BP Plant Cancellation Darkens Cellulosic Ethanol’s Future

The plant would have been one of the industry’s first commercial-scale facilities.

• By Kevin Bullis on November 2, 2012

When BP backed out of building a $350 million, 36-million-gallon-per-year plant in Highlands County, Florida, last week, the cellulosic biofuels industry, which tries to make fuel from grass and wood chips, lost one of its most promising projects. The cancellation raises the question, if BP can’t bring cellulosic ethanol to market, can anyone?
BP had already started developing a 20,000-acre farm to grow special crops for the plant, such as a type of sugarcane that produces larger amounts of biomass and less sugar than the kind used to make sugar and ethanol in Brazil. As recently as last year, the CEO of BP Biofuels touted the project as evidence that “the technology is coming through” and a new “global commodity is starting to emerge.”

But the cellulosic industry is struggling, despite years of promises and an ambitious federal renewable fuels standard, which took effect in 2010, that mandates a market for cellulosic ethanol that was to have reached 500 million gallons per year by now and a billion by next year. The first commercial plant hasn’t been built, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has had to repeatedly waive the cellulosic ethanol requirement. At first, biofuels companies blamed the lack of commercial facilities on their inability to finance large plants. When a few big players like BP stepped in to say they’d finance plants, it looked like that problem was about to be swept away.
Now that BP has backed out, prospects look considerably dimmer. BP says it will still fund research to develop cellulosic ethanol, but it’s decided the $350 million it would need to fund the plant would be more profitably spent elsewhere.
BP isn’t saying much about its reasoning. But the Biotechnology Industry Organization says uncertainty about government policy is hurting the industry. Without more certainty of government support, the organization says, “it’s no surprise that private investments will flow to incumbent technologies” rather than to new cellulosic biofuels technology. But there is probably a far more basic problem: the market for ethanol in the United States is saturated. Until recently, the EPA limited ethanol levels in gasoline to 10 percent for ordinary vehicles—and ethanol made from corn easily supplies this. Many cars can use 85 percent blends, but gas stations that dispense it are rare. A new EPA rule raises the limit for ordinary cars to 15 percent, but this only applies to newer cars. If gas stations switch to the 15 percent blend, about a third of their customers won’t be able to use it, so gas station owners are reluctant to switch.
There’s also good reason to think that the cellulosic technology isn’t competitive, in spite of what many biofuels companies say. Each company’s costs are based on small-scale plants, and it’s impossible to know how the enzymes and microörganisms used in the process will perform at a large scale, says David Ripplinger, an economist at North Dakota State University.
Economists have recently done field studies to determine just how much the feedstocks—the grasses, wood chips, straw, or corn stover—actually cost to grow, harvest, and get to a biofuels plant. Whereas early estimates—the ones that helped spur the cellulosic ethanol mandates—put the cost at $30 a ton, the actual costs are more like $80 to $130 a ton. That means the grass and wood chips required to make a gallon of ethanol will cost $1.30 to $1.48—even before anything is done to process them. (For context, the price of a gallon of processed ethanol made from corn is now $2.40 a gallon.)
Based on the cost for plants like the one BP proposed in Florida, the cost could be 10 times higher for a cellulosic plant than a corn ethanol one, at least for the first plants, says Wallace Tyner, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University.
Yet while BP has backed out, other large companies are going forward with plans to build commercial plants, if ones that are somewhat smaller than BP’s proposed one. Abengoa is one year into the construction of a 25-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas, with the help of a $132 million government loan. Since BP’s announcement, DuPont has confirmed plans to break ground on a 28-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant later this year. Corn ethanol giant Poet, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is building a 25-million-gallon-per-year facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa, after turning down a government loan after it managed to raise enough private financing for the product. Mascoma, which announced a partnership with the oil company Valero last year, hopes to build a 20-million-gallon ethanol plant in Kinross, Michigan, next year, and it says its technology allows for production costs of just $2 a gallon—based on tests at a smaller scale.
BP’s decision was “disheartening,” Ripplinger says. But he says it’s not yet the death knell for cellulosic ethanol. “What we know is that cellulosic ethanol doesn’t work for BP with the energy crops it was using in Florida,” he says. “The question remains what that means for the broader cellulosic effort.”

Kevin Bullis Senior Editor, Energy

My reporting as MIT Technology Review’s senior editor for energy has taken me, among other places, to the oil-rich deserts of the Middle East and to China, where mountains are being carved away to build the looming cities.

Growing up, I lived for a time in the Philippines, where... continue »
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Source : http://www.technologyreview.com/ 

Tesla’s Model S Goes To Germany

 Tesla brought its Model S to Germany for a first European physical presentation of the American electric car.

According to Tesla, the Model S arrived in Europe last week for a nearly week-long press preview in Munich, Germany.
This event marks the beginning of marketing activity for Tesla’s sedan outside North America.
The first week was dedicated to European press and media, which had the chance to drive the Model S on various European roads and cruised on the Autobahn for the very first time.
Tesla said it plans to deliver Model S to reservation holders in Europe and Asia in 2013.
"Our goal has always been to build the best car in the world and set new standards for safety, range, design and performance. We have achieved this with Model S in North America and now it's time to introduce the extraordinary Model S driving experience to Europe," said Elon Musk, Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO. "Our Tesla Roadster introduced us to the world and we believe Model S will now be seen as the ideal alternative for customers seeking the most advanced luxury performance sedan available today."
Tesla declared the Model S has the same immediate response, instant torque and smooth acceleration that made its Roadster famous. The Model S accelerates from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) in 4.6 seconds without hesitation and without a drop of gasoline.
To date, Tesla has received more than 13,000 reservations worldwide for its Model S.

source : http://www.hybridcars.com

Hydro Hybrids

the Tech Up team heads to Gelendzhik to check out the Ninth International Exhibition of Hydroaviation, where the country’s latest hybrid aircraft were strutting their stuff. Amphibious firefighting vehicles like the Be-200 showed their blaze-battling skills to the gathered crowd. The world’s biggest and most powerful helicopter was also on hand to flex its mechanical muscles, and show why it’s in a weight class all its own. One light seaplane stood out among the macho displays and proved that sometimes, less is more. Throughout the exhibition, modern hovercrafts served as a link to the past, and were some of Russia’s most eye-popping maritime creations

download complete report here :
http://rt.com/files/programs/technology-update/hydro-hybrids-gelendzhik-russia/ia10b69f42bf4d39001bc9e47578d8287_00b4fd93.dv.mp4?download=1

Source : rt.com

Grab The Latest Technology News Of Today

Staying in touch with all the latest technology news is crucial in the modern society we live in so knowing how you can get the latest stories could prove to be an excellent advantage for anybody. To be able to keep yourself up to date you must come across some reliable technology news sources that can give you timely information. Probably the most well-known news sources for technology news are TV shows, tech magazines and also the world wide web. From each of them it is possible to find out loads of new information and facts, however, many of those sources are much better than others and we'll explain you why, exactly.
You can very well have one or more subscriptions to a variety of relevant publications but the disadvantage is the fact that you only get updated once a month or if this is a weekly subscription once every week. Considering the fast way that modern technology is evolving nowadays, you may be missing out on plenty of action and you will get informed later than the majority of the people around you.
Another option you have is to inform yourself from various TV shows that feature the latest device and so on. This could well be done, but you will have to be in front of the television every time the show is on which means that you'll need to make your schedule around your favorite shows. An alternative is to record them when you don't have time when they're being broadcasted live and to watch all of them at a later time but at that time, you won't be watching the latest technology news at all, you would only be catching up!
The very best source of news however is definitely the internet where news are instantly available for everyone to read. The easiest method to plug yourself in in the juiciest technology news is to find a few blogs that you like and to subscribe to their RSS feed. In this manner, every time a new piece of news is being updated, you receive instant messages in your email inbox. These day there are a lot of blogs with the latest computer technology news which are updated everyday. Make sure you browse around the web to find a few sites you really enjoy reading.

Apple’s iBooks 2 App Struggles Out of the Gate

Early reports suggest that Apple’s iBooks 2 application has been struggling to fix some technical bugs, drawing widespread criticism from users and reviewers. On the company’s App Store website, over 100 reviews give the new application one star – the lowest possible rating – mainly due to a bug that causes the screen to go grey and the app to freeze. Users who have experienced the bug report that they attempted to read and textbook on the application and were quickly met with a grey screen. When they tried to interact with the textbook, they were unable to turn the page or close out of the chapter. When they reopened the app, they were unable to access other books and once again saw nothing but a grey screen. The application could only work again by re-downloading iBooks 2.
While the bug may certainly be a minor and correctable one, it nevertheless reflects an early stumble for Apple in an area where the company cannot afford to fall. The iBooks 2 – along with the iBookstore and iBooks Author – is part of Apple’s broad attempt to revolutionize the education industry. As it announced at a much-heralded event this week in New York, the company aspires to fully embrace digital textbooks by entering into publishing agreements, building publishing software, and providing cheap, virtual books that can be uploaded onto any iPad device. The iBooks 2 application is the interactive iPad program upon which digital textbooks can be read.
Apple’s plan has many strengths: there is a growing digital textbook market, competition in the educational tech world is limited, and the company has already contracted with the three publishing firms that together control most of the elementary market – McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Apple also, of course, possesses tremendous resources and a powerful brand name. Yet despite all these positive indicators, early reviews of the company’s objectives have been highly mixed.
Critics note that Apple can only successfully sell digital textbooks to elementary schools by convincing districts to buy hundreds of expensive iPads and then “renewing” the books every year – a proposition that all but the wealthiest schools are unlikely to consider. Furthermore, the company may have even more trouble entering the high school and college textbook markets, where competition is more fierce from both a publishing and a digital retailing perspective. Ultimately, Apple has tied its education success to that of its iPad device. It’s a risky play to make.
So it’s impossible to tell what will happen with Apple’s endeavors in the digital textbook world. All we know at this point is that the company got off on the wrong foot with its iBooks 2 app. But there’s a long road ahead

 Source : http://www.thetechupdate.com/

Microsoft Moves to Include Ghetto-Skipping GPS on Windows Phones

It’s remarkable to recall how utterly impressive consumer-based GPS technology was over a decade ago. Since then, we’ve evolved into a society where our global position can be checked by pulling a smartphone out of our pocket. Indeed, GPS is a standard feature on modern mobile phones. In order for competitors to keep their particular digital map services a step above the rest, they need to get a little creative.
Enter the most recent patent issued to Microsoft – a GPS service that helps people safely navigate around areas with high crime rates. It’s a wonder such a service hasn’t already appeared in the form of a downloadable app, yet even with such obvious markets as tourists, business travelers, and the good old fashioned paranoid public, the “Avoid Ghetto” GPS feature is far from immune from criticism and controversy.
At the forefront of issues taken with this technology is the matter of what crimes, and what amount of what crimes, make a particular area “unsafe.” Since not every crime happens in a bad part of town, and not every crime is one that threatens pedestrians and motorists, such particulars are important. Deeming a particular area “unsafe” for pedestrians and motorists is far from the realm of responsibility for a tech company such as Microsoft.
Critics are adamant that if such technology were to exist, the conclusions must be drawn from dedicated statistical analysis and sociological study. But as CNET points out, the real crime may ultimately be the ulterior motives lurking behind Microsoft’s push to provide the public with this technology. As it turns out, some fine print would seem to suggest that the service would lead people to walk by advertisements most likely to appeal to them based on search data.
Yet the real question is whether or not such an app will prove either to be a mere novelty, measurable benefit to the community, or a detriment to those trying to use it to lead safer lives. If the data and projections Microsoft uses to create the GPS service are outdated and/or unreflective of reality, then it won’t be worth much to people besides as a gag. If the data is sound, then such technology may very well assist people in safely navigating themselves around areas with high crime rates.
But if the technology is unable to match the wits of criminals, we may very well see such a service blow up in the faces of both the creators and the users; nothing would aid would-be muggers more than technology that helps them figure out the exact route pedestrians will take to avoid a specific neighborhood laden with crime.
Regardless, such useful technology is a little late into the game: the crime rate in the U.S. is the lowest it’s been in decades.

source : http://www.thetechupdate.com

Study Shows That Facebook Users Are Becoming More Private

There’s no question that Facebook has done more to facilitate sociability and connectivity than most other companies out there. With Facebook you are never more than a click away from both your closest and most distant of friends. You can communicate, share information with the world, look at your colleague’s vacation pictures, and much much more.
This incredible amount of connectivity has bred a backlash of sorts. Privacy concerns have resulted in FTC settlements, investors scrutinizing the upcoming initial public offering have been wondering if the social network has ballooned beyond its means, and a growing number of early Facebook users have decided to deactivate their accounts. Facebook may have surpassed a staggering 800 million users, but it’s quite clear that privacy is a key concern and that connectivity may have its limits.
A recent study has confirmed this belief. In a report recently-released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, an examination of Facebook users has found that people have become more private and cautious about their online presence over time. Rare only a few years ago, users are now taking concerted steps to prevent personal information from being viewed by colleagues, bosses, family members, distant friends, and, of course, the general public.
Some of the main findings: almost two-thirds of respondents said they had deleted friends and 44 percent reported that they had removed comments from their profile. These figures reflect increases from the 2009 study, which found the numbers to be 56 percent and 36 percent, respectively. Users furthermore reported untagging pictures at a higher rate (37 percent versus 30 percent in 2009). The percentage of respondents who have a fully-private profile (58%) was also at its highest level ever.
Facebook users reported utilizing a range of methods to monitor the privacy settings on their profile. In addition to making their page private, deleting unwanted posts and friends, and untagging pictures, users also ask friends to delete images and comments, remove geographical data from their information tab, and alter their name so as to make them difficult to track down. These measures have been shown to be effective.
The Pew study also broke down respondents by demographic to further assess privacy trends. It found that women were more private than men but that no single age group was statistically more restrictive than another. It also concluded, based upon deleting comments, that people tend to make fewer regrettable comments as they grow older.
The study was conducted in a phone survey of 2,277 adults this spring. It has a margin of error of two percentage points.

Source :  http://www.thetechupdate.com

Advancements in Language Software

Now that business professionals, lawyers and students have access to translator applications, communicating with people around the world is much easier. Lawyers can draft contracts in other languages with the help of free online translation programs. Business professionals can speak with people from foreign countries over Skype with the help of a live interpreter to translate the conversation. Students can now excel in their language courses by double-checking their homework, essays and exams with the use of online translation programs.
Translator applications have now become a staple in the world of education. Professors now recommend that students use free translator applications on the Internet in order to excel in picking up a new language. In previous years, translator applications were not widely available online. Now, students can access a variety of translator applications for free on the Internet and as mobile apps. They can access these applications and make use of the instant texts that they can receive.
The way in which the most reputable translator applications work is that a person must copy and paste a block of text into a space on a translator application. After a person has pasted the texted into the space, then he or she can click the “translate” button and see the text instantly translated into a language of his or her choosing.
One of the other advancements in translator software is that translator software now provides users with access to a majority of the languages in the world. Users can now translate text into languages that may not be well-known to the rest of the world. For scholars, this advancement is essential for the way it helps them conduct research. Scholars who do not have a background in Latin can use translator tools to translate text from Latin into English and vice versa. They can discern the meaning of medieval texts by understanding how to translate Latin with the help of translation software.
One can even find interpreter scheduling software available online to help with the process of picking up a new language. With this type of software, a person can set up a one-on-one meeting with an interpreter. This meeting will help a person learn all of the intricacies of another language. A person will be able to learn all of the cultural nuances that affect a particular language with the help of an interpreter.
Overall, the advancements in language software programs have helped people pick up new languages, conduct business overseas and draft legal documents in other languages. It has become an important part of international commerce and education.

Source : http://www.thetechupdate.com/

Raising Your Technological Acumen

It can be challenging to stay up-to-date on all the latest technologies. While social media, smart phones and tablets have revolutionized how people communicate, many new devices are designed for ease of use. While learning about new technologies may seem confusing, the process is simplified by following a few simple rules.
The following guide provides simple tips and tricks for raising one’s technological acumen. It’s important to have an understanding of different social media networks, web tools and technologies and how they impact communication:
Facebook 
Facebook is an online social network service that allows people to communicate through public and private profiles. Facebook is like a telephone directory that includes lots of additional information about people. This includes photos, albums, hobbies, interests and more.
Twitter 
Twitter is a micro-blogging service that allows one to send short 140 character messages to other people. Twitter is often used for sharing real-time news about events around one’s home. Several recent uprisings in Libya and Egypt were shared with the world largely through Twitter.
Blog 
A blog is shorthand for a web log. A blog is an online news site or diary that is usually managed by a single person or company. An individual’s blog may talk about his or her favorite hobbies, interests or another subject he or she finds interesting. A blog for a company might discuss products and services that are about to hit the market.
Android 
Android is an open source mobile operating system developed by Google. Android currently powers over 300 million phones around the world. One of the main advantages of Android is the ability to run apps. There are a variety of apps available for Android, ranging from navigation systems to vocal auto-tuners.
iOS 
Apple’s iOS is the main competitor to Google’s Android. While Android can run on many different devices, iOS can only run on Apple devices like the iPad and iPhone. Like Android, iOS can run thousands of different mobile applications.
Cloud Computing 
New networking technologies have revolutionized computing for many businesses and individuals. Many modern computer applications and games don’t run on an individual’s computer. Instead, they run off of a website or a specialized server. For example, Google Docs offers functionality similar to Microsoft Office. Unlike MS Office, Google Docs is available through a web browser. This can be an excellent way to update documents when using shared computers.
Psychometric Exams
Many companies and business use a psychometric exam to gauge employee’s skills and personality before hiring. Many new jobs will require an individual to take an exam before hire in order to gauge their aptitude and skill levels. These exams can be an excellent predictor of an employee’s future performance.
It’s essential to understand how technology is changing the world. While new technologies may seem confusing, there are many ways one can learn about them as they hit the market and evolve. By joining social networks, reading blogs and using cloud computing, it’s possible to enter the new world of technology.

[source : http://www.thetechupdate.com/ ]