity feet footstep water panels float installations wastewater treatment plant reservoir Tokyo Japan latter array generate electricity power households panels withstand corrosion panels tests simulating high wind conditions extreme weather strikes waterborne solar Japanese plant renewable energy powerhouses Bridgeport Connecticut solar panels old landfill 2.2 megaWatts electric capacity environmentalists New Jersey brownfield gas plant solar farm power windows phones solar energy new materials capture sun's power transparent windows phones small electronics transparent solar startup Ubiquitous Energy /

Patent wars: Apple wins another round — kind of

Another appeals court decision has found that Samsung has violated Apple’s patents on slide-to-unlock, autocorrect & quicklinks. It’s something of a hollow victory though, as the case is being sent back to a lower court to reconsider an injunction.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/17/apple-patent-victory-puts-samsung-devices-in-jeopardy/ / Apple won small victory patent war row Samsung war wars no winners only losers another appeals court decision went in favor Apple ruling force Samsung stop using particular features cellphones mobile phone tablets ruling relatively narrow in scope significant consequences Samsung other device manufacturers right to exclude competitors using property rights specific individual features technologies complex device ruling future devices delayed even removed from the market minor features slide to unlock phone Apple won initial trial Samsung had violated its patents slide-to-unlock autocorrect quicklinks judge Samsung change designs awarded Cupertino monetary damages victory in the court system end of the fight Samsung appealing decision original decision violated Apple's patents case is being sent back to a lower court reconsider an injunction court systems constant skirmishes patent skirmishes Apple / Samsung peace accord best case scenario collateral damage consumer choice /

BlueIndy electric car sharing service opens in Indianapolis

Credit: IndieStar

Bolloré BlueCar electric car sharing service, in operation for some time in France, is principally notable for use of solid-state batteries. Plans to begin operations in Indianapolis, have just come to fruition, under the name, Blue Indy.

https://chargedevs.com/newswire/electric-car-sharing-service-opens-in-indianapolis/

A similar service in London, is planned for 2016.

https://chargedevs.com/newswire/bollores-electric-bluecar-with-novel-solid-state-batteries-coming-to-london/ / BlueIndy Indianapolis Indiana Paris France better battery chemistry EV electric vehicle electric cars more competitive internal combustion solid-state cells replace liquid electrolyte LiIon lithium-ion cells solid material numerous potential advantages emerging technology battery pack solid-state cells Indianapolis electric car sharing BlueIndy BlueCar France Bolloré BlueCar developed car-sharing service cities France Indianapolis London launch short-term rentals access electric cars Bolloré develop promote solid-state batteries BlueCars built Renault Bolloré manufactures lithium-metal-polymer batteries battery Bolloré BlueCar compete established lithium-ion cell manufacturers Panasonic LG Chem supplier carmakers Bolloré solid-state design safer doesn't use flammable liquid electrolyte eventually higher energy density electric-car projects Blue Solutions Bolloré division electric cars battery batteries long-term advantage solid-state cells Sakti3 Quantumscape working on developing solid-state batteries electric cars General Motors Volkswagen Group integrating batteries cars car-sharing service /

Luminoodle — portable area lighting solution

Credit: Power Practical/Kickstarter

Luminoodle is a portable area lighting solution. It consists of a 5 foot, waterproof, string of twenty six 7 lumen LEDs, with a USB plug at one end for power. Flexibility is added by reusable ties & magnets to add hanging options.

Final item in the kit is the bag it comes in. Made of white rip-stop nylon, with the Luminoodle wrappeded inside, it becomes a lamp.


Luminoodle — lamp mode in the bag
Credit: Power Practical/Kickstarter



Luminoodle is a Kickstarter project:
https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/004/497/410/9f90b3a6f3db8b284ef49b1473e970bc_original.jpg?v=1442265276&w=680&fit=max&auto=format&q=92&s=76da4a2ea3386e23f2931aeb2d1f8424 / Luminoodle versatile USB lighting solution portable USB LED light sticks ties hooks or hangs Luminoodle 5-foot strand ultra-bright waterproof USB-powered LEDs mounting solutions bag Christmas lights adaptable intuitive portable string lighting system lantern lanterns Luminoodle completely waterproof flexible ultra-bright ambient lighting solution hung strung hooked stuck to wrapped around lantern mood lighting take it out of the bag wrap unwrap 5 ft LEDs wrap strap magnet loop Custom Noodle Ties Noodle Ties tie wrap around heavy duty magnets magnet magnets magnetic magnets snap tangle-free bag lantern storage utility loop on one end loop over a nail loop around itself hang Luminoodle lantern diffusing light spreading 360 degrees mood lighting wrap Luminoodle Lithium 4400 battery pack portable USB battery pack turn it on Luminoodle water LED strip completely encased high quality single-piece silicone tube capped and glued silicone IP67-rated waterproof light IP67 withstand submersion in water portable battery upgrade Luminoodle Plus rechargeable battery pack Lithium 4400 Power Practical /

Prosthetic robotic hand with feeling

Credit: DARPA/The Guardian

Hands are not only mechanical devices, but sense organs too. Touch-sensitive nerve endings are more tightly packed in the fingers, particularly the ends of the fingers, than almost any other part of the body. These tightly packed nerve endings serve a number of purposes, but one of them is feedback (sense of touch) to allow an appropriate amount of force when gripping.

A good example is holding a grape. Feedback supplied by the sense of touch facilitates a controlled gripping force, which neither drops the grape, nor turns it into mush.

Now, touch has been added to a prosthetic robot hand.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/14/robotic-hand-wired-directly-into-brain-feel-again-darpa / new advanced robotic hand wired directly into the brain successfully tested paralysed man feel hand developed Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins university research project advanced replacement limbs funded US military Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Darpa DARPA paralysed spinal-cord injury electrodes prosthetic hand sensory motor cortexes control hand thought sense fingers hand touched individually sensors hand detect pressure applied fingers create electrical signals mimic touch sensations blindfolded volunteer finger hand touched nearly 100% accuracy pressing one finger feelings perceiving robotic hand near-natural prosthetic limbs controlled by thoughts showing great promise feedback from signals brain level of control perform precise movements wiring a sense of touch mechanical hand directly into the brain potential seamless biotechnological restoration near-natural function completed the circuit hand neurotechnologies lost limbs gain fully functioning replacements level of control only be offered with sensation /

How the Tesla Model S is made — a trip down the production line

Short version — 15 seconds


Longer version
/ Tesla Motors electric vehicle EV battery electric vehicle BEV charge recharge regen regenerative braking dynamic braking lithium ion LiIon Supercharger network /