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Archive for November, 2009

Nothing lasts forever, and one of the things that are going to run out in a short while is oil. Fossil fuels have been used for a very long time as a means of generating much of the energy needs of the globe. From cars to electricity and plastics, these fossil fuels have been burned and transformed into heat energy and a million other products.

Today, however, the oil reserves are drying up and a world energy crisis is beginning to take shape. With renewable energy solutions, however, this can be averted. Endless supply of resources Renewable energy solutions are the means of generating the energy needs for humans through resources that are in endless supply right in our environment. The sun and wind, for instance, are classic examples of renewable energy sources. These can be harvested through the use of photovoltaic solar cells or through wind turbines connected to generators. There are, however, other alternative sources of energy that more and more scientists are developing.

Biofuels

Among these is the use of biofuels. Biofuels are essentially oils derived naturally from plants and which can be used to replace petrochemicals. They are still burned to create energy, but they are generally less harmful than actual fossil fuels. The water is another of the major free sources of energy. Apart from watermills that work through the movement of running water, waves and tides can also be used to generate energy.

Tidal energy

Tidal energy, for instance, is harnessed by employing machines that are moved by the rising and falling of the water levels. Because the planet continuously spins around its axis and around the moon and sun, tides will always be present. This makes tidal energy one of the potential renewable energy solutions that should be developed further. Whether through homemade solar panels or DIY wind turbines, there is plenty of renewable energy strategies that you can undertake to ensure that you are protected from the world energy crisis.

About the Author
Switching to homemade energy solutions is easy when you have the right information, tools, and plans. Whether for reducing your electricity bills or for making a stand for the environment, homemade energy solutions for you and your family are available at http://renewable-energy-ideas.info.

TOKYO -Colour Code Technologies showcased their patent-pending QR code innovation at the Mobile Asia Congress in Hong Kong last week.

Their innovative Colour Construct Code (CCC) is capable of storing more than x100 the amount of data of more conventional barcodes by using pixellated colours. Through their technology, QR codes can be used to encode any type of digital data without requiring an internet connection to import information.

Chris Carey, Director at Colour Code, showed me some examples of the kind of content they are converting into QR codes. One of these was the latest single by Japanese rock group, The Tenka (see photo above). By scanning the QR code on the leaflet, the software installed on a mobile phone is capable of converting the data into a song almost instantaneously.

Another advantage is that the Colour Codes can be printed on paper and stickers with inkjet printers, so reducing distribution costs and extending mass market opportunities.

Colour Code is in talks with various Japanese government agencies to use their codes for public services, for example for storing and accessing patient records in hospitals.

QR codes are extremely common in Japan and part of daily life whether you are a visitor at the airport (used at passport control) or a shopper in retail stores (commonly used for promotions).

Colour Code Technologies is therefore well positioned in its home market to deliver the necessary data storage upgrade to QR codes to allow them to meet the data hungry needs of increasingly rich media.

Published by Ric

[oecd]Employment is continuing to drop in the information and communications technology (ICT) goods sector and remaining flat in most ICT services, according to a new OECD report.

Employment in ICT manufacturing dropped by around 6-7% year-on-year in most countries in the second quarter of 2009. Sweden is the only exception with a smaller decline (3%), but Swedish job losses were accelerating. The United States has fared worst and the year-on-year downturn in ICT manufacturing employment reached 10% in September 2009. Since 2004 Chinese employment in the ICT manufacturing sector has been growing strongly, dropping dramatically in the beginning of 2009, with a negative growth rate of 5% in the second quarter compared to second quarter 2008.

Employment in the ICT sector continues dropping

Any after Thanksgiving deals?

One of the biggest shopping days of the year is fast approaching, and the deals aren’t limited to laptops or a new pair of socks. Often, Black Friday can be the best day to buy a new car.

Unfortunately, demand for hybrid cars has typically been too high to offer many deals on hybrids, but could things be different this year?

A few months ago, for instance, Toyota Prius supplies were tight. These days there is more selection. Perhaps that will lead to some Black Friday specials? Likewise, Happy Honda Days are going on now. Might they not be a little happier this Friday?

Anyway, I’ll be hitting several dealerships on Friday. If I find any deals, I’ll be posting them in the comment’s section of this post. So, stay tuned if you’re seriously in the hybrid market.

Is the grid ready for plug-ins?

The Department of Energy is awarding $620 million for smart grid demonstration projects. And that’s fine. Of course, inevitably, one must ask how much will full scale implementation cost?

Numerous estimates thus far have put the cost at hundreds of billions. Yet, even some utilities have claimed that very little smart grid technology – if any – is necessary to get plug-ins going. Of course, that’s a very regional issue.

Nonetheless, what is the future of the plug-in vehicle?

Many studies, for instance, have suggested that the most efficient plug-in vehicles are either short range plug-ins hybrids, or pure EVs with swappable batteries. If market forces eventually dictate this reality, how much of a smart grid is really needed to electrify America’s transportation system?

Ultimately, is the plug-in revolution – a majority of market share – totally dependent upon hundreds of billions of smart grid technology? Or are plug-ins only one variable in the need for a new grid? Also, is there any danger this might lead to an over-centralized and monopolized energy infrastructure?