Nissan’s bio-ethanol fuel cell would lower the cost of clean cars
Hydrogen fuel cell cars are eco-friendly, but they come at a steep cost: hydrogen is normally expensive to make and store. Nissan, however, thinks it has a solution. It’s developing a fuel cell system that will use bio-ethanol (generated from crops like corn and sugarcane) as a hydrogen source when it reaches vehicles in 2020. The technology combines the transformed bio-ethanol with air to power an electric motor. You’re theoretically getting a “carbon-neutral” car with much more range than a pure EV — Nissan is aiming for 497 miles on a tank where even the best Tesla Model S runs out of power at 294 miles. And since you wouldn’t need to store hydrogen, you wouldn’t need either giant tanks inside cars or special fuel stations.
Whether or not anyone embraces the idea is another matter. Nissan believes that its bio-ethanol fuel cell would cost as little as an electric car to run, but that fuel still has to come from somewhere. Bio-ethanol requires a lot of farmland, and it’s a stretch to claim that the plants would completely offset the carbon emissions involved in making this a reality.
There’s also the question of whether or not this is little more than a stopgap measure on the way to an all-electric future. Electric car ranges should improve by 2020 — there may not be much point to this fuel cell if you can get an EV that drives just as far. Nissan’s main advantage may simply be the lower cost of the car itself, since early high-mileage EVs will likely be expensive.
Via: Reuters
Source: Nissan
Amazon angers FAA by shipping industrial chemicals via UPS
The FAA wants to slap Amazon with a $350,000 fine for suspected violations of the Hazardous Materials regulations. According to the agency, Amazon has been caught shipping volatile, potentially dangerous chemicals without proper care and attention. In this case, the firm handed a gallon container of a drain cleaner to UPS for a flight between Louisville and Boulder. This wasn’t any old carton of Draino, however, but a chemical called Amazing Liquid Fire, looking like the sort of homemade explosive that’d be pulled from shelves the day it went on sale.
Unfortunately, the bottle leaked, causing panic amongst the nine UPS employees who had to handle the package. They all had to be treated with a chemical wash after reporting the sort of burning sensation you only get when you’ve touched commercial-grade drain acid. Naturally, the FAA wants Amazon’s head, saying that it failed to inform UPS what it was and that the package was improperly sealed. It’s also annoyed that Amazon didn’t provide emergency instructions, which probably caused undue panic to the aforementioned UPS employees.
According to the FAA, this isn’t the first time that Amazon’s cavalier attitude towards package transport has enraged officials. It says that the firm has broken rules 24 times between February 2013 and September 2015. UPS has confirmed, however, that the affected employees were fine after receiving treatment. Amazon, meanwhile, told Reuters that while it won’t discuss specific cases, it sees defects in its packaging as an “opportunity for continuous improvement.”
Via: Gizmodo
Source: FAA, Reuters
Engadget giveaway: Win a Get Together speaker from House of Marley!
This week’s giveaway comes just in time for summer, so you can kick up your feet and pump up the jams. The House of Marley has been carrying the legendary Bob Marley’s legacy forward with its line of audio products crafted from a variety of sustainable and recycled materials. The Get Together Bluetooth speaker is a clear example, with bamboo panels on the front and back, along with the company’s custom Rewind fabric (made from hemp, organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles) to pull it all together. While portable, it’s still built for big sound, with 3.5-inch woofers and 1-inch tweeters packed into its nearly 16-inch wide body. House of Marley has provided us with three of its Get Together speakers to help a trio of lucky readers keep jamming all through summer. Just head down to the Rafflecopter widget for up to three chances at winning.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. Three (3) winners will each receive one (1) House of Marley Get Together Bluetooth speaker ($200 value each).
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until June 15th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Net Neutrality upheld by appeals court
An appeals court in Washington DC has upheld the FCC’s Open Internet Order, affirming that Net Neutrality can live to fight another day. While the appellate judges have had to rule in favor of telecoms companies in previous cases, the FCC’s law is now watertight and is acting within its powers. The decision is likely to stick in the craw of many networks, including AT&T and Verizon, which fought bitterly against provisions to maintain a free and fair market online. Unfortunately, Net Neutrality still has plenty of critics in high places, and several Republican politicians have attempted to gut the FCC in the hope of getting their own way.
.@FCC #OpenInternet rules mean consumers can go where they want when they want on the Internet without interference from network gatekeepers
— The FCC (@FCC) June 14, 2016
In a statement, Tom Wheeler said that “today’s ruling is a victory for consumers and innovators who deserve unfettered access to the entire web.” He added that “the internet remains a platform for unparalleled innovation, free expression and economic growth.”
There are still, however, loopholes that companies can (and do) exploit in order to get around such provisions, like Zero Rating. T-Mobile’s BingeOn and Verizon’s Go90 both get around mobile bandwidth caps, giving preferential treatment to some content at the expense of others.
Via: Politico
Source: FCC
PS4 players can get ‘Modern Warfare Remastered’ a month early
We’ve known the upcoming Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare title would come bundled with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered for a few weeks now. However, at this week’s E3, Sony and Activision clarified just how the availability of the reboot will go down. If you pre-purchase Infinite Warfare bundle that includes Modern Warfare Remastered for PS4, you’ll receive that latter game a month before the duo is officially released on November 4th. Those packages range from $80 to $120 and the pre-release of Remastered will only feature the campaign. Those 10 multiplayer maps will remain under wraps until the first week of November.
You’ll notice we said “pre-purchase” and not “pre-order.” Unlike the usual scenario where reserve a copy in advance, these Call of Duty bundles require you to pay for them outright in order to get access to the perk of having Remastered on October 5th. And again, the deal is only available on PS4. But hey, at least Xbox and PC gamers still have a battle with Kit Harrington to look forward to.
Source: Polygon
Where to watch Nintendo’s E3 announcement stream
Microsoft and Sony made some pretty major announcements yesterday, but we’re not done yet — Nintendo is holding an online press conference this morning. Things may already be winding down on the Wii U era, but we expect Nintendo to show off details on the next Legend of Zelda game as well as some news for Pokémon fanatics. Hopefully there will be some other surprises, as well. It all kicks off at 9AM PT / 12PM ET, and you can watch the YouTube stream below. Of course, we’ll be covering all the news as well.
The best sous vide gear
By Tim Barribeau & Nick Guy
This post was done in partnership with The Sweethome, a buyer’s guide to the best things for your home. Read the full article here.
Over the past four years, we’ve tested over a dozen sous vide setups to find the best for your kitchen. We like the Anova Precision Cooker (Wi-Fi Edition) the best because it’s reliable, works with almost any container, and has a decent app that you will actually want to use. If you don’t need the range of Wi-Fi, Anova also makes a cheaper, Bluetooth-only version.
How we picked and tested
Photo: Nick Guy
There are primarily three different types of sous vide cooker: the immersion circulator that can simultaneously heat and circulate water, the all-in-one but less-precise water bath, and the bring-your-own-heat controller. For most people, in most situations, the immersion circulator is the perfect sous vide cooker. These are gadgets that latch onto the side of a vessel—be it a pot, a plastic tub, or even a cooler—and not only heat the water but also use an impeller to circulate it around the container. Among these, you want something that accurately maintains temperature, is quick to heat up, and is affordable.
This is our fourth iteration of reviewing and recommending sous vide devices for the home, and for this round, we tested five immersion circulators. We evaluated speed (to reach specific temperatures), accuracy, and noise levels. We also looked at power draw after people raised questions about how much energy is used to keep one of these things going for a long cook.
With each, we heated seven liters of water from 69 degrees to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, measuring the temperature at both points with the Thermapen and recording the time to get to temp. We continued to let the circulators run for 12 hours to check for temperature accuracy over longer periods and measure how much power the devices use—but did add hot water as necessary to account for evaporation and to keep the water above the minimum level.
Our pick
The Anova Precision Cooker (Wi-Fi Edition). Photo: Tim Barribeau
The Anova Precision Cooker (Wi-Fi Edition) is the best bet for most home cooks due to its low price, small size, and flexibility. It’s one of the cheapest ways to get into sous vide cooking, and thanks to an innovative adjustable attachment system, the Anova works with a much smaller volume of water than other devices—so now you don’t need to heat up a gallon of water just to cook a couple of chicken breasts. The Wi-Fi version of the Precision Cooker is almost identical to our previous favorite, the Precision Cooker’s Bluetooth-only version. The Wi-Fi version improves on the old design with a simpler, scroll-wheel-based interface that is preferable to the slow-to-adjust touchscreen on the original Anova. The new version also has a beep alert when water arrives at temp, circuit-saving lower wattage, and more quiet performance. The Wi-Fi Precision Cooker is made by a lab-equipment manufacturer with a reputation for accurate and long-lasting gear, which is important for precise cooking.
A less-expensive pick
Top to bottom: The Anova Precision Cooker (Wi-Fi Edition) and its predecessor. Photo: Tim Barribeau
If you want the benefits of the Precision Cooker (Wi-Fi Edition) but are willing to give up some functionality to save a few bucks, the original Bluetooth Precision Cooker is still a great buy. It does everything the newer version does (except for connect to a network) and it usually sells for about $20 less. We found the two models to be equally accurate, equally quiet, and equally power efficient. Oddly, though they seem to be identical, the Bluetooth model we tested did take about five minutes longer to heat up the water bath in our tests, but again, that issue can be mitigated by starting with hot water.
The vacuum sealer
In order to cook with a sous vide machine, you need to put your food in a bag and get out all the air from around it. Some people swear that you need a vacuum sealer to do this (and on occasion it is useful for quick marinades and such), but you could also do it for free with a simple ziplock bag and a method that’ll work just as well in most situations.
Here’s how it works: Put the food in the pouch and almost completely seal it with just a small section remaining open. Immerse the pouch in a bucket of water, leaving the opening just above the water line. Allow the air to escape, slowly pushing the entire thing under, and then seal it just before you submerge the opening. You can see some more discussion of how to do this here and here.
If you’re dead set on buying a sealer, the only major editorial review we found is from Cook’s Illustrated (subscription required). The site updated its vacuum sealer picks in 2014, and this year picked more affordable alternatives to its previous $400 recommendation. Cook’s Illustrated suggests the Weston Professional Advantage Vacuum Sealer as a powerful, heat-sealing model—though it doesn’t seem that widely available. Alternatively, for a valve-sealed model that requires special bags, the site suggests the Waring Pro Pistol Vac Professional Vacuum Sealer System, which didn’t do quite as good a job of sealing as the Weston in tests, but is far smaller and more affordable. Amazon reviewers seem to love it, giving it 4.6 stars (out of five) across more than 100 reviews. Just be sure to stock up on bags.
This guide may have been updated by The Sweethome. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ is Nintendo’s next classic
Nintendo kicked off its E3 2016 livestream with a frankly gorgeous Zelda trailer, showcasing what we’ll get to play and experience when the game eventually lands in 2017 on the Wii U and NX. The style of the entire thing is somewhere between Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, albeit cranked to the max. This is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and it already looks pretty amazing. Was that voice-acting? At least four outfits, including armor? Cooking? Gliding? Oh boy.
Update 1PM ET: Following a lengthy demo of the new Pokémon games, Nintendo is now showing off full gameplay from the new game, and there’s a lot to take in here. First off: The world is massive. Just as promised, Hyrule feels far more alive than ever before, and a quick look at the map makes it seem like the world you’ll get to explore is as huge as Nintendo claims.
There’s also been surprisingly more voice acting than ever before, with a Navi / Midna-type narration in much of the game’s intro. However, the first NPC you encounter is voiced by text on the screen, in classic Zelda fashion. Link also hasn’t yet said a word. There’s also very little fully-scored music to speak of thus far, but there are lots of lovely environmental audio and subtle musical flourishes in the first segment of the game.
Another notable detail from the lush world is that there’s a lot more to collect than ever before — someone on the Nintendo stream mentioned that you wouldn’t pick up hearts in this game. Instead, you forage for food to replenish life. Similarly, you’ll find tools all around the world to use in your quest. One of the first weapons you come across is a “rusty broadsword” that breaks after just a few enemy encounters, so you need to keep finding more items. Those items will often be foraged from enemies you defeat, it seems.
Going along with the open-world theme, it looks like Link has the ability to go pretty much wherever he wants — you can climb walls and there’s a button to let you jump for the very first time in a Zelda game. The game also does very little hand-holding at the beginning; there’s no backstory to speak of. You’re just thrown into the world and need to find your way, a refreshing change from the hand-holding that most games put you through at the beginning these days.
We’ll keep you updated with any other noteworthy details Nintendo drops!
Nathan Ingraham contributed to this report.
PS Vita slasher ‘Severed’ is coming to iOS, 3DS and Wii U
Back in April developer Drinkbox Studios, best known for the colorful platformer Guacamelee!, launched a little game called Severed on the PlayStation Vita. As much as we love Sony’s handheld, it’s not a popular system, so we’re not surprised to hear that the game is headed to other platforms. Specifically, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U and iOS. If you need a quick recap, Severed is a first-person dungeon crawler starring a one-armed warrior named Sasha. The touch-based controls have you fighting monsters and solving puzzles to overcome its bright but creepy world.
The game, which was well received by the press, has been tweaked a little for the new systems. On the Wii U, for instance, you’ll be playing with the chunky GamePad and, most likely, its slide-out stylus. Drinkbox is promising some graphical improvements and support for “Off-TV Play,” meaning you can continue adventuring while someone else is hogging the TV. The studio will also support cross-buy, meaning you can purchase the game once and play it on both your Wii U and 3DS. The App Store version will, of course, be a separate purchase for iPhone and iPad owners.
All three ports are slated for “this summer” and there’s no word yet on pricing. But as a frame of reference, it’s currently $14.99 on PSN.
Extra E3 news! Severed is coming to iOS this summer! https://t.co/u52ZoEpwV9
— DrinkBox Studios (@DrinkBoxStudios) June 14, 2016
El Niño might push CO2 levels to a symbolic high this year
The amount of CO2 measured atop Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano could end up reaching a record high throughout 2016 thanks to the recent El Niño weather phenomenon, the BBC reports. According to a study from the UK Met Office, the volcano’s recorded CO2 levels could stay above 400 parts per million for the entire year, in part because El Niño has had a drying effect in the tropics. You might remember that the NOAA also announced the highest recorded jump in CO2 levels at Mauna Loa earlier this year — El Niño is just exacerbating humanity’s troubling effect on the environment.
While we won’t see an immediate environmental effect by the CO2 levels, it’s still 50ppm higher than what scientists have deemed safe levels. The Earth hasn’t seen steady CO2 levels above 400ppm since three to five million years ago. Additionally, the Met Office expects carbon dioxide numbers to rise by 3.15ppm this year, another record figure (typically we jump 2ppm annually).
“It’s important to note that this year’s rise in CO2 is bigger than the last El Niño, in 1997/8, because human emissions have gone up by 25% since then. So, it’s the natural effect on top of the increasing human effect,” Professor Richard Betts of the Met Office told the BBC.
The most depressing thing about this report? We likely won’t see CO2 levels to dip below 400ppm for a long, long time. There’s a chance that La Niña, an opposing climate event to El Niño that cools the Atlantic Ocean, might push carbon dioxide numbers down, but not enough to go beyond the 400ppm threshold.
If anything, the news is a clear sign that every industrialized country needs to push harder towards reducing greenhouse emissions. It’s not impossible: Scotland just announced that it managed to lower its emissions by 45.8 percent compared to 1990. That’s a full six years ahead of its 2020 goal to reduce emissions by 42 percent.
Via: BBC (1), (2)
Source: Nature
AIVAnet 