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Submission + - Should Electric Cars be on Interstate Highways?

PowerCyclist writes: I'm thinking of throwing a few thousand dollars into a DIY electric car for my mom to get back and forth to work. She's getting a new gasoline car and selling the old one will fund the project -so the electric car doesn't need to go far at all. My main question: is it actually feasible to have a converted electric car get up to 70 MPH safely?

I already have experience dealing with 10+ kW motors on a motorcycle, so converting an old 2-seat car should be fairly easy if anyone knows of a motor + transmission combo that will reliably go 70 MPH for a couple miles each day. Even 65 MPH would be acceptable but most electric car projects top out below 55 MPH.

Specifics:
Desired weight of starter car no more than 1000 kg
Desired battery tech: lead-acid but LiFePO4 is not out of the question.
Distance to travel is ~18 km (11mi)
Motor voltage will be 48-72 VDC (any higher makes building batteries a pain)

Comment Open Source Project? (Score 1) 262

I absolutely hate trusting others with my data, but there are just some features on cloud platforms that are great:

- Web and mobile clients, some with the ability to stream
- Sharing features
- Auto-sync for certain folders with desktop clients


I know that it's a small list, but it makes the data incredibly accessible to me wherever I am and beats the hell out of setting up VPNs and SSH connections. Is there a software suite that would allow me to have these features on my own personal storage unit?

Comment Market Apps (Score 1) 80

I hope that they ban these phones from installing any non-approved apps, among other restrictions. With no screening process for Google Market apps, we could see a virus that spreads quickly throughout the military network (think stuxnet) disguised as "AWESOME WALLPAPERS!" or "ANGRY BIRDS CHEAT APP."

Comment Re:Didn't they always? (Score 1) 151

For a while, there was a "Report Error" link in Google Maps Navigation for Android that allowed you to submit a 15-second audio message describing the error. I submitted a few in the NYC-metro area and received emails a few months later letting me know that I was right and that my changes were committed to the map.

I'm not sure if Android-nav submissions are processed separately from the Google Maps browser client, but there are people on the other end for at lease some of their user correction features.

Comment Re:Damages? (Score 1) 350

I'm a US / Israeli dual citizen. This lawsuit, and the types of people behind it, are an embarrassment. Stifling free speech goes against the values of both Israel and the United States -- and any other democratic society. These people definitely don't speak on behalf of their associated populations. (There's that old joke about there being 3 different opinions for every 2 Jews.) Furthermore, Facebook is not exactly a hotbed of intellectual activity. Why give these people any attention at all?

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