Topic Title

Hello,

Microsoft is improving it's competition with Google Earth, and it has one main advantage; called Bird's eye.

You need to open this URL:

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx

If you turn on "Aerial" or "Hybrid" you will see a 3D globe with overlaid satellite photos. The MS version uses completely different images for various zoom levels, and when you are zoomed in closely (over the USA, anyway) you need to try the "Bird's eye" option -- the clarity and 3D-ness of these is excellent. There are four views (from each compass point) and you cannot rotate them, but I think you'll find them superior to what you see in Google Earth.

I still prefer Google Earth for the overall view, and it has better usability, IMO. But for the best detail views, give Live Search Maps a try. (A catchy name, it isn't!). Another advantage the the MS version has is, you don't have to install a specific program to use it.

Wow! That's great and a little scarry. And I thought Google was the Big Brother. Guess I'll have to give up my spring time tanning in the back yard.

WOWWIE WOW WOW, I didn't try to use the rotate feature untill today. That's soooooo sweet.

[Mark F. Madura]

GoodCleanTech
http://www.goodcleantech.com
GoodCleanTech aims to provide you with news, tips, advice, and ideas about how to do more with less. With the help of the editors and analysts at PC Magazine, we’ll praise those companies that have committed to better ecotechnologies and hold to the fire the polluters and resource hogs. And we’ll keep you informed about the latest environmentally friendly developments in the worlds of PCs, automobiles, fuel, power, and more.

Energy Star
http://www.energystar.gov
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

80 Plus
http://www.80plus.org
80 PLUS is an innovative, electric utility-funded incentive program to integrate more energy-efficient power supplies into desktop computers and servers. Participating utilities and energy efficiency organizations across North America have contributed over $5 million of incentives to help the computer industry transition to 80 PLUS certified power supplies.

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
http://www.epeat.net
EPEAT is a system to help purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. EPEAT also provides a clear and consistent set of performance criteria for the design of products, and provides an opportunity for manufacturers to secure market recognition for efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products.

RoHS Directive
http://www.rohs.gov.uk
The RoHS Directive stands for "the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment". This Directive bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.

GreenLiving Information Platform
http://greenliving.epa.gov.tw/greenlife/green-life/english.aspx

AllGREEN
http://allgreen.com/site
The goal of AllGreen Magazine and AllGreen.com is to introduce and promote green living, and bring it to the mainstream by providing in-depth news, how-to articles and informative features on home, business, technology, travel and products.

greenzer
http://www.greenzer.com

Clean Air Cool Planet
http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org
Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) is the region's leading organization dedicated to finding and promoting solutions to global warming.

Voluntary Carbon Offset Information Portal
http://www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/carbonoffsets
Consumers who are concerned about the extent of their environmental impact, but who cannot avoid flying completely, may wish to neutralize their travel emissions by purchasing carbon offsets. Individuals can calculate the amount of carbon they are personally responsible for and then purchase an offset for that amount. The funds the offset company receives are then used to implement and manage projects that avoid, reduce or absorb greenhouse gases through renewable energy, energy efficiency, or forest and other bio-sequestration projects.

The Gold Standard Foundation
http://www.cdmgoldstandard.org
The Gold Standard Foundation offers a quality label to CDM/JI and voluntary offset projects, fetching premium prices. Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects with sustainable development benefits are eligible. The Gold Standard is endorsed by over 49 non-governmental organizations worldwide. Gold Standard projects are preferred by a range of government and private actors.

The Voluntary Carbon Standard
http://www.v-c-s.org
The VCS Program provides a robust, new global standard and program for approval of credible voluntary offsets.

VCS offsets must be real (have happened), additional (beyond business-as-usual activities), measurable, permanent (not temporarily displace emissions), independently verified and unique (not used more than once to offset emissions).

The Climate Trust
http://www.climatetrust.org
The Climate Trust invests funding from power plants, businesses, organizations and individuals into projects that offset the GHG emissions resulting from activities such as generating electricity, running a business, driving, flying, heating a home, etc. Offsets are a critical piece of the climate change solution, and because offsets can be readily implemented using existing technology, they make a difference today.

NativeEnergy
http://www.nativeenergy.com
NativeEnergy helps you help build Native American, farmer-owned, community based renewable energy projects that create social, economic, and environmental benefits. Native Americans and farmers traditionally care for and care about the environment because they are also very dependent on the gifts of the Earth for their survival. They are seeking a way to build their economies and their communities. This is one of the reasons we developed our novel approach to renewable energy; we want our business - our work - and so also our customers' purchases, to make a real difference.

The Climate Protection Partnership
http://www.myclimate.org
myclimate - The Climate Protection Partnership - is based on the concept of voluntary and innovative solutions for climate protection and the promotion of renewable energies and energy efficient technologies.

Carbonfund.org
http://carbonfund.org
Carbonfund.org is leading the fight against global warming climate change, making it easy and affordable for any individual, business or organization to eliminate their climate impact and hastening the transformation to a clean energy future.

CarbonCounter.org
http://www.carboncounter.org

Acorn Studios
http://www.acornstudios.ca/index.htm
Located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Acorn Studios transforms electronic waste into fashionable and eco-friendly giftware that both celebrates & saves the environment.

Hello,

A little more info on the 80Plus:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article814-page1.html

[Mark F. Madura]

Luxim's Plasma Lightbulb
Silicon Valley's Luxim has developed a lightbulb the size of a Tic Tac that gives off as much light as a streetlight.

Lightbulb of the Future?

Lightbulb of the Future?

Could be, but don't hold your breath. Normally, only three things count in a light bulb - efficiency, spectrum, and service life. This bulb brings another issue - usability. It works at 6000 deg. C. This is likely to limit its applications.

There are times when halogen bulbs are impractical because of the heat issues.

And what do you get anyway? There was some local discussion on this a week or so ago. At 140 lumen/W it is twice as efficient as a LED but is likely to come at high price and heat sink material is not the sort of thing that drops in price with improving sales.

I wonder, even though he did say that the "temperature" at the center of the bulb was 6000 deg Kelvin and was similar to the sun's "temperature", that he wasn't referring to the "color temperature". If it were truly 6000 deg. Kelvin in "heat temperature", wouldn't the man in the video putting his hand on the operating light fixture been vaporized?

They also said that significantly more of the energy was being turned into light instead of heat and that was why it is much more efficient. If twice the energy of watt of electricity was being turned into light (as relating to an LED) instead of heat, how is that little bit of energy that is being wasted as heat generating such a high temperature? It would seem that they have then stumbled upon a GREAT way to boil water to turn a turbine.

I might have misunderstood, but that's the way it appears to me.

Hi Tico,

I think that you are right -- another hint is that if it is 140 Lumens/watt, then where is all that heat coming from?

Hello Boys,

I didn't take it as a ready-to-be-sold invention. Don't be so anxious!

It's pretty much as a GREAT DISCOVERY which already can be shown. Even partially, what he shows is great, indeed.

Its reasonable to expect for the future that availability, price, limitations, and many other issues should be addressed before it's made ready on the marketplace.

But, that is a great invention, for sure.

Thanks,
Miguel

Hello Boys,

I didn't take it as a ready-to-be-sold invention. Don't be so anxious!

It's pretty much as a GREAT DISCOVERY which already can be shown. Even partially, what he shows is great, indeed.

Its reasonable to expect for the future that availability, price, limitations, and many other issues should be addressed before it's made ready on the marketplace.

But, that is a great invention, for sure.

Thanks,
Miguel

Si

Hello,

I wonder if this is picture of very high voltage DC transmission lines?

There is already a well-used 3100MW HVDC system in California called the Pacific DC Intertie that went online in 1970. There is also a 2000MW one that runs from Quebec down to James Bay MA that went into service in 1991.

Dave

Hello,

An update of my Scion xA's gas mileage: the government web page that Mark posted says that the "new" combined mileage of 30mpg. My overall average for the three years that I've owned it is 37mpg+. (The other two drivers that have shared their mileage average 35mpg.)

The most recent tank full, I got 42.33mpg -- which is the best I have ever gotten! I have inflated my tires to 38psi, I drive <60mph, I coast in neutral as often as possible trying to anticipate stops, I draft on the highway when possible, I don't use the defrost setting as this always turns on the A/C, and when I'm in stop and go traffic, I am accelerate very slowly and I try to time the gap to the vehicle ahead of me so I don't have to use the brakes.

Hello,

My overall average for the three years that I've owned it is 37mpg+. (The other two drivers that have shared their mileage average 35mpg.)

The most recent tank full, I got 42.33mpg -- which is the best I have ever gotten! I have inflated my tires to 38psi, I drive <60mph, I coast in neutral as often as possible trying to anticipate stops, I draft on the highway when possible

So if your chasing this sort of adventure, and now that we are in the 1990s, why are you not doing it with LPG?
I know Josh had an LPG truck but I never got to know what the broader picture is over there. (Not that it is as good as it ought to be over here....)