Would you consider sugar toxic? I didn’t used to, but the more I read about it, the more I’m convinced. A recent segment on 60 minutes helped explain this more, check out the article here or a brief follow-up video below.
eBike concept
When I saw this eBike concept from Frog Design, my initial reaction was, look at all that wasted space in the middle section where a larger battery could reside. It’s a trap I fall into sometimes…trying to optimize any design for function and performance, while ignoring what is perhaps the most important element of any product design.
Emotion.
That center void in the bike concept? It looks cool and creates flowing curves, further enhanced through the use of materials, colors, and illumination (check out some of the other pictures for that). The emotional attachment between a consumer and the product is absolutely critical. Not to say that technical performance isn’t, but you can’t have one without the other. Apple’s iPads and iPhones are great examples of that, where the form factor and graphical user interface create a welcoming experience for the user and ultimately a very successful product.
With the miniaturization of technology, more and more emphasis will be placed on the emotional side of design. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own a lightcycle if given the chance!
FDA decides to not prohibit the use of BPA
Despite numerous scientific studies involving health concerns with the chemical BPA, the FDA announced that they’ll basically be doing nothing about it – business as usual for now, though they’ll keep monitoring it. So, we continue to lag behind the rest of the civilized world when it comes to food safety, but that’s really no surprise. It’s also worth noting that this announcement from the FDA was in response to a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council forty one months ago! Not only is the FDA ignoring this health concern, but they’re dragging their heals and stalling as long as possible (the FDA’s announcement was in response to a lawsuit forcing a response).
Cloak VPN for iOS
I’ve started using Cloak VPN for my various iOS devices and laptops. It’s pretty cool so far…incredibly easy to set up and, well, it just works (and is free for a limited use account). I’ll report back once I’ve had a chance to test it out on various other wifi networks. If you’re not sure why a VPN matters, well, you better watch this video. While it highlights just one particular piece of software, there are many ways that other users of the same wireless network can eavesdrop on your network activity. With easy VPN solutions out there, there’s really no reason not to do this!
PiCycle electric bikes
With gas prices rising and expected to continue to do so for, well the rest of our existence, alternative forms of transportation are becoming more and more appealing. Electric bicycles are one option that offer some great functionality with few compromises. Towards the higher end of the spectrum is this $6k PiCycle Limited bicycle from Pi Mobility, which offers a 35-45 mile range at 30mph. Sure, it’s pricey for a bicycle, but when you view it as more of a replacement for a car, it becomes incredibly attractive, especially when you consider the very low maintenance cost and low energy costs.
They also made a cool commercial for this, check it out after the jump below.
Pink Slime in School Lunches
As a follow-up to the story about pink slime in school lunches, the USDA has essentially given it the green light. While officially it will be up to the individual schools to decide if they want to serve this to their kids or not, the reality is that with school budgets already incredibly reduced nationwide, they have no choice but to save a buck or two wherever they can. It’s what the taxpayers are asking for – increased efficiency in schools, reduced expenses, without really considering the consequences of that request. Sigh.
So, what can you do if this is something you care about as a parent? Well it’s simple – pack a lunch for your kid(s). Also face the reality, that while disgusting and potentially bacteria-laden (micro-biologists consider this a high risk food product), this pink slime is theoretically OK to eat and the real impact on a body is probably minimal, especially if ingested in moderation.
Keep pink slime out of school lunches!
Ok, so some of you are reading this headline and are a bit confused, I realized. Pink slime? Yeah, it’s what passes for hamburger in our schools and fast food restaurants. Treehugger has a recent article about a whistleblower from this industry, check it out for all sorts of background info.
Anyway, there’s a petition at change.org to ask the USDA to stop the use of pink slime in the National School Lunch Program. They’re closing in on their goal of 300,000 signatures and need your help! You can find the petition here.
Aircore Carbon fiber wheels
Hollow, one piece carbon fiber wheels? Cool use of technology here. With the only bit of metal being the filler valve, these wheels are incredibly light and strong, something you really do need on a car that’s expected to be capable of 270mph, the Koenigsegg Agera R. Designing a wheel for high speeds is no small task….the 253mph Bugatti Veyron, for examples, requires its wheels to be stress tested or replaced at every fourth tire change (at a cost of >$10k each!). Of course, carbon fiber wheels are relatively new to applications such as this, so owners may yet be stuck with comparable replacement costs.
Now, back to reality and perspective here. How does a 1140hp, 270mph car make any sense whatsoever? I love cars, really I do, but this is just a ridiculous machine that serves absolutely no purpose except to further enhance consumerism and deplete this planet’s natural resources. It’s a joke. A fast, impressive joke, but a joke nonetheless.
Electricity From Ambient Heat
While there are many methods of converting heat energy into electrical energy, they’re typically inefficient (thermoelectric) or need to be done at a larger scale (steam turbines). Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University are showing promising results with a different approach. You see, the atoms in a liquid are in constant motion. They found that when copper ions collided with a strip of graphene immersed in a solution, the collision dislocated an electron out of the graphene, and it then traveled through the graphene strip, essentially replicating the function of a battery and illuminating an LED as a result.
As with any science, further tests are needed to verify the reaction and rule out secondary effects being responsible (such as chemical reactions). If validated, though, this has enormous potential, for it would enable the generation of electrical energy from any heat source (something planet has no shortage of). It’ll be interesting to see if this pans out.
Read more here.
Envia Systems Battery – 400Wh/kg
Electric cars are great, but battery technology continues to be holding them back from mainstream acceptance, the limiting factors being battery capacity and cost. Many companies are working on this problem, and Envia Systems recently announced they’ve achieved an energy density of 400Wh/kg, roughly 2-3X the energy capacity per unit of weight as current batteries on that market and at a lower cost. You can expect to see this on the market around 2015, with the result being 300-mile range electric cars for maybe as little as $20k. Read more over at gigaom.