Yummy Wakame Weblog
Archive: November, 2005
Hacking the Hybrid Vehicle
Wired News: Engineers are developing adapter kits for hybrid vehicles that will increase their efficiency to 100 miles per gallon by powering them solely on electricity during short trips.
Today’s hybrid vehicles use electricity stored in batteries to assist the gasoline engine in acceleration and to completely power the vehicle while idling or at steady low speeds (generally less than 25 mph). Vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid include drive-train management systems that automatically decide when to use the batteries or internal-combustion engine.
Enter CalCars and EDrive, organizations developing modification kits that enable the Toyota Prius to be recharged from the grid. And a new group of automotive component suppliers, the Advanced Hybrid Vehicle Development Consortium, hopes to develop technology that enables hybrids to run without help from the gasoline engine for up to 50 miles.
Things I've noticed about these American drivers
Americans drive on the wrong side of the road! This makes it extremely confusing and dangerous for normal people to cross the road – Darwinism in reverse.
And everyone here drives automatics. Where I come from, automatics are for girls who can’t get their head around how a stick works. You can’t pop a decent wheelie in an automatic or drive a sports car properly. I guess sticks are for expert drivers, expert drivers like me who remember to pull up the handbrake for Nathan when he parks on a slope… and not like how he drives off with the handbrake still on, or how he continually reminds me who has the license when I give him expert driving advice.
Banking the unbanked
South Africa – The Good News: A pioneering South African cellphone bank is changing the lives of South Africa’s “unbanked and underbankedâ€, tackling unemployment and leading the world’s emerging markets towards convenient, affordable banking.
South Africa has 16 million unbanked or “underbanked†citizens – a huge chunk of the nation that is largely excluded from meaningful and convenient access to economic participation. According to the FinMark Trust’s 2004 FinScope survey, the overwhelming majority of unbanked South Africans cite unemployment or a lack of sufficient money as the reason for not having a bank account. With no bank account, these South Africans are obliged to stash their cash in the proverbial cookie jar. Physical access to a bank is also a major issue, particularly for South Africa’s 8.1 million rural poor, only 5% of whom have a bank “nearbyâ€. Unsurprisingly, it takes the average South Africa 58 minutes to access a financial services point. A trip, or rather an expedition, to the bank becomes a costly experience for the very people that can afford it the least.
Enter Wizzit, a division of the South African Bank of Athens, who in April launched South Africa’s first cellphone bank aimed at providing the South African unbanked and underbanked population with a fully functional bank account that would eliminate the risks of carrying cash and would enable these marginalised masses to interact financially and participate in the economy. (more…)
Moving day
Nathan found a sweet little apartment in Shadyside, Pittsburgh and moved in on Friday night. Once the boxes are unpacked and the place is looking better I’ll take a bunch of photos.
These were taken in the truck on the way there. Tristan is such a little angel – he never once lost his temper or got tired and tetchy, even though we travelled the entire day and finally finished unloading the truck after midnight. He is the happiest little kid I’ve ever met.
Farewell
I took these photos on a walk along the seafront to the Brighton Pier the night before I left Brighton. The purpose of this trip – to throw Nathan’s hat into the ocean for the final leg of its Grand World Tour! It looked so excited bobbing about on the water, fighting with great determination not to follow the current towards the beach. It hopes to land on your beach one day.
The Nokia 888 concept
I've only been here 5 minutes and I'm already in love
From the moment I arrived here I knew I’d be very happy. I really can’t get over how friendly and cheerful Americans are, I’ve never felt so welcome in all my life. It is extremely different here to life in the UK and everything is to the extreme. There are pick-up trucks and Cadillacs everywhere. It’s impossible to finish a meal they are so big and all soft drinks seem to come with as many free refills as you feel like. The airports are like huge shopping malls and far more comfortable and kitted out than any European airport I’ve ever been to – at Pittsburgh Intl. Airport they had rocking chairs all over the place in the main seating areas and in front of windows, which people were happy to sit in and rock the time away like it was completely normal.
We’re staying in a motel near the airport for two nights, while Nathan goes to various job interviews and we look for a place to stay in Pittsburgh. I’ts exactly like motels in the movies, strips of apartments with your own front door key, more than a bit sleazy and very comfortable. This morning while Nathan was at an interview I had breakfast at Denny’s diner. I made the mistake of seating myself and asking for tomato sauce to go with my fries. It was exactly how I’d imagined a real diner to be – bright colours, ceiling fans, men in cowboy hats or military camo eating greasy breakfasts, everything was fried and came with fries. I walked back to the motel and noticed there seemed to be no walkway for pedestrians to get around and realised I was the only person travelling without a car. I felt so ridiculous scrambelling up the side of grassy slopes to get out of the traffic.
Yay for free wifi in the motel! Yay that Nathan’s on his way home from a very successful interview!! Today I’m going to get to choose our new apartment or house from a list of the best he’s already seen.
And soon I get to meet Bob, Chad, Shawn and Julie, and Nathan’s mom and sister! I can’t wait to finally meet Tristan and give him a big gigantic squeeze till he squeaks!
The Mountain Firework Company
Wow, look at this amazing little flash site I found on the Brighton and Hove Web Awards shortlist. So beautiful and inspiring!!
Help Save Japan’s Dolphins!
More than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises are being slaughtered each year and their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan, often times labeled as whale meat. Send a letter to President Obama, Vice President Biden and Japanese Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki urging them to address this issue »
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