Ford makes list of the 25 most EV-friendly cities, still likes selling cars to residents elsewhere

So, you saw a Volt, Leaf, or Focus Electric and were convinced to go green, but are unsure whether your local municipality is as eco-friendly as you are. Well, Ford has done your homework for you (without even demanding your lunch money in return), and identified the "25 Most Electric Vehicle-Ready Cities" in the US. What makes a metropolis worthy of such status in the eyes of the Blue Oval boys? A utilities structure that allows off-peak charging, for starters, plus reduced red tape for getting your EV permits and inspections, incentives for offsetting up-front customer costs, urban plans for charging infrastructure, and EV-friendly city advisory committees. If your town's lacking in those areas, perhaps it's time to give your city counsel a ring -- part of being an eco-warrior is political activism, right? PR's after the break.

HECTOR insect-inspired hexapod walking robot is a smooth operator (video)

We've seen some rather nightmare-inducing robots inspired by insects, but, once again, the folks at Germany's Bielefeld University have managed to turn something inherently creepy into a rather lighthearted affair. HECTOR, or hexapod cognitive autonomously operating robot, was designed to help its creators understand how exactly real animals manage to move so gracefully. Physically speaking, HECTOR sports six legs, with 18 joints in total, that protrude from an exoskeleton made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. Its legs are given a rather life-like range of motion provided by a special set of "elastic joint drives" and a series of "biologically inspired" algorithms, and its exoskeleton can carry a load weighing 30 kilograms -- the robot itself weighs a mere 12 kilograms. What's more, HECTOR's built to learn from its experiences. Okay, so a three foot robotic insect that can carry nearly three times its weight does sound kind of creepy in retrospect, but HECTOR really does have some smooth moves. You can see for yourself in the video after the break.

Study: Computer Gamers less likely to go to a University

A recent study at the University of Oxford indicates that those who play computer games are less likely to reach University level education.

As ZDNet reports, those who play video games on a regular basis and who have little or no other extracurricular activities were found to have slim chances of going to a University. Both males and females suffered a 5% drop in their likelihood of attending a University.

However, those who read a book for pleasure, spent some time at a movie theater watching a movie, or participated in something artistic at least once a month, had a higher chance of attending a University.

However, there is one thing to note. This study uses data from 1970 to the present. Gaming has changed over the years with the inventions of the Wii and the Xbox Kinect. Games are now more brain stimulating rather than one-dimensional. If Mr Taylor used current data reflecting the change in the gaming climate from the past few years, perhaps his findings might be a little different.


SOURCE  Winbeta