Business Blog – ‘Green’ Buses Take to the Streets

CITYLIFE / Hip & New

‘Green’ Buses Take to the Streets
(Shanghai Daily )
Updated: 2006-08-30 09:34

Ten new environmentally friendly buses were unveiled yesterday by the
Shanghai government.

The buses are powered by 360 ultra-capacitors and are charged at bus
stops with equipment attached to the roof of each vehicle along the No.
11 line, which has 10 stops around Laoximen in Huangpu District.

Each charge takes only 30 seconds and can power the bus for 3 to 8
kilometers.

Experts said the buses don’t have any emissions since they are powered by
electricity and that there is no need for unsightly wires overhead like
other electric trolleys.

This represents the city’s first step to upgrade buses that either cause
air pollution or damage the image of Shanghai.

“The new trolley bus is a win-win solution for new transport,” said Ma
Xingfa, an official of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission.

Working with a municipal fund of 15 million yuan (US$1.87 million) in the
last five years, the science commission has teamed with a total of eight
high-tech and transport companies to develop new buses.

They were produced by Shanghai Sunwin Bus Corporation – a joint venture
between Shanghai Automotive Industry Group and Volvo Investment
Corporation.

Each bus costs about 800,000 yuan, according to the officials.

The 10 buses are operated by Shanghai Bashi Xinxin Automobile Service
Company. The fare is 2 yuan – the same as air-conditioned buses.

Chen Youkou, a senior engineer of the project, said: “The city government
plans to gradually upgrade other buses.”

There are about 20,000 buses, including 424 electric, in the city.
According to Chen, the older, diesel powered buses produce carbon
monoxide and led particles, two major air pollutants.

According to a preliminary plan, the government has decided to upgrade
the No. 13 and No. 20 routes in the next phase, Chen said.

The cost of an upgrade for each bus is about 200,000 yuan.

Chen said the next step is to increase the power of capacitors so that
they can run longer distances without a charge – particularly during rush
hours.

He said the government also plans to gradually remove most overhead wires
and power poles downtown.

Experts said maintenance will be about 80 percent cheaper compared to a
conventional bus, creating strong market potential for transport
operators.

Chen said the environmentally friendly buses have one major drawback. If
it runs at a slow speed for quite some time, it loses power quickly.

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Hero – Computers are evil. Fight back!

CITYLIFE / Odds & Ends

Computers are evil. Fight back!
(Beijing Today)
Updated: 2006-08-15 14:17

Computers, once the darlings of the modern world, now represent the
flickering face of office perjury. Apparently some people even use
computers for recreation, and not just Luddite rockstars throwing laptops
from their thatch roofed highrise hotel rooms. Now some genius has turned
up telling us that computers are evil and dangerous. Like, tell us
something we didn’t know. Fortunately, the said expert then proceeded to
tell us some things we didn’t know. Hope these tips help you regain
friendly relations with your desktop chum.

Reading the screen

Any task that involves staring at a computer screen, no matter how
exciting or interesting, leads to physical fatigue. You may be quite
happy to press on with work, but your body may have other ideas. The most
common physical complaints are eyestrain and problems with vision
(blurring and itching being typical). Headaches are also a product of
prolonged staring at a screen.

1. Adjust the brightness and contrast controls on the screen to suit the
lighting conditions in the room.

2. Make sure the screen surface is clean.

3. In setting up software, choose an option that makes large enough to
read easily on your screen, when you are sitting in a normal, comfortable
working position. Select colors that are easy on the eye (avoid red text
on a blue background, or vice-versa).

4. Individual characters on the screen should be sharply focused and
should not flicker or move. If they do, the VDU may need servicing or
adjustment.

5. Remember to look away from the screen when you don’t need to use it.

Keyboard and mouse

Wrist and hand problems are common when using computers, according to Dr
Han. For example, ‘floating’ your hand over the mouse for long periods
leads to strain on the ligaments in the back of the hand and the wrist.
Over time, health problems may occur as a result of high retition of hand
movements, forceful typing, or having bent wrists whilst using the
keyboard. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition that affects the
wrists and hands following pressure to the median nerve. Numbness may
also be experienced in one or both hands and even the simplest of tasks
involving the hands becomes a painful and sometimes impossible activity.

1. Adjust your keyboard to get a good keying position. A space in front
of the keyboard is sometimes helpful for resting the hands and wrists
when not keying.

2. Try to keep your wrists straight. Keep a soft touch on the keys and
don’t overstretch you fingers. Good keyboard technique is mportant.

3. Position the mouse within easy reach, so it can be used with the wrist
straight. Sit upright and close to the desk, so you don’t have to work
with your mouse arm stretched. Move the keyboard out of the way f it is
not being used.

4. Support your forearm on the desk, and don’t grip the mouse too
tightly.5. Rest your fingers lightly on the buttons and do not press them
hard.

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Korea – Happy Father’s Day

ENTERTAINMENT / Special Coverage

Happy Father’s Day

Updated: 2006-06-17 17:26

Brad Pitt and Jolie’s adopted daughter Zahara in Namibia

Tomorrow is Father’s Day!
On 18th June 2006, the world will celebrate the relationship of a father
and a child. After all, Father’s Day is all about conveying your love and
letting him know how special he is. Here are a few of our favorite
celebrity dads with their loved ones, let’s share happiness with them!

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7 28 29

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Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.

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