Ford: Predictive logic can boost cruise-control mpg 5 percent

Powertrain mapping for Ford predictive cruise control
Credit: Ford/Green Car Reports

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1089187_ford-predictive-logic-can-boost-cruise-control-mpg-5-percent / 2014 Lincoln MKTCruise control American long road trips reduced reduction reduce fatigue adaptive cruise control systems system commutes traffic jam jams jammed traffic-jammed holiday weekend slogs save lot of fuel up to 10 percent foot on the accelerator foot-on-accelerator driving drive smoothing smooth driving styles style adapt cruise control surrounding traffic more extreme terrain question maintain maintaining speed recover desired speed vehicle vehicles hill hills cruise control systems market adaptive cruise controls set following distance predictive throttle speed drops drop slower vehicle directly ahead ease off speed rises desired setting eliminate overcompensation built into systems predictive algorithms more sophisticated mapping Ford engineers engineer soften throttle behavior save more fuel powertrain power train mapping predictive cruise control comparing load vehicle how many people aboard load passenger passengers headwind steepness grade powertrain torque applied smooth recovery trajectory speed drops drop fall falls decrease decreases connect connected cloud based cloud-based vehicles know vehicle's onboard measurements on powertrain load accelerometers yaw sensors air-mass meter air mass numbers typical powertrain module variables samples a few seconds total running memory less than 55 seconds predicts based on recent loading and terrain load constant transient connected vehicles uphill downhill eco rubber band rubber-band-style delay throttle response /

Myth busted: renewable energy is intermittent, it is too unreliable to be the major source of electricity supply

Credit: Professor Mark Diesendorf/Climate Spectator

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/12/18/energy-markets/base-debate-holding-renewables-hostage?utm_source=exact&utm_medium=email&utm_content=553416&utm_campaign=cs_daily&modapt= / edited extract Mark Diesendorf new book Sustainable Energy Solutions for Climate Change published Australia New Zealand UNSW Press December 2013; ublished overseas Earthscan April 2014 myth renewable energy intermittent unreliable major source electricity supply penetration penetrations renewable energy grid must await development baseload renewable power stations vast amount storage refute refutation computer simulation modeling electricity systems 80-100 per cent 80% 100% renewable electricity RE refutes this traditional assumption simple conception balancing baseload demand baseload supply 24-hour period outdated context renewable energy electricity RE future appropriate inflexible baseload power stations coal nuclear atomic uranium radio active activity only choice 24 hour 24-hour power large penetrations RE integrated into grid baseload power stations not needed their inflexibility inflexible liability computer simulations show baseload demand supplied reliably reliable mix RE sources source baseload power station figure David Mills mix flexible variable RE power stations output varied rapidly required flexible technology dispatchable switched on rapidly coal fired coal-fired nuclear power station electrical power electricity fed into grid upon demand high degree certainty following renewable electricity systems are flexible to varying degrees gas turbine assured source of fuel derived from biomass organic materials hydro-electric station hydro electric large dam geothermal power station concentrated solar thermal power station thermal storage definition grey areas flexibility RE source storage increases store wind solar PV without storage run-of-river hydro much less flexibleclassified variable sourcesbelectrical outputs variable power stations decreased required cannot increased beyond level offered weather flow conditions dispatched reliably part mix flexible renewable power stations label variable RE technologies intermittent misleading implying incorrectly large scale large-scale renewable electricity production generally cuts off abruptly wind drops cloud blocks the sun output single wind turbine solar PV moduleintermittent in this sense wind farm spanning tens kilometres solar power station spanning kilometre take much longer cut-off system of geographically dispersed wind farms solar power stations take many hours short term short-term changes wind sunshine predicted quite well weather observations challenge predominant predominantly RE system supply peaks in demand baseload, achieve achieved both geographic dispersion mix flexible variable power stations flexible conventional generation, grid storage, transmission responsive loads changes power system operation Mark Diesendorf associate professor deputy director Institute of Environmental Studies UNSW university of NSW New South Wales /

Gmail announces the ability to download your email & calendar data

Credit: Gmail Blog/Zagg

http://www.zagg.com/community/blog/gmail-announces-the-ability-to-download-your-email-and-calendar-data/ / new technology Google ability export copy your Gmail Google Calendar data download mail email calendars subset subsets label labels calendar calendars prefer preference possible download single archive file multiple products copy Gmail Drive Youtube Google+ calendars calendar other Google data Google owns half Internet file hold a whole lot make backing up back up backup data moving different service easier secure security ensure safety emails email documents email ability download gmail messages rolled out over next month everyone should be able download calendar data today going Account Download your data /

Fleksy keyboard for Android receives a big update & a beautiful new vanilla thyme

Credit: Droid Life

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/fleksy-keyboard-app-faq,review-1979.html

iOS too

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/12/5201868/fleksy-wants-to-become-your-new-ios-keyboard-everywhere / Fleksy Android update fully resizable fully-resizable reduced reduces file size application app enhancement enhancements vanilla theme dark theme beta test group Google+ free original developers of BlindType blindly type away fully hide keyboard ultimate full-screen typing experience feature showing off Swiftkey resizable Full Tiny Vanilla reduced file size 25% memory usage 15% configurable configure haptic feedback duration feed back smoother animations animation mproved web typing removed white text box hiding hide app landscape improved increased accuracy tutorial dictionary backup cloud stock Jelly Bean bugs bug squashed S4 flicker swap invisible bullets facebook tag KingSoft Office /

Road trips in a Tesla Model S electric car: lessons learned

Tesla Model S at a Supercharger fast charge station
Credit: George Parrott/Green Car Reports

Most electric vehicles (EVs) have short battery range: less than 160 km (100 miles). This is more than enough for the vast majority of daily use, but not for the much less frequent road trip. For a road trip, short range is compounded by slow charge times. An exception is the Tesla Model S with an EPA certified range of up to 426 km (265 miles). Using a Tesla Supercharger, the Model S can recharge to 80% of full charge in 20 to 30 minutes.

All of the above problems are compounded by cold weather. Charging is slower & the ability of the battery to release its stored energy is compromised, reducing range.

Use of the heater further reduces range in cold weather. This can be minimized, by using seat heating (a common fitting in EVs), rather than heating the entire passenger compartment. One quarter of the power use is representative. Warm gloves required.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1089093_road-trips-in-a-tesla-model-s-electric-car-lessons-learned / battery EV electric vehicle car automobile lithium ion LiIon DC AC alternating current direct Amp Volt Watt kiloWatt kilo Watt hour kWh Supercharge Supercharger recharge level 2 Nissan dealer charge station park 85 kWh 60 kWh lessons learned road trip heater air conditioner West Coast road tripper winter heating battery pack gasoline diesel petrol publish published reports report West Coast East Coast nationwide network quick-charging quick charging quick-charge quick charge quick-charger quick charger /

Take the pain out of standing all day with these simple exercises (video)

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/12/take-the-pain-out-of-standing-all-day-with-these-simple-exercises/ / Sitting your health feet standing desk job stand a lot stand stood movements strain standing exercises problem problems sore swollen legs feet tight calves lower back pain standard recommendations wear wearing comfortable shoes compression socks shoe sock alternating sitting standing good anti-fatigue mat lacrosse ball massage feet restore vitality quick 1-5 minute massage foot feet leg ankle circles place leg chair hamstring stretch make ankle circles stimulate nerves begin relief split squats: squat long stance one leg forward drop straight down touch back knee floor should feel stretch top thigh Dr Melissa West legs up the wall move relieve tired legs feet mild backache video demonstrates knee to chest pose figure four stretch lie on the ground try other yoga poses standing half moon side-bending pose side bending tree pose balance one leg angle thigh standing forward fold desk stretches standing fit stretches exercise exercises standing desk quad stretches examples example single leg balance reach calf raises raise heel pain suffer plantar fasciitis strain ligament supports support foot arch foot pain video stretches morning walk walking work exercise exercises daily schedule good to go /

Cheaper way to make fuel from carbon dioxide

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/522246/a-faster-and-more-efficient-way-to-convert-carbon-dioxide-into-fuel/ / CO2 carbon dioxide greenhouse gas green house gas global warming climate change methane carbon monoxide CH4 catalysts catalyst silver carbon fibre matrix making burning hydrocarbons novel catalysts researchers University Illinois Chicago practical reverse converting carbon dioxide water into fuel convert conversion energy reaction economic economical CO2 liquid fuel Volcano process processes commercial commercially liquid fuels exhaust gases gas fossil fuel fossil-fuel power plants plant journal Nature Communications discovered last year that more efficiently turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, petrol petroleum gasoline other products slow slowly expensive research researchers demonstration demonstrated relatively inexpensive carbon fibers same efficiency technique produces carbon monoxide about 10 times faster Amin Salehi-Khojin professor mechanical engineering University of Illinois at Chicago larger amounts membrane stable development work require industrial partners artificial leaf process run on sunlight solar panel generate electricity reactor form the carbon monoxide artificial leaf photosynthesis economic economical economy /