Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Optical Speedbumps Create Illusion of Little Girl Darting Out In Front Of You

By Clay Dillow
Civil authorities around the world have tried all kinds of tricks to get drivers to slow down: speed bumps, rumble strips, flashing lights, the decoy police cruiser, and of course the good old-fashioned speed trap. The British Columbia Automobile Association Traffic Safety Foundation is taking a different tack: scaring the living hell out of drivers. In an effort to brusquely remind drivers of the consequences of wanton acceleration, they’re painting an elongated image of a child chasing a ball into the street in 2D on the pavement in such a way that it appears three-dimensional.

http://www.popsci.com.au/2010/09/optical-speedbumps-create-illusion-of-little-girl-darting-out-in-front-of-you/
Posted by rorybaust at 11:14 PM

Google launches live-updating 'Instant' search

By Julianne Pepitone

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- One of the Internet's most iconic images -- Google's search screen -- is being overhauled. On Wednesday the company launched Google Instant, a live-updating service that aims to shave seconds off the typical search time. The update began hitting users' computers about an hour before a scheduled Google press event to unveil the change.
Now, when users search Google, the results are refined in real time as more keywords are added. The search box jumps to the top of the search page and results appear in a constantly changing list. Users can select the right site if it catches their eye before they finish typing.
Posted by rorybaust at 3:18 PM
by Candace Lombardi

Frito-Lay plans to have 176 all-electric trucks in its U.S. fleet by the end of 2011.
(Credit: Smith Electric Vehicles) PepsiCo subsidiary Frito-Lay announced on Wednesday that it plans to add more than 176 all-electric trucks to its delivery fleet over the next year and a half Five all-electric trucks have been deployed for the company's New York routes this month, with plans to implement a total of 21 all-electric trucks by the end of the year that will include the company's Columbus, Ohio- and Fort Worth, Texas-area routes. Another 155 all-electric trucks will be added to Frito-Lay's U.S. fleet by the end of 2011. The company already has six EVs operating in its Canada fleet.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20015833-54.html?tag=cnetRiver#ixzz0yyYVV3UR
Posted by rorybaust at 2:28 PM

European Parliament passes anti-ACTA declaration

By Nate Anderson
Today 377 members of the European Parliament adopted a written declaration on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in which they demand greater transparency, assert that ISPs should not up end being liable for data sent through their networks, and say that ACTA "should not force limitations upon judicial due process or weaken fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and the right to privacy."
The "written declaration" has no binding force; any MEP can issue one (there's a 200-word maximum), which is adopted when more than half of all MEPs sign on. If adopted, "written declarations are printed and posted on a board at the entrance to the Chambers in Strasbourg and Brussels." They also go up on the Web and get passed on to the European Commission.
Posted by rorybaust at 2:23 PM