Scientists have pinpointed why batteries lose capacity over time

Now if they can just do something about it ...

http://www.dvice.com/2014-5-30/scientists-have-pinpointed-why-batteries-lose-life-over-time

http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=24805 / charger smart phone smartphone top up battery single charge battery longevity LiIon litihum ion lithium-ion battery batteries easy replacement removeable scientists charge fully breakthrough paper papers published publish scientists U.S. Department of Energy positive lithium ions move across the anode battery causing irregular degradation anode surface Huolin Xin materials scientist Brookhaven Lab Center for Functional Nanomaterials CFN degradation unevenly resulting irregularities anode surface crusty deposits rock salt build up on the surface insulate insulation insulating electron flow diminishing diminish capacity source of the problem next step develop solution stops crusty buildup more resistant charging ability loss atomic deposition process crystallization resistant coating on the anode cellphone industry upgrade to a new phone end contract Brookhaven National Laboratory /

Emptying the oceans — trawling leading to deep ocean deserts

Credit: Gewin 2004

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/science-sushi/2014/05/30/emptying-ocean-trawling-leading-deep-ocean-deserts/#.U4mCF9B_W2d / research trawl trawler trawling allowed high seas bottom trawling dredges up twice the area of the United States every year terms unregulated study published Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences mounting evidence protein laying waste planet permanent lasting changes in the sea floor prevent recovery method of fishing boats nets drag nets through the water along the sea floor catching catch sustainability high-efficiency fishing method abundance small fish boats designed drag larger and larger nets deeper and deeper engineering prowess empty our oceans devastation of trawling United Kingdom UK unrestricted freedom of fishing high seas world world’s oceans ban bottom trawling modern technology bottom trawlers drag nets corals top predators surface habitats living sea floor corals sponges other marine life net’s massive weight dragged surface dying or dead deep gouges seabed rubble deep sea organisms slower growing scars on the sea floor seafloor greed /

How to continue getting free security updates for Windows XP — until 2019

Approach with caution.

http://betanews.com/2014/05/26/how-to-continue-getting-free-security-updates-for-windows-xp-until-2019/ / Microsoft XP security updates forcing upgrade another newer operating system gamble security safety latest usage figures large proportion portion users moving away from XP user hack trick receive security updates aging OS operating system five years April 2019 workaround updates Windows Embedded Industry formerly known as Windows Embedded POSReady WEI based on Windows XP Service Pack 3 security updates release released Microsoft pushed out XP install the updates version mismatch error simple registry tweak fix that create a text document XP.reg .reg proper extension not XP.reg.txt registry file open any folder Tools > Folder Options select View uncheck Show hidden files and folders fix the problem right-click the file select Edit paste Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\WPA\PosReady] "Installed"=dword:00000001 Save it double-click change registry automatically fetch updates designed for POSReady 2009 XP remains protected foreseeable future trick only works 32-bit editions of XP workaround 64-bit versions installing updates system Windows XP updates /

Cool roads (podcast)

Credit: City of Sydney, 2009

What is a cool road? A road that's not hot. Its a road that can reduce your electricity bills, ameliorate climate change, & reduce mortality rates in heat waves.

In the thermal image above (Chippendale, a suburb of Sydney, NSW, Australia), the hottest bits are in orange-red, coolest bits in blue, & intermediate temperatures in yellow.

Hottest bits? Roads.

Why are they hot? Because they are black, & heated by sunlight.

And there are a lot of them. Twenty four percent of the land area of Chippendale is covered with black roads. Some other Sydney suburbs run to 36%.

On average, Chippendale is 6 Celsius degrees hotter than it would otherwise be, but for its black roads.

Problems:
● air conditioning use is increased with obvious climate change & cost impacts
● mortality rates, particularly among the young & the old, rise during heat waves

Something similar is happening in your town or city.

Simple solution: pale roads. This means concrete.

Concrete roads are more expensive, but last longer & have lower maintenance costs.

A New York study found that an investment of $58 million in cool roads in that city would reduce annual electricity bills by $57 million. I.e. one year payback, ignoring other benefits.

In Australia, a study indicated that by replacing black roads with cool roads, as they come due for replacement, cities could be cooled by 1 or 2 Celsius degrees by 2020. This is equivalent to taking a high cost, peak load power station off line in each state.

A trial is to begin in chippendale next month.

Other measures include:
● grow trees to shade suburban streets
● pale roofs
● pale parking lots & driveways

Pocast can be found here:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/first-trial-of-cool-roads-to-combat-warming/5485844

More about sustainability in Chippendale:
http://sustainablechippendale.com/ / cool roads combat climate change Australian sustainability expert light coloured colored colour color pale heat reflective roads pale roofs more trees reduce temperatures big cities six degrees improbable first trial cool road pale more reflective media black tar laid down Sydney concrete cement /

Tesla Modle S pricing in Australia

Credit: Tesla Motors

Prices for the Model S in Australia have previously been reported on these pages. Tesla has now published figures on its website.

At this time, prices for standard vehicles on the Tesla website are:

60 kWh model

$91,400 plus luxury car tax & local registration.

85 kWH model

$103,400 plus luxury car tax & local registration.

85 kWh Performance model

$119,900 for the car, plus taxes.

A loaded 85 kWh Performance model, registed in WA, is quoted at $189,110.

Supercharger is standard on both 85 kWh models, optional on the 60 kWh.

http://www.teslamotors.com/en_AU/models/design / P85 battery lithium ion LiIon charge recharge Supercharger network super charger Model S Tesla Motors price official release date variants pricing with pricing register registered interest Signature Reservation slots stock 60kWh Tesla Model S charge comes Australia Tax per Australian taxes 10 per cent Goods and Services tax GST Luxury Car Tax Stamp Duty price compared BMW M5 total-cost-of-ownership Supercharger network 2015 Model S charge their cars for free what the Tesla Model S will cost in Australia /

Is bamboo the next carbon fibre?

Credit: Instructables

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20140523-car-industrys-miracle-material

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1092320_could-renewable-bamboo-be-as-strong-as-carbon-fiber-for-lightweight-cars

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-I-built-a-carbon-bike-frame-at-home-and-a-bam/ / carbon fibre material military aircraft motorsport strength low weight energy dissipation mission-critical materialf aux real sales revenue road cars expensive large pieces quantities energy manufacture very brittle if made poorly not recyclable impact on the environment produced disruption technology nature replacement Gary Young manufacturer surfboards alternative materials industry applications automotive performance environment fibreglass toxic resins glassfibre dust petroleum oil renewable materials research development formula bamboo weave epoxy coating strong light brittle sheer strength stiffness supercar tub suspension arms Formula 1 car flame fire resistance standards epoxy formulated absorbs hard impacts engineering shattering renewable material dust bamboo weave production decomposes production techniques cottage industry raw material shipping supplier manufacturing carmaker nodes /

Suspended animation trials to begin on humans (video)

Not for space travel, but for life saving here on Earth. And they don't use the term "suspended animation", because it, "sounds too much like science fiction."

Somehow, "emergency preservation & resuscitation", doesn't have quite the same ring.

http://www.cnet.com/au/news/suspended-animation-trials-to-begin-on-humans/ / world first attempts placing humans in suspended animation UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania not for space travel save lives technique patient patients wounds lethal surgery surgeons science fiction cooling the body applying external temperature change team of surgeons remove all of the patient's blood replacing it with a cold saline solution cool the body slowing its functions halt oxygen accidents Swede Sweden Swedish Anna Bågenholm survived trapped under a layer of ice in freezing water for 80 minutes skiing accident Japan Japanese Mitsutaka Uchikoshi survived 24 days without food or water hypothermic hibernation suspending life science fiction Doctor Samuel Tisherman surgeon trial New Scientist technique developed Doctor Peter Rhee test pigs fatal wounds arteries scalpels pigs' blood saline lower lowered body temperature 10 degrees Celsius control pigs warmed back up hearts jump start survival rate no physical or cognitive impairment emergency measure patients cardiac arrest severe traumatic injury chest cavity open lost at least half their blood already survival rate patients control group survival rate massive step forward Acute Care Research website /

Hardware hacker solves a big smartwatch problem: your fat fingers (video)

Touch screen interface is pushed beyond its limits on a tiny smartwatch screen. Cue Carnegie Mellon University's Future Interfaces Group to turn the entire body of the smartwatch into a joystick.

http://www.wired.com/2014/05/hardware-hacker-solves-a-big-smartwatch-problem-your-fat-fingers/ / smartwatch smart watch Samsung Apple product false start makers’ maker chubby fingers dumber smaller version of your smartphone screen based screen-based device multi touch multi-touch interaction zoom zooming pinching pinch tap tapping swipe swiping screen tablet 5 inch display iPod Nano shrink user experience Chris Harrison professor Future Interfaces Group Carnegie Mellon University PhD students Gierad Laput Robert Xiao design designed new smartwatch concept unlock real potential increasingly tiny devices recent conference team  presented a prototype of a smartwatch control controlled tilting twisting clicking click bezel watch mini joystick used in conjunction touchscreen radical departure pinches and zoom swipe small gadgets new interaction language interactive problem smart phone smartphone killer app buzz buzzes vibrate text watch posted on twitter user experience on small devices interesting utility interactions designed into them space of interactive possibilities interaction vocabulary legacy thing pinch and zoom pinching and zooming pan left and right prototype proof of concept electronic components industrial design improvements sensors bulky /

What Microsoft gets wrong about the tablet-laptop redundancy

Surprise: almost all iPad owners have laptops. Can't their portable computing needs be satisfied with just one or the other? Microsoft's answer is the Surface tablet/laptop.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/05/what-microsoft-gets-wrong-about-the-tablet-laptop-redundancy/ / Surface Pro 3 event Microsoft vice president Surface creator Panos Panay surprising statistic 96 percent iPad owners own laptop tablet laptop ownership relationships studied constantly own owning both argument tablets laptops unify them presentation Microsoft's perspective tablet computer same device tablet separate laptop Surface Pro 3 tablet replace your laptop Jordan Guthmann PR representative Microsoft Windows 8 tablet/laptop hybrids hardware manufacturers hybrid form factor tablets laptops redundant redundancy hardware manufacturers justify the cost popular market luxury item specifically defined use case where pared-down computer experience used in tandem cloud data everywhere cost /

What the Tesla Model S will cost in Australia — updated

Credit: Tesla Motors

Update: Tesla has released prices:

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/tesla-modle-s-pricing-in-australia.html

$A95,000 for the stock 60kWh. Fully-optioned, high performance 85kWh Tesla Model S, up to $A200,000.

And yes, there will be a Supercharger network in Australia. Construction will begin in 2015. Free for owners to charge, too.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/05/heres-what-the-tesla-model-s-will-cost-in-australia/ / battery lithium ion LiIon charge recharge Supercharger network super charger Model S Tesla Motors price official release date variants pricing with pricing register registered interest Signature Reservation slots stock 60kWh Tesla Model S charge comes Australia Tax per Australian taxes 10 per cent Goods and Services tax GST Luxury Car Tax Stamp Duty price compared BMW M5 total-cost-of-ownership Supercharger network 2015 Model S charge their cars for free /

Solar Roadways (video)

Problems:

● cost of electricity
● pollution from electricity generation
● cost of road building
● cost of road maintenance
● potholes
● stormwater
● pollution carried by stormwater
● cost of parking
● space taken by roads
● space taken by parking lots
● space taken by solar power generation
● range of electric vehicles (EVs)
● charging EVs
● cost of EVs
● ice & snow on roads in winter
● etc.

Solution:

● Solar Roadways

Over $919,088USD raised of a $1,000,000USD target raised on Indiegogo as of this writing.





https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-roadways

Thanks to Elizabeth for this item. / Solar Roadways modular paving system PV photovoltaic photo voltaic solar panels cell heavy heaviest of trucks solar road panels installation installed roads parking lots driveways sidewalks bike paths playgrounds grip traction surface Sun pay for themselves generation electricity power homes businesses connected via driveway parking lots nationwide system produce clean renewable energy features as well heating elements snow ice free LED road lines signage attached Cable Corridor store treat stormwater power data cables charge energy from the sun fossil fuels parking lots driveways roadway system mutual induction technology charging while driving carbon dioxide greenhouse gas global warming climate change fossil fuel solar freakin roadways freaking freakin' /

World's biggest dinosaur? Let's keep a sense of proportion here

Credit: SVPow

http://svpow.com/2014/05/19/the-new-argentine-titanosaur-was-about-the-same-size-as-the-biggest-argentinosaurus/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/05/19/scientists-claim-worlds-largest-dinosaur-find/?tid=pm_pop / Argentine titanosaur size big biggest Argentinosaurus Sauropod vertebra vertabrae whale herbivore carnivore scale photograph skeleton dinosaur dinosaur in the world Tyranosaurus T. Rex newfound P. Rex Pinocchio rex dinosaur scientist scientists biggest bones dinosaur length head to tail 130 feet long 65 feet seven-story building central Argentine town El Sombrero local farmer weighed 80 tons Argentinosaurus sauropod subgroup Titanosaur 100 million years ago long serpentine neck vegetation Patagonia 200 bones animals died drought African elephants weight José Luis Carballido team of researchers Argentina’s Museum of Palaeontology paleontological treasure Argentinosaurus excavation Paul Barrett London’s Natural History Museum fragmentary specimens complete skeleton proportions overall shape conjectural discovery new Argentine titanosaur same size biggest Argentinosaurus Sauropod vertebra Picture of the Week /

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 rumored for 3rd September announcement

Credit: Übergizmo

Something bigger than the existing 5.7 inch display can be taken as read.

How about 64 bits & 20 megapixel camera?

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/05/samsung-galaxy-note-4-rumored-for-3rd-september-announcement/

http://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-4-release-date-news-and-rumors-1239700 / Samsung phablet original Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones smartphone smart phone phablet Galaxy Note 4 handset when IFA Berlin launch handset Android Geeks source announced 3rd September source Galaxy Note 3 launch 2013 Unpacked event IFA 2014 5th-10th September website handset rumor rumour display S-Pen by /

Hackers allegedly bypass iOS activation lock

Credit: Tom's Guide

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/alleged-hack-ios-activation-lock,news-18822.html / hackers hack hacked hacking killed iOS kill switch hackers hijack connection lost locked iPhone Apple Apple's servers unlock unlocking unlocked phone Apple Activation Lock anti theft anti-theft protection Activation Lock feature introduced iOS 7 users remotely smartphone smart phone phone Lost Mode remotely wipe sensitive data display a custom message user user's Apple ID password wiped impossible thief thieves resell stolen phones smartphone Kill Switch Apple's Activation Lock hackers AquaXetine MerrukTechnolog Netherlands Morocco Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf bypass computer middle connection command unlock criminals reselliPhone man in thee middle attack /

4 myths about Apple design, from an ex-Apple designer

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3030923/4-myths-about-apple-design-from-an-ex-apple-designer / design company company's design process Apple’s employees employee Apple’s fabled design studios interviews interview speculating speculation Apple designer company Mark Kawano founder founding Storehouse Kawano senior designer Apple Aperture iPhoto Apple's User Experience Evangelist guiding third-party app iOS developers create software Apple's platforms Apple released iPhone app apps Apple Has The Best Designers better user experience best design team in the world engineering culture organization structured appreciate and support design UX designers product CEO care icons icon new interfaces Apple Crafts Every Detail With Intention Apple products often defined by small details interact interaction detail details delight Steve Jobs’s Passion Frightened Everyone /

Baby model cosmos grows up to look like the real thing (video)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25530-baby-model-cosmos-grows-up-to-look-like-the-real-thing.html#.U38eWtB_W2c / supercomputer simulation evolution Universe 12 million years after the Big Bang until the present day produce realistic looking galaxies current history of the universe galaxy simulation simulation's creator Mark Vogelsberger Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT understanding galaxy evolutionmodel models predict Universe previous simulations properties individual galaxies web like scaffold dark matter connects groups of galaxies recent advances supercomputing fresh computational approach recent simulation Illustris goal statistical sample of galaxies modelled cube 347 million light years observable universe equations ordinary matter behaviour cosmic structures rigid grid simulation accurate computationally efficient previous ones /

International Towel Day — Celebrating the life & work of Douglas Adams

Credit: www.towelday.org/Lemonly

Reminder: International Towel Day, Sunday 25 May, 2014

http://towelday.org/
(Not a site for Canadian welders)

http://www.towel-day.com/en/

A how-to guide:

http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Towel-Day



Credit: Jill Furmanovsky
/ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Towel Day annual celebration 25 25th May tribute late author Douglas Adams 1952-2001 fan fans around universe proudly carry towel his honour I love Douglas Adams get involved help spread the word about Towel Day #towelday tweet blog post in forums share a link in Facebook events event organize Towel Day announce carry a towel where everywhere proudly show world observe observed Towel Day upload picture Facebook Flickr tag ittowelday group video on YouTube Adams author wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul The Meaning of Liff The Deeper Meaning of Liff Last Chance to See stories television series Doctor Who posthumous collection his work unfinished novel published The Salmon of Doubt in 2002 Restaurant at the End of the Universe Adams /

Too fast, too strong, too scary: fastest production bike on the planet will soon be an electric (video)

2012 prototype:



2013 fastest motorcycle at Pike's Peak:




2014 production LS-218:


Credit: Glynn Kerr/Lightning Motorcycles/Gizmag

Why "LS-218"?

Well ... LS is Lightning Sport ... & 218 is miles per hour ...

http://www.gizmag.com/lightning-ls218-unveiled-specs/32142/

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/19/lightning/

Video at Bonneville Salt Flats. Doesn't get much more interesting than the frame shown below: inside of motorcycle fairing, GPS speedometer updating, strip of white salt, blue sky. Despite the title, only makes it to an indicated 216 mph in this run, around the 1 minute mark:



About land speed records: records are the average of two runs, in opposite directions, over a flying mile. Both runs must be completed within one hour. For the LS-218, the average was 215 mph. 218 mph was the top speed during one run. At 215 mph, a mile takes 16.74 seconds. / road vehicle 218 mph 350 km/h top speed motorcycle 200 horsepower torque figures absolute excess Lightning LS-218 fast motorcycle fastest release electric motorcycles motorcycle motor cycle bikes practical range exciting performance electric superbike performance petrolheads biggest fastest meanest bikes roadburning dinosaur bones Lightning LS-218 fastest production bike runaway 20 second victory Pike's Peak production superbike Quail Motorsport Gathering Carmel California superbike battery Lightning specs specifications 218 tested top speed world record fastest production motorcycle liquid cooled 200 horsepower 150 kW 168 lb.ft lb ft pound feet 228 Nm of torque acceleration excess direct drive system lower power modes battery pack options available budget 12 kWh 20 kWh pack maximum range 180 miles 290km 30 minutes top up quick charger standard wall socket 495 lbs224.5 kg running gear absolutely top notch Ohlins Öhlins FGRT forks TTX shock magnesium Marchesini wheels radial Brembo front brakes customer bikes upgraded frame swingarm carbon fiber units save weight unsprung mass dash fully programmable Android touch screen seat customized Glyn Kerr designed custom graphics wrap electric vehicle EV electric street superbikes 2012 prototype electric bikes /

Lytro reveals the 40 megaray professional-grade Illum light field camera (video)

40 megaray sensor? That's not a spelling error. Lytro cameras don't just record position, colour & intensity of light at each point, but direction as well. With this extra information, an image can be refocused after the event.

http://www.gizmag.com/lytro-illum-light-field-camera/31742/ / Lytro consumer oriented light field camera focus re-focus imageform factor low resolution early adopter second generation light field camera Illum US$1,500 Lytro Illum camera devices market capture capturing 2D image light sensor records color intensity direction light ray 3D three dimensional subject adjust focus tilt perspective shift depth of field take taking a photo one inch 40 megaray light field sensor Lytro’s patented microlens array technology sensor millions of rays comparison megapixels equate to roughly 5 megapixels living picturesflattened print printing 2D display 30-250 mm equivalent zoom constant F2 aperture extreme close focus macro capability dual electronic rings zoom focus control angled 4-inch articulating LCD touchscreen 384k dots /

Robotic blocks can morph into any kind of furniture (video)

http://gigaom.com/2014/05/20/robotic-blocks-can-morph-into-any-type-of-furniture/ / room apartment researchers Federal Institute of Technology Switzerland flexible furniture 8.5 inch wide cubes Roombots self assemble self-assemble any shape chairs tables chair table home conference center centre aid people limited mobility able move large piece of furniture program layout bedroom conference room modules do the work project lead Auke Ijspeert robot robots use hooks latch onto holes allowing them to form a larger structure cubes split down the middle each half move independently to turn into wheels attach box complete piece completed furniture and move it research team researchers users will interact interactive Roombot solution draw design room tablet /

MBLOK Memory Cube — one memory for all devices

Credit: KickStarter/Gear Hungry

http://gearhungry.com/2014/05/mblok-memory-cube.html#!OJTcV

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/312927362/mblok-one-memory-for-all-devices-always-by-your-si / solid state storage devices speed durability dropped iPod hard drive flash memory storage manage files across devices MBLOK wood aluminum 256GB Flash memory operates wirelessly 300 hours charge stored files secure secured 128 bit encryption Bluetooth flip down flip-down USB port streaming music movies transferring documents speeds up to 24 Mbit/s megabits mega bits app battery life /

Photos of an NSA “upgrade” factory show Cisco router getting implant

Credit: Ars Technica

You may have read previously on these pages of malware installed in USA manufactured comms equipment by the NSA. More at Ars Techninca:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/photos-of-an-nsa-upgrade-factory-show-cisco-router-getting-implant/ / document National Security Agency NSA files released Glenn Greenwald’s book No Place to Hide Tailored Access Operations TAO unit NSA employees intercept servers routers network gear in transit shipped organizations targeted for surveillance install covert implant firmware delivered deliver Trojan horse systems NSA manager most productive operations pre-position access points hard target networks document June 2010 internal newsletter article Access and Target Development department S3261 includes photos NSA employees opening the shipping box Cisco router install installing beacon firmware load station specifically for the task /

New thermoset plastic is easily reduced to its source chemicals & recycled

Credit: John Timmer/Ars Technica

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/05/new-thermoset-plastic-is-easily-reduced-to-its-source-chemicals-recycled/ / polymers polymer mer break down robust styrofoam container dissolve completely solvent chloroform thermoplastic food delivery containers soft higher temperatures heat melt properties plastics recyclable thermosetting thermosets durable solvents heat auto interior case electronic device robust recycle materials scientists thermoset polymer high temperatures solvent strong acid pH below 2 component molecules reused polymer recycle recycled /

Velogical shrinks the rim drive to "world's lightest" e-bike drive

http://www.gizmag.com/velological-worlds-lightest-e-bike-drive/31976/ / friction drive Rubbee lighter simpler transform bicycle ebike e-bike Velogical Velospeeder friction drive light lighter compact edrive e-drive weight weighs assist manual riding lightest smallest bicycle Cologne Velogical builds build rim dynamo power powered powering bike lights small sized down 600 watts of power torque 3.5 lb 1.6 kg lighter kit lithium-polymer battery spare swap dual Velospeeder motor seat stays traditional bicycle frame transfer power rear rim polyurethane rings toothless drive system smooth metal rim slip slippage dual swing axle drive keeps optimal contact efficient efficiently apply pressure power wheel braking wear weight bike manual pedaling easy to switch between manual and electric-assist riding prototype Spezialradmesse Velospeeder equipped test bike wear rim optimizing bicycle manufacturers installation bike shops retrofitting consumers video yet noise level /

Virtual reality for chickens is the future of farming, but is it also the future of humanity?

Credit: ExtremeTech

;)

http://www.secondlivestock.com

Well ... maybe ... but the item linked below provides many thought provoking ideas & links to interesting, related articles.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/182595-virtual-reality-for-chickens-is-the-future-of-farming-but-is-it-also-the-future-of-humanity / humans success domination planet self-centered self centered centred discover scientist scientific endeavor humanity well-being environment other animals problem hunger pestilence death impact botanical zoological friends Second Livestock fictional company Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets chickens livestock VR individual enclosures omnidirectional treadmill animals roam Second Life virtual world existence Virtual Free Range™ experience a full and healthy life 3D existence how we treat animals humane treatment Austin Stewart Iowa State University captive battery chickens quality of life happy free ranging VR headset treadmill 3D world depressed house cats caged zoo animals the great outdoors inhumanity virtual reality interface population density increases increase farmland /

West Antarctic ice sheet melt unstoppable (video)

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/05/the-west-antarctica-ice-sheet-melt-defending-the-drama.html

Unstable West Antarctic ice sheet

http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-20140512/#.U3XZDNB_W2c

"Adapting to sea level rises as ice sheets melt ... expensive & hard"

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/13/west-antartica-ice-sheet-collapse-coastline-world / climate scientist scientists uncertainty released papers reached the same terrifying conclusion significant chunk West Antarctic Ice Sheet begun to disintegrate ice sheet’s peculiar topography below sea level begun become unstoppable observational evidence West Antarctic Ice Sheet irreversible retreat lead author Eric Rignot glaciologist NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL news conference point of no return melting team studied cause global sea levels century centuries major glaciers destabilize ice sheet sea level rise scary Stefan Rahmstorf professor of physics of the oceans Potsdam University tipping points climate system holy shit moment for global warming Mother Jones West Antarctic Ice Sheet WAIS Ohio State glaciologist John Mercer peculiarly unstable geologically recent past observations obscure journal history historian science Spencer Weart forecasts global sea-level rise sea level UN U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts a global sea-level rise /

Google Glass given to UC Irvine med students

Credit: Google/Slashgear

http://www.slashgear.com/google-glass-given-to-uc-irvine-med-students-14329146/ / Google's expansion Glass's availability general public University of California Irvine School of Medicine gifted gift wearable students Glass used med students course work courses hospital rotations rotation UC Irvine medical school wearable clinical skills anatomy classes hospital rotations med students routine looking up information recording broadcasting patient information university proprietary software HIPAA compliant transmit real patient interactions lecture hall /

NSA malware on servers & routers made in the USA

Credit: Chris Smith/Boy Genius Report

An interesting twist in the linked article, is that much of the recent concern about security of Huawei & ZTE communication equipment was that it would displace US manufactured equivalents, limiting US surveillance opportunities.

http://bgr.com/2014/05/13/nsa-malware-on-servers-and-routers/ / report The Guardian NSA National Security Agency allegedly tampering with US USA made electronic equipment server servers router routers network devices export exported foreign markets insert backdoor surveillance malware activated spy on networks agency implants backdoor surveillance tools repackages device devices factory seal sends them on The Guardian writes gains access to entire networks user users NSA leaked document SIGINT signal intelligence tradecraft is very hands-on literally documents Edward Snowden operations dating date June 2010 beacon implanted supply chain supply-chain interdiction called back NSA covert infrastructure provided us access exploit device survey the network U.S. government accused Chinese companies including Huawei ZTE newly revealed documents NSA inserting spying tools networking equipment U.S. market investigations House Intelligence Committee evidence Chinese government Huawei ZTE devices spy on other countries surveillance competition /

Why every book about Africa has the same cover

Credit: Simon Stevens/The Atlantic

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/05/why-every-book-about-africa-has-the-same-cover/362101/ / Africa Is a Country blog documents skewers Western misconceptions Africa book design 36 covers books set in Africa written by African writers text texts books as diverse geography they covered Nigeria Zimbabwe South Africa Botswana Zambia Mozambique written wildly divergent styles writers several Nobel Prize winners books cover covers featured acacia tree orange sunset veld covers novels Africa designed principal idea continent The Lion King /

How to save Google Maps offline on iOS & Android devices

Credit: Boy Genius Report

Google Maps for Android & iOS, has been updated to allow downloading of maps for later offline use. PhoneArena shows how:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/How-to-download-areas-for-offline-mode-in-the-new-Google-Maps-8_id55894 / Google Google Maps update mobile devices both iOS Android users ability save maps offline access later Internet connection PhoneArena quick guide how to save offline maps Android devices iOS users users tap profile button right corner scroll tap Offline maps mode map save regions Paris metro area up to six offline maps zoom in save Google Maps features offline mode Internet connection GPS enabled travelling different country avoid costly roaming charges OK Maps search box offline use features including satellite terrain indoor maps 3D buildings available offline directions navigation set images steps save map in Google Maps /

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 /

Guns don't kill people ...

Credit: TheNationalMemo / rifle pistol firearm fire arm 2nd second amendment ammendment constitution NRA national rifle association bullet ammunition murder second degree first 1st second homicide dead death kill /

Misleading Lexus ad trashes plug-in vehicles

Credit no credit here: Lexus/Toyota

There is a general rule here: the purpose of advertising is not to inform. It is to influence the public to buy a product. Any relationship to the truth is dependent on the ethics of the advertiser. Unfortunately, advertising is one more area where society rewards those with no, or shaky ehthics. Buyer beware.

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/misleading-lexus-ad-trashes-plug-ins/ / automaker electrification strategy Tesla Nissan BMW pushing pure EVs GM Ford plug in plug-in hybrids hybrid low volume low-volume EV Toyota luxury division Lexus hybrid hybrids five hybrid models high quality reasonably fuel efficient vehicles on line online ad advertisement Lexus conventional hybrid plug in plug-in vehicle dubious premise highly misleading statements public charger reserved for someone with four hours to kill shiny Lexus hybrid slogan no charging means more driving an AeroVironment DC fast charger 30 minutes EV compatible Level 2 charger full charge EV owner public charging station two studies Recargo EV Project most charging takes place car owner sleep sleeping work working public chargers quick top-up top up full charge from empty disingenuous Lexus ad rivalry EV EVs hybrid hybrids different products different needs market markets frequent short commute long trips trip potential buyer understands different types electrified vehicles work choice automakers consumers facts accurate information muddying the waters falsehoods misleading innuendos /

Why the social networks are falling apart

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9247925/Why_the_social_networks_are_falling_apart / hoodie wearing college dropout Silicon Valley social network Mark Zuckerberg business model hundreds of millions of eyeballs single site worth something Facebook advertisement advertizement advertising site strategy single locationFacebook.com harvest social signals location sell ads everyone everything money went public company reported Q1 revenue $2.5 billion Facebookland problem migrating desktop mobile making ad revenue Google make money harvesting personal data displaying personalized advertising personal Larry Page CEO Eric Schmidt business unification Google privacy policy harvest user signals personal data service search information personalize advertising another service YouTube future online advertising Twitter Facebook discover unwelcome shift user behavior younger users interacting little apps social interaction Snapchat Instagram WhatsApp location data data-harvesting direction strategy harvest personal data multiple apps sell personalized advertising multiple locations /

Google Glass components cost less than $80 — Google charges $1500

Credit: The Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2618129/How-Glass-REALLY-costs-Teardown-finds-Googles-1500-specs-just-80-components.html

http://www.techinsights.com/teardown.com/google-glass/

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/128719-google-glass-components-cost-less-than-80-google-charges-1500 / Google Glass cost costs early adopters buy new, but apparently components teardown.com most expensive part Google Glass Texas Instruments OMAP4430 processor least expensive component tiny 570mAh battery spends plenty of money on research software development assembly distribution profit Glass not just for geeks 5-megapixel camera 16GB NAND memory 1GB DDR2 SDRAM display futuristic glass bump in price assembly built in California hourly wage smaller profit margin assembled in Asia Vietnam wage fewer models produced limited Glass availability affordable price market larger scale JP Gownder wearables analyst Forrester beta /

Drive your way to a smoother head: the HeadBlade ATX

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2014/05/03/drive-your-way-to-a-smoother-head-the-headblade-atx/

http://www.headblade.com/

More video at:

https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=headblade / shave head hair bald balding razor blade four 4 blades replace replaceable lather grow stubble hair thin sparse hair looks awful grow growing grew long I shave my head stick razor shave my pate HeadBlade ATX ATV Zamboni rubber finger loop sporty wheels guide your head blade four-blade wider gaps between the blades pivots follow the terrain blades are removable and replaceable lather lathers good shave gel foam middle finger rubber loop shave wheels forward shaving back to front wheels in back front to back very quickly erasing erase eraze scalp /

Electricity used to refine petrol (gasoline) (video)

Elon Musk (Tesla Motors — Model S) said something similar a few years ago: "You have enough electricity to power all the cars in the country if you stop refining gasoline,” says Musk. “You take an average of 5 kilowatt hours to refine [one gallon of] gasoline, something like the Model S can go 20 miles on 5 kilowatt hours." — Business Insider, October 2011 — http://www.businessinsider.com.au/elon-musk-and-chris-paine-explain-how-the-electric-car-got-its-revenge-2011-10

This guy too:

"The USA ranks number 1 in the world: over 49,000,000,000 kWh. One electric vehicle, roughly speaking, will use about 3,000 KWh to travel about 12,000 miles."

"That means that the electricity alone that we use to refine petroleum each year could drive over 16,000,000 electric cars 12,000 miles each year. And that doesn't include the electricity used in oil extraction, pumping & transportation." — the43k on Youtube



It is sometimes claimed that because coal is burned to produce electricity, an electric vehicle is responsible for as much CO2 as an internal cumbustion engine vehicle. This is inaccurate, & electricity consumed to refine petrol is just one reason. More at:

http://hhg2t-long.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/why-does-electric-car-generate-less.html / energy coal electric electricity petroleum oil refinery refine power diesel hydrogen plastic hydrocarbon generate generation generator EV ICE electric vehicle EV ICE Tesla battery LiIon lithium ion charge gasolene /

Unique axe uses leverage to help split firewood faster & easier (video)

Credit: Shhhh...



Looks a lot faster & easier.

And this guy found the same thing: "... 4 guys on 2 wood splitters couldn't keep up to me ... Go Leveraxe" — Vipukirves axe owner

http://veryveryquiet.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/vipukirves-finnish-axe.html

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/vipukirves-axe-uses-leverage-to-make-woodcutting-easy.html / popularity wood pellet stoves burning wood heat green heat with wood hard labour chop chopping wood improved axe-like tools make the job easier unique axe conventional axe lever leverage make woodchopping easierVipukirves axe Finnish inventor Heikki Kärnä lever wedge chop chopping wood Vipukirves translates lever axe swinging down axe cuts wood pushes it apart off-center shaft unique form shifts axe's center of gravity less force chop less dangerous physics hit hitting top log penetrate penetrating leading edge axe head axe blade widens sharply axe’s penetration mass axe head kinetic energy off line center of gravity rotate eccentrically down towards the wood rotational movement leading edge sharp edge blade turn lever action forcing a split force kinetic energy multiplied by the leverage of the axehead widening blade edge penetrate penetrating into the wood and getting stuck traditional axe tree firewood weighs 4 pounds heating with fossil fuels winter /

Toyota developing free-piston engine linear generator for electric drive vehicles

Credit: Toyota/Charged EVs

Generators make electricty by moving a conductor near a magnet. Or the other way round. Just so long as the conductor & magnet move relative to one another. Usually, a number of magnets are arranged in a circle & the coil spins on a shaft inside the circle of magnets.

Less commonly, a linear generator has a magnet moving back & forth inside a conductive coil.

A free-piston engine is an internal combustion engine (ICE) without a crankshaft. Without a crankshaft, there will be no rotary motion, but by incorporating a linear generator, an engine/generator with no rotary motion is produced.



By eliminating the crankshaft & separate generator, friction is reduced. Up to 40% efficiency has been claimed for the Toyota unit.

Laboratory measurements of ICE efficiency are not usually equalled in practice. This is substantially because outside a very narrow range of engine speed & load, ICE efficiency falls quickly. In an electric vehicle range extender, an ICE operating at a constant speed can build up a small cushion of charge in the battery to cope with changing demands for power without changing ICE speed. In this way an ICE range extender has the potential to operate at its peak efficiency all of the time.

Toyota is not the first to experiment with a free piston engine, but it's interesting to to see a major manufacturer, without an electric vehicle on the market, developing such a device.

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/toyota-developing-free-piston-engine-linear-generator-for-electric-drive-vehicles/ / Toyota Central R&D Labs developing development prototype Free Piston Engine Linear Generator FPEG SAE 2014 World Congress in Detroit internal combustion engine ICE propel propels drive shaft FPEG designed generate electricity directly two stroke two-stroke combustion chamber linear generator gas spring chamber piston moved combustion gas magnets attached linear coil converting kinetic energy electrical energy Toyota FPEG double piston system combustion chamber adjustable gas spring chamber returning piston combustion event power stroke kinetic energy piston stored gas spring extracted return stroke combustion chamber side magnetic mover mounted outer periphery piston linear generator permanently excited synchronous machine stationary coil mover neodymium-iron-boron magnets piston iron-core stator power electronics drive machine motor generator video animation of Toyota’s FPEG researchers achieved output power 10 kW 42% thermal efficiency B/C segment electric drive vehicles prototype cooling lubrication lubricating problems /

Awesome robot spider (video)

Credit: Robotix/The Daily Mail

Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame waxes lyrical & demonstrates his arachnobot & the custom case he created to hold & protect the fragile & expensive device. Truly amazing!

Warning: the video below is not for arachnophobes, but if you're OK with the image above, you're probably good to go with the video below.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2358219/Its-make-skin-crawl--The-ultra-realistic-robotic-spider-moves-like-real-thing-.html / Adam Savage 3D printer Mythbusters servo battery custom case calibration nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery charge arachnid robot remote control controlled arachnophobia /