Hawaii's mass transit may be electric

As if we needed an excuse to go to Hawaii!

The Aloha State, and former home to our President-elect, will soon be installing an alternative transportation system. The system will be modeled after similar technology used in electric cars.

The system will couple the Internet and multiple charging stations to reduce the number of issues that come along with the technology (slow recharging and not enough stations).

However, I think the most fascinating thing about the project is the funding. So far it has been private investments being poured into the project.

Shai Agassi of Better Place L.L.C. in Palo Alto, Calif is spearheading it but has also received support from national governments, regional planning organizations and one major car company.

It is interesting to see the private sector merge and overlap what will essentially be a public benefit. I cant say I believe that this is the best way to operate public needs, but it may actually work in this case.

"Better Place would become a major customer for electricity and was also planning to invest in renewable energy sources that would be connected to the electric grid," reports the NY Times.

Hawaii has been called the perfect place for such a project, but I still have some questions. For example, there are many remote areas inland (maybe not as much on the Big Island), making it problematic.

It kind of irks me that the majority of these innovative technologies are never really questioned. The article talks about "working through the difficulties" but never explicitly says what those may be.

This article doesn't really ask the questions of feasibility, it really just reads like a press release. Dont get me wrong, I'm all for environmentally-friendly changes. But Hawaii's economy depends greatly on tourism, which is said to be down 14 percent in October compared to the previous year

But Obama's election is apparently starting to increase the tourism to the state. Sure, thats my excuse too.


-Erin

Roadtrip to Space, Anyone?

Beginning as early as 2011, space tourism will be as "cheap" as $95,000 a ticket aboard a Lynx craft, thanks to the development of this new rocket by XCOR Aerospace of California.  Tests flights are scheduled to begin in 2010, with paid flights beginning as early as 2011.  

This company is competing against Virgin Atlantic Airways offshoot, Virgin Galatica, which is currently developing a sever-person craft known as SpaceShipTwo, which sells seats for $200,000.  Over 200 people have already reserved seats aboard SpaceShipTwo and have put down their deposit of $20,000.

Lynx passengers ride along-side the commander during the 30 minute flight to 61 km above the Earth.  Although they are strapped down, they still experience about a minute of weightlessness and can look out the cockpit windows at the Earth below. 

More information can be found by clicking here.

-Michael Strachan

.Tel

A new domain name is in the works. Tomorrow is the first day where companies and organizations can register Web addresses with .tel, according to an article on the NYTimes.com. This new domain stores and encrypts contact information directly into the Domain Name System and has the potential to become a phone book for the Internet.

"A .tel domain name links to the contact information of businesses, organizations and individuals. Information can include telephone numbers; link to Web sites, including a Facebook or MySpace page; e-mail addresses; instant messaging names, and, if you wish, identities for virtual games such as Xbox Live or Second Life," the article reads.

Because this information is stored on a DNS, rather than a server, when a person updates some of their personal information like a phone number or address with that .tel account, it will be automatically updated in friends address books who also have their .tel information stored on their phone.

Lauren D.

From YouTube to Carnegie Hall

On Monday a new YouTube Symphony Orchestra project was announced in San Francisco, London and New York.  The goal of this project is to create an orchestra with 100 members from around the world, who will come together to perform April 15 at Carnegie Hall.  

The project will be conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony.  "YouTube is the biggest stage on Earth, and I want to see what the world's undiscovered musical geniuses will create on it,"  said Chinese-born composer Tan Dun, before appearing at the news conference at Google's London headquarters.  

The Orchestra will perform a new work by Tan, written for them and dubbed "Internet Symphony No. 1, 'Erioica.'"  

In the first phase, musicians everywhere are invited to learns Tan's "Eroica" by downloading their parts from the new orchestra's YouTube site at www.YouTube.com/Symphony.  

To compete for a spot, the musicians must record their performances and upload the videos to the site, then a panel of experts from different Symphony's will narrow the field to the best participants.  Anyone who watches YouTube can vote on their favorites, from the final picks.  

The winners will be then flown in April to a three-day music summit in New York, led by Tilson Thomas and culminating with the Carnegie performance.

After reading this article I began wondering what YouTube will com up with next?

-Carly Youngren 

Even More Fuel-Efficient Vehicles are on the Way

Even as gas prices continue to drop, teams of developers are still working to produce a car that is more energy efficient than anything out there.  One model is powered only by batteries that weigh less than two grown men while another features "doorless sides" to help reduce drag.

As stated on MSNBC.com, "In one recent study, scientists discovered a thermoelectric material that increases fuel efficiency by 10 percent or ore.  In another, engineers found that a simple electrically charged tube attached to the fuel injector could boost mileage by up to 20 percent."

While neither products are ready for production quite yet, both are helping to get the ball rolling in producing a car for the future.  Until then, lets continue to hope prices at the pump continue to fall.

-Michael Strachan

Internet for All!

December 18 will be the decision day for FCC to vote on whether or not to provide free broadband wireless internet service across the country. This is definitely something to be excited for.

While many Americans have internet access, whether it's at school or home, there are still many rural places where people either have very slow internet or no internet at all. FCC hopes to bridge the gap between those who have high-speed internet to those who don't.

This idea was first proposed in 2006 where airwaves would be sent across the United States to provide wireless internet for all. They call the airwave. AWS-3. Did I also mention that the idea proposed for wireless internet, for all, will be... free?

If FCC approves this plan, our computers, phones, or whatever people use these days to surf the web, might just detect internet connection anywhere in the United States within a year. Not to worry, intital usage of the free internet will need a confirmation of any persons 18 years or older in order to insure that children will not have access to adult contents on the web.

Internet carriers are not happy about this plan, which is why FCC has not gotten a chance to vote on this idea until they are sure it is best for the country, and the company that's sole purpose is to sell what might be offered to consumers for free.

Either way, it's exciting and it's great to see our country finally bridging the gap of technological innovations between those who can afford, to those who can't afford internet.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2008-12-01-free-broadband_N.htm

Ching

Cyber Monday

Today was an official "Cyber Monday" according to a report by USAToday. The retailers in cyber world saw an increase in sales today after Black Friday sales was reported down by 5% and down 8% the day after this Thanksgiving.

Today, approximately 280 retailers online experiences 4.6 million visitors per minute as their peak. Retailers online have cut prices, not only nationally, but globally as well. Best Buy and Victoria's Secret experienced the most traffic on the sites from visitors all around the world.

Visitors are tracked through Web tracker Akamai Technologies'. Although this year's Cyber Monday is almost over, the National Retail Federation's promotes special deals on CyberMonday.com. Maybe we will experience another Cyber Monday after Christmas. Find the deals and grab them before someone else does.

Ching