I have previously talked about the potential advantages of combining powerful (torquey) diesel engines with electric motors into diesel-electric hybrid powerplants.  Like their gasoline-electric brethren that have become the poster child of all things green, an electric motor can be used to augment the fossil fuel powered engine where it needs it most and getting more running time and/or power out of less fuel.

I proposed that combining a diesel motor with an electric one made even more sense than combining gasoline and electric motors since (on an apples-to-apples basis compared to a gasoline engine) 1) diesel engines are more powerful, 2) diesel engines get better gas mileage, 3) diesels  produce less carbon dioxide and with new low-sulfur fuel, produce the same levels of nitrogen oxide and particulates as gasoline and, 4) according to the Department of Energy, if 30 percent of the passenger cars and light-duty trucks in the U.S. had diesel engines, U.S. net crude oil imports would be reduced by 350,000 barrels per day.

For sure, diesel engines aren’t perfect.  In fact, they have a lot of trouble at lower engines speeds.  Diesels like to generate a lot of power, but only within a relatively narrow RPM band.  That’s why they are frequently coupled with turbo-chargers - the turbos help keep them within their best performing engine speed.  So, what if an electric motor is used for this purpose instead?  My feeling is that it’d be like peanuts and chocolate; peas and carrots; well, you get the idea.

Well, no auto company has has announced such a product, but it turns out that a third -party engine manufacturer has announced a marine engine that has wed diesel and electric technologies.  Steyr Motors is now shipping their MO 256/H45 diesel-electric hybrid marine engine that couples a 250hp Steyr diesel engine with a 48 volt 14hp electric motor.  The engine is designed to fit nicely into “pleasure boats” (boats for individuals) - both new and as replacement engines in older ones.  The engine can be directed to run in diesel-only mode, electric-only mode, or with with both motors simultaneously.

Since diesel motors don’t run at idle well (a necessity for boats cruising through no-wake zones), the electric motor can propel the boat it’s installed in at about 5 knots silently.  As more speed is demanded by the pilot, the engine seamlessly cuts over to all diesel or, if loads of power is required, the electric motor can stay engaged to help the diesel motor get the boat up to speed ASAP.

Unlike with an automotive application, there is no regenerative braking of course - that is, charging the batteries with energy transferred during braking.  Instead, the engine needs to be used to charge the batteries.  Apparently, the electronics optimize this process, but it still requires fuel to generate all of the recharging power.  In the end, the setup would be more efficient in a car, but it seems to work nicely in the marine application.

Steyr provides an example that demonstrates the advantages of the engine.  They replaced the engines of an older pleasure boat - a 34′ cabin cruiser with twin gasoline 225hp engines that cruised at 21 knots and burned 20 gallons per hour.  The same boat with two of their new diesel-electric hybrids cruised at 25 knots and burned 12 gallons per hour.  So, it’s faster and consumes much less fuel.  Sounds pretty cool.

I’m sure some of the efficiencies demonstrated above could be achieved merely by putting more modern engines of any type in the boat.  Engine mechanics have gotten better and engine management has gotten much better.  But still, those are big improvements.

Now we need someone to step up to the plate and put this technology to work in a car.  That’s where it’ll really shine.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The first person to walk on Mars could be alive today.  If so, she’s most likely two years old and living in China.”

- Andrew Zolli - Futurist

Popularity: 6% [?]

I suppose most people who don’t carry a big purse or briefcase have a place where they unload their pockets, holsters, belt clips, etc when they come into their home or change their clothes.  For me, it’s usually at the bar - my first and almost always necessary stop when I’m wrapping up my day.  As such, stuff tends to collect there.

As I was walking by the bar last night, I chuckled at what I saw . . .

My first thought was that all this stuff should be consolidated into one device.  But then I realized that there were two phones, two iPods (as well as Oakley Thumps, another MP3 player) and two GPS’s (a Garmin cycling computer and a SkyCaddie, which has golf course information that tells me where the hole is when I’m hitting from 100 yards in the woods and can’t see it).

I guess it’s not about consolidation alone.  It’s about functionality, convenience and size.  The reason that there are so many devices is that each fits a particular need very well.  Not only because of its functionality, but because of it’s form factor.  For example, anyone who has tried to ride a bike with a headphone cord will tell you how many times the cord has gotten caught in their spokes - if you want tunes while you ride, the player needs to be cordless.  But, you don’t want the Thumps when you don’t need sunglasses.

Of course, there is no reason - other than the expected complexity and, perhaps, power requirements - that most of these devices won’t merge into one or, at least, fewer devices in the future.  That’s what makes all this consumer technology so much fun.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Well, sorta . . . from an iPod Touch, actually. I really, really want to like the iPhone (the Touch is incredible, by the way), but the fact that the apps don’t talk to one another, Exchange is only partially integrated, and the virtual keyboard is not nearly as accurate as a physical one, makes it hard to see as a better solution than other phones.

So, I’m using the Touch, which I already have and has all the functionality of the iPhone without the phone, of course, as a testbed for the phone. Including the app I’m using to write his post - Wordpress - for posting to Wordpress blogs.

I dunno. I have made 100 typing errors writing this post. The very capable spelling software of the device has corrected 80% of them. Just not good enough, I’m afraid. With a physical keyboard, it’d be much easier - faster and more accurate. Pounding out a similar message on my Blackjack would not yield nearly as many errors and would be significantly faster.

I think I’m gonna wait to see how the Blackberry Bold and HTC Touch Diamond look before making a call on my next phone.

Popularity: 24% [?]

As a cyclist, data junkie and all-around gadget guy, it doesn’t get much better than this.  Some people think this cycling computer is overkill, but my guess is that they’re the same kinda people who haven’t yet moved from VHS to DVDs.

Like most cycling computers, the Edge 705 collects data on cadence and speed.  It also determines heart rate, GPS position, altitude and a huge amount of other information that can derived from this data (e.g. distance, grade, calories, ascent/decent, pace, etc.).  Additionally, using Garmin’s de facto standard ANT+Sport network, the 705 can collect data from power meters made by other manufacturers, wirelessly, of course.  Being able to include power with all the other data collected makes this device incredibly powerful as a training tool.

Coming from Garmin, you’d expect the GPS functionality to be good, and it is.  Not only does the 705 track your location like it’s predecessors, but it displays your position on a color road map.  Garmin has basemaps available in micro SD format that slide into the device providing road and trail maps around the world.  While even I thought this type of mapping might be over the top for road biking, it has saved my ass a couple of times when I’ve been lost.  Take me home, 705, and avoid highways and dirt roads while you’re at it . . .

If you have a Garmin Edge 205 or 305, the first thing you’ll notice about the 705 is its size.  When I opened the box, I was amazed at how big the thing is.  Everything about it is bigger.  At first, I found the larger unit a bit of a turn-off, but after using it for a couple of months, I don’t even notice it and I really appreciate the advantages of its larger size - bigger screen, bigger battery, bigger buttons, etc.  I’m American.  Bigger is almost always better, right? 

As you poke through the menus, you’ll be blown away by how flexible the thing is.  Not only do you have choices of dozens of pieces of data to display, you can configure almost every screen to show the data you want where you want it.  The map display can stand alone or also show you data about your current ride.  The map is also easy to get around while riding, although gloves (the full finger kind) do make it a bit more challenging.

If you are a current 205/305 owner, you’ll immediately appreciate how fast the 705 latches onto and holds a GPS sat signal.  I used to have to turn my 305 on, leave it in my driveway for several minutes free and clear of any obstructions for it to get sat reception.  With the 705, I turn it on and start to ride.  Also, owners of previous models will appreciate the additional memory and battery power in the device.  With my old 305, the data from a century ate all the memory in the device up.  Recently, I had two centuries in the memory of the 705 and I still had loads-o-memory left.  There is also more memory for courses.  Since I often ride alone, I like to compete against my previous times on designated routes.  With the 705, I can carry 20 or more rides with me and select which one I’m going to do along the way, instead of having to plan ahead.

In terms of battery power, I wish I could tell you how long it lasts, but I’ve never come close to running it down.  After back-to-back 6+ hour rides a few weeks ago, I still had loads of power.  The manual says 15 hours, which is quite a bit longer than the 205/305.  My guess is that it’s pretty close, if not even conservative.

As with all gadgets, even the coolest ones, there are certainly areas that need improvement.  First, there is a little joystick that is used to navigate between multiple screens of similar information.  This works great even when you’re riding.  For some reason, though, Garmin chose to make the user push the joystick in like a button to navigate between the screens when in Courses mode (when you race against previously stored performance data).  While you’re bouncing around on the bike, this is difficult, and I almost always screw it up.  Instead of pushing the joystick in, I push it up or down.  This changes the mode of the map and all of the buttons on the device.  VERY annoying.

Secondly, for some reason, I am consistently getting errant zeros in my speed data.  As you can see from the chart below, there are a load of 0mph data points between 20mph data points that last for seconds (note the X-axis is time, not distance).  Unless I’ve become superhuman and can go 20-0-20 in a matter of seconds on a bicycle, I believe this is a problem with the device or rear-wheel sensor (yes, I tried new batteries in the sensor).

Finally, and not a killer for me, the Calories Burned numbers are significantly higher than on any other trainer that I’ve ever used - higher by about 2X.  It could be that the 705 is right and every other trainer I’ve ever used is wrong, but I sorta doubt it.

The bottom line for me is that the 705 has met or exceeded all my expectations and it’s really been fun to have along for rides.  If you’re a data junkie like me, there is really no better device out there for analyzing and comparing ride data and routes.  Also, since I ride on a Computrainer all winter, I can also take my routes from the 705 and convert them to work with the Computrainer.  That way, I get to ride the same routes virtually during the winter, doubling my fun with the device.

The Edge 705 ain’t cheap, but my experience is that it’s durable and should last a long time.  If you’re a frequent rider and enjoy seeing yourself improve, the smiles/mile can make it totally worthwhile.

Popularity: 27% [?]

This past weekend, I rode in my fifth Pan-Mass Challenge, a 2-day cycling event across Massachusetts benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.  I was a bit apprehensive this year since I had fallen off my bike only two weeks before the ride and fractured two ribs.  As it turned out, though, the event turned out to be a huge success for the charity and for me personally.  As of August 5 the stats for the PMC were:

• 5,200 riders
• 2,758 volunteers
• 157,000 contributors
• 800,000 miles cycled
• 13 emergency room visits (with 5K riders, someone’s going to crash)
• 10,000,000 people cheering along the route (it seemed that way – the number of people who come out to support the riders is incredible)
• $21,650,000 in funds raised (the goal is $32,000,000 by October)

These numbers are great and, of course, represent real money being raised for an incredible cause.

Personally, I had a great ride as well.  My ribs bothered me a bit, but did not hinder me nearly as much as I had feared.  I finished the first day averaging 19.3MPH and the second, 19.1MPH.  These speeds are significantly up from my previous bests at these long distances set last year during the PMC - 18.3MPH and 17.3MPH, respectively.  I really don’t know what to attribute the increases to - more training, better nutrition, improved technique?  Maybe a little of all of these plus loads of luck?

I was really fortunate to latch onto a small paceline (a line of riders who take turns “pulling” in front, then drafting behind other riders) that ran unbroken for 40 miles on day 1.  That had a huge positive impact on my time.

The weather sorta sucked on day 2, but it never rained.  I also never got a flat.  Rain and flats can ruin your whole day.

Thanks to all who sponsored me with donations and to the large group who offered their support and encouragement along the way.

Popularity: 26% [?]

In the world of photography, I am a Canon guy.  It’s not only that I like Canon photographic products, but I have a big investment in Canon lenses which makes it difficult (read: expensive) to change to cameras from other manufacturers.  My current photographic weapon of choice is Canon’s 5D D-SLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera (reviewed on this blog here).  Additionally, like any self-respecting photographic junkie, I have a wide range of lenses and other stuff from Canon that acts as a crutch, bolstering my otherwise mediocre photographic skills.  All in, my camera and associated equipment weighs about 20 pounds and, in its most portable configuration, fills a reasonable size backpack.

Most often, this isn’t a problem and the chance to get a truly great shot outweighs (pun intended) the inconvenience of carrying the heavy load.  Sometimes, though, an alternative is needed.  Like when on an active vacation or in confined spaces that aren’t ideal for long lenses and really bright flashes.  This is where one of the huge number of compact cameras available comes in.

For the most part, compact cameras are virtually all fully automatic - point-and-shoot, as it were.  The user need but to turn the camera on, aim at a desired target and push a button to steal their soul.  They are the modern equivalent of the original Kodak Brownie, everyone can use one.

Recently, I decided to replace an old compact that I had used for many years with something equally as portable, but with more power and manual control.  My requirements were:

• Reasonable Sensor Resolution - 8MP should suffice (more on this later)
• As Large a Physical Sensor as Possible - Low pixel density and larger pixels = clearer pictures and less noise.
• Optical IS (Image Stabilizer) - Image stabilization helps to capture clear pictures where a shaky hand or low light might have otherwise prevented them.
• Optical Viewfinder - I cut my teeth on SLRs, I like to see the image through glass instead of via an electronic screen - old habit.
• Aperture/Shutter Priority + Full Auto - I wanted the camera to have a fully automatic mode, but I also want to be able to shoot pictures by fixing either the shutter speed or the aperture myself.
• Easily Settable ISO Speed - In digital camera terms, the ISO speed setting adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor in the camera - the more sensitive, the better the pictures at low light, with trade-offs, of course.  Most point-n-shoot cameras automatically set it, I want to be able to do it manually.
• Built-in Flash - Used for fill flash mostly - to light the objects close to the lens so they are not in shadow.
• Good Battery Life - Nuclear power would be nice.  I just have to find the plutonium section at my neighborhood camera store.
• Completely Retractable Lens - The lens has to curl up inside the camera.  It makes the camera smaller to carry and protects the lens.
• Small as Possible Package - I’d like to carry it in my pocket.
• Reasonable Wide Angle and Long Zoom - I want to get lots of stuff in my photo when I’m close up and be able to get good shots from far away.  My goal is below 30mm wide and over 200mm tele.
• RAW File Support - I’ll shoot in JPEG almost always, but when I find that really special shot, I want to be able to capture everything with no in-camera processing.
• Good Macro Mode - I like taking pictures of flowers and creepy, crawley bugs up close.  Having a macro mode that lets me focus within a few inches of the lens would be great.

Whew!  I also wanted a slew of other features like exposure bracketing, fast startup time, adjustable metering mode, etc, but they were less important to me.  Yeah, I wanted a lot, but I figured it was all doable.  I was wrong.

Because of what is a small market for this set of features combined with the fact that they amount to an enormous boatload of technology, there aren’t many cameras that meet these criteria.  In fact, there are none.  The ones that came close (at the time of my (purchase several months ago) were:

• Panasonic LX2
• Leica DLux3
• Ricoh GX100
• Nikon P5100
• Canon A650
• Sony DSC-H10
• Canon G9

Even though I am a self-proclaimed Canon guy, I had no bias towards any manufacturer.  Especially since none of my existing equipment was going to work with any compact camera anyway.  In the end, though, I thought that Canon’s G9 came closest to my requirements.  Hardly fitting in my pocket, it does fit on my belt (in a geeky, pocket protector sorta way).  I’ve now used the camera for a couple of months  and I’m convinced that a good photographer could make this camera jump through hoops.  It’s very powerful and takes some really good pictures.  That said, it’s not without some issues.

• For as large a sensor that this camera has (see stats below), there is a surprising amount of noise above ISO 400.  I have to believe that it’s related to the resolution of the sensor.  I guess resolution is what sells, because if this same sensor was made with 8MP instead of 12.1MP, I’d bet it’d be great up to at least ISO 800.
• The small flash on the camera is often too hot or not powerful enough.  There should be built-in metering for the flash intensity, but it doesn’t always do a very good job.
• The lens’ widest view is 32mm (35mm equivalent).  This isn’t bad, of course, but 25-28mm would be a lot nicer.
• At telephoto, the lens is a bit slow (F4.8).  Combined with the ISO noise problem, above, it’s almost useless in low light.
• The viewfinder is useless, but there is so much information on the 3″ display, which performs well in sunlight, that it’s less of a problem than I had anticipated.

Other than these issues, and a few nits here and there, this camera met all my prescribed needs.

I just carried this camera on my belt on a trip to Europe that had me walking through cities, museums and cathedrals from dawn till dusk.  Carrying an SLR with a few lenses and a flash would have been a tremendous pain in the ass.  The G9 performed stellarly in daylight and well in low light conditions giving me almost all the results I expected in almost 1,000 photos.

While there are certainly some trade-offs in using this camera, it is very good overall and the only camera that comes close to being a truly portable D-SLR alternative in my opinion.

Here are the key specs . . .

Popularity: 33% [?]

This will be my fifth year riding the Pan-Mass Challenge, a charity ride benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.  It’s a great ride that raises gobs of money for a fabulous charity and a truly worthy cause.

The ride is a two-day event that takes cyclists across most of Massachusetts.  While there aren’t many huge climbs on the ride - it is Massachusetts after all - the challenge is in riding back-to-back very long days.  For most, it’s about just finishing, but for some, with more testosterone than brains - like me - it’s about finishing fast.  Which, of course, makes it a bit more challenging.

My training hasn’t been going great.  Having been in Europe for a couple of weeks didn’t help.  It’s also been raining almost every day for the last week.  Serious bummer.  So, I’ve pushed myself harder than normal to get ready.  So hard, in fact, that I fell off my bike the other day and cracked a couple of ribs.  Ouch!

I was told (or, I wanted to hear) that I can still ride by people with medical degrees - “yeah, it’ll hurt and it will take longer to heal, but you can still ride.”  At least that’s what I heard.  So, I’m going for it.  It was getting too easy anyway . . . yeah, right.

If you’ve read this far and are asking yourself, “how can I contribute to this noble effort,” or, “I’ve been looking for a cool way to donate to cancer research and care,” here’s your chance (any amount helps – there is no donation too small).  Direct your browser to this web page (https://www.pmc.org/egifts/ - for those who like to cut and paste).  Click on “Sponsor a Rider with one donation” then “Select a person by eGift ID”.  My PMC Gift ID is: wh0028 if you choose to “sponsor” me.  Of course, you can make the donation anonymously or directly to Dana Farber, bypassing the sponsorship part, if you prefer.

Wish me luck . . .

Popularity: 26% [?]

Fortunately, I’ve never dropped my cell phone in a puddle or poured coffee on my laptop, but I know loads of people who have.  Typically, they spend a few days with a blow dryer trying to bring their electronic gadget back to life.  Sometimes it works, but most often I hear that it “sorta” works.

Well, the Northeast Maritime Institute claims to have solved this problem with its Golden Shellback splash proof coating.  From their web site:

Golden Shellback coating produces a vacuum deposited film that is nonflammable, has low toxicity and has the ability to weatherproof electronic devices and other surfaces. It contains no volatile organic combustibles (VOCs). The clear, nearly non-detectable, uniform film is insoluble in solvents. When applied to clean, moisture free surfaces, such as plastic, copper, aluminum, metal, ceramic, steel, tin or glass, the coating is transparent with excellent weather proofing and anti-corrosion properties.”

Check out the video.  It looks incredible, but it raises as many questions for me as it answers.  Very cool stuff if it works though.

Popularity: 27% [?]

[Update: Mr. Gullible once again ignored the old adage - when it's too good to be true, it probably is.  Thanks to Ron and John who pointed out that this was, in fact, an ad for Gatorade that was never televised.  It's still very cool.  I wonder why it never got airtime outside of the YouTube universe.]

I’m a big work ethic type guy.  Effort and hard work wins almost always.  Check out how this professional ball player gets totally shown up by someone who actually wants to make the Play.  Totally wild!

Popularity: 33% [?]