Important Innovations

VW Goes to China for Software Development Source:  VW autonomous electric vehicle Software Design Hub for Global Autonomous Vehicle Architecture For the design of a global autonomous vehicle architecture, VW is going to China.  In fact, it's making China its Hub for software development.  VW will use Chinese software developers because they are highly qualified and available.  Automakers are finding it hard to hire them elsewhere.  VW already has 4000 engineers in China and is rapidly increasing its software engineers there. This underscores the growing competitiveness of China in innovation and its educated workforce to help lead the way in new innovations. New information from VW executives in China as the Shanghai Auto Show is about to begin. China Hub For VW, the China Software Hub will include the development of advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving functions.  Globally, the specific hiring difficulty for the automotive industry has been finding

Innovation in Architecture Dating Back to the 12th Century Source:  Paris, April 15, 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral on Fire What a Tragedy The heart of Paris is on fire.  Notre Dame Cathedral, the iconic church architecture in the center of Paris and favorite tourist destination for millions, is engulfed in flames.  It had been undergoing substantial renovations.  It dates back to the 12th century and, of course, was featured in Victor Hugo's classic novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame".  Sadly, doesn't look good, at 5:12 PM EST.

New Wind Turbine that Works in a Breeze Just Patented by the US Army Corps of Engineers Important Innovations Collection: Wind Turbine Works With a Breeze : New Wind Technology Source:  US Army Corps of Engineers Green Energy Gamechanger from Army Corps of Engineers This is a new breakthr...

World's Largest Plane Successfully Tested in 2 Hour Flight Source:  Stratolaunch Systems Designed for Lucrative Commercial Space Launch Market The world's largest plane is the creation of Stratolaunch Systems, the company started by the late co-founder of Microsoft Paul Allen.  The test flight this weekend of Roc, the world's largest plane, was a great success.  The plane is designed as an air launch vehicle for the lucrative commercial space market.  For a news blog with more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Crowded Space Plane Skies : World

2021 Missions to International Space Station Courtesy:  SNC Space Utility Vehicle Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser space plane continues to go through successful milestone testing by NASA.  It's been selected by NASA to deliver and return cargo from the International Space Station (ISS) starting in 2021.  It's a reusable, multi-mission space utility vehicle that easily lands on commercial runways. Fascinating Technology The Dream Chaser is an autonomous launch, flight and landing vehicle.  No pilot is needed.  It has a high reusability rate of 15 times.  It's the only commercial space plane that is what's called a lifting body vehicle, capable of a runway landing.  It provides ground crews immediate access to the cargo onboard as soon as it lands.  And it will do a minimum of six missions to and from ISS starting in 2021.  It's the product of  US company SNC and their 4,000 engineers, scientists and software developers.

UK's 5G Connected Dairy Cows Source:  Cisco's 5G collars on UK dairy cows Cisco Testing 5G Infrastructure Down on the Farm 50 dairy cows in rural United Kingdom are connected with 5G a lot sooner than most of us.  Cisco Systems is developing and testing its 5G infrastructure for mobile and wireless performance.  The cows are equipped with 5G collars that control robotic milking machines. There's a lot more technology deployed. The purpose is to track the ability of 5G to send data from sensors much faster.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: 5G Internet Pioneers: 50 Connected Cows : Very Connected Dairy Cattle Source:  Cows with Cisco's 5G collars Cisco Systems UK Tests 5G connected cows are engaged in testi...

Fourth Innovation Book Available for Free on Kindle If you're interested in the latest innovations in travel like passenger drones, air taxis, the Rolls Royce of Flying Cars and much more, you might want to take advantage of the free borrow on Kindle just enabled by author/journalist Ed Kane.  For more information, go to Important Innovations Collection: Latest Innovation Books -4th Free Borrow on Kindle... : My Books I've just made a fourth book available to the Kindle Lending Library for free borrowing.  The books contain my news summaries...

China Investing and Building a "Star in a Jar" Source:  China's Nuclear Fusion Reactor in Hefei, China China Targets 2040 for Nuclear Fusion Power Generation Nuclear fusion power generation is a source of clean, renewable energy.  The nuclear fusion of hydrogen into the heavier element helium is how the sun and stars have remained burning for billions of years.  That's why a nuclear fusion reactor is called a "star in a jar".  It is a powerful source of energy but with many technological barriers yet to be overcome. News now that China is funding and constructing their own star in a jar to generate clean electricity by around 2040. Artificial Sun China calls their Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak Reactor (East) the "Artificial Sun".  It's located in Hefei, Anhui province, China.  They are developing their experimental reactor to start generating electricity and commercializing it by 2040. China is a Leader in Renewable

New Innovation Books by Edward Kane Just Enabled Free Borrowing on Kindle Lending Library If you're interested in the latest, top innovations, there's a great opportunity to borrow for free books of news summaries on top global innovations by national journalist Edward Kane. The opportunity was just enabled by Ed in the Kindle Lending Library.  The books cover significant new innovations in medicine, travel and improving the environment and are co-authored by me.  For details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Latest Innovation Books - Free Borrow on Kindle : My Books I've just made several of my books available to the Kindle Lending Library for free borrowing.  The books contain my news sum...

SpaceX Aces First Commercial Launch Source:  SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Falcon Heavy - World's Most Powerful Rocket SpaceX's first commercial mission for its Falcon Heavy rocket could not have gone better.  For owner Elon Musk it provided a dramatic demonstration of SpaceX's capabilities.  The world's most powerful rocket - Falcon Heavy - successfully launched and sent a commercial satellite for Arabsat of Saudi Arabia into orbit.  Then, Falcon Heavy's three booster rockets safely landed back on earth. It's was a great victory.  For a great news blog with more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: SpaceX Big Victory for Elon Musk : Successful Launch of World's Most Powerful Rocket Source:  Falcon Heavy Lift-Off Took Off With the Force of 18 Passenger Jets Sp...

Safe Robotic Co-Worker Source:  UC Berkeley's Blue Learns on the Job with Humans The roboticists at the University of California Berkeley call it Project Blue.  Blue robot is AI enabled and can safety learn tasks while working side by side with humans. It learns by reinforcement learning or trial and error. The Berkeley team has created what they call a "human safe" robot. Weaker Robot is a Better Robot The team worked on the premise that the stronger the robot the more dangerous it can be to humans.  When a robot makes a mistake, it can damage itself and people nearby.  As a result, Blue features flexible plastic arms with rounded edges that can be easily pushed away.  The team purposefully designed a weak robot that can perform significant, useful tasks because "weaker is safer". Low Cost The team says Blue is a low-cost, backdrivable, 7-DOF robotic manipulator.  The robot not only safely works side by side with humans.  It can also make coffee. 

New Innovation to Forward Constant Use of Green Energy Source:  Vattenfall Salt-Based Storage Tech for Wind and Solar Power The main disadvantage of wind and solar power is their intermittent stop and start nature.  SaltX of Sweden has a new technology solution.  It's a salt based power storage system that Vattenfall, the Swedish power producer, is putting to an industrial level test.  If this works, it could make wind and solar energy more constantly available for our use.  The test is based in Berlin and goes through the summer.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Making Green Energy More Constantly Useable : Renewable Energy Innovation from Sweden New Salt-Based Storage Technology System For Green Energy Vattenfall is a Swedish power produc...

Massive Solar Thermal Power Project Megalim Starts Up in Israel Source:  Israel's Megalim Solar Project  Renewable Energy: Multi Billion Dollar Solar Valley The Megalim Solar Project in Israel is now in commercial operation. It's being called Israel's Multi-Billion Dollar Solar Valley. This is the largest renewable energy project in Israel and one of the largest and most complex in the world. It's a huge, concentrated solar thermal power plant delivering renewable energy in the Negev Desert. It's provides a daily clean energy supply to Israel's National Grid. It reminds you of Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's promise 60 years ago "to make the desert bloom again". Commitment to Renewable Energy Israel is committed to reaching a goal of 10% of its electricity generation from renewables by 2020. The Megalim is a big part of that goal and it's one of the largest solar plants of its kind in the world. It is a joint ve