A Truly Revolutionary Idea - Better Place - The Future of Electric Cars Is Happening Today

Now this is an incredible story about the potential massive revolution that will be made possible by the extreme passion of a very few people. Exciting in the sheer magnitude of its ambition and fact that if it happens, it will genuinely be one of the greatest revolutions in modern time, and the man that is going to make it happen will surely be one of the most influential men of their time. Maybe you already know of Shai Agassi or Better Place, the company that he founded. If not, I sure hope that soon we all will. He has an idea that could just make electric cars a practical reality, not just in 20 years time, but within the next few years. The best thing about his business idea Better Place, is that it is actually becoming reality. Read the full AMAZING article on Wired.

It is a long article and to help all you time starved people I wrote a brief synopsis. Read it, and then you will be inspired to read the main article, and then keep on reading!!

Shai Agassi seems overcomes the major hurdles in making an electric car a reality. Car costs, limitations of battery technology, and investment in infrastructure. While many of the technologies and ideas are not new, he manages to put together solutions to complex problems and interestingly he proposes to apply to the motor and energy industry a similar business model to the mobile phone and telecoms industry, where technology is made accessible at low costs by being subsidised over the duration of a long term contract.

By demonstrating a high potential for profitability he has been able to get major investors on-board. Where easy money is to be made, even the seemingly impossible can happen. In just 2 short years he can count countries, major players in the car industry and even Israel’s largest oil importer is one of his biggest backers and has raised over $1 Billion in investment capital.

Here’s how they will make money.
An electric car costs significantly less than a petrol car to power, and maintain. Lets say it costs €2000 to fuel a petrol car per year, yet it would only cost €800 to use electricity. Betterplace proposes to exploit this difference in energy costs by providing such a good refueling service that it would be able to resell electric energy to the consumer a premium, while remaining extremely appealing as it would still cost a lot less than running a normal car. Do I care that the electricity for my car cost more than for my TV, when I buy it packaged with access to a network of refueling stations, replacement batteries, useful software etc, when I am saving €1,000’s in the process?

He has the right partners on board, and created a win win situation for all the important players.
Car manufacturers - are in crisis and need to invest in improving their future. He has Nissan/Renault onboard. They don’t want the hassle of selling battery technology they know nothing about. This could make them the biggest producers in a rapidly growing market. Oil barrons - they don’t care if they will make more money selling electricity than oil. He got the heavyweight players onboard. People that had the power to snuff out the idea.
Countries - Many don’t want to be oil dependent, others need to reduce emissions significantly. Governments that get behind projects really help mak things happen!

So if people are making money, that is one important box ticker. But this is why it can happen…

Cars are cheaper - Possibly Free!
He removes the battery from the car buying process. The battery is not owned by the car driver, but is leased as part of an innovative fueling service. The electric car without battery is significantly cheaper than a petrol car, and is much easier and cheaper to maintain. So it has an immediate appeal to a consumer, and car manufacturers are happy doing what they do best. The fueling becomes packaged as a fueling serivce that you subscribe to. The cost of the car in full or in part can be subsidised over the duration of a long term contract, meaning that some cars may even be offered for free, much as many mobile phones are offered free if you sign a two year traffic contract. Governmental support will also ensure tax breaks and incentives.

Cars can drive as far as a normal cars
Electric cars do not have the same autonomy of normal cars, as the batteries only last 50 - 100km. So to resolve this issue they propose that owners can recharge at home, but if they need to travel further than the autonomy of the battery, then they simply pull into a ‘fueling station’, where the battery is automatically removed and replaced with a charged battery, without the driver needing to exist the car. So not dissimilar to refueling a petrol car, but a little less dirty. You will subscribe to an innovative and technology driven service. You tell your car where you want to go, and if there is not enough power in the battery, it will tell you where you need to stop to change the battery.

It is being rolled out at country wide levels in two countries.
Massive trials are starting in Israel and Denmark. Israel has the desire (more than others) to not be dependent on surrounding oil producing countries. To reduce oil imports by just 50% would be a big finger up, and improve the economy. Denmark needs to radically reduce emissions and sees this as a simple way to do so. Both are small countries, in which people drive relatively short distances, and would be less reluctant to own an electric car.

It is ecological - and solves another problem
As they can sell electricity at a premium price, it means that they can afford to buy expensive sustainable ‘green’ electricity. So giving a sustainable solution increase investment in alternative energy sources. ALSO most alternative energy sources do not produce energy consistently, i.e. Solar only produces during the day. So energy produced often has to be stored in massive and expensive batteries. An alternative storage method would be to trickle the energy into the parked cars connected to the grid, as it is produced. Then cars that remain connected could trickle the energy back to the grid as it is required.

Sixense True Motion Sensor Demo

So motion sensors as input devices have taken computing by storm, for the Nintendo Wii, to the Apple iPhone. This company has developed a highly accurate motion sensor that demonstrates the possibilities for the near future of this kind of interaction. The presentation was made at Nvision08. More videos and info are available from Sixense.

New iPods Listen To Your Music

Apple today presented a revised line of iPods in a special press event in San Francisco. The iPod shuffle and classic iPod received only minor changes, while the iPod touch received a minor design upgrade making it thinner and with a curved iPhone like back.

The biggest changes announced were to the iPod Nano line that is the thinnest iPod Apple have ever made. It returns to a similar, vertical design of the earlier 2nd generation Nano, returning to a screen format that would allow it to share some applications available to the iPhone and iPod touch, with particular focus on games, in order to increase potential sales on the already successful Apps store. The Nano does not benefit from a touch screen, but does have a newly added accelerometer, to add more fun navigation of songs and albums. Simply shake the iPod and it will produce a different shuffle of songs.

All of the iPods are cheaper than their predecessors, and with larger capaicity storage, with Apple hoping to captitalise on the sale of content to the devices from the iTunes store. It was the store that also got an upgrade with support for High Definition TV shows, a new way of displaying albums, and a neat functionality that enables iTunes to build automatic playlists of similar music. The software can analyze the songs in your library and recommend other similar songs in your library or even recommend new songs from the iTunes store. This 'Genius' playlist is described like having the worlds best DJ in your iPod. In fact the iPod touch and Nano's actually come with the functionality built into them.

Always looking for more ways to increase the sale of songs, this new function is sure to prove fun and useful for users, as well as helping generate more sales. Though Apple still seem to be missing out on many other social media ideas that could really take iTunes to the next level.

OLPC To Be Sold By Amazon - Rare Opportunity To Get Your Hands On Future Design Classic

For all of you that missed out on last years opportunity to get your hands on one of the most important computers designed in recent history, AND do your bit for the developing world at the same time, there is a second chance! The laptop in question has been developed for the much talked about One Laptop Per Child initiative, with the aim of providing a sub $100 computer for each child in developing nations. In order to avoid the issues experienced when the OLPC programe ran the same initiative last year, Amazon has been chosen to run a programme to enable United States residents to buy one of the most innovative laptops invented (that can also be powered by a hand wound generator) and for every computer sold, a second laptop will be donated to a child in a developing country. The computer will be available from November until the end of the year. Despite the computer costing only slightly more than $100, this is a price point for mass orders and not the public. The combined cost of the two computers will be set at around $380. This is set to be a design classic, as some of the industries best have worked on the project and pioneered many innovations to reduce the cost to near the $100 benchmark cost. Don’t miss out this time round.

Visit the site of OLPC for more details.

BMW kinetic Sculpture

The new BMW Museum in Munich, home to the company’s 90-year history, opened last month and has carefully combined architecture and exhibition design, focusing particularly on new media.

ART+COM media installations set the museum’s architecture in motion, creating a unique dynamic for exhibits and content. Along with atelier brückner, Stuttgart (architecture and exhibition design) and Intégral Ruedi Baur, Zurich (graphic design and visual identity), ART+COM has created a contemporary take on Schwanzer’s original exhibition concept of “the road in converted space”. Media installations literally set the museum’s seven themed buildings, 25 exhibition rooms and 125 exhibits in motion.

One kinetic sculpture uses 714 metal balls that move vertically along barely visible thread to reveal forms and planes. Seemingly weightless sculpture moves through a cycle of free abstractions and typical BMW vehicle forms to create a beautiful and magical effect. See the videos below.


The BWM Museum is open to the public from 21 June 2008.

XO 2 - OLPC Second Generation Laptop

Nicholas Negrponte unveiled the design of the next laptop computer that will be the future sub $100 computer designed to bring affordable computers to developing countries. With it's first computer, the project did not quite achieve its goal of developing a computer that could be produced for under $100, but they have at least made significant progress. As part of the process they designed a laptop computer that completely rethought the engineering of the typical laptop, and produced a computer that is far more energy efficient, robust and usable in more difficult lighting conditions. The innovation that they brought will no doubt impact not only on the children it is intended for, but will surely have implications on the laptop industry as a whole.

Based on the learnings made so far, the One Lap Top Per Child project have decided to take a different approach for their next computer. This time they are not 'improving' an existing product, they are inventing a completely new one. The device is half the size of the original, and consists of two flat panel screens. Looking like a digital book, the device can be used in a variety of ways; Held vertically like a book; Placed flat like a tablet; Or like a traditional laptop, where the lower touch sensitive screen can be used as a keyboard. The device will naturally benefit from advances in new technology and the inevitable lowering of production costs, so that the device will be able to be produced for $75 (or at least closer to the original psychologically important price point of $100).

Also to note is the repeat of the chance to get your hands on the original computer, by buying two and having the second donated to a child in a developing country. This is due to launch in August. I am not going to let that opportunity pass by, as this computer is not only cheap and useful, and would make a great computer for my son, but it will surely go down in computer history.

Interestingly, being a not for profit programme, they have taken the 'un Applelike' approach of revealing the design, two years ahead of production, with the aim that people actively adopt the thinking of their device. Therefor, the project and the public as a whole will benefit for development in this type of devise, ensuring a further reaching improvement than if they had been secretive. This is pretty revolutionary thinking, but I have another theory...As we all wait for Apple to launch their latest version of the iPhone, there are also rumors that they will also be introducing a new portable web device. I would not be surprised to find out that their devise is not dissimilar to this one. Maybe OLPC wanted to trump Apple?

Ping Mag - Read with caution

I was just sent a link to this online magazine/blog 'PingMag' by Eoghan (thanks!!). This site looks so packed full of amazing articles. Check it out. I am curious about the 'Thrill Designer', Brendon Walker who proposes a theme park based on plane crashes, as well as an interview with the authors of the core memory project, a visual survey of vintage computers. This site is going to become one of my regulars I can imagine!




An image from the Core Memory Project.

Be A Fashionable Victim, Not A Fashion Victim

When you are packing a weapon, you want it to look stylish, no? No longer concerned with the technical specifications, the thing that is going to sway my decission when buying a 'personal saftey device' is how fashionable I will look when I pull it from my bag and defend myself from attack. I may be their next victim, but would hate for any mugger to think that I was a fashion victim. That's why I will be carrying a Tazer MPH, with its sexy leopard skin print. Not only that, but when I am not busy fending off an attacker the weapon does not need to languish in my bag...oh no! It sports an MP3 player, so I can listen to all my favorite tracks while I travel in fear. Heck, just thought, if I am listening to my Tazer as I walk my dangerous route home, maybe I won't hear my attacker approach? Hummnn. As I Taze them, will the MP3 player still work??? I am going to have to get these questions answered. Stay tuned.

3D Desktop

This guys 'home' experiment using a Wii remote to create a 3D 'desktop' interface has to be seen. By fixing the receiver to his head and using the Wii remote as a motion sensor his computer program is able to locate the position and angle of vision of the user, and then dynamically adust the content on the screen. As the user changes their angle of vision, objects on the screen move accordingly. This is something we will no doubt see very soon in games, and maybe interface design. The effect is so amazing, yet so easy to achieve. See more amazing projects from Johnny Chung Lee at his website.

Louis Vuitton USB Key

As I wrote in an earlier post, there is a rapidly growing trend of designer USB devices. More and more commonly people have the need to share digital content, and for now the USB key is the weapon of choice. Having become relatively cheap to purchace consumers are willing to spend more on the design of the device, and not just on the capacity of the device. This is a prototype for Louis Vuitton, designed by Fred de Garilhe, the 40GB devices come with digital or analogue watches, and are uncrusted in diamonds. The cap's lock is opened with the attached gold key. There is a massive market for these devices, but I look forward to seeing more practical implementations! I can imagine that storage will be completely integrated into jewellery and watches, and will be wireless so there will be no need to connect the to any other device to share data.

Read originally on Trend Hunter, read more on New Launches

Pet Shop Boys 'Integral' Video Features QR Tags

The new video from Pet Shop boys is such an intellegent and witty comment on the Big Brother society we are building around us. Containing QR tags that link to online articles about privacy and rights, the actual aesthetic of the video is based on these little digital bar code devices. Ironically the look is very remenicent of the 80's computer game aesthetic that is having such a revival, yet in this case it is actually something very much about now.

Thanks to Martina for sending me this.

Honda's Asimo robot appears in company commercial

Honda's revolutionary robot 'Asimo', one of the first humanoid robots to be able to walk on two legs, appears in this commercial for the company.

Wooden USB Data-key

It is nice to see cool product design coming to these ubiquitous little devices. This is only €32 from Brando.They are becoming the new jewellery. I really liked the idea of Nokia's 'Medallion' wearable digital photo device, but the design was pretty ugly. This is certainly an area where there should be significant development over the coming year.

The Nokia Medallion

Interactive Table

This is a pretty cool table from 'Because We Can'.



Found on Trend Hunter.

Sony's New 3mm Thin TV Screen Goes On Sale

This device marks a real turning point in screen technology, and will change the way you view video and images in future! OK, so this actual device won't, but the technology that it is premiering will.

I met someone who has the priveledged possition to be given access to and test new technology for Sony and they are already using Sony's new OLED TV technology in their work (special effects for live performances) and say that it is amazing. Not only the high resolution but the way that the screen technology delivers the image in a way that renders black as pure black. Images will look far more realistic on this type of screen. The great thing is that they are far thinner than other screens, in this case the screen is only 3mm wide.

According to the BBC they are to go on commercial release at the end of 2007. The first screens will only be 11 inches and will cost around €1400, a fair bit more expensive than LED screens, but for professional use this still seems to make the technology viable until Sony develop cheaper and larger screens for personal use in coming years. As the screens are created using a form of printing this means that there will likely be little limitation in making the screens to any size. While people where showing off with their fancy 40 inch plasma's, they will be wowing us with full wall to wall screens in their living rooms in the not too distant future (seriously!).

Daniel Stier - Pushing The Limits Of The Human Body

These photos really caught my eye this week, in the current edition of Wired 15.09.

Shot by Daniel Stier, featuring people participating in scientific experiments that aim to seek out the physical limits of the human body. There is something very retro looking despite the hi-tech and advanced nature of the subject.

Check out more of Daniel Stiers photography here.

Digital Shadow Puppets

Really nice project by Phillip Worthington, where the shadows generated by the user are 'read' by the computer and then additional elements are projected onto the shadows.

One Laptop Per Child - Update

This is an interesting update on the One Laptop Per child programme that aims to produce computers for developing countries for under $100. While currently at $170 per laptop (no mean feat either), the interesting thing about this new computer, is that it was completely rethought from scratch and introduces some energy saving concepts that should find their way into everyday computers.

This article by the BBC also incorporates embedded video content, which is part of a new trial for the BBC. Much better that the video viewer that has favored PC users over Mac's in the past. See below, an embed from the article.

People Come Down The Virtual Aisle

Simultaneous Vows - "With This Click I Thee Wed" Online & Off (VIDEO)

(TrendHunter.com) You knew this was bound to happen! With the growing obsession of virtual worlds and online dating, it's no surprise that people are beginning to say their vows on the web. [More]

Dancing Robot - How To Save Dances

Japanese robotics engineers have created a robot that can with a fair degree of accuracy replicate a dancers movements. The dancing robot demonstrates how far bi-pedal robots have come in recent years, and the accuracy with which they can move in as similar a fashion to humans. It is no small feat to develop a robot that can shift its weight from one foot to another without falling over, let alone create one that can move with a great deal of grace and fluidity. Credited with being used to 'record' and then replay traditional dances that with time may otherwise be lost to history, this could become an interesting way to document spacial information, and then have it replayed back later. It could be applied not only to dance, but also to sport, saving the curling free kick of David Beckham, or the swing of Tiger Woods. Then the robot could beocme a teacher, complete with all the best moves in the industry. Not to be too distracted by the artisitic good intentions of its developers, the Guardian points out the often darker military reasons why such robots have been developed. So perhaps even if we are really not so far away from having humanoid robots on stage, it probably isn't long before they are patrolling the streets.