Non-Disclosure Agreements: EEStory Ship of Gold

Thanks to a dedicated reader who has contributed research to numerous items of interest to the EEStory, we have an interesting book excerpt to read in order to get us into the mindset of Dick Weir in his fund raising days.  What am I talking about?

The book Ship of Gold was published in 1998 and written by Gary Kinder.  It documents the story of "maverick scientist and entrepreneur Tommy Thompson" who discovered and lead the 1989 recovery of approximately $1Billion of gold found in a shipwrecked vessel called the Central America whose 1857 voyage terminated at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

I highly recommend buying this book (even though I haven't read it yet) because I'm publishing a long excerpt of it which I think you will enjoy.   It looks like a brilliant story. The kind I wish I had read when I was in college.  

In any case, the excerpt covers the portion of the book that documents Thompson's effort's to raise funding to retrieve the sunken treasure. I think you will enjoy this as much as I did.  If you don't enjoy it, perhaps there is something wrong with you. Profoundly wrong.

Here are the excerpts:

Excerpt #1

Excerpt #2

Sorry if the formatting drives you bonkers.

German Company--DBM Energy-- Uses Hummingbirds as Batteries

Note: the following article is based on several German news articles I read recently. To preserve accuracy, I felt it appropriate to abandon the horrible translations made possible by Google and other similar tools and just hack it together myself.  I think you will find the significance of the story easier to grasp as a result.

A German company--DBM Energy-- has identified a way to connect tiny hummingbirds to an electric motor and achieve single charge electric vehicle distance records.  First, the birds are placed on a conveyor belt, coated in lithium (a process licensed from KFC) & filled with nectar, a tradition the Dutch call KOLIBRI, which is short for "Call the Library. "  The result is an efficient and tasty treat that could change the eating habits of electric vehicle consumers everywhere.  The German connoisseur's at DEKRA tasted the crunchy fowl and certified the results. (Michelin refused to participate--Zero Stars)  All of this has caused a firestorm of controversy in Germany, which a few months ago ignited the test vehicles used by DBM. They didn't have backup vehicles and had to reinvent the batteries from scratch in 4 months.)   But they did it again.  And now, everyone wants to meet "the Blue-headed hummingbird in the zoo of Augsburg" which sponsors DBM research.

To gain further insight, I contacted Mirko Hannemann, CEO of DBM and he provided the following information. (He urged me to conduct the interview in English):

B:  Frau Hanneman, thanks be to Wōdanaz for allowing me to ask you a few questions about your batteries.

MH:  Hair Hanneman.  Hair. No problem.

B:  Sure. Thanks.  Let's start with the fire.  You have these great batteries but decided to burn them and start over?  Could you explain?

MH: No B. We didn't burn the batteries, our storage facility caught fire and destroyed our test vehicle.  Do you understand?

B: Ah yes, very good. Is that because you couldn't control the charging apparatus and it blew up or something?

MH: No, the fire was investigated and determined to have nothing to do with our technology.

LA Laker Fan at the Parthenon

B:  OK, good.   How many times did you swap out the batteries when you drove from Munich to Berlin?

MH: Excuse me?  No, no, this was a single charge. No batteries were swapped.  We charged them once and drove the entire distance without recharging.

B:  What is the size of the fuel tank on the test vehicle?  Was it refilled?

MH: No, this is an electric only vehicle.  No fuels. Just batteries.

B:  Ah, that explains it then.  The test course is all downhill isn't it?

MH: Sort of, yes.

B: How did the car handle in neutral?  Did you burn out the brakes?

MH: Would you like to talk about the batteries maybe?

B: Would you like me to do the interview maybe?

MH: The batteries. Please.

B:  OK. 250 Wh/kg?

MH: That is correct. Certified.

B: I think that's probably what my readers want to know.   It certainly sounds very promising and I'd like to congratulate you on all of your accomplishments.  This is a great feat for Germans everywhere.

MH: Thank you. We have a dedicated team here and will do what we can to bring these batteries to market as quickly as the automakers will allow.   We are ready.

B:  That sounds great.  What is your plan for operations after EEStor delivers EESU's this year and puts you out of business?

MH:  We were thinking of going public like A123 Systems and then closing up shop slowly over the course of 5 years like A123.

B: I thought so.  There are certainly people willing to fund that plan.  Well, best of luck to you and yours.  One more thing, how can I contact the blue headed hummingbird of Augsburg?

Blue Headed 6 Minute Charge

Apple's External Battery Pack

An Apple patent application published yesterday describes a rechargeable external battery pack combined with a power adapter. The idea of the patent is to eliminate the need for a traveler to pack both.  But wait, there's more. The device would also have adapters that made it possible to charge your iphone or other portable electronic devices too.  

Why am I writing about this?  Because in the realm of portable electronics, one of the fastest paths to market for EESU technology would be the exact type of device Apple is seeking protection for with this application.    EEStor could create an external battery that wouldn't need to be customized for use by Apple, HP, Dell, etc etc.   

Note: Apple Insider broke this story. 

Note #2: No April Fool's Joke in this article.  Or is there?

Wired Reporters Trash Unsung DoD Science Hero

Source: Google Images

Wired's Noah Shachtman & Spencer Ackerman have been publishing a series of investigative articles attacking the ethics of DARPA head Regina Dugan.  The controversy centers around the fact that prior to her appointment to head the US DoD's premier research organization, she helped launch a startup company, RedXDefense, devoted in part to creating better detection of explosive devices.  The problem highlighted by Shachtman & Ackerman & Manymen is that when she was appointed head of DoD by Secretary Robert Gates, she disclosed being the company's co-founder & owning 15,000 shares.  Although she followed accepted procedures and recused herself from any dealings concerning RedXDefense, it was later awarded a contract by DARPA. Then another.  Oh, her father, uncle & sister work for the company & it owes Dugan $250,000...as repayment for a loan or something.

Great material for a govt scandal article right?  Wrong.

Regina Dugan was appointed head of DARPA precisely because of her competence as a researcher & entrepreneur--> the exact profile of persons DARPA courts to conduct its research.  Dugan has a 1984 BS, 1985 MS & 1993 PHD in mechanical engineering. She wrote her dissertation about un-detonated bombs.   She entered the workforce as a researcher at a premier non-profit DoD think-tank called Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in 1993.  She must have impressed many because 3 short years later, DARPA hired her to manage a $100Mil research portfolio that included projects to detect land mines & help Marines storm mine infested beaches.  Between 2001-2003, the Army asked her to study what was happening in Afghanistan with IED's.

Citizen Journalists Elucidate Recent Zenn Shakeup

Zenn Motor Company has recently undergone a shakeup of its board of directors and management that has left many scratching their head wondering what was going on. Thanks to the efforts of a couple inquisitive and remarkably thorough citizen journalists, we have the benefit of a more enlightened view of the battle to control Zenn Motor Company's future.  If you haven't already done so,  have a gander at the AGM diary entries penned by TheEEStory users  -->G<-- and his compatriot PFujimoto.

First, the good news. Zenn's management has been fighting over how to best maximize their EEStor investment.  We would all be in big trouble if Zenn's enterprise weren't serious enough to occasionally generate this kind of situation.  My partial first clue that this was going on was the distinct lack of communication from Zenn to the public for the year leading up to this AGM:  very strange indeed for a little company who seemed to be in every newspaper, magazine and television program in North America the year prior.

Now the bad news. Zenn's management has been fighting over how to best maximize their EEStor investment.  Even though it's also good news,  it represents a risk of uncertainty that no one following EEStor wants to see.  What is the bone of contention?  Most importantly, what caused new board member Roger Hammock to become involved is the burn rate at Zenn and not understanding what exactly the money is being spent upon there.  Hammock & his business partner own over 1 million shares of Zenn and as he mentioned recently, he has visited EEStor.  In plain English, investors like Hammock worry that Zenn is spending money too rapidly requiring a new round of financing which would dilute the value of shares owned by fellows like Hammock.   It's typically easy to have conversations about such things but when one of the parties shows up with an army of attorneys threatening a proxy fight,  there's more than a small disconnect in force.

Newest EEStor Inventor: Dr. Lucas Pettey

1955
Young Dick Weir receives first clue
from God concerning  energy storage.

Perhaps, it is fair to say that for years now, everyone has had the same image of how EEStor runs its operation.   Essentially, you have a collection of short nerdy looking geeks in white lab coats raising their hands until addressed by two large, lumbering characters who stand a good foot taller than everyone else:  Dick Weir & Carl Nelson.   After an initial briefing before important work, the underlings then scurry off to fondle some fantastic piece of equipment hand picked and/or adapted by Weir & Nelson.  You might say the support group sort of polishes the equipment, swats away invading house flies and or moves trays from slot X to slot Z at times prescribed by Weir & Nelson over speaker system from a brightly lit and elevated glass encased control room.   Sometimes, there are just hand gestures indicating that something needs to be done again from the start or slightly nudged left right or up or down, resulting sometimes in impatient shouting over the loudspeaker when body language breaks down.   To complete the picture, you have to imagine a thick multi-strand fiber cable connecting a special hat on Dick Weir's head to a special hat on Carl Nelson's head allowing for the nearly artistic synchronization of two rare talents.  (a connection re-established each morning by Tom Weir  and taken down at night). As the machine that is Weir & Nelson work each day building their dream, support staff or family occasionally interrupt by tossing ham sandwiches in front of their face which get gobbled down almost bionically without interrupting efficiency.  Obviously,  this must be how it can be possible to invent and develop a radically new manufacturing system that pops out bizarrely impressive energy storage components with insanely staggering quantities.

Dr. Pettey hand modeling paramagnetic
& paraelectric properties.
Source: Picasaweb

Sock Puppets

Devout followers of EEStor often wonder if the company's online reputation is the target of sock puppets, ie, individuals paid to bash EEStor online.  It seems everyone has a theory about who is a sock puppet for whom in this regard.  But some will deny that sock puppets actually exist.  

Personally, I definitely believe there are sufficient motivations out there to bash EEStor for a variety of competing interests.  I have my own pet theories about who may be gaming the system but I don't put a lot of stock in them.   One of the more intriguing possibilities is whether it would be worthwhile for a government to play a role in manipulating EEStor's image.   I doubt it but can't rule it out.   If you google it a bit, you'll find ample evidence that China employs sock puppets to control opinion about the Chinese communist party.  But now we know too that they are not alone in this as the US Dept of Defense has apparently invested in some technology that makes it easier to create sock puppets and control them from a central place.  The story appears to have been broke originally by the Guardian. 

As for the various EEStor doubters who have made it their life mission to trash EEStor, I doubt any of them are compensated for their work.  I think what we see there is mostly disgruntled former Zenn investors hell bent on making current Zenn investors pay. 

What's your sock puppet theory, Mr. Sock Puppet?

Shareholders Invade Zenn Board of Directors

James E. Kofman

According to a late night Zenn Motor Company press release, "certain shareholders of the Company" have received cooperation from Zenn management to allow three new individuals to take seats on the Zenn Board of Directors.  Departing board members include Brian Cott, Stephen Rodgers & John R. Wallace.

Inbound board members include long time M&A expert James Kofman, well known Canadian TV personality & journalist Allan Gregg and Roger Hammock, a Zenn shareholder possessing over 1mil shares of Zenn stock.

Allan Gregg

What does this mean?  First of all, it means the new board of directors could seriously pummel almost any other board of directors in Canada.  On the business side,  Kofman has experience with "some of the largest M&A transactions and financings in Canada" according to the release.  Essentially, if you're planning to purchase Zenn Motor Company, you will now need to crawl on your hands and knees and politely relinquish your bid to Sir James Kofman.  As for Gregg, he currently sits on the Advisory Boards of General Motors Canada & Bank of Montreal.  Take a look at his interesting interview of Jeff Rubin back in 2009.   Actually, check out all of his interviews on youtube.  If you have the time and means, it probably wouldn't hurt to do a voice analysis to establish once and for all that he and I are not the same person.  As for Roger Hammock, what can I tell you other than that he owns over 1mil Zenn shares? Well, one thing I could tell you is I had a couple beers with him in Los Angeles last year and got a debrief on why he owns that many Zenn shares.  I can tell you that he & I had a lot of agreement on where EEStor is headed and how Zenn can maximize what it has.  More on that later.

TheEEstory.com Under Attack Again!!!

Image: Starships.com? WT?

Nah, I'm kidding.  It's probably just technical difficulties. You know, difficulties that are technical meaning techniques and technologies are technically tenacious at this time.  Don't worry though, you don't really need TheEEStory.com right now. You have this blog post to read which I can tell you are definitely enjoying.  I know I am enjoying writing it.  Tell me, what if I told you right now that I am shutting down TheEEStory for good?  All gone.  Wouldn't that be sorta like becoming a vegetarian all of a sudden (or vice versa you vegans out there)?  How would you handle that situation anyway?  I know it is crazy to think about.  Blows your mind doesn't it?  Yeah, me too. Whew.  Well, listen, I can't really keep writing this blog post all day. I've got other blog posts to write.  News topics area always coming at me. That's what it's like being the center of the EEStor information universe.  Oh, are you surprised by that statement?  You think Dick Weir is the center of that universe?  No, it is me and only me.  Ok, sure, he does a little bit every now and then but for the most part all of his information is "proprietary" whereas see, I'm open source.  Proprietary. Open Source. See the difference?  I find that followers have adopted me as a solution for EEStor information because I don't require you to invest $5Mil in EEStor to obtain it.   True, I should require it but I don't...for the time being.  Do any of you have $5Mil out there?  If so, send it to me.  Don't worry about what I'll do with it. It will be happy here. I give you my solemn assurance.

Any way, you probably miss your friends at TheEEStory so go ahead and make use of the comment section to talk to your buddies OLD SCHOOL style.  Remember the early days on this blog when Y_Po would post like 85 comments in a day and battle Steve and others?   Wow. What a long time we've been sitting around waiting for Godot.

UPDATE:  Site is back up!

EEStor Applies for Fusible Link Patent

Thanks to the work of GaryB, we know EEStor continues to apply for patents related to its technology. The latest is an application for a fusible link.   In case you're worried EEStor isn't covering enough bases, this application also invokes "Thomas Edison's electrical power distribution system," useful for anyone critical of EEStor's grasp of history.

On a related note, I was going to keep this in stealth mode but changed my mind recently.  I've applied for a patent--wrote it up at night, sent it in with me fees, etc.  I believe I have uncovered a method and apparatus for attracting idiots and confirming their stupidity through commenting.  Here's an example tidbit from a prominent disturbed UK professor,

By definition, it is difficult, effectively impossible, to prove a negative. But the science puts constraints on how a viable EEStor dielectric might work. Those are very far away from anything that we have ever seen, and for fundamental reasons. You don't get proved false from this. You get proved quite extraordinarily unlikely. That is as near to false as we get in science.

Thanks Professor.  Let's see.... of the 14000 steps EEStor needs to complete to become a commercially viable entity, I guess number 13,996 is test the components for energy density.  Brilliant.   In the meantime, EEStor will be as near to false as science allows.