light_bulbs

light_bulbs, 29 days ago to random

Fairbuds are Fairphone’s proof that we really could make better tiny gadgets
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/04/fairbuds-take-the-fairphones-repairability-down-to-seemingly-impossible-size/

“Swap the batteries, tips, charging case, shell, or even just individual buds.”

light_bulbs, 3 months ago to random

1/ My gripes with virtually all big tech companies:
– They get people to spend money—not by building compelling products but by dirty tricks and lock-in.
– They have become greedy with fees etc.
– They focus on new features and not on maintenance and repairability. Quality has been declining.
– They use their patents and oligopolies to prevent competition.
– If you have a problem, it’s often difficult to get help.
– They use their power to promote tech as a solution in areas where it isn’t.

light_bulbs, 3 months ago to cycling

“Study finds that once people use cargo bikes, they like their cars much less”

“Cargo bikes started as something you'd see in images from Europe—bakfiets loaded up with groceries or sometimes kids. Now they're getting more popular, and seemingly for good reason. A new study out of Germany suggests that once you let people try them, they tend to have a real impact on car use, and even car ownership.”

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/01/study-finds-that-once-people-use-cargo-bikes-they-like-their-cars-much-less/

#Cycling #CargoBikes

light_bulbs, 4 months ago to Trains

“Traffic increases on Trenitalia night trains”
“More than 2 million passengers chose to travel on Trenitalia’s Intercity Notte night trains in 2023, an increase of 25 per cent. These are the latest statistics from the public group.”
https://www.railtech.com/all/2024/01/11/traffic-increases-on-trenitalia-night-trains/

#Trains #NightTrains

light_bulbs, 4 months ago to Trains

“Italy and Germany will finally get a high-speed train connection”
“The first route, which is in the works, is a service connecting Milan and Munich, passing through Innsbruck (Austria).”
“The first Frecciarossa journeys between Italy and Germany are scheduled for the end of 2026 […]”
https://www.themayor.eu/en/a/view/italy-and-germany-will-finally-get-a-high-speed-train-connection-12291

Transit time will improve from over 7h to over 4h.
https://www.reisereporter.de/reiseziele/europa/italien/direktzuege-von-muenchen-nach-mailand-sollen-spaetestens-2026-fahren-63XHSFPRRAJZ4KSSSO2FNOZOW3.html

#Trains #HighSpeedRail

light_bulbs, 4 months ago to cycling

1/ Warning system against “dooring” (bicycles driving into doors opened by passengers of parked cars) by Volkswagen: The “exit warning system operates by scanning the area behind the vehicle using two rear radar sensors. In the event of a potential hazard, an LED light in the exterior mirror activates as the first warning level […] If a door handle is operated, the door undergoes a temporary prevention from opening, and an audible warning signal is triggered.”
https://momentummag.com/volkswagen-introduces-advanced-exit-warning-system-to-help-stop-dooring-incidents/

#Cycling

light_bulbs, 5 months ago to cycling

“London cycling numbers up a whopping 20% since the pandemic”

“Cycling in London has experienced a remarkable resurgence, with the latest data from Transport for London (TfL) indicating a 20% increase in cycling in 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic baseline in 2019. The findings, presented in the Travel in London report, showcase a positive trajectory for cycling, building on the momentum gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

https://momentummag.com/london-cycling-numbers-continue-to-rise/

#Cycling

light_bulbs, 5 months ago to cargobike

1/ “Large cargo e-bikes designed for commercial applications have surfaced. One notable example is the PelicanTrain from French start-up Pelican. The vehicle can transport up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of cargo.”

“The PelicanTrain’s unique design allows users to attach trailers, enabling them to transport substantial amounts of cargo. In essence, the PelicanTrain is an e-bike that functions like a train.”

Product idea: a camper based on this bike

https://cleanenergyrevolution.co/2023/12/04/new-cargo-e-bike-can-carry-loads-of-over-1000-pounds/

#CargoBikes

light_bulbs, 5 months ago to TeslaMotors

World’s first sodium-battery-powered car created by Volkswagen&JAC

Benefits of sodium batteries over lithium batteries:
– “Sodium is cheaper than lithium because it’s 1400 times more abundant.”
– Sodium doesn’t require “environmentally destructive mining practices.”
– SB work well at down to −40°F (−40°C). LB lose 30% of their range at 25°F (−4°C).
– SB last for 3000 charge cycles. LB last for 500.

SB are still not as energy-dense as LB but slowly catching up.

https://cleanenergyrevolution.co/2023/12/01/worlds-first-sodium-powered-car-created-by-volkswagen-jac/

#EV

light_bulbs, 6 months ago to random

“Armed with the Vision Zero plan [to prevent all traffic-related deaths], Hoboken has steadily been making incremental changes to its streets and transportation policies — with profound results.”

“While pedestrian deaths in the US reach 40-year highs, Hoboken hasn’t reported a single traffic death since January 2017, and injuries have dropped 41%.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-11-20/this-new-jersey-mayor-ended-traffic-deaths-with-a-vision-zero-plan

#Urbanism

light_bulbs, 6 months ago to random

Austin lets citizens apply for:
– Healthy street: “three to four-block street closure [using a semi-permanent traffic calming infrastructure], providing safer space for hiking, biking, and general community enjoyment”
– Play street: “close a single block for up to 12 hours a week on up to three chosen days of the week for use as a play and gathering space for kids and families”
– Block party: “closing a single block for up to 24 hours for neighborhood events”

https://austin.towers.net/austins-living-streets-could-make-your-neighborhood-walkable-again/

#Urbanism

light_bulbs, 6 months ago to sustainability

Solutions for a more circular economy mentioned in the article:

1. Phase out fossil fuels, boost renewables
2. Reduce material demand
3. Rethinking petrochemicals, especially plastics
4. Reducing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use
   https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/circular-economy-poised-to-go-beyond-outdated-oil-gas-and-coal-experts-say/

#CircularEconomy #Sustainability

light_bulbs, 6 months ago to random

“Where you live is as important as what you eat”
“Air quality, heat, and food in your neighborhood have a big influence on your health. Future urban design needs to take this into account.”
That’s why all people need easy access to healthy food and healthy surroundings. Otherwise, only people who can afford it, lead long and healthy lives.
https://www.wired.com/story/wired-impact-cities-health/

#Urbanism #UrbanDesign

light_bulbs, 6 months ago to random

Often, your particular use case dictates what vehicle you’ll use, but in general:

walking > bike > ebike > cargo bike > microcar/cabin scooter > small car > large car > truck

Criteria:
– sustainability
– danger to other road users
– space consumption (mobile and stationary)
– wear & tear on transport routes

Sharing vehicles can help with stationary space consumption and sustainability.

light_bulbs, 6 months ago to Trains

New in Austria’s night trains: “‘Mini Cabins,' which are single sleeping berths located in the couchette cars. These Mini Cabins are designed in a pod-like fashion, with berths stacked in two layers, resembling a dormitory setup that allows each individual to create their own private sanctuary.”
https://www.railtech.com/rolling-stock/2023/10/30/obb-night-trains-will-have-pods-for-solo-travellers-from-december-on/

Destinations: https://www.nightjet.com/en/reiseziele

Source of photo: https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/nightjet-plans-mini-capsules-for-private-travellers/55208.article

#NightTrains #Trains

light_bulbs, 7 months ago to random

“Why electric cargo bikes are 10× faster than delivery vans”

“One of the latest examples of e-bikes as a delivery van alternative comes to us from Man Maid, a British handyman service that delivers at-home services for carpentry, plumbing and other home fixes.”

“As [the company’s founder] explained, ‘with the heavy traffic and the congestion during rush hour, we’re 10 times quicker than a van would be’.”

https://electrek.co/2023/10/10/why-these-electric-cargo-bikes-are-10x-faster-than-delivery-vans-in-a-city/

light_bulbs, 7 months ago to Hydrogen

“Study findings may dramatically lower the cost of producing green hydrogen”
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-green-hydrogen.html

Downside of current green hydrogen: “the inevitable use of expensive precious metal catalysts, such as iridium oxide”.

“A research team […] have succeeded in significantly reducing the cost of green hydrogen production by implementing an anion exchange membrane water electrolysis device with excellent performance and durability by introducing a carbon support.”

#Hydrogen

light_bulbs, 7 months ago to random

1/ It’s depressing how circular and predictable war is: Unless people evolve emotionally, it never ends.

How can we stop these doom loops? As with many big horrible things, wars start small, via dualistic thinking:
– right vs. wrong (not multiple perspectives)
– winners vs. losers (not rising tides lifting all boats)
– a focus on competition (not cooperation being the actual norm)
– etc.

I’m not arguing in favor of naive pacifism but in favor of multi-dimensional thinking and bigger pictures.

light_bulbs, 8 months ago to cycling

Describes what it’s like to use a cargo bike and reviews the Trek Fetch+ 2:
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/09/haul-it-all-treks-latest-e-bike-offering-is-a-cargo-bike/

Using cargo bikes: “[…] you end up with a bike I wouldn't want to use for a ride unless I absolutely needed its cargo-carrying capacity. In fact, if all you need is a couple of items, it's probably better to throw on a backpack and take a regular bike to the store. A cargo bike is the first hardware I've tested that really only makes sense as a second bike.”

#Cycling #CargoBikes

light_bulbs, 8 months ago to cycling

Munich tested 5 ways of protecting bike lines for a year. These are the results (PDF in German with many pictures): https://muenchenunterwegs.de/content/1372/download/pbl-abschlussbericht-17-07-2023-1.pdf

Chapter 3, “Fazit” contains a table that summarizes the results. Row “Platzierung” shows the ranking: “WandORCA” performed best.

#Cycling #Urbanism

light_bulbs, 8 months ago to random

I’m skeptical about using electric car batteries to help the grid—given that cars are often on the move when the consumption spikes happen.

However, using them as backup in case there are power outages, seems promising: https://electrek.co/2023/09/12/wallbox-demonstrates-bidirectional-charging-first-time-kia-ev9-video/