All About Technology That You Need

Volkswagen to produce the world's most fuel efficient car with a record-breaking 313mpg

Posted by Anonymous

Volkswagen have announced the production of the world's most fuel efficient car - designed like a futuristic motor and capable of an incredible 313MPG.

The Volkswagen XL1 with its super sleek design is powered by a miniscule 800cc diesel engine and a separate electric motor and battery pack.

This will give the plug-in hybrid a 0-62mph time of 12.2 seconds and a top speed limited to a modest 99mph.

But the XL1 is not about sporty performance but environmentally-friendly driving - with Volkswagen claiming it will be capable of a record breaking 313miles per gallon.

Volkswagen will produce the world's greenest car (SWNS)

Driving this environmentally friendly car means the lightweight vehicle would cost only around £1.40 to travel 62 miles.

It can also cover a distance of up to 31 miles in all-electric mode where it emits zero carbon dioxide.

Overall emissions are a mere 21g/km - less than a quarter of the amount produced by the famous ultra-green Toyota Prius.

Despite weighing just 795kg, the XL1 is anything but flimsy with VW building the two-seater out of lightweight but tough carbon fibre.

Volkswagen confirmed it will build an initial 50 models at the company's Osnabrueck factory in Germany alongside its Golf Cabriolet and Porsche Boxster.

But the firm refused to give any indication on how much the aerodynamic two-seater will cost.

The XL1 will be on show at next month's Geneva Motor Show with the first models produced by the end of 2013.

1:51 PM | 0 Comments

Pictures of the week: From stunning cyclones to a 'labradoodle lion'

Posted by Anonymous

A towering red dust storm gathers over the ocean, ahead of a cyclone approaching Onslow, West Australia, on January 9. The remarkable photo was captured by tug boat worker Brett Martin, 25 nautical miles from the town of Onslow.

Killer whales surface through a breathing hole on January 9. The creatures were trapped under sea ice in Canada's Hudson Bay. Up to a dozen whales were feared to be stuck, however winds later pushed the ice away from the coast.

Snowfall at the ruins of the Roman Temple of Bacchus in the historic town of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on January 10. An unusual chill swept across the Middle East recently, bringing heavy snow and freezing conditions in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Syria and Palestine. The weather has claimed at least 17 lives across the region.

A twilight view of London from the top of the Shard, the tallest building in western Europe. The skyscraper, which is 1,013ft tall, opens to the public on February 1. Visitors will be able to reach the 72nd floor of the 78 floor building.

Unexplained readings from the Cassini probe, which orbits Saturn, hint that blocks of ice might bob on the surface of the lakes of liquid methane on Titan. NASA believes that life could lurk in the ice - but it would be very different from life on Earth as the lakes are composed entirely of liquid ethane and methane.

Photographer Reinhard Dirscherl took this extraordinary snap of a whale shark, which looks like it is about to eat a diver in Indonesia. The 47,000lb shark is not dangerous to humans, instead preferring to snack on plankton.

3:01 AM | 0 Comments

Samsung shows off 'unbreakable' phone which rolls up like paper

Posted by Anonymous

The screen uses the same OLED - organic LED - technology as many current smartphones, but encased in plastic instead of glass.

Samsung wowed an audience in Las Vegas this week with a working mobile phone screen which can be rolled and unrolled like a sheet of paper.

The screen kept working as it was rolled and unrolled - showing off that it is far more flexible than previous 'bendable' screens.

The screen uses the same OLED - organic LED - technology as many current smartphones, but encased in plastic instead of glass.

The prototype device is built to be "virtually unbreakable", Samsung claims.

The device was shown off by Brian Berkeley, senior vice-president of Samsung Display, at a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

"Our team was able to make a high resolution display on extremely thin plastic instead of glass, so it won't break even if it's dropped," said Berkeley.

"This new form factor will really begin to change how people interact with their devices, opening up new lifestyle possibilities."

The new display is called "Youm."

Berkeley also showed off a smartphone prototype equipped with a curved edge, which works almost like a 'second screen' around the edge of the device.

The Korean technology company remained quiet on when flexible phones might go on sale

12:06 AM | 0 Comments

Kick your food waste habits

Posted by Anonymous

Oi, lady! If it won't fit in your fridge, stick it back on the shelf

Half the world's food never makes it to our plate, with two billion tonnes binned due to bad storage, confusion over sell-by dates, supermarket bulk-buying offers and aesthetic imperfections.Save money and the environment by shopping smart and buying just want you need ©Rex

A new study by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers highlights the shocking levels of food that are grown then discarded across the world.

Wastage in the developing world occurs early in the supply chain due to poor engineering and agricultural practices, inadequate transport and storage infrastructure. But in Europe, America and other developed nations, perfectly edible foods are discarded because of supermarket marketing strategies and consumer behaviour.

To put it simply, imperfect food is thrown away before it even makes it to the supermarket shelves, and shoppers are bad at making best use of the food we buy.

The report found that 30% of the UK's vegetables don't make it into our stores simply because they don't look right.

Many farmers also over-produce to meet supply agreements with supermarkets. Dr Fox, head of energy and environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, explains, 'With the shift away from small shops on the High Street to large-scale supermarkets, we have lost the sense of value of food.'

Not only are throw-away levels a waste of food - the average household shells out £480 a year on groceries that are never eaten - but they are helping drain the world's energy sources too. For example, 550 billion cubic metres of water are used to grow food that is never consumed.

Time to take action! By thinking carefully before you buy and also cooking smart, you can become more economic, efficient and help prevent global wastage - as well as save yourself money on your shopping bill.

'Governments, development agencies and organisation must work together to help change people's mindsets on waste and discourage wasteful practices by farmers, food producers, supermarkets and consumers,' says Dr Fox.

How to avoid waste

1. Check sell-by dates: Plan your meals properly to avoid tossing away food that's past its sell-by date. Make a list of meals for the week ahead and buy just what you need. If you live alone and find that multi-packs are simply too large for your needs, divide them and freeze what you don't need immediately.

2. Shop smart: Don't be fooled by marketing ploys and stack your fridge with foods you won't eat, just because you found a good deal. If you are tempted by a buy-one-get-one-freedeal, be sure it's something you will actually use and freeze the second item on the day you purchase it. Alternatively, go halves with a friend to split the cost - and the saving.

3. Control portions: Don't let your eyes rule your belly. Plan to clear your plate without overeating. If you've made too much, think about packing it up and enjoying it at your desk for lunch the next day. Or freeze extra portions for days when you're too busy to cook from scratch. Left-over cooked veg can be the basis for a healthy homemade broth or add extra nutrition to a pasta sauce. Cut a loaf in half on the day you buy it and freeze the half you don't need immediately.

4. Go local: Getting your groceries from small independent stores will not only help you avoid tempting offers, you'll also find they stock the misshapen squash and less-than-perfect pumpkins that supermarkets refuse to sell.

12:05 AM | 0 Comments