Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wind Powered Vehicle Hits 126 MPH, Breaks World Record
Video of the Ecotricity Greenbird, on the dry plains of Ivanpah Lake just south of Las Vegas, hit a record breaking 126.1 mph. A speed which is 10 mph faster than the previous record which was set by American Bob Schumacher in 1999, driving his Iron Duck vehicle.
Air Force Developing Solar Powered, Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Blimp
The Pentagon intends to spend $400 million to develop a giant blimp which will reach an altitude of 65,000 feet and remain airborne for 10 years. The dirigible will be filled with helium and powered by an innovative system that uses solar panels to recharge hydrogen fuel cells. “It is absolutely revolutionary,” Werner J.A. Dahm, chief scientist for the Air Force, said of the proposed unmanned airship — describing it as a cross between a satellite and a spy plane. The aircraft will provide intricate radar surveillance of the vehicles, planes and even people below. The project is supposed to reflect a shift in Pentagon planning that is more about the intelligence and surveillance operations, and less about expensive high-tech weapons.Much more at Cleantechnica
New Portable Energy Source Utilizes Microbes To Turn Electricity Directly To Methane
New Portable Energy Source Utilizes Microbes To Turn Electricity Directly To Methane. A tiny microbe can take electricity and directly convert carbon dioxide and water to methane, producing a portable energy source with a potentially neutral carbon footprint, according to a team of Penn State engineers. "We were studying making hydrogen in microbial electrolysis cells and we kept getting all this methane," said Bruce E. Logan, Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering, Penn State. "We may now understand why."More at ScienceDaily
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Solar Powered Plane. Sunseeker II, Takes Off
The only manned solar-powered aircraft in the world, the Sunseeker II is slated to take off on a European flying tour after the popular e-flight expo on April 5th. Following the success of the Sunseeker I (the 2.5-horsepower predecessor that crossed the U.S. in 21 flights, with 121 hours in the air, in 1990), almost everything has been improved in both form and function, including wing modifications, an increase in surface area for solar cells, and lithium polymer batteries to improve performance. Designed by aircraft mastermind Eric Raymond, the Sunseeker II relies on batteries for the takeoff and solar power to operate and glide during flight. The journey will fly over eight countries: Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia. Emitting zero carbon emissions, the environmental impact that Sunseeker II will have on the future of aviation is monumental.From Inhabitat to Solar Flight
Friday, March 13, 2009
Super Capacitor batteries on the way? Japanese University Triples Energy Density of Electric Double Layer Capacitor
A Japanese university developed an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) dubbed the "Nanohybrid Capacitor," which has an energy density per unit volume of 20Wh/l. According to the Graduate School of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), the new capacitor has three times as high energy density as existing EDLCs. When commercialized, it may be utilized to store renewable energy or as regeneration systems for hybrid cars, etc. Like the existing EDLCs, it uses activated carbon for the positive electrode. But lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) is used for the negative electrode to enhance energy density. In addition, TUAT formed nanocrystallized Li4Ti5O12 with a particle diameter of about 5-20nm and mounted it on carbon nanofibers so that the time required for charging/discharging becomes shorter than that with existing EDLCs.Found if or when we can start using these in our Electric Cars Here
UMID M1 mbook US release date on uncertain ground
Revealed at CES 2009, the UMID announced it would be bringing its tiny MID to the US in late May/early June. However, Jen at Pocketables has been told that while the company is currently working with European distributors and "developing HSDPA and WiMAX for Europe scheme," the same isn't true for America. As such, UMID can no longer confirm the previous summer release and, in the words of her contact, "can't give exact information on the releasing date in US." The UMID M1 units that are currently shipping in Korea while elsewhere is still on hold because of quality issues.More at Pocketables
Battery that 'charges in seconds' possible from MIT Research.
Battery that 'charges in seconds' possible from MIT Research. A new manufacturing method for lithium-ion batteries could lead to smaller, lighter batteries that can be charged in just seconds. Batteries that discharge just as quickly would be useful for electric and hybrid cars, where a quick jolt of charge is needed for acceleration. The approach only requires simple changes to the production process of a well-known material. The new research is reported in the scientific journal Nature. Because of the electronic punch that they pack, gram for gram, lithium-ion batteries are the most common rechargeable batteries found in consumer electronics, such as laptops. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) report in Nature today that they devised a way for lithium ions in a battery to zip in and out about 100 times faster than previously demonstrated. "We took a basically great material called lithium iron phosphate [LiFePO4] and we tried to improve it further," says study author Byoungwoo Kang, a graduate student in M.I.T.'s Department of Materials Science and Engineering.Video from the BBC
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Easy To Install Veranda Solar Panels take away any excuse for not going Green.
Easy To Install Veranda Solar Panels take any excuse out of not going Green. Veranda Solar panels are plug-and-play. They can be installed in hours, with just a screwdriver, and without expensive solar specialists. The ease of installation on balconies and hanging out of windows will appeal to sustainably-oriented city dwellers, although solar panels will certainly join clotheslines and television dishes in the architectural eyesore wars. But this is exactly the angle Veranda Solar will use to compete. The solar panels can be flat-packed for efficient shipping and come with everything needed for operation. At $400 for a 60 to 70 watt ($600 for a panel with inverter and cables), the Veranda solar panels do not beat the market benchmark of $1 per watt but are worth it for ease of setup.More at Treehugger
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Yet another Solar Powered Mobile Phone - This time from LG.
Yet another Solar Powered Mobile Phone - This time from LG. "Not to be outdone by Samsung’s Blue Earth and ZTE’s Coral-200, LG recently unveiled its own solar-powered concept cell phone at the Wold Mobile Conference in Barcelona. The prototype, which features a solar-powered battery built right into the back cover, will be able to generate enough energy for 3 minutes worth of talk time for every 10 minutes of sun it soaks in. If left in natural light for longer periods of time, the battery will be able to power the phone for longer periods of time, eliminating or reducing the need for a conventional charger."More Pictures Here
“Dirty Energy” - Soil Powered Lamp!
“Dirty Energy” - Soil Powered Lamp! Talk about GREEN. This thing just requires a bit of water once in a while to keep it running. Here is what they are saying at Inhabitat: "Soil naturally contains energy conducive metals like zinc, copper and iron, and microbial fuel cells (sometimes referred to as an earth batteries) are capable of converting electrolytes in soil into usable energy. Dutch designer Marieke Strap’s Soil Lamp uses conductive plates made from copper and zinc buried within the soil to provide constant and (nearly) eternal light for an LED bulb. Maintainin
g a Soil Lamp is as simple as watering a plant - just feed it a splash of water every now and then to keep the energy flowing. The Soil Lamp takes pride in its simplicity and innovation, baring all in a transparent bulbous base. The implications of creating energy from soil are promising - as a free and abundant resource, nearly everyone in the world has access to dirt, save those living in deserts or urban jungles. Because of its naturally occurring conductivity, soil is easily converted into energy that will last far beyond the lifetime of an incandescent bulb, so long and its properly watered."More at Inhabitat
Move Over Venus - ISS to become the brightest star-like object in the night sky
Venus is about to be ousted as the brightest star-like object in the night sky. The next space shuttle mission, STS-119 is slated to launch on Wednesday night, March 11 at 9:20 p.m. EDT (1:20 a.m. Thursday March 12 GMT), and astronauts will deliver and install the fourth and final set of solar array wings to the International Space Station. Once the array is deployed, the station will surpass Venus as the brightest object in the night sky, second only to the Moon. The new array will increase the amount of electricity available for science experiments by 50%, providing the power needed for the ISS to house a crew of 6 astronauts instead of the current 3.More Here
Ion-thruster for Space Propulsion is Smallest Ever Space Engine
Ion-thruster for Space Propulsion is Smallest ever space engine. Measuring only ten centimeters across and emitting a faint blue glow as it runs, the Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) engine produces an average thrust equivalent to the force of a single falling hair. But despite its low power, FEEP's thrust range and controllability are far superior to more forceful thrusters, holding the key to future success of an ambitious ESA science mission. "Most propulsion systems are employed to get a vehicle from A to B," explains Davide Nicolini of ESA's Scientific Projects Department, in charge of the FEEP project. "But with FEEP the aim is to maintain a spacecraft in a fixed position, compensating for even the tiniest forces perturbing it to an accuracy that no other engine design can match."More at PsysOrg
Lenovo coming out with a copy of the VAIO P? ThinkPad Reserve Edition
Lenovo coming out with a copy of the VAIO P? Reserve Edition IBM? No specs or data if or when it is coming out but more pics at Engadget. "What you're looking at is a genuine Lenovo device taken by a trusted source from inside of the Beijing IBM headquarters. The details sent to Engadget Chinese are brief so we can't tell you if it's a working model or not. Nevertheless, it bears all the hallmarks of a ThinkPad Reserve Edition with just a tad of Vaio P thrown in for taste."
More Pics Here
Huge Growth Seen for Large-capacity Li-ion Batteries in Japan
Huge Growth Seen for Large-capacity Li-ion Batteries in Japan. Fuji Keizai Co Ltd, a Japan-based research firm, announced the results of market research on large-capacity secondary batteries used in large products such as electric power tools, power-assisted bicycles, automobiles and power storage systems, as well as on the materials used in the batteries. The research covers 35 products in four areas, automobiles/transport machines, power storage/load leveling, home appliances/DIY tools and industrial machines/machine tools. According to Fuji Keizai, the Japanese domestic market for large-capacity secondary batteries is expected to reach ¥313.6 billion (approx US$3.18 billion) in fiscal 2008, an increase of 3.2% year-on-year. It forecasts that the market will total ¥532.1 billion in fiscal 2014, an increase of 69.7% compared with fiscal 2008.More at TechOn
Jon Stewart smack down of CNBC.
Jon Stewart smack down of CNBC. This has been all over the web but just in case you missed it. Here is a great video of why you should NOT get all your financial advice from CNBC.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Viliv S5 : Korean MID, unboxing, 1st looks
It was a few days ago now, the guys over at UMPCFEVER unboxed the S5, then more recently they gave us their opinions on the device.
Today I was lucky enough to have a play with the device at CeBIT... This is a slickMID! typing on it is very nice!
UPDATE: JKKmobile.com for great video
Saturday, March 7, 2009
"The easiest way to share videos on Twitter"
TweeTube was started by RADSense Software who identifed a need for an easy way to share YouTube videos among your Twitter followers.
Tweetube short URLs can be created on the tweetube site,
output URL example : http://tweetube.com/Y5
"Ultra-Soda" coming this Spring - Summer
Now you only need to buy a 1-way ticket to Japan...Jam packed with all your favorite chemicals and a healthy dose of sugar; Dydo Corp releases Ultraman "Ultra-Soda" this Spring - Summer.
For just 100yen you are guaranteed to make you fly and get super strength just like Ultraman, so you can save some cash on the return airfare!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Japan Expects Automotive Li-ion Battery Costs to Halve in 1 Year
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), has released the final draft of the "2008 Roadmap for the Development of Next Generation Automotive Battery Technology." The roadmap covers the development of secondary batteries used in plug-in hybrid cars and electric cars, which are expected to play main roles as next generation vehicles, and is "based on the most detailed information currently available," according to NEDO. According to the roadmap, Li-ion secondary batteries will lead the market until around 2030. The roadmap forecasts the development will be focused on two types of batteries, an output density-oriented type intended for plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars, and an energy density-oriented type for electric cars. NEDO also analyzed battery cost (not a cell but a battery pack) as of March 2009. It estimates that the cost is about ¥200,000/kWh (approx US$2,016/kWh) for both types of batteries. In respect to output density-oriented batteries, the current energy density is 70Wh/kg, and the output density is 1,800W/kg. Meanwhile, for energy density-oriented batteries, the energy density is 100Wh/kg and the output density is 400W/kg.More at Nikkei Monozukuri
OLED Panels and energy saving illumination the stars a the Tokyo 2009 Lighting Fair.
Another day another trade show. This time from the 2009 Tokyo Lighting Fair being held at Tokyo Bigsite from the the 3-6th of March. The Research Institute for Organic Electronics (RIOE) set up a booth focusing on OLED lighting. It exhibited OLED lights with various designs. One of them is a prototype panel with a high luminance of 5,000cd/m2 and a low power consumption of 15W. The panel has a luminous efficiency of "15lm/W, which is equivalent to that of an incandescent bulb," according to RIOE.Much More at Tech-On
CeBIT 2009: from the "Blogapartment"
Hannover, Germany : CeBIT 2009The three little pigs lived in house of straw, but these techies live in a house made of 3G connected netbooks!
March 2nd - 8th; Sascha, JKK and Chippy are spending their days pacing the halls down at the Messe in Hannover brining the best bits of CeBIT to you!
Each night after a few quiet ales at event after-parties, they return to their lair, the "Blogapartment" to hack out their day's work, and crank out a seemingly endless supply of popular product videos for youtube.
Click the relative names above to get a REAL taste of CeBIT 2009!
CeBIT toys : ROAD S101 "HandyPC"
Over to Hannover, Germany to see a bit of CeBIT... UMPCPortal.com report about a cool little Linux powered device : the ROAD S101 "HandyPC".
It's been in development for about 3 years, and kind of a mix between a Sharp Zaurus and that old Nokia PDA-Phone from a few years back.
check the video here
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
32TB SD Cards? New Method Of Self-assembling Nanoscale Elements Could Transform Data Storage Industry
An innovative and easily implemented technique in which nanoscale elements precisely assemble themselves over large surfaces could soon open doors to dramatic improvements in the data storage capacity of electronic media, according to scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst). "The density achievable with the technology we've developed could potentially enable the contents of 250 DVDs to fit onto a surface the size of a quarter," said Xu, who is also a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.Much More at Science Daily
Wave Energy to Bring Power and Jobs to San Francisco
Cnet TV has a good video of San Francisco's plan to implement Wave Power generation. The video also deals with the reality and costs of scaling up to a large industrial renewable power plant.
Monday, March 2, 2009
PV EXPO- Nikkei analysis sees Trends Emerging in PV Equipment, Components.
Two major trends emerged at the 2nd International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo, making it clear that the reach of the photovoltaic industry is spreading. One of these trends was the large exhibition booths set up by component manufacturers, showing off their technical strengths at the prospect of a global launch. The other trend is the advent of a number of new companies that claim to provide what they call a "turnkey," an integrated production line for solar cells. For example, Apex Inc offers an integrated manufacturing line for crystalline Si solar cells with the use of equipment made by PST Inc of Korea.More analysis at Nikkei Microdevices
PV EXPO- Fuji Electric Systems Exhibits Lightweight Solar Cell Modules
PV EXPO- Fuji Electric Systems Exhibits Lightweight Solar Cell Modules. Fuji Electric Systems Ltd exhibited a prototype of a lightweight solar cell module at the 2nd International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo. The lightweight module was manufactured by laminating the "F WAVE," a film-type amorphous solar cell, on a steel plate and is appropriate for use on a large area such as the roof of a factory. The module weighs about half compared with a crystal-based solar cell module of the same size and is appropriate for use on existing roofs, according to the company. It plans to establish a total-solution business and handle not only this module but also inverters developed by the company in March.More at Tech-On
Bio-fuel update: Researchers are determined to turn wood into liquid fuel for your car.
Researchers are determined to turn wood into liquid fuel for your car. Called cellulosic ethanol, this fuel also can be made from grasses and other woody material, and some form of it could be in your car as soon as next year. That's when refiners are required to start adding small amounts of the wood-based fuel to gasoline, both for energy security reasons and for the perceived environmental benefit. But the fledgling cellulosic industry will be hard-pressed to make as much as the law requires, analysts and federal officials say. A key part of the problem is that while wood is easier to grow than corn, it's tougher to break down. That's partly because its cell walls are reinforced with a hardy material called lignin. Studies with the Asian Long Beatles as well as well as geneticists making "designer trees" are being researched but commercial yields are at least 5 years away. More more at Physorg
Woman finds cell phone in bag of chips
A Wisconsin woman opened a bag of Clancy’s Ripple Potato Chips and found a super old Nokia cell phone inside. Ewww! Who uses a Nokia that old?! I mean, ewww, a cell phone in a bag of chips! The phone apparently wouldn’t turn on but it had a T-Mobile SIM inside “and a discolored circle on the back, as if it was once connected to a belt clip.” The chips were purchased from an Aldi store and, according to the Janesville Gazette, the woman was told that “the store would pull all the chips with the same brand and expiration date as hers.” She was also offered a new bag of chips but she refused, saying “You kind of don’t want chips for a while.” An investigation is currently underway by the FDA.Thanks to Crunch Gear for making us sick!
$25 Billion to Promote Electric Cars Is Untouched
The Energy Department has $25 billion to make loans to hasten the arrival of the next generation of automotive technology — electric-powered cars. But no money has been allocated so far, even though the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan program, established in 2007, has received applications from 75 companies, including start-ups as well as the three Detroit automakers. With General Motors and Chrysler making repeat visits to Washington to ask for bailout money to stave off insolvency, some members of Congress are starting to ask why the Energy Department money is not flowing yet. Energy Department staff members said they were still sifting through loan applications, dozens of which arrived on the filing deadline of Dec. 31. On top of that, another $2 billion is coming to the department from the $787 billion stimulus package. That money will be used to develop the advanced battery technology needed to power electric cars, batteries more durable, safer and cheaper than anything available today.More at the New York Times
Asus P835 Touchscreen Phone to have WVGA 800x480 Display
Asus P835 Touchscreen Phone to have WVGA 800x480 Display Asus's P835 smartphone is packing an 800x480 touchscreen, HSPA support but it's still packing Windows Mobile 6.1. Here's the rundown which makes the phone look pretty good:EDGE/GPRS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900, Class 12
• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1
• 3.5" WVGA (800x480), no word on resistive or capacitive
• 4 GB internal storage plus MicroSDHC slot
• WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0
• Push email is supported
• 5 MP camera
• Looks like it's packing Flash support
• 1100mAh battery,
More at Engadget
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Video of Sudo Make Me A Sandwich Robot - automatically makes sandwiches on demand.
Video of Sudo Make Me A Sandwich Robot - automatically makes sandwiches on demand. See how they did it at Bre Pettis website
MIT team develops solar car that can run all day long at 55 mph
MIT's Solar Electric Vehicle Team newest iteration, Eleanor, is a touch taller than prior versions and should be more comfortable to operate. Additionally, designers managed to increase the frontal area by 30 percent, all while keeping the drag area exactly the same. The juice comes from six square meters of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, and reportedly, the car can run all day long (providing the sun shines brightly the entire time) at a steady speed of 55 miles per hour. Eleanor will be competing later this year in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, and in preparation, the team is hoping to drive it across America this summer. So yeah, if you've ever wanted a summer to try hitchhiking, this would be it.More at MIT's website
PORN! PORN! PORN! New Harvard study finds Conservatives are biggest consumers of PORN, Praise the Lord!
New Harvard study finds Conservatives are biggest consumers, Praise the Porn! A new nationwide study of anonymised credit-card receipts from a major online adult entertainment provider finds little variation in consumption between states. Those states that do consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and religious than states with lower levels of consumption, the study finds. The biggest consumer, Utah, averaged 5.47 adult content subscriptions per 1000 home broadband users; Montana bought the least with 1.92 per 1000. "The differences here are not so stark," Edelman says. Eight of the top 10 pornography consuming states gave their electoral votes to John McCain in last year's presidential election – Florida and Hawaii were the exceptions. While six out of the lowest 10 favored Barack Obama.More at New Scientist
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