A human-electric hybrid vehicle, the “Imagine PS,” capable of 100 kph (60 mph) on the flat and 50 kph uphill, is expected to be commercially available next year
The hand-cranked low mass vehicle (LMV) was developed by engineer Professor Charles Samuel Greenwood, who has been working on human-powered vehicles for over four decades, and has now developed a street legal sedan version carrying four people. If the four people are all cranking, the vehicle can run solely on human power, but it is also an electric plug-in. The chassis can be adapted to different styles and different types of batteries and future technologies without needing to replace the car.
The Imagine PS (PS standing for power station) is built by HumanCar Inc.. It can be started by a few backwards/forwards hand cranks, but the company says a senior citizen in reasonable shape would be able to manage the cranking easily, and it can be operated in electric power mode only or any combination of human and electric power.
Greenwood said he began working on human powered cars in 1968 as a way to tackle both unhealthy exhaust fumes and the unhealthy and overweight bodies of many of the drivers. Early test devices showed that bicycle style mechanisms would not provide a full-body workout, so the design shifted to rowing-like movements. A range of vehicles has been built and tested since then, culminating in the Imagine PS.
The test vehicle is open, but an all-weather roof will be available for the commercially available cars. Also available will be a touch-screen display with GPS and biometric data logging, and computing/communications and sound systems. Safety is provided by a sophisticated structural system and controlled energy absorption areas.
The Imagine PS is expected to be available next year with a price tag of $15,500, and pre-orders can be made with a $50 100% refundable deposit. Production will begin when the company has received 800 pre-orders, and it already has over 100. Greenwood said the company is independent and “essentially profitable right now,” and they have a 200-year business plan that includes taking human-powered cars to the developing world, along with other products such as a two-person mobile power station that folds into a suitcase.
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Posted in News Technology by .
Indian Government on Saturday said it has issued a notice to Internet search giant Google for depicting as part of Pakistan.
“Any wrongful depiction of Indian map and its boundaries is liable for action under the India Information Technology Act. Google has been asked to immediately correct this inaccuracy,” Minister of state for telecom and IT Sachin Pilot said.
Google Insights for Search, a tool which shows search volume patterns across specific regions, had shown a map of India as part of Pakistan.
A year ago, Google’s popular maps service Google Maps was mired in controversy for showing Arunachal Pradesh as part of China. Then Google had admitted that it goofed up and rectified the mistake.
Google Insights for Search is a service by Google which provides a visual representation of regional interest on a country’s map.
When contacted, Google said the product group has been asked to correct it immediately. Pilot also said the IT Department has been asked to survey all such companies showing inaccurate maps.
He said the government will wait for Google to respond and then take “appropiate action at an appropriate time”.
In 2005, Google Earth made headlines over its political map of the sub-continent which showed PoK as part of Pakistan.
Last year, Google’s satellite maps had showed parts of Arunachal Pradesh appear as if they were part of China. Government on Saturday said it has issued a notice to Internet search giant Google for depicting Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir as part of Pakistan.
“Any wrongful depiction of Indian map and its boundaries is liable for action under the India Information Technology Act. Google has been asked to immediately correct this inaccuracy,” Minister of state for telecom and IT Sachin Pilot said.
Google Insights for Search, a tool which shows search volume patterns across specific regions, had shown a map of India as part of Pakistan.
Google Insights for Search is a service by Google which provides a visual representation of regional interest on a country’s map.
When contacted, Google said the product group has been asked to correct it immediately. Pilot also said the IT Department has been asked to survey all such companies showing inaccurate maps.
He said the government will wait for Google to respond and then take “appropiate action at an appropriate time”.
In 2005, Google Earth made headlines over its political map of the sub-continent which showed PoK as part of Pakistan.
Last year, Google’s satellite maps had showed parts of Arunachal Pradesh appear as if they were part of China. Then Google had admitted that it goofed up and rectified the mistake.
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam had expressed concern over the availability of high-resolution pictures of sensitive locations in India. Google subsequently agreed to censor such sites.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd are going to launch Maruti Kizashi which is one of the Luxurious car. Maruti Kizashi is the D segment and have Sedan model.Firstly,the car will be released in petrol version and than after some days in diesel version. Kizashi had been already released outside the India and now its time to release in India.It is expected that it will be release in March 2011. Maruti Kizashi have the average of 9.0 kmpl in city and 12.0 kmpl on highway.
The price of the car ranges from 10 lakhs to 12 lakhs depending on the model. Compared to Honda Civic, it have more features. If someone wants to buy a car between 10 to 12 lakhs than it is better option for that person to buy this car.
Aug 10
20
Google to launch iPad killer
Google is teaming up with Taiwanese phone-maker HTC and the largest US cellphone carrier Verizon to launch a challenger to Apple’s iPad in time for the holiday season.
The as-yet-unnamed tablet would run on Google’s Chrome operating system, and is likely to be heavily subsidised for buyers who opt to purchase the device along with a monthly data plan from Verizon, the report said.
The device is expected to be launched on November 26, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, which is recognised as the start of the holiday shopping season.
Posted in News Technology by .
Chennai Metro Rail project is all set to be extended up to Tiruvottiyur in north Chennai. The extension, estimated to cost Rs.2,200 crore, will take Corridor-I of the Metro Rail (Chennai Airport-Washermenpet) a further nine km. Seven new Metro stations would come up in the extended stretch.
A draft detailed project report (DPR), prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), cited the extension to be “technically feasible” based on a traffic pattern study. Based on the report, a high-powered committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, has given an in principle approval. The final decision rests with the State Cabinet. The proposal will then move on to the Ministry of Urban Development, which is a funding partner.
Senior officials of the State government said that the project is definitely going through and only “the modalities of relocating the sewer lines, TNEB installations and water supply lines have to be worked out”.
According to the DPR, the proposed alignment will have stations in Korukkupet, Tondiarpet, Toll Gate, Thangal, Gowri Ashram, Tiruvottiyur and Wimco Nagar.
The corridor runs up to Wimco Nagar, which is about half a kilometre from Tiruvottiyur, to provide a linkage with the Chennai Central – Gummidipoondi suburban section of the Southern Railway.
Integration is also planned at the proposed Toll Gate and the Tiruvottiyur Metro stations with the existing bus depots.
A two-level station design has been proposed in both the elevated and underground sections. While one level will serve as the station platform, the open space available in the other level will be used to develop ‘traffic integration areas’.
Posted in News Tamil Nadu by .