Are you stuck in traffic all the time? Want a way out? And do you live in a major US metropolitan area?

The Dash GPS could be just your ticket out. It continuously measures road conditions where you are and transmits them back to a central server. So with a few hundred Dash devices often traversing similar routes, it has a comprehensive view of traffic speeds, from the worm's eye view on up.

This is far superior to other devices with traffic features, because the large number of Dash units already sold (at least in Dash friendly places like San Francisco and Los Angeles) mean far more sensor points, and far more accurate speed indicators than the old fashioned way relying on sensors built into only major roads.

An interesting review and experiences in the article.

Filed under: Dash, traffic, and navigation

Every day, thousands of trucks rumble through Oakland, spewing pollutants on their way to the giant port.

Inventor Terry Kennedy decided to do something about that. He invented a clever device that takes advantage of the weight of the trucks to apply pressure to a plate. This pressure creates a liquid flow that turns a turbine and generates electricity.

Enough for the equivalent of 1,700 homes.

So as the trucks spew their pollutants, they are also contributing energy that helps the Port of Oakland go green. The invention now furnishes about 5% of their electricity needs, which may sound like nothing - but still amounts to a pretty penny each year.

The "Dragon" is spreading fast to other ports and communities, as the idea literally makes something out of nothing, and costs relatively little to install.

Great idea!

Filed under: dragon, trucks, pollution, traffic, energy, and green