Internet-tech, computer-tech, mobile-tech, energy-tech, eco-tech, green-tech, bio-tech, tech-tech, every day. That pretty much sums it up!
Monday, 31 August 2015
Saving the forty-spotted pardalote
Larger image
Credit: Tasmanian times
With only 1500 forty-spotted pardalote in the world, extinction threatens. Assumed causes were loss of habitat, drought & possums, until Amanda Edworthy, PhD student from the Australian National University in Canberra, suspected that parasitic fly larvae were causing the 15% fledge rate in chicks. To test her hypothesis, she spent the last three summers climbing trees to nests to spray with a plant-based insecticide which does not affect the chicks.
Result: 15% fledge rate leapt to 90%.
Next problem: how to protect the chicks without so much tree climbing.
Possible solution: in the Galapagos Islands, Darwin's Finches1 are threatened in a similar way. Solution is to spray the insecticide onto small balls of cotton-wool, & attach them to bushes with wire. Small nesting birds collect soft, fibrous material to line their nests. When they line their nests with fibres of cotton-wool laced with insecticide, the parasite problem is reduced or eliminated.
Over the next two summers, the cotton-wool method will be trialled with the forty-spotted pardalote.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2015/s4302953.htm
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?id=5207
__________
1 "Darwin's finches", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin%27s_finches / cotton-wool fight to save one of Australia's most endangered animals species new study tiny fly larvae killing forty-spotted pardalote cotton wool prevent the small bird disappearing completely small bird big problem species endangered 1500 left in the world southern Tasmania Amanda Edworthy PhD student candidate Australian National University ANU Canberra last three summers climbing trees studying study bird driven the population down biggest threat that we found parasitic fly adults lay maggot larvae nest eggs larvae burrow underneath skin nestling feed on blood 75 per cent mortality researcher loss of habitat drought possums reaching into nest boxes larvae larva discovery Amanda Edworthy's high-up nests spraying mild plant-based insecticide 15 per cent of nestlings survive fly spray kill off almost all the parasites fledge rate 90 per cent aurvival surviving effective practical search more manageable solution Galapagos Islands fly larvae problem endangered Darwin's Finches Scientists access bird's nests cotton-wool method Sonia Kliendorfer professor animal behaviour Flinders University Adelaide cotton wool method spraying little balls of cotton plant-based insecticide kills lava parasitic fly does not harm birds researches cotton wool intertwined with wire bush tears off small pieces weave into its nest birds naturally search soft warm insulating material conservation behaviour using insights animal behaviour inform conservation cotton-wool method trialled forty-spotted pardalote next two years buy the small bird some time birds hang on in the short-term long-term important to figure out why parasite loads have increased increased manage forests reduce fly populations in general researcher Amanda Edworthy /
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Formula E season two — technical developments (update)
Credit: The Roar
Formula E, season 1, was effectively a single make formula. All parts, including drive trains, were fixed. This season, inverter, electric motor & gearbox can be designed by the individual teams, but the battery is still controlled.
Perhaps most interesting in season 2, is the number of gearbox ratios used. In the fixed specification season 1, all cars had 5 forward gears. This year, everything from 1 to 5 forward gears is being used by different teams.
Andretti, in their season 2 car, has had problems with software, plus coolant leaks from the gearbox have been shorting out the motors. As a result, they will be reverting to the season 1 drive train.
http://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/news/andretti-ditches-season-two-powertrain
http://current-e.com/features/analysis/gambling-on-deadline-day/ / Andretti ditches season two powertrain Andretti Formula E team revert season one powertrain disastrous testing campaign team completed only a handful of laps new ATEC-01 technical package develop new package season three 2016/17 2016 2017 Andretti ATEC-01 season two package newly designed carbon gearbox series of coolant leaks shorted out the motors software glitches team first two Donington tests Andretti team running two cars Donington Park season-one specification Robin Frijns Simona de Silvestro first effective laps team Andretti TE Connectivity Houston Mechatronics building developing season two powertrain homologated season two McLaren Hewland motor gearbox respectively loss of face reverting season one technical package prepares first race revert back to the season one powertrain package new software updates change motor maps optimise internal communication between motor battery introduced this season software available to all teams original season one tech package learn the new software software models McLaren Hewland package Beijing test software season one package /
Saturday, 29 August 2015
Three things everybody agrees about nutrition
Credit: www.eatforhealth.gov.au
What should you eat?
The answer is confused by any number of factors, including:
● people who regard their food preferences as nutritional imperitives
● people who (often unconsciously) regard food as entertainment, a cure for boredom or stress, or a solution to any number of psychological symptoms, & ignore nutrition
● propaganda from marketing organisations for food industries — beef, sugar, salt etc.
● charlatans who want to part you from your money with large volumes of cheap fat, sugar & salt, fad diets, or devices such as blenders
http://lifehacker.com/why-theres-so-much-confusion-over-nutrition-and-fitness-1572870867
However, there are three things almost all authorities agree on:
1. Minimise sugar
2. Avoid artificial trans fats
3. Eat more vegetables
If you read the comments in the article below, keep in mind:
● Ignore most of the fruit vs vegetables debate. A botanist will tell you that a fruit is the part of a flower in which the seeds develop1. Thus, a wheat grain & a tomato are fruits & an apple is a false (or accessory) fruit2 (to a botanist, the fruit of an apple is the fibrous part around the seeds that you probably throw away — the core). For a discussion of nutrition, the botanist’s definition is irrelevant. This is much more useful: “From a culinary standpoint, vegetables are less sweet — or more savory — & served as part of the main dish. Fruits are more sweet & tart & are most often served as a dessert or snack.”3 So vegetables include what the botanist will call a fruit (tomato), stem (celery), leaf (lettuce), flower (broccoli), root (carrot) & tuber (potato), but exclude grains, nuts & seeds.
● If a “diet” differs from the advice given above & in the article linked below, it is generally the “diet” which is wrong. Keep in mind that many popular diets were originally designed to treat specific medical conditions & may even be dangerous if used for other purposes.
http://vitals.lifehacker.com/the-only-three-things-everybody-agrees-on-when-it-comes-1709039566
__________
1 “What's the Difference Between a Fruit & a Vegetable?” http://www.livescience.com/33991-difference-fruits-vegetables.html
2 “Accessory fruit”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessory_fruit
3 “Fruit or vegetable — Do you know the difference?”, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/fruit-vegetable-difference/bgp-20056141 / not much agreement about nutrition fat salt carbs government guidelines paleo vegan fad diets eggs white bread low-fat salad dressing three basic things sugar trans fat vegetables government guidelines controversial Paleo non-scientific disagree minimize sugar bad for you really bad for you World Health Organization evidence linking sugar to obesity tooth decay strict limit no more than 10% of your calories should come from added sugar Five percent even better food pyramid discouraged fats sweets calorie limit SoFAS solid fats added sugars added sugar calories can of Coke Starbucks smoothie allowed sugars for the day added sugars include table sugarsucrose corn syrup natural sweeteners honey maple syrup empty calories calories glass of milk side salad handful of nuts burger calories vitamins protein useful nutrients increases triglycerides bad cholesterol linked to diabetes endocrinologist Robert Lustig sugar fructose causes fatty liver chronic metabolic disease Paleo gurus The Sugar Association part of a healthy diet calorie content empty calories artificial trans fats partially hydrogenated oils trans fats aren’t found in nature oil donuts pie crusts frying oil margarine unhealthy saturated fats saturated fats trans fats nature dairy products conjugated linoleic acid harmless beneficial labeling partially hydrogenated oils heart disease diabetes obesity diet junk food fried foods mass-produced cupcakes USDA trans fat on their naughty listsolid fats SoFAS saturated fat World Health Organization paleo vegan processed foods eat more vegetables vegetarians vegetables paleo natural food vegetables USDA detox diet solid food veggies eat more vegetables potatoes starch starchy beans leafy greens vegetables health benefits vitamins fiber lowered lower risk of heart disease eat those veggies fruits too much sugar whole fruits sugar in fruit fiber purveyors of crap science gateway claims sales pitches too much sugar in our diet healthy diet lots of vegetables principles /
Friday, 28 August 2015
do NOT link
Credit: 417Marketing
If you publish a link to a web page, web crawlers will crawl the page, raising the link’s rank in search engines. This will happen, even if your link is contained in a post criticising a scam, cult, or other questionable material. So, your critical article will increase the popularity of the site, unless … doNOTlink
http://www.donotlink.com/dnl/faq
How web crawlers work:
http://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/crawling-indexing.html / donotlink linking to dubious websites no such thing as bad publicity Internet link to a website strengthens its position in search engines bad review of a website makes it more popular alerting others website promotes fraud scam cult questionable business link to that site search engines improve offending site's rank more people will find these shady websites exposed to their content proper context donotlink donotlink.com Google juice seaarch engine donotlink block search engines crawling link post link forums message boards Facebook Twitter Reddit shady websites undue credibility linking questionable websites prevent your links improving these websites' position search engines url shorteners donotlink creates hortened url website url linking directly to the website visit donotlink.com website's url shady stuff prevent search engines crawling website routes links questionable sites unique intermediate url forwards visitor destination javascript url is blocked robots.txt file search engine robots discouraged from crawling it nofollow attribute link intermediate page robots reminder not crawl link known robot crawl the link code identify serve it a blank page 403 Forbidden instead of redirecting to the url continually improving our algorithms combination blacklists bayesian inference identify crawlers bots search engines scrapers caught out /
Wednesday, 26 August 2015
7 years of iPhone ads (2007-2014)
/ iPhone smartphone Android Apple Google Siri Google N ow hardware software development Skype Voip video audio music iTunes malware security Touch ID fingerprint scanner Applecare /
Tuesday, 25 August 2015
Cooper promises a complete tire from a desert shrub in 2017
Parthenium argentatum Gray, commonly known as guayule, native to the south western United States & northern Mexico4
Credit: US Department of Agriculture/Flickr/Green Car Reports
A substantial part of the cost & environmental impact of many products is the energy used in transporting raw materials to the site of manufacture.
Rubber is produced commercially from petroleum (synthetic rubber) & sap of the Hevea brasiliensis1 tree (natural rubber). 94% of natural rubber is sourced from Asia2.
As a strategically important material, rubber supply has security implications for many nations.
A number of plants, apart from Hevea have been used as a source of natural rubber in the past2,3. One such, is Parthenium argentatum Gray4, commonly known as guayule, native to the south western United States & northern Mexico.
As a desert plant, one of its advantages is that it can be grown on land which is good for little else.
A number of prominent companies, including Bridgestone, Ford & Cooper, together with Ohio State University, have recently been researching guayule rubber for automotive use. Cooper has already made some tire components from guayule rubber & has promised a complete tire in 2017.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099704_cooper-tire-we-will-make-complete-tire-from-desert-shrub-in-2017
__________
1 "Hevea", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hevea
2 "Natural rubber", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_rubber#Current_sources
3 "History of attempts to commercialize Guayule in South Australia as a source of natural rubber", http://pir.sa.gov.au/aghistory/minor_crops/guayule
4 "Parthenium argentatum", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenium_argentatum / lowering environmental impact car changing materials components U.S. tire industry substitutes imported natural rubber petroleum synthetic rubber Cooper Tire demonstrate tires components made from the guayule plant a desert shrub Southwestern United States Mexico make a complete tire guayule-sourced rubber 2017 PanAridus plants manufactures rubber Cornell University Clemson University guayule substitute costly imported rubber environmentally questionable petroleum Bridgestone bio-rubber research manufacturing center Ford partnership Ohio State University find automotive uses startup Yulex Cooper tire project PanAridus working use guayule rubber consumer products wet suits Patagonia Cooper's project $6.9 million Biomass Research and Development Initiative grant administered jointly U.S. Department of Energy US Department of Agriculture yielding latex processed into rubber produces resin used in adhesives flavors fragrances biofuel fibrous material plant made into biofuel construction materials cultivating guayule alternative hevea source of natural rubber early 1900s World War II advancing Japanese forces cut off U.S. access to hevea Guayule grows much faster than hevea advantages Hevea less prone to cracking less heat buildup rubber guayule some tire components from 100-percent guayule rubber replacing domestically-sourced material tyres
tires 70 percent of global rubber use demand is expected to grow countries fully industrialize industrial /
Monday, 24 August 2015
How much does air conditioning impact electric vehicle range?
Credit: Volkswagen/Plug In Cars
For the time being, range of electric vehicles will continue to be limited, unless you have Tesla money to spend, or buy something with a fossil fueled range extender (GM Volt, BMW i3). Use of ancillaries reduces range further.
Green Car Reports has measured the impact of air conditioner use on range of an electric powered Volkswagen Golf.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099693_volkswagen-e-golf-climate-control-how-much-does-a-c-impact-range / Volkswagen e-Golf test hottest summers on record summer of 2015 more than 25 days 90 degrees 100-degree days serious heatwaves e-Golf’s climate control gasoline-engine versions start pushing out cold air electrically driven A/C compressor maintain a constant comfortable temperature cost of A/C in efficiency and range about 15 percent charge energy use 4.5 miles per kilowatt-hour 3.9 mi/kWh 3.7 mi/kWh particularly hot afternoon max A/C button 15-percent reduction in efficiency max mode full charge estimated range number climate control off 100 miles turn on the A/C real-world numbers 84 miles after a full charge air conditioning A/C low-charge warnings modes Normal driving mode three efficiency modes Eco mode reduced reduces air-conditioning output motor output top speed Eco+ mode limiting power 56-mph limit on top speed pre-cooling heat pump e-Golf SEL Premium model heat-pump heating recover heat from the ambient air waste heat battery pack drivetrain components improves efficiency heater system cold season compromising hot-weather comfort range LiIon lithium ion charge recharge range battery charge recharge quick charge /
Sunday, 23 August 2015
Formula E season two — pre-season testing at Donnington
Most interesting is gearboxes, or the lack thereof. Multiple ratio gearboxes are employed in internal combustion engine vehicles, because of the narrow range of engine speeds over which they can produce useful amounts of power. Electric motors are much less limited. For this reason, almost all commercial electric vehicles have only one forward gear. Two exceptions are Brammo motorcycles1 & General Motors’ Volt2.
However, all is not rosy with electric drive.
“... a problem with any electric motor is that as rpm rises, it begins to act as a generator & produce a turning effect (torque) in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation. Naturally, this reduces power & torque at the output shaft. This is the reason why some Tesla Roadster prototypes had a two speed gearbox. When rising motor rpm began to reduce torque, a change to the higher gear reduced both rpm & the reverse torque effect. Problem was, Tesla couldn't source a 2 speed gearbox which was light enough, small enough & also strong enough to withstand the Roadster's huge torque output, so production vehicles had only one forward ratio. Practical outcome: despite its huge acceleration (0 to 97 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds depending on the model), top speed is limited to 200 kph (125 mph).” — My Holden Volt2
For season 2, teams have taken advantage of the new gearbox rules. Every number of ratios from one (i.e. no variable ratio), to five, is being utilized.
1 gear: DS Virgin & NEXTEV TCR (formerly known as China Racing)
2 gears: Renault
3 gears: Abt
4 gears: Mahindra & Venturi
5 gears: Team Aguri
http://electriccarsreport.com/2015/08/formula-e-test-one-what-we-learn/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
__________
1 AOL Autos/Translogic: “Brammo Empulse R Electric Motorcycle”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZjQjQUjgPs
2 My Holden Volt: “Does the ICE ever directly drive the wheels of the Volt?”, http://myholdenvolt.blogspot.com/2012/09/does-ice-ever-directly-drive-wheels-of_28.html / Sebastien Buemi Renault team first pre-season Formula E test Donington Park fastest Daniel Abt fastest first second sectors traffic final corners slowed down limited number of qualifying laps topping the timesheets lap time pre-season tests new technical changes season two teams design manufacture powertrain components energy battery turn the wheels inverter electric motor gearbox using the same battery speed pace efficiency manufacturers number of gears ratios electric motor instant torque power last year’s car five forward gears last year’s powertrain upgraded McLaren motor Mahindra four gears Venturi NEXTEV TCR DS Virgin direct drive system one gear gear changes per lap no power being delivered to the wheels regen braking slowing gear changes time different solutions Renault Abt last season electric motor sound one make series development is key defending champion Nelson Piquet Jr Andretti Trulli track Simona de Silvestro Old Hairpin grinding to a halt team corners Trulli team Jarno pre-season testing battery energy percentages manufacturer most efficient solution Renault e.dams Abt DS Virgin season starts in Beijing /
Friday, 21 August 2015
Is there an autism epidemic?
Los Angeles skyline
Credit: Stephen Wiltshire — an artist recognised as being on the autistic spectrum. More images at http://izismile.com/2011/03/07/autistic_artist_draws_complex_images_from_memory_19_pics.html
Is there an autism epidemic?
Short answer: “No.”
Slightly longer answer: In recent times, “autism”, has been recognised as the extreme end of a spectrum of conditions, including Asperger’s & “Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.” Any perceived epidemic is a result of broadening the definition. Adults at the extreme mild end of the spectrum may be simply seen as, “focused”. The stereotypical, “absent minded professor”, has been suggested as on the autistic spectrum1,2.
Longer answer: http://www.wired.com/2015/08/neurotribes-with-steve-silberman/?mbid=nl_82015
__________
1 “Asperger’s Syndrome”, http://www.brainhe.com/staff/types/Aspergerssyndrometext.html
2 "Did Einstein & Newton Have Asperger’s Syndrome?", http://www.autism-help.org/points-%20aspergers-einstein-newton.htm / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one in 68 children in the US on the autism spectrum autism epidemic the human experience NeuroTribes The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity recognize autistic people helped shape the modern world Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger early work on autism Asperger’s conception of autism subset of humanity accelerated the evolution of science and technology hidden thread in the weave of culture not just a childhood disorder discovering autism Leo Kanner autism childhood psychosis caused by bad parenting refrigerator mothers /
Thursday, 20 August 2015
Australian innovator cracks tyre recycling conundrum
Tyre fire
Credit: http://www.express.co.uk/
World tyre production is expected to reach 3.3 billion units this year1. A few years down the track, this becomes a major environmental problem:
● when dumped, including burial, leaching will release zinc, chromium, lead, copper, cadmium & sulphur2
● fire hazard — a tyre fire is difficult to extinguish & may burn for years3
● burning tyres release, “dark, thick smoke that contains carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, & products of butadiene & styrene”4
Green Distillation Technologies, an unlisted public company in Australia, has developed a process which converts tyres back into the carbon, oil & steel used in their manufacture. No mention of the other chemicals used in manufacture in the article linked below, although the article specifically claims, “without producing emissions”.
http://www.brw.com.au/p/entrepreneurs/aussie_innovator_cracks_tyre_recycling_COyG96PgOrPR0gyVsNCzQL?eid=cpc:nnn-14omn2225-optim-nnn:outbrain-outbrain_paid-dom-displayad-nnn-brw-nnn&campaign_code=15caf011&promote_channel=sem&utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=paid%20outbrain
__________
1 “Global Demand For Tires To Reach 3.3 Billion Units In 2015”, http://www.rubberworld.com/RWmarket_report.asp?id=750
2 “Dumped on”, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2002/may/15/environment.waste
3 “The Hugest Tire Fires in History”, http://thmirror.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/the-hugest-tire-fires-in-history.html
4 “Tire fire”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_fire / Australian company world-first method recycling tyres raise capital overseas local investors green technology current political climate Green Distillation Technologies open its first plant central NSW committed building second plant regional Tasmania GDT unlisted public company commercialise innovation converts tyres carbon oil steel Australia produces 24 million end-of-life tyres every year burnt buried dumped GDT chief executive Craig Dunn recycle tyres small percentage crumbled synthetic grass dealing with tyres landfill exported brick or cement kilns burnt raw tyres emit toxic fumes burned huge stockpiles environmental disaster caught fire land planning permissions build recycling plant Stawell funding constructing recycling plant Longford, Tasmania stockpile tyres provide employment plant Warren NSW capacity recycle pilot projects commercially capable plant testing secure investment test facility recycling process converts tyres 40 per cent carbon 35 per cent oil 15 per cent steel by weight sell final products steel sell oil carbon Denis Randall Carbon Black Investments raised $14 million private equity sources recycling plants build tyre recycling plants USA sovereign risk green sector renewable energy funds carbon footprint renewable energy trade penalty Clean Energy Finance Commission Australian Renewable Energy Agency tyre recycling CEFC investment mandate financing projects environmental benefit /
Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Titanic — what really happened
Credit: Kevin Gómez RodrÃguez/YouTube / RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage, early in the morning of 15 April 1912. collide collision colliding iceberg maiden voyage Southampton UK New York City USA sinking loss of more than 1,500 passengers crew maritime disaster Titanic largest ship afloat Olympic class ocean liners White Star Line built Harland and Wolff shipyard Belfast Thomas Andrews naval architect maiden voyage carried 2,224 passengers and crew command Edward Smith ship's passengers emigrants Great Britain Ireland Scandinavia Europe North America high-power radiotelegraph transmitter passenger marconigram advanced safety features watertight compartments remotely activated watertight doors not enough lifeboats outdated maritime safety regulations leave Southampton 10 April 1912 Newfoundland hit an iceberg collision ship's hull plates buckle inwards starboard side opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea ship gradually filled with water passengers and crew members evacuated in lifeboats women and children first officers loading lifeboats 2:20 a.m. broke apart foundered Titanic foundered Cunard liner RMS Carpathia arrived /
Tuesday, 18 August 2015
Can domestic cats make you crazy?
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/05/08/3754543.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3515034/ / free will choose to do our own decision infected parasite pregnant immunocompromised infection infection change normal behavior increase chance chances schizophrenia suicide parasite is Toxoplasma gondii toxo T. gondii infects warm-blooded mammals survive in any creature complete its cycle of life reproduce sexually gut of a cat tabby infect any cat lion infected cat poo 100 million toxo eggs eggs can survive for more than a year eggs kitty litter box rat gut invades various target cells around the body muscle brain cells cells immune system dendritic cells travel around the body attack by the rat's immune system cross blood-brain barrier invade brain cells blood-brain barrier inside protective cysts specifically infects brain cells related to fear sexual pleasure dopamine hormone of pleasure reward run away smell of cat urine aversion to cat urine sexually reproduce remarkably specific behaviour toxo humans mild flu-like illness indulge in risky behaviour transplant surgeons motorbike riders infected with toxo cysts Army of Czech Republic vehicle drivers infected have six times as many accidents contributing factor several hundred thousand road deaths each year US Army blood samples soldiers for decades double chance diagnosed with schizophrenia significant increase in suicide rates infectious diseases brain nervous system /
Monday, 17 August 2015
Samsung’s 16TB SSD — world’s largest hard drive
Credit: Samsung/PCWorld
Using its new 48-layer, 3-bit V-NAND technology, Samsung has doubled the density of its current flash chips to 256GB. As a result, it has been able to fit 16TB of storage into a standard 2.5-inch enclosure. Expect something similar from other manufacturers soon.
http://liliputing.com/2015/08/samsung-unveils-a-16tb-solid-state-drive.html
http://www.slashgear.com/samsungs-16tb-ssd-is-the-worlds-largest-hard-drive-13396891/
With the inherent speed advantage of solid state being supplemented by progress in capacity & cost, is it too early to start questioning the future of spinning-disk hard drives? / 2.5 inch PM1633a drive designed for enterprise users super-pricey technology storage trickle down smaller cheaper drives future Samsung’s drive hold twice as much data largest 2.5 inch hard drives on the market SSDs Samsungs 256 gigabit 48-layer 3D V-NAND flash die twice the density Samsung high-capacity solid state storage Toshiba SanDisk plans 256 gigabit 48-layer NAND flash storage chips Intel Micron new 3D Xpoint technology NAND new storage technology 1,000 times faster than NAND Samsung supersize solid state storage 16TB SSD world’s largest storage drive SSD hard disk storage Seagate Western Digital Fixstars Samsung’s new drive fits within a 2.5-inch enclosure insanely large storage drives targeting the server market first flash memory server fast rated at two million input/output operations per second 3D NAND flash chips 48-layer 3-bit V-NAND technology doubled the density multi-terabyte SSDs SanDisk Toshiba release date technology trickle down consumer market storage needs /
Sunday, 16 August 2015
Biggest great white shark ever filmed
Not the biggest shark — the whale shark can be around twice the length of the great white. “The largest confirmed individual had a length of 12.65 m (41.50 ft) & a weight of approximately 21.5 metric tons (47,000 lb) …”2
__________
1 “Great white shark”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark
2 “Whale shark”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark / Carcharodon carcharias Rhincodon typus filter feeder carnivore carnivorous /
Saturday, 15 August 2015
Apple car — much speculation — now some documentation
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/14/apple-self-driving-car-project-titan-sooner-than-expected
It is likely to look different than other vehilces — partly because that is generally the Apple way — & because Apple designers Jony Ive & Marc Newson hate how modern cars look.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/14/9154871/apple-marc-newson-hates-modern-car-design
http://thenextweb.com/opinion/2015/02/16/jony-ives-car-snob-shouldnt-want-design-next-ride/
Perhaps a car based on the BMW i3 will look different enough.
Credit: AutoNet
http://9to5mac.com/2015/07/24/apple-bmw-negotiations/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/07/29/apple-eyed-bmw-i3-as-a-design-for-electric-car-report/ / Apple building self-driving car Silicon Valley secure locations San Francisco Bay area test documents show rumoured Apple car project further along suspected engineers Apple’s secretive Special Project group met with officials GoMentum Station 2,100-acre former naval base near San Francisco high-security testing ground autonomous vehicles correspondence the Guardian public records act request Apple engineer Frank Fearon Apple declined to comment GoMentum Station old Concord naval weapons station disused second world war-era facility 20 miles of paved highways city streets closed to the public guarded by the military largest secure test facility in the world testing validation commercialization connected vehicle CV autonomous vehicles AV technologies define the next generation transportation network infrastructure Mercedes-Benz Honda experiments self-driving cars barbed-wire fences security Apple hundreds of engineers working on automotive technologies anonymous office building Sunnyvale main campus in Cupertino project Apple self-driving car almost ready for the road Jack Hall program manager autonomous vehicles GoMentum Station Fearon Apple rumoured working on a self-driving electric car codenamed Project Titan first time its existence has been documented Apple senior vice-president Jeff Williams the ultimate mobile device Apple markets Google Uber tech companies robot cars Apple chief executive Tim Cook meetings car executives poached automotive experts head of Mercedes Benz’s Silicon Valley research arm Cook Fiat-Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne BMW’s i3 electric car assembly line recruiting automotive experts Silicon Valley hiring engineers from Tesla Motors Mercedes-Benz power experts electric car battery maker A123 Systems electric motorbike Silicon Valley start-up Lit Motors build autonomous robotic paraglider Georgia Institute of Technology testing grounds layout photos Apple test vehicles realistic everyday situations Google Tesla Volkswagen Mercedes-Benz other carmakers issued permits California department of motor vehicles test self-driving cars state’s public roads disclosing technical and commercial details notoriously secretive Apple non-disclosure agreement with Apple Randy Iwasaki executive director Contra Costa Transportation Authority owner of GoMentum Station Apple’s obsession with secrecy engineers Apple’s Special Projects group documents Apple’s automotive team lab workshop spaces beefed-up security access card readers testing secure location trialling driverless cars Honda memorandum of understanding begin testing Japanese automaker self-driving version RLX saloon development engineers Tesla Motors armed soldiers refused high security /
Friday, 14 August 2015
Manager orders delivery driver replaced, after customer demands white employee
Some of the coverage seems to deal harshly with Lowe's, as in, "Black delivery driver replaced by manager after Lowe’s customer demands white employee." In fact, one manager ordered the switch, the order was not complied with, & the manager's services have since been dispensed with. Lowe's senior management has been reported as having made statements such as, "Under no circumstances should a discriminatory delivery request be honored ..."
Bravo Lowe’s Home Improvement, bravo Marcus Bradley (driver), bravo Alex Brooks (who defied instructions to replace Marcus Bradley)!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/10/black-delivery-driver-replaced-by-manager-after-lowes-customer-demands-white-employee/?postshare=2221439469527957 / Marcus Bradley delivery driver Lowe’s Home Improvement Danville Va. routine delivery call manager return the shipment to work because you’re black don’t want you at the house Alex Brooks Marcus Bradley his manager customer gave the company specific instructions not to send a black employee to the home replaced by a white driver fellow deliveryman Alex Brooks delivery truck manager black white truck complete the delivery longtime partner delivery guys put my foot down employer customer’s demand Chris Ahearn Lowe’s spokeswoman manager has been fired drivers drivers senior executives apologize in person zero tolerance for discrimination terms of the sale Lowe’s corporate office diversity and inclusion core value troubling investigation discriminatory delivery request diversity and inclusion core values investigation I gotta work /
Thursday, 13 August 2015
Black balls — dealing with drought
Evaporation is a major cause of water loss from dams — as much as 40%1. As of Monday, the Los Angeles Reservoir is protected from evaporation by 96 million black plastic balls. By this measure, evaporation is expected to be reduced by nearly 300 million gallons annually.
How does this work? Hollow black balls floating on the surface shade the water from the Sun, & reduce exposure to the air.
Other benefits include suppression of algal growth & under certain circumstances, sunlight driven reactions involving bromine & chlorine, to form carcinogens.
___________
1 National Program for Sustainable Irrigation: “Controlling evaporation losses from farm dams“, http://lwa.gov.au/products/pf050873 / Los Angeles LA Angeleno black plastic balls floating LA Reservoir dam massive water source ball pit drought-stricken water clean protect it from evaporation LA mayor Eric Garcetti shade balls Los Angeles Reservoir final stage city city’s water quality protection plan costing $US34.5 million shade ball water-cleaning device reduces evaporation protects against animals dirt costs 36 cents 96 million 175-acre reservoir 3.3 billion gallons of water water quality control shade balls staving off algae growth preventing harmful chemical reactions sunlight chlorine shade balls cost-effective reduce evaporation nearly 300 million gallons per year provide drinking water 8,100 people onyx-coloured buoyant ball pit anti-drought measures Los Angeles Department of Water and Power $US100 million ultraviolet water treatment facility keep LA water safe help cut losses drought /
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
LiquidPiston unveils 40-bhp X2 rotary engine with 50% thermal efficiency
A new engine combustion cycle has been developed by a startup called LiquidPiston.
Because of its improved efficiency & use of aspects of Otto, Diesel, Rankine, & Atkinson cycles, LiquidPiston calls their new combustion cycle, “High Efficiency Hybrid Cycle” (HEHC).
At first glance, the HEHC resembles the Wankel rotary. Actually, the Wankel is even less efficient than other internal combustion engines. This is due, in large part, to the long, narrow combustion chamber, which allows excessive heat energy to be lost from the burning fuel/air mixture, to the chamber walls.
Notice the long, narrow combustion chamber (red) in the Wankel, & the compact combustion chambers (black) in the LPI X1.
Credit: LiquidPiston/Popular Mechanics
HEHC has a high compression ratio (18:1) & contains the combustion process in a smaller space than any other internal combustion cycle technology. This increases speed of combustion & minimises loss of heat energy. Finally, HEHC lengthens the expansion part of the cycle, so that the exhaust gasses are released at close to atmospheric pressure, thereby transferring the maximum possible fraction of the energy released by combustion to the piston, & reducing exhaust noise. Because so much of the heat energy released by the burning fuel is converted to mechanical energy, less is lost as heat, so that liquid cooling is not required.
Other advantages include small size & weight, compared to other types of internal combustion engines.
http://www.gizmag.com/liquidpistol-rotary/24623/
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a8174/liquidpistons-hyper-efficient-engine-turning-the-rotary-inside-out-13817971/
https://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/liquidpiston-small-efficient-rotary-engine-1205
__________
1 Wikepedia: "Fuel efficiency", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_efficiency / Hyper-Efficient Engine: Turning the Rotary Inside Out internal combustion engine startup LiquidPiston leap in efficiency from 20 percent to 50 percent automakers reciprocating piston engine hybrid systems improved accessories independent inventors huge improvements basic efficiency internal combustion engine engineering Bloomfield Connecticut LiquidPiston X1 engine just three moving parts major components raise thermal efficiency gas engine reduction weight size wasting much less energy combustion cycle 80 percent energy fossil fuels heat pressure exhaust dumped atmosphere radiator LiquidPiston's design capture waste higher efficiency Alec Shkolnik President CEO LiquidPiston thermal cycles design theoretically capable of 75 percent thermal efficiency 57 percent real world applications Wankel rotary seals Wankel housing X1 engine reduction oil consumption rotary engine enhancements direct injection high compression ratio 18:1 change geometry combustion chamber constant volume ignition air-fuel mixture auto-ignites like a diesel burned much longer than normal more complete combustion low emissions very high chamber pressures high pressure nearly atmospheric pressures available energy is extracted exhaust physically pushed out internal combustion engine releases very energetic high-pressure exhaust gas convert more heat energy mechanical force less heat has to be removed block no water cooling system engine under load cool down skip fuel injection event suck in cool air heated by the block exhausted inject water into the combustion chamber three effects cooling the engine reduced reducing NOx emissions converting water to steam increases power compact design LiquidPiston's lab engine 80 lbs 40-hp model weigh less than 50 lbs in production 40-hp diesel LiquidPiston hybrid range-extenders military applications boat engines license intellectual property manufacturing petrol gasoline engine /
Tuesday, 11 August 2015
Bugatti 100P
Credit: http://hdwpics.com/
1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.
Credit: TheCoolist
Almost no-one is aware of the sole Bugatti aircraft — the most beautiful aircraft never to fly — the Bugatti 100P — "... an antique that seems like it somehow came from the future." — Preston Lerner
Note the forward-swept wings & the gearbox (seen through the canopy, in front of the cockpit), which delivers power from the twin engines to the contra-rotating propellers.
Credit: Reve Bleu/Kickstarter
http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/Aviations-Sexiest-Racer-180952406/?no-ist
Bugatti 100P — showing more clearly, the contra-rotating propellers
Credit: Wikipedia
Kickstarter project to complete the replica
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/525000827/reve-bleu-bugattis-blue-dream-will-finally-fly?ref=nav_search
http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/8/9118119/bugatti-100p-reve-blue-kickstarter-first-flight
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3192289/The-Blue-Dream-finally-fly-Beautiful-Bugatti-plane-designed-75-years-ago-just-weeks-maiden-flight.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_Model_100 / Bugatti Reve Bleu Blue Dream fly global volunteer group recreates Bugatti'sBlue Dream unfinished plane hidden behind enemy lines Bugatti's only aeroplane Ettore Bugatti master fusing art and technology built eight-thousand exquisite automobiles built only one aeroplane Bugatti 100P designed by Belgian engineer Louis de Monge art-deco classic most technologically-advanced airplane of its time elegant solution to flying very fast innovative Bugatti 100P giant leap forward late 1930s featuring advanced systems cutting-edge aerodynamics record-setting 100P saved Bugatti's manufacturing empire restored de Monge's reputation world-class aeronautical engineer dream dreamed setting a new world air speed record plane Rue de Débarcadèr Paris 1940 under construction for three years Bugatti 100P nearly complete the war reached Paris German forces troops Nazi save plane secrets rapidly-approaching enemy Bugatti colleague Louis de Monge smuggled the plane out of Paris under cover of darkness hid it in a barn plane survived the war intact restored plane on display displayed EAA AirVenture Museum Oshkosh Wisconsin most popular exhibit plane never flew flyable compelling story wartime intrigue Bugatti's Blue Dream Tulsa 2013 build and fly reproduction Bugatti 100P very expensive no known structural drawings reverse-engineer 100P under construction Bugatti 100P nearly complete plane's timeless beauty advanced features Bugatti's and de Monge's vision creative genius crowd-powered global volunteer team project's volunteers contributing time materials technical expertise bring Bugatti's dream to life airframe propellers designed in Sweden made in Great Britain complex propeller gearbox aerodynamic studies underway in Brazil engineering consultants France Germany de Monge family Namur Belgium construction first flight Bugatti's only aeroplane complex expensive labor-intensive tasks completely self-funded debt-free corporate sponsors accelerate construction complete tests plane's airworthiness certification build transportation dolly first flight 40-hour flight test program project's selected ground tests high speed taxi runs test flights early engineering drawing Avion de Course drawing engineering drawing de Monge drawing final configuration swept-forward wings engine placement internal radiator plane de Monge single-purpose airplane designed set a world speed record Phil West original art war Bugatti 100P development first flight famed WWI fighter ace Maurice Arnoux Ettoré Bugatti Louis de Monge Bugatti 100P first flight Étampes Airfield noted aviation artist Phil West Bugatti team members EAA AirVenture Museum disassembled test flight stage project high-performance complex state-of-the-art aeroplane /
Monday, 10 August 2015
Tesla Model S hacked
Credit: Car and Driver
First it was a Fiat Chrysler vehicles fitted with the uConnect system, then GM OnStar vehicles, now hackers have gained control of a Tesla Model S & brought it to a halt.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099460_tesla-model-s-hacked-in-low-speed-driving-patch-issued-details-tomorrow / Fiat Chrysler Automobiles intense public scrutiny hackers took control Jeep Cherokee remotely Uconnect infotainment system disabled brakes transmission publicity vulnerability recall 1.4 million vehicles fix strong pressure National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA Tesla's Britain's Financial Times hackers DefCon conference Las Vegas took control of a Tesla Model S electric car EV electric vehicle switched it off was running at low speeds white-hat researchers Kevin Mahaffey chief technology officer Lookout Marc Rogers, principal security researcher Cloudflare six security flaws hack hacker hacked target Tesla software-centric company software less vulnerable legacy automakers Tesla's Silicon Valley origins entirely secure vehicle control software white-hat hackers security flaws push companies fix focus preventing flaws black-hat hackers goals malicious destructive criminal Mahaffey Rogers gain physical access Tesla hack requiring a physical connection via Ethernet cable allowed access Model S remotely FT manipulate speedometer show display wrong speed lower raise windows lock unlock turn car on or off low speeds 5 mph shut car down turned all instruments displays black engaged emergency brake stop higher speeds screens went blank electric drive disengaged power steering driver steer safely to the roadside Tesla issued a patch update cars researchers update its control software so quickly unique over-the-air software update capability built into all Model S cars conventional carmakers change their software exception for non-critical updates infotainment systems owners can install via USB drive security team security research community protect our systems vulnerabilities stress-testing validating updating our safeguards Lookout's research test for vulnerabilities developed an update vulnerabilities available to all Model S customers over-the-air update deployed to all vehicles /
Sunday, 9 August 2015
Best Pebble apps
Credit: TechRadar
Pebble smartwatch — runaway Kickstarter success twice — first with the original Pebble & more recently with Pebble Time — has thousands of watch faces available, & almost as many apps. Here are some of the best of them:
http://www.wareable.com/apps/the-best-apps-for-pebble-and-pebble-steel
http://www.techradar.com/au/news/wearables/10-best-pebble-apps-2015-1286303/1
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2430329,00.asp
https://recombu.com/mobile/article/best-pebble-time-apps-and-how-to-download-apps / Eventbrite Pebble Time Timeline user interface UI CEO Eric Migicovsky Pebble Classic Jawbone's Up range of fitness bands TripAdvisor Evernote PayPal Battey+ Cards for Pebble Domino's Pizza tracker Misfit fitness tracker step counter Twebble Twitter feed tracker Morpheuz smart alarm accelerometer track your sleep patterns beam results to your phone sync with Apple's HealthKit platform wake Music Boss control music Pebble Locker Huebble Hue light bulbs globes Movable pedometer, calorie counter personal trainer Pixel Miner game Pebble Nav navigation navigate gps Huebble smart home Huebble Internet of things Philips Hue lights Kronos music Sonos system Kronos remote change tracks adjust volume queue next tune Aerotracker Pro fitness tracker PebbleAuth 2 two step authentication privacy security Dashboard quick settings panel Android direct access WiFi Bluetooth volume mute phone meeting remaining battery life Find Phone sound ping device shrill beep CatchOneBus public transport timetable free FitCat game fitness tracker move full color Pebble Time Glance notification apps time, weather missed messages calendar entries reply to text messages Pebble store is heavily featuring JavaPay official Starbucks app scannable third-party data loyalty cards boarding passes unofficial Starbucks card app Maptastic scroll zoom maps Pebble Transport Uber taxi Pinywings RunKeeper athletes sync synchronizes runs walks hikes cloud database Strike Force full colour full-color Pebble shooter watch accelerometer arcade game wiggling your wrist around Toggles mute phone toggle Wi-Fi turn on flashlight find lost device Weather Radar Wunderground.com animated weather radar images Yelp Flights TripIt Pebtris smartwatch Tetris! Mr Runner Up game Tiny Bird Flappy Bird Nav Me Leaf navigation /
Saturday, 8 August 2015
Crowd funding — some successes — some failures — some fraud
Credit: Smarty Ring/IndieGoGo
Crowd funding has had some spectacular sucesses, but it has a darker side too.
A device called Smarty Ring, for which funding ended in December 2013, was still attracting vitriolic comments from unhappy backers on IndieGoGo, just days ago:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/smarty-ring--3/x/9010251#/story
Reddit too:
https://www.reddit.com/r/smartyscam/comments/3fu76v/the_smarty_ring_scam/
Well, if you had the good fortune to miss out on throwing your money away on that thing, you may also have missed out again on an essentially identical campaign which ended in March 2014. Nothing appears to have changed, including the promises, & the IndieGoGo page address differs by only one character. Only good news: less than half as much funding raised the second time:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/smarty-ring--4/x/9010251#/story
What can we learn from this?
1. When you back a crowd-funded project on Kickstarter, IndieGoGo or anywhere else, you are not purchasing a product. Typically, you are funding its development &/or production. This is why you are referred to as a "backer", or "supporter", & anything you receive for your "support" is called a "perk", or a "reward", rather than a "purchase".
2. Any rights you would normally have as a consumer purchasing a product online are probably not applicable.
3. Even if consumer rights, or other means of legal recourse, are applicable where you live, they may not be applicable, or practical to enforce, if the project creator lives in another country.
4. Projects which have gone bad have caused crowd funding sites to recognise that they are not able to guarantee the safety of supporter's funds & any undertakings they may have given in the past have been removed from their websites.
5. When you back a crowd funded project you are taking a gamble on the honesty & competence of the project creator. Although there have been some spectacular successes, such as the Pebble smart watches, there have also been a range off lesser successes down to non-delivery of product.
How can you protect yourself?
1. If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
2. If you are interested in a project, check for:
● similar products on group funding sites — sometimes a failed project will re-appear on a different crowd-funder, or even the same one, with, or without, a name change — plus some projects have many competitors, some of which may suit you better — just check the number of wallets & watches
● other projects by the same project creator — were they successful?
● projects which are identical down to name, branding, & project description as in the Smarty Ring projects
● reviews of a prototype on recognized tech websites
3. Don't allow yourself be influenced by, "it will be $x more expensive after the project ends". Much better to pay 10% more for a product after all of the bugs have been worked out & it enters conventional production, than to lose 100% of a contribution as a backer. / crowdfunding finance crowd funding crowdfunding research development design designer develop engineer engineering fraud scam con lie lies scamming funding campaign Kobe Red Japanese beer fed jerky creator creator’s names sloppy sideshow generic stock images photos footage project founders didn’t sound right sounded weird fraud scam criminal /
Friday, 7 August 2015
Tesla’s robotic metal snake charger
This has been in devlopment for some time. Ultimate aim is to have the Model S drop the driver at the door, park itself in the garage & then be plugged in & charged automatically.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/31/7474057/elon-musk-says-tesla-automatic-car-charger-solid-metal-snake
Others are looking at standard industrial robots.
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/faster-charging-for-electric-vehicles.html
Which one would fit in your garage? / charge recharge LiIon lithium ion range performance Tesla Model S Elon Musk Tesla automatic charger moves like a solid metal snake Elon Musk is from the future possibly not from this planet tweeted Tesla working on automatic charging system extend from the wall connect plug in Model S like a solid metal snake work with all existing Model S vehicles designed Supercharging Supercharger station home use P85D Model S automatic electrically actuated charger port door drop its driver off automatically park itself garage automatic door part of a self-charging systemsolid metal snake automatic doors battery swaps launch /
Thursday, 6 August 2015
Going off the grid — a case study
Solar collection includes 4kW of ground mounted panels, optimised for winter sun, at a slope of 45 degrees
Credit: Dr Gordon Weiss, Principal Consultant with Energetics/One Step Off The Grid
Recently on these pages I discussed some of the issues to be considered when contemplating reduced dependence on the grid, or, (a little tongue-in-cheek) going off-grid altogether.
When Dr Gordon Weiss was considering utility connection for his weekender, with grid connection priced around $270,000-$300,000, going off grid became very attractive. “That’s a lot of solar panels & batteries!” As suggested in my previous article, a fossil fueled generator (5 kVa diesel) was required to cope with extended cloudy weather.
http://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/despite-the-tesla-hype-going-off-grid-is-not-that-simple/ / Dr Gordon Weiss Principal Consultant Energetics carbon and energy management large energy users manage carbon emissions energy costs designed built off-grid system home beautiful Blue Mountains techs technology specs specifications his system Tesla PowerWall energy storage low cost batteries advantage householders widespread defection from the electricity grid building a weekender home Megalong Valley Blue Mountains, NSW property sub-divided farmland no grid connection water phone sewerage connection construct modern house utilities supply power occupied local network service provider 2 km HV power line local 25 kVa substation cost of around $300,000 solar panels batteries designing off-grid solar power supply off-grid solar PV supply photovoltaic photo voltaic typical daily electricity consumption typical consumption overnight size of both the solar panels battery capacity peak power demand of the house inverters batteries sufficiently large instantaneous peak demand expected weather patterns cloudiness trade-off between battery size likely use backup generator top up batteries graph average daily solar exposure sunlight sun light insolation Little Hartley closest weather station periods cloud cover reduced the solar exposure several days much lower solar exposure winter compared to summer placing the solar panels horizontal angle to the latitude maximise the power generated over the course of a year system design solar PV system 3kW panels roof slope of 11 degrees 4kW ground mounted panels slope of 45 degrees orientated due north purpose ground mounted panels catch maximum winter sun modelling demand house average demand during the year 15 kWh average Australian house design included extensive LED lighting no air conditioning no electrically powered space heating LEDs additional hours of darkness in winter average power demand time of year 20% greater than the summer demand performance of the system in winter inverters batteries diesel generator other elements our system Kaco Powador grid invertors Selectronic SP PRO inverter-charger 32 kWh battery storage batteries are gel-acid depth of discharge battery service life effective storage capacity 20 kWh extended cloudy days backup 5 kVa diesel generator size solar panel array capacity batteries was determined using HOMER free former US Department of Energy program optimising off-grid systems design likely hourly power demand hourly solar exposure cost system including cost of fuel perform four month period maximum instantaneous power demand 12 kW in-rush current of an electric motor other household appliances electric kettles highlight importance correctly sizing the system undersized system shut-down power demand was too high graph operation of the solar PV system several important features system design batteries fully charged state of charge equals 100% output solar panels constrained just meets the load evening peak partially discharge the batteries overnight load refrigerators aerator waste treatment system morning peak before there is any output from the solar panels significant daytime load solar panels fully recharge batteries mid-afternoon challenge of cloudy days data challenges off-grid when Sun is not shining household load greater overnight batteries just over 40% charged morning load rose system inverter-charger shut down the load protect the batteries diesel generator raise the state of charge batteries external supply graph generator tested test-run generator cloudiness recharge the batteries night time impact of cloudy days occupied unoccupied reduced power demand solar panels fully recharge batteries very cloudy days solar panels some output total generation cloudy days instantaneous outputs recharging sunny days batteries charged cloudy period 2 kW spikes small hot water heater maintain water temperature panels recharge batteries cloudy days more panels installed better the system can deal morning power demand reduces probability generator will be required trade-off size panels storage capacity experience going off-grid conclusions understand daily seasonal power demand properly size the system smaller demand solar array batteries capacity average daily demand house adequate except very cloudy days solar panels run house recharge batteries larger array morning power demand alternative spending $270,000 grid connection watching the system in action comes out on paper go off-grid install as many batteries as they can afford minimise use back-up generator /
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Best Android camera apps — 2015
Credit: Android Central
In most cases, the camera app supplied with your phone will be completely adequate for your photographic needs. On the other hand, there are many other camera apps available which add a range of features, including panorama, a range of filters & effects, the ability to set ISO, & exposure compensation.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Best-Android-camera-apps-camera-replacement-2015-edition_id41120#6rKlRoLMZuOqI7wr.99
http://www.androidcentral.com/best-photography-apps-android
http://www.androidauthority.com/best-camera-apps-for-android-188148/ / Camu Google Camera Camera Zoom FX IgCameraPro Camera FV-5 Perfectly Clear ProCapture Camera Awesome Vignette Google Photos Instagram VSCO Cam Camera 2 Snapseed Pixlr Camera MX Camera360 Ultimate Camera Fun Pro Camera JB+ Cymera DSLR Camera Pro GIF Camera HD Camera Ultra Line Camera Open Camera Otaku Camera Paper Camera Snap Camera HD amateur photography taking photos iPhone camera stock camera apps access to exclusive features phone HTC Zoe Samsung’s Drama Shot little different unique take a look at the best camera apps Android our list of best camera apps Android Camera MX feature set professional hobbyist sharing pictures via Google+ Instagram Camera MX best camera apps Android Camera Zoom FX filters effects applying pre-made filters effects choose multiple effects create their own filter pre-made highly functional popular. in app purchases among the most popular camera apps Android one of the best go-to camera replacement app Camera360 Ultimate packed full of features updated it recently more settings better camera experience all the standard features filters and effects niche market filters available fun theme more serious artistic filters effects taking the picture adding the effects got the shot take the picture professional filters fun pictures popular camera AOSP Jelly Bean camera three camera modes regular shot video capture panorama mode lightweight image editor built in minor adjustments images stock Android camera recommend KitKat Camera KK app free in app purchases camera apps for Android popular downloads Cymera most popular camera apps camera apps focuses faces standard features filters effects editing face shots set of features and filters camera application software DSLR camera change ISO exposure compensation white balance grids gama contrast HDR high dynamic range color effects geotagging features hardware app supports features device camera Internet GIF open source software /
Monday, 3 August 2015
A new kind of masking tape will save the aerospace industry millions
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/08/a-new-kind-of-masking-tape-will-save-the-aerospace-industry-millions/ / engineers build planes use heavy aluminium masking tape cover up surfaces during production engineers BAE Systems created new kind of tape leaves surface clean peeled away save $US70 million masking tape aerospace engineers heavy masking tape made of aluminium protect working surfaces during production industrialgrade material tough removal leaves tough sticky residue damaging material beneath sharp tools used to remove it BAE Systems developed new kind of tape doesn’t leave behind a residue peeled off light pre-cut vinyl tape adhesive tape make easier to remove peeled off by hand cuts processing process time component hours production F-35 Lightning II aircraft used during assembly Hawk Typhoon aircraft save $US23,000 production of each plane total saving of $US70 million over the next 20 years /
Sunday, 2 August 2015
Classic 1966 VW bus with a solar powered drivetrain
Solar racers
Credit: University of California Irvine
Pictured below is a Volkswagen van (a.k.a. bus, micro bus, Microbus, Kombi Van etc.) which has been fitted with a solar electric drivetrain. Although it has a roof area much larger than a sedan, in order to have enough solar collection area, the solar panels have extreme overhangs, particularly at the rear, to power, "short trips within the city", (Cambridge, Massachusetts).
Credit: Green Car Reports
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099382_classic-1966-vw-bus-with-green-drivetrain-solar-powered-electric-motor / solar-powered cars custom-built prioritize function over form aerodynamics placement of solar panels solar powered vehicle style 1966 Volkswagen bus converted electric power solar panel roof conversion Daniel Theobald CTO healthcare IT company Vecna Technologies Cambridge, Massachusetts electric vehicle EV VW Volkswagen modifications solar panel bus roof building plug-in electric car onboard solar power carbon footprint emissions grid electricity electric Volkswagen Bus VW solar panel energy VW's battery pack plugged in modifications Volkswagen Beetle convert solar power Volkswagen bus classic styling 1960s '70s pop culture electric-car converters VW urban runabout /