Techiest Cars of 2013

Best all-electric high-tech car: Tesla Model S

Tesla’s advantage is that it has so little experience building cars that it doesn’t know what it can’t do. The all-electric Model S sedan (from $57,400) features a massive, 17-inch central touchscreen in its dash that not only allows access to the car’s functions but also provides a direct, full connection to the Internet. That includes video display even while the car is in motion—something never available from established car manufacturers. Of course, the Tesla Model S system will also take media from smartphones or other media players through Bluetooth and two USB connections, but the screen is what makes everything so usable.

Check out the bumper-to-bumper review on Edmunds.com.

The test-drive

Tesla’s flagship four-door sedan is arguably more computer than car. This all-electric vehicle seats five people, goes from 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds, and starts at $52,400 (with a 40kWh battery and after a $7500 federal tax credit). But it’s not the Tesla’s electric powertrain that we’re interested in—it’s all the tech inside the car, which includes two screens (one of which is the 17-inch touchscreen) powered by separate Nvidia Tegra 3 processors.

A massive touchscreen

The first thing you’ll notice when you hop into the Model S is the enormous 17-inch touchscreen that completely replaces the typical head unit. The Model S has just two physical buttons on the head unit: a hazard-light button on the left, and a glove-box button on the right. The rest of the controls, including those for media, navigation, door locks, and climate control, are located within the touchscreen.

The Model S includes two screens powered by Nvidia Tegra 3 processors.

The screen has a glossy finish and is slightly angled toward the driver. It’s bright, and it appears to have an antiglare coating, as it’s quite easy to see in direct sunlight (such as when the Model S’s sunroof is open). Of course, you can adjust the brightness, and you can switch it over from black on white (day mode) to white on black (night mode) if the contrast is too much to handle.

User interface

You’ll find three main sections in the touchscreen. Along the top are basic stats (battery, 3G connection status, time, temperature) and icons for the car’s built-in apps, including those for navigation, energy, the Web browser, the rear-view camera, and phone functions. The middle section of the screen is where the apps appear—you can show two apps in a vertical split-screen format, or you can maximize one app to take up the entire section. Finally, the lower portion of the screen is reserved for the car’s settings, including access to the power sunroof and cabin climate controls.

The Model S has built-in GPS as well as a 3G cellular connection, so it can offer native navigation with a Google Maps overlay. You can control navigation by touch and voice, and the Maps overlay means you can search Google for points of interest. The Model S also sports an HD rear-view camera that you can access at any moment—even if you’re driving forward at 65 mph on the freeway. The Model S connects with your phone via Bluetooth, but I couldn’t get our test model to recognize my Samsung Galaxy Note II.

The Model S's head-end touchscreen is massive.

The Web browser

The Web browser, however, is unique. Sure, other cars let you surf the Web to a limited extent, but Tesla’s browser is nearly full-featured. It doesn’t support Flash or HTML5, which means it can’t play streaming video (there’s a law against that), but that’s about all it can’t do. In my test-drive of the Model S, I used the Web browser extensively in an effort to see just how useful it was. It’s similar to a tablet browser—a URL bar appears along the top, and when you tap somewhere near a text box, a QWERTY keyboard pops up at the bottom of the screen.

The keyboard is easy enough to use, but it doesn’t have a Shift feature like most phones and tablets do (that is, the ability to capitalize one letter and then go back to lowercase). Instead, when you tap the Shift key, it stays on until you tap it again to turn it off. This isn’t a huge deal, but since I’m used to tablets and phones, it was a bit disorienting at first. And, let’s be serious—being disoriented on the road is never a good thing.

The Web browser supports full (not mobile) websites, and accepts the ubiquitous pinch-to-zoom multitouch gesture. The Model S’s touchscreen is relatively snappy and responsive, though it’s not quite as responsive as it needs to be for Web browsing to be completely seamless. For example, I sometimes had to tap a link a couple of times before my command went through. Once, when I pinched to zoom, there was just enough lag that I had to put my eyes back on the road and then look back to the screen to see if it was zoomed.

Now, to be fair, I’m not sure anyone should be using the Web browser while driving at freeway speeds. Although Tesla doesn’t explicitly warn against it, the company doesn’t exactly suggest that you try to write work email from the road. Nevertheless, a 17-inch touchscreen is perhaps just a little too tempting for otherwise bored drivers.

The Model S's second screen replaces the instrument cluster behind the wheel.

A second screen

The Model S doesn’t have just one screen, though—it has two. The second screen replaces the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, and runs on its own Nvidia GPU. This screen has three sections: the center section, which houses basic stats (speed, for example, as well as estimated range), and two sections on either side that you can customize to suit your needs. If you use the Tesla’s built-in turn-by-turn direction system, directions automatically push to the left side of the instrument-cluster screen so that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road more than necessary.

You primarily control the instrument-cluster screen by way of the steering wheel buttons, but you can also control it (somewhat) by voice. The steering wheel has two scrolling push-wheel buttons on either side (the left button defaults to volume, unless you push it in to control the left side of the screen). The steering wheel also has standard controls, including a phone button and a voice-control activation button.

Relatively awesome

It’s difficult to compare the Model S’s tech offerings with those of other cars on the road today. Did I mention that this thing has a 17-inch touchscreen instead of a head unit? That said, after my initial geeking out over the awesomely large touchscreen, I had a few concerns.

First, the touchscreen is only relatively responsive, where “relatively” means “relative to other touchscreens in cars today.” And if you’ve seen other cars today, you know that that doesn’t mean much, since most cars seem to be driving around with 1990s-style touchscreen technology. The Model S’s touchscreen is nowhere near as snappy as an iPad, which might cause problems if you try to use it in traffic.

Second, the all-digital head unit is attractive, but it sacrifices usability. When you’re driving in traffic at freeway speeds, it’s much easier to glance at a traditional head unit—complete with ordinary knobs and buttons—and see the controls you want to hit immediately. The physical depth of knobs and buttons lets you better gauge where you want to press (or turn) when you’re busy driving.

But when you quickly glance at the Tesla’s head unit, all you see is a wide, flat screen. While it is sexy and technologically awesome, it’s not as usable as something with bumps and ridges. I’m not saying it’s impossible to use—the designers at Tesla actually made it about as simple as they could—but there’s no denying that physical controls are easier to work your way around (both with your eyes and your hands).

Bottom line

The Tesla Model S is probably the most technologically advanced car on the road today, and that can mean both good and bad things. It’s certainly pretty to look at and fun to drive, but I’m not convinced that a buttonless car interface is the future.

iPhone 5S to feature ‘touch-on’ display

New screen tech being evaluated for trial.

Apple’s next iPhone may be equipped with better, more responsive touchscreen technology, sources familiar with developments have claimed.

According to supply chain gossip in Taiwan, the iGiant is reportedly in talks with Chimei Innolux, the country’s biggest LCD manufacturer, to produce a so-called ‘touch-on’ display for the handset we’re unofficially dubbing the iPhone 5S, even though it has only just introduced a thinner, lighter ‘in-cell’ panel with the iPhone 5.

This is amid reports that the in-cell screen on board the current-gen iKit often fails to register fast scrolling inputs - particularly on a diagonal angle - a problem that is not exhibited by the on-cell displays used on older iPhones.

By contrast, touch-on technology is said to boast a higher sensitivity, while still being thin and light, meaning it should not compromise the handset’s slim form factor.

Rumours suggest that Apple has already ordered a trial production of its seventh-generation iPhone in a relatively low volume of around 100k units, in preparation of an alleged launch in summer

Aside from a more reactive display, the iPhone 5S is also expected to sport a material that is more resistant to scratches and scuffmarks, which have been a huge source of frustration for owners of the iPhone 5, which uses an anodised aluminium chassis.

Source:

China Times via Apple Insider

Wi-fi makes room for li-fi

Oledcomm is a Parisian start-up which has spent the last two years working with ‘li-fi’, or ‘light fidelity’: the transfer of data transfer through light.

Director Cedric Mayer has helped pioneer the use of li-Fi receivers to read data, translate it and finally transform it. Whilst the company has been experimenting with turning code into music, there is also the option of sending video files. CCTV images can be directly transmitted from the camera straight on to a screen, via a light beam. It may well appear like magic at first glance, but as Mayer explains, it is really just a case of speeding up the code:

“We turn off and turn on the LED light to a very high frequency. When it is off, it’s zero, when turned on, it’s one. Therefore, you are sending zeros and ones at an extremely fast rate. It can reach speeds of up to 3 gigabytes per second, an ‘academic’ record.”

Already 150 times the speed of a wi-fi connection, the next step is the internet. Even using a basic modem connected to a LED bulb is enough to send information to the computer via a light sensor. This new technology does not emit electromagnetic waves, so unlike the wi-fi, it would be possible to access the web in the air or in hospitals, and with considerably less risk.

But if there are clear benefits to using li-fi, there are also some issues to overcome, as detailed by Jean-Yves Le Boudec, Professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland:

“For systems that communicate, like your smart-phone for example, the bulb needs to be precisely positioned in order to receive the light beam from the bulb. This is probably the one fatal constraint when using li-fi for mobile systems.”

Today, several different German, Japanese, and American companies are all working to develop a web application. In Paris, they are confident they will have a marketable product by 2014, and for no more than 80 Euros.

New noise cancellation technology

Noise pollution is one of the banes of modern life. Chronic exposure to high levels of noise not only affects our hearing but also our stress levels and productivity, and even our physical and mental health.

An Israeli company, Silentium, says it has technology which can actively reduce noise pollution. The principle of eliminating waves of noise with other waves going in the opposite direction is not new, but the Israeli company says it have significantly improved the technology.

Vice Chairperson and CEO of Silentium Ltd Yossi Barath explained: “There is a physical phenomenon called destructive interference. It means that when waves are travelling into space, if you hit them with similar waves of the same volume, the same frequency, but shifted by 180 degrees, they will interfere with each other and cancel each other.”

The company says it can achieve full spectrum noise reduction up to 10 decibels. A noise reduction chip has already been incorporated into some kitchen hoods.

The same levels of reduction are achieved when using an industrial vacuum cleaner and a ventilating system. The technology can either be embedded on the source of the noise or can create a “bubble” in open spaces. The technology captures ambient noise, creating a quiet zone.

In the future, even mainframe computers could produce very little noise, and therefore will be able to be placed anywhere, rather than being tucked into a closed room.

For more information see:

http://www.silentium.com/

Proton therapy gives cancer hope

Several million people in the world are affected by cancer and there are various treatments available. Some patients undergo sessions of proton therapy, an advanced form of radiotherapy that uses a high-energy proton beam.

In a lab near Brussels, in Belgium, IBA (Ion Beam Applications) is building and testing cyclotrons. Inside the cyclotron, charged particles are accelerated until they almost reach the speed of light. Electrons are separated from hydrogen atoms and only the protons are kept.

Inside the orange magnets a special pipeline is installed to make the protons travel towards the nearby treatment rooms, before they enter the patients’ bodies, and destroy their tumours.

While conventional radiation can damage healthy tissues, proton beams deliver their maximum energy within a precisely controlled range, thereby reducing adverse effects to adjacent healthy tissues. The first prototype particle accelerator for medical purposes was invented in 1986, and the latest generation of cyclotrons, are much smaller and cheaper than previous ones.

Yyves Jongen, the inventor. explained: “Cancer often affects older people. But around 7% of cancers are found in children. And when we’re treating cancer in children it’s even more important not to irradiate other organs which the child will need throughout life. And proton therapy allows us to do that. When we have the patient here on the treatment table we use two x-rays to locate the exact position of the tumour in the patient. And we can position the patient to the nearest millimetre so that we really target that and nothing just beside it.”

Proton therapy is therefore particularly useful when treating tumours which are close to vital organs: for example cancers in the eyes, brain, neck or left breast. The strength of the beam can also be regulated.

The inventor of this proton therapy is now in line for a Lifetime Achievement at the European Inventor Awards, organised by the European Patent office. The winners will be announced on 28th May in Amsterdam.

Yyves Jongen said: “I get paid for doing things I love in life. I am passionate about combating cancer and designing machines which can treat it better. So I’m a very happy man.”

To make this therapy more widely available, the next step is to reduce the size and cost of the machines.

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18ft Python Killed In Florida (Pics)

A Miami man briefly wrestled with and ultimately used a knife to kill a Burmese python measuring 18 feet, 8 inches.

That sets a state record for pythons captured or killed in the wild. The previous record measured 17 feet, 7 inches.

Jason Leon was not hunting pythons but, while driving late at night recently in southeast Miami-Dade County, he and a friend spotted about 3 feet of snake protruding from the brush.
Leon applied the brakes, climbed out of the car, grabbed the visible portion of the snake, and began hauling it onto the road.

The giant constrictor responded by trying to wrap its body around one of Leon’s legs, but he was able to dispatch the reptile with a knife.

Burmese pythons are native to grassy marshes of Southeast Asia and can grow to about 23 feet and weigh up to about 200 pounds.
In Florida, where they’ve been released as pets and escaped from wildlife facilities, there are thousands of them, mostly within the Everglades ecosystem.

As such a large and voracious invasive species, they’re a threat to native wildlife. The state would like to eradicate them, if that were possible.

Leon, meanwhile, is being praised.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a news release, in which exotic species specialist Kristen Sommers stated:

“The FWC is grateful to him for both safety removing such a large Burmese python and for reporting its capture…With the help of people like Mr. Leon and our ongoing partnerships with other agencies, the FWC is advancing what we know about Burmese pythons in Florida.”

Leon, who said he once owned Burmese pythons and has experience handling the nonpoisonous snakes, reported the capture via a hotline used for reporting exotic species.

The python was delivered to the University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center where it was measured and a necropsy was performed.

5G DATA BREAKTHROUGH ANNOUNCED BY SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

5G DATA BREAKTHROUGH ANNOUNCED BY SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

There has been a breakthrough in the search for 5G. Samsung said it had successfully tested super-fast fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology that would eventually allow users to download an entire movie in less than 2 seconds.

The South Korean giant said the test had witnessed data transmission of more than one gigabyte per second over a distance of two kilometres.

The new technology, which will not be ready for the commercial market before 2020 at the earliest, would offer transmitting speeds “up to several hundred times faster” than existing 4G networks, it said in a statement.

"The 5G wireless technology will permit users to transmit massive data files including high quality digital movies practically without limitation. As a result, subscribers will be able to enjoy a wide range of services such as 3D movies and games, real-time streaming of ultra high-definition (UHD) content, and remote medical services," the statement said.

Samsung said it had found a way to harness millimeter-wave bands which have proved to be a sticking point for the mobile industry to date.

The test used 64 antenna elements, which the tech titan said overcame the issue of 'unfavourable propagation characteristics' that have prevented data travelling across long distances using the bands.

South Korea already has around 20 million 4G users.

Most Fuel Efficient Vans/Minivans of 2012

At one time, Vans were considered as the most versatile vehicle on the road. You could use it for nearly any purpose. You’re able to haul cargo, use it for work, and for the family. This signaled the arrival of the minivan.

People saw the usefulness of a vehicle that had enough room for a growing family. Not only could it transport people, you could turn the seats down and have enough room to haul groceries, large cargo items, and yes, even laundry. The most popular form of van today is the minivan, which seats up to 7 people. In today’s economy, finding a minivan that is spacious and fuel efficient are equally important.

Best Gas Mileage Vans/Minivans in the U.S. - Top 10 List:

1. Mazda 5: 21 City / 28 Hwy (24 Avg.), Base Price: $19,625.
Powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine with 157 horsepower, has enough seating for 6 and a cargo capacity of 44.4 cu ft (3rd row down). Perhaps the least expensive and economical, the Mazda 5 has been one of the more popular minivans available. It comes with passenger sliding doors and available in three options: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. The Sport trim is one of the most fuel efficient minivans for less than $20,000.

2. Ford Transit Connect XLT Wagon: 22 City/27 Hwy (24 Avg.), Base Price: $23,660. Coming in with a 2.0L Duratec inline 4-cylinder, the Connect accommodates 5 people comfortably with cargo capacity of 78.4 cu ft behind the 2nd row of seats. Although not exactly a minivan, the Ford Transit Connect Wagon provides the same purpose as that of a minivan. There are two passenger options, the XLT and the XLT premium wagon.

3. Honda Odyssey: 19 City/28 Hwy (23 Avg.), Base Price: $28,375.
A 3.5L 6-cylinder with 248 horsepower, this 6-speed automatic minivan can seats 8 adults. The Odyssey is a versatile vehicle that transports the family in luxurious comfort. The base LX model is followed by the EX, EX-L, Touring, and the Touring Elite options. Each one improving your Honda Odyssey experience.

4. Nissan Quest: 19 City/24 Hwy (21 Avg.), Base Price: $25,990.
Equipped with a 3.5L, 260 horsepower engine and an Extronic CVT drivetrain, this Nissan midsized minivan carries 7 people and has a capacity for 63.6 cu ft of cargo volume. The Nissan Quest is available in four different trims, the base S, SV, SL, LE models. There are slight differences in total volume on the interior whether or not you have moonroof or not. With a moonroof, the total passenger volume is 170.9 cu ft, without, it is 177.9 cu ft.

5. Toyota Sienna: 19 City/24 Hwy (21 Avg.), Base Price: $25,060.
Helped by an economical but powerful 2.7L, 187 hp, 4-cylinder engine, the four door Sienna allows seating for 7 and 39.1 cu ft of cargo space behind the 3rd row. Staying true to Toyota tradition, the Sienna has been one of the most visible minivans on the road today. In addition to the spacious qualities, the Sienna is available in numerous trims with various options. The top of the line XLE AWD is a V6 with 266 HP.

6. Kia Sedona: 18 City/25 Hwy (21 Avg.), Base Price: $24,900.
A 3.5L 271 HP V6 helps this minivan from Kia transport 7 comfortably with 32.2 cu ft for cargo left. Kia’s entry into the minivan market has been given a warm reception. Available in two trims, the base LX and the EX, the Sedona is considered a full-sized minivan. The base model is enhanced with front and rear air conditioning, Bluetooth Voice recognition capacity, and a full audio system with six speakers.

7. Chrysler Town & Country: 17 City/25 Hwy (21 Avg.), Base Price: $29,995. This 3.6L Penstar V6, 283 HP is able to fit up to 7 people with no problem at all at 163.5 cu ft. Long considered a standard as far as minivans go, the Town & Country exudes a certain class that has been the standard for all other minivans. The versatility and standard options that come with it has made it very attractive to those who need the room and comfort expected from their vehicle. Leather seating and DVD now comes standard on the new Town & Country. It comes in three trims, the Touring, Touring-L, and the Limited.

8. Dodge Grand Caravan: 17 City/25 Hwy (20 Avg.), Base Price: $20,995.
This 3.6L Penstar V6, 283 HP, 263 lb-ft of torque at 4300 rpm, is able to fit up to 7 people with no problem at all at 163.5 cu ft of passenger volume.
A sister to the Town & Country, the Grand Caravan used to be referred to simply as a Caravan. Over the years, Dodge has enhanced the brand by offering 5 different trims to the Grand Caravan name, the base AVP, the SE, SXT, Crew, and the R/T. With its towing package, the Grand Caravan can tow up 3,600 lbs.

9. Volkswagen Routan: 17 City/25 Hwy (20 Avg.), Base Price: $27,000.
Powered by a 3.6L 283 HP V6 engine, the Routan can accommodate 7 people comfortably with a total of 163.5 cu ft. and with 83.0 cu ft of cargo volume with seats folded. Following in the footsteps of the Volkswagen Bus and the Vanagon, the Routan has certainly caught the attention of many. Available in four trims beginning with the S, the SE, SE w/ RSE, and the SE w/ RSE & Navigation. Making the ride comfortable is its three-zone air conditioning and dual power sliding doors and windows.

10. Chevrolet Express 1500 Cargo Van: 15 City/20 Hwy (17 Avg.), Base Price: $25,090. A hefty 4.3L, 195 HP engine helps this lone cargo van make the list. It has a cargo volume of up to 270 cu ft of space, along with seating for 2. The Express Van comes in at 224.1 inches in length and has the ability to tow up to 6700 pounds. The good news is that if you need something more for heavy duty work, the Express is available in 4 other engine options.