Travelling 2400 miles isn't the priority - or at least shouldn't be. The priorities for a PRACTICAL electric car should be:
1. Being able to travel no less than 300 fully loaded (passengers, cargo, AC, etc.) miles on a single charge. Federal regulations mandate a minimum of 300 miles per tank.
2. Being able to charge a car in less than 10 minutes. I'm making this figure up, but some of the slow-ass pumps I've used out there take about this to fill my 15 Gal. tank.
3. Standardizing an inductive charging system so that all a user has to do is pull up to the charging pad - no wires.
4. Insuring that the battery used can take extreme temperatures, pressures, and is safe in an accident.
5. ?
6. Profit!
In other words... Yeah, it's going to be a LONG time until we get there. But the good news is, it's doable with a practical battery tech. I don't know about the safety of this particular technology, however it's always promising to see a next-gen battery like this.
And stop dissing GM! Yes, American cars companies are responsible for some of the worst vehicles ever produced (particularly in the 70's/80's), but you really can't say that about their cars now. And even if you could, their warranties are backing up that quality. I've not seen anything more ambitious come out of ANY car company (except Tesla), concerning their plans for electric/hybrid vehicles. Look up the GM 'Volt' if you don't believe me. Coming in '09...
Sony and Microsoft don't show numbers like this because they're too busy trying to kill each other for marketshare. Nintendo, very deftly, swooped in and ate the remains of the market. Very smart - and it was done in such a way that everything they sell makes money (a unique concept in consoles, I know).
Personally, I think this is Sony's last console - if they can even afford to continue making it next year.
WTF is going on? I haven't so much as heard 'Packard Bell' in nigh on 7 or 8 YEARS. At that last ceremony a friend and I destroyed a P133 model vowing NEVER to work on one EVER AGAIN! I personally set fire to the motherboard. And with good reason too.
You see, PB cut corners on anything they could. Need to replace that modem? Oh... Well, you'll also need to replace the CD controller and your sound card as they are ON THE SAME FRIGGIN BOARD!
What's that you say? Can't find any IRQs for the sound card or modem? No kidding! PB insured that their BIOS ignored things like upgrades and proceeded on the assumption that 'of course you have the standard PB modem/sound card/CD-ROM Controller' - why would you need anything else?! Those PCI slots? I think they're vestiges of something other machines were actually able to USE...
In my career as an IT guy I have NEVER seen a more stubborn machine, resistant to upgrades of almost any type, made with the crappiest drivers, slow hardware (even for it's day). Even the NAME kills me! Do you know how many people used to come into our shop saying they had 'one of them there HEWLETT Packard Bells'?! HP must have been going NUTS as their machines weren't nearly as bad. Hell, even the 'shotgun' Acer desktops were better machines than these!
And yet... The curse has returned...
- Two weeks ago, a friend asked me to look at her father's machine. I did - one look told me everything I needed to know - the dreaded Packard Bell 'suicide' logo (Google that image and tell me it's NOT a logo of a tech blowing his brains out). I got him a new computer.
- A Packard Bell was donated to my .org last week.
- Now this... God is trying to tell me something. Maybe I need to take a vacation, set my affairs in order.. I dunno.. Move to Vermont and milk cows...
Stanford's nanowire battery leapfrogs Li-ion
Dec 19th 2007 5:08PM (Engadget)1. Being able to travel no less than 300 fully loaded (passengers, cargo, AC, etc.) miles on a single charge. Federal regulations mandate a minimum of 300 miles per tank.
2. Being able to charge a car in less than 10 minutes. I'm making this figure up, but some of the slow-ass pumps I've used out there take about this to fill my 15 Gal. tank.
3. Standardizing an inductive charging system so that all a user has to do is pull up to the charging pad - no wires.
4. Insuring that the battery used can take extreme temperatures, pressures, and is safe in an accident.
5. ?
6. Profit!
In other words... Yeah, it's going to be a LONG time until we get there. But the good news is, it's doable with a practical battery tech. I don't know about the safety of this particular technology, however it's always promising to see a next-gen battery like this.
And stop dissing GM! Yes, American cars companies are responsible for some of the worst vehicles ever produced (particularly in the 70's/80's), but you really can't say that about their cars now. And even if you could, their warranties are backing up that quality. I've not seen anything more ambitious come out of ANY car company (except Tesla), concerning their plans for electric/hybrid vehicles. Look up the GM 'Volt' if you don't believe me. Coming in '09...
How much is Nintendo really worth? (Clue: very much)
Nov 25th 2006 8:04AM (Joystiq)Personally, I think this is Sony's last console - if they can even afford to continue making it next year.
PS3 worldwide in November [UPDATE 21]
Mar 15th 2006 3:23AM (Joystiq)Uh... Isn't that a X360 expression? Why is Sony stealing it? Sounds to me like they're playing catch-up...
Packard Bell, back yet again with the Vibe 300
Dec 25th 2005 6:03AM (Engadget)WTF is going on? I haven't so much as heard 'Packard Bell' in nigh on 7 or 8 YEARS. At that last ceremony a friend and I destroyed a P133 model vowing NEVER to work on one EVER AGAIN! I personally set fire to the motherboard. And with good reason too.
You see, PB cut corners on anything they could. Need to replace that modem? Oh... Well, you'll also need to replace the CD controller and your sound card as they are ON THE SAME FRIGGIN BOARD!
What's that you say? Can't find any IRQs for the sound card or modem? No kidding! PB insured that their BIOS ignored things like upgrades and proceeded on the assumption that 'of course you have the standard PB modem/sound card/CD-ROM Controller' - why would you need anything else?! Those PCI slots? I think they're vestiges of something other machines were actually able to USE...
In my career as an IT guy I have NEVER seen a more stubborn machine, resistant to upgrades of almost any type, made with the crappiest drivers, slow hardware (even for it's day). Even the NAME kills me! Do you know how many people used to come into our shop saying they had 'one of them there HEWLETT Packard Bells'?! HP must have been going NUTS as their machines weren't nearly as bad. Hell, even the 'shotgun' Acer desktops were better machines than these!
And yet... The curse has returned...
- Two weeks ago, a friend asked me to look at her father's machine. I did - one look told me everything I needed to know - the dreaded Packard Bell 'suicide' logo (Google that image and tell me it's NOT a logo of a tech blowing his brains out). I got him a new computer.
- A Packard Bell was donated to my .org last week.
- Now this... God is trying to tell me something. Maybe I need to take a vacation, set my affairs in order.. I dunno.. Move to Vermont and milk cows...