1000 mile battery

Flow batteries have been around for some time in stationary applications. For vehicular use, they have the attractive qualities that they can be recharged, not only by plugging into a charger at home, but by replacing the electrolytes. Replacement of electrolytes is about as fast as filling a tank with petrol (gasolene).

Electrolytes removed from the battery can be recharged & reused indefinitely.

So why aren't flow batteries used in vehicles? To date, flow batteries have been restricted to stationary applications because of their size & weight.

Batteries of many types are now undergoing intense development. Lithium ion has had the most success to date. However, even the best solutions remain a balancing act between cost, range, size, & weight, with recharge times remaining the Archilles heel. If similar development efforts could overcome the size & weight problems, the recharge options would make flow batteries an ideal energy source for electric vehicles.

http://evworld.com/focus.cfm?cid=181 / electric vehicle automobile EV car recharge charge driving range gasoline model refueled minutes time long driving trip home overnight fuel fueling petrol gas filling station researcher research flow batteries reported breakthrough Illinois Institute of Technology IIT chemical battery fuel cell electrolyte fluids rich metallic ions ion vandanium chromium exchange ion ions across membrane generate generating electric current replace the fluids recycled indefinitely electricity electric grid reverse process charge charging research groups technology Massachusetts MIT University of Michigan Fraunhofer Institute Germany Argonne Labs IIT technology bulky low energy density by volume lithium ion LiIon lithium-ion battery 150-200 Wh/liter litre energy Vandanium flow battery might be 20-35 Wh/liter power density 60-100 W/L versus 275 W/L for lithium University of Southampton in England experimented experiment prototype hybrid car lithium early Vanadium flow battery, weight mass volume success of a flow battery transport transportation grid energy storage working fluid accommodate more ions water breakdown voltages 1.2V Volt Volts Stanford University research paper technology disruptive innovation order of magnitude increase energy power density critical limiting factor solubility electroactive species electrolyte solution team researchers Argonne National Labs IIT $3.4 million ARPA-E research grant U.S. Energy Department nanoelectrofue disruptive innovation industry technology nano-scale materials ions lithium safe to handle liquid hydrogen ammonia recycle recycled environmentally benign methanol ammonia /

Pebble's Migicovsky: we're focused on software, not hardware right now (video)

Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/The Guardian

http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/18/pebble-ceo/

http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/10/an-interview-with-eric-migicovsky-a-product-designer-who-had-to-ramp-up-from-0-to-10-million-in-funding-in-a-month/

MIT Technolgy Review's take: "How he invented the smartwatch"

http://www.technologyreview.com/lists/innovators-under-35/2013/visionary/eric-migicovsky/

Forbes:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2013/09/11/pebble-founder-eric-migicovsky-smartwatches-need-to-keep-it-simple/

Wired:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/05/hands-on-with-pebble-smartwatch-the-most-successful-kickstarter-project-ever/

My take: I'm a Kickstarter backer of Pebble & haven't regretted my investment.

Have a look at:

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2013/04/opinion-is-there-smartwatch-in-your.html

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-smart-should-your-watch-be.html

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2013/01/hands-on-with-pebble-smartwatch-first.html / future proof proofed future-proofed Pebble Eric Migicovsky tech Pebble watch shipped Kickstarter backer backers people judge software hardware startup's startup start up CEO New York Big Apple recent appearance MIT hackathon interact directly developer community company tremendously successful crowdfunding crowd funding fund campaign subsequent product launch Migicovsky's focus hardware user experience job that means fixing bugs helping to bring next killer app wearable platform we're focused on right now softwar soft-spoken exec executive founder founding Pebbles Kickstarter backers supporter supporters support us company move the software forward update firmware over the air updates updated updater updating WiFi publish software updates gap gaps broken Pebble box it's making your life better in tiny ways smartwatch smart watch /

Drayson Racing sets four new electric-car land speed records

Credit: Drayson Racing/Gizmag

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1087766_drayson-racing-sets-four-new-electric-car-land-speed-records

More about Drayson Racing:

http://www.gizmag.com/lola-drayson-b1269ev-electric-racing-car/21212/ / team led leader British science minister Lord Drayson land speed record lightweight electric cars 204.2 mph Elvington airfield Yorkshire England Drayson record set setting drive driver driving Lola B12 69/EV previous attempts Lord Drayson 205.13 mph flying mile set one-kilometer record 333.271 kph records wait waiting awaiting approval FIA top speed achieved reached Lola fastest vehicle Britain driven drive wheel wheels exclude excludes vehicles powered thrust jet rocket powered Bloodhound SSC being prepared 1,000 mph record run South African desert Drayson Racing Lola B12 69/EVDrayson set record electric car standing quarter mile time 9.74 seconds 92.38 mph record also awaiting FIA approval team statement last record run vehicle electric EV car still accelerate acceleration accelerating hard reached end speed zone prompting Drayson try again team originally intended take electric car Bonneville Salt Flats flooding forced Elvington Lola B12 69/EV designed Le Mans prototype race car racer racing powered four 4 quartet electric motors developing combined 640 kilowatts 850 horsepower innovate innovation innovative structural batteries name suggests suggestion suggestions they integrate energy storage Lola's bodywork chassis /

Image quality evaluation — how does your phone, point-and-shoot or DSLR score?

Credit: DxO Lab/The Gadgeteer

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/10/16/image-quality-evaluation-how-does-your-device-score/ / camera mobile cell phone pocket pocketable point-and-shoot point and shoot digital single lens reflex DSLR interchangeable lenses lens photographer device credible independent source image quality testing DxO Lab’s DxOMark DxOMark web site image quality measurements mobile cell phones digital cameras interchangeable lenses score quality characteristics tag compare devices extensive database separate scores score cell phone better individual qualities exposure low-light noise performance individual score shooting shoot scores specific qualities current camera competing cameras use same sensor score scores compare manufacturer manufacturers look up released release version II lens test tests very accurate comparing compare sharpness chromatic aberration first generation first-generation lens compare same lens receive slightly different scores mounted different model camera advertise advertisements quality screen Apple iPhone 5S tested earned DxOMark score mobile phone image quality Lumia 1020 41 mega pixel 41MP count, 41MP Nokia 808 Pureview smartphones tested test Sony are currently offering free license DxO FilmPack 3 Essential edition hefty discount latest release DxO FilmPack 4 Essentials Expert Editions edition /

New drone service delivers textbooks to students (video)

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/drone-service-delivers-textbooks-to-college-students/ / drones pizza deliveries beer airdrops Flirtey Zookal drone designed deliver textbooks students utilizing GPS coordinates person places order Flirtey company develops unmanned drone technology Zookal rents textbooks university Australian college students designed emulate speedy delivery digital textbook creators drone program programme delivery within minutes six hexacopter models rotation test run drone program students track delivery rented textbook utilizing utilize Google Maps interface smartphone tablet drone arrives student student’s location drone hover hovers air height approximate approximately around ten feet mobile app student triggers drone slowly lower textbook their grasp textbook retrieve retrieved hexacopter returns return Zookal representatives representative pick up parcel delivery lower cost of delivery students Zookal representatives estimate reduce same day shipping costs day delivery costs ranging from $8 to $20 depending weight package containing textbooks textbook drone delivery companies sell marketing market advertise advertisement advert space drone eliminate shipping costs consumer completely Flirtey Zookal approval Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority operate unmanned drones drone within residential areas approved companies plan continue testing drones throughout end year launch March Australian public launch Android application app available iOS Windows apps likely later date companies interested expanding program United States 2015 require approval Federal Aviation Administration /

Drug restores cells that are missing in MS patients

Credit: UC Denver/Ars Technica

http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/10/drug-restores-cells-that-are-missing-in-ms-patients/ / Multiple sclerosis MS autoimmune disease immune system destroys myelin sheaths surround surrounding neurons nerve cell cells myelin sheaths sheath insulator insulation surrounding electrical electric wires wire enable neuron transmit electrical impulses specifically specific efficiently efficient cells oligodendrocytes make myelin adult adulthood people MS oligodendrocyte precursor cells OPCs OPC migrate site sites myelination problem precursor cells fail mature properly myelin producing cells failure promotes disease progression progress current approved therapies therapy immunosuppressants research scientist scientists researchers The Scripps Research Institute screen screened 100,000 structurally diverse molecules find induce OPCs maturing maturation mature researchers researcher identified compounds rodent OPCs mature oligodendrocytes Petri dish thyroid hormone several physiological effects unattractive therapeutic agent for MS compounds work have limited therapeutic potential off target off-target activities toxicity, poor brain exposure demonstrated lack in vivo efficacy compounds provided valuable positive controls experiment useful compounds compound most effective inducers OPC maturation drug called benztropine already available oral form approved treatment Parkinson’s disease researchers benztropine, confirmed oligodendrocytes mature maturity myelin dish neuron neurons analyse analyzed benztropine’s activity mouse model MS diminished diminish clinical severity acute remission phases disease eliminate elimination eliminating relapse phase model system, benztropine immunosuppressive drugs treat use associated with dose depend dose-dependent adverse neurological side effects cognitive changes blurred vision anorexia psychosis authorb lower dose when combined with other therapies Fingolimod immunosuppressant reduced relapse rate relapsing-remitting reminder relapse remitting multiple sclerosis by over half. But its use can lead to a dose-dependent bradycardia it slows slow heart rate researchers' mouse model combination suboptimal doses of this with benztropine yielded decrease in clinical severity combination drugs results standard therapeutic dose of Fingolimod side effects dose dependent dependency /

How smart should your watch be? (update)

Updated Wednesday 16 November, 2013.


Do you have the time?
Left to right: Fitbit Force, Pebble, Galaxy Gear
Credit: CNet

New technologies require a new way of thinking. Human beings have to feel their way towards that new way of thinking.

Some examples:

• Edison, when attempting to sell the newly developed telephone, was told by one businessman, that if he wanted to communicate with someone, he would either visit in person, or send a boy with a note.

• An equally far sighted mayor of a small town which had just acquired a telephone, amidst the fanfare which accompanied this great step forward, made a speech in which he noted that he could foresee a day when every town would have a telephone!

Something similar happened with the automobile. Early designs look quaint today. To the engineers who conceived them, they were good design. What should a vehicle for people to drive on public roads look like? Like every other vehicle people drove. That is, a carriage which a horse might pull. So a very early automobile was, literally, a horseless carriage. And it was steered, not with the steering wheel that seems obvious to us, but with a tiller, or handle bars which might have come from a bicycle, which was obvious to the engineers of 1900.

We've recently worked through some of this with mobile (cell) phones. Much of what a mobile should look like, be & do is settled, but some of the details are still being worked out. Some of this is driven by the tension between competing aims, e.g., the desire for a larger screen, battery life & the ability to fit the phone into a pocket.

Something similar appears to be happening with the "smartwatch" at the moment. Mechanical watches occasionally included "smart features", such as alarms or phases of the Moon. Freed from the limitations of mechanical technology, miniaturized computer technology makes a plethora of options available.

Existing smartwatches include a range of different options from the many available. Do you want SMS on you watch? Email? Hands free telephone? Colour? Backlight? How big is too big? How long must the battery last?

If one day battery life is too short, scratch the Samsung Gear & Apple Watch.

Just want fitness tracking? Try Fitbit. Want the time too? Have a look at Fitbit Force (smallest device at the top of this item).

If colour isn't important & battery life of a week or more is a must, try Pebble.

Or, if 6 months of battery life is a must & SMS notifications (rather than the text itself) is OK, maybe Cuckoo will suit – see below.

Perhaps the very concept of a smartwatch will one day seem to be as short sighted as a tiller for steering an automobile. Maybe the place for such a display/interface is somewhere/something else. Google Glass, or something which is now only a gleam in some engineer's eye, may yet be the answer.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-34900_7-57607111/pebble-gear-..-fitbit-force-making-the-case-for-semi-smart-watch-over-smartwatch/

... Or maybe the Sony SmartWatch 2


Credit: Sony/cloudfront.net

http://www.gizmag.com/sony-smartwatch-2-review/29367/

Pebble

E-paper display, 1 week or more battery life.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android?ref=live

Cuckoo

Limited display, 6 months battery.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cuckoo/cookootm-the-watch-for-the-connected-generation / Fitbit Force Flex Pebble Samsung Galaxy Gear Sony smart watch Kickstarter crowd funding source sourced sourcing wrist firmware update SMS text email color TXT /