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]