A UK Minister Just Broke the Electric Car Land Speed Record

If there are two things in this world that folks just do not respect, it's the US Congress and the obscene amounts of torque that an electric engine can produce. And like its two-wheeled brethren, the Lola B12 69/EV has more than enough torque to spare. Enough, even, to propel a former UK government official to over 200 MPH and into the history books.

The Lola B12 69/EV is built by Drayson Racing Technologies (as in Lord Drayson?he's also the company CEO and former minister for the Labour government) in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. The firm has been in operation since 2007 and focuses on sustainable automotive technology, demonstrating its latest advancements through the firm's race team.

And to demonstrate the potential of electric vehicles, Dayton just went ahead and set a land speed record last week at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire. There, the Lola B12 69/EV hit a top speed of 204.2 MPH, beating the previous 175 MPH record set in 1974 by a General Electric Battery Box car.

To do so, the Drayson team had to modify an existing Le Mans prototype that used a bio-ethanol engine with a 20 kWh (850 HP) electric power plant and modified the recycled carbon fiber chassis to minimize drag and to get it under the 1,000 kg limit to qualify for the FIA (Federation Internationale de l?Automobile) record.

"What it, I hope, shows to people is just what the future potential of electric cars is,? Drayson told the BBC. ?[It] is a pointer to the future ? the technology that we developed for this car will filter down to the cars we use every day.?

While the presence of Google's Eric Schmidt might lead to dreams of driverless car races, Drayson racing will be sticking with human drivers for the time being. In fact Lord Drayson is working to start up a new FIA Formula E competition (open only to electric vehicles) for the 2014 season. Reportedly the races will be 45 minutes long and won't include traditional pit stops. Since you can't very well recharge or swap a battery in a pit stop, racers will instead hop out of the expired car, run 100 meters (which is going to be hilarious), and get into a freshly charged car. Each racer will race three separate cars and get two pits per race. No word yet on whether they'll be allowed to pit for tire changes.

The races are set to start in London in the fall of next year, followed by Rome, Miami, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro (if Brazilian society hasn't collapsed by then) and three other TBD locales. Hopefully they'll be traveling from venue to venue by more conventional means. [Extreme Tech - BBC]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-uk-minister-just-broke-the-electric-car-land-speed-re-613121273

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Cattle flatulence doesn't stink with biotechnology: Farmers could improve air quality by using hormones

July 1, 2013 ? The agriculture industry is researching new technologies to help feed the growing population. But feeding the world without harming air quality is a challenge.

According to a new article in Animal Frontiers, biotechnologies increase food production and reduce harmful gas output from cattle.

"We are increasing the amount of product with same input," said Clayton Neumeier, PhD student at University of California, Davis, in an interview.

In the Animal Frontiers paper, Neumeier describes a recent experiment using biotechnologies. In the experiment, a test group of cattle were treated with biotechnologies. Different groups of cattle received implants, Ionophores and Beta-adrenergic agonists. These biotechnologies help cattle grow more efficiently. A control group of cattle were not treated with any of these biotechnologies.

Researchers measured gas output by placing finishing steers in a special corral that traps emissions. Each treatment group was tested four times to ensure accurate results.

The researchers also tested a dairy biotechnology called rBST. This biotechnology is a synthetic version of a cattle hormone that does not affect humans. Many producers inject cows with rBST to help them produce more milk.

In their experiment, the researchers gave rBST to a test group of cows and gave no rBST to a control group of cows. They discovered that the rBST group produced more milk per cow. When cows produce more milk, greenhouse gas emissions decrease because farms need fewer cows.

Dr. Kim Stackhouse, National Cattleman's Beef Association Director of Sustainability, said animal agriculture has reduced emissions through the use of technologies. Technologies that improve animal performance, crop yields, and manure management and the installation of biogas recovery systems have all contributed to reducing the environmental impact of beef.

Biogas recovery systems are used in processing facilities to produce energy from animal waste. Animal waste is collected in lagoons, where the gas is captured. The gas is transported through an internal combustion area that produces energy for heat and electricity.

"I expect there to be more improvement as we continue be more efficient, continue to do more with less and also strive to find new improvement opportunities," Stackhouse said.

Some consumers do not like the use of biotechnology in food production. Neumeier thinks these consumers are unaware of the benefits of biotechnology. His research shows that biotechnology can produce more food and lower gas emissions.

"We need to inform them that these are valuable tools for those two reasons and not be turned off by the use of biotechnology," Neumeier said.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/iumqbtxbUTc/130701163939.htm

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Auto theft on rise; California a "hotbed for hot cars"

Crime

Michael Strong The Detroit Bureau

20 hours ago

David McNew / Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, Morning traffic fills a freeway on April 25, 2013 in Los Angeles. Latest insurance figures show California is the leading state for car theft in the United States.

Car thefts across the nation rose 1.3 percent last year, after declining for the previous eight and eight of the Top 10 ?hot spots? for stealing cars were in California, where the financial crunch has reduced police manpower in some areas.

According to the Des Plaines, Ill.-based National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Modesto, Calif., was the car theft capital of the U.S. last year, replacing Fresno, which finished second this time.

California was a ?hotbed for hot cars,? said the NCIB report, which suggested a number of reasons why. Among the biggest problems: a cutback in police staffing levels at a time of serious financial problems at both the state and local community levels.

Other factors cited by Frank Scafidi, NICB?s director of public affairs, included:

???? California?s proximity to ports, as well as the Mexican border, making it easier to get rid of hot cars;

???? Weather that keeps popular older models in good shape; and

???? Drug use that spurs theft by addicts seeking fast cash.

While California had eight of the Top 10 auto theft hot spots, the state of Washington laid claim to the other two. The West region of the country saw an overall increase of 10.6 percent year-over-year, while the Midwest, Northeast and Southern regions reported reductions of 3.1 percent, 7.9 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, according to the NICB.

Countering the western theft centers, Midland, Mich., and the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii, areas were bottom of the list for auto theft.

The NICB's list reviews vehicle thefts from the nation's metropolitan statistical areas; its data mirrors preliminary FBI vehicle-theft data for the same period. FBI statistics won?t be released until this fall.

The Top 10 list, with last year?s place on the list in parenthesis, is:

1.? Modesto, Calif. (2)

2.? Fresno, Calif. (1)

3.? Bakersfield-Delano, Calif. (3)

4.? Stockton, Calif. (7)

5.? Yakima, Wash. (5)

6.? San Francisco/Oakland/Hayward, Calif. (6)

7.? San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (20)

8.? Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif. (9)

9.? Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wash. (4)

10. Redding, Calif. (40)

California has routinely led the list of auto theft hot spots but the surge in the Western region during 2012 led to an overall upturn in U.S. car sales for the first time in eight years.

The NICB is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness.

The organization advises drivers to take precautions against vehicle theft starting with common-sense measures like removing keys from the ignition, locking doors and closing windows and parking in well-lit areas.

Beyond that, bigger and better anti-theft measures include installing a warning device such as a car alarm, using immobilizing devices such as a smart key or fuse cutoffs and using a tracking device that emits a signal to authorities if the vehicle is stolen.

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'For now, we mourn': Few answers after 19 killed in Arizona wildfire

Governor Jan Brewer says her heart is breaking over the unimaginable loss of the firefighters, and for their families, friends and community.

By Erin McClam and Ian Johnston, NBC News

Arizona authorities struggled for answers Monday after 19 highly trained firefighters were trapped and killed by a windblown wildfire ? a blaze the governor vowed to stop ?before it causes any more heartache.?

One day after the worst loss of life for an American fire department since Sept. 11, investigators said they had not figured out why the men were unable to retreat to a safe zone or otherwise survive the inferno.

?For now, we mourn,? Gov. Jan Brewer said.

The fire, sparked by lightning on Friday, raged uncontrolled for a fourth day. By afternoon it had destroyed more than 200 buildings in Yarnell, a town of about 700 people northwest of Phoenix. It was described as at least 13 square miles and ?zero percent? contained, though more than 400 firefighters were trying.

The wildfire claimed all but one member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters known for extensive training and a demanding fitness regimen. Officials said only that the survivor might have been repositioning equipment.

Wade Ward, the public information officer for the Prescott Fire Department in Arizona, talks about the tragic loss of 19 firefighters in a massive wildfire, saying "it had to be the perfect storm in order for this to happen."

?We can honor their service with our gratitude and prayers,? Brewer said, ?and through our steadfast dedication to do whatever is necessary to bring this fire under control before it causes any more heartache.?

Mary Rasmussen, a spokeswoman for Prescott National Forest, said it appeared the 19 were engaged in a ?direct attack? ? getting close to the fire and trying to create a break to starve it of fuel.

She described the maneuver as ?one foot in the black and one foot in the green,? and said it was only done when the flames were 5 feet high or less: ?They?re right up against it.?

The conditions Sunday were extreme, with unusual wind, she said, and authorities were checking what other factors might have contributed.

Temperatures soared into the 110s in Arizona over the weekend, and National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Klimowski told The Associated Press that there was a sudden increase and shift in the wind at about the time the men were lost Sunday afternoon.

Art Morrison, a state forestry spokesman, told The Associated Press that the men had been forced to deploy emergency fire shelters ? individual, portable cocoons meant to protect breathable air and shield them from the heat.

Tom Harbour, national fire director for the U.S. Forest Service, said the shelters had saved hundreds of lives over the years. But he said some fires are strong enough, and move quickly enough, to overwhelm them. The fire was the deadliest wildfire in the United States in 80 years.

From the few known details, he said it was not clear that anyone did anything wrong.

?It?s way, way too early to be drawing any conclusions,? said Harbour, who said he had not seen anything like this fire in his 44-year career. ?The only conclusion right now is that souls are dead and half the town of Yarnell is gone.?

David Kadlubowski / The Arizona Republic via AP

Nineteen firefighters - all members of an elite response team - were killed Sunday battling a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona, marking the deadliest single incident for firefighters since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, officials said.

Hotshot fire crews often hike into the wilderness lugging 40 or 50 pounds of equipment, including chain saws and other heavy gear, to clear brush and trees and anything else that might feed the flames.

The Granite Mountain crew had battled blazes in New Mexico and elsewhere in Arizona in recent weeks.

?If you ever met them, you would meet the finest, most dedicated people,? Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said. ?They?ll sleep out there as they try to develop fire lines and put protection between homes and natural resources and still try to remain safe.?

President Barack Obama, in a statement, described the fallen men as ?heroes,? and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said it was ?as dark a day as I can remember.? Arizona Sen. John McCain said the men?s sacrifice would not be forgotten.

Authorities said they would release names of the dead later. Juliann Ashcraft told the website of The Arizona Republic and NBC affiliate KPNX that she and her four children were watching the news when they learned her husband, Andrew, was among the dead.

?They died heroes,? she said through tears. ?And we?ll miss them. We love them.?

?

Related:

This story was originally published on Mon Jul 1, 2013 12:08 AM EDT

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Best tools for capture audio and Video, broadcast and surveillance ...

1AVCenter from PCWinSoft is the swiss knife for the user PC audio and video.
1AVCenter accumulates so many tasks that it makes it hard for me to find a starting point.
First of all: 1AVCenter can record, broadcast, and do remote surveillance coming from any audio video sources the user has available. Secondly: 1AVCenter is a secure web server for the user to share files, movies, photos, even exe files fully secure behind secure Windows logon.
So OK, that is a lot of words but what can a user really do with it?
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1AVCenter has 20 profile slots. Each profile slot is a combination of audio video sources plus a task such as record, stream, or make remote surveillance. Using such architecture 1AVCenter gives the users the gift of being one click away from any profile so for example the user can be recording the screen and with one click it turns 1AVCenter into an audio recorder. 1AVCenter eliminates the need to reconfigure anything, it is all saved on the profiles one click away.
1AVCenter received the highest score on Tucows: Tucows tests the program for all program features.
1AVCenter is a must have tool for the user to gain control over his/her PC audio and video.

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Tagged with: 1AVCenter, audio, broadcast, capture, files, movies, PCWinSoft, photos, record desktop video, record favorite songs, surveillance, Tucows, Video, Windows
Posted in Technology

Source: http://onwired.biz/tools-capture-audio-video-broadcast-surveillance/

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Vine graces Amazon Appstore, gives Kindle Fire HD's front-facing cam a workout

Sure, the Kindle Fire HD may only have a front-facing camera, but its solitary shooter is about to start flexing more than its video chat muscles. Vine has just arrived on Amazon's Appstore, and it's ready for owners to download and churn out as many six-second video clips as they please. Hit the source link below to grab version 1.2 of the free app.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Amazon

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