Mini-Notebooks Lowering Overall Laptop Prices

Mini-laptop sales are booming, luring consumers away from more expensive standard notebooks and driving down overall prices, a market research firm said Thursday.

Mini-laptops, also known as netbooks, accounted for a majority of the increase in overall mobile PC shipments to U.S. retailers in December, according to the NPD Group. The number of laptops shipped rose 23% to 1.9 million units, with 14% of that growth attributable to mini-notebooks
More at Information Week

Masdar Breaks Ground on Largest Solar Plant in Middle East

Masdar, the new sustainable super-city being developed by Abu Dhabi, recently announced that it is building the largest grid-connected solar plant in the Middle East. The 10 MW solar plant will be half thin-film and half crystalline silicon photovoltaics, with 5 MW of thin film solar panels being provided by Arizona-based First Solar. The Masdar solar power plant is expected to reduce emissions of 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually and cost around $50 million.
More Here

Antarctica Warming faster Than Thought

Scientists studying climate change have long believed that while most of the rest of the globe has been getting steadily warmer, a large part of Antarctica – the East Antarctic Ice Sheet – has actually been getting colder.
But new research shows that for the last 50 years, much of Antarctica has been warming at a rate comparable to the rest of the world. In fact, the warming in West Antarctica is greater than the cooling in East Antarctica, meaning that on average the continent has gotten warmer, said Eric Steig, a University of Washington professor of Earth and space sciences and director of the Quaternary Research Center at the UW.
Much more at Science Daily

3rd-gen Prius Full of New Functions and Technology

Via Tech-on: The third-generation Prius features a number of new functions including a remote-controlled air conditioner and a solar-powered ventilation system. The new Prius was announced by Toyota Motor Corp at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (Detroit Motor Show), which is open to public from Jan 17 to 25, 2009.
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Wall House: Durable $5000 Home Made from Recycled Paper

The Wall AG recently unveiled a remarkable prefabricated house that is made from recycled paper and can be built for less than $5000. Constructed from an innovative cellulose-based material, the structures are light, cheap, well-insulated, and are remarkably strong, making them an incredible asset to developing countries, the homeless, and those displaced by disasters.
More at InHabitat

Nanowire Batteries now with Silicon “Core Shell” getting closer to production?

An updated on Dr Cui's nanowire batteries that can add 10x increase to Lithium Ion batter capacity. If you remember, Dr. Cui’s team discovered that by using crystalline silicon nanowires in place of the conventional graphite anode, the anode could hold ten times more lithium than it normally could. Silicon also offers the advantage of having almost no side-reactions with the electrolyte, which are what limit shelf life in li-ion batteries. For his research, Dr. Cui received a Global Research Partnership (GRP) grant from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
Much More Here

Bergmonch Bike Folds into a Backpack

Bergmönch has introduced a bike that can be folded up and worn as a rucksack! Perfect for camping, hiking, and anyone who appreciates a speedy downhill descent, the backpack converts into a beautifully engineered bike capable of conquering roads and rough trails alike. The down hill bike (sorry no pedal) weighs in at 9.5kg and its ingenious design features a telescoping framework that converts into a downhill bike in just 2 minutes. It also features a storage compartment capable of carrying up to 12 liters of supplies, and a helmet net encourages you to bring one along, which is probably a good idea since barreling down a mountain on one of these may get dicey real quick. Fortunately, brakes are included as well.
More Here

Heart Attack Grill

Bill Geist visits the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Ariz., where you can almost feel your arteries clogging.
Video HERE

Hokkaido reporter freezes in Ice Hotel in Shimukappu Village

Via Japan Probe: The inside of the ice room is so cold that his meal freezes before he can eat it. Although the water in the room’s bathtub is quite hot, water dripping from the bathtub faucet has turned into an icicle.