Solar and Wind Calculators

IBM scientists build computer chips from DNA

The company is researching ways in which DNA can arrange itself into patterns on the surface of a chip, and then act as a kind of scaffolding on to which millions of tiny carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles are deposited. That network of nanotubes and nanoparticles could act as the wires and transistors on future computer chips, the IBM scientists said.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/hardware/ibm-scientists-build-computer-chips-dna-833

The Lab

Got an opinion about how General Motors designs its cars and trucks? Let them know.
Give them your idea: http://thelab.gmblogs.com/

LiveFuels

LiveFuels, an algae biofuel start-up, announced a pilot project on Thursday to grow and harvest algae biofuels in open waters with the help of naturally occurring activities in the ecosystem.

The company plans to encourage algae growth with the additive of agricultural-waste products. Then, instead of retrieving the algae itself to be converted into biofuels through a mechanical process, it plans to let algae-eating fish do the conversion.

Once the algae-eating fish plump enough, LiveFuels plans to catch them and process them for their oil in the same way people used to harvest whale blubber for oil. Only instead of using the oil for lamps, this harvested oil could fuel cars and trucks, according to LiveFuels.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10308996-54.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=GreenTech

Netscape Founder to make New Browser

Mr. Andreessen is backing a start-up called RockMelt, staffed with some of his close associates, that is building a new Internet browser. Little else is known about RockMelt, and Mr. Vishria was unwilling to discuss it. “We are at very early stages of development,” Mr. Vishria said. “Talking about it at this stage is not useful.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/technology/internet/14browser.html?_r=4&partner=rss&emc=rss

Source: http://www.rockmelt.com/

Universal Phone for blind and sighted people

Thousands of micro pins dynamically raise and lower forming a tactile surface for all to get touchy with. Sighted people get the elusive tactile feedback they’re missing with ordinary touch-screens and blind people get a whole new interface made of braille.

Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/08/13/the-universal-phone-has-sighted-people-jealous/

MagLevAir system launches planes with magnets

The MagLevAir is an airplane shuttle system with reduced noise, space and energy consumption during take off. The airplane is hooked to a maglev shuttle saving expensive cerosin for accerleration during take off. In flight the delta wing shaped airplane uses scram jets. The MagLevAir is part of a hub and spoke system. It could serve in an urban environment and transport passengers across short distances to bigger airports with more standard Airbuses and Boeings.

Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/08/10/plane-takes-off-on-magnets/

A Nanobomb

Scientists turned to nanotechnology, combining tiny particles of metals such as nanoaluminum with iron oxide to make superthermite. That stuff speeds up the chemical reaction that causes explosions by 1000 times. The result? A gigantic boom from these energy-packed nanometals, much more powerful than anything short of a nuclear weapon.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=14105&ch=nanotech&a=f

Mug for the blind plays a sound when it's full

The Braun Bell Mug has 3 indicative levels on the handle and liquid-level sensors within the mug. The blind folks only need to choose their levels and keep pouring till the bell sounds.

Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/08/06/no-more-overspills-even-if-you-are-blind/

Implanted Hearing Aids

New bone-anchored, implanted hearing aids are starting to be given to patients with poor hearing and with great results.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/hightech-hearing-aid-is-the-ultimate-ipod-accessory-20090809-ee8p.html

Computer input by scratching

This is the idea behind a scratch input — a system that would measure surface scratches and interpret them as commands. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing such an interface. In theory, all you'd need to turn any surface in to an input device would be a kind of stethoscope and a processor to interpret the scratches. The potential applications are innumerable: Scratch your computer to turn it on, or use your desk as a drawing surface for your fingernail, with the drawings appearing on the monitor.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/scratch-input/

10,000mph hypersonic scramjets

A scramjet can't go as fast as the space shuttle, but it can beat any jet handily, theoretically accelerating up to Mach 15. Don't be planning that trip from New York to L.A. in 45 minutes just yet, though, because this hypersonic technology has a long way to go before it'll find its way into passenger aircraft.

Source: http://dvice.com/archives/2009/08/10000mph-hypers.php

Touchable holographic display

A Wiimotes sense where your hand is, telling the holographic image to adjust based on your location. Then an airborne ultrasound tactile display creates the sensation of touch.

Next Generation Ion Engines

Ion propulsion, which involves electrostatically accelerating ionized Xenon gas to generate thrust, is attractive when compared to chemical thrusters, as the rocket doesn't have to spare a good portion of its payload for fuel. At the same time, ion engines rely on power sources such as solar energy, which loses its effectiveness the farther the craft gets from the sun, and nuclear power, which, politically, is an unpopular power source for a spacecraft.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/23120/

The Folding Bike

Three companies are already interested in cranking out thousands of copies of this compact cycle, and it might not even be exorbitantly expensive, perhaps less than $700.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/contortionist-folding-bike-video-dominic-hargreaves-royal-college-of-art-student.php?dcitc=th_rss

Low Budget Fusion Reactory

General Fusion has figured out a way to create a "low budget" fusion reactor for less than $1 billion. They're saying they can get this beast online in less than a decade, because it's not using incredibly expensive superconducting magnets or spectacularly powerful lasers to create that long-sought controlled fusion reaction.

Source: http://www.generalfusion.com/

Skylon's Sabre propulsion system

In short, it's a space plane. The creation of Reaction Engines Limited, a British outfit based at the Culham Science Center in Oxfordshire, the Skylon will be able to take off from and land at normal airport runways in order to deliver its payload of up to 13 tons in orbit.

The thrust is created by burning hydrogen and oxygen — a tricky concept, because air in the lower atmosphere can reach temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to cool the air before compressing and burning it, Reaction Engines have created a heat exchanger pre-cooler, which consists of ultra-fine piping that drops the temperature of the hot intake gases to minus 200°F in just one hundredth of a second.

Source: http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/index.html

Wireless power system

The system uses two coils, one at the mains and one on the gadget, both of which have been engineered with the same resonant frequency. When connected up to an electricity supply, the mains coil produces a magnetic field that resonates with the second coil, allowing voltage to build up to power the gadget.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8165928.stm

Shrinking Jug

This flexible container works like a spring. Push a button on the top and a valve opens, and as you press down on the container, the milk is forced out. As you continue forcing out the milk, the container gets shorter and shorter. Inventor claims that it will keep milk from spoiling a week longer.

Source: http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/Projects/Project.aspx?ID=298

Google Wave

In September, you'll be able to browse to Google Wave, called a "personal communications and collaboration tool." This open-source, web-based wonder will let you combine your e-mail, instant messaging and social networking onto one personalized page on the web.

Source: http://wave.google.com/

Future Bike

This amazing bike concept is part exercise machine, part electric scooter, and will even help to pay your fare while providing a seat for the bus ride home.

Source: http://martenwallgren.blogspot.com/2009/06/winner-seymourpowell-award-for.html

Cylinder TV

The rolled-up television uses the company's proprietary spinning LED technology.

Source: http://dynascanusa.com/

Human-powered monorail

New Zealand's Scweeb monorail is probably a healthier (if a little cramped) alternative to the bike.

Source: http://www.shweeb.com/Shweeb/business_opps_IDL=1_IDT=2824_ID=16127_.html

3D camera

Fujifilm's FinePix Real 3D W1 camera aims to take a photo "just as your eyes see it." The camera's 3D system is said to be the only one that can both snap pictures and record video in three dimensions — while never requiring you to wear silly glasses to view them properly.

Source: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/3d/camera/finepix_real3dw1/

Sound wave neurosurgery

The procedure has been used before to remove uterine fibroids (or small, benign tumors in the uterus), and looks like a promising candidate to eliminate tumors from breasts and, hopefully, the brain. The biggest challenge when tackling the brain is getting the ultrasonic beams through the skull with any intensity, but that's handled by a head harness developed by InSightec, which is equipped with 1,000 ultrasound transducers and even built-in cooling to keep the skull from overheating.

Source: http://dvice.com/archives/2009/07/sound-wave-neur.php

MIT electric car charges in 10 minutes

The catch here: that quick charge needs 350 kW of power, enough to bring residential power systems to their knees. Charging stations capable of 356 Volts and 1000 amps would need to be built along highways to make this work. And the battery is quite expensive: $80K!

Source: http://dvice.com/archives/2009/07/mit-electric-ca.php

Moon Publicity

Many people are strongly opposed to creating commercial images on the Moon. We would feel the same way if it were solely for monetary gain.

Source: http://www.moonpublicity.com/mp/

Virtual Reality Windshield

The "IPSE" is a car designed by Jeongche Yoon and Hoyoung Kihl that turns your average drive into an adventure. IPSE's virtual environment system recognizes outside surrounding then translates into virtual objects and living things. For example, in 'underwater' mode, other vehicles appear to the driver as sea creatures. While it drives through a street in the city, the driver doesn't see any buildings, cars and asphalt-paved road but beautiful trees and wild animals running on the charming grass land.

Source: http://dvice.com/archives/2009/07/vr-windshield-t.php