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Smart devices took the focus in 2020, as our homes became our school classrooms and offices. The smart home trend which allows us to interact with devices is only set to get stronger in 2021 as the coronavirus and its mutations continue to upend our daily routines and keep the new standard as remote everything.

NoCamels scanned the internet to find Israeli smart devices and gadgets (and some home-based medical kits) that are catching global headlines and making our lives smart(er) no matter where we live.

Israels Sensibo, a company that offers smart air sensing and control solutions, was recently named a must-have on US tech news site Tech Crunchs 2020 smart home gift ideas list.

Think of the Sensibo as a smart thermostat for those who do not have a central heating/cooling unit. If a person has a window air conditioner, portable room heater, or modern heat pump any device that has a remote control the Sensibo will control the temperature, TechCrunchs Matt Burns wrote.

The smart home device that enables air conditioners to automate a persons heating or cooling needs, also features on Paste magazines 15 Best Gadgets of 2020.

AI artificial vision and hearing devices made by Israels OrCam won accolades across the world this past year. The company, headed by the founders of Mobileye, won aBest of Innovation awardin the accessibility category by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) for its OrCam Read digital reader just this month.

The OrCam Read is a new class of assistive technology to support people with reading challenges, such as dyslexia, mild to moderate vision loss, reading fatigue, as well as for those who read large volumes of text.

This handheld Israeli device reads full pages or screens of text aloud from any printed or digital surface, including newspapers, books, product labels as well as computers and smartphones. It does this entirely offline, without requiring an internet connection, resulting in instant audio communication while ensuring data privacy.

The wearable tech devices that assist the visually and hearing impaired were also included on this US-recommended last-minute gift idea Christmas list.

COVID-19 has given a boost to the smart lock marketplace. With household spread among the most common paths to infection, the idea that the fewer high-touch surfaces you touch, the better. And door handles are among high-touch home surfaces.

The ENTR Mul-T-Lock, which lets you use your fingerprint, keys or app to open a door, is a smart lock with patented blue-and-white advanced technologies.

It was named one of the Best UK Smart Locks For 2020 by PCMag, who called it easy to install and one of the most versatile smart locks in our group.

The novel coronavirus gave a boost to all companies developing products to enable diagnosis and monitoring of different health factors at home and without visiting a doctors office.

Australians are using PixCell Medicals HemoScreen diagnostics device, an Israeli rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic system to monitor COVID19 patients remotely.

The HemoScreen is the first established and FDA-cleared hematology analyzer for POC use by non-technical users.This can minimize the spread of disease, particularly in the pandemic management reality in which we currently find ourselves, PixCell Medical CEO Dr.Avishay Bransky said in a statement.

We recognize the need to simplify real-time blood testing and are proud to work with NSW Health Pathology to increase accessibility to POC diagnostics, Dr. Branksy said.

The HemoScreen leverages AI and computer vision, combined with PixCells patented Viscoelastic Focusing technology, which causes cells to line up in a single cell plane for rapid analysis.

Israeli-founded company Nanit, a smart monitor to predict the growth pattern of an infant through camera tech, was named in New York Magazine among The Best Baby Monitors, According to Parent and Sleep Consultants.

The US-Israeli company combines computer vision, machine learning, and advanced camera sensors that measure a babys sleep cycle and breathing motion. In April, JVPs Fiona Darmon told NoCamels that the elderly population was snapping up this device as a way to bond with a grandchild while watching him sleep while the relative remained isolated at home.

Nanit is based in New York City and has its R&D office in Tel Aviv. While there are many monitoring apps out there, Nanit differentiates itself thanks to its data-tracking abilities and can also give sleep training tips.

COVID-19 gave a huge push to telehealth and telediagnosis. Earlier this year, Tyto Care received an additional $50 million in funding for the production of its remote medical testing devices due to surging demand and rapid telehealth adoption.

In September, the Israeli companys on-demand AI-powered telehealth solution received approval by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) with the company being given the green light to distribute its handheld devices to health organizations and consumers across Australia. By October, it offered an AI-powered diagnostic support solution for clinicians. The diagnostic tool was submitted to the FDA for clearance, expected in mid-2021.

The pandemic has accelerated the need for remote care, and we have seen firsthand the global surge in demand from health organizations, hospitals, and consumers for high-quality telehealth solutions, said Dedi Gilad, CEO, and co-founder of Tyto Care, With Tytos diagnosis support solution, we will be equipping clinicians to make better informed decisions from afar. We look forward to propelling telehealth and telediagnosis even further with other at-home diagnosis solutions to come.

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6 Israeli Devices And Gadgets That Will Make Our Lives Smarter In 2021 - NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News

CLEVELAND, Dec. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Millennia Companies (Millennia) has closed on $27.5 million in financing for the acquisition and renovation of 131-units of affordable housing for seniors and persons with disabilities at Peace Lake Towers in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The rehabilitation includes a comprehensive renovation of the six-story, mid-rise apartment complex. Upon completion, residents will enjoy renovated one-bedroom apartments and amenities such as a community center, arts activity space, library, computer lab and fitness room.

For seniors and persons with disabilities, affordable housing is especially critical, says Frank T. Sinito.

The construction scope encompasses enhanced security features and upgraded heating, cooling, mechanical and electrical systems. Additionally, the plan calls for the installation of a new roof, windows, and doors. Inside, crews will install energy-efficient appliances and eco-friendly materials for countertops and cabinets.

"For seniors and persons with disabilities, affordable housing is critical. Since the supply of affordable housing for this population is declining while demand is increasing, we are proud to provide residents with quality housing and a community enriched with services," says Frank T. Sinito, Chief Executive Officer, The Millennia Companies.

Millennia anticipates that construction will begin in the coming weeks and take 14 months to complete. Crews will renovate vacant units first and relocate households onsite as the construction is completed in phases. Residents pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, and rent will remain affordable well into the future as it is subsidized for at least 20 years by a federal Project-Based Section 8 contract.

The following partners provided financing and resources for this transaction: RedStone (lender), Aegon (syndicator), Louisiana Housing Corporation (Bond and Tax Credit Issuer), the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Southwest Field Office and the City of New Orleans. Also engaged in this project are Marous Brothers (general contractor), Hooker DeJong, Inc. (architecture firm), Millennia Housing Development, Ltd. (developer), and Millennia Housing Management, Ltd. (management agent).

About

Founded in 1995, The Millennia Companies manages a diverse portfolio of over 30,000 apartments in 275 communities across 26 states. In 2020, Millennia ranked #3 on the Affordable Housing Finance (AHF) list of Top 50 Affordable Housing Owners, #7 on the AHF list of Top 10 Companies Completing Acquisitions, and #18 on the Multi-Housing News list of Top Developers.

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The Millennia Companies Closes on $27.5 Million in Financing for the Renovation of Peace Lake Towers in New Orleans - PRNewswire

By Marcel Alers

The author is Head of Energy of the UN Development Programme (UNDP)

NEW YORK (IDN) The energy sector, still dominated by fossil fuels, is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. We know people and nations need reliable sources of energy to power hospitals and light schools, and to safely cook, heat or cool their homes. We know we need to switch to sustainable energy.

Yet despite progress, we are not on track to meet our climate goals and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 universal access to clean, affordable and reliable energy.

Much more needs to be done. But the clean energy solutions that can get us there exist, and there is growing momentum to make them political and investment priorities. Here are our five reasons to be optimistic.

1) Clean energy is a smart investment

Fossil fuels used to be less expensive than cleaner energy, but this is changing. Renewables are becoming more affordable every year, and some options are now cheaper than fossil fuels. The price of solar has decreased by 89 percent since 2010. It is now cheaper to go solar than to build new coal power plants in most countries, and solar is now the cheapest electricity in history. Amid an exceptionally challenging year, and despite suffering setbacks, the renewables sector has shown some resilience.

This fall in price, coupled with technological progress and the introduction of innovative business models, means we are now at a tipping point. Energy efficiency technologies can also deliver climate benefits. The right efficiency policies could enable the world to achieve more than 40 percent of the emissions cuts needed to even without new technology.

We now need massive investment from the public and private sectors. To help catalyse this, UNDP has developed the De-risking Renewable Energy Investment framework and supports countries to create an enabling environment for large scale clean energy investments.

2) There is growing momentum for carbon neutrality

Throughout the year countries have pledged to build back better, greener, fairer. With support from UNDPs Climate Promise, 115 countries committed to submitting enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions.

High-emitting economies such as China, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the EU have made net-zero commitments. The announcements at or just before the Climate Ambition Summit, together with those expected early next year, mean that countries representing around 65 percent of global CO2 emissions, and around 70 percent of the worlds economy, will commit to reaching net zero emissions or carbon neutrality. President-elect Joe Biden has announced that the United States will seek to rejoin the Paris Agreement early in his presidency.

These pledges now need to be translated into action. Yet at the time of writing, more than half of all public money committed to the energy sector as part of COVID-19 recovery packages in G20 countries are for fossil fuels. In 2019, US$500 billion was spent on fossil fuel subsidies. Ambitious commitments are a strong signal and a necessary first step towards reaching net-zero emissions. We now need to build on them.

3) Clean energy can power a green recovery that leaves no-one behind and is in line with the Paris Agreement

Clean energy is a win-win solution to recover from COVID-19. It can improve healthcare for the worlds poorest. A reliable supply of electricity is key for health centres to function. Our Solar for Health programme brings clean, reliable, and affordable energy to 900 health facilities in 13 countries. As COVID-19 vaccines - some needing to be stored at -70C - get rolled out, powering a sustainable and reliable cold chain will be critical.

Clean energy is also an engine for job creation. The energy transition can create 18 million jobs by 2030, even when accounting for the inevitable losses of fossil fuel jobs. Investing in renewables could create nearly three times as many jobs as investing in fossil fuels.

The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated momentum for healthier, greener cities. As the world is rapidly urbanizing, energy efficiency in buildings, sustainable cooling and heating, smart urban planning and sustainable transport options from electric vehicles to enabling walking and cycling -- are key for the future of cities.

4) Every year, tens of millions of people get clean energy

Between 2010 and 2018 411 million people gained access to clean electricity, and an additional 200 million to clean cooking technologies and fuels. This huge leap towards achieving SDG7 is life-changing for many. Sustainable energy is necessary to achieve nearly every other SDG.

Renewable energy systems such as solar mini-grids are good solutions to provide the affordable and reliable electricity communities need to power schools and health centres, and to support small businesses, sustainable agriculture and food security. Clean technologies and fuels for cooking can also improve gender equality.

However, population growth in some parts of the world offsets some of this progress. The number of people without electricity in sub Saharan Africa is projected to increase from around 580 million in 2018 to around 680 million in 2030. To accelerate action on energy, a new coalition launched by the Rockefeller Foundation with UNDP as founding member committed to end energy poverty by bringing sustainable energy to one billion people by 2030.

5) 2021 will be the year of global action for sustainable energy

In September 2021, for the first time in 40 years, the United Nations will host a High Level Dialogue on Energy. Organized by UN-Energy, this event will be instrumental for countries, businesses, civil society and international institutions to step up action on sustainable energy. UN-Energy co-chair and UNDP Administrator

Achim Steiner recently called for a reinforcement of global energy governance: We know clean energy can both deliver universal energy access and contribute to tackling the climate crisis. We know it can power a green recovery and the transition to a sustainable future. But we need to do more, we need to do it faster, and we need to do it togetherwe must join forces to step up action.

Phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to green economies is a monumental challenge. But the solutions exist. We need to finance them, to scale them up, to accelerate them. On top of existing partnerships such as the Climate Investment Platform, we will be announcing new initiatives early 2021 to make it happen. We are ready to rise to the challenge. Join us in making 2021 the year of global action for sustainable energy. [IDN-InDepthNews 03 January 2021]

Photo: Men install solar panels for a hospital in Yemen. UNDPs SPCRP project is equipping COVID-19 isolation centers with vital equipment such as solar energy panels. This allows the key healthcare facilities to function even with the chronic lack of electricity in the country. Photo: UNDP Yemen

IDN is flagship agency of the Non-profit International Press Syndicate.

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This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to share, remix, tweak and build upon it non-commercially. Please give due credit.

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Clean Energy Set to Grow in 2021 - IDN InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters

Key players operating in the global HVAC dampers market are American Warming and Ventilating, Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc.

The essentiality of HVAC dampers dated back years ago during thermal and humidity comfort application where, its majorly used in heating, cooling, dehumidification and humidification A damper can be generally manually opened or closed, but does not prevent the furnace or cooling system from sending warm or chilled air into a room. The system also contains a condensing unit along with multiple room vents. HVAC Dampers market are growing steeply owing to the huge commercial application due to the presence of smart buildings and green buildings which further enhance the demand for equipments inside the building. HVAC technicians are in high demand to build, install, and maintain constantly evolving systems. The Bureau of Labor Statistics specifically estimated a growth of 21% within 2012 to 2022. HVAC Dampers system generally contains a furnace, a thermostat, refrigerant lines, an evaporator coil, automated zone dampers, and the actuators that control the dampers.

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In terms of revenue, the global HVAC dampers market stood at US$ 1,526.2 million in 2018, and is anticipated to reach US$ 1,874.3 million by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 2.51% during the forecast period (2019 2027). The detailed research study provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of global HVAC dampers Market. The market has been analyzed from demand as well as supply side. The demand side analysis covers market revenue across regions and further across all the major countries. The supply side analysis covers the major market players and their regional and global presence and strategies. The geographical analysis done emphasizes majorly on the different geographical regions world wide

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Global HVAC Dampers Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.51% over the forecast period (2019 2027) owing to the snowballing demand for air...

Published 10 December 2020

The Scottish Government has published a consultation intoproposed rules requiring zero emissions heating systems in all new build homes.

The New Build Heat Standardwould mean all new build homes must have heating that produces zero direct greenhouse gas emissions, helping to meet climate change targets.

The measures aim to ensure that heating systems in all new buildings given consent from 2024 are zero-emissions, in line with the recommendation from the UK Committee on Climate Change that this is achieved from 2025 at the latest.

The consultation sets out a range of outcomes for the standard to achieve, including ensuring new homes and non-residential buildings are affordable to heat, supporting the delivery of a continued supply of high quality homes, and offer opportunities for retraining and upskilling workers to install zero emissions heating systems.

Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: The pace of decarbonising Scotlands domestic and non-domestic buildings has to increase significantly to achieve our targets on climate change. The New Build Heat Standard will be an important contribution to this to ensure emissions from heating and cooling our buildings fall close to zero.

We want to combine the action we need to meet the challenge of the climate emergency with our ambition to provide affordable, warm homes. We are seeking views from stakeholders on the most effective way to introduce this Standard to ensure it is deliverable and fit for purpose.

To support the development of the New Build Heat Standard, an external working group was established to provide advice and expertise to the Scottish Government and this was instrumental during the drafting of the scoping consultation. The group, which features representation across a wide variety of interests and areas, is co-chaired by respected zero carbon buildings expert, Professor Lynne Sullivan OBE.

Professor Sullivan, chair of the Good Homes Alliance, said: We recognised the priority for new buildings to achieve higher efficiency and be ready for zero emissions heating sources, in line with Scotlands world-leading climate commitments.

We welcome the consultation on new homes, and believe the targets are achievable with existing technologies at scale. Delivery will unlock long-term economic benefits as well as future-proof Scottish homes.

The Scottish Greens said Scotland must show more urgency to catch up with many European countries when it comes to warm and efficient housing.

Housing spokesperson Andy Wightman said: The housing minister is right to say that the pace of decarbonising homes needs to increase, but the fact is that Scotland lags well behind many normal European nations on this. New homes should be required to meet passivhaus or other net-zero standards, and public funding should no longer be used to subsidise high-carbon heating systems.

Meanwhile, if we recognise the pace of change needed we have to also recognise that a quarter of homes in Scotland face fuel poverty every year. We need a target on all homes with a programme of deep-retrofits of fuel poor households and social housing, which would create thousands of jobs in the process.

Excerpt from:
New Build Heat Standard proposals open for consultation - Scottish Construction Now

December 9th, 2020 by Jennifer Sensiba

Today, Aptera hosted an online Q&A session, covering a variety of topics about the vehicle. In addition to its announcements from a few days ago, the company also now has a video giving us some much better views of the vehicle (more information below the video).

Pre-Orders Still Going

Pre-orders are still available, but the first versions of the vehicle are sold out. You can get yours here, and save $30 on the reservation fee. CleanTechnica gets a referral, and that helps us get a long-term independent test vehicle. International orders are being accepted (see more toward the bottom of this article).

Grid Charging

We finally got a lot more information about the vehicles charging. First off, Aptera is still selecting components and vendors for the onboard charger, DC fast charging, etc..

Weve seen images (including in the above video) depicting the vehicle with a Tesla plug. When I reached out to Aptera directly, they told me that which plug the vehicle will have is still an open question, so its possible that the Aptera will use Teslas technology and infrastructure. Its also possible that it will go with standard J1772 and/or CCS plugs. During the Q&A, Aptera did say that it may Supercharge, but they also mentioned a 50 kW rate, which is far below what a Tesla Supercharger would give us, so they may have been using that term generically. Either way, its safe to say that the question of Tesla tech is still not decided.

Its apparent that the vehicle is supposed to get about 10 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used from the battery pack. Thus, a 25 kWh pack can go 250 miles, a 40 kWh pack goes 400 miles, etc.. Its simple math to figure out the rest.

On a wall plug, Aptera said it could add about 150 miles of range overnight on a normal 120V wall plug. That works out to about 12 hours of charging, not accounting for losses. In 8 hours, and after charging losses of 10%, it works out to about 100 miles. For nearly all drivers, a wall plug will be enough even without solar charging.

Aptera said it also expects to have 3 kilowatt (kW) and 6 kW onboard chargers, which would give far more range added per hour. With the efficiency, a 6 kW charger would add 60 miles per hour, so even level 2 plugs that are available in more places than level 3 will be far more useful.

A 50 kW station (which is the minimum the company seems to be wanting, but it may have faster onboard chargers) would add 500 miles per hour. Thus, youd get way more range in a 20-30 minute charging session than you get with other vehicles charging at that rate. This makes road trips far more feasible and far less painful than other EVs, and thats with current charging infrastructure.

If Aptera supports faster chargers, this would be even greater for road trips, but we do need to consider that there will be tapering. We dont know what those tapering numbers will look like yet. However, given the efficiency and range, youll probably not need to charge the pack over 60-80% in most cases and will be able to spend more time at peak charging speeds on trips.

An educated guess is that on a 250 kW Supercharger with the 100 kWh pack, you could add 600 miles in 15 minutes or the whole 1000 in about 45 minutes. If you get peak speeds until 60%, that would take the car from almost dead to there in about 15 minutes, and then take another half hour to add the rest (assuming you even need that). A 350 kW charger (like at Electrify America) could probably do the 600 miles in 10 minutes and the whole pack in 35 minutes or so.

In reality, those speeds are probably overkill for this vehicle, but theyd sure be nice for road trips.

Solar Charging

Aptera told us today that with the solar cells covering the back hatch (thats optional), youd end up with a peak of 700 watts, but thats something you wont see much. The company did test the cells in a fake roof for a year before claiming that it adds 40 miles per day, but keep in mind that this testing happened in San Diego.

40 miles per day assumes the system adds 4 kWh of power to the pack. If you take that 700W of panels to places that see more clouds, get less direct sunlight (further north), etc., then you may get a lot less. At the peak of 700 watts, people living in sunny parts further south (especially the southwest), you may even get more than the 40 miles.

Either way, it would take almost a month of charging all day and no driving to fill a 100 kWh pack up. While that sounds very slow, its actually quite useful.

If you drive the car less than the solar cells can add, you can expect to almost never charge it. On good sunny days, youd accumulate rollover miles, while on bad sun days, youd eat into them a bit.

If you drive more than the solar can cover, then theyre still helpful. Youd just have to plug it in less often. Assuming you can park it out in the sun most days, you could watch the charge level, and maybe fill it back up when it gets to 50%, that way you always have some reserve in the tank for emergencies.

When it comes to the solar cells themselves, Aptera hasnt announced who is going to supply the cells yet. It did seem like the company probably has a supplier picked, though. Hopefully soon we can learn more about how efficient the cells are, etc..

Other cool things are that Aptera is aiming for a 10 to 20 year design life, and the system itself weighs very little. After all, theyre mounting the cells to the cars body and not to big glass panels like youd see on a house roof.

The Cooling System Has No Radiator

This one is actually quite cool. On older Aptera designs, they tried to mimic aircraft radiator systems to keep the drag low. That wasnt enough for them, so Aptera found a way to eliminate the radiators completely, which initially sounds absolutely insane for a liquid-cooled battery pack.

Aptera does have a plan to dissipate the heat, though. They told us today that the plan is to have small biologically-inspired channels throughout the cars skin that the coolant gets pumped through. This allows most of the cars exterior to serve as a radiator and allows the cooling system to produce zero drag and no wasted electricity on fans.

Another cool thing about the system is that when the cars exterior frosts, we are likely to see cool fractal patterns on the cars exterior where the heat melts the frost a bit.

How this would work in really hot places is probably an open question at this point, but with that much surface area to dissipate the heat, the cars body could be enough to dissipate heat.

Performance & Versatility

The cars efficiency doesnt mean it will be slow. The 3-motor version will have 150 kW of output, which is close to what the Chevy Bolt puts out. The difference is that the car is half the weight and has far less drag, so it will have much better acceleration. Every time we see numbers on a vehicle like the Aptera, we have to keep in mind that theyre not directly comparable to other manufacturers.

With all this in mind, one of the presenters (jokingly) said, It almost needs a weapons permit.

Another cool thing is that the vehicles design gives it a lot of clearance. Aptera wanted to take advantage of this, so it is also going to offer an off-roading package with sturdier wheel fairings and a higher suspension. One of the cool things about lifting an Aptera is that it is likely to incur little to no drag penalty from doing so. The only thing that may give an off-roading Aptera a range hit would be the extra drag from off-road tires.

Aptera also told us that the vehicle will have a subframe in the rear near the back tire for both towing and being towed. Tow hooks will be available for front and rear to pull you out of the mud or pull a malfunctioning Aptera onto a tow truck. The vehicle will be able to tow a small trailer, but expect a huge range hit unless its a small, light, and aerodynamic trailer.

Safety & Repairs

For crash safety, the vehicle also seems to be very good. Previous versions of the Aptera did undergo federal safety testing (FMVSS), and its improved since then with better materials and design. While very strong, the composites are also able to flex a bit. Even a sledgehammer cant get through, because the materials compress a bit and spring back to shape. In other words, you wont be riding in a cheap plastic egg that youd get smashed up in.

When asked about changing tires, they told us that removing the fender/fairing around a tire will be straightforward, and that once removed, youll get full access to the tire to change it yourself if you need to do so in a hurry.

Because the body has an ability to bounce back, most damage to the car will be skin-deep and can be repaired in pretty standard ways. However, if a wreck gives enough force to actually crack the shell, you can probably expect to replace the vehicle (as it would be totaled).

Infotainment System

Aptera told us today that the infotainment system is going to be powered by Crank Software, based in Canada. The biggest goal is to use the infotainment systems to drive vehicle efficiency, but that doesnt mean the company wants an unprofessional and/or unfriendly user experience. They want all information to be easily available, and to make sure surprises that users may face will be minimized.

While the usual information will be available up front, in-depth vehicle information including diagnostics, repair data, BMS details, etc., will all be available in the menus. The right to repair is a big deal to Aptera, so it is being transparent in ways nobody else is.

Its also worth noting that the infotainment systems will be on an isolated network to protect critical systems, like BMS and drive. The information will be available from those systems, but they wont be wide open to any hacker who gets into the vehicles infotainment system.

Life Support

While its clear that things are still up in the air supplier-wise, we do know that it is working to come up with the most efficient systems it can for heat and A/C, and that it will be an ongoing process even after the first vehicles are delivered.

Resistive heating may be part of the equation, and that could cost a lot of range, but the company is experimenting with heat pumps, directly heating/cooling the driver and passenger, integrating it with the battery cooling system, and various other things to maximize efficiency.

Aptera said that the first year may come with only resistive heating, but that its something it will continue to improve as much as possible.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is a big deal to Aptera. One thing it has done is work with Munro and Associates to make sure it isnt learning by making mistakes other automakers have already made. Design, manufacturing, supply chains, and a good mix of in-house/supplier work are all things Munro is helping it with.

The goal is to have some sub-assemblies ready to install from suppliers, and do the major assembly at its first plant in southern California. Apteras final plant wont be filled with large tooling and big robots like many other automakers. The largest components are all liftable by two people, and it plans on using a smart mix of automation and human labor to get things right. Many pieces are self-aligning with the piece they fit onto, which saves a lot of need for specialized alignment tools.

The bodys four large pieces are the pan, the roof (spider), and the two side panels. Theyre easily bonded together (this sounds like a glue-like process), and then other pre-built sub-assemblies. Between this and what Munro has helped it figure out, Aptera should be able to scale manufacturing relatively easily.

Miscellaneous Other Things

International orders can be made today. While orders coming from outside the US will take more time, the company encourages international customers to go ahead and put in preorders. (You can do that here and get $30 off, and help CleanTechnica get a long-term test vehicle). The company does point out that Polaris was able to get the Slingshot (a three-wheeler of similar size/weight) to most global markets, so it should also be able to do this in a reasonable time frame.

Front-wheel drive vehicles will be available from the beginning, while all-wheel drive (adding a motor to the rear wheel) will be available soon after. Aptera plans to offer the 400-mile version first, followed by the 600-mile version. Finally, it will offer the 250- and 1000-mile packs. They may be upgradeable later.

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Tags: Aptera, Never Charge, solar, Tesla

Jennifer Sensiba Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals.Follow her on Twitter for her latest articles and other random things: https://twitter.com/JenniferSensibaDo you think I've been helpful in your understanding of Tesla, clean energy, etc? Feel free to use my Tesla referral code to get yourself (and me) some small perks and discounts on their cars and solar products. https://www.tesla.com/referral/jennifer90562

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We Learned A LOT About The Aptera Today - CleanTechnica

Opinion / Leila Molana-Allen

Yemen has been at war for 50 years, my guard Ahmad says, looking over his shoulder as our driver wrestles the pickup trucks front wheel out of yet another pothole. When is it our turn for some peace? In fact, the Shabwa region, linking the mountains of south-central Yemen to the Arabian Sea, has been a comparatively conflict-free spot in the war-torn Arab nation.

Since the civil war began in 2014 the province has in turn played host to government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi militia, as well as al-Qaeda, armed southern separatists and Emirati-backed mercenaries. But since late 2019, when government forces regained control of Shabwa and its capital Ataq, locals have begun to hope that better security could lead to increased prosperity.

Almost everyone I meet during the week-long trip through the areas half-built streets and lush desert valleys speaks in hushed tones of new work opportunities and even the hope that foreign investment might return. New buildings are popping up and the resurrection of public services is planned if not quite under way yet. But those living close to the provinces borders fear as much as they hope. In neighbouring governorates to the north and west, the multi-front, multi-party war that has killed more than 120,000 people rages on and the prospect of the fighting creeping back south is never far away.

Indeed, later the same day we receive word that a car bomb has exploded on the sea road, bringing violence back to an area that had been calm for months. Ahmad might have to wait a little longer for peace sadly there are still plenty of potholes ahead.

Leila Molana-Allen is Monocles Beirut correspondent and reports from throughout the region.

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Monday 7 December 2020 - The Monocle Minute - Monocle

Ten years ago, Nest introduced its first smart thermostat, the Nest Learning Thermostat, and showed the world what a smart thermostat is capable of. You can use it to automatically program your thermostats schedule, control it with your smartphone or a voice assistant, integrate it with other smart devices in your home like smoke detectors, and have it adjust itself for when youve left the house.

The companys latest model, the simply named $129.99 Nest Thermostat, does away with a lot of the more advanced features in favor of a simpler, more basic design and feature set. But while Googles goal is to appeal to those who havent yet upgraded their ancient programmable thermostat, its stripped out a lot of what makes a connected thermostat smart to begin with.

The most obvious thing Google did was change the design and functionality of the thermostat itself. The Nest Thermostat doesnt have the signature rotating ring of Nests prior models. Instead, you use a touch strip on the right side to adjust temperature and navigate the interface. The touch strip works fine, and the thermostat will emit an audible click as you swipe up or down, but its far less satisfying to use than the dampened ring on the Nest Learning Thermostat. I do prefer it to Ecobees clumsy touchscreen, however.

Also different are the materials: the Nest Thermostat is made entirely of plastic that you can get in four different colors, as opposed to the metal finishes of the older models. Aesthetics are certainly a personal preference, but I like the look of the brushed metal of the older Nest models much better. Its clear that Googles changes here were to bring the price down and make it more accessible than the flagship model that retails for $250 (though it can be found on sale quite regularly).

The front of the Nest Thermostat has a mirrored finish, with a display that shines through it when you are in front of the thermostat or interacting with it. This is not a touchscreen all interaction on the thermostat is done through the touch strip and most of the time, it just sits there on the wall not displaying anything. I was concerned that this mirrored finish would get quite dusty, but in the few weeks Ive been testing the Nest Thermostat, its stayed clean.

When the screen is on, it looks like information is just floating on the mirrored front, a neat effect. It will tell you what the thermostat is currently set to, what temp its reading, and whether it is running the heating or cooling systems to adjust the climate in your home. Tap the side, and you can scroll through the menus to adjust modes, set a hold temperature, and view other settings, though most of the adjustments to scheduling and such are handled through the Google Home app on your smartphone.

The mirrored finish is unbroken, thanks to Googles use of radar-based Soli technology to detect your presence instead of a more traditional motion sensor. But if you look at it from the right angle, mostly from the left side, you can see where the square display is centered under the mirrored panel, breaking the illusion a bit.

The Nest Thermostat doesnt support a number of advanced features found on the higher-end model, including FarSight, which lets you see the current temp or other info from across the room. In practice, this wasnt a problem in my home. The Nest was still able to detect my presence and light up even when I was 10 or more feet away from it.

Installing the Nest Thermostat is very similar to prior models, and Google does a good job of walking you through the process with video tutorials in the app. Certain creature comforts, such as the included screwdriver, have been dropped for this model, and most frustrating of all, it doesnt come with a backing plate to cover up the holes in the wall from your old thermostat. To get one of those, youll need to shell out another $15. (Older models always included it in the box.)

The Nest Thermostat doesnt use the rechargeable lithium battery as other models, instead relying on two AAA batteries that Google says will last up to two years. Google also says it does use the same trickle power feature to draw energy from the HVAC system as the older model, which likely helps extend the life of those two batteries.

In all, it takes about 15 minutes to install and set up the Nest Thermostat, though you can also pay a professional to do it for you.

Set up and control of the Nest Thermostat is handled entirely through the Google Home app; you cant do anything with it in the old Nest app. That may be frustrating for existing Nest customers looking for a single place to monitor all of their devices, but for most new owners, it doesnt matter.

Scheduling the Nest Thermostat is significantly different than how older Nest models work. Instead of relying on the thermostat to determine your patterns and automatically schedule itself, you are prompted to choose temperatures and time blocks when you set it up. This is very similar to how a traditional programmable thermostat works: you put in what times youre home, what times you arent, and when you go to bed, and then set temps for each respective mode. You can also add custom time blocks for more granular controls.

This method will be very familiar to those coming from an old programmable thermostat, but it makes the Nest Thermostat feel quite limited and dumb compared to other smart thermostats. For example, it will not adapt itself if your schedule happens to deviate from your programming because youre home at a different time than usual. Right now, we are home a lot more than we typically are, thanks to pandemic-related lockdowns, but the Nest Thermostat sticks to its programmed schedule no matter what.

The Nest Thermostat does have the ability to go into its energy-saving Eco mode when you arent home by using its own presence detection, geolocation on your phone, or a combination of the two. If the system doesnt see any activity for an hour and your phone location is reporting that youre not home, it will automatically switch to the Eco preset to save energy. Its odd that it cant do the opposite for when you are home unexpectedly.

Another area where the Nest Thermostat is inferior to other models is in support for remote sensors. It just doesnt support them; the only temperature it will set itself to is what it reads from its wall-mounted position. Both the Nest Learning Thermostat and Ecobee line of thermostats can adjust the system based on sensors elsewhere in the home, which provides much more flexibility and control over the climate.

The Nest Thermostat isnt completely dumb. In addition to the smartphone control, you can use either the Google Assistant or Amazons Alexa to adjust the thermostat via voice. It also has built-in energy-saving and comfort features from the other Nest models, including the ability to preheat or cool the home before a scheduled time block starts or circulating the air with the fan to more efficiently use air conditioning. It will also tell you how long it will take the system to reach your selected temperature and will award leaf icons when you program it efficiently though in my home, the only way to get a leaf was to set it uncomfortably cool or warm. It will also prompt you to change filters and do other maintenance to keep the system running efficiently.

In all, the Nest Thermostat is a fine connected thermostat that lets you program and control it with your phone easily. It also can save you money on your heating and cooling bills, thanks to its Eco modes.

But it also feels like a smart thermostat from years ago and isnt as helpful or flexible as other options, even within Nests own lineup. The main appeal for the Nest Thermostat is its price: at $130 and even less if you have a rebate available from your local power company, its a much easier pill to swallow than Nests fancier models or even Ecobees options.

Photography by Dan Seifert / The Verge

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A new Safe Haven baby box has been installed at Westfield Fire Dept. station No. 83, 17944 Grassy Branch Rd., Nov. 13.

Safe Haven Baby Boxs mission is to end infant abandonment by raising awareness of the Safe Haven Law and providing resources for legal infant surrender. The baby box at WFD is an example of a legal infant surrender.

The new Westfield box is the 51st location in the nation.

I am pleased to see Westfield have a Safe Haven Baby Box, Westfield Mayor Andy Cook stated. While I hope it is never used, it is important that we have this available for a parent in crisis. Every baby deserves a chance, and this program is one way to make that possible.

Cooks wife, Barb, was led the fundraising efforts for the baby box. Safe Haven Baby Boxes cost approximately $15,000 to install. They are equipped with alarm systems to immediately notify staff at the fire station if the box is used. The boxes also have heating and cooling features and are made to lock as soon as a baby is placed inside.

We are always looking for innovative ways to serve our community, Westfield Fire Dept. Chief Marcus Reed stated. Adding a Safe Haven Baby Box to one of our stations is just another way we can proactively protect our most vulnerable.

Indiana is one of five states with an updated Safe Haven Law to include additional infant surrender options, such as the Safe Haven Baby Box.

For more, visit shbb.org.

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