All new Tesla D is faster, more efficient and comes with auto-pilot

Elon Musk unveiled the new Tesla D at an event on Thursday at an airport just outside the headquarters of his other company, SpaceX. The new car is an all-wheel-drive version of the Tesla S which offers improvements in almost every way with increased efficiency, range, acceleration, top speed, and new auto-pilot features.

The car boasts the same 0-60mph acceleration as the Maclaren F1 – 3.2 seconds! The top speed is 155mph, 35 more than the Model S, and it will come with three option settings: normal, sport and insane. The battery offers 275 miles on a single charge which is 10 miles more than its single-motor cousin.

“We’re able to improve everything about the car,” Musk said at the event. “This car is nuts. It’s like taking off from a carrier deck.”

The D (which was subject to lewd jokes over the internet) gets its name from its dual motor setup. With petrol engine based cars, the second motor results in extra weight which lowers the cars acceleration and efficiency. However, the digital dual motor system can adjust the power distribution at a millisecond rate, allowing the car to constantly be in the most efficient state.

The car also comes with auto-pilot technology which adds extra safety to driving. A front-facing camera recognizes stop signs, speed limits and traffic lights, and sonar also allows the car to have 360 degree awareness of its surroundings. This technology means the car can automatically brake if it is about to hit something and also change lanes safely and automatically with just a flick of the indicators. It can also parallel park on its own and drivers can leave the car park itself in the garage when they get home.

Another interesting feature of the auto pilot technology is that owners can summon their cars to them, rather than trying to remember where they parked their car. Unfortunately though this can only be permitted on private land. The auto-pilot is not fully autonomous driving either, Musk noted that you still can’t safely fall asleep.

There will be three configurations: the 60D and the 85D, along with a top of the line P85D. The P85D starts going out to buyers in December, with the 60D and lower-end 85D going out in February. Not a lot was mentioned on pricing but the P85D is $120,170, a $14,600 premium as part of an options package from the standard P85 model.

After analytics noted that Tesla need to increase sales in places with cold weather, Musk hopes the four wheel drive setup will entice those outisde of hot countries to consider the switch to electric. The Palo Alto-based company will also be releasing its first SUV, the Model X, in 2015.

Source: [Wired]

Become The Lord Of Your Electronics With A Gesture Control Ring

It’s nothing from The Lord of the Rings much less the Green Lantern, but it can be said that it has a certain power, at least over your electronics.

Still unnamed, the titanium ring was made by 16Lab to fulfill the role of gesture control. The manufacturer reported that besides that, the ring also serves as a notification tool, e-wallet and non-contact key. The ring works by transmitting your gestures to other devices around like computers, tablets, TV’s and others. All you have to do is put it on your finger and it will vibrate to confirm you’re connected.

The battery can last up to 20 hours of use without interruption using a 10mAh lithium polymer cell. This happens because its energy consumption is relatively low considering that when you take your finger off the device it automatically shuts off.

The ring price hasn’t yet been revealed by the manufacturer and the release date is scheduled for the second half of 2015, but you will be able to buy it in plastic later this year.

Via: Engadget

This electric powered wakeboard lets you surf the waves like a hoverboard

Swedish based Raddin are trying to revolutionise extreme water sports with their electric powered wakeboard. The device lets you surf the waves as if you were on a hoverboard and it’s probably the closest you’re going to get to one for a while.

Founder and Swedish wakeboarder Philip Werner devised the electric-powered board in 2012 while studying at Lund University and it’s currently at working prototype stage. The board is manufactured from carbon fiber and including the battery, weighs about29 kg.

The speed is controlled from a wireless handheld device which we imagine is strapped to the wrist to prevent you from losing it. Standard wakeboard foot bindings come with the board and can be taken off for newbies as to allow them to lie and kneel on the board first.

A lithium ion battery provides the power for a salt water-resistant jet propulsion system which can send you across the waters at29 mph (46 km/h), although the final product is expected to be a little faster. The battery is contained in a watertight compartment and offers around 45 and 60 minutes of mixed speeds before running out. It’s also easily replaceable in case you need to pop in a replacement.

The team are currently working to improve battery life and top speed before taking pre-orders for €13,600 (£10,000 or $17,500) later in the year. Current plans set production to begin in early 2015.

They’re also not the first on the market though. They’ll be competing with the likes of the the Waterwolf and the Aquila Electric Surfboard.

Source: [Raddin]

Take a deep breath before diving into the world’s deepest swimming pool Y-40 Deep Joy

You will have to take a very deep breath if you want to reach the bottom of the world’s deepest swimming pool,the Y-40 Deep Joy, as at its deepest point it is the same as 9 double decker buses placed on top of one another. As you might have guessed from its name, the pool is 40 m deep.

The pool is located in Italy at the Hotel Terme Millepini. It spreads out over 21m by 18m at its surface and the narrowest point is -40m as it goes straight down into a well like hole. The pools thermal water is on average 32-34 centigrade and there is 4,300 cubic meters of it.

The pool surpasses that of the Nemo 33 in Brussels, which previously held the title of being the deepest pool in the world. One of the uses of the pool is scuba and free diving training, along with it being used for recreation purposes.

The swim centre was designed by Emanuele Boaretto at the four star hotel in Italy and has been open since June 2014. The highest diving point equals that of a 12 storey building or placing 9 double decker buses end on end on top of each other.

The image above shows free diver, Ilaria Molinari, wearing a mermaid tail in the pool as she made an unassisted dive down to 40 meters.

The pool offers several diving platforms ranging from -1.3m to -12m along with facilities for scuba and free diving and it is also home to several underwater caves for beginners to cave diving, which are located at around 10 meters depth.

The centre offers a deck on the roof which is perfect for catching the sun or catching your breath back after making a deep dive. Enzo Maiorca, the freediving father of Italy, opened the centre along with another Italian freediver, Umberto Pelizzari.

‘Y-40 is unique in its field thanks to the spa water, which cannot be outsourced,’ says architect Emanuele Boaretto.

‘We want to open up new medium and long term work prospects to try and guarantee prosperity, not only for my company but also for the surrounding land and society.’

Visitors are able to walk through the suspended transparent underwater tunnel, which is unique to the pool and allows those that don’t want to get wet the opportunity to enjoy the pool.

The pool is located in the regional natural park of Euganean Hills in Italy. The designers are planning on covering it with a lawn so that the pool centre will blend with the natural surroundings. It is open to the public year round, while the hotel offers 100 rooms for those who want to make the most of the pool.

[Image Courtesy of Y-40 The Deep Joy]

Via [DailyMail]

The coldest village found on earth is Oymyakon in Russia

The next time you are shivering in your shoes with a temperature of -4 or -5 centigrade just spare some thought to the residents of Oymyakon in Russia. This is said to be the coldest village to be found on earth and has been called the Pole of Cold. The small Russian village regularly sees temperatures of -51 centigrade around January. However, in February of 2013 they had a record cold spell which dropped down to -71 centigrade. Can you even imagine living in those conditions?

[Image Courtesy of AlexSaurel]

There are some unusual challenges when living in this part of the world with it being so cold. Those who wear eye glasses find it a challenge as they often stick to the faces of the wearers. Batteries lose their power fast and if they are not parked in a heated garage then cars have to remain running in the day.

[Image Courtesy of AmosChapple]

A lot of the time there is no mobile phone reception, but even if there were, half of the time the batteries don’t survive as it is too cold.

[Image Courtesy of AlexSaurel]

All of the homes in Oymyakon rely on wood burning stoves to provide them with heat.

The growing season here is very short and this means that people don’t eat a lot of vegetables or fruit. Instead, the typical diet is reindeer, horse, fish and milk, however malnourishment isn’t an issue.

[Image Courtesy of AlexSaurel]

If you want to fish for your dinner you have to break the ice first.

If you want to sell fish that you have caught the only way to do it is work out in the cold, such as this fishmonger. No need for refrigerators as they are practically living in one.

[Image Courtesy of AmosChapple]

Oymyakon was traditionally used as just a stopover for herders of reindeer, however it now has many unique homes and 500 residents.

[Image Courtesy of AmosChapple]

This dog is trying to remain warm as it lays on wood shavings. Coal deliveries are sparse in this part of the world and the villages are often left without, so wood is used for warmth instead.

[Image Courtesy of Reuters]

There is one general store and one petrol station along with a bar.

[Image Courtesy of AmosChapple]

[Image Courtesy of AlexSaurel]

The Patrons at the Lost Bar has been described as being the loneliest bar in the world.

The only way to keep warm in Oymyakon is to wear fur. The fashion here is reindeer boots as they keep people warm, however they cost upwards of 300 Euros per pair.

[Image Courtesy of AlexSaurel

Via [Iliketowastemytime]

White Noise Device Helps You Focus At Work

For most people, it is very difficult to get focused at work while there is a lot of background noise going on like their colleagues talking or telephones ringing. In order to solve this, the French designers Nicolas Schmitt and Hélène Casado have created “Joe”, a small gadget that blocks these noises so those around it won’t get distracted.

The audio device produces a white noise, which is a sound composed of all audible frequencies to the human ear. This works to cancel every other background noise in the office.

To put Joe to work, simply place the gadget close to you and it automatically cancels out any other noise so you can focus. Unfortunately the product hasn’t yet been released for sale.

Source: Yanko Design

Images Source: Nicolas Schmitt

Rocket Scientist Creates an Ultra-Efficient Saucepan

With a little bit of rocket science and the motivation to innovate the traditional cookware, scientists at the University of Oxford in England created a pan 40% more efficient in terms of heat conduction based on research conducted by the Department of Engineering of the University. The “Flare Pan” was recently launched on to the market by Lakeland, a famous British kitchenware chain.

The research, headed by Prof. Thomas Povey, applied the principles of high-efficiency cooling systems for jet engines to a simple domestic product – a saucepan. The new pans accelerate heat transfer, saving a a substantial amount of time and energy. Made from cast aluminum and incorporating ‘FIN-X’ patented technology, the FLARE pans are more effective in gas stoves, estimated to be used by more than two thirds of the UK.

The pans feature a unique design that allows the expansion of the heat from the flame around the bottom and sides of the pan, resulting in a more efficient and even heat distribution. This means that the pan heats up very quickly and cooks food faster, saving time and using far less energy. Research indicates that conventional pans require 40% more energy to heat up than a Flare pan.

“The problem with the current shape of the pan means a lot of the heat is dissipated into the air,” Povey told the Telegraph newspaper in Britain. “So, it is an aerodynamic and heat-transfer problem, and we applied the science used in rocket and jet engines to create a shape of a pan that is more energy efficient. So, it is a very similar problem but it certainly is a different product than what we’re used to working on.”

Even before its official launch, the pots have become an award winning product. The Worshipful Company of Engineers, a British professional group, awarded Professor Povey and his team the ‘Hawley Award 2014′  for “the most outstanding engineering innovation that delivers demonstrable benefit to the environment.”

Source and Images: [LA Times]

16-year-old invents device to convert breath to speech

This is no government funded university project… 16-year-old high school student Arsh Shah Dilbagi from India has developed a device that converts breath to speech. Dilbagi says that 1.4% of the globe’s population are physically unable to express themselves and this was the inspiration for his project.

He is the only entry from Asia to reach the final 15 entries to the Google Science Fair 2014, a competition for 13-18 year olds. His device, ‘Talk’, has the potential to help a large number of people, roughly the population of Germany.

“In nutshell, Talk has the potential to change the world by enabling people with disorders like LIS, ALS etc., speech impairments like Dysarthria and even Mutes to communicate and interact with the world like never before,” Dilbagi says. “It’s my turn to change the world.”

Stephen Hawking uses an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, however it is rather expensive, bulky, and not accessible to most. Dilbagi’s device is light, portable and costs just $80US. The device converts breath to speech with the use of Morse code.

Using a basic $25 Arduino microcontroller as the core of the device, a special microphone called MEMS Microphone converts the breathing pattern into electrical signals. This technology uses a pressure-sensitive diaphragm etched directly onto a silicon microchip, and an amplifying device to increase the sound of the user’s breath.

The user gives distinguishable exhales that vary in length and intensity and this can then be translated using Morse code into speech or other commands. Microprocessors compute the electrical signals and convert them into speech, with the device currently offering 9 different voices.

“After testing the final design with myself and friends and family, I was able to arrange a meeting with the Head of Neurology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi and tested TALK (under supervision of doctor and in controlled environment) with a person suffering from SEM and Parkinson’s Disease,” Dilbagi explained. “The person was able to give two distinguishable signals using his breath and the device worked perfectly.”

It took him three months of research and another seven months to build the final prototype. Voting for the competition closes on September 15 and Google will announce the winners on September 23. Winners will get a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands, a visit to the Virgin Galactic Spaceport, and $50,000 in scholarship funding.

Via: [Science Alert]
Cast your vote: [Google Science Fair 2014]

The Dubai Mall: The biggest and most elaborate shopping mall in the world

The world’s biggest and most elaborate shopping mall has to be the Dubai Mall, in Dubai (obviously) and it is situated at the foot of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. The mall is home to more than 1,200 stores and cost more than $20 billion to construct.

[Image Courtesy of DubaiMall]

The shopping mall is four times the size of the Westfield Centre in London and it opened in 2007 after the opening had to be delayed twice. When it opened it had 600 retailers, making it the largest commercial project along with the biggest ever mall opening in retail history. The shopping mall spreads out over 12 million square feet, which is about the equivalent of 50 football stadiums.

[Image Courtesy of DubaiMall]

In total there is more than 5.9 million square feet of floor areas. The car park is almost the same size as the shopping mall and holds a capacity of 16 000 cars. Each and every year the Dubai shopping mall sees around 26 million people walk through its doors.

[Image Courtesy of DubaiMall]

The Dubai shopping mall is home to more than just the 1,200 shops, one of the biggest attractions to the mall is the Dubai Aquarium. This also happens to be one of the largest aquariums in the world at a size of 51m x 20m x 11m and has one of the biggest viewing panels offering a view into the aquarium. The aquarium is home to more than 33,000 animals over 85 different species and 400 rays and sharks. Visitors to the shopping mall can see a ‘Living Ocean’ and the ‘Rocky Shore’ and meet a penguin colony, otters, piranha fish and catfish.

[Image Courtesy of DubaiMall]

The Dubai aquarium also has a 270 degree walkthrough tunnel made of glass for close up views of the aquarium. The aquarium comes with a lunar cycle lighting system which means that the whole ambiance of the tank is changed and this depends on the time of the day.

On level two of the Dubai Mall is the Reel Cinemas Movie Megaplex and this is one of the largest movie theatres in the whole of the UAE as it is home to 22 cinemas, which play the latest movies. It is also the very first movie theatre to have one cinema that is totally devoted to Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles movies.

[Image Courtesy of DubaiMall]

The Dubai shopping mall is also the place to experience the Dubai Fountain which is on the 30 acre Burj Kalifa Lake. The fountain sends jets of water as high at 500 feet into the air, this is around the same size as a 50 storey building. The fountain is an amazing 900 feet in length and is comprised of five circles, with each having their own sizes, along with two arcs in the middle. The Fountain performs each day to music and a light show.

Via [DubaiMall]

Must See: LumiLor lets you paint with light

U.S. based company, Darkside Scientific, have developed a new interesting way to paint with light. Their patended and trademarked LumiLor is a technology that lets you add a glow in the dark effect to complex surfaces that lights up when a current is applied. This means there is no fade and it can be controlled to flash, strobe or produce patterns.

[Image Courteys of Darkside Scientific]

The Ohio based company has developed the electroluminescent coating over the past few years but unfortunately you can’t just buy it off the shelf as applying the paint requires some training in order to produce quality results. The colours are currently limitted to white and a luminescent blue-green but they’ve already been put to impressive uses.

Just check out the finish on this Tesla, which is normally a head-turner in its own right:

The tech is a complicated multi-layer coating that includes a conductive base, two-wire connections to electrical power, an insulating primer coat and the final lighting top coat – hence the lack of on the shelf products.

[Image Courteys of Darkside Scientific]

What began as a way of customising motorbikes could now see a lot more uses than originally expected. The company are now looking into everything from household applicances, car accessories and building materials.

“We have broken new ground, and it would be very dangerous for us as a company to compromise our (intellectual property) in any transaction,” said Darkside Scientific’s CEO Shawn Mastrian.

“We have told everyone we deal with that we will walk away from any deal that includes sharing our IP. That’s where our value is.”

Via: [LumiLor]

Australian Cliff House concept has its owners over the edge

In many places around the world, land for building homes is scarce. In Australia, Modscape has come up with a new and different concept for home construction. They have designed a concept for a home with the name of the Cliff House and it hangs on the side of a cliff over the ocean.

[Image Courtesy of Modscape]

The Cliff House concept came about from Modscape who were designing a home for a couple that wanted to build on land they have in Victoria. The architects took inspiration from barnacles and how they cling onto the hull of a ship.

[Image Courtesy of Modscape]

The property would be very challenging to build and as such they came up with the idea of building it in prefabricated sections.

[Image Courtesy of Modscape]

The three bedroomed house would have just a single entrance and this would be via the carport, situated on the top floor of the property. The owners would get to each level of the home via an elevator, one of which would come with an en suite bathroom in the bedroom, a separate bathroom, dining room, lounge, kitchen, spa and an area for a BBQ.

[Image Courtesy of Modscape]

Due to the position of the house and the fact that it would be built in a location that is so remote, it is thought that it would operate completely off-grid. The architects would have to take many factors into account before making the dream house a reality. This includes concerns over erosion and the structural stability of such a large property along with the cost.

While the render of it does look stunning and there is no doubt that the home would offer some of the most fantastic views out over the ocean, for the time being we are only going to see the home in renders.

[Image Courtesy of Modscape]

Via [Modscape]

10 of the best American companies to work for

Some fortunate people love their jobs but others are just powering through to get by. There are numerous factors that go towards being happily employed and one of the biggest factors is of course, the employer. So with this in mind, here are 10 of the best American companies you might want to consider working for.

Linked In

• Rating 4.5
• CEO Rating 97%
• Employees 5, 045
• Revenue $1.5 billion

[Image Courtesy of Reuters/Robert Galbraith]

LinkedIn is the best company to work for based on the ratings given by current and former employees. One thing that boosts morale in the workplace is a good pay check and it was said by Glassdoor.com that on average, software engineers get a yearly salary of $127, 817. Senior software engineers can expect around $145, 192. LinkedIn also offer many perks, these include free food and encouraged social engagement – employees talk non-stop about the superb work-life balance and having inspired leadership. 97% of those asked had a very high opinion of Jeff Weiner, CEO.

Facebook

• Rating 4.5
• CEO rating 96%
• Employees 6, 337
• Revenue $7.9 billion

[Image Courtesy of Reuters/Robert Galbraith]

Facebook comes in second as the best place to work. This is a company that is very profitable and one that is growing at a rapid pace. It was said that Google were worried that their employees would leave and move to Facebook that they offered a counter offer to anyone recruited by Facebook, within just one hour. There are many perks and benefits and the workday is said to be fast paced, which apparently the employees enjoy.

Eastman Chemical

• Rating 4.5
• CEO rating 91%
• Employees 14, 000
• Revenue $9.4 billion

Employees always give Eastman Chemicals rave reviews, saying that work and life is balanced great, the teamwork is strong and the safety record is excellent. About the only complaint is the fact that the company has a small town nature.

Insight Global

• Rating 4.4
• CEO rating 94%
• Employees N/A
• Revenue $918 million

The IT staffing firm are said to fill more than 20,000 positions each year and they always get superb reviews from their employees. Reviewers said that they are placed quickly and one said that they got a job in less than 24 hours.

Bain & Company

• Rating 4.4
• CEO rating 99%
• Employees 5, 500
• Revenue $2.1 billion

Bain & Company are one of the highest rated of consulting companies on this list, with the CEO getting a huge 99% score. Employees give nothing but praise and love the workplace culture of the company. Let downs are said to be the long work hours and demanding travelling schedules, but that still hasn’t stopped its employees from giving it high ratings.

Riverbed Technology

• Rating 4.3
• CEO rating 94%
• Employees 2, 556
• Revenue $1.0 billion

[Image Courtesy of Mark Lennihan/AP]

Both current and former employess of the Riverbed Technology say that the work and life balance is superb and products are top of the range. On the down side though are relative weak earnings.

Google

• Rating 4.2
• CEO rating 96%
• Employees 47, 756
• Revenue $59.8 billion

Google is well known for the perks offered to employees and there are such things as scooters and bikes located around the campus at California. Google also offer employees 7 fitness centres along with 25 cafeterias. They offer great health benefits along with retirement plans, legal aid, travel insurance and more. On the downside however is the difficulty in getting a promotion and how big the company feels.

Southwest Airlines

• Rating 4.2
• CEO rating 91%
• Employees 44, 831
• Revenue $17.7 billion

[Image Courtesy of WikimediaCommons]

The employees of Southwest Airlines praise the company for offering great benefits and good company culture. The employees get free flights and the company matches 401 k contributions for a big part of the salary of the employee, along with running a profit sharing plan which rewards employees for success of the company.

McKinsey & Company

• Rating 4.1
• CEO rating 96%
• Employees 17,000
• Revenue $7.8 billion

The employees at McKinsey say that life at the company is good, but there have been complaints about work hours along with travelling. Employees do say that the company offers a wide range of benefits and generally find the work interesting.

Boston Consulting Group

• Rating 4.1
• CEO rating 95%
• Employees 9, 700
• Revenue $4.0 billion

[Image Courtesy of YouTube]

The consultants at the company say that they are treated very well and they value the talents of each other. Many employees have pointed out the strengths of their co-workers as being among the highlights of the company.

Via [BusinessInsider]

Mexico Will Build The Most Sustainable Airport In The World

Projects for the creation of mega-airports are growing, each one trying to be more sustainable than the other. Recently, the studioFoster + Partners revealed that their project will be the most sustainable international airport worldwide, located in Mexico City.

Winner of an international competition, the project was developed to meet the requirements of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum. The airport construction would resort to a exclusive pre-manufactured system designed for fast construction and minimal waste.

Despite the enormous inherent ecological footprint, the airport will have a single and compact terminal encased in glass and steel so that large amounts of sunlight can light up the space. Mobility is also one of the aspects that was emphasized in the project. So the airport will have an easy and intuitive alignment, with short walking distances and few floors.

The architects chose to put the airport’s service systems in a way that the ducts and pipes won’t disturb the appearance of the vaulted ceiling. To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the airport will make the most of natural light and is equipped with solar panels and systems for re-utilization of rainwater. They will also adopt a system of intelligent ventilation so they won’t need to resort to additional heating or cooling.

“It pioneers a new concept for a large-span, single airport enclosure, which will achieve new levels of efficiency and flexibility – and it will be beautiful” said Foster on their website, “The experience for passengers will be unique. Its design provides the most flexible enclosure possible to accommodate internal change and an increase in capacity. Mexico has really seized the initiative in investing in its national airport, understanding its social and economic importance and planning for the future. There will be nothing else like it in the world.”

Source and images: Foster + Partners