millisonecological.com

With Google’s smart-charging software, the plug-in electric vehicles could effectively fill that “grid regulation” role, Reicher said.

Google has invested $45 million in outside companies, including start-ups in concentrating solar power, capturing energy from high-altitude wind, and enhanced geothermal systems.

Google co-founders Sergey Brin (left) and Larry Page plug in a RechargeIT car in 2007.

Google now operates a fleet of plug-in hybrid cars–converted Toyota Priuses and Ford Escapes–at its corporate headquarters, where it gathers data on their mileage performance.

In his talk, Reicher said that Google engineers are working on a number of other energy-related research and development projects in an effort to make renewable energy less expensive.

By getting information from a smart meter or another device, PowerMeter can display a home’s energy usage in real time and provide details on how much big appliances consume, which should allow people to find ways to reduce electricity usage.

“You can tell the power generators to power up or you can tell 250 cars to stop charging. It’s exactly the same difference,” he said. “It could be that the car charges for two minutes and then goes off–whatever is most effective.”

One of the people taking part in the project is renewable-energy engineer Alec Brooks, who worked on Tesla Motors’ grid-to-vehicle strategy before joining Google about a year ago.

(Credit:
Google)

Energy R&D at Google

Smart charging is seen as an important conduit to widespread use of plug-in electric vehicles. Although there aren’t yet large numbers of mass-produced plug-in electric cars, the auto industry is expecting to start releasing mainstream electric vehicles in the next year.

“This is just good software meets good hardware. This doesn’t have to be rocket science, and we can do it without having to put the grid at risk or change a lot of things,” he said.

(Credit:
Google)

The search giant is researching a number of energy-related technologies, including
car charging software, where IT and “ET,” or energy technology, meet, said Dan Reicher, director of climate change and energy initiatives at Google.org.

One of its projects, still in the experimental phase, is writing software to better manage when plug-in electric cars are charged, Reicher said at the Kema Utility of the Future conference here Thursday.

Solar panels on carport roofs at Google's headquarters.

Reicher added that Google is planning to announce deals with European utilities around its PowerMeter home energy-monitoring software.

Other companies are already working on smart-charging tools. Smart-grid company GridPoint last year acquired V2Green and tested its grid-to-vehicle software with General Motors’ Chevy Volt. The software can speed up or slow down car battery charge times and provide information to utilities to help manage fluctuations in load.

For its part, GM said it expects to have smart charging available with the Chevy Volt when that car is released in late 2010. In conjunction with GM’s online OnStar service, the smart charging is designed to allow consumers to take advantage of the best electricity rates, executives said.

Like other companies, it has looked into vehicle-to-grid technology through which electric vehicles’ batteries would feed stored electricity to utilities during peak times. That technology remains experimental.

WASHINGTON D.C.–Google is developing “smart charging” software to ensure that plug-in electric vehicles don’t cause traffic jams on the power grid.

There is some concern that millions of plug-in electric vehicles charging at the peak times, such as around 5:30 p.m. when people return from work, could cause power disruptions or require construction of new power plants.

The software is also designed to simplify matters for grid operators. To maintain a steady frequency on transmission wires, utilities typically call on power generators to increase or decrease the flow of electricity to match the demand, Reicher explained after his talk.

To address this, Google has written software with “vehicle dispatch algorithms” that can decide how to best charge cars, Reicher said. In addition to smoothing out the load on the grid, smart charging makes it easier to take advantage of solar and wind power, which are variable sources of electricity.

One project involves working on heliostats, the mirrors used to concentrate light on solar thermal systems. Google engineers are working on control systems–heliostats need to follow the light during the course of the day–and on making heliostats less expensive to manufacture.

Last month, Google said that eight utilities in the U.S. and Canada are using PowerMeter with their smart-grid trials. PowerMeter is a Google gadget that can be embedded into a Web page.

By contrast, Reicher said, smart charging is a simple, one-way grid-to-car connection, rather than a two-way communication link between the car and grid. And smart-charging software can be implemented in the near and medium term, he said.

The ratings–either gold, silver, or bronze–cover monitors and desktop computers right now. The organization, which is made up of manufacturers, recyclers, and advocacy groups, is in the process of establishing an EPEAT rating for televisions, printers, and copiers. It also expects to take on consumer electronics and servers, according to executive director Jeff Omelchuck.

To get the EPEAT certification, manufacturers need to fill out a complex form, which is reviewed by EPEAT. It also performs independent audits, sometimes through third parties, “to keep them honest,” according to Omelchuck. The nonprofit is funded by members’ fees.

“When you get outside the public sector, we are all seeing higher awareness around the environment,” Hoffman said.

Federal agencies are required to ensure that 95 percent of their computing equipment is EPEAT-certified. The actual adoption rate, however, is lower with about 13 of 22 agencies last year approaching the 95 percent purchasing market, according to Sarah O’Brien, director of communications at the Green Electronics Council.

Registries for monitor and PC buyers will now be able available in Canada, Europe, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Mexico. The Green Electronics Council says it now has 1,300 products listed and participation of 30 vendors, which represents $60 billion in tech purchases.

(Credit:
Green Electronics Council)

While the Department of Energy-run EnergyStar rates energy efficiency, EPEAT covers other factors including the amount of toxic material used in electronics, manufacturers’ recycling and take-back policies, and packaging.

The Green Electronics Council said Monday it is making its EPEAT rating system, now mandated in U.S. government agencies, available for computer gear sold in other countries.

Corporate computer buyers are showing growing interest in the EPEAT rating, said Steve Hoffman, director of strategic marketing and sustainability initiatives at Hewlett-Packard, which has had EPEAT-certified equipment since 2007.

Products certified by EPEAT–which stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool–are listed in a registry. Products are judged on 23 attributes that make up an environmental performance rating. There are 28 optional attributes as well.

(Credit:
Taiwan Tech)

Thomas and Janet practice a kiss, and fortunately for us, there is no tongue involved.

A team at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology spent three years developing and programming the smooching bots, which with the help of servo motors that pull at the face and mouth, can form six expressions–fewer than the highly expressive Einstein Robot, but sometimes sacrifices must be made for romance. The team used manual molding, non-contact 3D face scanning, and 3D face morphing to make the movements realistic.

With robots now doing everything from strutting the fashion catwalk to greeting hotel guests, it was only a matter of time before our humanoid friends started engaging in public displays of affection. Exhibit A: Thomas and Janet, two performance bots who made out publicly in front of hundreds during a December 2008 robotic production of “Phantom of the Opera” in Taiwan (racy robot lip-lock video is only making the rounds now).

“Available service robots could be very expensive and are only used at certain places. However, tickets for theater performance are affordable for everyone,” Cheng said.

Cheng noted that last December’s performance did hit some glitches when motors malfunctioned unexpectedly and signals on walkie-talkies used by stagehands interfered with the network that controls the robots.

Li-Chieh Cheng, a PhD student at Taiwan Tech’s Intelligent Robot Lab, told IEEE Spectrum at the recent International Conference on Service and Interactive Robotics that performances like the one featuring Thomas and Janet have the potential to bring advanced robotics to a broader audience.

Thomas and Janet are clearly going to need to meet up for more kissing practice. To which we say, “Get a room!”

Microsoft plans to offer a new 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter for the
Xbox 360 for $100, reports Ars Technica, citing unnamed sources. The publication also said that Microsoft’s current 802.11g wireless adapter will cost $79.99 when the new adapter is released. It’s currently on sale for $99.99.

(Credit:
Microsoft)

According to Ars Technica, its source said that the new 802.11n wireless adapter “will feature two antennae for better reception, and should help deliver the bandwidth needed to stream 1080p video instantly.” The source didn’t say when it would be released.

A Microsoft spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail message to me on Wednesday that the adapter would “seamlessly connect with (the user’s) home network with the highest wireless ‘N’ technology.” The company wouldn’t divulge any details on price or availability.

Updated at 1:52 p.m. PDT to include Microsoft’s comments.

Check out Don’s Facebook profile, Twitter stream, and FriendFeed.

Although a $79.99 wireless adapter will appeal to some, it’s a hefty price to pay for last-gen wireless technology. And $100 for an 802.11n wireless adapter just to connect to Xbox Live without cables seems rather steep as well. That said, we have to keep in mind that, so far, these prices are unconfirmed.

Wireless connection to Xbox 360? It'll cost you.

Aliens are saying to us: “We can take you any time you like.”

Some, mainly human beings, chuckled at the prospect. Perhaps they should stop chuckling.

It must be very difficult to stay interested when you’re running the world’s largest small ad company, so the appearance of a couple of alien-related doodles suggest that Google’s management has finally spaced out.

This is the location where the first aliens floated to earth in H.G. Wells’ 19th century masterwork–and, for all I know, the Jeff Wayne concept album of the 1970s–called “The War of the Worlds.”

We will soon discover that ‘google’ is, indeed, the Planet Bunga’s word for “We own you, dummies.”

And we will all be subject to the Bungans rather esoteric way of thought and deed.

And, in an attempt to show just how far they can take their dominance, there is every reason to suspect that otherearthly beings have already implanted their own thought-processes into the brains of Google’s leaders. Hence, the declarations about brain-implanted search.

I know some, especially those who hug singularity to their bosoms, cannot wait for the day.

The latest doodle, which appeared Tuesday, reveals a similar spacecraft to the one that supposedly commemorated the Japanese video game Zero Wing. However, this one seems to be flying over crop circles.

However, I think they are fooling everyone. After all, crop circles are clearly the creations of alien beings who are merely toying with our farms, the very elemental organizations that prop up our ailing, stomach-stuffing society. And National Geographic is reporting that many new crop circles have appeared overnight.

To accompany this mystery–or perhaps the selling of the majority shareholders to the rulers of another planet–Google offered these coordinates on its Twitter page: 51.327629, -0.5616088.

It has been said, not least by senior people at Google, that the company dreams of the day when we have Google search implanted in our brains.

(Credit:
Google.com)

The worldly wise have suggested that these coordinates point to a town called Horsell in Surrey, England.

It would have been Wells’ 143rd birthday September 21.

Read: More stores about ReQall | Evernote

(Credit:
ReQall)

Items are linked by text. If you have a ReQall item that says, “Buy present for Joan,” the related items you get will be those that have “Joan” in them or the word “present.” And since Evernote recognizes text in photos you’ve stored on the service, you might find related pictures as well. If you have the Evernote app on your phone, when you click on the related item, ReQall will launch Evernote for that note.

The link will be available only in the mobile app for the time being; the ReQall Web service will get the link “soon,” CEO Sunil Vemuri told me.

The clever memory jogger service and voice-recognizing mobile software app ReQall is getting a link to my favorite note-taking app, Evernote.

You need a pro ReQall account, $24.99 a year, to use this feature.

I’m most interested in this addition since I’m a big Evernote user, and one of Evernote’s biggest weaknesses is that it doesn’t have a to-do list manager. This isn’t quite that, but if you do use ReQall for to-dos, now they’ll hook into related topic pages from Evernote.

The new
iPhone version of ReQall puts a “related items” option on all entries. That option will link you to other ReQall entries as well as Evernote items that match up.

The Related Items button links you to Evernote and ReQall entries that share keywords. In the rightmost of these screenshots, the image items are in Evernote. The others are in ReQall.

BioSolar's biomass backsheets for solar cells will work with existing industrial manufacturing machines.

BioSolar has filed a patent application for a new type of backing for photovoltaic cells.

The BioBacksheet-A can meet the requirement of thin-film photovoltaics “to have a water vapor transmissions rate of nearly zero,” according to BioSolar.

The company is also trying to make it easy for interested solar manufacturers to make the switch from petroleum-based components. BioSolar’s rolls of biomass backsheets can be used with existing industrial machines, according to the company.

A backsheet is the bottom layer of a photovoltaic cell used by solar manufacturers to protect the cell from moisture, temperature fluctuations, and the elements.

The company announced that it was developing plant-based plastics for solar-cell components, which included the use of cotton and castor beans, in August 2008.

BioSolar’s BioBacksheet-A, a new addition to the company’s line of backsheets, consists of a sheet of aluminum foil sandwiched between two layers of polymer made from renewable plant sources. The aluminum used in the sheets is also 100 percent recyclable.

“BioSolar’s goal is to reduce the costs of solar modules and make solar energy greener by replacing petroleum-based module components with bio-based materials made from renewable plant sources,” David Lee, CEO of BioSolar, said in a statement.

(Credit:
BioSolar)

Report: Wolfram Alpha to offer API for data feeds

Listen now:

Apple’s new OS geared for multicore future

Download today’s podcast

Today’s stories:

Are medical imaging procedures always worth the risk?

WoodPellets.com stocks coffers for winter

Stephen Shankland reports on the depth of the
Snow Leopard upgrade: It’s not just 64-bit; the new OS X can run programs on the graphics chip, and has new facilities for handling multicore CPUs. Also, new dangers discovered from CT scans, the space shuttle docks, and wildfires encroach on technology in Los Angeles.

LA fires threaten cell phone, broadcast towers

Apple, AT&T face yet another iPhone MMS lawsuit

Apple says it’s not to blame for ‘exploding’ iPhones

Microsoft’s Bing decides on bribery

Discovery glides to smooth space station docking

It’s official: Apple event Sept. 9

In the U.K., though, the company will have to stop using “LED TV” to describe these sets. The Advertising Standards Authority, a self-governing body set up to police advertising standards, has ruled that the term violates two of the country’s advertising codes for being misleading. According to the ruling, “the ads must not appear again in their current form.”

(Update 9/2/2009, 2:04 p.m.: The ASA determined that the term “LED TV” can be used in the U.K., provided there is additional description to clarify that the TVs in question are using LED backlighting technology.)

Of course the ruling has no bearing outside the U.K. The Federal Trade Commission enforces truth-in-advertising standards in the United States, but has not yet taken similar action.

(Source: DisplaySearchBlog via EngadgetHD)

Among makers of LED-backlit LCD displays, currently Samsung’s U.S. Web site, as well as those of LG and Toshiba, use the phrase “LED TV,” while Sony’s and Sharp’s do not. We’re hoping Vizio avoids the misleading lure of “LED TV” as well.

When Samsung’s first edge-lit LED-backlit LCD displays hit stores last spring, we were careful to point out that despite the company’s use of the term “LED TV” to describe the sets, they were just LCD displays with a fancier backlight. That didn’t stop Samsung from using the term in its worldwide advertising, however, some of which has appeared on CNET.

(Credit:
DisplaySearchBlog)

(Credit: Dopplr)

In an effort to stop the bleeding at the cell phone giant, Nokia has been acquiring a string of smaller companies. With intense competition from Apple’s
iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry, Nokia has been struggling to keep pace in the mobile industry. Om Malik compares the acquisition spree at Nokia to what we have seen at Yahoo in the last few years.

It will be interesting to see how Dopplr as a service fits into Nokia’s strategy. It’s unclear at this point if it wants the business as it exists, its technology, or its talent. Dopplr has a fairly small, but hardcore user base and has intense competition from companies like TripIt, so it is a curious acquisition choice. If it keeps the service intact at all, look for Nokia to roll out a mobile version of Dopplr out as an exclusive app on their devices.

Dopplr's CEO, Marko Ahtisaari

TechCrunch is reporting that Nokia has just acquired social travel start-up Dopplr. The rumored acquisition price is between 10 million and 15 million Euros, which is around $15 million to $22 million.