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EV manufacturers get harmonized, agree to build a universal charging system
Fancy segregating EV charging stations by vehicle manufacturer? No? A slew of major automobile firms didn't like the idea much either, and have agreed on a combined charging system to use as an international standard. Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen now support a single-port fast charging system that integrates all charging configurations -- from spiffy quick charging setups, down to modest Level 1 rigs. The new system also crowns HomePlug Green PHY as the standard communication protocol, allowing charging stations to hook compatible EVs to Powerline Smart Grid applications. Where do all these fancy features leave you and your Leaf? Charged, of course -- the new "harmonized electric vehicle charging solution" promises to be backward compatible with current industry standard J1772 connectors. Hit the break for Ford's official press release.
Google Earth hits one billion downloads, those with fear of flying still getting virtual kicks
In a feat that outdoes even Dr. Evil's vision of worldwide domination, the folks in Mountain View have reported a staggering one billion downloads of Google Earth. Over the years, the service has taken us around the world, giving us a peak into amazing and sometimes obscure places ranging from the bottom of the ocean to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. It's also evolved from its humble beginnings as a desktop app back in 2005 to include a mobile app and a plug-in, not to mention a 3D flight simulation used with Google Maps -- all features that helped it reach the astronomical milestone. For that, we salute you Google Earth. Check out the celebratory video after the break.
Toyota demos Prius' proximity notification system, touts 'futuristic' purr (video)
Silence may be a virtue under most circumstances, but not when you're driving around a leafy, residential neighborhood in your Toyota Prius. That's why the manufacturer came out with its very own vehicle proximity notification system last year -- a "futuristic," underhood noisemaker designed to alert pedestrians and the visually impaired to the plug-in's presence. Now, Toyota has offered more details on its safety system, in a freshly released demo video starring the 2012 Prius V. The car's artificial engine noise, as the company explains, only kicks in at speeds below 15 miles per hour, allowing it to broadcast its audible heads-up across parking lots or other low-speed zones. The sound itself, meanwhile, emanates from external speakers and consists of a blend of high and low frequencies that won't be by muffled by background noise or physical obstacles. The vehicle's pitch shift technology also enables the tone to rise in pitch as the car speeds up and to fall as it slows down, giving others an idea of how fast it's approaching. Accelerate past the break to see the full video for yourself, while John Kerry nods in silent approval.
German engineers want to halve EV manufacturing costs by 2018, seem confident about it
Yearning for an EV that can fit within your budget? You may not have to wait too long, according a group of engineers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), who are aiming to halve plug-in manufacturing costs by 2018. It's all part of something called Competence E -- a €200 million ($273 million) initiative that will draw upon the expertise of 250 scientists from 25 different institutes, in the hopes of creating new and more cost-effective methods of producing power trains and batteries. Under the publicly funded project, which was announced at last week's International Motor Show, KIT's researchers will construct a "research factory" where they'll develop and demonstrate their processes and technologies. According to project leader Andreas Gutsch, the idea isn't to create concepts that could bear fruit a few decades down the road, but to develop more pragmatic solutions that can be integrated at the industrial level within a relatively short time frame. "We are no longer focused on studying individual molecules or components, but on developing solutions on the system level, which meet industrial requirements," Gutsch told Science|Business. "We are actively approaching industry and will even intensify these efforts...We are conducting excellent research for application, not for the drawer." A full 50 engineers will begin working on Competence E next year, with the project scheduled to wrap up by 2018. Purr past the break for more details, in the full press release.
Microsoft's Metro-style IE 10 has seen the future and it's plug-in free
Microsoft seems intent to push things forward, judging by its recent Build 2011 conference and the Windows 8 goods on display. Now, in an official blog post from the Redmond-based company, comes word that Internet Explorer 10 will be doing double duty, accommodating the web's old architecture and its HTML 5 future. Users who opt for IE 10's Metro-style app will be treated to a plug-in free experience, as MS has its eye on the evolving underpinnings of our information superhighway. Not to worry, though, the desktop app of the company's refreshed browser will still function as it always has, providing compatibility for Flash, and a host of other extensions. The company made the decision after surveying 97,000 internet sites worldwide, deducing that a portion of the 62% sampled defaulted to HTML 5 in the absence of plug-in support. Due in part to this intentional omission, the Ballmer-led co. now claims the new, touch-optimized version of IE 10 will run faster, sustain battery life and offer improved security and privacy. Not convinced? Well, you'll be able to test that out for yourselves when those Windows 8 slates hit the market.
BMW i3 electric and i8 plug-in cars on display at Frankfurt
We've seen 'em as sketches and we've seen 'em having fun on the snow, but now, after getting a few upgrades, they're parked on the stage at Frankfurt. BMW rolled out its new i3 and i8 electric cars, part of a new sub-brand focused on efficiency and responsive driving -- though it'll ultimately be up to the driver to determine just how responsively these behave on the road. The i3 is a pure electric, 150km range (about 100 miles) and a very lightweight construction of both aluminum and carbon fiber. The i8, meanwhile, is a plug-in hybrid that is said to deliver about 87MPG and yet still get from 0 - 60MPH in under five seconds. Spunky, then. It also sports those funky laser headlights that are both far more efficient and far more awesome sounding than current LED models. This is what they look like in the flesh, and if all goes according to plan you'll be seeing them for yourselves when they enter production in 2013. %Gallery-133335% %Gallery-129536%
DocsFlow links Google Docs to Adobe InDesign layouts
Earlier this afternoon, I had lunch with a co-worker, and we discussed the pros and cons of using Google Docs in newsrooms. The idea of leveraging Google's free web-based rich text editor for collaborative editing & then flowing those bits of copy into InDesign for newspaper or magazine layout is a sound one, but one of the issues is that there's no direct integration with Adobe InDesign that other solutions (such as Adobe InCopy or Woodwing's products) have. Almost as if they overheard us, Em Software (developer of the legendary QuarkXPress database publishing tools EmData and Xtags) has released the DocsFlow plug-in for InDesign that integrates Google Docs with Adobe's publishing software. Although it bills itself as not being a direct competitor to InCopy (no edit-to-fit functionality, for example), it's an interesting product on its own merits. InCopy is great for formatting, line breaks, handing copy overflow, etc., and I like it a lot. Google Docs, in turn, excels at collaboration. It allows editing of the copy in real time and an individual document can be accessed by multiple people simultaneously. For example, if I'm working on a page and the reporter wants to correct something in the story, they can just edit the Google Docs story connected to the InDesign file, and it's instantly updated. The plug-in itself works beautifully and is very stable. I tested it with Victor by placing a document from Google Docs on a blank InDesign page, then I gave Victor edit permissions. Before: Then, the links panel alerted me of a change: After: DocsFlow looks like it will be a great tool for freelancers or smaller publications that can't afford traditional pagination systems (which can cost many thousands of dollars and require complex system integration services). The plugin requires InDesign CS 5 or higher, and it's free to try with a single Google Docs story. A full license is $200 per InDesign seat, and it supports an unlimited number of Google Docs collaborators.
Chevy Volts invade NYC police fleet, give cops all new ways to taze bros
New York's boys in blue will soon be able to creep up on evildoers with even more subtlety, thanks to some new electrified vehicles the city unveiled yesterday. As part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's environmentally-friendly PlaNYC initiative, 70 new EVs have been added to the city's fleet of public cars, in the hopes of lowering emissions and creating a "greener, greater New York City." Joining the force are ten Ford Transit Connect cargo vans, ten Navi-star E-star trucks and a full 50 Chevy Volts -- some of which will be used as NYPD squad cars. These newcomers will be shared among nine different departments, joining 360 other city plug-ins already purring their way across the five boroughs. Bloomberg is also working toward adding EVs to New York's army of 13,000 taxis -- which we're totally cool with, as long as they're not minivans. Zip past the break for a rather Homeric press release.
Toyota premiers smart charging G-Stations in Japan, world instantly jealous
Recharging tired EVs and plug-in hybrids in Japan just got a little more exciting thanks to Toyota's upcoming G-Station charger, which relies on contact-less smart-cards to identify vehicles and owners. Toyota's Windows Azure-powered Smart Center drives the machines, which allows users to connect to the internet and use smartphone apps to find chargers, receive notifications, and check usage history. The G-Station will be coming this July in two flavors, creatively named Type A for the standard and Type B for the more advanced model. Pricing for the aforementioned units will be 280,000 yen ($3,469 USD) and 448,000 yen ($5,549 USD) respectively. Toyota is expecting to sell around 3,000 units by the end of 2012, making these stations available to its retail car dealers, shopping malls and restaurants. Soon the outside of pachinko parlors will be just as electric as the inside.
2012 plug-in Prius to include selectable EV mode, full battery regeneration
We already know to expect Toyota's Entune infotainment system in the dash of the 2012 Prius, but the hybrid's monster EV batteries will be powering much more than a touchscreen and apps. According to ConsumerSearch, next year's plug-in vehicle will include two new features aimed at improving the car's electric-only range for local driving, especially when your commute also includes a trip down the freeway. The first improvement comes in the form of an EV mode button, allowing you to turn off EV for highway driving, which tends to drain those batts faster than a Thunderbolt in Hotspot mode. The Prius will also offer full battery regeneration, so power-off activities like braking and driving downhill will restore the hybrid's EV-only range -- especially helpful if you live in a hilly area or tend to make frequent stops. Both new features should have a fairly significant impact on efficiency, so you'll soon be able to drive further in the city without tapping a single drop of crude.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Perian
Have you ever wished QuickTime would just play all those random formats you've got? That you didn't have to resort to other programs, or worse converting everything, just to get them to play? You need Perian. We've covered Perian a lot in the past, and for good reason -- it's a one stop-shop media plug-in that just works. Installed as a Preference Pane, it essentially gives QuickTime support for a myriad of file formats, video and audio codecs, and subtitles. Included in the mix is playback of MKV files with H.264, DivX and VP6 video, which combined with AVI support, should mean that almost any file you find strewn across the internet can be played. If that wasn't enough, you've also got FLV support, so you can play back all those videos you downloaded from YouTube. With Perian installed you can turn QuickTime X into a proper video player, while still being able to revel in the sleek, minimalist Apple user experience with tight integration into your Mac. Perian is available for free, supports OS X 10.4.7 and higher and, if you don't want to resort to programs like VLC, could be the solution to your file playback problems.
Windows Phone beta app plays nice with WHS 2011, streams media from your network
Fancy accessing your Windows Home Server directly from your Windows Phone? Then you might want to experiment with the Phone Connector add-in for WHS 2011 beta (aka Vail). This lets you connect you to core network functions and settings via an app on your handset, including alerts, user accounts and connected devices. Crucially, it also streams all your lovely media, so long as it's in WP-supported codecs. And if you pin the app to your home screen, you'll get a nifty live tile with your network's name, free disk space and a breakdown of network health alerts. Sure, you might have a bit of fuss to get this RC working, but then that's half the fun.
Netgear's Universal WiFi Range Extender now available for balding home networks
Few things in life are more aggravating than WiFi dead spots -- especially when you've just settled in to stream the latest Game of Thrones episode, after a long and excruciating week of tech blogging. Good thing that Netgear's Universal WiFi Range Extender, first spotted at this year's CES, is now available for shipping. This discrete white cube promises to bring connectivity to remote regions of your lair by automatically mirroring the wireless signal emitted from your gateway. Just use the device's LED indicator to find the area where the extender would optimize its reach, plug it into any ol' AC outlet, and those ugly pockets of wireless death will suddenly spring back to life (think of it as Rogaine for your WiFi router). It also supports 802.11 b/g/n and is compatible with WEP, WPA and WPA2 security standards, in case you were wondering. You can find the extender at retailers located all over this green Earth, where it'll be priced at around $90. If that tickles your fancy, head past the break for the full PR.
Inbox Influence Gmail plug-in outs the closet lobbyists in your life
Our parents always told us there were two topics we should never discuss in polite company: money and politics. Lucky for us, a new Gmail plug-in, called Inbox Influence, has made it so we don't have to do any talking to find out who pledges allegiance to the ass or the elephant -- and how much they're willing to spend to support those affiliations. The add-on is available for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and IE9, and offers information about the political leanings and contributions made by the entities and individuals that appear in your inbox. C'mon, you know you're dying to find out which of your tennis-mates has a stake in Palin.
All 2014 Prius hybrids to roll with plug-in and 2011 pricing, Hoitz and Gamble rejoice (update: not true)
Hybrid cars are sleek, efficient, and even occasionally sexy. Cheap they are not, however, though Toyota hopes to stir up the market in 2014, with affordable plug-in models that also boast much-improved mileage ratings. That year's Prii will ship standard with plug-in, and will quietly conquer at least 90 highway miles per gallon (compared to about 50 mpg for current models), according to Autoblog. The 2014 Prius will also be priced comparably to current non-plug-in models -- around $25,000 -- assuming Toyota can successfully reduce the cost of batteries and other key components. We can only hope that fuel prices aren't any higher three years from now, but even if they are, at least you'll still be able to afford to commute in something larger than a Vespa. Update: Oops! Toyota responded to this report saying "there is no formal plan to make all Priuses [sic] plug-in by 2014." Not even a possibility, Autoblog was told. Ah well.
Ford makes list of the 25 most EV-friendly cities, still likes selling cars to residents elsewhere
So, you saw a Volt, Leaf, or Focus Electric and were convinced to go green, but are unsure whether your local municipality is as eco-friendly as you are. Well, Ford has done your homework for you (without even demanding your lunch money in return), and identified the "25 Most Electric Vehicle-Ready Cities" in the US. What makes a metropolis worthy of such status in the eyes of the Blue Oval boys? A utilities structure that allows off-peak charging, for starters, plus reduced red tape for getting your EV permits and inspections, incentives for offsetting up-front customer costs, urban plans for charging infrastructure, and EV-friendly city advisory committees. If your town's lacking in those areas, perhaps it's time to give your city council a ring -- part of being an eco-warrior is political activism, right? PR's after the break.
Nokia releases Ovi Maps 3D beta plug-in for Safari
Nokia has just released a Safari plug-in for its browser-based Ovi Maps 3D mapping software, and it is beautiful. The new mapping software renders lifelike 3D textured buildings in a level of detail that is unparalleled. The image above is from London, and as you can see, not only are the buildings rendered in photorealistic 3D textures, but bushes and trees are as well. As of now, Nokia's 3D textures are limited to London, Oslo, New York and other big cities, with other cities to follow later. To view the 3D beta of Ovi Maps 3D, you need to download the 19 MB Safari plug-in here. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether Nokia plans to release an iOS app for Ovi Maps 3D; given the competition in the smartphone market between Apple and Nokia, it's doubtful. However, Apple has been rumored to be overhauling the Maps app in iOS for quite some time, and it would be great if it could come close to this level of 3D textures in a future version of Maps. [via Electronista]
Hertz launches hourly EV rentals in London, self-satisfaction comes free
Contract-free cellphones, declining marriage rates and car-sharing services all tell us you're a bunch of commitmentphobes. Lucky for you the world is willing to oblige your wishy-washy ways, and for those who also happen to have a bit of a green streak, Connect by Hertz offers hourly rentals on electric cars. After launching its EV rental program here in New York last year, Hertz promised to expand to several other cities and countries by the end of 2011, with London being the next to go online this Friday. British urbanites averse to car ownership will be able to pick from a fleet of vehicles including the iMieV, Nissan LEAF and Renault Kangoo, range anxiety diminished thanks to the city's 16 charging stations. It's not exactly the Jetsons, but if this is the future of transportation, we're ok with that -- we're thinking Mother Earth is too.
EV milestone: Fisker rolls first Karma off the assembly line, aims to deliver 7,000 this year
Patience can bear such wonderful fruit, can't it? The electrified (and electrifying) Karma, which first graced the world with its presence back in 2008, has managed to negotiate the slalom course of funding and logistical issues that faces any new upstart company and can now boast its very first production unit. The Karma 1 above will be making its way out within a month (presumably after every nook, cranny and capacitor has been polished to perfection) and company spokesman Roger Ormisher says the plan is to ramp up very slowly and carefully, reaching "over 7,000 deliveries" by year's end. Considering the rate at which Leafs and Volts have been selling so far, that doesn't actually sound half bad.
WebM components for IE9 bring further video compatibility to Windows, end to codec conflict?
We've been reporting on the drama over Google's WebM ever since Microsoft compared the video format to Esperanto earlier this year, but despite a war of words, Google and Microsoft seem to be playing nice as of late. What originally appeared to be a mere WebM plug-in for IE9, has turned out to be a full set of components for the Microsoft Media Foundation (MF) API, which means even more compatibility within Windows. Because the components are installed directly to the operating system, you'll be able to watch WebM videos in other programs that support MF, such as Windows Media Player 12 for Windows 7. We suppose this could be the signal for some sort of a truce over disputed video formats, but, really, what's the fun in that?
