Brutal Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series

2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series

Due for its public debut at the upcoming Los Angeles motor show, Mercedes-Benz AMG has finally revealed images and details of the SLS Black Series. Ever since the gull-winged wonder was first released in 2010, enthusiasts and schoolboys have been anticipating the inevitable ultimate (road-going) version. It'll come as no surprise that the beast in question is wider, harder, faster, and completely awesome.

"The new SLS AMG Black Series is a perfect study in the one hundred percent transfer of technology and engineering from motorsport to road," says Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG. "We have drawn inspiration from the worldwide success of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sport racing car on both a conceptual and a technological level. Boasting numerous lightweight components and fascinating dynamics, our fifth Black Series model guarantees pure, unadulterated 'Driving Performance.' The SLS AMG Black Series is the ultimate choice for fast laps and a highly emotional driving experience."

Fair enough Ola. The uprated AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine generates a power output of 622 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque making the SLS AMG Black Series the most powerful AMG high-performance automobile with a combustion engine. Only the planned SLS AMG Electric Drive with a maximum output of 740 hp has more power.

The vehicle accelerates to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and onward to a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h). The additional 39 hp of power compared to the 583 hp delivered by the SLS AMG GT is courtesy of the following enhancements:

• Increase in maximum engine speed from 7,200 to 8,000 rpm
• Fully revised high-speed valve train with modified camshafts, adapted cam geometry and optimized bucket tappets featuring a special coating that is typically used on race vehicles
• Modification of the intake air ducting: de-throttling and adaptation to match the new maximum engine speed
• Adaptation of the engine mapping and increase in peak pressure

2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series engine bay

The AMG V8 engine in the SLS AMG Black Series also has an additional specialized mounting system. A gas-filled strut braces the eight-cylinder engine against the body, effectively eliminating undesired load shifts during highly-dynamic race-track driving (i.e. behaving like a loony).

With a curb weight of 3,417 pounds (1550 kg), the Black Series is not only 154 pounds lighter than the regular SLS, but unsurprisingly also attains the best power/weight ratio by far of all AMG Black Series vehicles to date. Numerous body parts, such as the hood, the rear panel behind the AMG sports bucket seats, the diagonal braces on the underbody and the torque tube between engine and transmission are made entirely from carbon-fiber. In contrast to its 58.6-pound counterpart with a sand-cast aluminum housing, the carbon-fiber torque tube weighs just 29.3 pounds. Carbon fiber components also replace a number of parts of the aluminum spaceframe, while a lithium-ion battery takes on the role of the conventional starter battery, saving an amazing 17.6 pounds – why don’t all cars have them?

The regular 7-speed transmission has of course been breathed on to provide faster shifts and a more pronounced "blip" on downchanges – which should sound hilarious through the the new, even louder, exhaust. The gearbox has actually been mounted slightly lower and, like the engine, is held in place with gas struts to help contain the violence.

Naturally the suspension has been modified for greater rigidity and a new lighter wheel design saves another 8.8 pounds of unsprung weight per corner.

Of course none of this engineering is of any use if the machine doesn’t look the part. The aforementioned wheels now carry 10.8 inch (front) and 12.8 inch (rear) wide sports tires that fill the widened arches. Front, rear and side skirts and a rear diffuser, all in a signature Black Series design style signal the vehicles intent. The package features extensive use of carbon fiber on the front splitter, side sills and rear skirt. The enlarged air intakes with carbon fiber “flics” also ensure optimum airflow into the cooling modules at the front. The rear wheel arches feature massive air-flow oulets.

As on the SLS AMG GT3 racer, the carbon-fiber hood features a central air outlet. Aside from effectively dissipating engine heat, this outlet also increases downforce at the front axle. The wing-like cross-fin and the star recessed into the radiator grille are finished in high-gloss black to match the exterior mirrors and the fins on the hood. The carbon-fiber insert on the sides with air outlet and a black fin is also reminiscent of the GT3; this feature helps reduce the temperature in the engine compartment.

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If all of this isn’t quite extreme enough for you then you can option a massive carbon rear wing plus additional carbon flics at the front fro increased downforce, as the cars in the photos are wearing. Just the thing for the weekly shop.

It’s clear that a huge amount of real engineering development has been carried out over the past year to create what will be AMG’s flagship vehicle. It’s quite likely that many of these cars will be purchased simply as toys for posing, but its nice to know that you really are purchasing the closest thing to a GT3 racer for the road that will undoubtedly be a complete hoot on a track.

Available Mid-2013, the price is likely to be north of US$400,000

Source: Mercedes Benz

First pressure-sensitive, self-healing material

The material repairs itself in about 30 minutes after being sliced in half with a scalpel

Our largest bodily organ is also one of the most remarkable. Not only is our skin pressure sensitive, it is also able to efficiently heal itself to provide a protective barrier between our insides and the world around us. While we have covered synthetic materials that can repair themselves or are pressure sensitive, combining these properties in a single synthetic material has understandably proven more difficult. Now researchers at Stanford University have developed the first pressure-sensitive synthetic material that can heal itself when torn or cut, giving it potential for use in next-generation prostheses or self-healing electronic devices.

To create a material that combines the self-healing ability of a plastic polymer with the conductivity of a metal, the Stanford team in the lab of chemical engineering Professor Zhenan Bao, started with a plastic made of long chains of molecules joined by hydrogen bonds. It is these bonds, created by the relatively weak attractions between the positively charged region of one atom and the negatively charged region of the next, that team member Chao Wang says allows the molecules to break apart easily.

However, the bonds are able to reorganize themselves when reconnected so that the material’s structure can be restored after being damaged. The material is also bendable at room temperature, with a consistency that Wang says feels a bit like saltwater taffy that has been left in the fridge.

To provide the conductivity required to make the material pressure-sensitive, the researchers then added nickel nanoparticles. As well as increasing the mechanical strength of the material, the rough nanoscale surfaces of the nickel concentrate an electrical field to make it easier for a current to flow from one particle to the next. The result was a plastic with excellent conductive properties.

While the researchers knew the material could restore its mechanical strength after damage, they needed to check whether its electrical conductivity was also restored.

After cutting a thin strip of the material in half with a scalpel, they gently pressed the two pieces back together for a few seconds and found that 75 percent of its original strength and electrical conductivity was restored. After about 30 minutes, the restoration was close to 100 percent. Additionally, the same piece of material could be cut repeatedly in the same place, with a sample still able to repair itself and retain its flexibility after being cut 50 times.

Although the time the material takes to repair itself is impressive, the researchers say they may be able to improve upon it. The delay is caused by the nickel particles, which prevent the hydrogen bonds from reconnecting as well as they should. Bao said that adjusting the size and shape of the nickel nanoparticles or the chemical properties of the polymer may help speed up the healing process in future generations of the material.

Because twisting or putting pressure on the material alters its electrical resistance by changing the distance between the nickel particles, the team was able to use these subtle changes to provide information about pressure and tension on the material.

Researcher Benjamin Chee-Keong Tee said it was able to detect the pressure of a handshake. In addition to downward pressure, it is also able to detect flexing. So in addition to potentially being used as a touch-sensitive skin in prosthetic devices, the material may also be able to register the degree of bend in the joint of a prosthetic limb.

Other potential applications suggested by Tee include electrical devices and wires coated in the material that could self repair to get the electricity flowing without costly and time-consuming maintenance.

Not content with the material’s self-healing and pressure-sensitive properties, the researchers are aiming to make it stretchy and transparent. This would expand its potential applications to include protective coverings on electrical devices and displays.

The team’s research appears in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Source: Stanford University

Hybrid nanomaterial converts light and heat into electricity

A hybrid nanomaterial synthesized by combining copper sulfide nanoparticles and SWNTs can convert light and heat into electricity

We’ve seen nanomaterials that can be used to convert light into electricity and others that can convert heat into electricity. Now researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington and Louisana Tech University have created a hybrid nanomaterial that can do both. By pairing the material with microchips, the researchers say it could be used in self-powered sensors, low-power electronic devices, and biomedical implants.

While single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been used in the construction of transparent solar cells and all-carbon solar cells, these are still very inefficient when compared to their conventional photovoltaic brethren. By supplementing the electricity generated by light with some thermoelectricity, the hybrid nanomaterial could outperform materials that only do one or the other.

“If we can convert both light and heat to electricity, the potential is huge for energy production,” said UT Arlington associate physics professor Wei Chen. “By increasing the number of the micro-devices on a chip, this technology might offer a new and efficient platform to complement or even replace current solar cell technology.”

The new material was synthesized by combining copper sulfide nanoparticles and SWNTs and then used in a prototype thermoelectric generator that the team hopes will eventually be able to produce milliwatts of power.

Compared to SWNT thin-film devices, the researchers say the new thin-film structure increases light absorption by as much as 80 percent in laboratory tests, making it a more efficient generator. Additionally, copper sulfide is much cheaper and more readily available than the noble metals used in similar hybrids.

Lab tests also showed that the optical and thermal switching effect exhibited by the hybrid nanomaterial thin-film devices could be enhanced by up to 10 times by using asymmetric light illumination and thermal radiation rather than symmetric illumination.

The team's paper appears in the journal Nanotechnology.

Source: UT Arlington

Solar-powered combustion engine

The prototype HydroICE engine

OK, first things first – stop picturing a car with solar panels connected to its engine. What Missouri-based inventors Matt Bellue and Ben Cooper are working on is something a little different than that. They want to take an internal combustion engine, and run it on water and solar-heated oil instead of gasoline. That engine could then be hooked up to a generator, to provide clean electricity. While that may sound a little iffy to some, Bellue and Cooper have already built a small-scale prototype.

A cut-away view of the prototype HydroICE engine, with cotton batten indicating how steam would be used to drive the piston down

The duo have labelled the system HydroICE, which is short for Hydro Internal Clean Engine. Here’s how they envision it working ...

To begin, mirrored parabolic solar collectors would be used to heat oil to a temperature of at least 400 to 700ºF (204 to 371ºC). This hot oil would then be injected into the cylinder chamber of the engine, just like gasoline ordinarily is. A few microdroplets of water would then also be introduced, which would turn to steam immediately upon contact with the hot oil.

The rapidly-expanding steam would serve the same purpose as exploding gas, driving the piston downward and turning the driveshaft. As the piston reached the bottom of its stroke, the spent steam and oil would exit the cylinder and be run through an oil/steam separator. They could then each be returned to their respective reservoirs, for re-use within the closed-loop system.

Hot oil would be injected into the cylinder (Fig 1/Port A), water droplets would then be introduced to that oil (Fig 2/Port B), then the resulting steam would force the piston down (Fig 3)

In order to test the technology, Bellue and Cooper have converted a 31cc 2-stroke gas engine to run as a HydroICE engine. While it isn’t clear if they’ve actually had the thing running yet, they have partnered with Missouri State University and the Missouri University of Science and Technology to develop all the necessary peripheral hardware (such as the solar collectors), and to test the engine’s efficiency.

That efficiency is currently estimated at being at least 15 percent – about the same as the maximum efficiency of existing photovoltaic panels. The technology's big advantage, however, would be price. They’re projecting that a HydroICE system would cost about a quarter of what an equivalent-output photovoltaic system would go for ... obviously, though, that’s still looking some distance down the road.

For now, they’re trying to raise research and development funds via Indiegogo. More information is available in their pitch video below.

Source: HydroICE

HTC Windows Phone 8X

We've been hearing about Windows Phone 8 software for a few months, and now we finally have the chance to spend time with a WP8 device. Microsoft has allowed HTC to simply call its line "Windows Phone 8", indicating that these two devices are somehow the perfect showcase for the new OS. The Windows Phone 8X is the higher-end of the two models from HTC.

First of all, there's no mistaking this phone for any other. Apple will not be filing any lawsuits against HTC's bold new shapes and colours. Between HTC and Nokia's chosen palettes, Windows Phone devices really do stand out in the crowd of black and grey Androids and iPhones.

Slim and stylish

The 8X has a cushiony shape, with thin edges and a bulging back, which actually makes it more comfortable to hold. The front is almost entirely composed of a Gorilla Glass 2 panel, though the coloured plastic body frames it quite nicely. Our test unit came in a relatively sober blue, though your choices include bright red, fluorescent yellow and, thankfully, black.

The rear camera is an 8-megapixel unit and the front one is 2.1-megapixels. Both can capture 1080p HD video, and the front camera has been given an extra-wide angle lens to help you take self portraits and group shots at arm's length, or video chat in groups. The top edge hosts a standard 3.5mm audio jack and power button, while a volume rocker and dedicated camera button occupy the right edge. The left is completely blank, and the bottom has only a microUSB port. The SIM card tray sits flush with the body's edge and is barely noticeable. Sadly, HTC has put form over function by omitting a microSD card slot.

The 8MP shooter

Once switched on, the improvements in WP8 over its predecessor are obvious. Screen resolution has been increased, and everything looks much crisper. The new lock screen has five slots for notification icons on the bottom and one large text field for alerts. You choose which apps (such as the phone, messaging, email, calendar) get to occupy each slot, which doesn't make much sense, as you can't see alerts from lower priority apps even when there aren't any from your selected ones. The lock screen can also change dynamically, for example, you can choose to see sports scores, stock alerts, Facebook photos or the Bing picture of the day.

The Start screen now extends across the entire display area, without the unnecessary strip on the right. Tiles can be of three different sizes, depending on your preferences and desire to see live updates. Swiping to the right brings up the same alphabetical list of all installed apps.

The volume toggle and camera shutter

The OS has a few neat touches, such as the Rooms feature that allows you to group message any set of people, and share photos, maps and contacts. NFC allows for tap-to-share and pair with other WP8 devices, though apps still have to take advantage of it. You can plug the phone in via USB and simply drag and drop audio and video content across, without any software like Zune Desktop or iTunes. You even have more choices of colours for your Start screen tiles and highlights.

There's also Microsoft Office, which lets you open any document saved to your SkyDrive account and even create new ones from scratch or from templates. OneNote gets its own app and takes the place of any basic note taking app. It also adds support for audio and video clips, links, photos, and of course, cross-device access.

The power button

The most interesting built-in app is called Kid's Corner. This is effectively a separate user profile with no access to your stored data and no ability to use the phone's calling features. It's perfect for allowing children to play games or watch videos that you explicitly whitelist, and you don't have to worry about them fidgeting with your settings, making inadvertent calls or racking up massive charges on your credit card.

Microsoft claims there are around 100,000 apps in its store now, which is still far fewer than what iOS and Android have to offer. This will only grow, since WP8 overcomes many of the limitations of WP7—both in hardware and in software.

Firefox 17 to come with click-to-play, stricter HTTPS enforcement

Mozilla’s latest version of Firefox will come with click-to-play enabled by default. This feature is meant to deal with vulnerable or outdated plugins, and plugins that are blocked with the click-to-play flag will not be loaded by default — you will have to click on the plugin to run it in your browser. The click-to-play plugins will accompany a blocklist, which is essentially a list of addons and plugins that are disabled to prevent users coming to harm. This includes vulnerable and outdated versions of popular plugins.

Whenever you are browsing a site that utilises a vulnerable or outdated plugin that has been included in the blocklist, you’ll see the click-to-play frame over the blocked content. If you think that the site is safe enough for you to run the plugin, simply click on the content to run it. Combining click-to-play with a blocklist enables you to choose whether vulnerable but useful plugins can be run on certain websites.

Click-to-play will improve plugin security on Firefox.

This is quite a useful feature that can be enabled in Chrome as well. For users with slow Internet connections or data limits, click-to-play can prove to be especially useful as flash and other content can be loaded only when needed. This feature can also be found enabled by default on some smartphone browsers, including Opera, Chrome and Dolphin. Click-to-play is also a user-friendly way to indicate that you have outdated or unsafe plugins installed in your browser.

Apart from click-to-play, Mozilla is testing a new security mechanism in Firefox that will enable the browser to connect securely to a specified set of websites only when the site sends a valid security certificate. Future releases of Firefox will contain a list of sites known to employ HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security), which is a mechanism by which a server can indicate that the browser must use a secure connection when communicating with it. This list in Firefox is important because a browser usually doesn’t know that it should communicate securely with a domain or website unless the server asks it to. This may lead to hackers or malicious code preventing the browser from ever establishing a secure connection with the host. The HSTS list will indicate to the browser that it is to connect to the specified sites securely by default, and unsecure connections to these must be refused.

A post on the Mozilla Security Blog states, “We have added to Firefox a list of hosts that want HSTS enforced by default. When a user connects to one of these hosts for the first time, the browser will know that it must use a secure connection. If a network attacker prevents secure connections to the server, the browser will not attempt to connect over an insecure protocol, thus maintaining the user’s security.”