Lifeboat Foundation

The spectacular growth of the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market in China continues; state media reports that sales were up a massive 162% to 170,000 units in the first half of the year. NEVs include pure-electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).

The 170,000 NEVs were divided by 134,000 EVs and 36,000 PHEVs.

The new numbers confirm China’s position as the largest market worldwide for NEVs. The United States follows at a respectable distance in second place with sales of 64,000 EVs and PHEVs.

Continue reading “The Boom Goes On: China’s Electric Car Sales Up 162% So Far This Year” »

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning on going to Mars. NASA estimates that the cost will only be around $300 million.

Ever since Musk founded SpaceX is 2002, with the intention of eventually colonizing Mars, every move he has made has been the subject of attention. And for the past two years, a great deal of this attention has been focused specifically on the development of the Falcon Heavy rocket and the Dragon 2 capsule – the components with which Musk hopes to mount a lander mission to Mars in 2018.

Among other things, there is much speculation about how much this is going to cost. Given that one of SpaceX’s guiding principles is making space exploration cost-effective, just how much money is Musk hoping to spend on this important step towards a crewed mission? As it turns out, NASA produced some estimates at a recent meeting, which indicated that SpaceX is spending over $300 million on its proposed Mars mission.

Continue reading “NASA Estimates SpaceX 2018 Mars Mission Will Cost Only $300 Million” »

Fighter pilots and brain surgeons have a lot in common. With limited time and a high degree of risk, they must zero in on a dangerous target with the intent to destroy, making sure to minimise any collateral damage.

Perhaps no one understands that relationship better than Alon Geri and Moty Avisar, veterans of the Israeli Air Force and co-founders of Surgical Theatre, an Ohio-based company that brings state-of-the-art virtual reality to brain surgeons.

Physicians in thick black goggles can step inside a patient’s skull, explore the malformed region, craft a strategy for entry, elimination, and exit, and even do dry runs of the surgery itself. When it comes time to make the first incision, there are fewer surprises.

Continue reading “A team of ex-fighter pilots have invented a new way for surgeons look inside brains” »

https://youtube.com/watch?v=LTTX2408n3o

Technology is amazing and can be used to help so many. When I position technology; I do so in showing how it helps folks to combat devastating diseases, live life fully even if they became paralyzed at some point in their life and with technology they can walk again, etc. I caution folks to ensure that when we introduce technology that we explain our message well to the broader masses; or risk not be adopted.

We have to do a better job in explaining how AI, BMI, etc. will help the population. When we present things like BMI, Cell Circuitry, etc. we must market how folks used the technology to combat a disease, a disability, or be able to live a more fuller life, etc. I keep seeing either no message or the wrong message being presented to the masses. Instead of waiting for the technology being available; we must take consumers on a journey of possibilities that they can have with tech.

Continue reading “Religion plays a role in attitudes toward human enhancement technologies” »

This is the type of hijacking that the US DHS has been worried about. And, now we’re looking at self-driving Big Rigs and commercial jets.; as I stated last year I would hesitate in allowing autonomous planes and Big Rigs until we have a breech proof connected infrastructure in place.

As researchers demonstrate digital attacks on a 33,000 pound truck, car hacking is moving beyond consumer vehicles.

It reminds of the medieval knight armor.

Power Armor. A powered exoskeleton with a tough outer shell, coupled with twice the mobility of a normal soldier and the strength of an elephant.

Continue reading “Science Explains: Power Armor” »

Could this help on the whole IoT security challenge — TBD.

A $9.4 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) could lead to development of a new technique for wirelessly monitoring Internet of Things (IoT) devices for malicious software – without affecting the operation of the ubiquitous but low-power equipment.

The technique will rely on receiving and analyzing side-channel signals, electromagnetic emissions that are produced unintentionally by the electronic devices as they execute programs. These signals are produced by semiconductors, capacitors, power supplies and other components, and can currently be measured up to a half-meter away from operating IoT devices.

Continue reading “DARPA-Funded Project Could Develop New Technique for Wirelessly Monitoring Malicious Software on IoT Devices” »

Where is PETA when you need them.

When we think of drones, we still often think primarily of their military uses, despite the fact that they’re increasingly becoming a part of our everyday lives. Drones serve an impressive range of roles in the military, commercial, public, and civilian sectors. They’re also becoming more and more affordable and accessible. If you’ve been to an open-air event with a decent crowd lately, there was probably at least one person there flying their personal drone around, taking aerial footage to upload to social media.

Continue reading “10 Crazy Things Drones Are Being Used For Right Now” »

We saw the animated video; now check out the real thing.

What was once a crazy bus/train-hybrid idea has turned into reality, as China’s elevated bus has just undergone its first test run in Qinhuangdao. The Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) was first touted in 2010 as a solution to the traffic woes in the country, and was revealed in miniature form during the 19th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo in May this year.

Continue reading “China’s elevated bus is real, travels above car traffic” »