/ climate change global warming world global economy energy transition rapidly decarbonising the global energy system is critical for addressing climate change /
Grant Imahara with other members of the Mythbusters cast. From left, Grant Imahara, Jamie Hyneman, Kari Byron, Adam Savage & Tory Belleci Credit: Discovery Channel
Wikipedia: Grant Imahara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Imahara/ Mythbusters Grant Imahara, cohost wildly popular TV show Mythbusters Monday 13 July 2020 aged 49 cause of death sudden brain aneurysm Trained in electrical engineering engineer worked at George Lucas Industrial Light and Magic 1990s and 2000s building robots Star Wars prequels led team animatronics movies A.I. Artificial Intelligence Galaxy Quest Matrix sequels classic sci-fi films science fiction Discovery Channel Mythbusters Netflix White Rabbit Project cohost Kari Byron Adam Savage Tory Belleci Jamie Hyneman graduated University of Southern California degree in electrical engineering loved building battle-robots /
Looks like you missed out on this one, but iTunes sales appear frequently on this site, so check back soon!
15% off $30, $50 & $100 iTunes cards at Aldi until Tuesday 17 December
https://www.aldi.com.au/en/shopping-at-aldi/aldi-gift-cards/ / iTunes app store application iPhone iPod iPad mini cards card iOS Apple credit account sale save cheap bargain save saving savings discount reduction percent Gift Cards On Sale /
250+ miles of range, 7,500 lbs towing capacity & less than 6.5 sec to 60 mph – that’s the single motor, rear wheel drive $US39,990 entry-level version
$US69,900 buys the tri motor version with 500 miles range, 14,000 pounds towing capacity & 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds.
For $US49,900 you get dual motors & all wheel drive. Note that this mid-range version comes in under the “less than $50,000” price that Tesla has been touting for months.
All come with independent, self leveling air suspension, up to 16" ground clearance & spectacular approach & departure angles.
Reveal
Test ride
For just $100 you can secure your place in the queue at:
Tesla Model 3 – first deposits were taken 31 March 2016 – over 3 years later, Australians can now place orders for the first time. Credit: Steven Loveday/InsideEVs
All prices are Australian dollars, registered in ACT, as displayed on the Model 3 configurator. “Autopilot Included”1. “Full Self-Driving Capability”2 is a $7,100 upgrade.
Standard Range Plus, black paint, 18" wheels, black interior, drive away price: $68,109
Performance, black paint, Performance upgrade (includes 20" wheels), black interior, drive away price: $98,273
Performance, black paint, no Performance upgrade (sic), 18" wheels (sic), black interior, drive away price: $90,2133
Justice Credit: Disability Support Services, Monash University
The forgery was not detected until the un-named, 53-year-old woman had been working at a nursery, as a cleaner, for 15 years.
And the extent of the crime? Alteration of a school record to show that she had completed 6 years of primary school, rather than 5!
Needless to say, this case has caused an uproar in Greece:
“This decision is not simply inhuman. It is another very indicative sign of permanent pathogens in the criminal justice system.” — Hellenic League for Human Rights
/ Marvel public figurehead cameo appearances in movies Marvel characters honorary executive producer credit superheroes Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man /
And so with that very brief tweet, & a rather longer post on the Tesla web site, the flirtation with becoming a privately held company1 comes to an end:
A few expressed concerns for how this would impact retail investors. In fact, their interests seem to have been provided for:
My hope is *all* current investors remain with Tesla even if we’re private. Would create special purpose fund enabling anyone to stay with Tesla. Already do this with Fidelity’s SpaceX investment.
Recently had a box delivered. That’s it in the picture above. By my measurement, its 370 x 495 mm (14.5 x 19.5 inches). Not shown – the packing material in the box, to stop the card from rattling around.
The part I ordered on the ’Net? The small dark rectangle in the middle of the card. Up close, it looks like this:
SanDisk iXpand Mini Flash Drive Credit: SanDisk
Sandisk says it’s 12.1 x 4.6 x 53.0 mm1 (0.48 x 0.18 x 2.1 inches). As far as I'm aware, Sandisk doesn't quote a spec on that absurd, oversize card it’s attached to in the image at the top.
Initially, this article was headed: “We’ve all heard of excess packaging, but this may be a record” – obviously had to change it on seeing the the image below:
Credit: Emily-Jane Clark
Emily-Jane Clark (pictured) received the “spider catcher” she's holding, in the box she's crouching in.
/ tonnes consumer packaging landfill packaging litter overall recycling rate consumer packaging volume of packaging material mail postal system grown increasing popularity online shopping clicks plastic foam paper cardboard packing packed retailers transport transit transportation companies take responsibility damaged products bulk up buffer packaging cost environment extra material costing money creating new problem re-use re use recycle discarded recycling lighter more compact packaging more stuff being shipped consumers greater volume packaging higher product prices increased fees for recycling consumers concerned excess packaging retailers e-commerce companies minimise packaging lobby local government local councils state governments environmental organisations information on recycling understand the size of the problem /
Update 07 July: crowd funding period has ended, with over half a million dollars raised, but you can still pre-order on Indiegogo – see below.
● Short enough to fit into your backpack – 7 fret version is just 18 inches (45.7 cm) long – but if you’d prefer, the 12 fret version is 24.5 inches (66.23 cm)
● Length is OK, but where’s the body? – add on body available for both models
● Teaches you to play with software for iOS & the Chrome browser
● Never needs tuning – overcoming a significant barrier for many beginners – & very unlikely to ever need strings replaced
● Already a player? ‘Jamstik 12 is designed as a no-compromise MIDI controller that simply, “works” with the studios & production software producer-guitarists are used to. Finally, a way for guitarists to express themselves the way keyboardists & drummers have been able to for years.’
At the Q&A following the Tesla Shareholders’ Meeting on Tuesday, some interesting questions were raised & some even more interesting answers were forthcoming. See the video below, or more briefly:
Will Tesla build a compact car – around the 00:30 mark – “... compact car in less than 5 years …”
Autopilot remains a work in progress, with no promise of a major improvement any time soon – 00:45
Steering wheel – 13:16 – “Model Y ... will not have any leather in it … in the steering wheel, even if it does have a steering wheel.”
Battery energy density – 13:45 – “Twice as much is tricky, but we can certainly see a path to about a 30% improvement, maybe a 40% improvement in energy in the same size battery pack, that’s technology we are confident does work & needs to be scaled up & made very reliable … 2-3 years to get to about a 30% improvement in volumetric energy density … 6 to 8 years to get to a doubling … highly dependant on … lithium anode …”
Tesla time estimates – “Elon time” – 23:37 – “I think I do have like an issue with time [laughter & clapping] … my brother used to, like when we were catching a bus to school, he would lie to me about the time … & then we’d actually be able to catch the bus.”
Will Tesla make a motorcycle – 25:30 – “… used to ride motorcycles when I was a kid … dirt biking … had a road bike until I was 17 & was almost killed by a truck, so we’re not gonna do motorcycles.”
Improvements in Model S1 – 29:45 – “One thing we haven’t been good at educating people on is that the Model S ... has improved very dramatically from 2012 … arguably on version 3 or 4 of the Model S right now ... really a gigantic improvement … I really encourage anyone who’s got an early Model S to test drive the current version. I think you’ll be blown away by how much it has improved.”
__________
1 It’s easy to forget that the Model S has been in production since 2012 – partly because the original aesthetics were so good (after 6 years, it still looks as fresh as tomorrow). To the casual observer, the only change has been the revised nose in 2016.
Credit: fau4u2.wordpress.com
For anyone following the Tesla story, there have been many improvements, including:
● Supercharger network – wasn't even promised when the first owner took delivery – not a change to the car per se, but as important to the long-range driving experience as petrol stations (gas stations, service stations – what ever they are called where you live) are to a fossil car
● Greatest available battery capacity has jumped from 85 kWh to 90 & most recently, 100 kWh
● 4 wheel drive
● Software, including Autopilot has seen many upgrades,2 which has necessitated;
● Computer upgrades – more than 40 times increase in computing power in October 20163 & a further upgrade in February 20184
● Autopilot hardware upgrade – increase in the number of cameras (8 cameras provide 360° vision) & other sensors3
Stephen Hawking with Felicity Jones & Eddie Redmayne at the London premier of the biographical movie, “The Theory of Everything” Credit: independent.ie
Many were saddened by the death this week, of Professor Stephen Hawking. There is some comfort, though, in the memory that Stephen Hawking was a really funny guy. Take this interview with John Oliver:
JOHN OLIVER: First off, congratulations on being the first subject of our, “Great Minds”, series. Be honest, is this the single greatest honour you have ever received?
STEPHEN HAWKING: Yes.
JOHN OLIVER: Good. It’s a little hard to read your tone of voice. When you say that, are you being sarcastic?
STEPHEN HAWKING: Yes.
&
JOHN OLIVER: You’ve stated that there could be an infinite number of parallel universes. Does that mean that there is a universe out there where I am smarter than you?
STEPHEN HAWKING: Yes. And also a universe where you’re funny.
Here’s the entire interview:
Interesting to see John Oliver abandon his irreverent tone & use of expletives (mostly).
Update 15 April 2018: Another Model X towing a semi, this time from Bjørn Nyland in Norway: “I know that this is not the first time a Model X pulls a semi. But in that other video, it was done with the help of the semi as well. And the Model X had poor all season tires not fit for snow and ice. I wanted to see if it was possible to pull a semi trailer despite having slippery surface like ice and snow.”
With the recent cold snap in the USA, another use has come to light: towing a semi truck after it has become stuck in the snow.
Update: Unfortunatley, videos on YouTube are removed or have availability changed from time-to-time. If the video above no longer works for you, try this:
3 “... zero to 60 in 4.2 seconds which means it would embarrass a Lamborghini Diablo in a straight line.” – Motor Trend Channel: “2017 Bentley Bentayga vs. 2016 Tesla Model X P90D Ludicrous - Head 2 Head Ep. 76”, see second video above
Left to right: Tesla Truck, Elon Musk, Tesla Truck Credit: Tesla/SlashGear
Tesla Truck – view through the windscreen – note central seating position & screens on either side Credit: Tesla
Updates Saturday 18 & Monday 20 November – two new videos – text updates in this font.
Update 15 December – added Tesla's video of the entire event – 35 minutes.
Some highlights:
● 500 mile (800 km) range – full load at highway speed
● Megachargers add 400 miles of range in 30 minutes
● Network of Megachargers world wide
● driver sits in the centre with a screen on either side
● passenger/alternate driver seat is behind & to one side
● one million miles (1.6 million km) without a breakdown! – guaranteed! – with four motors, two can fail & the truck can complete delivery – & still out-torque a diesel
●
“You never need to replace brake pads ever.” – long brake life is a recognised advantage of electric vehicles because in large measure, braking is regenerative – also improving range, efficiency & total cost of ownership● enhanced autopilot standard1
● platooning included2
● torque vectoring enabled by 4 motors with microsecond control makes jack-knifing “impossible”
●
“A diesel truck will be 20% more expensive than a Tesla semi per mile ... worst case scenario.”● with platooning, make that 100% more efficient
● with platooning, efficiency exceeds rail
● “Production begins 2019.”
Video of the entire event – if you don't have 35 minutes, check the next video down
And, “some unannounced”?3 – the new Tesla Roadster
● 0-60 mph 1.9 seconds –
that's 1.44 g4 – first production vehicle to go under 2 seconds● 0-100 mph 4.2 seconds
● quarter mile 8.9 seconds
● 250 mph (402 km/h) top speed
●
“The new Tesla Roadster will be the fastest production car ever made – period.” This means a top speed in excess of the 257.87 mph (415 km/h) (arguably 267.856 mph (431.072 km/h)) attributed to the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, World Record Edition.5 Alternatively, as Elon Musk has done before, it may be a reference to the 0-60 mph time – &/or 0-100 mph &/or quarter mile times.● 200 kWh battery pack
● range 620 miles (just under 1,000 km)
●
three motors – two driving the rear, one driving the front● 2+2 seating
● available 2020
“Roadster Test Ride” video below, includes 0-60 mph in under 2 seconds.
/ electric vehicle platooning enhanced autopilot full self driving capability electric vehicle EV truck semi semi trailer semi-trailer 500 mile range unveiling 1000 mile range /
Tesla Semi Truck unveil to be webcast live on Thursday at 8pm! This will blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension. Just need to find my portal gun ...
After having been postponed from 26 October, this “mind blowing” event is just 15 hours away as of this writing.1
And ... video has appeared of what appears to be a test mule
No sign of exhaust, remarkably quiet as the mule moves away, & it bears a striking resemblance to a truck in the background of the previously published image of an apparent Tesla Truck prototype.2
Tesla Truck, with apparent test mule circled in red Credit: Electrek
/ semi truck tractor trailer semi trailer semi-trailer prime mover Tesla semi truck 26th 26 October 26th Tesla unveil all-electric truck shake up the trucking industry truck Tesla teaser photo Tesla reddit user posted photo can’t confirm source undisclosed place California where they test Tesla vehicles logos other confirmation actual Tesla truck looks like headlights fenders match up nose angle windshield looks similar teaser photo spy shots automotive industry tested before release real-world experience test cars manufacturers design release Tesla single design look looks futuristic semi tractor semi tractors prime mover prime-mover prime mover aerodynamic shroud reduce drag reduce fuel consumption reduce energy consumption, but Tesla’s design step beyond other designs on the road today Tesla’s design semi tractor prototype large engine compartment electric truck motor located between the axles other Tesla vehicles Tesla’s design more aerodynamic more roomy cabin driver long-haul trucking market store batteries truck photo teaser photo image aerodynamic shrouds reduce drag trailer tractor trailer aerodynamic wheel covers aerodynamic benefits teaser image Tesla truck /
Latest teaser image of the Tesla Truck Credit: Tesla/Electrek
After postponing the original event planned for 26 October,1Tesla has issued invitations to the rescheduled unveiling of its electric Tesla Truck2 on 16 November.
Plus, there is reason to believe that, “some unannounced”, will also be revealed at the event.
2 Details about the Tesla Truck have been sparse, but at the link below, Elon Musk has a few interesting things to say on the subject, including:
“So this is a heavy duty, long range, semi-truck. So it’s like the highest weight capability & with long range ... out-torque any diesel semi & if you had a tug-of-war competition, the Tesla semi will tug the diesel semi uphill.”
/ semi truck tractor trailer semi trailer semi-trailer prime mover Tesla semi truck 26th 26 October 26th Tesla unveil all-electric truck shake up the trucking industry truck Tesla teaser photo Tesla reddit user posted photo can’t confirm source undisclosed place California where they test Tesla vehicles logos other confirmation actual Tesla truck looks like headlights fenders match up nose angle windshield looks similar teaser photo spy shots automotive industry tested before release real-world experience test cars manufacturers design release Tesla single design look looks futuristic semi tractor semi tractors prime mover prime-mover prime mover aerodynamic shroud reduce drag reduce fuel consumption reduce energy consumption, but Tesla’s design step beyond other designs on the road today Tesla’s design semi tractor prototype large engine compartment electric truck motor located between the axles other Tesla vehicles Tesla’s design more aerodynamic more roomy cabin driver long-haul trucking market store batteries truck photo teaser photo image aerodynamic shrouds reduce drag trailer tractor trailer aerodynamic wheel covers aerodynamic benefits teaser image Tesla truck /
USA Today – “Donald Trump’s malignant narcissism is toxic: Psychologist” https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/05/04/trump-malignant-narcissistic-disorder-psychiatry-column/101243584// mental health professionals duty to warn leader unfit to serve psychosis psychotic delusional delusion fixed false belief resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact despite all evidence to the contrary Trump asserts inauguration biggest crowd size in history Right Wing Watch published list 58 conspiracies proclaimed Trump effect rile up his base deflect blame distract from his shortcomings does Trump really believe the insane things he says it’s often hard to know Harvard psychoanalyst Lance Dodes put it Trump tells two kinds of lies ones he tells others to scam them those he tells himself he lies because of his sociopathic tendencies more serious loose grip on reality just plain crazy president Donny Deutsch Trump traits sociopath President Trump sociopath condition prevents people from adopting to ethical and behavioral standards of community MSNBC's Deadline: White House sociopaths extremely charming charismatic sociopath feel entitled entitlement believe their own beliefs opinions absolute authority disregard others /
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9022425/autopilot.png){kind=link}