Babywearing

It's been a very busy year, and the blog has not been forgotten, but pushed onto the far end of the back shelf for a while.

Most of our time is currently dedicated to our new baby boy. Today's musings are about babywearing. There are only so many ways to carry a baby, yet there are so many carriers to choose from! Sifting through the options can be a bit daunting.

Some of my favorite articles discussing the various babywearing devices are at wearyourbaby.com. This is a huge resource for different types of devices used all over the world, and also has links on how to make your own baby carrier. There is a lot of information here!

If you are short on time, and just want a quick summary to guide you on a purchase of commercially available carriers, then this article is very helpful.

My babywearing experiences so far:

Moby Wrap

My favorite carrier by far is a wrap carrier, The Moby Wrap. It is simply a very long piece of cloth, about 18 yards long and 22 inches wide, with some tapering at the ends for ease in tying. wearyourbaby.com has directions to make your own, but I have been very happy with my purchase, as I don't own a serger to hem all the edges perfectly. It comes with an easy to follow instruction book. It actually is very easy to tie, and once you learn it, you can put your baby in the carrier in a variety of different ways. He's been in it since he was a newborn, and during the day he sleeps much longer in the moby than anywhere else. Between the cozy swaddling newborn position, the wearer's heartbeat and walking motions soothing the baby, and truly having your hands free to do chores, blog, etc, this has been indispensable. We ended up buying a second one for times when we suddenly needed to wash it, but still wanted to wear him cosily. Having the spare moby has also been very handy for passing the babywearing back and forth quickly.

Pros: comfortable, distributes baby's weight evenly for much less body strain, fits everyone (both baby and wearer) well, many positions to wear the baby, machine washable, less expensive than many other carriers ($39.95)

Cons: too hot in hot weather, people are hesitant to use it because they think it will be too hard to learn, ends drag on the ground when you are putting it on

New Native Carrier

The New Native is a very simple, non-adjustable sling that you purchase in your size. It is a tube with a curvy end at the bottom for a little extra pouch space for the baby. As with most carriers, you can wear your baby in front, on your hip, or on your back, but I find that I only use this carrier to have the baby sit in front, and near my hip, as he is not the right age/size for any of the other carries. I found that in my proper size carrier, I cannot easily wear the baby heart-to-heart. To wear the baby higher, I made a sling out of an old, stretchy t-shirt pictured on the right (just cut horizontally, so that you have a tube). It doesn't reach down as far, so the baby sits up high in a more natural position.

Pros: very easy to use, you can pass the baby to another person or into the carseat without disturbing him, comfortable in hot weather, machine washable, compact for travel, less expensive than many other carriers ($42)

Cons: not comfortable for long episodes of wearing as the weight is on one shoulder, must buy the right size which may limit who can wear it, fewer carries available

Baby Bjorn

The baby bjorn carriers are a structured soft carrier, with buckles and straps which adjust the carrier to the wearer. There are currently five models to choose from, some which provide more lumbar support, others which are lighter weight. Prices range anywhere from $54 to $160.

I find it takes a while to adjust the carrier the first time, but once it is adjusted, it is fairly fast to put on and take off. If you are sharing the carrier with another wearer, then you end up wasting a lot of time adjusting back and forth. Once in a while you will also need to adjust the carrier to the growing baby too. I find the carrier fairly comfortable, as the straps are wide and padded. My husband complains that the center of gravity while wearing the baby is not as comfortable as in the moby wrap.

Pros: somewhat comfortable, fairly easy to use (step by step illustrated directions were on the inside of mine), wide price range to choose from

Cons: adjusting between users is a chore, limited ways to wear the baby (only able to wear in front, facing in or out)

Next carrier to try:

Mei Tai

The mei tai, or Asian based carrier (ABC), is a simple unstructured soft carrier that is easy to use. It ties around the waist, then around the baby and shoulders. It's not as good for newborns because it doesn't swaddle as well, but now that the baby is 3 months old, that is no longer an issue. Since it's been hot lately, I am looking for a less warm carrier, and the mei tai fits the bill. I'm also getting ready to try wearing the baby on my back, but I don't feel comfortable wrestling with 6 yards of moby wrap. I've ordered a beautiful used one from ebay, and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

Here are some links on how to wear it:

Mei Tai Baby slide show

Great youtube video showing front and back carries

Inflatable electric car with great mileage, floats in floods!

I'd love to see this actually happen. Somehow reminds me of bumper boats...

According to physorg, XP Vehicles Inc. is designing an inflatable electric car that may go into production as early as 2010.

Main excerpts from the physorg article:

It's hard to say what the most intriguing thing about XP Vehicles' inflatable car is. Maybe it's that the car can travel for up to 2,500 miles on a single electric charge (the distance across the US is roughly 3,000 miles).

Or maybe it's the fact that you buy the car online, it gets shipped to you in two cardboard boxes, and the estimated assembly time is less than two hours. Perhaps it's that the car is made out of "airbags" - the same polymer materials used to cushion NASA's rovers when they landed on Mars. Then again, it could be the company's claim that you can drive the car off a cliff without serious injury, and that it will float in a flood or tsunami.

Together, these features characterize the Whisper, XP Vehicles' solution to the oil crisis. The company doesn't expect the car to be in production until 2010 at the earliest, but when it is, it will hopefully be an extremely affordable $10,000 or less. XP Vehicles envisions four body styles, along with a special low-priced model for the Southeast Asian market. As the San Francisco-based start-up explains on its Web site, the miracle behind the 2,500-mile range is a "hot-swap XPack Multi-Core Battery/Fuel Cell power plant" invented by the founders of XP Vehicles. Or, without the hot-swap technology, the car can travel up to 300 miles on a single charge, thanks to its light weight.

...

In the future, individuals may also order online, pick out their desired features as if customizing a PC, and receive the car by a common carrier. Options will include iPod mounts, 20 colors, trim, decals, roof/no roof, car covers, solar mounts, stereos, integrated pumps, home connections, GPS, battery clubs, alarms, and more. Two adults with a high school education should be able to unpack and inflate the car in less than two hours, according to the company. And, if you don´t have enough room in the garage, some models even fold up after assembly for storage. Other models "can change bodies" (details on that are sparse). Different models of the car will be made of various polymers, carbon fiber, and/or other strong, ultra-light-weight materials - the same stuff that protected the Mars rovers´ sensitive electronics as they fell and bounced along the planet´s surface. XP Vehicles claims that the car will be one of the safest on the road for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. "Research shows that the metal in your car is the largest cause of death and injury," the company explains on its Web site. "The shrapnel, body compression immobility, lung compression, dismemberment and other serious results of a crash are most often caused by the inflexibility of metal and the permanent deformation of the body of the metal car around or into your body. Hence the need for, and name of, the Jaws of Life." For another thing, the car won´t "blow off the road," due to a special ballast and aerodynamic design features which make the car very stable. An inflatable car might even provide additional safety measures in certain circumstances, such as if someone were to accidentally drive it off a cliff - although the company says that it´s not intended for this use. If you´re concerned that an inflatable car may be too tempting for a tire-slashing juvenile delinquent, XP Vehicles says that their car bodies are actually pretty difficult to pierce. The cars have multiple chambers, so a single slice wouldn´t pop it like a balloon - "somebody would really have to go at it" to cause major damage, the company says. And, in the case of vandalism, you can repair it yourself.

If you have faith in them, you can even invest from their website.

Celebrating the Rotary Engine

I've always had a soft spot for the Wankel rotary engine (cool toys as child help with that). As a competitor to our standard four cylinder engines, it has many features that are superior, but has a very small following.

The car manufacterer Mazda has been using rotary engines in their RX-7s (and now the new Rx-8) for decades, and is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine.
They even have a video about it, which touts their new hydrogen burning rotary engine.

GPS enabled platform shoes, marketed to sex workers

Strange but true.

According to gizmag:

With an inbuilt GPS, an audible alarm system and storage for your valuables the Platform 001 sandals could definitely be beneficial in protecting against muggings or to locate ladies in the case of emergency.
Specifically aimed at sex workers the shoes are the brainchild of the Aphrodite Project in response to an ever growing number of attacks against women in the industry. The shoe - aptly named The Platform 001 - was inspired by the prostitutes of ancient Greece and Rome, who enticed clients with their flutes and sandals that left ‘follow me’ footprints in the earth.

And some more features of these shoes:

Functionality of the Platform shoe includes a 3.5 inch LCD monitor with audio and text overlay for promotion to clients whilst safety features include an audible alarm, secure storage compartments and a panic button connected to monitored GPS tracking for use in case of an emergency. The design does raise some safety concerns since they are being promoted as a "safety shoe" with secret storage, potential attackers could become familiar with the design and specifically target those with the shoes thinking them to be carrying valuables. Further, the clumsiness of the shoe could pose a problem in a situation whereby the wearer needed to run at any great speed.

Building a GPS into a shoe seems like a great idea, especially for young children and other vulnerable populations. Having a 3.5 inch LCD monitor built into your shoe is just bizarre to me, but I guess it definitely draws attention to the bling. Who knows, maybe someday we'll all be covered in monitors, from our t-shirts down to our platform shoes.

Tiny SMART cars coming to the US

These cars have been in Europe for years, and will become available in the United States next year.

Apparently, there were some available for test drives in San Francisco earlier this week, and people were already lined up to put down their $99 deposit to buy one when the come out next year.

Some specs from the sfgate article:

Smart cars, manufactured by Mercedes, have been drawing attention in crowded European cities for the past decade. More than 770,000 Fortwos have been sold in 36 countries. Starting in January, Smart USA will sell three versions of the Fortwo - ranging in price from $12,000 to $17,000 - at 50 to 75 American dealerships, including three to five in the Bay Area...

With a length of just 8.8 feet, the Smart Fortwo will be the smallest production car sold in the United States - more than 3 feet shorter than the Mini...

At that length, the Smart should be able to squeeze into just about any San Francisco parking space. Actually, because the typical parking space is between 18 and 20 feet long, a two-car household could park both of its Smart cars in one spot. Because it also promises mileage in excess of 40 miles per gallon, it's a sure bet to attract the attention of San Francisco drivers.

Greenbox: Converting car emissions to biofuel

From Reuters:

Dubbed "Greenbox", the technology developed by organic chemist Derek Palmer and engineers Ian Houston and John Jones... [is]a box which they say can be fixed underneath a car in place of the exhaust to trap the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming -- including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide -- and emit mostly water vapor.

The captured gases can be processed to create a biofuel using genetically modified algae.

Through a chemical reaction, the captured gases from the box would be fed to algae, which would then be crushed to produce a bio-oil. This extract can be converted to produce a biodiesel almost identical to normal diesel. This biodiesel can be fed back into a diesel engine, the emptied Greenbox can be affixed to the car and the cycle can begin again.

The process also yields methane gas and fertilizer, both of which can be captured separately. The algae required to capture all of Britain's auto emissions would take up around 1,000 acres.

If this is as advertised, it could be a great tool in slowing global warming.

Mini Cooper D: next year's model to get 74.2mpg without being a hybrid!

The best part is that they claim all this will 'come at no extra cost'.

From gizmag:

"When production of the revised models begins in August 2007, there will be no requirement for alternative fuel sources or hybrid technology to achieve these stunning stats. All model variants will instead be supplied as standard with high-tech engine tweaks, providing exceptional economy and minimal emissions without compromising the MINI driving experience."

In addition to not being a hybrid, it will also have regenerative braking, and a start/stop button so that it goes into sleep mode when idling (more details below).

"Brake Energy Regeneration works by using an Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) and an Absorbent Glass Mat battery to recycle previously lost energy, which saves fuel. The IAC reduces drag on the engine by only engaging when required to charge the battery, whereas a traditional alternator is always pulling power from the engine. Additionally, the energy generated by the engine on over-run (under braking or descending a hill) was previously wasted. Now this lost energy is utilised by the IAC to charge the battery.
The Auto Start-Stop Function, available with manual transmission cars, automatically switches the engine off when the vehicle is stationary and the driver puts the car into neutral. To restart the driver only need engage the clutch again before pulling away in the normal manner. The system may be de-activated at the touch of a button when not required."

Seems worth a test drive to me. Hope it's not too underpowered.

http://www.gizmag.com/go/7365/

RFID vehicle tracking system on the island nation of Bermuda

Why? A fairly small island country, with very congested traffic.

"Bermuda is a country with 21 square miles of land, 63,000 people and 47,000 moving vehicles. We're the sixth largest population per square mile. Bermuda has the world's highest density per square mile of motor traffic on its roads," said Randy Rochester, director of Bermuda's Transportation Control Department. "

How? Cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs will receive a windshield sticker embedded with an RFID tag upon registration of their vehicle. Each vehicle gets assigned a number, which is connected to a database. A fixed sensor network will be set up on the island, as well as handheld scanners that are mobile and usable in random locations.
And how else will they use this data? Be afraid, be very afraid.

"A back-office VPS (violation processing system) will automatically generate citations, while the EVR [electronic vehicle registration] system itself will validate commercial vehicle registration and issue violations for trucks operating in restricted areas, during rush hour, without a permit, officials said. "

I wonder if they'll use this for speeding tickets? Or for their equivalent of an Amber alert?

In the California Bay Area, we have a voluntary tracking system, FasTrak, that assigns vehicles a number, and uses sensors to predict commute times based on how long it takes for several of us to go from sensor A to sensor B. It is primarily used for paying bridge tolls without having to stop, and is a very convenient, efficient system. It sounds like Bermuda's system is capable of providing the same benefits as FasTrak, but making it a mandatory system that will also generate citations is just too Orwellian.

http://www.physorg.com/news97861388.html

Wind Farms on Highways?

Here's a couple cool ideas:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/04/30/highway-wind-power/

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/04/30/student-designs-highway-power/

Souped up recumbent bikes at NASA Ames: The Annual Human Powered Vehicle Challenge

Yay recumbents! Some cool fairings to help with efficiency, as well as efficient modifications to three wheelers to improve their turning ability without tipping over.

Cool pics.

Details from the article: "Of course, these weren't typical bikes, rather fast-moving recumbent racers, with sleek designs that can hit 60 mph thanks to nifty hacks like modded wheelbases and tilted windshields. Missing, though, were high tech latches: Most riders are sealed into their vehicles with duct tape.
This year, 26 teams of college engineering students gathered from around the country for the April 14 event, sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The goal? Time trials and a Grand-Prix-style race with a take-home prize of $500. "

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/multimedia/2007/04/hpvrace?slide=1&slideView=7

Build your own toy Hydrocar for $79

I wish we had science kits this cool when we were kids.

From gizmag:
"Watch as oxygen and hydrogen gases are formed in two transparent water containers in the back of the vehicle. The kit’s fuel cell unit combines water electrolysis and fuel cell functions into one device.
The car steers independently of the user once it hits a barrier, and blue LED lights flash from inside the cockpit.
It’s possible to order directly from Horizon with deliveries to begin next month (May)."

http://www.gizmag.com/go/7060/

Air powered car, coming soon

Lots of details in the parent article.

Here's some spiffy stats: "The MiniC.A.T is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass. The heart of the electronic and communication system on the car is a computer offering an array of information reports that extends well beyond the speed of the vehicle, and is built to integrate with external systems and almost anything you could dream of, starting with voice recognition, internet connectivity, GSM telephone connectivity, a GPS guidance system, fleet management systems, emergency systems, and of course every form of digital entertainment. The engine is fascinating, as is and the revolutionary electrical system that uses just one cable and so is the vehicle’s wireless control system. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc
There are no keys – just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket.
Most importantly, it is incredibly cost-efficient to run – according to the designers, it costs less than one Euro per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 68 mph.
Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 1.5 Euros, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometres.
As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours.
Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000 Km.""

http://www.gizmag.com/go/7000/

I've finally bought a super cool bicycle

It's getting delivered this afternoon. Mine is a Haluzak Leprechaun, and no, I didn't buy it on St. Patrick's Day.

It's a beautiful recumbent bicycle, which is much more comfortable than the uprights (aka what we think of as bicycles). We went for a test ride over the weekend, and had a wonderful, though somewhat klutzy time. Once I get thru the learning curve, I'll be able to keep up with all you upright bike riders. :-)

The history of the recumbent bike is a bit of soap opera.
Bottom line: these bikes have been around since the early 1900's, and were banned from the racing circuit by the French in the 1930's because they were too fast and kept breaking records. Then they mostly died out, and in the 1970's there was a resurgence.

Current speed and distance bicycle records are both held by recumbent bikes.

Official speed records for recumbents are governed by the rules of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association...The current record is 130.36 km/h (81.00 mph), set by Sam Whittingham of Canada on a fully faired Varna Diablo front-wheel-drive recumbent lowracer bicycle designed by George Georgiev. The official record for an upright bicycle under somewhat similar conditions is 82.53 km/h (51.29 mph) set by Jim Glover in 1986 with an English-made Moulton bicycle with a hardshell fairing around him and the bike.

"The IHPVA hour record is 85.991 km (53.432 miles), set by Fred Markham on July 2, 2006. The equivalent record for an upright bicycle is 49.700 km (30.882 miles), set by Ondřej Sosenka in 2005. "

My particular model is not designed to ever be that fast, but it's so much fun to ride.

Can't wait to ride it!

-----

Have since gotten it, and taken it for a short ride. Will take some relearning, but I don't expect I'll want to go back to an upright bike anytime soon. If you've never tried a recumbent bike, it's definitely worth a test ride. :-)

There are a few local shops that have recumbents available for test rides, mostly by appointment only.

In San Francisco: CVC Recumbents: 415-221-3601 or CVCrecumbents@yahoo.com

In Alameda: Zach Kaplan Cycles: (510) 522-BENT (2368) or zakaplan@earthlink.net

230 mile per gallon prototype car

Looks a bit odd for a ground vehicle, but it's got some impressive stats.

"Today, we've learned of another high-mileage vehicle in our midst. The Aptera Motor Company has showed off its Aptera typ-1 which can achieve a remarkable 230MPG while cruising at 55MPH. The Aptera type-1 uses a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain and is able to sprint from 0-60 in under 10 seconds.
Unlike most hybrid automobiles which use Lithium-ion (Li-ion) or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries, the Aptera typ-1 uses Nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries. "

No release date in sight, but they estimate it will retail for around $20,000 .

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6470

Shrinking the fuel combustion engine

Researchers at MIT have found a way to make internal combustion engines three times more efficient than current engines.

"Both turbocharging and direct injection are pre-existing technologies, and neither looks particularly impressive. Indeed, used separately, they would lead to only marginal improvements in the performance of an internal-­combustion engine. But by combining them, and augmenting them with a novel way to use a small amount of ethanol, Cohn and his colleagues have created a design that they believe could triple the power of a test engine, an advance that could allow automakers to convert small engines designed for economy cars into muscular engines with more than enough power for SUVs or sports cars."

Though it's cheaper to use this new technology ($1,000 to $1,500 added to the cost of the current engine) than to build a hybrid system ($3,000 to $,5,000 additional), it seems a shame to continue our reliance on oil, even if they are employing the use of an ethanol supercharger. Researchers are hopeful that they might be able to get these engines into production as early as 2011.

A very well written, informative article: http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18304/

Ebay for parking spots

Though I miss the City, I don't miss searching for parking. This company hopes to simplify the process of finding a parking spot, but you'll likely have to pay for it.
http://www.spotscout.com/

"SpotScout Inc. hopes to create an online marketplace where drivers armed with mobile phones can not only reserve private spaces in garages and driveways, but also swap public parking spots in real time, with vacant spaces going to the highest bidder."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ONLINE_PARKING?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Tron bike is here, and it's a 2 seater!

Supposedly comes out in late 2008. Looks really cool, and I can't wait to test drive one.

"...3-wheel, tilting, plug-in Hybrid vehicle under the working name VentureOne. It’s a two-passenger Hybrid vehicle that will get 100 mpg, accelerate from 0-60 in 6 seconds, will have a top speed of over 100 mph, while being priced at under US$20,000. In addition to the low-emission, flex-fuel Hybrid model, a zero-emission all-electric version is also being developed that will have an all-electric range of nearly 200 miles."

"All three models will exceed 100mpg, with speeds of over 100 mph, and 0-60 in 6 seconds or less – a major breakthrough in the automotive industry."

It this actually makes its way into the public marketplace, hopefully it will inspire more electric alternatives of this caliber.

http://www.gizmag.com/go/6842/