A team of students from MIT’s SENSEable Cities Lab have just won the American round of the 2010 James Dyson Award for inventing the Copenhagen Wheel. This simple contraption transforms a regular peddle bicycle into a hybrid electric bike.

The wheel (PDF) employs a method used in Formula 1 race cars known has Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Normally when a car brakes, energy is created in the form of heat on the rotors and pads. In vehicles with KERS, that energy is captured and reused by the motor during acceleration.

The Copenhagen Wheel works on the same principal. Energy from the braking is captured an electric motor, which generates a current that is stored on a battery. Later, when the rider is going uphill or needs extra speed, she can tap into that stored energy.

via Bike Wheel Transforms Peddling Into Power : Discovery News.

This is fantastic.

As for how to write well, here’s the short version: Write a bad version 1 as fast as you can; rewrite it over and over; cut out everything unnecessary; write in a conversational tone; develop a nose for bad writing, so you can see and fix it in yours; imitate writers you like; if you can’t get started, tell someone what you plan to write about, then write down what you said; expect 80% of the ideas in an essay to happen after you start writing it, and 50% of those you start with to be wrong; be confident enough to cut; have friends you trust read your stuff and tell you which bits are confusing or drag; don’t (always) make detailed outlines; mull ideas over for a few days before writing; carry a small notebook or scrap paper with you; start writing when you think of the first sentence; …

Keep reading, it gets even better: Writing, Briefly.

I had a great 40 mile ride this morning around the San Diego Harbor.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/44668607
I also took some photos while I was on the ride.

Captain Tenacity (Company Premiere 1998) by Ashley Roland. Photo by Brian Hill. Just because I like it.

Recently I was interviewed as part of the Network World Panorama series, a NWW series of podcasts with industry experts and analysts that give you a high-level view of the technology landscape. Keith titled our podcast: “Why Documentation Still Matters”. Click here to listen to the podcast.

My commute to work. Be sure to click “View Details”.  It’s pretty amazing.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/44033060

Here is my commute home from work.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/44033066

After you click “View Details” be sure to click "player" and watch the route. This is especially impressive if you watch it in satellite mode. I am very impressed with Garmin connect. So far my only disappointment is in how it posts to Facebook. Case in point:

Whereas, Dailymile.com has the following format when posting to Facebook:

Still the stats with Garmin Connect are fantastic. It’s the training I care about more anyway and they’ve nailed this.

Product and services documentation is now a core business asset that can drive revenues.

If your business hasn’t been paying attention to your documentation, you’re ignoring a sales tool and a revenue generator and you need to rethink your priorities.

Forbes just published an article I wrote on the importance of product and services documentation in driving top-line revenue, decreasing support costs and increasing customer satisfaction. It’s a good read regardless of your discipline. Let me know what you think.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/43849343

I had great, albeit short, ride this morning. I’m loving my new Garmin 310xt, which I nabbed at 45% discount. My stats are above. I forgot to wear the heart monitor. I do this ride a lot because it’s scenic and convenient from home. I had no idea I was doing 1,494 ft in elevation gain.