When the US, Europe, and Canada first unveiled the plans for the James Webb Space Telescope in 1997, it sounded like a pitch from an overambitious science student. The contraption would have to schlep a 26-foot-wide mirror across the solar system, while keeping its cool around the radioactive sun. But to build the Next Generation Space Telescope (as it was called at the time), astronomers had to think big. Hubble, the preeminent space telescope, needed a successor—and there were too many open questions about the Big Bang and the expanding universe.
So it’s fair to say, the stakes are higher than imagined. As the world cautiously waits for the telescope to kick off its decade-long mission (the launch date is currently set for Christmas morning), here’s a look back on what it took to prepare it for this moment.
An early concept for the James Webb Space Telescope—known at the time as the Next Generation Space Telescope—was designed by a Goddard Space Flight Center-led team. It already incorporated a segmented mirror, an “open” design, and a large deployable sunshield. In 1996, an 18-member committee led by astronomer Alan Dressler formally recommended that NASA develop a space telescope that would view the heavens in infrared light—the wavelength band that enables astronomers to see through dust and gas clouds and extends humanity’s vision farther out into space and back in time. NASAA full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope debuted for the first time in 2013 at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Chris Gunn/NASABall Aerospace optical technician Scott Murray inspects the first gold primary mirror segment, a critical element of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, prior to cryogenic testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. David Higginbotham/NASA/MFSCWhat looks like a giant golden spider weaving a web of cables and cords, is actually ground support equipment, including the Optical Telescope Simulator (OSIM), for the James Webb Space Telescope. OSIM’s job is to generate a beam of light just like the one that the real telescope optics will feed into the actual flight instruments. This photo was taken from inside a large thermal-vacuum chamber called the Space Environment Simulator (SES), at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The golden-colored thermal blankets are made of aluminized Kapton, a polymer film that remains stable over a wide range of temperatures. The structure that looks like a silver and black cube underneath the “spider” is a set of cold panels that surround OSIM’s optics. Chris Gunn/NASAJust like drivers sometimes use snow to clean their car mirrors in winter, two Exelis Inc. engineers are practicing “snow cleaning’” on a test telescope mirror for the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. By shooting carbon dioxide snow at the surface, engineers are able to clean large telescope mirrors without scratching them. This technique was only used if the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirror was contaminated during integration and testing. Chris Gunn/NASANASA engineers inspect a new piece of technology developed for the James Webb Space Telescope, the micro shutter array, with a low light test at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Developed at Goddard to allow Webb’s Near Infrared Spectrograph to obtain spectra of more than 100 objects in the universe simultaneously, the micro shutter array uses thousands of tiny shutters to capture spectra from selected objects of interest in space and block out light from all other sources. Laura Baetz/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterNASA engineer Ernie Wright looks on as the first six flight-ready James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror segments are prepped to begin final cryogenic testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center. This represents the first six of 18 segments that will form NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror for space observations. David Higginbotham/NASA/MFSCContamination from organic molecules can harm delicate instruments and engineers are taking special care at NASA to prevent that from affecting the James Webb Space Telescope (and all satellites and instruments). Nithin Abraham, a thermal coatings engineer, places Molecular Adsorber Coating or “MAC” panels in the giant chamber where the Webb telescope was tested. This contamination can occur through a process when a vapor or odor is emitted by a substance. This is called “outgassing.” The “new car smell” is an example of that, and is unhealthy for people and sensitive satellite instruments. Christ Gunn/NASAA bird’s-eye view of NASA Goddard’s cleanroom and the James Webb Space Telescope’s test backplane and mirrors sitting in their packing case. Chris Gunn/NASAThe James Webb Space Telescope emerges from Chamber A at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on December 1, 2017. The telescope’s combined science instruments and optical element exited the massive thermal vacuum testing chamber after about 100 days of cryogenic testing inside it. Scientists and engineers at Johnson put Webb through a series of tests designed to ensure the telescope functioned as expected in an extremely cold, airless environment akin to that of space. Chris Gunn/NASAThe Kapton® polymer-coated membranes of Webb’s sunshield were fully deployed and tensioned in December at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California. Northrop Grumman designed the observatory’s sunshield for NASA. During testing, engineers sent a series of commands to spacecraft hardware that activated 139 actuators, eight motors, and thousands of other components to unfold and stretch the five membranes of the sunshield into its final taut shape. A challenging part of the test is to unfold the sunshield in Earth’s gravity environment, which causes friction, unlike unfolding material in space without the effects of gravity. For launch the sunshield will be folded up around two sides of the observatory and placed in an Ariane 5 launch vehicle, which is provided by the European Space Agency. Chris Gunn/NASAReaching a major milestone, technicians and engineers successfully connected the two halves of the James Webb Space Telescope for the first time at Northrop Grumman’s facilities in Redondo Beach, California. To combine both halves of Webb, engineers carefully lifted the telescope (which includes the mirrors and science instruments) above the already-combined sunshield and spacecraft using a crane. Team members slowly guided the telescope into place, ensuring that all primary points of contact were perfectly aligned and seated properly. Next the team would have to electrically connect the halves, and then test the electrical connections. Chris Gunn/NASATechnicians and engineers working to ensure the soundness of the James Webb Space Telescope by manually lower its folded sunshield layers for easier access and inspection. After being lowered, engineers thoroughly inspect all five layers of the reflective silver-colored sunshield for any issues that may have occurred as a result of acoustic testing. Acoustic testing exposes the spacecraft to similar forces and stress experienced during liftoff, allowing engineers to better prepare it for the rigors of spaceflight. Chris Gunn/NASAThe arrival of the James Webb Space Telescope to Port de Pariacabo in French Guiana on October 12, 2021. It traveled from California, through the Panama Canal, aboard the MN Colibri. 2021 ESA-CNES-Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG – JM GuillonThe Ariane 5 core stage is 5.4 meters in diameter and 30.5 meters high. At launch it will contain 175 tons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. With its Vulcain 2 engine it provides 140 tons of thrust. It also provides roll control during the main propulsion phase. This rolling maneuver will ensure that all parts of the payload are equally exposed to the sun which will avoid overheating of any elements of the James Webb Space Telescope. Chris Gunn/NASAThe James Webb Space Telescope atop its launch vehicle, before it was encapsulated in the rocket fairing. A protective clean tent was placed around the telescope until launch time. Chris Gunn/NASA
The 172-foot-wide B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which costs nearly $2 billion in today’s dollars, can sneak past enemy air defenses with the same radar signature as a small bird, but you can also spot it on Google Earth as long as you have an internet connection.
“It’s pretty funny, you’ve got a stealth bomber flying over a farmer’s house, into his field, it looks like he’s a crop-duster,” said the host of My Garden Channel, a YouTube channel that’s usually dedicated to gardening and plant care. But on Monday, the channel posted a video showing how viewers can use Google Earth to spot the stealth bomber for themselves.
A screenshot of the bomber flying over a field in Missouri took off on Reddit, where it received more than 109,000 upvotes and caught the attention of airmen on the unofficial Air Force subreddit.
“What are you trying to say? I don’t see anything,” joked another.
“Looks like a weather balloon to me,” wrote a third, referring to when the Army announced in 1947 that it had found a “flying disc” near Roswell, New Mexico, only to later retract the statement and say it was a weather balloon.
Unlike a UFO though, it’s not surprising to see a B-2 bomber flying over Missouri. After all, the only B-2 base in the world is at Whiteman Air Force Base, just about 20 miles south of the spot the aircraft was spotted flying over on Google Earth.
Still, with its flying-wing design, its ninja-like ability to penetrate enemy air defenses, and its reputation for flying all the way around the world to kill ISIS fighters in the dead of night, the aircraft gives an aura that makes spotting it in daylight with a simple tool like Google Earth or Google Maps a real treat.
“The B-2 is designed to fly into the maelstrom when Los Angeles is burning and GPS signals have been jammed,” wrote William Langewiesche in a 2018 article for The Atlantic about a B-2 mission to bomb ISIS fighters in Libya. “It is made to defeat the world’s most advanced air-defense systems. In addition to its conventional navigational capabilities, it has autonomous systems that operate independently from any ground- or space-based transmitters.”
Besides being deadly, it’s also cozy: the Spirit has a toilet, a microwave, a few coolers for storing snacks, just enough room for one of its two pilots to lie down and take a catnap, and even “extremely comfortable” cockpit seats, Langewiesche wrote.
Still, the Atlantic writer questioned the US government’s decision to use the B-2, each of which cost $44.27 million a year to maintain as of 2018. That makes it the most expensive aircraft to maintain in the Air Force inventory, and it was used to bomb no more than 100 men camped in the desert in a country that does not even have air defenses.
“Bombing ignorant gunmen camped out in a desert of a non-country is a far cry from launching an attack against a modern military adversary,” Langewiesche wrote. “But the high cost of the mission was perhaps an attraction by bureaucratic if not military logic—you may lose money if you don’t spend it—or the B-2s might have just needed some work to do.”
Whatever the reason for using the B-2 over Libya, concepts like stealth and strategic bombing are returning to the fore as the Air Force prepares for a possible war with China or Russia. In fact, the service wants to spend an estimated $203 billion developing the B-21 Raider, a new flying wing strategic stealth bomber that closely resembles the B-2 and is designed to replace the older aircraft.
A B-21 Raider drawing highlights the future stealth bomber with Edwards Air Force Base, California, as the backdrop. Designed to perform long range conventional and nuclear missions and to operate in tomorrow’s high end threat environment, the B-21 will be a visible and flexible component of the nuclear triad. U.S. Air Force
“Designed to operate in tomorrow’s high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring America’s enduring airpower capability,” the Air Force wrote on its website about the Raider.
Part of the reason why the Air Force is putting so much money into the B-21 is because it wants to buy at least 100 of the bombers. By comparison, only 21 B-2s were built. One of those was destroyed in a non-fatal crash in 2008, and another was damaged in September after sliding off the runway at Whiteman. The Air Force estimates each B-21 will cost about $639 million in 2019 dollars.
So perhaps someday we will also see images of B-21s mid-flight on Google Earth. Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted a red-and-blue blur effect on the image of the B-2. According to NASA, that’s because satellite images are different from typical photographs. While photographs are made “when light is focused and captured on a light-sensitive surface,” a satellite image “is created by combining measurements of the intensity of certain wavelengths of light, both visible and invisible to human eyes,” NASA wrote online.
Most visible colors can be created by combining red, green and blue, so satellites combine red, green, and blue-scale images to get a fill-color image of the world, NASA explained. However, Newsweek pointed out that aircraft in flight may blur the colors due to how fast they are moving.
“If you put on the old 3D glasses with the red and blue lenses you can actually see this in 3D. Try it,” wrote one cheeky commenter on the Air Force subreddit.
It just goes to show that capturing a Spirit is difficult, but with a sky full of satellites, an internet connection, and a little bit of luck, anything is possible.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is officially looking into the “driver distraction potential” of Tesla’s “Passenger Play” system, which drivers say allows them to play games while on the road.
A spokesperson for NHTSA told Popular Science Wednesday it has now opened a “Preliminary Evaluation” to “evaluate the scenarios” in which Tesla drivers can interact with the gaming offerings available on the dashboard screen. The vehicles included in this investigation are Tesla Models 3, S, X, and Y from years 2017 through 2022. The Associated Press, which first reported on the NHTSA evaluation, says this equates to about 580,000 cars.
According to a report from the New York Times on December 7, three new games were added to Tesla’s dashboard screens in a virtual update this summer, including solitaire, a “jet fighter game,” and a “conquest strategy game.” While more than a dozen games were previously available while the car was in park, this update also made games accessible when the vehicle was in drive. Before launching, the games ask for confirmation that the player is a passenger, not the driver, The Verge found, but the driver could still tap the confirmation button to proceed.
The Times report cited Vince Patton, a Tesla owner who filed a complaint to NHTSA after discovering the feature and had safety concerns, as well as videos on YouTube that show how the system works. NHTSA confirmed to Popular Science that it received one owner complaint about the games. In the report from the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, there are no recorded incidents of crashes or injuries related to the game system’s use.
“NHTSA based its decision on reports that Tesla’s gameplay functionality is visible from the driver’s seat and can be enabled while driving the vehicle,” the NHTSA spokesperson said to Popular Science in an emailed statement about the agency’s choice to formally look into the issue. Previously, NHTSA told the Times it was “discussing the feature with the manufacturer.”
This probe comes less than two weeks after NHTSA told CNBC it was in communication with Tesla over an Autopilot glitch and as the agency continues to investigate multiple serious accidents involving Teslas hitting emergency vehicles while in Autopilot mode. The NHTSA spokesperson said that, as a reminder, there are no commercially available vehicles today that can totally drive themselves.
“Every available vehicle requires the human driver to be in control at all times, and all State laws hold the human driver responsible for the operation of their vehicles,” the spokesperson added.
Journalist Vince Patton demonstrates its possible to play video games while driving his Tesla Model 3.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) it is investigating 580,000 Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 that allow those seated up front to play games on the infotainment touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion.
The formal safety investigation, which was announced Wednesday, covers 2017-2022 Tesla Model 3, S, X, and Y vehicles. NHTSA opened the investigation “based on reports that Tesla gameplay functionality, which is visible on the front center touchscreen from the driver’s seat, is enabled even when the vehicle is being driven.”
Tesla made the software more dangerous
The 2021 Tesla Model S gets an all-new interior, a yoke-style steering wheel and the updated software being investigated by NHTSA.
The feature, known as “Passenger Play,” increases the risk of a crash. Since December 2020, the feature can be used while driving. Prior to that, it could only be used when the vehicle was in Park. The agency said that it is evaluating aspects of the feature, including how frequently it’s used and when.
NHTSA is concerned about distracted driving, an increasing risk as automakers bring increased online connectivity to infotainment touchscreens. Distracted driving caused 3,142 deaths in 2019, all of them preventable.
While Passenger Play does have a warning stating the game is meant solely for passengers. Although it asks for confirmation that the player is a passenger and not the driver, there is nothing preventing the driver from playing while driving.
Other Tesla safety issues
Consumer Reports criticized the performance of Tesla’s latest version of Autopilot.
It’s not NHTSA’s only Tesla safety investigation, nor Tesla’s only safety issue.
In August, the agency opened a formal safety investigation of 765,000 Teslas equipped with its Autopilot driver-assistance system after 11 crashes involving parked emergency vehicles killed one person and injured 17. The inquiry covers 2014-2021 Models S, X, Y and 3.
In October, Tesla had to roll back full self-driving, or FSD, with Musk revealing that the company is “seeing some issues with 10.3, so rolling back to 10.2 temporarily.”
And in November, Tesla issued a recall for 11,704 vehicles sold in the U.S. since 2017. The recall covers Model S, X, 3 and Y vehicles and came about as a result of an over-the-air firmware update of the automaker’s “Full Self-Driving Beta,” its advanced driver assistance system.
The company identified a software communication error that could cause the forward-collision warning or automatic emergency brake system to falsely activate, possibly leading to a rear-end collision.
Other OEM infotainment issues
The new Mercedes-Benz EQS was recalled after it was found that its MBUX system allowed television and internet to be displayed while driving
Other automakers are far more concerned over distracted driving than Tesla. On November 29, Mercedes-Benz recalled 227 vehicles in the U.S. after the company discovered that its MBUX infotainment system allowed television and internet to be displayed while driving.
The recall affected 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580, 2022 EQS450, EQS580, and S500 models. Mercedes-Benz has already corrected the problem, and no deaths or injuries seem to have resulted from the problem.
Musk pays billions to satisfy tax bill
In other Tesla news, Reuters is reporting that Tesla CEO Elon Musk sold 10% of his own company stock, 13.5 million shares, 8.06 million of which were sold to pay taxes. The billionaire said he is paying more than $11 billion in taxes this year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk slammed California over its tax policy.
“California used to be the land of opportunity and now it is … becoming more so the land of sort of overregulation, overlitigation, overtaxation,” Musk told Reuters, adding his combined federal and state tax rate tops 50 percent.
The company has submitted all the documentation required to get its factory approved near Berlin, Germany. Approval of Tesla’s newest manufacturing facility has been delayed by environmental concerns and red tape due to Tesla’s decision to add a battery factory to the site. That has delayed the approval process. It remains unclear when the new plant is expected to open.
As part of a $37 billion program, General Motors plans to bring at least 30 battery-electric vehicles to market by mid-decade — but it is expanding its electrification strategy to power up pretty much anything “already on the road,” as well as on the water, it announced on Wednesday.
GM looking to electrify “everything,” including offering conversion kits as well as packages for vehicles like this jet tug.
The largest of the Detroit automakers’ Electric Connect and Cruise eCrate systems will allow owners to swap out their conventional gas engines in classic vehicles like the Camaro and E-10 pickup for battery-drive technology. GM also is looking to power up cargo tractors and other airport gear, while also working up ways to bring electric propulsion to the marine industry.
“GM has an established strategy, network of integrators and co-development agreements to apply an extensive array of components and solutions to a broad range of customers and use cases,” said Travis Hester, GM vice president of Electric Vehicle Growth Operations, in a statement Wednesday.
The carmaker estimates there’s a “total addressable market” for swapping conventional drive systems for battery power that could approach $20 billion by 2030.
“As companies across many industries look to reduce their environmental impact, GM is uniquely positioned to serve as a leader not only through exciting new EVs across our brands, but through additional technology applications,” said Hester, “and we look forward to bringing customers — existing and new — along with us on our zero-emissions journey.”
Chevrolet showcased a 1977 K5 Blazer converted to all-electric propulsion at SEMA360 in 2020.
Converting to electric
Demand for conversion technology is already on the rise. There’s been a flood of startups converting classic vehicles, including vintage Camaros, Porsches, Volkswagens and Land Rovers, to run on battery power.
GM targeted the conversion market with the launch of the eCOPO Camaro project car at the SEMA Show several years back, and has revealed other project cars like Project X and the 1977 K-5 Blazer. It is getting ready to provide what are essentially plug-and-play packages, like the Cruise eCrate and Electric Connect, to simplify the process. The goal is to allow owners and conversion companies to make a swap with a minimum of effort.
The Detroit automaker isn’t the only one sensing an opportunity here, however. Ford recently demonstrated the potential for its own Mach-E crate motors, which, as the name implies, uses hardware and software borrowed from its Mustang Mach-E battery-electric SUV. The conversion package can be plugged into classic products such as a 1978 Ford F-100 pickup. Volkswagen and Tesla have also gotten into the game, the latter automaker’s electric drive technology used by one conversion fan on a Rolls-Royce once owned by Johnny Cash.
Multiple applications for electric motors
But GM’s strategy isn’t limited to road-going vehicles.
It’s teaming up with Textron Ground Support Equipment Inc., a Textron subsidiary, to power up ground support equipment like the cargo and baggage tractors, belt loaders and Tug equipment found at commercial airports. Electrifying those vehicles promises to reduce emissions, as well as operating costs, while improving reliability, experts claim.
Commercial fleets, in general are showing strong interest in making the switch to battery power. GM this month began delivering the first of its BrightDrop delivery vans, joining competitors like Ford and Rivian in a market that could rapidly grow this decade, according to industry forecasts.
The opportunity to electrify isn’t limited to ground vehicles, however. A number of manufacturers are looking at ways to harness battery and hydrogen fuel-cell technology for other transportation and cargo applications. Rolls-Royce recently set a speed record with an aircraft outfitted with one of its drive systems. Airbus just released plans for a hydrogen turbofan system.
GM sees big opportunities coming in the marine world. It recently announced a strategic investment in the Seattle-based Pure Watercraft. The move, the automaker said, “represents an opportunity to bring EV technology to the marine industry and help preserve enjoyment of the outdoors for future generations. Together, the two companies will develop and commercialize battery electric watercraft, to accelerate the transition to electric mobility.”
GM also has been exploring ways to electrify the rails. Last June it announced another partnership with Wabtec, one of the largest providers of freight locomotives. Under a non-binding agreement, the automaker will provide both battery and hydrogen fuel-cell systems for prototypes like the Wabtec FLXdrive. Eventually, the technology could replace the conventional diesel-hybrid systems that dominate the rails today.
Charging is key to the transition to electric vehicles and while more chargers are one the way, Ford Motor Co. is launching a new program to ensure the juice needed to run an EV does not contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases.
Ford’s program can be used by current owners of the Mustang Mach-E, E-Transit and Escape PHEV.
With help of one auto industry’s traditional foes, the California Air Resource Board, Ford is beginning what it describes as a “sustainable charging program,” which allows owners of plug-in electric vehicles in California to opt for only carbon-neutral charging at home.
“Ford’s electric vehicle customers are beginning to realize all the possibilities associated with their vehicles and sustainable energy management,” said Matt Stover, director of charging and energy services, Ford Motor Co.
“By working with regulators, utilities and customers for home integration services, we’re enabling EV drivers to lower their carbon footprints, potentially save money and help protect the grid, all through their smartphones.”
California-based owners of all current Ford all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, including the Mustang Mach-E, the E-Transit and the Escape PHEV, plus the F-150 Lightning coming in 2022, are eligible for the program.
Only green energy wanted
The idea is to only use electricity made with renewable sources rather than oil, gas or coal, reducing the carbon footprint of the energy used to power the vehicles.
Ford plans to participate in CARB’s “Low Carbon Fuel Standard,” which will offer customers a new way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change by matching the use of electricity used to charge plug-in electric vehicles at home with 100% local renewable energy, the automaker said.
CARB, which has control of air quality standards throughout California, has long warred with automakers about emissions. Significant health concerns, created by automotive-related air pollution in Southern California, have given CARB enormous influence over emission standards not only across California but also across the United States.
Once enrolled, the FordPass app automatically tracks the amount of electricity used while charging at home. Ford generates, or buys, an equivalent amount of California-sourced Renewable Energy Certificates, an EPA-recognized program that records the generation and usage of green energy.
Ford then sends evidence of the matching amounts to CARB, ensuring that all home plug-in charging activity is matched with zero-carbon electricity.
Ford is investing more than $30 billion in electric vehicles and batteries through 2025. The push supports the company’s longer-term goal of creating a sustainable American manufacturing ecosystem, and to accelerate its progress towards achieving carbon neutrality no later than 2050. Overall, Ford expects 40% to 50% of its global vehicle volume to be fully electric by 2030.
In today’s data-heavy world, there seems to be no shortage of tools that collect and display information about our lives, ripe for whatever level of analysis you’d like. Google Calendar is no different, with an easy-to-miss feature called Time Insights.
Introduced at the end of August, this analytical tool rests within the left-hand sidebar when viewing GCal on a computer—you won’t see it in the app. It takes up a mere five lines (one if you’ve somehow minimized it), so it’s possible to overlook if you’re not constantly poring over your schedule or only work out of the Android or iOS app. Whether you’ve noticed it or not, understanding how it works may help you better structure your day.
How to see and use Time Insights
When not minimized, Time Insights displays the same chunk of time visible on the main calendar page (perhaps a day, week, month, or year), how much of that is filled by meetings, and how that compares to your average total meeting time across the three previous equivalent periods. For example, if you’re looking at the week of Dec. 19 to 25, it may say you have five hours of scheduled meetings after averaging 1.9 hours over the past three weeks.
Google also displays this information with a multi-colored bar that’s divided into chunks for “focus time,” meetings, and meetings you have yet to respond to. Hover your cursor over the graphic and you’ll see the total and average times for each category.
From there, you can click More insights to view, well, more time insights. If you’ve minimized the tool, you can click the More insights icon (a rising line graph festooned with sparkles). Doing so will bring up a new sidebar on the right side of your screen. Only you and anyone who can edit your calendar can see this information.
Time breakdown
The prime feature here is the time breakdown ring, which is broken into separate colors for focus time, one-on-ones, meetings with three or more guests, requests you haven’t responded to, and—if enabled—how many remaining work hours you have in the day, week, or whatever time period you’re looking at.
Hover your cursor over a color and it’ll dim all events on your calendar except ones that match the type you’re on, putting a shadow under those so you can see them easier among everything else on your calendar.
Focus time
The top entry on this ring is Focus time, a feature Google introduced in late October. The company said in a blog post that it hopes this will help people schedule time for individual work, and it will show up alongside the standard “out of office” and “event” tags when you create a calendar entry. Focus time is only available for people with work or school Google accounts.
To set it up from Time Insights, click Schedule focus time. This will bring up a standard calendar event dialog box, where you can customize the entry’s name, time, color, and other attributes. To truly focus, check the box next to Automatically decline meetings.
Working hours
To include all your working hours on the time breakdown ring, click either Set working hours or Adjust working hours, depending on if you’ve enabled this function or not. This will take you to the main Calendar settings page, where you’ll need to find the Working hours & location heading and make sure you’ve checked the box next to Enable working hours. You can then enter or adjust your working hours. If you have these set and someone tries to schedule a meeting with you outside of your workday, Google will let them know you’re unavailable.
Time in meetings
Under the time breakdown ring, there’s a Time in meetings heading. This shows you which day you tend to have the most meetings, your daily average of time spent in meetings over the past three weeks, and colored bars detailing your current calendar view, the next time period of the same length, and the two prior equivalent chunks of time. These have separate colors for recurring and one-time meetings, and if you hover your cursor over a block you’re currently in, GCal will highlight all meetings of that type.
People you meet with
The last heading on the Time Insights sidebar is People you meet with. This shows who you have the most meetings with in the selected time period, and you can pin up to 10 people to always see your shared meeting time. You’ll also see colored bars that indicate whether these meetings are one-on-one or in a group of up to 15 people—mouse over them to highlight them on the main calendar. If you don’t have a meeting with a pinned person within the chosen time period, this section will also tell you when your next meeting with them is.
The new Mitsubishi Outlander already has proven to be one of the most important products the long-struggling automaker has launched in its bid to become relevant to U.S. motorists again. Now, Mitsubishi is hoping to gain even more traction with the upcoming launch of a plug-in hybrid version.
The gas-powered 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander made its debut in February.
The Japanese automaker claims it will yield more range than the old Outlander PHEV, at an estimated 87 km, or nearly 55 miles, per charge — though that’s using the global WLTP test cycle and will likely come down once the American version is tested by the EPA.
“With low (carbon dioxide) emissions and environmental impact from manufacturing and use,” said Takao Kato, MMC’s president and CEO, “the all-new Outlander PHEV model can be considered the best solution for carbon neutrality today.”
Updated, upgraded drivetrain
The Outlander was first introduced in 2001 and, with the fourth generation, it has become a core part of the brand, accounting for about 20% of its global volume. The first plug-in hybrid version was unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. It produced a combined 197 horsepower by pairing a 2.0-liter inline-4 gas engine with twin 60-kilowatt electric motors drawing power from a 12 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.
The new Outlander PHEV gets numerous powertrain upgrades, though the automaker isn’t releasing hard specs yet. In a statement announcing the new vehicle it said the plug-in gets “an increase of around 40% in the output of the front and rear motors and drive battery.” The lithium-ion pack, it did note, jumps to 20 kWh. The gas engine, added a spokesman, is a “slightly updated” version of the old PHEV’s 2.4-liter package.
The new Outlander plug-in hybrid will arrive in the U.S. in the second half of 2022.
Mitsubishi also revealed, “The power drive unit for the front motor is newly equipped with a booster function which bolsters driving force by raising the supply of voltage to the front motor while simultaneously improving electricity consumption by raising the efficiency of the generator.”
Third row added
The automaker also took steps to downsize some of the hardware, notably the rear motor and control unit. As a result, the new plug-in will gain room for a third row yielding space for seven occupants.
The drive system now will allow One-Pedal Driving, as well, a feature that effectively allows motorists to minimize the need to jump from throttle to brake when driving in light to moderate traffic. That feature was found to be extremely popular with EV owners, according to the recent J.D. Power Technology Experience Index.
With only modest tweaks, the plug-in adopts the same exterior and interior design as the gas-powered Outlander. The overall strategy is based on a concept dubbed “I-Fu-Do-Do,” which means “authentic” and “majestic” in Japanese.
New design
The new Outlander PHEV is expected to travel more than 55 miles in electric-only mode.
The fourth-generation Mitsubishi Outlander adopted a new styling language called “Dynamic Shield.” Up front, it features a more upright nose with a pinched, dual-level grille and stacked headlamps. From the side, the SUV features a more deeply sculpted silhouette with a bit of a floating roof element.
The automaker clearly wanted to give the new Outlander a more solid and robust look, with such touches as 20-inch wheels and tires and what it calls the Hexagon Guard rear end.
The new SUV grew larger in virtually all dimensions, the width expanding by 2 inches. That means the cabin of the new Outlander is both wider and more spacious than the outgoing model, Mitsubishi adopting more upscale materials and features like tri-zone climate controls, real aluminum panels and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display.
The gas-powered Outlander is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-4 that bumped up power by 8.9 percent. At the same time, it reduced fuel consumption by 2.6 percent.
Pricing TBD
Many of the features from the current model are expected to carry over into the PHEV, though Mitsubishi hasn’t provided specific details. The gas model offers Hill Descent Control and Trailer Stability Assist. A Multiview camera system helps drivers see what’s around the vehicle, whether on-road or off. Other features for the new Mitsubishi Outlander include a power-operated panoramic roof and an electrically operated tailgate that can be opened with a kick of the foot under the rear bumper.
Pricing for the gas model starts at $25,795 — plus $1,195 in delivery fees. Pricing for the PHEV is expected to run higher, though the numbers won’t be released until closer to sales launch. That holds for a variety of other specs, including U.S. range, power and performance.
“Sales will commence in Japan on Dec. 16, followed by Australia and New Zealand in the first half of 2022 and North America in the second half of 2022,” Mitsubishi said in a statement. While it did not offer specifics, that would suggest that the Outlander PHEV will be marketed as a 2023 model in the U.S.
To the surprise of no one, a new study completed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety confirmed brighter headlights help reduce vehicle collisions.
In 2016, Audi’s new laser headlamps were brighter than conventional lights so the maker adjusted the lights to shine low and wide.
The organization noted the number of nighttime vehicle accidents are nearly 20% lower for vehicles with headlights earning a “good” rating in IIHS evaluation, compared with those with “poor” rated headlights. Vehicles IIHS rates as having “acceptable” or “marginal” headlights crash rates are 10% to 15% lower than for those with poor ratings.
“Driving at night is three times as risky as driving during the day,” said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Matthew Brumbelow, who conducted the study. “This is the first study to document how much headlights that provide better illumination can help.”
An evolving light
Until recently, there was little need to evaluate headlights, as all cars used sealed beam headlights, a technology that became an industry standard by the 1940s. Like the lights in your home, sealed-beam and halogen headlights are incandescent. They use electricity to heat a bulb’s filament, which in turn produces light.
The addition of halogen gas in the 1960s allowed the headlight’s tungsten filament to generate a brighter light that lasted longer. In 1983, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard was revised, allowing for all composite headlight assemblies to have replacement bulbs. Yet overall, headlights had changed little since electric headlights first appeared on cars in 1898.
That changed with the introduction of high-intensity discharge headlights, or HIDs. These are arc lamps, much like a neon sign, which produce light by the sparking an electrical arc between two conducting electrodes inside the bulb. Far more efficient than halogen lamps, they not only produce more light, but also use less energy and last far longer.
Then, in 2004, the first LED headlights appear on the Audi A8. An LED a semiconductor that emits light when a current is passed through it, using far less energy than other types of bulbs. This led to the creation of LED Matrix headlights, which uses LEDs, sensors and cameras to light the road depending on road conditions. Now, automakers are starting to employ laser lighting, affording 1.25 miles of visibility.
Testing counteracts an outdated federal standard
Given evolving lighting technology, IIHS began evaluating headlight effectiveness in 2016 to counteract the federal government’s outdate lighting standard, one that considered all headlight types equal. The problem is, they’re not. Five years later, IIHS has rated approximately 1,000 different headlights, bestowing them with the same good, acceptable, marginal and poor ratings used for the crash test evaluations.
The IIHS’s new study shows that good-rated reduces driver injuries in crashes by 29% and the rates of tow-away crashes and pedestrian crashes by about 25%.
“Better scores in our headlight tests translate into safer nighttime driving on the road,” said IIHS’s Brumbelow.
Despite the changes in headlight technology, the Federal standard for automotive lighting hasn’t changed significantly since 1968. What’s worse, the standard specifies minimum and maximum brightness for headlights without taking into account how well it is installed. The standard also lacks any regulations for newer technology, such as curve-adaptive headlights.
To address such failings, the IIHS’s evaluation of vehicle lighting are done while driven on a test track. Performance varies considerably; current low beam headlights illuminate anywhere from 125 feet to 460 feet. That’s a difference of as much as 6 seconds when driving at 50 mph. The tests have compelled OEMs to improve the quality of their lighting, IIHS says.
“Our awards have been a huge motivator for automakers to improve their headlights,” Brumbelow says. “Now, with our new study, we have confirmation that these improvements are saving lives.”
When the Mercedes-Benz EQS rolls into showrooms later this month it will become the luxury brand’s first all-electric vehicle targeting the U.S. market. But it certainly won’t be the last. If anything, Mercedes plans to roll out a broad line-up of battery-powered products, from the little EQB crossover to an all-electric version of the big G-Class SUV.
Mercedes-Benz Cars CEO Ola Källenius is leading the company through one of its biggest transitions in its history. He talks with TDB.
Until a few years ago, Mercedes put its primary focus on diesel, but it changed direction in the wake of an embarrassing emissions scandal — and in the face of increasingly stringent global emissions standards. By 2025, the goal is to have plug-in hybrid and all-electric models account for 50% of the company’s worldwide sales. By 2030, CEO Ola Källenius announced in July, the target is 100% BEVs “where market conditions allow.”
The Swedish-born executive — the first non-German to helm Mercedes since it was founded — is a true believer in electrification, as he made clear during a virtual interview with TheDetroitBureau.com and a handful of other journalists.
TheDetroitBureau: From your perspective, how has the (industry’s) approach to electrification changed? It appears things are ramping up at a faster and faster pace. Why is that happening?
Källenius: If we look back in history, when one technology replaced another … for the longest time, it seems like nothing is happening. Then, it happens all at once and the whole market flips. It goes very fast. If you miss that point that can be very unfortunate for your business with the development cycles we have in the auto industry. From the first stroke of a pen to have the first vehicles from a completely new architecture (is) usually a four- or five-year process. So, we are now upping the bet.
TDB: But why such a big investment?
Källenius: I’m ever so slightly biased but I think the EQS is a phenomenal vehicle and can imagine what the electric car will look like 10 years from now. I think there’s optimism in terms of the technology, with better energy density on the battery side. Cost are scaling (down) and we’re pushing to an inflection point where the new technology will be superior to what we have now.
Källenius with an assortment of new and upcoming EVs and PHEVs.
Drivers of change and acceptance
TDB: Is the shift being driven by new regulations?
Källenius: Partly, it is regulatory driven, but it’s through one common purpose we have as mankind, to solve the CO2 problem. It’s not going to go away. Climate change is real and the Paris Agreement is the right thing to do. It’s a Herculean task for humanity, a complete paradigm shift over to new energy sources. A company like Mercedes, in the luxury car (market), can be on the forefront of such a shift.
TDB: What is the key obstacle to consumer acceptance? Is it the lack of a solid charging infrastructure?
Källenius: Something that could make this happen a little faster or a little slower is the infrastructure. People aren’t going to (drive) less. In fact, we believe people are going to (drive) much more 10 years from now. So, here, industry and government need to work hand-in-hand to put in (a charging) infrastructure. The quicker that happens, the quicker the shift. In markets that don’t do this, it will be an obstacle that makes the transition to EVs go slower.
TDB: It certainly appears investors want automakers to shift to electric.
Källenius: Every conversation that we have with investors, even rating institutes like Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s, the financial markets have made up their minds. It’s going to be increasingly difficult to find capital to invest in (internal combustion) technology, and everybody is betting on the new technology so in a way the market economy and allocation of capital is pushing this forward.
The EQS is leading Mercedes move into the all-electric future, signifying the company’s commitment to that path.
New set of competitors
TDB: Not only do you have to compete with legacy automakers but you have to now start competing with this wave of EV startups, what’s the unique challenge there when it comes to competing with nascent EV makers? How do you compete with them?
Källenius: It’s natural that new players look at a market and enter and so the competitive intensity in this decade will likely be higher than what we have experienced in the past. We are taking the usual suspects seriously, as well as the new kids on the block. You cannot run around like a headless chicken chasing this that or the other company, you’ve got to know who you are. In this situation you cannot rest on your laurels, you have to look forward. So, what we need to do is to double down on technology, primarily electric drive and software and the connected vehicle and autonomous driving. But, at the same time, (we must) deliver what everybody expects from a Mercedes, you know this sublime ride and drive the equation to detail this superior aesthetic quality. If we hit the spot (and) deliver on both innovation and the luxury aspects of the Mercedes brand, that’s how we think we can win the competition.
TDB: You have been a powerhouse in the all-electric Formula-E series. What are your future plans?
Källenius: We won the championship this year and we’re going to have one more season, but beyond that season, we’re focusing everything on Formula One. We’re going to turn to synthetic fuels so we can run the whole race carbon neutral. I’ve been to a few Formula E races myself and enjoyed it as a racing fan, but if you would take one of those cars and go to Spa, you would maybe do a lap and a half and then it would be over. So for those who are, you know, hardcore racing fans at heart, you can’t replace (traditional racing cars with electric).
The new EQE is the battery-powered alternative to the marque’s classic E-Class sedan.
TDB: Can you talk about the role of electrification in motor sports?
Källenius: I actually had the privilege back in 2008 to develop the very first performance hybrid for Formula One. And now we are (more than) 10 years later, and you can’t win the world championship, unless you have the best performance hybrid system. And what we’re now launching in the AMG GT is the first road version of that technology. It will be on many of the AMG cars that we’re going to launch in the next two to three years. Formula One is the most sophisticated high performance Lab in the world.
TDB: This raises the subject of EV performance. It appears that one of the things drawing people to EVs is the great performance they offer.
Källenius: The great thing about an electric motor is that the torque is instantly available, and you have a lot of torque. So, at a red light, we all feel like we’re driving an AMG GT, right. You have this instant punch. Maybe you saw that we bought the UK company, Yasa, that is developing an electric motor with an absolutely phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. So there will be there will be a performance dimension beyond just being quick at the red light.
Advanced technology pros and cons
TDB: You’ve introduced the Hyperscreen in the EQS (which covers virtually the entire instrument panel with video screens). Do you think they’ll ever be a move back towards more simplification for an older demographic that can’t take advantage of most of what it can do?
Källenius said the the future of vehicles is going to look a lot more like the Hyperscreen than with knobs and buttons.
Källenius: I read an article the other day in a Swedish supercar magazine and the chief editor wrote an article where he says I hate screens. Give me the knobs back, the buttons and the knobs. But I’m afraid that’s probably not going to happen. And it’s not specifically tied to the electric car and we’re not doing some different level of digitization in our combustion based vehicles and our electric vehicles, per se. We need to make (technology) more intuitive and easy to use, but we’re not going back and put 50 different knobs and buttons in the car. I just don’t see that.
TDB: Who is the most difficult person to convince (about) electrification?
Källenius: People that buy a G Wagen, an S-Class, or maybe an E … they usually are technology and innovation-minded, and also appreciate luxury aesthetics. They are naturally going to drift to whatever is the next level technology. I think there is some skepticism, but I think it will recede.
TDB: What are you going to do about recyclability of materials?
Källenius: Next to the challenge of CO2 for us, as an industry, is the circular economy, what we call resource preservation. It’s hugely important. Our vehicles, already today, are 95% recyclable. That doesn’t mean we already use 95% of the material. But we put in in our books to raise the amount for every new vehicle, and for beyond the usual candidates like steel. Recycling has to get into the polymers and other things inside the battery cells, no doubt about it.
TDB: One last question. You have the new EQS sedan, but you’ll also have an EQS SUV next year. And the same with the EQE. Won’t that create some branding confusion?
Källenius: Yeah. There are probably PhD thesis documents in marketing talking about nomenclature on the part of Mercedes. When I was in marketing and sales we said let’s clean this up once and for all, and we thought we did. Could we have done a GL QS or something like that (instead of EQS SUV)? We thought it was so obvious when you see the vehicle, you know whether you’re buying an SUV or a sedan. But maybe we didn’t succeed.
