Bryan Sampica is the only other MVP that I know of in Eastern Iowa. Good job guys.

What do you do if you're stuck in a field at a pop festival but there's trouble ahead because your cellphone's battery is about to run out? Thanks to Dance Charge,  it is enough to charge your cellphone.

A generator capable of converting mechanical to electrical energy and after several weeks of head scratching GotWind achieved a generating efficiency of 85% and a generator (Dance charge) small enough in size to be mounted on an armband.

The electrical energy generated is rectified from a bipolar current impulse (AC) to direct current (DC) to charge a rechargeable battery. A high efficiency booster circuit is then used to achieve the constant current power supply to charge a mobile phone, or any other portable electronic device for that matter.

After testing the power output from an hours (crazy!) dancing was sufficient to recharge a Nokia N95 to two bars of charge, equivalent to approximately 15 minutes of talk time.

The armband was manufactured from  Neoprene with Velcro fixing straps.

The core design principles of  generator could also be adopted for generating charge whilst performing other activities such as jogging, or even walking and be leg or waist mounted. GotWind currently researching into other varioations of the product and gaining higher charge efficiencies.

Courtesy: GotWind

COMMENTARY:

President Bush was on message Wednesday in a Rose Garden news conference when he kept up the pressure on his a drill, drill, drill offensive. He said he knows Americans are worried about gasoline prices, and said he wants them "to understand fully that we have got the opportunity to find more crude oil here at home in environmentally friendly ways."

He specifically mentioned opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska, the Outer Continental Shelf and oil-shale exploration. He also took a whack at lawmakers, saying, "The Democratically controlled Congress has refused to budge."

That's spot-on correct. But it has me wondering. Where in the world is Sen. John McCain on this very same issue? It's simple: Mr. McCain should be pummeling Sen. Barack Obama daily on drill, drill, drill. Why? Because oil and gas pump prices are potentially the single-biggest wedge issue in the presidential campaign. Mr. McCain has to pound the point home.

According to a new Rasmussen poll, 48 percent of Americans say lower gas prices are the key to an economic recovery, and 60 percent are in favor of offshore drilling.

Here's another one. Rasmussen asked voters about the now-infamous Harry Reid YouTube video, where the senator says coal and oil are making us sick, and that fossil-fueled global warming is "ruining our country" and "ruining our world." Well, Rasmussen shows 52 percent of voters reject Mr. Reid on coal; 50 percent disagree with him on oil; and 51 reject his idea that we need to stop using fossil fuels.

And all this is Mr. McCain's opportunity. He needs to hammer away on an America First energy policy that will completely deregulate and decontrol this nation's great energy industry. He needs to mothball his errant statements on "obscene oil profits." Instead, he needs to support and unleash all of our energy companies and entrepreneurs, allowing them to develop whatever it takes on oil, gas-to-liquid, clean coal, nuclear, offshore, onshore, oil shale, wind, solar, and biofuel.

America First should be the rallying cry. We have the natural resources to become the Saudi Arabia of coal the Saudi Arabia of oil. Lift the moratoriums. Stop attacking our own businesses. Put technology to work. Put venture capital to work, with rock-bottom capital-gains and corporate tax rates. Stop being mau-maued by the extremist greenies who have prevented energy production for more than three decades. America First. Unleash our free-enterprise energy sector: 2 trillion barrels worth of shale; 90 billion barrels of offshore oil; at least 10 billion barrels up in ANWR and more throughout Alaska, both onshore and off.

Politically, Mr. McCain must also understand how Hillary Clinton clobbered Barack Obama in the big state primaries: Blue-collar workers. They can be the key to victory for Mr. McCain. Guess who works in the energy business? Blue-collar Reagan Democrats. They work on the rigs. They work in the fields. They drive the trucks. And they're paid high wages - substantially above the average hourly wage.

Or Mr. McCain can sell it this way: American workers are worried about jobs going offshore to India, China, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Well, a drill, drill, drill, America First energy plan would create millions of new American jobs.

Of course, there's also a national security aspect to this. Worried about funding terrorist rogue states? Drill, drill, drill. A complete portfolio of oil energy sources in America - that's the answer.

And while he's at it, Mr. McCain should stop blaming "reckless traders." As soon as you say "end the drilling moratoriums," it is precisely those traders who will start oil contracts - long before the first offshore oil barrels are delivered to market. If they see presidential leadership on oil and shale drilling, they will rapidly turn a bull market into a bear market.

Mr. Obama opposes drilling. Opposes nuclear. Opposes coal. He and Harry Reid believe wind, solar and ethanol are the answers. They're not. It's doubtful even at full development and commercialization that these alternative technologies will ever power more than 10 percent of our energy needs. We should go down this road as part of a full energy portfolio. But let's not kid ourselves: These sources alone will never be sufficient.

Mr. McCain has to make this case daily. He must contrast his America First energy plan with Mr. Obama's declinist American vision. He must argue America First for fuel, power, jobs, wages and national security. He must enlist the Reagan Democrats who may be out of work and are surely angry at $4 gas at the pump and $140 a barrel oil in the world market.

Take a page from Ronald Reagan, Mr. McCain. Be optimistic about our future. Be clear, straightforward, and consistent. We can grow this economy and remain number one. This is how to do it.

Lawrence Kudlow is host of CNBC's "Kudlow & Company" and is a nationally syndicated columnist.

The dot-com definitely has the advantage of ease as well as being cost-free.  The biggest thing that is hooking me about Wordpress-dot-com (vs Blogger) is the import feature.  It is really nice to consolidate my blogs into one big blog.  I am willing to give up Javascript for the ease of pulling all my blogs together. 

Next on my agenda is to tag all the posts.  This will be sort of time consuming but worth it in the end because the topics are so random.  This should make for a nice cloud tag.

Through Wired I learned of Trevor Paglen and his photography of "black satellites". Paglen has an exhibit at UC-Berkley, where they explain something about him:

Paglen’s nearly constant subject is the “black world” of the United States government, and through research and visualization he attempts to outline the edges and folds of this hidden world of military and intelligence activities. Whether photographing secret military bases from fifty miles away, or imaging spy satellites in the heavens from earth, Paglen’s photographs embody the limits of visibility, imposed both by the realities of physical distance and by informational obfuscation, that keep us as citizens from seeing and knowing these subjects on our own.

If you head over to paglen.com you can see all kinds of Things That Maybe Should Not Be Seen including code names, limit telephotography and his book I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to be Destroyed by Me: Emblems from the Black World and an interview with Paglen from The Colbert Report. There's also a link to a New York Times review of his book that includes a slideshow of the patches. Here's a couple excerpts:

...The classified budget of the Defense Department, concealed from the public in all but outline, has nearly doubled in the Bush years, to $32 billion. That is more than the combined budgets of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

...“Oderint Dum Metuant,” reads a patch for an Air Force program that mines spy satellite images for battlefield intelligence, according to Mr. Paglen, who identifies the saying as from Caligula, the first-century Roman emperor famed for his depravity. It translates “Let them hate so long as they fear.”

...What sparked his interest, Mr. Paglen recalled, were Vice President Dick Cheney’s remarks as the Pentagon and World Trade Center smoldered. On “Meet the Press,” he said the nation would engage its “dark side” to find the attackers and justice. “We’ve got to spend time in the shadows,” Mr. Cheney said. “It’s going to be vital for us to use any means at our disposal, basically, to achieve our objective.”

Huge black budgets, US military units taking their mottos from one of the most terrifying figures in history and a growing shadow government ... not the cheeriest things to contemplate.

A bunch of like-minded, mainly UK-based, educators interested in educational technology producing a regular podcast with the aim of spreading good practice and innovative tools in education.

Pedagogically-sound Open Source and Web 2.0 solutions figure quite high on the list of priorities.

Yup! The title says it all! HP is having a competition for the bloggers who were invited to the HP TouchSmart Blogger's Event last month. The unique twist of this competition is that 2 HP TouchSmart IQ500 PLUS PCs worth $1999 each are up for grabs, one for the blogger and one for the READER :D.
 

Here's how the competition goes:

What will your life be like
with a HP TouchSmart?

All you have to do is leave a comment answering the above question as creative and innovative-ly as you can. HP will read through the comments of participating blogs and the reader who left the most interesting comment and the blog it is hosted on will be the winners. In other words, if YOU left a comment here and YOUR comment was selected as a winner, both you and I will win HP TouchSmart PCs! :D
 

Deadline: 12 July 2008 (00:00:00)

Time is running out so do comment before 12 July 2008 if you wish to participate. I understand that it is hard to imagine how life would be like with a HP TouchSmart PC as even I myself don't own one. Hence I've put together some videos and articles that is sort of like my "Dummy's Guide to the HP TouchSmart PC" to help you understand the coolest things about it in the shortest amount of time.

Witness the power of "TOUCHING":

Demo showing some cool features:

Found this cool ad introducing the HP TouchSmart. Doesn't say much about the PC but putting it here for fun! :)

Alright! So that's about it for my "Dummy's Guide". Hope it helps and happy coming up with creative and wild comments! ^_~
 

Before I sign off, some basic rules & regulations:
* Only Singaporean based bloggers and readers are entitled to participate in the competition
* Collection of prizes by bloggers only (Bloggers to receive prize on behalf of readers).
* Bloggers need to ensure that all the comments are time-stamped. For different/duplicate ideas on different blogs, the earliest one will be selected.

So yea, don't forget to leave your e-mail address when you comment so I can contact you if your comment won ^__^

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How to Get into a Top UK University Even If You Don't Have the Right Qualifications

If you have a strong desire to study at a UK university, but do not have the necessary qualifications, this short article describes the perfect route for you.

The Way In

Many universities provide a training course called a Foundation Year. The Foundation Year provides essential preparation for a chosen course of study and also covers areas such as IT skills, maths and numeracy, academic and studying methods and communication skills.

Some Foundation Year courses provide English language preparation, to ensure your English is up to the required academic standard. Most Foundation Year programmes have a minimum language skill requirement, although many universities provide English language training.

A Foundation Course provides you with all the basic skills you need to gain access to a UK University course. Many Foundation Courses even guarantee you a place on the degree course you are aiming for, provided of course that you achieve the required standards in the Foundation Year.

You should definitely consider a Foundation Year if you do not have the necessary qualifications to gain entry to a degree course.

Typical Entry Requirements

Foundation Year entry requirement vary from university to university, so you must find out what is required at the university you are considering. However, there are some basic requirements:

* Most Foundation Year courses require you to be at least 18 years old.

* You must be able to prove that you have completed Secondary education in your home country.

* English - The English language requirement is likely to be at least IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 525. Some Universities provide English courses.

* Maths - You should have the equivalent of at least a Grade D in Mathematics at GCSE level.

* You must of course have a strong desire to succeed in your chosen area of study and any evidence of your desire will be very helpful in your application.

* Some 'life experience' may be required for certain courses.

What Can You Study?

Foundation Year courses are available in an very wide range of disciplines including:

- Business, Marketing, Accountancy
- Law
- Social Science, Humanities, Arts
- Hospitality, Consumer Technology, Leisure
- Science and Engineering
- Information Technology, Computing
- Food and Health
- Joint Honours Programmes

A Foundation Year is often organised into course units, designed to prepare you for your intended course. Some units are mandatory, others optional, many will be specified by the degree course you are preparing for.

Foundation Year Mentoring

Some Universities offer a Foundation Year mentoring scheme. A mentor is a volunteer who offers confidential help and guidance based on their experience. The mentor relationship can be very helpful.

How Do You Apply ?

First you should decide which degree you wish to study at University.

Then you should identify the University or universities offering a Foundation Year course that is the appropriate preparation for degree you have chosen. The

Then you need to apply for a place on the Foundation Year through the University & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). This is the university applications processing organisation in the UK and all applications for university places, including Foundation Year, go through UCAS www.ucas.ac.uk

Summary

A Foundation Year is all about giving you the chance to gain a place in a English University. For many it is a second chance – the chance to develop, the change to get a degree, the chance to get on that first rung of the ladder to success.

About The Author Tony Radford Manchester Metropolitan University offers a very successful and substantial Foundation Year programme and welcomes applications to courses from overseas students. Click http://www.mmu.ac.uk/international/courses/foundation.php here for full inform

Capitulo 23 - Kyle XY - 2º Temporada

Descarga Megaupload:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=00TE474X

Descarga Torrent:

http://www.mininova.org/tor/1544564

Gracias a http://thefallen17.wordpress.com/

Link From CompTIA

Questions Tutorial for 602  Link  for 601

AT&T has announced iPhone pricing details and the the good news is that you can buy one without a contract.  The bad news is that if you don't sign a contract it will cost you $400 more.

On Tuesday of last week, AT&T announced the various voice and data plans available for the iPhone, and gave tips on how to be "iReady" when iPhone 3G goes on sale at AT&T retail stores this coming Friday, July 11.  All AT&T stores are opening early at 8 a.m. to accommodate the demand, but with each iPhone requiring an in-store activation, many are in doubt that they'll be iReady when the clock strikes eight.

Regardless of that, I'll be in line on Friday morning (unless the line is insanely long), and here is what AT&T is telling me to expect:

Pricing and Eligibility

iPhone 3G will be available for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to you if you fit in one of these three catagories:

• iPhone customers who purchased before July 11
• Customers activating a new line with AT&T
• Current AT&T customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount

If you are an existing AT&T customer, but you are in the middle of a contract, you can purchase the iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model (both options require a new two-year service agreement).  AT&T has said that a no-contract-required option will soon be available ($599 for the 8GB or $699 for the 16GB).

Remember that you will have to pay the ridiculous $18 "upgrade fee" if you are a current AT&T customer.

Voice, Data and Text Messaging Plans

iPhone 3G users can choose from four individual AT&T voice/data plans, each one including unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing).

• AT&T Nation Unlimited: Includes unlimited Anytime Minutes for $129.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 1350: Includes 1350 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $109.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 900: Includes 900 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $89.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 450: Includes 450 Anytime Minutes and 5,000 Night & Weekend Minutes for $69.99 a month.

Unlimited text messaging can be added for an additional $20; $15 (1,500 messages), or $5 (200 messages).

When you finally reach the counter on Friday morning, tell AT&T that 98 Pound Geekling sent you.  I promise that you'll at least be rewarded with a strange look.

It is one of my brush stroke planning algorithm.  Once the robot and I have arrived at a design, this algorithm plots out and plans exactly how the brush will fill in the canvas, stroke by stroke.  I have a dozen or so of these programs that each have a different effect.  This specific program paints in a style that resembles an old school dot matrix printer.  It paints only horizontal lines.  Examples of other programs that plot brush strokes include random fills, cross hatching, and contour painting.  I will show examples of a simple cross hatching effect in my next post.  Zanelle is painting this same composition with a cross hatching algorithm as I write this.

But in this post I wanted to show a couple photos showing this painting being completed from start to finish.  Once again it is The Resurrection, 14"x18", Acrylic on Canvas.  It is the third execution of this composition.  The first two can be seen in previous blogs.

The robot begins by painting light colors.  It completely finishes each of the 6 colors before continuing to the next.  This is an option as it could even mix colors if I set it to do so.  Same with color order.  I specify the order in which it paints each color before each painting begins.

As the painting progresses, you can see more and more detail emerge.  It is not until near the end that it gets to red and Optimus Prime starts to appear.  Then finally the black creates some shadows of the soldiers guarding his tomb.

One of the cool things about painting with a robot is that you get exact stats.  For example, this painting took 14.85 hours to paint and is composed of exactly 18,386 strokes.  I could break it down further if you like.  How many artists can give you this much information about their paintings?

Pindar

Fonte:primo.tv

Probably what John Warner drives forth-and-back to Congress

An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and possibly ease fuel prices.

Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would provide optimum gasoline efficiency given current technology. He said he wants to know if the administration might support efforts in Congress to require a lower speed limit.

Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.

Warner cited studies that showed the 55 mph speed limit saved 167,000 barrels of oil a day, or 2 percent of the country's highway fuel consumption, while avoiding up to 4,000 traffic deaths a year.

"Given the significant increase in the number of vehicles on America's highway system from 1974 to 2008, one could assume that the amount of fuel that could be conserved today is far greater," Warner wrote Bodman.

The article ends with a stupid question to Energy Department flunkeys - with even a dumber answer that illustrates how the Energy Department actually is the "Butt-Kissers for the Oil Patch Boys" Department.

But, seriously, is someone bringing back the double nickels in an election year? I think not.

(Picture of one month old baby boy by Nils Fretwurst)

A woman said to be 70 years of age has given birth to twins in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state after taking IVF treatment.

Omkari maintains she was nine years old when the British left India in 1947, which would make her 70. Omkari Panwar has no birth certificate but if her age is proven it would make her the world's oldest mother.

The twins, a boy and girl both weighing 2lbs, were delivered one month early by Caesarian section. Doctors said the twins were doing fine.

Now, we are very grateful to God, who has answered our prayers Charam Singh, father of twins

"We already have two girls but we wanted a boy so that he could have taken care of our property. This boy and girl are God's greatest gift to us," Omkari said.

Father of the twins, Charam Singh, a farmer in his mid-70s, told ABC News he was very happy.

"The desire for a male child has always been there, but God did not bless us with a male child. Now, we are very grateful to God, who has answered our prayers," he said.

I saw this headline and my immediate reaction was along the lines of 'perhaps letting people in their 70's have babies is a case of technology going to far?' but upon reading the story I realised that in this case it was not about the desire to have a baby, per se, for after all the couple in this story already have two daughters and five grandchildren. What did this couple want so badly that they not only spent their entire life savings but also took out a bank loan? They wanted a son, a male heir to take care of their property -or what is left of it, seeings that they have got into debt and spent their savings in order to pay for the IVF. Logic is obviously not clouding their judgment in their deep desire to have a male heir, a desire I imagine that they have probably been nursing for over 40 years as they raised their girls. And apparently age is no limitation in this technological dystopia of ours. I say 'dystopia' because many women are discovering that technology does not allow everyone who wishes it to have children, fertility treatment is still a very hit-and-miss affair, and stories such as these about obviously post-menopausal women having babies, trivialises the experiences of those who cannot conceive and perpetuates the myth that science is the panacea that will solve our problems and deliver our wishes.

I imagine, as I really know next to nothing about this couple, that as they have gotten older and felt their approaching mortality, their wish for a male heir grew into desperation. Because having a baby, or indeed two, when you are in your 70's would be no picnic, especially for the mother. Endless rounds of hormone injections and the exhaustion of carrying twins close to term, would not be an easy task, let alone taking care of the babies themselves once they are born. For this couple, the pressure desire to have a male heir must have been immense, if what they were willing to do to achieve this is any reflection. I envision that this desire to have a son was the result of socio-cultural and/or religious beliefs that almost necessitate having a male heir to carry on one's family line. And this is far from being something unique to India.

The preference for sons over daughters is almost universal across cultures and is currently being acted upon in ways that are producing demographic distortions. (For details, here is the link to the comprehensive 'Because I am a Girl' report). The general birthrate is usually 95 girls per 100 boys (as infants, boys have a slightly higher mortality rate, so generally the differences in birthrate disappear by childhood), but in some areas (for example, South Korea, India, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan) the birth rate reflects the desire for a male child and as result there are 80 girls born for every 100 boys. This is a reflection of several practices, prenatal testing to detect female foetuses - which are then aborted, female infanticide, and a neglect of girls - withholding food and/or medical attention.

In order to explain what I mean by demographic distortions let me share with you the number of women and girls missing, that is the additional females we would expect to be living in a given population if there was no discrimination. (Bear in mind that the population of Australia is roughly 21 million, just to put these numbers into to perspective) India is missing 23 million females, China - 30 million, Pakistan - 3.1 million, Bangladesh - 1.6 million, Egypt - 600 000, Turkey - 600 000, Nepal 200 000, and from the rest of the world we are missing some 40 million women. The shortage of women in areas such as China is leading to problems such as the kidnapping and trafficking of women. (See The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World, by Joni Seager, 2003).

Undergoing IVF treatment to ensure that one has a son is, unfortunately, just the most modern permutation of a very old practice. Since the beginning of (written) history MANkind has engaged in practices that reflect the preference for a son. I will leave you with this snippet of a letter written by a husband to his pregnant wife living in ancient Roman controlled Egypt, which reflects the practices of the time.

I beg and beseech you to take care of the little child, and as soon as we receive wages I will send them to you. If -good luck to you!- you bear offspring, if it is a male, let it live; if it is a female, expose it." (from 'Marriage, a history', by Stephanie Coontz, 2005).

(Please excuse the white baby picture, is it very obviously not the male baby in the story, but it does sum up the feelings of the father nicely and the generalised desire for male children that is the overall subject of this post)

I've also found Lloyd Borrett posting the same info here.

If I hear any further confirmation from AVG, I'll let you know, until then we'll see what happens on the 9th.  Interestingly Lloyd doesn't see to know what day it is, either that or my calendar is wrong -

In working with the web master community, AVG has responded immediately and on Tuesday, July 9th, AVG will issue a product modification to address the spikes that a few individuals have seen with their web traffic.

Tuesday? I make it Wednesday, ah well, we might see something Tuesday or Wednesday then :P

Nice use of "a few individuals" there Lloyd, I wouldn't class it as a few myself.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

But there is a microblogging alternative which respects their users, their privacy and follows open standards:
identi.ca

How is Identi.ca different from Twitter, Jaiku, Pownce, Plurk, others?

Identi.ca is an Open Network Service. Our main goal is to provide a fair and transparent service that preserves users' autonomy. In particular, all the software used for Identi.ca is Free Software, and all the data is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, making it Open Data.

The software also implements the OpenMicroBlogging protocol, meaning that you can have friends on other microblogging services that can receive your notices.

The goal here is autonomy -- you deserve the right to manage your own on-line presence. If you don't like how Identi.ca works, you can take your data and the source code and set up your own server (or move your account to another one).

If a microblogging service makes sense for you and adds value to your life is another question. But if you want to try it out, use Identi.ca so you are not getting stucked with a proprietary service.

Btw. my username is stefon and here you can subscribe my identi.ca messages.

Source: CreativeCommons.org

London return for Routemaster by 2012 as Johnson declares demise of bendy bus
By Dan Milmo, transport correspondent
July 5, 2008
The Guardian

Mayor invites bids for new version of legendary bus; Bank warns that switch will lead to 11% fare rise

The much-derided bendy bus will disappear from London's streets by 2015, the mayor, Boris Johnson, declared yesterday as he unveiled plans to reintroduce that bus-spotter's favourite - the Routemaster. The first of London's 393 bendy buses will be retired next year and operators will be told to replace the 18-metre vehicles with conventional double-deckers. Passengers will have to wait until 2012 before the new version of the distinctive Routemaster hits bus lanes.

Johnson yesterday invited bids from amateur bus enthusiasts and design firms to draft a 21st century take on the legendary vehicle, whose open platform at the back has invited many precarious boardings and exits over the decades. A leading investment bank, Deutsche Bank, warned that the Routemaster revival would come at a price. Passengers would have to stomach an 11% increase in fares because the estimated annual cost of running the network, already subsidised at £500m a year by the taxpayer, would rise by £117.8m, mainly due to the hiring of around 3,000 extra staff to man the Routemasters.

The mayor said the Routemaster had been "fabulous" and remained a well-known emblem of the capital around the world, having found a second home in places as diverse as Baghdad and California. Its successor should seat at least 72 people and be green in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and red in colour, said Johnson. He added: "This was a bus that was loved by Londoners and now is the time for us to produce a worthy successor. There is already huge and growing interest in this idea."

Bendy buses have not inspired the same affection and have been criticised for their traffic-snarling length and alleged encouragement of fare dodgers - accusations that were denied by the former mayor, Ken Livingstone. Nonetheless, Johnson is claiming anecdotal support for a policy that became an unlikely battleground in this year's mayoral election. Critics of Johnson's policy have claimed that manufacturers will refuse to build the vehicles due to safety fears over passengers tumbling out of the open entrance, and have warned of a £100m funding gap in his plans to replace the fleet. The former head of Volvo's UK bus operation has dismissed the plans as a "non-starter", while transport experts have warned that the buses will cost more than £250,000 each, higher than the cost of a bendy bus.

Livingstone has claimed that Routemasters could kill 10 people a year if they returned to the roads. Johnson dismissed those concerns yesterday, saying his transport executives were "more than confident" that a safe and wheelchair-friendly Routemaster could be introduced. The London transport commissioner, Peter Hendy, who commissioned bendy buses and is one of their staunchest defenders, said the competition could produce a ground-breaking successor. "This is a fantastic opportunity for people in the motor vehicle industry to give us buses that are light, durable 21st century vehicles." He said the last bendy bus would be taken off London's roads in 2015, when the contract for the 435 from Marylebone to Lewisham expired.

Concerns over accessibility to Routemasters, which still operate two heritage routes in London, resurfaced yesterday. "I remain concerned for the future of bus passengers with disabilities, elderly passengers and parents with children if the mayor insists on an open platform design," said Valerie Shawcross, chair of the London Assembly transport committee. "I urge the mayor to open and maintain dialogue about any new bus with London's disabled population since so far it has not been clear how they are expected to use a Routemaster style bus."

Johnson confirmed that the new Routemasters will have space for two crew members including a driver, although bus conductors are now obsolete due to the near-elimination of cash fares with the Oyster card system. Stephen Glaister, the executive director of the RAC Foundation and a former board member at Transport for London, questioned whether bringing back London's signature double-decker represented good value for money given the pressures on the capital's budget- including the £16bn Crossrail scheme and repairing a funding hole of at least £2bn in the public private partnership programme to upgrade the underground network. "There are lots of other demands on the budget. The question is - where is the cash going to come from and is it better spent on something else?" he said.

What should Boris Johnson be looking out for with a new London bus? A Routemaster mark 2 shouldn't be a retro version of the bus we loved that was in service in London for half a century. It needs to be thought out from first principles, and be the most environmentally-friendly bus possible.

How to design the perfect bus

[...] It is not a question of a mere styling exercise. What mayor Johnson should be looking for is a truly radical bus, just as the Routemaster was the most advanced city bus of its generation in the world. So a Routemaster mark 2 might not look like anything else on the road, and it would be best if it was a bus that could be designed so that it could take on many configurations. Some new Routemasters might have a conductor and an open platform, others might not, and of course it would be a bus that would have to cope with every level of physical disability. Unlike the latest wave of double deckers and bendy buses, it also needs to adorn the streets of the city it serves: it should be regarded as a work of mobile architecture, as much as a work of engineering and public service.

Jonathan Glancey

'A New Bus For London' - Click for entry details, rules and submission (Official Competition Site)

See also: Transport for London