ChrisPrasojo

Electric cars and charge challenge

Japanese giant manufacturer Mitsubishi motor sell its first mass-market electric car in showrooms today. This electric-powered vehicle technology is one of the key answers to international calls for emission reduction in the automobile industry. And the great thing in 2010 is the affordability of this technology to reach the mass.

The electric car can travel 160 km in a single charge which takes about 14 hours using household electrical outlet or a quick 30 minutes charge using designated charging station at public places. Presently, there are about sixty public charging stations in Japan and the government is planning to increase the number in the coming years as more electrical cars hit the road and demand for such charging station increases.

Other car manufacturers like Nissan, Toyota, and Ford are preparing their electric cars for sale in the next 1-2 years. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Ford are collaborating to develop smart technology to manage and tackle the charging challenge which is likely to happen when there’s a surge of electric car ownership in a neighborhood.

Certainly, the automobile industry, electrical and utilities board, information-technology player, and our society in general are progressing towards a cleaner transportation mode which put less strain on our planet.

The iPad paradox

A recent (hmm.. not so recent actually) seminar I attended discussed what it means to formulate and sculpt an experience. The answers encompassed broad spectrum of perspective ranging from those closer to psychology, to ethnology, to art, and everything else in between. It is certainly not a concept which comprised of identifiable discrete factors, nor an easily formulated recipe that works for everyone. If it’s that complicated, then what it means to design the experience that people wants nowadays?

Observing design-scape in the recent years, since I delved into visual design that is, one branch of the trends is going deeper into minimalism where plain, basic, simple design is treasured as much as a heavily adorned piece of artwork. Minimalism sprouted in interior design, architecture, product design, visual design, and everywhere else in design-scape. Do people appreciating these plain and bare designs try to escape from hurdles and complexities in their life? Perhaps. Well, at least that’s what works for me.

I ditched the operating system that bog me down with weekly and monthly maintenance.
I pass on a feature-packed organizer which gave me an overly complicated synchronization problems.
I tossed away that overly confusing scientific calculator, packed with arrays of buttons, opting for a less scientific version.
All those overly complicated but feature-packed devices were replaced with something simpler. Less features, less bells and whistles, but works like a charm. Hey that works better for me! Relating this back to the minimalism, designing something with less feature can possibly be a must-have feature!

Recently, I stumbled upon this iPad paradox which echoed my thoughts! Have a look at it if you have five minutes to spare; it’s a nice article.

Customizable friendster profile page, low-level customization of WindowsMobile-based smartphones, and feature-packed MP3 players are some of the things of yesteryear.
Now I’m pretty sure there are plenty of people out there who are hungry for products with less feature, locked-down services, and minimalism in general. Yes, one size doesn’t fit all. Minimalism isn’t the only way to go. But the popularity of twitter, facebook, and Apple’s “i” products certainly show a sound trend towards simplicity.

Hopenhagen

Hopenhagen is a movement, a moment and a chance at a new beginning. The hope that in Copenhagen this December – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – we can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life. It is the hope that we can create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. The promise that by solving our environmental crisis, we can solve our economic crisis at the same time.

Hopenhagen is change – and that change will be powered by all of us.

I’ve written my hope in Hopenhagen, just a few days before the United Nations Climate Change Conference takes place on 7 December 2009. Have you?

World AIDS Day 2009

Join the (RED) movement to give people the opportunity of a future where once there was no hope. Show your support and help fight AIDS in Africa by educating yourself of the issue and spreading the words:

• Use this as your Facebook profile photo. Let your friends know you’re part of the (RED) movement.
• Tweet about JoinRed. Your followers may learn something new about AIDS today.
• Watch videos from JoinRed YouTube channel and see how much you can change their lives.
• Show support at these supporting organizations: JoinRed.com or Google.org.
• And for everyone to create a conducive environment for people with HIV; Read common myths about HIV and help to get rid of the stigma.

17 Agustus

17 August 1945
17 August 2009

The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply Proklamasi) was officially made at 10.00 a.m. sharp on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia’s independence in 1949. In 2005, the Netherlands declared that they had decided to accept 17 August 1945 as Indonesia’s independence date.

Read more on Wikipedia…

Four random articles

Four random interesting articles from my RSS feed subscription, friends’ blog and elsewhere. It worth reading if you have ten minutes to spare.

Is the financial storm easing?

Are we seeing a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel? Perhaps. A recent analysis based on economy situation at the Gulf revealed the possibility of financial recovery. It worth noting that most oil consumptions in major developed countries rely on the production (and the rate) of crude oil from this part of the world, and thus its role in the global economy system.

Well, I’m probably a complete novice in economy affairs, so I can’t comment much on its global ramifications nor its interlinkage to our lives. In the view of my small world, all I hope is speedy and timely financial recovery in the interest of my graduating buddies.

The worst of the financial crisis may be over for the Gulf as steadily strengthening oil prices and the return of foreign investors help to restore confidence in battered stock markets …

- The National on 15 May ’09

This post is also available with local taste for Indonesian speakers. Click the small red-white flag at top right corner of this post to switch over.