Mazda Makes Gas Power Engines Cool Again

Mazda makes major breakthrough in fuel efficiency

Gas powered SkyAvtiv-X engine 30% more fuel efficient

Mazda SkyActiv-X testing Photo from Car and Driver 

While the big automakers and Tesla make the headlines with titillations of alternative power sources that will free us from the gas pump forever, Mazda has concentrated on what it can do to make the combustible engine better.

Instead of forays into hybrids, electric, and even autonomous vehicles, the small Japanese automaker has spent its time tinkering with the gas engine and now has a major breakthrough. Its new SkyActiv-X engine is 30% more fuel efficient, the company says.

The improvements have come by analyzing the spark plug and making it function more efficiently inside the combustion chamber. Sensors monitor the whole process of spark, air intake, and valve exhaust, extracting the most out of it by using more precise timing. The engine also achieves sparkless ignition, further cutting back fuel consumption. 

For years combustible technology has been the Holy Grail in improving fuel mileage in gas engines. The engine with its improved variant of HCCI technology will be available in its 2019 models.

Mazda's breakthrough could be a big comeback for the gas-powered engines in light of the more fashionable notions of electric and hybrid-powered vehicles. There is currently an outpouring of electric powered cars, trucks, trains being celebrated by the global warming set - as if fossil fuels are not burned to make electricity. Mazda rightly says, 'let's just burn less if it.' From CNBC

Drones Fly Amazon Spys 

Expect more drones in the near future. The technology, obviously, has been there but for the air raiders to fly in masse, approval from the US Government is needed. The Trump administration has directed the Transportation Department to set up pilot programs in select cities to test how it would work.

The focus of the technology will be the delivery of cargo and emergency supplies. Currently, the FAA prohibits drones from flying out of sight from operators, at night, and above people. From Axios 

Amazon new technology allows delivery drop offs inside homes

Photo from Business Wire

Amazon key is a new technology now being offered by Amazon that will allow customers to receive deliveries inside their homes. It takes a smart lock and Amazon's new Cloud Cam.

When a courier arrives with a package for in-home delivery, they scan the barcode, sending a request to Amazon’s cloud. If everything checks out, the cloud grants permission by sending a message back to the camera, which starts recording. The courier then gets a prompt on their app, swipes the screen, and voilà, your door unlocks. They drop off the package, relock the door with another swipe, and are on their way. The customer will get a notification that their delivery has arrived, along with a short video showing the drop-off to confirm everything was done properly. From the Verge

The technology raises all sorts of security and privacy questions. It will help with package delivery theft but at what cost in other areas? After we let big tech into our personal lives this much, will we ever be able to remove it?