A new development in Mannheim, Germany, is the ultimate walkable community.
Continue reading… “This new car-free neighborhood redesigns suburbia”
Who’s in the lead in developing self-driving car technologies? Hint, it’s not Google
When it comes to the race to develop autonomous vehicles, Google and its fellow tech companies have gotten a lot of publicity. But the tech giants may have a tough time beating out the traditional car makers and parts suppliers, if a new study is any indication.
Unverpackt is the first zero-waste grocery store in the world
People in Berlin, Germany have created a store with eco-conscious customers in mind – the Original Unverpackt (Original Unpackaged). You won’t find any paper or plastic bags here—or any kind of bags for that matter. This new grocery store creates zero waste by allowing customers to purchase exactly how much they need, reducing waste in their homes.
Continue reading… “Unverpackt is the first zero-waste grocery store in the world”
Germany is reserving part of autobahn for driverless car testing
Germany’s Transportation Ministry spokesman Ingo Strater told reporters yesterday that plans call for a driverless-car pilot project on a portion of the A9 autobahn, the north-south artery that connects Munich and Berlin. Though tests have already been done on driverless cars in the U.S. and Germany, the project would be one of the first to equip a stretch of public highway specifically for that purpose. Continue reading… “Germany is reserving part of autobahn for driverless car testing”
You can go to college in Germany for free no matter where you are from
Germany didn’t just abolish tuition for Germans, the ban goes for international students, too.
Lower Saxony has made itself the final state in Germany to do away with any public university tuition whatsoever. As of now, all state-run universities in the Federal Republic—legendary institutions that put the Bildung in Bildungsroman, like the Universität Heidelberg, the Universität München, or the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin—cost exactly nothing.
Apprenticeship programs could close the skills gap, but have been slow to gain traction
Governors from Michigan to North Carolina and the Obama administration have a solution for some of the U.S. manufacturing sector’s woes: German-style apprenticeship programs.
Germany considers ban on after-hours office communications to workers
A ban on office communications in the evening and during vacation time could even become law.
Some German companies such as BMW, Volkswagen and Deutsche Telekom, in the last few years, have banned after-hours calls and emails to workers. The point of the ban is to actually let people take time off in the evening, rather than effectively being half-working all the time.
Continue reading… “Germany considers ban on after-hours office communications to workers”
Germany generates 74% of power needs from renewable energy
An offshore wind turbine near Rostock. Germany.
Germany’s impressive streak of renewable energy milestones continues, with renewable energy generation surging to a record portion — nearly 75 percent — of the country’s overall electricity demand by midday last Sunday. With wind and solar in particular filling such a huge portion of the country’s power demand, electricity prices actually dipped into the negative for much of the afternoon, according to Renewables International.
Continue reading… “Germany generates 74% of power needs from renewable energy”
Bitcoins legalized in Germany
Bitcoin is an online virtual currency that may be exchanged for goods and services from establishments that accept them.
The ministry of finance in Germany has recognized Bitcoin as a form of digital currency in the country. The four year old virtual money, Bitcoin, is now a formally recognized digital currency or “unit of account,” which can be used for private transactions in Germany.
Continue reading… “Bitcoins legalized in Germany”
Germany’s national railway to test anti-graffiti drones
Graffiti is reported to cost Deutsche Bahn about $10m a year.
The Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway company, plans to test small drones to try to reduce the amount of graffiti being sprayed on its property.
Continue reading… “Germany’s national railway to test anti-graffiti drones”
Immigration reverses Germany’s population decline
Germany is seeing an increase in immigration from other European Union countries.
The population in Germany is growing despite a low birthrate. They are seeing an increase in immigration from other European Union countries. For a third straight year, more people came to the Germany than left it in 2012. This development balances out the natural population decline from deaths and fewer births of about 200,000 a year.
Continue reading… “Immigration reverses Germany’s population decline”
Germany passes ‘Circumcision Law” after outcry
A religious circumcision.
The Bundestag hurriedly passed some strange new legislation last month: the “Circumcision Law.” The law guarantees the right for parents to have their children circumcised. This was the government’s answer to a passionate and uncomfortable five-month debate over the practice, in which religious minorities and their supporters clashed with a cabal of doctors and politicians over tolerance versus children’s rights.
