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Toyota invests another $90 million in EV production in the US
The automaker is also building a $1.29 billion battery plant in North Carolina.
Hitting the Books: How a radio telescope cost this West Virginia town its modernity
The Quiet Zone, by journalist Stephen Kurczy, is the story of a sleepy small town that hosts the Green Bank radio telescope. But the presence of this scientific installation comes at a terrible price.
Virgin Hyperloop will build its next facility in coal country
The new Hyperloop Certification Center will be built in Charleston.
West Virginia will allow people with disabilities to vote by smartphone
More governments in the US are offering the option to vote by smartphone. West Virginia's governor is poised to sign a bill requiring that all counties offer people with disabilities a way to vote online, just in time for the 2020 presidential election. It'd be the first state to provide the option. While the details have yet to be established, Secretary of State Mac Warner said it would most likely offer the mobile app Voatz, just like it did when it allowed online voting for overseas troops.
Listening to starlight: Our ongoing search for alien intelligence
Six hours a day, seven days a week, for four straight months. That's how long radio astronomer Frank D. Drake pointed the 26-meter telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) research facility in Green Bank, West Virginia, toward the heavens, looking for signs of intelligent life beyond Earth. He dubbed his efforts Project Ozma, in honor of the Queen of Oz from L. Frank Baum's famed children's book series.
Google Express delivery expands along the East Coast
East coast residents now have a new way to shop online. Google announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its Google Express online delivery service to a dozen states throughout the Northeast. Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are all now within Google Express' delivery range.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: flexible OLEDs, wind-energy skyscrapers and 3D-printing spider robots
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Exciting energy projects lit up the newswires this week as Inhabitat reported that Desertec will begin building the world's largest solar project in the Sahara Desert next year. We also saw a West Virginia wind farm use batteries to improve its performance, and we showcased the brand new Eco Whisper wind turbine, which is quieter and more efficient than three-bladed models. Meanwhile, Apple announced plans to build a major solar-powered iCloud data center in North Carolina, architects unveiled plans for a towering wind-energy generating skyscraper in Taiwan, and we shared ten tips for cutting down your electricity bill this winter. In other news, green transportation took off for the skies as the world's first manned electric multicopter launched its first flight. We also brought you six sexy electric cars that will be hitting the streets in 2012, plus one awesome compact camper that is a miniature house on wheels. Across the pond, Foster + Partners unveiled a massive Thames Hub plan to update Britain's energy and transportation infrastructure, and IKEA just announced plans to build a massive 26-acre suburb in East London. Researchers also brought to light several stunning new forms of energy-efficient illumination as they unveiled the world's most efficient flexible OLED, Samsung announced plans to launch a bendable OLED cell phone in 2012, and we showcased a luminous netted vest for nighttime cyclists. We also spotted several fresh life-saving gadgets -- a spindly 3D printed spider robot that can analyze hazardous sites, and a series of designer gas masks that question our psychological reliance on luxury labels. Finally, you won't want to miss the awesome tot-sized Dalek costume that is currently tearing up our Green Halloween Costume Contest for kids, and this rock-solid carbonite Han Solo costume from our Halloween contest for adults.
West Virginia's 'Quiet Zone' becomes refuge for those on the run from wireless technology
There's a 13,000-square-mile section of West Virginia known as the Quiet Zone where there's no WiFi, no cell service, and strict regulations placed on any device that could pollute the airwaves. Those unique conditions are enforced (and aided by the surrounding mountains) to protect the radio telescopes in the area from interference, and it's hardly anything new -- as The Huffington Post notes, Wired did an extensive profile of the zone back in 2004 (the area itself was established in 1958). But as the BBC recently reported, the Quiet Zone is also now serving as something of a refuge for people who believe that wireless technology makes them sick -- a condition sometimes called Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (or EHS). Those claims are, of course, in dispute by most medical professionals, but that apparently hasn't stopped folks from calling the local real estate agent "every other week or so" to inquire about a place in the zone. [Image courtesy NRAO]
Konami to host Childhood Obesity Summit and DDR tournament in West Virginia
Konami, along with the West Virginia University Extension Service and West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency, is hosting a Childhood Obesity Summit at the Embassy Suites in Charleston, West Virginia on July 27. Speakers will include The Biggest Loser's Dr. Michael Dansinger, as well as some very important-sounding people from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. But why should you care? Because the summit will also play host to the state's second annual Dance Dance Revolution tournament for students, of course, where scholarships and other prizes will be awarded to the victors. DDR has been a part of West Virginia's physical education program since 2006, and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin believes the game is "is reshaping our youths' mindset regarding what constitutes physical activity." Konami agrees, telling Gamasutra that they intend to "help encourage today's youth to lead more active and healthier lifestyles in a way that works best for them." As always, we suggest a strict diet of Cooler Ranch Doritos and Throwback Mountain Dew for peak health performance.
Verizon adds Charleston, West Virginia to 2010 LTE launch markets
It doesn't seem to have been originally announced as a part of Verizon's initial 38-city deployment, but Big Red's just unveiled that Charleston, West Virginia will be getting blanketed with LTE this year -- and some ten cities in the state will get the 4G treatment between now and 2013. The state's so fired up about the news, in fact, that it'll be hosting a press conference with Verizon CTO Tony Melone and senator Jay Rockefeller next week to talk about the news... and hey, considering what we know about the theoretical download speeds LTE can offer, we can't say we blame 'em. Follow the break for the announcement.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: the world's largest laser fired, icy roof tiles admired, faucet lamps inspired
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week scientists took a step towards unlocking the holy grail of alternative energy as they unleashed a one megajoule test blast from the world's largest laser. We were also excited to see the DOI give the green light for the first solar-thermal power tower in the United States, and we saw big things brewing beneath West Virginia as a project funded by Google discovered massive geothermal vents that could double the state's energy generation capacity. Not to be outdone, Oregon announced plans for a 845 megawatt wind farm that stands to be the largest in the world. We also watched the world of architecture heat up - literally - as Soltech unveiled a set of glimmering glass roof tiles that can capture solar energy to heat your home. We also checked in on the development of Masdar, the world's first carbon neutral zero-waste city, and we were shocked and appalled by the recently completed largest and most expensive house in the world. In other news, this week we showcased a dazzling array of energy-efficient lights - from an amazing animated LED pillar to a set of liquid lights made from recycled faucets to a chandelier decked out with luminous dandelions. We also kicked up our heels for a vending machine that dispenses biodegradable shoes and we saw a set of ghetto-fabulous boom boxes made from old suitcases hit the streets. Finally, we rounded up a gaggle of our favorite smartphone games that are perfect for keeping kids entertained!
Microsoft apologizes for suspending 'Fort Gay' gamer
Microsoft has apologized to a 26-year-old gamer after suspending him from Xbox Live because his online profile listed "Fort Gay" as his location. It turns out that nobody Binged Fort Gay, West Virginia, the happy hamlet of 819 citizens. Heads-up, Microsoft: Mount Gay, West Virginia is also a real place. Xbox Live enforcement master Stephen Toulouse acknowledged the mistake and said that the training of his banhammer-wielding team had already been updated. Microsoft altered its Xbox Live policy earlier this year to allow acknowledgement of sexual orientation terms for people, following concerns over the company's policies toward the GLBT community.
Unsolicited laptops sent to state governments never get used, now under investigation
Tempting though it may be, shipments of HP and Compaq (another HP brand) laptops sent to various US state governments have been sent either back to the manufacturer or to local investigators with nary even a game of Spider Solitaire in its account logs. As it turns out, the packages of three to five machines sent to each state -- West Virginia, Vermont, Wyoming, and Washington -- were never ordered, and in at least three of the cases were purchased with fraudulent credit cards of unknown origin. Even with the shipments apparently coming from HP directly, officials are playing it safe and working under the guise of the machines possibly having malicious code running through its circuitry. You know who the biggest victim in all this is? That guy in Human Resources who legitimately bought a Mini 1000 and had it shipped to the state's office for pickup. Worst. Timing. Ever.
Shentel announces plans for 100 HD channels in Shenandoah Valley
Shentel, a telecommunications company that serves the greater Shenandoah Valley, is looking to get with the times in a big way next year. The company is expecting to expand its HDTV services to its subscribers in West Virginia and Alleghany County, Virginia, but we're not just talking one or two channels. Heck, not even one or two dozen. According to David Ferguson, Shentel president, the 31 high-def channels it currently offers could balloon to as many as 100 by the end of 2009. On top of that, Shentel is expected to launch video-on-demand and caller ID on TV as well, clearly signifying that it's ready to take on the big boys in terms of content and features. There's no word on what price increases (if any) will be implemented, but for a hundred high-def stations, we'd say a modest increase is completely warranted.
Comcast looking to sell outlying markets
Times are tough aoul over, and even cable giant Comcast isn't immune to a little tightening of the belt. Word coming out of Maine is that Comcast is looking to sell 46 of the markets on the outskirts of its footprint, mostly in Maine, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Virginia, Georgia, West Virginia and California. The move is about more than just the monies that will be generated by selling off its subscriber eyeballs, though. At a going rate of $3,000 - $4,500 per subscriber, that's not an insignificant chunk of change, either. By geographically concentrating its service areas, it should be cheaper to deliver services, including the all-important "triple play." If you're affected by this selloff, we're hoping your HD lineup won't suffer for it.
Charleston, WV NBC affiliate looking to broadcast news in HD
As local news stations slowly make the move to HD around the country, we're taken to a rather surprising locale to find what could be the next to take the high-def plunge. WSAZ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Charleston, West Virginia, is reportedly "planning a transition to broadcast its local news in high-definition," but a bit of consolidation has to go down first. The studio staffs in Huntington and Charleston will purportedly be merged into one, whereby the "Charleston studio will be controlled from Huntington." Unfortunately, eight Charleston-based employees will be losing their jobs in the process, and while we know the transition is imminent, a definitive timetable has yet to be established.
SuddenLink gifts West Virginia subscribers with four new HD channels
SuddenLink customers in West Virginia have been longing for a more fleshed out HD lineup for some time now, and while things have been improving slowly (albeit surely), news of four newcomers all at once is quite thrilling. According to an anonymous tipster, HD junkies from Huntington to Morgantown can now enjoy ESPN2 HD, History Channel HD, MHD and TBS HD, which are placed on channels 774, 767, 762 and 798, respectively. Hang in there, Mountain Staters, things are lookin' up on the HD front.
Mountain Stage making HD debut on PBS
Fans of the live music radio show Mountain Stage are about to be brought even closer to the action, as it's making its HD debut this Tuesday. Starting on January 8th, viewers in West Virginia can catch the HD iteration of the program locally on WVPBS-TV, while viewers across the country will likely have access via their local PBS station. For a complete January schedule, be sure to give the read link a visit.
Comcast enhancing infrastructure, adding more HD options in Northeast
Comcast has been on quite the tear of late, and it seems it's not quite done for the year just yet. Apparently, the carrier will be making "infrastructure improvements to its Beaver Valley and Myersdale systems, which were acquired from Adelphia last year." Additionally, the North Hills / South Hills areas will be seeing unspecified "network upgrades" by next year, and the company's fiber network will be expanded from Morgantown, West Virginia to Myersdale in order to "launch its digital voice phone service." On the lineup front, users in the Pittsburgh region will reportedly gain History HD, USA HD, Sci-Fi HD, CW HD and Discovery HD, while customers in the ex-Adelphia sectors will receive Universal HD, HGTV HD, Food Network HD, A&E HD, National Geographic HD and MHD.
WVU's Punchstat system intelligently halts boxing matches
The state of West Virginia seems to be on the "get fit" warpath, as not only did the public school system decide to expand and renew the Dance Dance Revolution program to get youngsters a-movin', but now WVU has developed a system that allows boxers to give it a go without, um, perishing. The Punchstat analysis system is a ringside computerized tool that is being honed to provide a realistic and objective method of determining when a boxing match should be halted. Researchers in Morgantown have performed a "computer-assisted video analysis" to compare a trio of professional matches where one of them led to a fighter's death; these results were further compared with over 4,000 other bouts previously scored with Punchstat, and it was stated that a "significant differences" were seen in fights that led to death. Most notably, fighters that died due to boxing faced around 23 punches per round (compared to the average of 9.4), and more "power punches" were withstood as well. But before scientists can accurately implement a "danger meter" of sorts into pay-per-view matchups, some critics insinuate that factors such as "fighter strength and the effects of the punches that connect" need to be considered before it can be entirely reliable, and it's even suggested that a tried and true accelerometer be installed on a fighter to calculate the force of a blow. Still, we're down with beating someone to a pulp for sport if everyone leaves without a life-threatening injury, but we'll probably take the pansy's way out and stick with Wii Boxing to carve our calories.[Via Physorg]
