Important Innovations

  It's the Most Fuel Efficient Pickup on the Market  Source:  Ford Under $20,000 Starting Price & It's a Hybrid Ford has a very interesting new pickup just entering the market.   It's the new Maverick pickup.  Ford calls it their smallest and most fuel efficient pickup.  The vehicle has a hybrid powertrain that provides 40 mph and 37 mph combined, which makes it the most fuel efficient pickup on the market today.  The pickup has the capacity to haul 1,500 pounds and to tow 2,000 pounds.  The starting price is $19,995.00.  The range on a tank of gas is 500 miles. Unique Pickup with Interesting Features The pickup truck's rear loading bed is unique.  Ford calls it the All New Ford Maverick FLEXBED. For the owner, it is customizable to their needs.  Ford has built slots into the sides of the truck's bed.  2x4's and 2x6's can be dropped in to create unique spaces like raised platforms, bike platforms and storage spaces.  It also has two, 110 volt outlets to

  Urban Air Taxis Becoming a Reality                                              Source:  Vertical Aerospace Vertical Aerospace of  the UK UK flying taxi company Vertical Aerospace just announced that it has pre-orders for up to 1,000 of its zero emissions VA-X4 flying taxis from American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Avolon.  Also, Microsoft is providing the company with backing.  The pre-orders are worth $4 billion.  The electric flying taxi prototype is now in production with the first test flight slated for later this year. Tech Specs The e-VTOL takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter.  It can hit speeds of 202 mph and has a range of more than 100 miles.  VA-X4 is nearly silent during flight. It carries 4 passengers and a pilot. American Airlines has pre-ordered 250 vehicles with an option to purchase 100 more.  Dublin-based aircraft leasing company Avolon has preorders and options for 500 and Virgin Atlantic has a pre-order for 150 vehicles.  Pre-orders are conditional o

  Urban Air Taxis Becoming a Reality Source:  Vertical Aerospace Vertical Aerospace of  the UK UK flying taxi company Vertical Aerospace just announced that it has pre-orders for up to 1,000 of its zero emissions VA-X4 flying taxis from American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Avolon.  Also, Microsoft is providing the company with backing.  The pre-orders are worth $4 billion.  The electric flying taxi prototype is now in production with the first test flight slated for later this year. Tech Specs The e-VTOL takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter.  It can hit speeds of 202 mph and has a range of more than 100 miles.  VA-X4 is nearly silent during flight. It carries 4 passengers and a pilot. American Airlines has pre-ordered 250 vehicles with an option to purchase 100 more.  Dublin-based aircraft leasing company Avolon has preorders and options for 500 and Virgin Atlantic has a pre-order for 150 vehicles.  Pre-orders are conditional on certain milestones being reached, such of c

  Revolutionary New Battery                                             Source:  Prototype e-VTOL Energy Dense, Rapid Recharge, Burst of Power Engineers at Penn State University have designed a battery prototype that they say is capable of powering flying cars.  The battery is specifically designed for e-VTOLs which take off and land vertically like a helicopter.  The battery has to deliver a lot of power very quickly to get a flying car off the ground.  The vehicles also require high energy density to keep flying.  And, the recharge needs to be quick because the main use of e-VTOLs is expected to be as flying taxis for commuters with frequent takeoffs and landings.  The Penn State team says their breakthrough battery can accomplish all of those requirements. Prototype Successfully Tested The Penn State team has successfully tested the performance of a pair of energy dense lithium ion batteries capable of delivering the power needed for a 50 mile, 5 to 10 minute e-VTOL flight. To preve

  Revolutionary New Battery                                             Source:  Prototype e-VTOL Energy Dense, Rapid Recharge, Burst of Power Engineers at Penn State University have designed a battery prototype that they say is capable of powering flying cars.  The battery is specifically designed for e-VTOLs which take off and land vertically like a helicopter.  The battery has to deliver a lot of power very quickly to get a flying car off the ground.  The vehicles also require high energy density to keep flying.  And, the recharge needs to be quick because the main use of e-VTOLs is expected to be as flying taxis for commuters with frequent takeoffs and landings.  The Penn State team says their breakthrough battery can accomplish all of those requirements. Prototype Successfully Tested The Penn State team has successfully tested the performance of a pair of energy dense lithium ion batteries capable of delivering the power needed for a 50 mile, 5 to 10 minute e-VTOL flight. To preve

  Tracked by a Powerful Telescope in Canada                            Source:  CHIME & 1st Radio Signal Burst Intergalactic Mystery International researchers using a high powered, new Canadian telescope named CHIME, have detected hundreds of fast and mysterious radio bursts in space that quickly disappear.  These bright flashes of light last for a millisecond.  The quickness of the signal makes it unpredictable and extremely difficult to track the origin and determine the reason why. As a result, astronomers are baffled and the source remains shrouded in mystery. These fast radio signals from space have a name - FRB's.  140 FRB bursts of lighted radio signals in space were observed between 2008 and 2018.  Experts believe, because of the CHIME telescope, the vast majority of radio bursts have gone undetected, until now. CHIME in British Columbia The highly advanced telescope CHIME went live in 2018 in British Columbia.  In the first year of its operation, it detected 535 fast r

  Tracked by a Powerful Telescope in Canada                                                                      Source:  CHIME & 1st Radio Signal Burst Intergalactic Mystery International researchers using a high powered, new Canadian telescope named CHIME, have detected hundreds of fast and mysterious radio bursts in space that quickly disappear.  These bright flashes of light last for a millisecond.  The quickness of the signal makes it unpredictable and extremely difficult to track the origin and determine the reason why. As a result, astronomers are baffled and the source remains shrouded in mystery. These fast radio signals from space have a name - FRB's.  140 FRB bursts of lighted radio signals in space were observed between 2008 and 2018.  Experts believe, because of the CHIME telescope, the vast majority of radio bursts have gone undetected, until now. CHIME in British Columbia The highly advanced telescope CHIME went live in 2018 in British Columbia.  In the first yea