(Source: Youtube via Jalopnik)

Google Maps 5.7  is now available with a deeper public transit navigation for users in nearly 400 cities around the globe. As shown in the above video, using your location along the route, the Transit Navigation feature on Google Maps will alert you when its time to get off at your destination or to make a transfer. Transit Navigation (Beta) requires a phone with Android 2.1+ (too bad, Apple users are missing out here) and the latest update of Google Maps for mobile. Oh, the only caveat is that the system works only for above-ground transit systems where the GPS signals can be reached.  And for those with plenty of time to spare, here is a hands-on review of the new feature, courtesy of Engadget. I can already surmise this is a god’s gift (or Google’s) for the international travelers.

(Source: via Real Talkies)

Just noticed this post on my favorite documentary blog  –  Real Talkies and couldn’t help but share. Oh, I’m planning to see it on June 25th when it gets screened at the AFI Silver Docs Documentary Festival.

Here is a snippet of what Real Talkies wrote:  In “Who killed the electric Car?” they followed a group of activists. “REvenge of the Electric Car” sets out to follow Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, GM’s vice chair  – Bob Lutz, Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn and DIY expert  Greg “Gadget” Abbott . Each one allowed access to their journey over three years on condition that the film will not be released until 2011.

This is one rare occasion when we want all of them to win, their cumulative success is success for the earth, for us and for a life without dependence on fossil fuel. This remarkable film is on its festival circuit. DC folks can see it at SilverDocs on June 25th. For future screenings visit their website.

Click here to read the full story.

(Source: HoustonChronicle; Click2houston.com)

How should this be viewed – A population’s unwillingness to see the safety benefits of continuing with a safety measure?Or, is it simply a matter of the city administration, driven by the economic gains, unwilling to execute the citizens’ collective decision? The issues surrounding the City of Houston’s red-light camera enforcement now got a bit more chaotic by the latest court ruling. Read on.

Houston city leaders are assessing their options after a federal judge invalidated the November referendum that turned off a red-light surveillance system and halted a stream of millions of dollars into strapped city coffers.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled Friday that the referendum was improperly placed on the ballot last year, and the city cannot be forced to turn off the cameras.U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes said that the issue as presented on the November ballot violated Houston’s city charter covering the repeal of an ordinance.Hughes said Houston’s city charter requires that efforts to overturn ordinances by referendum must occur within 30 days of an ordinance’s passage.

Video: Houston Red Light Camera Ruling

53%  percent voted against Proposition 3 in the Nov. 2 election. The measure forced the city to stop issuing tickets for those caught by the red-light cameras.

(Source: Reddit)

Found this gem contributed by fellow Redditor beer_OMG_beer.  Who knew some police departments/officers had it this good. A nice BMW 3-series convertible with an awesome license plate to boot.   I can see this a nice recruitment tool if the Fairfax police ever run short of a few men for the force.

(Source: Times of India & Central Chronicle)

Times of India report on this topic:

The Supreme Court on Thursday left no option for the Centre and states but to speedily implement the policy on installation of high security registration plates (HSRP) in 9 crore vehicles across the country.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia andJustices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar slammed the states for their lethargy in implementing the court’s 2008 judgment upholding the Centre’s 2001 notification on mandatory HSRPs for vehicles.

Writing the judgment for the Bench, Justice Kumar said the executive must implement the court’s order within the stipulated time, especially when the issue concerned safety of citizens, which was of paramount interest for the governments.   It lamented non-implementation of the court`s May 8, 2008 judgment pronounced on a petition filed by Maninderjit Singh Bitta and issued contempt notices to the transport secretaries of Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Some of the interesting aspects of the ruling include:

• If officials are found guilty of not implementing GPRS-enabled high security number plates they would not only be punished for contempt but also be liable to personally pay heavy cost.
• States which have initiated the process are directed to complete it in six weeks.
• Defaulting state transport secretaries are to file affidavit in four weeks.

click here to read the entire article.

Editor’s note: Given the constant security threats facing the nation, the swift implementation of high security registration plates makes a lot of sense. How on earth can they track rouge/unsafe elements on the road amongst a burgeoning vehicle population of 90 million that is continuing to grow leaps and bounds with each passing day? If anything, this should be a top priority at the Ministry of Transportation.

(Source:  Thecityfix.com)

SeeClickFix, an online forum created to engage residents with community leaders to resolve neighborhood complaints, today announced the launch of a Facebook application. The Facebook application, similar to the SeeClickFix website and smartphone application, empowers citizens by giving them a chance to report issues in their communities directly through their Facebook accounts. Once reported, local authorities receive alerts on the complaints and can respond to issues accordingly.

“When the App is installed, the user’s location is pulled either directly from his or her current Facebook profile location or entered manually if no location is given,” reports the SeeClickFix blog. “Once the location is set, the user can start reporting issues, creating watch areas, discovering problems reported by neighbors, and, most important, advocating for an issue to be fixed. Users can automatically post reported issues to their walls, allowing friends to comment on the issue or vote for a fix.”

SeeClickFix has 14,000 registered public officials and more than 50,000 reported issues have been resolved through the website and its mobile application’s open forums. A Facebook application further encourages public empowerment by linking citizens with public officials through a familiar interface.

Click here to read more.

(Source: Huffington Post;  Daily Mail, UK)

We continue to hear from our officials how distracting cell phones are while operating a motor vehicle. Some states and law makers along with the Secretary of transportation have mounted a very vocal campaign to educate the driving public about this growing problem.

If that is not enough of a problem caused by the proliferation of mobile devices, now we have one more form of distraction – this one involving pedestrians totally distracted by their electronic devices such as cellphones and handheld music/gaming units.  Interestingly, some of these incidents are captured by surveillance cameras fitted at the facilities where such accidents happen. Here is one such incident involving a 10-yr old boy who was playing video games on his PSP.  The boy who was accompanied by his parents fell off the platform onto the tracks at a local station in Italy but was luckily there was no oncoming train and also a police officer on duty saw the boy go off the edge and jumped on the tracks to save him.

This other widely circulated video was taken at a shopping mall, shows a young woman, Cathy Marrero, walking straight into a pool of water in a decorative fountain all the while texting her friend on a cell phone. What’s more interesting is Ms. Marrero is now suing the mall management for publicizing the video.

Grrr.. Technology can be a boon and at times like this it can be bane too. There is nothing one can do to stop such incidents unless the users of such devices realize such potential dangers and walk carefully.  Amazingly, Cathy Marrero who suffered the humiliating fall in the mall has a message for everyone, especially the younger generation, out there – HANG UP and WALK or else you could risk getting hurt/killed/humiliated.

(Source: Reddit.com)

Editor’s note: I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. Oh, and I’m not the only one who had tears streaming down my face watching this one.  You can see plenty of folks who enjoyed this Gizmo Gone Wild video from their comments on Reddit and also on the source (YouTube) comments page.

(Source: cnet)

Looks like Toyota is at it again, upping the ante for other players in the automobile market to match the stellar reputation it has built over the years as an advanced engineering shop that leaves no stone unturned to enhance the safety of the riders in the Lexus vehicles.  This above featured new, inflatable Takata “Airbelt,” or SRS Seat Belt Airbag, is built into the webbing of the seat belt of the Lexus LFA, the latest out of Toyota’s Lexus stable, expected to hit the market soon. It’s designed to protect drivers and front-seat passengers in front- or side-impact collisions. So, how does it work? Well, it works as shown nicely in the above graphic and here is some additional text from Cnet.com to aid in your understanding:

“The belt expands directly to spread the shock-load over a wider area of the occupant’s chest during front impact. And in a side impact, the belt inflates between the shoulder and head to reduce lateral head movement and provide protection from impact with the side window or colliding object, the company said in a press release.”

Click here to read more.

Related articles

• Safety: 2011 Lexus LFA first car with SRS Seat Belt Airbag (inautonews.com)
• Takata melds air bag with seat belt (search.japantimes.co.jp)
• Lexus LFA is it really worth $375,000? (ridelust.com)

(Source: Popular Mechanics)

Image Courtesy: Popular Mechanics

As well as being the largest jet in commercial service, the Airbus A380 represents a bid by Europe’s EADS to take from America’s Boeing the title of world’s most advanced commercial aircraft manufacturer. Critical to that endeavor is the aircraft’s ability to not crash, come apart in midair, or generally imperil the lives of the public. Unhappily for Airbus, Qantas A380 was taking off from Singapore on November 4, 2010, when its number two engine exploded with a loud bang. Flying shrapnel punched a hole in the wing and injured two people on the ground, but the plane was able to land safely. Was the engine’s failure a one-in-a-million coincidence, or a result of a fundamental engineering flaw? The fate of billions of dollars worth of aircraft orders may ride on the answer.

Popular Mechanics looked into the investigation preliminary report into the accident and offers an easy to understand explanations in plain English for us not-so informed average citizens. In short, the report notes that the accident happened due to a fatigued metal element inside the engine, which resulted in oil seepage there by leading to a fire and eventually exploding the internal parts of the engine.  Great explanations along with the reference to the preliminary report makes for an interesting read (at least that’s what my techy brain says). Click here to read the full analysis.

Related articles

• “Qantas Airbus A380 uncontained engine failure: ATSB preliminary report” and related posts (aircrewbuzz.com)
• Qantas to resume Airbus A380 flights (ft.com)
• Airbus A380: facts and figures (telegraph.co.uk)
• Engine problem grounds Airbus A380 at LAX (abclocal.go.com)
• “Airbus A380 operations back in flight” and related posts (instantriverside.com)
• Qantas Grounds Airbus A380 Fleet After Emergency Landing (dailyfinance.com)
• Engine Blow-Out Grounds Qantas Airbus A380 Fleet (npr.org)
• “Should Qantas Airways ask Rolls Royce for compensation as it restarts Airbus A380 flights?” and related posts (ceoworld.biz)
• About the Air Bus A380 (brighthub.com)
• Factbox: Airbus A380, the world’s biggest passenger jet (reuters.com)
• Airbus A380 engine woe wipes £1bn off Rolls-Royce (telegraph.co.uk)