my news today..
opensource car presented at AutoRAI::
c,mm,n (pronounced common) is project developped by "Stichting Natuur en Milieu" and the three technical universities of Delft, Eindhoven and Enschede.
The vehicle's technical drawings and blueprints are freely available online, and everyone is invited to add their own ideas and modifications, provided of course that these are shared again with the community.
Environmental sustainability was a key factor in the development of the c,mm,n: the vehicle is therefore a zero-emission, hydrogen-powered 2+2 family car. c,mm,n drivers can also easily share information on traffic conditions, route planning and parking availability.
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/cmmn_the_worlds_first_opensource_car__5847.asp
Banks Get Ahead by Funding Sustainability Projects!
Banks that integrate environmental, social and governance concerns into their business strategy and seek out those opportunities make their businesses more valuable, according to a new report by the International Finance Corporation.
Some of the examples included in the report are: Ceska Sporitelna, a bank in the Czech Republic that is leading the way in commercial financing for sustainable energy projects; Afriland First Bank, an African bank that is providing loans for environmental improvements in waste collection and treatment as well as microfinance for rural communities and women; and Nedbank, the first African bank to publish a sustainability report and adopt the Equator Principles.
http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&ObjectId=MjM3NzQ
EU to use green tax in fight against climate change
Seeking new ways to reach its ambitious environment goals, the European Commission is set to make taxation one of its principal tools in cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020.
Commissioners Stavros Dimas (environment) and Laszlo Kovacs (taxation) have launched a public debate on how so-called market-based instruments such as emissions trading, environmental taxes and targeted subsidies could be used to discourage pollution.
http://euobserver.com/9/23802
France launches Francophone digital library
The French national library BNF has launched a prototype version of its contribution to a European digital library aimed to be one of the European alternatives to US digitalisation of books and documents.
Europeana – as the cyber library is named – currently offers access to some 12,000 public domain full-text documents but is set to have by 2010 over 6 million books, movies, photographs and other documents from across the European Union countries.
http://euobserver.com/9/23807
Thames becomes giant wi-fi hotspot
The River Thames in London has been turned into a giant wi-fi hotspot that can be used by anyone with a wireless device on the river or along its banks.
The wireless broadband internet access stretches for 22km along the Thames from the Millennium Dome out in Greenwich up to Millbank by the Houses of Parliament, and will be extended further over the next two months.
The Thames Online service uses mesh networking technology across 100 access points, allowing users to roam along that stretch of the river without any interruption to their internet connection - effectively creating one big hotspot.
http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024665,39166596,00.htm
Controversial green plans could cripple your car
GPS, database and engine 'disabler' to bring limit to 500 miles per week...
Government scientists in the UK are working on a scheme which could limit the distances cars are able to drive each week as part of a far-reaching review of motoring aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Proposed 'black boxes' which could be installed in all UK vehicles as part of road-charging plans may also be linked to a mechanism within car engines which would disable the vehicle if it exceeded a weekly limit on the distance it is allowed to drive.
http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39166626,00.htm
The Air Car
The fiberglass MiniC.A.T. runs on compressed air, and offers zero pollution and very low running costs
Many respected engineers have been trying for years to bring a compressed air car to market, believing strongly that compressed air can power a viable "zero pollution" car. Now the first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of production and beginning to attract a lot of attention, and with a recently signed partnership with Tata, India's largest automotive manufacturer, the prospects of very cost-effective mass production are now a distinct possibility. The MiniC.A.T is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass. The heart of the electronic and communication system on the car is a computer offering an array of information reports that extends well beyond the speed of the vehicle, and is built to integrate with external systems and almost anything you could dream of, starting with voice recognition, internet connectivity, GSM telephone connectivity, a GPS guidance system, fleet management systems, emergency systems, and of course every form of digital entertainment. The engine is fascinating, as is and the revolutionary electrical system that uses just one cable and so is the vehicle's wireless control system.
http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/mar2007/bw20070319_949435.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe_autos
Massive Solar Plant Opens in Portugal
The sunny European country is now home to one of the world's largest solar energy plants, expected to provide over 20 gigawatt-hours a year
One of the largest solar plants in the world has opened in Portugal's sunny south. The project is intended to help reduce the country's reliance on imported energy.
Some countries are just better suited to wean themselves off fossil fuels than others. Sun-kissed Portugal is one of the lucky ones when it comes to potential for solar power generation, and the country has now opened one of the world's largest solar energy plants -- even though a plant in cloudy Germany has a higher capacity.
The plant, which is located in Serpa in Portugal's underdeveloped Alentejo region, opened on Wednesday. It has a capacity of 11 megawatts, and will deliver electricity to around 8,000 households. The Alentejo is one of Europe's sunniest locations, receiving as many as 3,300 hours of sunlight a year.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2007/gb20070329_000793.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe_energy+%2Bamp%3B+environment
Rocky Inspires Success in Serbia���
Identifying with the need to fight for upward mobility, the village of Zitiste is building a statue of the fictional boxer
The small village of Zitiste recently made international headlines when officials announced plans to build a statue to honor the fictional boxing hero, Rocky Balboa, immortalized by the Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone.
"When I saw the latest Rocky film, I felt as if Rocky came from our village," Bojan Marceta, the village resident who came up with the idea, told Radio B92. "He had to fight to win his place in society This area has been economically isolated for a long time, and the villagers identify with the guts this movie character shows as he confronts miserable starting circumstances."
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2007/gb20070328_537605.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe_around+the+globe
Cellphone Dental Implants Coming Soon
"It seems that new AT&T/BellSouth/Cingular merger might actually have some benefits, specifically in the area of pushing the technological envelope. Developers are close to releasing a cellphone device that is implanted into your molars. From the article on the HowStuffWorks site: 'Once implanted in a person's molar, the transducer caused the tooth to vibrate in response to radio signals. The physical structure of the jaw carried the tooth's vibrations to the inner ear, where the user, and no one else, could perceive them as sound. The implant's designers held dramatic demonstrations of this principle using a vibrating wand. Participants confirmed that they could hear crystal clear voices through their teeth. '"
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone-implant.htm
Research reveals mislaid microprocessor megahertz
It's no wonder we need to upgrade our computers on a regular basis. Not only are chip companies regularly releasing ever-faster microprocessors, but new research has revealed that modern CPUs actually lose megahertz over time.
This startling conclusion follows a five-year research programme carried out by the Illyria University's Information Technology department.
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/01/cpu_time_dilation/
Mexico City offering computer hardware for surrendered guns
In an ambitiously noble effort to cut down the enveloping surge of drugs-related violence running amok throughout the crime-addled streets of Mexico City, chief of police Joel Ortega has announced that anyone prepared to surrender a high-calibre weapon, such as a machine gun, will receive a free computer in exchange. And, perhaps in the interests of scale and fair play, anyone turning in a smaller calibre handgun will be presented with either cash remuneration or an Xbox videogame console.
http://tech.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1284564.php/Mexico_City_offering_computer_hardware_for_surrendered_guns
Private File Sharing To Remain/Become legal In EU
Italian newspapers are reporting that the European parliament's Commitee for Legal Affairs approved an amendment presented by EMP Nicola Zingaretti (PSE, IT), that makes piracy a felony—but only if a monetary profit is made. As in the EU parliament's press release: 'Members of the Legal Affairs' committee [...] decided that criminal sanctions should only apply to those infringements deliberately carried out to obtain a commercial advantage. Piracy committed by private users for personal, non-profit purposes are therefore also excluded.' The complete proposal was passed with 23 votes in favour, 3 against and 3 abstained, and is intended to be applied to copyright, trademark, design and other IP fields, but not patent right which is explicitly excluded. The proposal has still to pass the vote of the parliament before becoming law in all EU countries, some of which (like Italy) do have criminal laws in place for non-profit file sharing. A note: Most EU countries use civil law, not common law. Translation of legal terms may be misleading.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/057-4356-078-03-12-909-20070319IPR04284-19-03-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm
http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/03/30/1849206.shtml
A Chinese Virtual Currency Challenges the Yuan
A Wall Street Journal article reports that China's fastest-rising currency isn't the yuan. It's the QQ coin — online play money created by marketers to sell such things as virtual flowers for instant-message buddies, cellphone ringtones and magical swords for online games. In recent weeks, the QQ coin's real-world value has risen as much as 70%. It's the most extreme case of a so-called virtual currency blurring the boundaries between the online and real worlds — and challenging legal limits. A Chinese Internet company called Tencent Holdings Ltd. designed the payment system in 2002 to allow its 233 million regular registered users to shop for treats in its virtual world. Virtual currencies are in use in many countries — but nowhere have they taken root more deeply than in China.
http://games.slashdot.org/games/07/03/30/1634218.shtml
Spontaneous Riot at Gare du Nord
On Tuesday 27th of March 2007, at nearly 16:30, an "ordinary" ticket inspection at "Gare du Nord" train station turned into a riot that would last until late in the evening. Witnesses said that a 33 year old man ("sans-papier" according to mainstream media reports) and/or a 15 year old boy tried to flee from the ticket inspectors but were violently held.
The bullying behavior of the inspectors inspired many travellers to attempt to support those being held. The police reinforcements were called but the people supporting those arrested also called for reinforcements.
Contrary to the laissez-faireism and resignation usually seen in suchsituations, many metropolitan users disobeyed calls to "move along" and avoid being involved, instead there was a defiant uprising.
http://www.indymedia.org/en/2007/03/882952.shtml
MAJOR RECORD LABELS WITHDRAW FROM RIAA
Join with Apple and Microsoft to Launch RARA: Respect Artist, Respect Audience
Music industry executives announced this morning that they were withdrawing support for the trade group the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and launching a new representative body called Respect the Artist, Respect the Audience (RARA).
The move comes in the wake of a perceived failure of the RIAA to achieve its goals of fostering a business and legal climate that supports and promotes its members' creative and financial vitality. The RIAA has in recent years become synonymous with the industry's flagging business models and poor reputation with music fans. Recently the RIAA was ranked as the least popular business organization is the USA.
In announcing the break the four major record labels Sony/BMG, Warner Music, Vivendi Universal and EMI have also committed to dropping all pending lawsuits, and will instead join with Apple and Microsoft to create an environment where Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology will be eliminated from their online music stores. The companies are joining other personal electronics manufacturers and independent labels in a new organization, Respect the Artist, Respect the Audience (RARA) that will focus on creating a climate better associated with the creation of art, and the fostering of musical talent.
http://www.artistaudience.org/pressroom/rara_release