<img class="avatar" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/avatar_a947ae3e2ce2_40.png" alt="" /> Tumblr Addict

#art #illustrations #lost

Apr 30, 20101 note

Apr 29, 20102 notes

Do Nature Films Deny Animals Their Right to Privacy?

New research argues that wildlife documentaries may deny animals their right to privacy. Do Nature Films Deny Animals Their Right to Privacy?

#animals

Apr 29, 20103 notes

The Gizmodo iPhone Saga Flowchart

via tuaw.com

#flowchart #gizmodo #iphone

“There are three kinds of people; those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those who don’t know what’s happening.” —Proverb, American

Green Cars Can Be Great Cars

It’s the color of money. It’s the color of freshness. It’s the color of aphrodisiac M&M’s. But in the car world, green represents anything but allure, the inverse of interesting, the exact opposite of envy. No, when it comes to cars, “green” has always represented pragmatism, conservation, environmentalism. The color of life deserves better, we think.

Then again, green is also symbolic of virility and growth, so it is fitting that we now witness the green-car market exploding like a tomato garden on a Miracle-Gro drip. Among this bumper crop are finally some green cars that promise to be-can you believe it?-fun. Indeed, some are using green-tech know-how to make good things even better. And so we bring you eight such examples of green cars that do the color justice.

Ferrari 599GTB HY-KERS Hybrid Concept
Ferrari 599 GTB Hybrid

On the color wheel, green is directly opposite red, the unofficial official color of Ferrari. That’s fitting, since, on the rare occasions that they’re fired up, the Italian supercar maker’s big engines aren’t the most fuel efficient. But among Ferrari’s latest creations is the stunning 599GTB HY-KERS hybrid concept, introduced at this year’s Geneva auto show. Yes, a Ferrari hybrid, displayed at the show in a brash satin-green hue that even a tree frog might have a tough time pulling off.

However patronizing the color choice, the 599GTB hybrid’s greenness is more than skin-deep. A 100-hp electric motor mounted to the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission helps reduce CO2 emissions and increase fuel efficiency (although it’s unclear by how much). Ferrari says the motor will drop the car’s 0-to-124-mph time from 7.9 to 7.5 seconds, but considering we tested a 599GTB to 120 mph in 9.5 seconds, we’re not sure where those figures come from. Whatever the true numbers, it should be quicker.

Furthermore, Ferrari is using the extra juice to smooth out the engine’s torque curve and the brake-regeneration system to shorten stopping distances. This is the kind of hybrid we’d like to see more of, and thanks to emissions standards worldwide, we will.

Porsche 918 Spyder Concept
Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid

Promising to be as quick as the Ferrari but with even stronger green credentials is Porsche’s sultry and spectacularly fast 918 spyder concept, a plug-in hybrid that also debuted at the Geneva auto show. Wrapped within the scrumptious, exotic styling are a race-bred 500-hp, 3.4-liter V-8 and a pair of electric motors, which team up for an extra 218 hp. Weight—a problem for hybrids, especially those with heavy plug-in battery packs—has been kept to a miraculously low 3285 pounds, allowing the swoopy two-seater to hit 62 mph in a scant 3.2 seconds, according to Porsche, and lap the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 30 seconds (two seconds faster than the Carrera GT). Any guilt felt after such a blast can be erased by driving away from the track (following a battery charge, of course) in pure electric mode for up to 16 miles.

Best of all, the 918 spyder might not remain simply a concept, as Porsche repeatedly reminds us it has never shown a concept it hasn’t produced. Whether a production version would include the hybrid tech remains to be seen, but there’s a good chance Porsche’s next flagship supercar will be literally electrifying.

Fiat 500 BEV
Fiat 500 BEV Concept

Existing small, lightweight conventional cars are an enticing shortcut for companies looking to develop an electric solution. Remove the internal-combustion powertrain, slide an electric motor and a bundle of batteries in its place, and—voilà—you have yourself an electric car. (Of course, that’s oversimplifying a touch.) It’s a strategy that worked great for the Lotus-based Tesla roadster and just okay for the Mini E.

Fiat has announced its plan to follow the same path with the 500—Cinquecento in Italian—and our hopes are high. With its wheels stretched way out to the corners, the gas-powered 500 is a Mini-sized riot, which is to say it’s small but packs big fun. Here’s hoping the 500 EV will be a little more engaging than the Mini E, which lost its spunk along with its gas engine. Even if it isn’t, the Fiat will add a much-needed injection of chicness to the green-car genre, especially when said car is rendered in the moody gray color it wore at the Detroit auto show.

2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI
2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Hybrid

Good old-fashioned internal-combustion engines are all but forgotten among the hybrids and electrics that dominate the green-car garden like high-tech super-weeds. However simplistic it might seem to have only one petrochemical-swilling engine, the diesel-powered 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI gets the green thing right. Its rating of 42 mpg on the highway and compatibility with California’s tough emissions standards (sans the aid of a urea-injection system) put it right up there with many a hybrid in terms of fuel economy and sheer eco-friendliness.

Even better, the Golf TDI is a slick, oddity-free German hatchback that looks as good as its gas-powered counterpart and handles nearly as well as the vaunted GTI—while sucking down far less fuel than either. Between the fuel savings and its reasonable price, which starts just north of $23,000, the Golf TDI allows you to keep your pocketbook relatively green as well.

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Only great cars make the Car and Driver 10Best Cars list, and the 10Best-winning 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid earned its place by being surprisingly good as a real car while maintaining strong green credentials. The Fusion hybrid achieves greatness on account of its masterful implementation of high-tech gasoline-electric wizardry to achieve impressive EPA ratings of 41 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway, all while accommodating up to five people in far greater comfort than can other equally accomplished hybrid pods.

Not only is it fun to drive, but Ford’s clever in-dash efficiency monitors actually make it fun to drive frugally. The engine turns on and off so smoothly the driver won’t notice, and it’ll stay off up to 47 mph if you’re gentle enough on the throttle. A normal family car that happens to be remarkably green, the Fusion hybrid is a great car.

via autos.yahoo.com

Rest of cars: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1426/green-cars-c…

#auto #cars #environment

7 Scientifically Proven Ways To Get "Shared" On Facebook

These days, sharing isn’t just caring—it’s ensuring virality, especially on Facebook. And Dan Zarrella, the Hubspot viral-marketing scientist who gave us nine proven ways to get retweeted on Twitter, knows exactly how to encourage it.
For several weeks, he compiled roughly 12,000 articles posted to Facebook, most from big-name sites such as Mashable and CNN. Then, he found the average number of times each was “shared”—meaning it was commented on, liked, or directed to a friend—and analyzed the make-ups of the winners and losers.
Although Zarrella freely admits that that correlation does not necessarily imply causation, he’s also adamant that, in this case, “it’s certainly a hint.” And after poring over his findings, which he sent to FastCompany.com exclusively, I’d definitely agree. Below, a look at Zarrella’s seven most effective ways to get shared on Facebook:
1. Talk about sex.
2. Solve a news mystery.
3. Don’t harp on Twitter. Or Google. Or iPhones.
4. Keep it short and sweet.
5. Drop some digits.
6. Add visual aids.
7. Post on weekends.

via feedproxy.google.com

To read the details between each one: http://www.fastcompany.com/1632319/report-seven-scientifically-proven-ways-to…

#facebook #social media

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity. ~~~” —Albert Einstein

“For one human being to love another; that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.” —Rainer Maria Rilke

“One thing I’ve learned in all these years is not to make love when you really don’t feel it; there’s probably nothing worse you can do to yourself than that” —Norman Mailer

“Science is nothing but perception” —Plato