Robert Llewellyn talks to the Merseyside Skeptics Society about electric cars (video)

Robert Llewellyn (Fully Charged, Red Dwarf, Scrapheap Challenge) gave an entertaining talk to the Merseyside Skeptics Society. Generous coverage of a diverse range of topics, including:

● parallels between the behaviour of climate deniers & patients given a terminal diagnosis (in the Kubler-Ross model, denial, anger, bargaining, depression & acceptance);
● Top Gear test of the Tesla Roadster;
● New York Times test of the Tesla Model S; &
● the fossil fuel industry funded researcher who discovered that the Nissan Leaf electric motor contains 90 kg of copper (a little like the TARDIS it has more mass on the inside than the outside).

Note: 1 hour 52 minutes running time. No video, as such, just audio with a series of stills from the night, so download size is less than you might expect.

/ electric vehicle EV car auto automobile charge recharge LiIon lithium ion lithium-ion battery BEV Tesla Model S Roadster Sport Nissan Leaf Mitsubishi iMieve Toyota Prius hybrid miles per gallon fuel consumption petrol General Motors Chevrolet Volt Opel Vauxhaul Ampera Fully Charged Scrap Heap Challenge war drove around in circles cold weather range /

Solar pushing electricity costs down in Australia (infographic)

Credit: Australian Solar Council / PV photovoltaic solar hot water renewable energy sustainable green cost price expense photo voltaic photovoltaic PV renewable green non-renewable finite resource clean energy solar reliable source electricity average electric power electricity investment generated generate generation power reduce environmental impact cleaner clean energy source carbon footprint energy greener sustainable renewable energy alternate alternative /

Schmidt: Not even the US government can get at Google user data

Google has had a long term project to encrypt user data stored on its servers against all comers. Eric Schmidt recently told a conference crowd in Austin, Texas, that that project is now complete.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57620078-93/schmidt-not-even-us-govt-can-get-at-google-user-data/ / Google's chief executive Eric Schmidt packed house Austin Texas company completed secure user data against unauthorized access annual South by Southwest Interactive conference panel moderator Stephen Levy Wired solution government governmental intrusions encrypt data more info information data Google safe from prying eyes USA US government company subject to the Patriot Act secret US courts stage Jared Cohen author co authored co-authored book The New Digital Age published last year book examined how technology Internet change changing society US government intrusions NSA National Security Agency intrusion intrusive access accessing Google user data without Google's knowledge similar incursions by other governments attacked Chinese 2010 attacked NSA 2013 hero heroism actions leak leaking leaked leakers shock shocking shocked Julian Assange leaked transcript conversation what information available to the public topic of discussion book on stage free and open Internet for all people skeptical motives people leak information anonymously anonymous cited cite Google executive biggest adversary to privacy coming improvements to encryption technology Internet safe country countries Iran Internet tech companies solution embrace technology hold back technology more education openness entrepreneurship capitalism capital /

Flow cell battery in a (kind of) practical car

Credit: La Vecchia/Green Car Reports

Flow cells can be recharged by connecting to a charger or by replacing the liquid electrolyte. These, & other characterisics, make them very attractive for automotive applications. To date, size & weight have restricted flow cells to stationary applications.

La Vecchia claim to have overcome these problems in their Quant e-Sportlimousine, revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. Claims of Tesla levels of range & performance have yet to be demonstrated, but plans for 4 prototypes for real world testing should answer the questions which their very big claims imply.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1090746_quant-limousine-concept-pioneers-flow-cell-power-unit-at-geneva

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2014/3/7/Quant-e-Sportlimousine-Unveiled-with-Staggering-Performance-Claims-7719058/

More flow cell progress:

http://www.green-energy-news.com/nwslnks/clips813/aug13033.html

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/524781/a-battery-with-liquid-electrodes-can-be-recharged-or-refilled/ / show concept car power powered fuel cells battery batteries debut La Vecchia's Quant e-Sportlimousine energy power system technology flow cell powertrain developed develop development nanoFLOWCELL German company technical ties Bosch flow cells electrochemical electro-chemical accumulator cells fuel cells liquid electrolytes stored two tanks circulated through circulate circulation cells membrane separates two electrolytic solutions fuel cell electrical charge passes flows cell produces power drivetrain benefits high charge density high performance density light weight contain no harmful substances chemicals no moving parts energy efficient efficiency energy-efficient electric cars car recharge liquid refills lithium ion LiIon electric vehicle EV greater performance-by-weight current lithium-ion cells greater range than a regular battery same weight storage capacity 120 kWh 85 kWh Tesla Model S 372 mile 372-mile driving range lighter Model S battery weighs several hundred pounds charge e-Sportlimousine no details here show car concept car four prototypes prototype real-world real world testing show-car styling gull wing gull-wing doors body /

Military drones: Shaving costs

Credit: The MITRE Corporation/The Economist

Expensive hardware meets off-the-shelf hardware & 3D printer – becomes cheap.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2014/02/military-drones / military armed forces best toys America information technology information-technology industry powered military budgets budget consumer electronics e;ectronic unmanned aircraft Razor Raven American armed forces workhorse small drone wingspan reconnaissance built conventional techniques AeroVironment Californian firm controlled bespoke software cost costs Razor experimental vehicle designed design MITRE Corporation not for profit not-for-profit organisation manages government research programmes program programme University of Virginia 3D printer controlled control Android smart phone loaded available apps costs brainchild Michael Balazs Jonathan Rotner project Dr Balazs rebuild old military robot machine’s proprietary electronics custom software standardising military robots using off-the-shelf components open-source open source programs leading source smart phones phone smartphone global positioning system GPS built navigation video camera drone mobile phone radio transmitter receiver app apps electronic devices steer operate robot breakout board Dr Balazs Dr Rotner colleagues University of Virginia David Shefler radio-controlled toy cars Android communicate instruments programming tweaking Android-powered drone military-grade drone hardware expensive redesign fly reconnaissance capability aerial pictures stitched together high resolution high-resolution map free software testing 3D printers becoming commonplace Pentagon massive procurement budget MITRE /

Apple Carplay demo in Volvo Concept Estate (station wagon/shooting brake/whatever) – at the Geneva Motor Show

Apple Carplay demo in Volvo Concept Estate (station wagon/shooting brake/whatever) – at the Geneva Motor Show



As previously forshadowed in these pages, Apple's Carplay has been demonstrated at the Geneva Motor Show. Bad news appears to be that it has to be designed into the car. So no option to retrofit it to your existing vehicle.

http://www.gtspirit.com/2014/03/05/apple-introduces-carplay-at-geneva-motor-show-2014/ / infinite number monkeys infinite number typewriters rapidly type works Shakespeare videogame videogames people attempting to play Pokémon Red at the same time one game of Pokémon Red 150,000 people controlling it at once Twitch Plays Pokémon half art project half reality show 21st century idea is relatively simple 1996 Game Boy hit kickstarted Pokémon franchise running emulator hooked up to Twitch website which lets gamers broadcast video games live viewers enter button commands chat window pass passing passed onto into emulator which enters enter them order in theory harness harnesses wisdom crowds crowd find best way through the game play playing 24 hours day seven days a week game currently been running looks like this players all entering commands at once coordinated action nearly impossible worse still footage delayed delay around 20 seconds leaving players voting on actions they haven’t actually seen decision is obvious viewers deliberately disrupt events nothing quite goes to plan the Ledge event ledges one way one-way barriers player can jump off not climb up one particular ledge stream began just below a wall players press right for a few seconds walk twelve paces east then up pressing back to the start it took them seven hours to walk those twelve paces creator conditions of strict anonymity very popular concurrent viewers sitting at a computer all day dealing with servers anyway messages TPP opened on a secondary monitor all day democracy mode replaced original anarchy mode system of votes generated fanatical community devotion Internet /

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Apple iPhone 5s

Credit: PC Advisor

PC Advisor – Its which is best for you:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phone/3504991/galaxy-s5-vs-iphone-5s-smartphone-comparison-review/

Laptop Mag is having a bit each way:

How Galaxy S5 beats iPhone 5s:

http://blog.laptopmag.com/galaxy-s5-beats-iphone-5s

How iPhone 5s beats Galaxy S5:

http://blog.laptopmag.com/iphone-5s-beats-galaxy-s5 / 2014 edition smartphone wars Galaxy S5 iPhone 6 Samsung’s iPhones top seller built in built-in fingerprint reader device dimpled textured finish back slightly larger screen Galaxy S4 micro USB microUSB port covered annoying flaphandset water-resistant water resistant phone splash eject a flap charge S5 feels nicer metal and glass metal-and-glass iPhone 5s more premium vibe aluminum gold over plastic gold LTE 4G 3G touch screen metal plastic 5 inch screen retina 4 inch Mobile World Congress Samsung fans take taken the wraps off Galaxy S5 surprises specifications specs phone go design perspective Samsung same winning formula Galaxy S III Galaxy S4 new device home button designed design designer maximize screen real estate Samsung’s gorgeous display technology water resistant water-resistant feature features fingerprint scanner similar Apple iPhone 5s four different colors color colour colours charcoal Black shimmery White electric Blue copper Gold S Health 3.0 fitness related fitness-related software personal fitness tracker user users monitor manage behavior additional tools pedometer diet exercise records new built in built-in heart rate monitor pricing price device announced press release /