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1. IBM Accelerates Into "Smart Rail," Guns for High-Speed Stimulus
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2. 2009 VW Jetta TDI SportWagen: The Fuel Economy Test Drive
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3. Quick: The U.S. imports more oil from which country than any other foreign nation?
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4. 8 iPhone Apps to Help Save the Planet
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5. CoolIT Gets $5.1M for Keeping Computers Cool, Plans Acquisition
IBM Accelerates Into "Smart Rail," Guns for High-Speed Stimulus
Josie Garthwaite - Big Green
What can software do for mass transit? It can help cut delays, increase uptime, reduce emissions and slash fuel costs, according to IBM, which has just unveiled a new “smart rail” project in China. The company has already rolled out software for high-speed rail projects in the Netherlands and Taiwan. As Big Blue readies for a round of layoffs (the Wall Street Journal reports a “large number” of U.S. employees are about to get the axe), those projects could be key to the company’s bid for high-speed rail stimulus funds.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom highlighted smart transit projects at our Green:Net conference yesterday, describing a plan to deploy GPS tools at all city bus stations (for realtime updates on bus arrivals) and the “Connected Bus” demo that Cisco created last year with onboard Wi-Fi, touchscreen maps and information about connecting transit lines.
IBM’s latest smart rail projects add computing intelligence behind the scenes — they’re less about connecting passengers with the web (Cisco’s focus in the San Francisco demo) and more about automating system management to improve efficiency. In Taiwan, the High Speed Rail Coporation is using IBM’s Maximo software to manage maintenance and logistics (for example, reporting on conditions of signals, tracks and communication devices and automatically filing work orders) for a network of hundreds of trains, each capable of going up to 186 mph, IBM said in an announcement today. A relevant comparison for those of you in Silicon Valley: Caltrain maxes out at 79 mph.
The same software, Maximo, will power the asset management platform IBM is building for the state-owned rail operator in China’s Guangzhou City. IBM says it’s building a classification and coding system for all of GZ Metro’s software, services, tracks, trains, station shops and advertising spots as the railway operator gears up for a $176 billion expansion expected to double passenger capacity to 4 million per day.
China’s planned investment is 22 times the $8 billion allocated for high-speed rail in the U.S. economic stimulus package, which means Big Blue will have to bring its A-game to get a sizable slice for software. As Bloomberg reports, its facing a fierce competition with tech giants like Accenture, Cap Gemini and Thales SA for stateside contracts.
Photo courtesy IBM
2009 VW Jetta TDI SportWagen: The Fuel Economy Test Drive
khallgeisler - Bikes & Cars
This poor 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen got a real workout during the week I had it. I had made plans to stay at the Oregon coast, about 100 miles from my home. Then I got roped into a meeting held near Olympia, Washington, about 120 miles from home. All told, I put nearly 500 miles on the odometer — and used almost exactly one full tank of gas.
The diesel engine was quiet, started immediately, and smelled like nothing. It took the hills and curves over the Coast Range like it was a game, and both my short self and my tall husband were comfortable during the ride. The EPA estimates for the Jetta TDI SportWagen are 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway. I ended up doing quite a bit of highway driving — more than I intended, actually — and was happy with my 37 mpg at the end of the week.
One word of caution to potential buyers: there was no indication on the gas cap that this car required diesel fuel. Drivers are not allowed to pump their own gas in Oregon (or New Jersey), and the attendant had the regular gasoline nozzle in his hand and was about to fill ‘er up. “No! No! Diesel!” I screamed inside the car. Luckily, he heard me and switched to good old B5 (that’s 5% biodiesel, suitable for winter driving). Close call, and one to be aware of if you’re not filling your own diesel tank.
- 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen
- As tested: $29,410, including destination charge
- 2.0L diesel engine rated 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway
- 6.4 tons of carbon dioxide emitted annually, on average
Images by Kristen Hall-Geisler.
Quick: The U.S. imports more oil from which country than any other...
Shelby Wood, The Oregonian - Eat Your Greens
8 iPhone Apps to Help Save the Planet
Celeste LeCompte - Uncategorized
Over at TheAppleBlog, Nick Santilli has rounded up a few iPhone apps to help consumers “go green.” He takes a look at tools to help you find green living tips and retailers, as well as a couple apps for measuring your environmental footprint. The free shopgreen app seems especially neat — answer questions about your choices and behaviors to earn discounts at participating retailers.
They may not be the eco-geekiest tools in the App Store, but check out his list and suggest a few of your own. Tendril, perhaps? Or maybe you found a winner on our list of apps to save gas. Head on over and check out the full list!
CoolIT Gets $5.1M for Keeping Computers Cool, Plans Acquisition
Jennifer Kho - Startups
CoolIT Systems, a Calgary, Alberta-based company that makes electronics cooling systems, said this week it’s raised C$6.2 million dollars ($5.1 million) in its first round of venture capital funding. Investors included iNovia Capital, a Montreal-based venture-capital firm, which led the round, as well as nonprofit research investor AVAC Ltd. and unnamed angel investors.
CoolIT has developed a liquid cooling system for computers that it claims is more energy efficient than air cooling systems. Reducing computers’ energy consumption is a significant potential market. A Gartner study back in 2007 found that PCs consume 80 billion kilowatt-hours annually. “CoolIT is addressing an acute problem of thermal management and energy efficiency for computers,” said Joško Bobanović, a principal at iNovia.
Instead of just using fans, which produce unwanted noise and dust that can damage computer components, CoolIT’s system acts like a car radiator, pumping liquid through tubes to cool the central processing unit. Because CPUs use more power as they heat up, CoolIT’s system saves energy by keeping computers cooler than air-based systems, according to CEO Geoff Lyon, who also told us the system itself uses less energy than conventional cooling systems. For one thing, it includes technology that regulates the speed of the fan so that it doesn’t run faster than necessary. The pump also consumes only 3 watts of power.
The company believes it’s produced the most energy-efficient cooling technology available, Lyons said, though he wasn’t able to quantify the expected energy savings. Those savings could vary widely depending on the specific application and other factors, he said, adding that the company is conducting tests to help pin down the efficiency now.
CoolIT, founded in 2001, counts Dell, Seagate Technology, IBM and Honeywell International among its customers. In December, the company released a desktop liquid cooling system, called Domino Advanced Liquid Cooling, that was priced at a cool $79. The Domino ALC is already the company’s most successful product by far, according to CEO Lyon. He wouldn’t say how many systems the company had sold, only that the number is more than 1,000 and less than 100,000 per month.
CoolIT plans to use its newfound cash to aggressively expand its distribution into international markets, to add to its team and to complete an acquisition. Lyons wouldn’t disclose any details about the purchase, but said the company hopes to make an announcement “in the next week or so.”
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