Major Developments Major Developments by Calendar Year

January 30, 2014

Coupes With the Best Cargo Capacity for 2013

Filed under: 2013,Society — Tags: — Ralph C Dreher @ 3:55 AM

The drivers of Coupes may cruise down the highway of life with a limited number of passengers. But when it comes to cargo, that says nothing about their requirements. For instance, if you take frequent road trips and carry lots of luggage on these excursions, you may be one of those coupe buying people in need of a vehicle that offers some extra cargo capacity.

2013 Chevrolet Corvette: The cargo capacity of Chevrolet Corvette is 22.4 cubic feet. This is one of the world’s best bargains when it comes to performance. In addition to the large cargo capacity, the other advantages are world class handling and braking, glorious mechanical soundtrack and tremendous acceleration. The major drawbacks are Old fashioned interior, refined as many competitors or not agile.

2013 Dodge challenger: With 16.2 cubic feet cargo capacity, Dodge Challenger 2013 addition is in the second place in the list. The Dodge Challenger is sure to delight muscle car fanatics with its attitude and power, while winning over more fans with its higher levels of comforts and civilized road manners. Distinctive exterior styling, upscale interior quality, huge trunk, strong V6 & V8 engines and compliant ride are the additional attractions. Handling not as sharp as rivals and compromised rear visibility are little disappointing.

2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe: The Elantra coupe has 14.8 cubic feet cargo capacity. Thanks to upscale options, a long list of standard safety features, a fuel efficient engine and head turning styling. The pros of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe are distinctive styling, long warranty coverage, large trunk, spacious and well build cabin and lots of feature for the money.

2013 Dodge SRT – Viper: The 2013 Dodge SRT – Viper has 14.7 cubic feet cargo capacity. In this new version the attractions are a raw sports car at its core, excellent touchscreen display and electronics interface, outlandish corner grip, and massive power from normally aspirated V10 engine. The firm seats can limit long distance comfort, too stiffly sprung for many road surfaces, no automated manual transmission availability are the drawbacks.

2013 Honda Accord Coupe: The cargo capacity of the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe is 13.7 cubic feet. The fully redesigned Accord returns to the top of the family sedan class with a mix of rewarding performance, superb fuel economy and excellent packaging. Advantages with this version are available coupe body style, responsive handling, quick acceleration, refined and efficient power-trains, and roomy & high quality interior. But CVT automatic’s characteristics won’t suite everybody.

2013 Mercedes Benz CL-Class: With 13.5 cubic feet cargo capacity, the Mercedes Benz CL Class is one of the rare cars that combine performance, comfort and luxury in one stunning package. With ample safety features, relatively spacious backseat and trunk, ultra refined ride and handling, exquisite cabin, effortless acceleration regardless of engine are attracting but the problem is steep price.

2013 Ford two Ford models Mustang Coupe and Shelby GT500 coupe are offering 13.4 cubic feet cargo capacity. The next place is to 2013 Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe with 13.3 cubic feet. Three 2013 models from Audi TT RS Coupe, TT Coupe, and TTS Coupe are available at 13.1 cubic feet.
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Best Used Cars for 2013

Filed under: 2013 — Tags: — Ralph C Dreher @ 2:26 AM

Edmundus released a list of best used cars for 2013. To make this list prioritized on availability, value, safety and reliability. Eligibility to the vehicle is limited from 2 to 7 years old because of, the older vehicles might have too many miles on them, and the newer vehicles not have fully taken the depreciation. So the list is limited to the models between 2006 to 2011.

  • Subcompact – Honda Fit (2007 – 2011): From 2007 this model is available in US market. With its incredibly space efficient design, high fuel economy, and spirited and nimble driving demeanor won the consumers and editors. Its unique rear seat can be configured as four different ways. Folding seat down flat provides a surprising amount of cargo space, up to 57 cubic feet in 2009 and lateral versions.
  • Compact Sedan – Hyundai Elantra (2006 – 2011): Along with peppy performance and a smooth ride, the Honda Elantra offers operating economy, reliability and solid build quality. A GT hatchback version provides a sport tuned suspension, a moon roof, standard leather seating and added cargo capacity. The impressive crash test scores are another advantage.
  • Midsize Sedan – Ford Fusion (2007 – 2011): It offers an attractive styling, solid build quality, responsive driving dynamics, responsive, and a spacious cabin. The other rare things in this segment by the Ford is a sporty driving personality to go along with its practicality. Ford is offering Fusion in hybrid, four and six cylinder gasoline engines.
  • Large Sedan – Toyota Avalon (2006 – 2011): With its upscale ambience and roomy cabin, Toyota Avalon is almost a bargain priced large sedan. Other virtues include top notch quality, a massive backseat, a powerful yet fuel efficient V6, and a smooth and very quiet ride. As well the Toyota’s reputation is for reliability.
  • Coupe – Honda Accord (2006 – 2011): This selection has two generations of the Honda Accord Coupe, those are 2003 – 2007 and 2008 – 2012. Either way, you will get power-trains, refined, a smooth ride, and tight build quality.
  • Convertible – Volvo C70 (2006 – 2011): Top up, Its a luxury coupe with the security of a solid roof, weather isolation, and the quietness. Lower and stow away the roof with press of a button, and will have a stylish convertible. In addition to its versatility, it also provides the Volvo’s traditional strengths of abundance of safety features and comfortable seating.

For the reliability measure, consumer ratings, sources that report on reliability and longevity and the experienced people opinion considered. As a second consideration, the tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic safety Administration. The third consideration, True cost to own, and True market value. And the fourth one is availability.
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November 19, 2013

The Nobel Prize Laureates of 2013

Filed under: Society — Tags: — Ralph C Dreher @ 1:55 AM

The Nobel prize achievers of 2013 in different categories were announced last month. These prizes are given by the Royal Swedish Academy of sciences annually in memory of Alfred Nobel to organizations and individuals who make significant contribution to Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace and Medicine.

Nobel Prize Winners, 2013 in Various Categories
Following are the 2013 Nobel prize winners in various categories:

1) Nobel Peace Prize
The 2013 Nobel Prize was given to The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons OPCW based in Netherlands for its outstanding performance and efforts in eliminating chemical weapons. These global weapons help in deploying worldwide teams to identify if all the nations have signed the treaty are disclosing all the chemical weapons and if possessing them, destroying both the weapons as well as manufacturer sites.

2) Nobel Prize in Chemistry
This award was given to three scientist from US – Michael Levitt, Martin Karplus and Arieh Warshel for developing multi-scale computer models for complex chemical system. These computer can predict chemical reactions that are used in creating new drugs and other tasks. This approach was the combination of classical and quantum Physics.

3) Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel prize in Physics 2013 went jointly to Francois Englert from Britain and Peter W Higgs from Belgium for Theoretical discovery of a mechanism which contributed to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles that also got recently confirmed by discovering the predicted fundamental particle through CMS and ATLAS experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

4) Nobel Prize in Literature
The 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature was given to Alice Munro from Canada for mastering contemporary short story. She is 82 years old author, and is known for her famous stories like ‘The Moons of Jupiter’, ‘The Progress of Love’ and ‘Runaway’.

5) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The 2013 the Nobel Prize in Medicine was given jointly to US based researchers, James Rothman, Randy Schekman and Thomas Suedhof for extensive efforts and work on the cell organizing its transport system. They helped in better understanding of tiny bubbles and vesicles that deliver cargo within a cell to right place and right time as any disturbance in this system can lead to neurological diseases, immunological disorders or diabetes.

6) Nobel Prize in Economics
The Nobel Prize in Economics was honored and shared between three Americans, Eugene Fama and Lars Peter Hansen from University of Chicago and Robert Shiller from Yale University for their performance of creating a deeper knowledge of how the prices in the market move.

The three economists have worked on methods that have been found useful in assessing the prices of financial assets over a period of time. They also have invented methods how price of financial assets can be measured. (more…)

November 12, 2013

Recent Advancements in Dental Technology

Filed under: 2013 — Tags: — Ralph C Dreher @ 6:10 AM

Dentistry is a field where technical advances happen continuously. This makes dentistry a challenging, exciting and a rewarding profession. Advancements and new technologies in dental field make dental procedures more comfortable, efficient and durable. In this article, we will discuss in this article the recent developments in dental technology.

Recent advancements in Dental Technology

Dental lasers/Diagnodent
Diagnodent is a new technology for detecting cavities early. It makes use of laser technology for identifying and detecting early signs of cavities/tooth decay. Some of the hidden cavities can be detected with the help of this tool, which sometimes x-rays might not show up in results clearly. Diagnodent enables dentists to perform treatment in its early stage.

Intra oral camera
Using intra oral camera, a clear picture of inside of the mouth is made visible to the patient. These cameras create high quality images. The images are used to give a clear state of oral health. It helps in building trust through visual communication.

Air abrasion
Air abrasion helps in removing the decayed tooth without anesthesia. Moreover, it can help remove old filling in the tooth but metallic restorations like amalgam fillings can’t be removed with the help of air abrasion.

Digital x-rays
This is one of the latest developments in dentistry. Many dentists are switching to digital x-rays, as these x-ray instruments give more accurate image and better results than traditional x-rays instruments do. Digital x-ray machines make use of digital technology rather than a film. Then the images are directly sent to the computer instead getting it developed in a dark room.

CT scans
CT scans are now used in modern dentistry. Dentists use this scan when performing implant surgery to view jawbone. This scan helps the dentists give the exact image when placing restorative devices. Sometimes, CT scans are used for the patients having impacted tooth, thus help in determining appropriate course of treatment.

Sedative dentistry
In modern dentistry, oral sedation is replacing traditional method of numbing the mouth. In this type of sedation, no needles are used. There are three types of sedation used:

  • Oral sedation
  • Inhalation sedation
  • Intra venous (IV) sedation

Oral sedation is easily administered. It requires swallowing a pill. In inhalation sedative method, a small mask that supplies oxygen and nitrous gas is placed on the nose throughout the treatment. After the treatment is completed, nitrous oxide is turned off and just oxygen will be supplied till the patient feels completely normal.

IV sedation is given through veins. As IV sedation has quick effects, many patients prefer for this kind of sedation.

Field of dentistry has come a long way from the use of traditional and manual dental instruments to more advanced and computerized equipment. These advancements are likely to help dentists do their job more efficiently, and are equally likely to benefit people with dental issues. (more…)

October 17, 2013

Latest Improvements in Car Safety

Filed under: 2012 — Tags: — Ralph C Dreher @ 7:01 AM

In the earlier stages of the car manufacturing, cars could ran at low speed compared to those today. Improvements in the car engines have led to increase in the car speed. Simultaneously the other parts of the car like brakes, wheels, etc., are also improved to fit into the engines capacity.
Along with these, safety features of the car also improved. The demand from the public and because of legislation for safety features in automobile made manufacturers to focus on including safety features. Until 1980s, safety was not a selling feature for cars. Awareness among public relating to safety in the cars increased because of independent crash tests by different groups. This article discusses the improvements in car safety.

  • Seat belts: The invention of seat belts has more safeguarded many people’s lives than any other safety feature in the automobiles. Volvo was the first to introduce three point or lap/sash seat belt for standard fitting. It was launched in 1959 on the Amazon and PV544 sedans. Victoria is the first state in the world to make the seat belts for front seats compulsory in 1970. Making seat belt wearing while driving, reduced accidents by fifty percent.

Today’s seat belts are more effective than the first basic model. The problem of poor adjustment was minimized with inertia reel. Seat belt helps you – by taking slack out of system. And, will prevent the occupant’s excessive forward movement. When the body is being pressed tight, the load limiter releases the belt as per the senses it got during injury. Some of the advancements in the seat belts we can not see in the structure of the car itself.

  • Electronic stability control: The earliest inventors of this system are Mercedes Benz and BMW. The electronic stability control takes the anti-lock braking system a lot further. It helps the driver take action prevent skidding by automatic sensing of skid occurrence.

Some cars have linked the electric power assisted steering with stability control system. It will help the driver in cases when they are using insufficient or excessive amount of steering input, the electric stability system automatically adjust the gap and correct the angle from a skid. Recent studies show that the electronic stability control is good at reducing single vehicle crashes.

  • Car structure: Sedan was designed to minimize the harm to the passengers in 1960. Its technology allows the automobile engineers to estimate the destructiveness of the automobiles in their computers. It helps them create safer structures. Today’s cars have a strong and rigid passenger cell. Front and rear crumple zones, structure around the cabin and the rigid passenger cell protects passengers by absorbing, spreading and reducing the energy or force generated when crashes oaccur so the the impact is minimal on passenger compartment. The front end of the modern vehicle may be damaged more than it was in the 1960s.
  • Air bags: General Motors in the USA was originally developed the feature in the late 1960s. These help reduce the injury and death in the event of crashes. The front air bags became very common in every new vehicle. Some cars that have full length have side air bags on vehicle window. These will protect passengers from head and upper body injury. The recent air bags technology allows the air bag deployment as per the severity of the accident.
  • Brakes and tyres: Today’s tyres have more grip levels even in wet weather than the 1960s. The disc brakes are more reliable than the previous drum brakes in normal times as well as in emergency. The anti-lock braking system prevents the lockup under heavy braking and allows steering control.

The invention and the development in car-safety are still going on. Night vision technology in cars, automatic emergency calling, etc., are available in some cars. Some are in development stage. These allow the driver and the passengers for a safer journey. (more…)

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