ATL裡的推薦歌曲:
Lyfe Jennings--Must Be Nice
Cherish--Do It To It
Youngbloodz--Presidental
Xscape--What's Up
Ludacris--Move Bitch(這首在"全民超人"和"絕地戰警2"裡都有出現過)

電影原聲帶曲目:
http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/question?qid=1007082908787

之前看了一篇朋友po的有關核能的發展!  的確，核能對於未來能源的提供是有相當程度的重要性!

但從生態觀點-海岸珊瑚的白化現象(或許不是核能所造成)…若能找到更多的替代方案，組成多元化能源提供系統，也是不錯考量!

Tide enegry (Wave enegry)或許是可用的選擇之一，特別是台灣四面環海

當然其中牽涉到許多問題，比方能源是否能正常供輸、供給量、如何安度颱風來襲… 工程師這時當然得挺身而出解決問題!!!

November 27, 2008 Like the VIVACE system recently covered on Gizmag, SEARASER is a new approach to utilizing hydro-power as a renewable energy source. The idea works on the conventional principle of using water pressure to drive turbines but achieves this in a unique way. It consists of a tethered wave energy converter which uses the rolling motion of waves to pump water to higher ground on-shore from where it can then be stored and used to create electricity on demand.

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UPDATED November 28, 2008 It’s the first electric superbike and though its range is considerably less than the first modern four-stroke superbike, the 1969 Honda CB750, its top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) is almost identical. Yesterday the first prototype of the TTX01 Electric Superbike was showcased at a press conference for the 2008 NEC Bike Show. Built to demonstrate the potential of electric sports motorcycles for the first emissions-free Grand Prix, the initial prototype is based on a Suzuki GSX750 frame and running gear and runs two 43 bhp Agni Lynch Electric motors arranged in line with the frame. Together, the motors produce 125 Newton Metres of torque and both have been modified to withstand high RPM using Kevlar-reinforced armatures. The vision is to create a lightweight, carbon fiber framed 2WD TTX02 with "hot swappable", 20 kilowatt hour battery packs, regenerative braking and a production run of 50 machines in 2010 with a target price of UKP20,000.

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另外滿推薦你一部電影的 "亞特蘭大兄弟情"(ATL)
片名聽起來好像有點遜
可內容還滿不錯的
有威爾史密斯等大牌後製與推薦
南岸饒舌歌手T.I.飾演本片的男主角
(T.I.就是和Justin Timberlake合唱 "My Love"的那位)
影片中所有的配樂 都是南岸風情的HIP HOP
你應該會滿喜歡的

Brandy那首有我的FU
另一首是辛蒂蘿波的對ㄅ
復古起來了呢 ^^
最近找到幾首不錯的好歌
Unklejam - Love Ya
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
BOA - Eat You Up
Beyonce - Lost yo mind
bobby valentino - Anonymous
Britney Spears-Womanizer
David Archuleta - Crush

好聽新歌大推 Ciara & T-Pain - Go Girl
http://www.supload.com/music/Ciara/Go-Girl/DTT6VRTG9M8J-download.html

November 25, 2008 The Mazda R&D team has fended off some very impressive competition to take out the Los Angeles Auto Show's 2008 Design Challenge. This year's Challenge posed the question - "How will auto racing look in the year 2025?" - and Mazda responded with this rakish three-wheel design that utilizes a patented electronic tire system to draw energy from an electro-conductive road surface and achieve speeds of 250 mphhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_per_hour with no harmful emissions.

The vision for Mazda Kann not only takes a different approach to ways in which power might be delivered to the vehicle (i.e. the blue-sky notion of freeways equipped with a sub-level electro-conductive polymerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer to deliver power to EVs) but also re-thinks the parameters of motor racing itself. Instead of individuals vying for a podium position, KAAN would reinvent the team element of the sport by allowing up to thirty vehicles to use a peleton-like formation to increase their aerodynamic advantage.

The Mazda Kann was chosen over a number of thought-provoking design concepts including offerings from MercedesBehind-the-Line-Mercedes -Benz, ToyotaToyota and Audi by virtue of its high level of innovation and technology as well as truly unique styling.

"The scope of the entries this year was very impressive and in the end it came down to which team had the most innovative and artistic design that could go beyond the expectations and challenges of racing today," said Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc. "Mazda's designers created an optimistic vision of 2025 and ultimately brought unique styling back to motor sports."

More pics and details of all the entries can be found here.

Source: Los Angeles Auto Show.

November 25, 2008 In offering the world the first glimpse of the Volvo S60http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_S60 Concept car which will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Showhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_show in early January 2009, the Swedish auto manufacturer is giving an indication of what the all-new Volvo S60 will look like when it is launched in 2010. Little information is available at this time, but Volvohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo has indicated the car will “deliver a sporty drive like no Volvo before.” The only other significant information released with the accompanying image is that the interior features a floating centre stack made of hand-crafted Orrefors crystal, “shaped in a graceful, transparent wave from the instrument panel all the way to the rear seat backrest.” Clearly a first in automotive interiors, the crystal panel “appears to float above the centre stack's ergonomically designed functionality and rests gently on rubber pads.” Can’t wait!

"We both can, and dare, to deliver more exciting and more dynamic designs while maintaining our lead position in safety. The concept car shows part of our future, it's a hint that the all-new S60 will be one of the strongest contenders in the CD premium segment," says Stephen Odell, President and CEO at Volvo Carshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile .

The first picture reveals the coupe-inspired silhouette that gave the original S60 its unique stance. It has now been further accentuated. "The concept car's design gives a visual promise of enthusiastic driving characteristics and I can assure you that the all-new S60 will deliver a sporty drive like no Volvo before," says Stephen Odell.

The sleek coupe-like roof line is accompanied by entirely new shoulder contours, a gentle double wave from the headlamps at the front of the car to the tail lamps at the rear.

"The inspiration comes from the Swedish coastline's cliffs and seas," explains Volvo Cars' design director, Steve Mattin. He adds: "The concept car's exterior gives a clear indication of what customers can expect of the all-new S60. On the inside we've been even more daring – there the focus has been on creating a vision of the future."

Among the interior features is a floating centre stack made of hand-crafted Orreforshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrefors crystal. It is shaped in a graceful, transparent wave from the instrument panel all the way to the rear seat backrest. The crystal panel appears to float above the centre stack's ergonomically designed functionality and it rests gently on rubber pads.

"In a concept car the aim is to give your imagination a free rein and our iconic super-slim centre stack was the perfect object. Using pure crystal is a thrilling experiment. We may well see interior features in crystal-like materials in the future," says Mattin.

November 25, 2008 It seems like forever since we knew it was coming, and it’s still nine months before the launch but finally, here are the first images of the new Porsche four door, the Panamera. PorschePorsche has developed several new V-configuration six and eight cylinder power units for the Panamera that range in power from 300 to 500 bhp. Some of the engines use turbochargerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbocharger technology and Direct Fuel Injection making them both fuel-efficient and powerful all in one. The flow of power to the wheels goes either through a manual six-speed gearbox or the new seven-speed Double-Clutchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch Gearbox, the so called Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK).

The official press release reads as follows:

StuttgartBehind-the-Line-Mercedes . Roughly nine months before the actual market launch, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has released the first official photos of the Panamera in its final look. In its design, profile and silhouette, Porsche’s unique four-seater stands out clearly as a new member of the Porsche family. Conceived and designed as a four-door grand touring sports carHow-to-Import-Your-Own-Supercar , the Panamera combines numerous talents in typical Porsche style: sporting driving dynamics, a generous and variable interior, and the supreme driving comfort of a Gran Turismo. Joining the 911, Boxster and Cayman sports carshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile as well as the sporty SUV Cayenne, the Panamera is Porsche’s fourth model series.

The designers of the Panamera have succeeded in positioning this unique car as a brand-new and truly different model while nevertheless retaining the looks of a typical Porsche. Through its proportions alone, the Panamera stands out clearly in its market segment: measuring 1931 millimetres or 76.0 inches in width, the Panamera is wider, and measuring 1418 millimetres or 55.8 inches in height, lower than comparable four-door models. The unmistakable, sleek GT silhouette is created by the car’s overall length of 4970 millimetres or 195.7 inches and short, sporting overhangs front and rear. In its styling and details, the Panamera follows the design philosophy refined over decades on the 911 and successfully implemented also on the Boxster, Cayman and Cayennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayenne .

Through its design language alone, the Panamera will establish a new segment versus the competition. The symbiosis of sports car DNA derived from the looks of a coupé, the unique interpretation of the classical saloon body and the benefits of a variable space concept give the new Porsche its truly unmistakable appearance. As an example, the Panamera comes with highly individual, strongly contoured air intakes instead of a conventional radiator grille. Striking wheel arches and the long and sleek engine compartment lid create that typical 911 “landscape” at the front end of the car the Porsche customer has appreciated for no less than 45 years, with the distinctly contoured wings as flanks bordering on the flat front lid. The V-shaped seams along the engine compartment lid and the rear window tapering out like an arrow to the rear convey the features characteristic of a sports car to the new, highly individual Panamera class. The striking, muscular shoulders over the rear wheels, the dynamic sweep of the coupé-like roofline, and the visible tailpipes again bear out all the DNA so typical of a thoroughbred Porsche.

The elegant roof arch extends stylishly over the generous interior, simply begging the beholder to get inside. Like all Porsche models, the Panamera is oriented in every respect to the needs and wishes of the driver. But now, thanks to the new concept of space and the sporting architecture of the interior, the car’s occupants are also able to experience this special “pilot feeling” on all four seats. All four occupants enjoy supreme ergonomic comfort on both the front seats and the two firmly contoured single seats at the rear. The luggage compartment easily takes up all the passengers’ luggage. The variable space concept with its folding rear seat backrests enables the driver and passengers to adjust the luggage space individually to their personal requirements. And last but not least, the coupé tailgate in the sporting rear end combines superior suitability for daily use with stylish elegance.

Porsche has developed superior and up-to-date power units for the Panamera again reflecting all the qualities typical of the brand – the V-engines within the engine compartment come with six and eight cylinders and range in power from 300 to 500 bhp. Some of the engines use turbocharger technology, Direct Fuel Injection making them both fuel-efficient and powerful all in one. The flow of power to the wheels goes either through a manual six-speed gearbox or the new seven-speed Double-Clutch Gearbox, the so called Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK).

In addition to sporting rear-wheel drive, the top version of the Panamera comes with even more sophisticated all-wheel drive, which is also available for the other versions as an option. As a further highlight, Porsche is preparing a particularly fuel-efficient version of the Panamera with hybrid drive. Further details on the engines, transmissions, performance, prices and equipment will be disclosed next spring.

The Porsche Panamera will be built at Porsche’s Leipzig Plant, where a production hall measuring some 22,000 square metres or almost 237,000 square feet and a logistics centre are currently under construction. While the engines featured in the Panamera are built at Porsche’s Main Plant in Zuffenhausen, the painted bodyshells will be supplied by the Volkswagen Plant in Hanover. The Leipzig Plant will then assemble the Panamera for final delivery, with an annual sales target of some 20,000 units. Porsche is once again cooperating largely with German suppliers in the production of the Panamera, with some 70 per cent of the car’s overall value being created domestically. Hence, the Panamera is most definitely a car “Made in Germany”.

The Panamera will be making its world debut in spring 2009 and the first models will be at dealers worldwide in late summer of next year. Porsche's Panamera microsite can be found here

yup.............I hope I could make wine by myself someday with the interesting machine in CA.~

The most important thing is I will find the machine asap. after arriving at Silicon Valley...hahahahaha

 

November 24, 2008 Two years ago we wrote quite bullishly about the impending launch from a Siliconhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon Valley start-up producing US$4500 domestic devices for artisan winemaking and we’re pleased to report that WinePod has since won countless awards, and is now set to spawn a more affordable, entry–level personal winery – the Garagiste. The US$2000 Garagiste presses and ferments wine in a self–contained unit and makes four cases of world-class wine per fermentation – personally, we’d still go for the much smarter upmarket model because it is so clever and connects to your computer for micro fermentation monitoring and management.

Sadly, neither the WinePod or the Garagiste involves bare-footed maidens squishing the grapes, but if you’re a wine buffVintage-Champagne-Prices , you’ll really appreciate the science of making a fine wine. For those who are not so certain they’ll be able to master the science and art of a vigneron, step-by-step instructions are available through the WineCoach instructional software that comes with the Garagiste and a worldwide social networkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network of WinePod winemakersUnusual-Wine-Labels to connect with. There’s also advice from professional winemakers, online support and access to premium grapes including cabernet sauvignon from Rancho Sarco and Napa River Ranch in Napa Valley; pinot noir and chardonnay from Sangiacomo Vineyard in Sonoma Valley and syrah from Annadel Vineyard in Sonoma Valley.

By Tom Foremski - November 22, 2008

DK Matai, chairman of the ATCA Open has written a terrific essay about how global shipping has come to a halt because of the lack of letters of credit.

Just five months ago it cost about $234,000 to rent a 170,000 tonne Capesize bulk carrier. That priced has collapsed 98 per cent to less than $5,000!

That means that globalization has come to a screeching halt. Read more:

The Global Shipping Halt: Is The Great Unwind Disrupting The Freight Market?

By DK Matai

Freight shipping prices for transporting dry raw materials have collapsed in November 2008. The Great Unwind is like a Tsunami that is engulfing and halting the shipping world at an accelerating rate. The Baltic Dry Index sounds like a weather report, but what it really does is track the price of shipping bulk cargo -- such as coal, iron ore, cotton and grain. Recently, the Baltic Dry Index has fallen through the floor. It has slumped by nearly 95% over the past five months. In real dollar terms, at the peak of the market in June, a 170,000-tonne Capesize bulk carrier cost USD 233,988 to rent. Recently, it was available for USD 4,793 - that is a crash of 98% and is below the cost of paying for crew, insurance, maintenance and lubricants. Why?

1. Of the USD 13.6 trillion of goods and materials traded worldwide per annum, 90% rely on letters of credit or related forms of financing and guarantees such as trade credit insurance. International shipping works on "letters of credit." These financial guarantees are issued to buyers of bulk cargo by their banks. This system has greased the wheels of global trade for the last 400 years by transferring payments internationally from buyer to seller once shipments have been delivered. With the collapse of the credit market - and banks now sitting on their hands, refusing to lend - the fast-moving wheels of global shipping have come close to halt.

2. There is a collapsing demand for credit driven expensive product purchases like cars and as a consequence, the transport of associated raw materials and sub-assemblies. Auto sales are falling in double digit percentages across most of the G7, ie, the US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy and Canada. The pace of car sales growth is slowing down across most of the remaining G20 nations as well, including China and India.

This is a massive disruption in the freight market with asymmetric consequences for world trade, which poses systemic risk for many nation states. Liquidity has to return because if there is insufficient money to provide standard finance, world trade is being sharply cut back and economic growth is not only stalling but likely to implode. If cargo trade stops, a whole lot of supply chain disruptions start. For example, if the iron ore does not go to the refinery, there is no plate steel. If the plate steel does not get shipped, there is nothing to fabricate into components. If there are no components, there is nothing to assemble in the factory. If the factory closes the assembly line, there are no finished goods. If there are no finished goods, there is nothing to restock the shelves of the shops. If there is nothing in the shops, the consumers cannot buy. If the consumers cannot buy, there can be no sales!

On a more sobering note, if bulk shippers cannot buy cargoes, then a lot of US and world grain could end up rotting in warehouses while big portions of the world go hungry. For example, the Saudis are the biggest importers of food in the Middle East. They probably have the money to pay cash for their food shipments and may not therefore need letters of credit. But for the approximately 2.7 billion people in the world who spend 80% of their income on food, a disruption in the global shipping trade could mean the difference between quiet poverty and going hungry day-in, day-out. That will not last for long before there is social disorder on a massive scale.

The Baltic Exchange based in London is the world's leading maritime marketplace. Their dry index, a measure of shipping costs across different ship sizes, hit a record high of 11,793 points in May but has since fallen by 93% to 815 points last week. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said that the financial crisis had begun to affect international trade, noting sharp falls to key shipping indices. Much lower shipping costs mean national markets are more contestable by foreigners, which should limit the ability of domestic firms to raise prices and therefore this should reduce the possibility of inflation. We can safely conclude that the majority of The Great Unwind's forces moving through the markets now seem to be deflationary, and not inflationary.

The ravaged worldwide demand for cargo ships is due to the chronic global financial crisis affecting credit availability, an unprecedented synchronised economic downturn across most of the major national economies in the world caused by massive demand destruction, and the resultant collapse in commodity prices. At the same time, container rates in the Asia-Europe routes have plummeted by around 75% this year and a price war between companies seems to be driving rates lower and lower, destroying the profitability of container shipping and placing huge stresses on companies struggling to meet their commitments. A significant component of the dramatic decline in shipping indices has been due to the difficulty in arranging trade finance during the credit crunch. Demand has been slashed because the global credit squeeze has made it very difficult for buyers to attract funding. At the same time, perceived counter-party risk in the physical markets has slowed trading to a trickle, exacerbating the freight slide. Many big players involved in the shipping of dry commodities and goods cargo are unwilling to trade with some parties fearful of their financial footing. There are big chains of owners of the chartered ships in the supply chain, so if someone goes bankrupt half way through the chain, it has a knock-on domino effect for everybody else. Another problem is that there are quite a significant number of players walking away from cargoes at present. So anyone who has taken cargoes to hedge the vessels they have chartered is now finding themselves with the ship without the cargo to carry.

ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, on November 5th said its global output will decline by more than 30 percent. Cia Vale do Rio Doce, the world's biggest iron-ore producer, said last month that it will cut production.The fall in demand for many raw materials, which began at the beginning of June, first squeezed the profit margins of producers since they faced fixed high raw material costs and falling prices for their finished products. This was followed shortly by a squeeze of freight costs as they tried to pass the pressure from the profit margins to the freight market. One could be forgiven for not noticing what the world has experienced in recent years by way of an unprecedented growth in shipping and shipbuilding, fuelled by cheap imports from Asia and the seemingly unstoppable rise of economies such as China and India with their insatiable demand for raw materials. For some time charter rates went through the roof and reached a zenith in May/June this year and demand for new ships out-stripped supply. A different picture is now emerging. Companies are starting to struggle with too many ships chasing ever decreasing rates.

This slump not only means a fall in revenues but also less revenues to service debts. In turn, the current 'credit crunch' means extreme difficulties for struggling shipping companies seeking to raise capital. UNCTAD revealed in its annual maritime transport review that the world's merchant fleet had expanded to a record 1.12 billion deadweight tons, with the order book for new vessels reaching a peak of 10,053 ships in 2008. However, from mid-2008, companies were cancelling new ships on order, even when they were losing their 10% deposit in tens of millions of dollars. Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Japan's largest bulk shipping company is said to be considering laying-up and even scrapping vessels as revenues collapse. MOL may mothball some of its largest vessels. The company is considering scrapping seven of its Capesize dry bulk ships from its fleet of a 100 vessels. This suggests that MOL may be getting ready for a protracted down turn lasting several years. Reports are already filtering through of companies seeking sheltered waters to lay up their giant vessels to weather the financial storm. Just as in the days following the oil crisis in 1973, we could see the same happening with the great lumbering bulkers and container vessels, which now seem less and less attractive as they ply the waters with their great bellies less than full. In the space of less than half a year we have seen the shipping world ride the crest of a massive globalisation expansionary wave and then plunge into a financial storm that could sweep most vessels off our oceans, and with them, companies who cannot weather the crisis caused by The Great Unwind.

We welcome your thoughts, observations and views. To reflect further on this, please respond within Facebook's ATCA Open discussion board.

Best wishes

DK Matai

Chairman, ATCA Open

-- ATCA, The Philanthropia, mi2g, HQR --

This is an "ATCA Open and Philanthropia Socratic Dialogue."

The "ATCA Open" network on Facebook is for professionals interested in ATCA's original global aims, working with ATCA step-by-step across the world, or developing tools supporting ATCA's objectives to build a better world.

- - -

November 23, 2008 Lamborghini appropriately held the worldwide debut of the Lamborghini GallardoInexpensive-High-End-Sports-Cars Nov-07 LP 560—4 SpyderDrive-Like-a-Million-Bucks at the Los Angeles Auto ShowDetroit-Auto-Show-2008 – Southern California accounts for approximately 30 percent of all Lamborghini sales in the United States, the brand’s largest global market. As the successor to the best-selling Lamborghini of all time, the new LP 560-4 Spyder combines the Coupé’s design, performance and handling characteristics with the open-air pleasures of a soft top super sports car. The 560-4 Spyder offers a new 5.2 liter engine with 40 additional horsepower than its predecessor; allowing it to sprint from 0-62 mph in only four seconds with a top speed of 201 mph.

“The LP 560-4 is the best example of the Gallardo to date and will be a great contribution to Lamborghini’s future success,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “The entirely new LP 560-4 Spyder adds another dimension to the Gallardo’s lineage with extreme design language and class-leading performance.”

The car’s agility has also been greatly refined with a new, lighter transmission, which allows increased shift times by 40 percent (Corsa Mode), combined with an all-new chassis, suspension and Lamborghini’s permanent all-wheel drive system. Despite increased performance, fuel consumption and CO2 emissionsGreen-Business-Travel have been reduced by 18 percent.

Since 2003, more than 8,500 Gallardos have left the production facility in the birth place of all Lamborghinis in Sant’Agata, Bolognese, Italy. The Gallardo LP 560-4 Coupé was first unveiled to the world at the Geneva Motor ShowBentley-versus-Rolls-Royce Mar-12-2008 in 2008 with the dynamic launch taking place in Las Vegas later that spring. Each person who experienced the new Gallardo on the track or the streets unanimously agreed: the Gallardo LP 560-4 is an all-new car that can be enjoyed on any driving surface. Since, the new Gallardo has been critically acclaimed by customers and the media for its extreme performance, aggressive design and increased drivability. The highly anticipated LP 560-4 Spyder is set to continue this legacy. The Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder is now available to order from dealers worldwide, with customer deliveries commencing Spring 2009.

In 2007, the United States market accounted for 39 percent of total Lamborghini sales worldwide and remains the brand’s largest global market. Since the beginning of 2005, Automobili Lamborghini has strategically increased its global reachOne-World-One-Phone from 65 to 119 dealers worldwide; 31 of these dealers are located in the United States. Last year was a record year for the brand with 930 Lamborghinis delivered in the United States and 2,406 delivered worldwide.

November 23, 2008 HondaHonda pulled the wraps off a Fuel Cell Sport design study model at the Los Angeles Auto ShowDetroit-Auto-Show-2008 this week, The hydrogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen -powered, three-seat FC sports car concept emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel cell technology - already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan - and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is claimed to offer supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain.

"The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "People who love sports carshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_car will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future."

The high-output Honda fuel cell powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle's performance potential. A modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain contribute to the FC Sport's low center of gravity with the majority of vehicle mass distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.

The ideal placement of the Honda V-Flow fuel cell stack and related components demonstrates the benefits of a platform-specific, hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain. The FC Sport is configured to accommodate a custom-formed high-power fuel cell stack, located between the rear seats, and a battery pack placed low in the middle of the vehicle. The electric motorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_motor resides just forward of the rear axle. Two fuel storage tanks, visible from above, are located above the rear axle.

The optimal placement of fuel cell components for performance also allows for a relatively large passenger cabin by conventional supercarDrive-Like-a-Million-Bucks standards with enough space for three seating positions. The interior layout focuses primarily on the driver with a racecar-like center driving position. The enclosed canopy opens upward from the rear to allow for entry and exit. Two rear passenger seats flank the driver's left and right side.

The sleek, low-profile body is designed to convey a high-technology appearance with sculpting that combines angular shapes in the front of the vehicle that taper into geometric, hex forms in the rear. The rear hex forms house cooling radiatorshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiator for the fuel cell. Formula 1-style barge boards behind the front wheels enhance high speed aerodynamics and convey the vehicle's racing pedigree. The hydrogen storage tanks, visible from the rear deck, showcase the FC Sports fuel cell technology in much the same way that a "naked bike" motorcycle showcases its engineering technology.

The glacier white body color conveys the FC Sport's clean environmental aspirations while the dark wheels and deeply tinted glass provide a symbolic contrast befitting of the vehicle's unique combination of clean power and high performance. Green construction techniques further contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. An organic, bio-structure theme is carried through to the body construction where exterior panels are intended to use plant-derived bio-plastics.

comment 1.寫得真好!   "All the better to spy with no our own citizens, my dear..." E-mail | Save | Print |

Yahoo! Buzz  Digg  Newsvine  Reddit  Facebook What's this? DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — If only we could be a fly on the wall when our enemies are plotting to attack us. Better yet, what if that fly could record voices, transmit video and even fire tiny weapons? That kind of James Bond-style fantasy is actually on the drawing board. U.S. military engineers are trying to design flying robots disguised as insects that could one day spy on enemies and conduct dangerous missions without risking lives. "The way we envision it is, there would be a bunch of these sent out in a swarm," said Greg Parker, who helps lead the research project at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. "If we know there's a possibility of bad guys in a certain building, how do we find out? We think this would fill that void." In essence, the research seeks to miniaturize the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle drones used in Iraq and Afghanistan for surveillance and reconnaissance. The next generation of drones, called Micro Aerial Vehicles, or MAVs, could be as tiny as bumblebees and capable of flying undetected into buildings, where they could photograph, record, and even attack insurgents and terrorists. FIND MORE STORIES IN: Afghanistan | Virginia | Iraq | Arlington | Dayton | Mavs | Washington D.C | Lexington Institute | Loren Thompson | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base | Center for Defense Information | Greg Parker By identifying and assaulting adversaries more precisely, the robots would also help reduce or avoid civilian casualties, the military says. Parker and his colleagues plan to start by developing a bird-sized robot as soon as 2015, followed by the insect-sized models by 2030. The vehicles could be useful on battlefields where the biggest challenge is collecting reliable intelligence about enemies. "If we could get inside the buildings and inside the rooms where their activities are unfolding, we would be able to get the kind of intelligence we need to shut them down," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Virginia. Philip Coyle, senior adviser with the Center for Defense Information in Washington D.C., said a major hurdle would be enabling the vehicles to carry the weight of cameras and microphones. "If you make the robot so small that it's like a bumblebee and then you ask the bumblebee to carry a video camera and everything else, it may not be able to get off the ground," Coyle said. Parker envisions the bird-sized vehicles as being able to spy on adversaries by flying into cities and perching on building ledges or power lines. The vehicles would have flappable wings as a disguise but use a separate propulsion system to fly. "We think the flapping is more so people don't notice it," he said. "They think it's a bird." Unlike the bird-sized vehicles, the insect-sized ones would actually use flappable wings to fly, Parker said. He said engineers want to build a vehicle with a 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) wingspan, possibly made of an elastic material. The vehicle would have sensors to help avoid slamming into buildings or other objects. Existing airborne robots are flown by a ground-based pilot, but the smaller versions would fly independently, relying on preprogrammed instructions. Parker said the tiny vehicles should also be able to withstand bumps. "If you look at insects, they can bounce off of walls and keep flying," he said. "You can't do that with a big airplane, but I don't see any reason we can't do that with a small one." An Air Force video describing the vehicles said they could possibly carry chemicals or explosives for use in attacks. Once prototypes are developed, they will be flight-tested in a new building at Wright-Patterson dubbed the "micro aviary" for Micro Air Vehicle Integration Application Research Institute. "This type of technology is really the wave of the future," Thompson said. "More and more military research is going into things that are small, that are precise and that are extremely focused on particular types of missions or activities." Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.