Tuesday, August 31, 2010
NSF is funding a project for is developing the NeuroPhone system, the first Brain-Mobile phone Interface (BMI) that enables neural signals from consumer-level wireless electroencephalography (EEG) headsets worn by people as they go about their everyday lives to be interfaced to mobile phones and combined with existing sensor streams on the phone (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS) to enable new forms of interaction, communications and human behavior modeling.
Specifically, this high-risk exploratory research is to:
1) study new energy-efficient techniques and algorithms for low-cost wireless EEG headsets and mobile phones for robust sensing, processing and duty cycling of neural signals using consumer devices;
2) develop new learning and classifications algorithms for the mobile phone to extract and infer cognitively informative signals (e.g., P300, N400, and neural synchrony) from EEG headsets in noisy mobile environments;
3) deploy networked NeuroPhone systems with a focus on real-time multi-party neural synchrony and the networking, privacy and sharing of neural signals between networked NeuroPhones; and
4) evaluate networked NeuroPhones applications, specifically, measuring teacher-student engagement in the classroom and measuring group level emotional state.
This interdisciplinary research opens up opportunities in education, teaching and outreach, in part because it focuses on an educational NeuroPhone application, which contributes new insights into cognitive engagements of students in the classroom as well as engages students from the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the project. Results from this work will transform applications across diverse domains such as education, health monitoring, and social networking.
Specifically, this high-risk exploratory research is to:
1) study new energy-efficient techniques and algorithms for low-cost wireless EEG headsets and mobile phones for robust sensing, processing and duty cycling of neural signals using consumer devices;
2) develop new learning and classifications algorithms for the mobile phone to extract and infer cognitively informative signals (e.g., P300, N400, and neural synchrony) from EEG headsets in noisy mobile environments;
3) deploy networked NeuroPhone systems with a focus on real-time multi-party neural synchrony and the networking, privacy and sharing of neural signals between networked NeuroPhones; and
4) evaluate networked NeuroPhones applications, specifically, measuring teacher-student engagement in the classroom and measuring group level emotional state.
This interdisciplinary research opens up opportunities in education, teaching and outreach, in part because it focuses on an educational NeuroPhone application, which contributes new insights into cognitive engagements of students in the classroom as well as engages students from the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the project. Results from this work will transform applications across diverse domains such as education, health monitoring, and social networking.
The HCFC controversy gains steam with buyers complaining on the instability of the market http://nyti.ms/b6GhwC
Monday, August 30, 2010
All the major automotive manufacturers are developing EVs -- considered the next generation of vehicles and a means for the OEMs to differentiate and stay ahead of competition. Escalating oil prices and environmental concerns are driving governments to grant incentives and encourage zero emission vehicles, endorsing the importance of EVs and stepping-up the demand for EV batteries. EV batteries come with different chamical compositions like lead acid, NiMH and lithium-ion. The rapidly evolving market for EVs is boosting demand for new battery technologies and greater supply. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, finds that the EV Li-ion battery chemical and materials market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 125 per cent from 2010 to 2016 for products like anodes, cathodes, electrolytes as well as binders and casings.
Only a few market participants can supply separators, electrolytes, anodes and cathodes, particularly in Europe, causing a bottleneck in the EV batteries value chain. Chemical and battery companies have failed to keep pace with the development of vehicles as electric vehicles have been as it took a lot of time to develope the market. The EV industry has finally taken off very suddenly, causing a potential bottleneck in battery technology supply and very few companies are in a position to capitalise on the opportunities. The market is likely to face significant price pressure from downstream companies as well as increasing competition from low-cost production locations. The chemical industry can help achieve these goals with the development of innovative materials, chemicals, and solutions as EV batteries need considerable improvement in terms of energy storage capacity, size, weight, and cost. There is a clear trend in the market that chemical companies are partnering with the key battery producers to supply the required volumes and enhance existing battery technology. More at http://bit.ly/bPq6mU
Only a few market participants can supply separators, electrolytes, anodes and cathodes, particularly in Europe, causing a bottleneck in the EV batteries value chain. Chemical and battery companies have failed to keep pace with the development of vehicles as electric vehicles have been as it took a lot of time to develope the market. The EV industry has finally taken off very suddenly, causing a potential bottleneck in battery technology supply and very few companies are in a position to capitalise on the opportunities. The market is likely to face significant price pressure from downstream companies as well as increasing competition from low-cost production locations. The chemical industry can help achieve these goals with the development of innovative materials, chemicals, and solutions as EV batteries need considerable improvement in terms of energy storage capacity, size, weight, and cost. There is a clear trend in the market that chemical companies are partnering with the key battery producers to supply the required volumes and enhance existing battery technology. More at http://bit.ly/bPq6mU
Green Energy News (GreenEnergyNews): Frost & Sullivan: Electric Vehicles Fuelling Demand for Battery Technology and Supply: LONDON, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire... http://bit.ly/dvhM1x
Sunday, August 29, 2010
McK Quarterly Not all companies, of course, could benefit from multisided models. But for those that can, a good starting point for testing them is to take inventory of all the data in a company’s businesses (including data flowing from customer interactions) and then ask, “Who might find this information valuable?†Another provocative thought: “What would happen if we provided our product or service free of charge?†or—more important, perhaps—“What if a competitor did so?†The responses should provide indications of the opportunities for disruption, as well as of vulnerabilities.
Friday, August 27, 2010
@olivearth Yet another “Should we be paranoid about google†post http://bit.ly/dB0REH nicholascarr
This is the new pioneering vision from the ceo of the company that continues to change how we look at the world: "We're trying to figure out what the future of search is," Mr. Schmidt acknowledges. "I mean that in a positive way. We're still happy to be in search, believe me. But one idea is that more and more searches are done on your behalf without you needing to type."
"I actually think most people don't want Google to answer their questions," he elaborates. "They want Google to tell them what they should be doing next."
Let's say you're walking down the street. Because of the info Google has collected about you, "we know roughly who you are, roughly what you care about, roughly who your friends are." Google also knows, to within a foot, where you are. Mr. Schmidt leaves it to a listener to imagine the possibilities: If you need milk and there's a place nearby to get milk, Google will remind you to get milk. It will tell you a store ahead has a collection of horse-racing posters, that a 19th-century murder you've been reading about took place on the next block.
Says Mr. Schmidt, a generation of powerful handheld devices is just around the corner that will be adept at surprising you with information that you didn't know you wanted to know. "The thing that makes newspapers so fundamentally fascinating—that serendipity—can be calculated now. We can actually produce it electronically," Mr. Schmidt says.
"I actually think most people don't want Google to answer their questions," he elaborates. "They want Google to tell them what they should be doing next."
Let's say you're walking down the street. Because of the info Google has collected about you, "we know roughly who you are, roughly what you care about, roughly who your friends are." Google also knows, to within a foot, where you are. Mr. Schmidt leaves it to a listener to imagine the possibilities: If you need milk and there's a place nearby to get milk, Google will remind you to get milk. It will tell you a store ahead has a collection of horse-racing posters, that a 19th-century murder you've been reading about took place on the next block.
Says Mr. Schmidt, a generation of powerful handheld devices is just around the corner that will be adept at surprising you with information that you didn't know you wanted to know. "The thing that makes newspapers so fundamentally fascinating—that serendipity—can be calculated now. We can actually produce it electronically," Mr. Schmidt says.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
GOOD NEWS: BP has been forced to abandon hopes of drilling in the Arctic, http://tinyurl.com/32domcq beyondoil
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Piramal Fellowship : opportunity to work with some of the best social entrepreneurs on their greatest challenges http://bit.ly/cQLBQE
There is controversy that HFC 23 is being overproduced as as per AM0001 approved methodology of the CDM mechanism HFC-23 incineration constitutes CDM projects resulting in certified CERs. There are 19 registered HFCâ€23 incineration projects, of which 11 are in China, 5 are in India, and the other 3 being in Korea, Mexico and Argentina respectively.
What are HFCs?
The phase-out by 2010 of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used as refrigerants is mandated under the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) including HCFC-22
are transitional replacement gas to these phasedâ€out gases.
HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane or CHClF2) is an industrial chemical used in the airconditioning,
refrigeration and foam sectors (referred to as ‘emissive uses’). HCFC-22 is also used as a feedstock chemical in the production of material such as Poly-Tetra-Fluoroethylene (Teflon). HFC-23 (trifluoromethane or CHF3) is an inevitable by-product of HCFC-22 production. It is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) with a 100 year global warming potential (GWP) of approximately 11,700 (IPCC 1995).
What is the controversy:
Destroying HFC-23 is extrmely lucrative because the cost to destroy it is just a fraction of the revenue they earn from selling the carbon credits through the CDM. So there is incentive in overproducing HFC 22 to incinerate the by-product HFC-23 which may actually be counter productive for the environment and the carbon reduction could be more of an accounting gimmick.
World Bank has strongly refuted such claims. As per them the increase in HCFC is due to the increasing demand in the project countries. They refute such claims with the fact that the production is not outstripping consumption in any of these countries and the overall
national production of HCFC-22 in these countries significantly exceeds that of units under CDM project.
What are HFCs?
The phase-out by 2010 of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used as refrigerants is mandated under the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) including HCFC-22
are transitional replacement gas to these phasedâ€out gases.
HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane or CHClF2) is an industrial chemical used in the airconditioning,
refrigeration and foam sectors (referred to as ‘emissive uses’). HCFC-22 is also used as a feedstock chemical in the production of material such as Poly-Tetra-Fluoroethylene (Teflon). HFC-23 (trifluoromethane or CHF3) is an inevitable by-product of HCFC-22 production. It is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) with a 100 year global warming potential (GWP) of approximately 11,700 (IPCC 1995).
What is the controversy:
Destroying HFC-23 is extrmely lucrative because the cost to destroy it is just a fraction of the revenue they earn from selling the carbon credits through the CDM. So there is incentive in overproducing HFC 22 to incinerate the by-product HFC-23 which may actually be counter productive for the environment and the carbon reduction could be more of an accounting gimmick.
World Bank has strongly refuted such claims. As per them the increase in HCFC is due to the increasing demand in the project countries. They refute such claims with the fact that the production is not outstripping consumption in any of these countries and the overall
national production of HCFC-22 in these countries significantly exceeds that of units under CDM project.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
New post at Olive Earth Blog : Prof. Karnani’s recent WSJ article - The Case Against CSR http://bit.ly/bJhR9m
Monday, August 23, 2010
The government has decided to fund establishment of e-waste treatment facility as part of its waste management programme for 140 highly contaminated sites in the country, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said today at two sites in Andhra Pradesh and eight in West Bengal on pilot basis for a period of four years.
This is part of the larger objective to develop a national programme for rehabilitation of polluted 140 sites identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The need for such a programme has been felt to treat the 6.2 million tonnes of hazardous waste generated in the country, of which roughly 3.5 million tonnes is recyclable. For the balance 2.7 MTA, only 1.5 MTA is treated, stored and disposed of in 33 facilities set up in various states. As per our environment minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh, to meet the capacity gap, we need Rs 85 crore of which Rs 22 crore has been allocated for the first three years of the XIth plan. By 2012, India is estimated to generate over 800,000 million tonnes (mt) of e-waste every year in view of increasing demand for laptops, refrigerators and mobile phones.
This is part of the larger objective to develop a national programme for rehabilitation of polluted 140 sites identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The need for such a programme has been felt to treat the 6.2 million tonnes of hazardous waste generated in the country, of which roughly 3.5 million tonnes is recyclable. For the balance 2.7 MTA, only 1.5 MTA is treated, stored and disposed of in 33 facilities set up in various states. As per our environment minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh, to meet the capacity gap, we need Rs 85 crore of which Rs 22 crore has been allocated for the first three years of the XIth plan. By 2012, India is estimated to generate over 800,000 million tonnes (mt) of e-waste every year in view of increasing demand for laptops, refrigerators and mobile phones.
Clean energy (megawatts and negawatts) and water management present a huge potential opportunity in India. With a large power deficit and a clear government directive to provide power for all, clean energy can help in meeting the demand-supply mismatch, while minimizing the impact on environment and natural resources. Similarly, given the increasing pressure on water resources required to meet the demands of population growth, agricultural output enhancement will be necessary.
Policy initiatives taken on by the government can improve the growth rate of the markets. These include entrepreneurial incentives for setting up clean energy projects (generation based incentives, renewable energy certificates, attractive debt funding), promoting energy efficiency measures in the industry including ease of cheap funding availability, and clear directives for water management and waste management.
Policy initiatives taken on by the government can improve the growth rate of the markets. These include entrepreneurial incentives for setting up clean energy projects (generation based incentives, renewable energy certificates, attractive debt funding), promoting energy efficiency measures in the industry including ease of cheap funding availability, and clear directives for water management and waste management.
In the recent economic times summit it was agreed that INDIA needs to design and construct green buildings to control the use of electricity as it accounts for nearly 90% of the carbon footprint of a single structure. Green buildings can help reduce electricity consumption.
helping to assuage the challenge of electricity demand With an estimated 10% increase in the built-up area of residential and commercial buildings every year. About 70% of the renewable energy in the country is sourced from wind. “Energy generation from biomass and hydro should also come up with uncultivable land being used for bio-mass energy generation,†Climate Connect director, Nitin Tanwar said. The panelists said developers as well as end consumer should be given incentives in the form of tax benefits to encourage development and uptake of green homes. Even though some banks have started looking at subsidising home loan rates for green units, the benefit for a developer is yet to come. The country’s largest lender SBI offers 50 basis points interest discount to borrowers for green homes.
Panelists argued for tax benefits for developers so that such homes are available for the consumers. At present, the total area under green construction in the country stands at 406 million sq ft, but with corporates waking up to the cost benefits of a green building this is expected to reach about 6 billion sq ft in next five years.
A green building incorporates several features, such as effective use of existing landscapes, use of recycled and environment friendly building materials, non-toxic materials, efficient use of water, use of energy efficient and eco-friendly equipment, using renewable energy and better indoor air quality for human comfort.
helping to assuage the challenge of electricity demand With an estimated 10% increase in the built-up area of residential and commercial buildings every year. About 70% of the renewable energy in the country is sourced from wind. “Energy generation from biomass and hydro should also come up with uncultivable land being used for bio-mass energy generation,†Climate Connect director, Nitin Tanwar said. The panelists said developers as well as end consumer should be given incentives in the form of tax benefits to encourage development and uptake of green homes. Even though some banks have started looking at subsidising home loan rates for green units, the benefit for a developer is yet to come. The country’s largest lender SBI offers 50 basis points interest discount to borrowers for green homes.
Panelists argued for tax benefits for developers so that such homes are available for the consumers. At present, the total area under green construction in the country stands at 406 million sq ft, but with corporates waking up to the cost benefits of a green building this is expected to reach about 6 billion sq ft in next five years.
A green building incorporates several features, such as effective use of existing landscapes, use of recycled and environment friendly building materials, non-toxic materials, efficient use of water, use of energy efficient and eco-friendly equipment, using renewable energy and better indoor air quality for human comfort.
Friday, August 20, 2010
When buildings are built, they are typically designed for a specific use and occupancy. This tends to change over the years. Building systems should be commissioned as construction is completed to verify that they operate as designed, but often the commissioning process is neglected. A National Energy Management Institute study estimates less than 5% of existing buildings have been commissioned. Buildings that have changing uses and those that haven’t been commissioned after construction can be secretly wasting energy. In both cases, retrocommissioning can help
Monday, August 9, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)