ShiftBrite RGB LED Coffee Table
Are you the kind of person that likes to sit down and look at colorful lights on a coffee table? If so, I suggest you continue reading. Macetech’s new Nxt-Gen coffee table will keep you deeply entertained when you’re sitting on your sofa doing nothing.
This kaleidoscopic fever dream of a coffee table is equipped with a 9×9 matrix of LEDs, which can apparently be set to “acid flashback” mode if necessary. It’s kind of like a crazily insane Lite Brite. When it’s not blasting color at your living room, though, I can think of a couple interesting uses for it. Read more
Freeloader To Use A New Super Charger Solar Panel
Solar Technology have announced plans to improve Freeloader’s solar panel by halving the charge time. Although we can see that its panel is also slightly bigger, the major part will be played by a new type of photovoltaic cells, which are rated at 1.5 Watts.
The two modifications should translate to a four hours charge time for the Freeloader, and can be done in any weather conditions due to the panel’s weather proofing. Of course, the charge time differs from a type of weather to another, but the 210 x 159mm panel can safely be left outside.
The new mini solar panel comes with a Velcro strap that allows you to attach it to backpacks, tents or bicycle panniers. If you are interesting in some free energy, you can buy the supercharger for around $40, or the whole set that includes a Freeloader along with it for less than $100.
Hydrogen Microreactor Eliminates Classic Motors
Based on the same principle as the large plants that can extract hydrogen from a fluid, Innovatek succeeded to compact all this technology in a palm size microreactor able to continuously produce hydrogen from any hydrocarbon source. This might have a positive impact on hydrogen based vehicles, because offers a more viable solution than storing and transporting highly pressurized hydrogen. This minireactor could use most any liquid fuel to provide a greener one. Innovatek specialist developed the alternative of linking more of these devices to obtain interconnected systems able to produce up to 160 gallons H/min. Innovatek hopes to integrate this new automotive technology by 2010.
Konarka Power Plastic® More Suitable Than Silicon
Konarka Specialists developed a new material able to convert light to energy called Power Plastic®, which might successfully be used in fabricating of highly efficient solar energy cells. They used Diamatix Inkjet Technology to actually print organic solar cells offering the possibility to use solar cells at a larger scale, including low power indoor sensors or applications. Although Power Plastic is able to convert only 5% of light into electricity comparing to 16-20% for silicon, this new generation of photovoltaic cells can use even small sources of light and are not affected by low angle of light. Howard Berke said that this new generation of photovoltaic cells might be found “wherever plastic occurs”.
“As the leading developer of polymer photovoltaic technology providing renewable power for commercial, industrial, government and consumer applications, Konarka is delighted to be recognized by AlwaysOn as leading the way in renewable energy,” commented Rick Hess, president and CEO at Konarka.
The First Table Light Using Organic LEDs
We have been hearing of organic LEDs (OLEDs) for quite some time now, as they are supposed to be a new way to produce light with very little energy and can last for years before being replaced. Although there wouldn’t be much point in releasing to the market a lamp using this technology, because of the high price it would have, OSRAM has just announced their new product, which is exactly this lamp.
The desk lamp is called ‘Early Future’ and includes ten different OLED tiles of 132 X 33 mm each. OSRAM didn’t offer informations about how much energy they save or how much it would cost, but I’m sure no one minds, as we wouldn’t have reasons for buying such a thing. At least for now, it’s much cheaper to use regular light bulbs.
Solio Mg Edition – For The True Adventurers
Solio is an unfolding solar panel that can charge up cellphones, iPods and almost any other portable device. It can come in very handy when you’re going on a field trip for several days and there won’t be any sources of electricity around.
The Solio Magnesium Edition is, as its manufacturer company states, “the most powerful and versatile hybrid charger ever made”. And honestly, you simply can’t argue with that when you take a look at its features: the energy it stocks in one hour of sunlight exposure provides you 25 minutes of phone talking, it can charge all sorts of gadgets, from mobile phones, iPhones and Bluetooth headsets to PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras and many others. It has the most efficient technology for solar panels and the highest capacity battery to store power, being able to hold its charge for a year.
The device has a compact design, including folding solar panels, has a weight of only 179g and it costs $200.
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- Solio Side
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- Solio Facedown
Next Generation Of Superconductors
Informations about a new room-temperature superconductor have been released to the media, as it appears that a team of researchers from Germany and Canada managed to put hydrogen under enough pressure to turn to a superconductor. Speculations that this fact might be true have been made for years, but nobody could confirm it, because hydrogen is the most difficult element to compress.
The new material is fabricated out of a silicon-hydrogen compound that the researchers called ’silane’. The silicon compound was not tested yet at room temperature, but the scientists claim that it could sidestep the cooling requirement, therefore enabling superconducting wires to work at room temperature.
Conventional superconductors require super-cooling, but this new method uses super-compression instead, so this could be the next generation of superconductors.
Plastic Solar Cells Will Be Available Soon
The major trouble with the solar energy market is that most people across the Globe don`t want or can`t afford to pay that high initial fee, despite the obvious future benefits of changing the ‘fuel’.
Researchers from the United States and Austria are very close to solve this matter, as they announced significant progress toward the next generation of Plastic Solar Cells. These are fabricated from bulk hetero-junction materials comprising semi-conducting polymers and fullerenes, and have already recorded some promising performances.
Still, researchers are trying to figure out a way to control the nano-scale morphology and are looking for ways to optimize the solar cell performance for practical use.
With these new discoveries they hope that solar energy will make it`s way into our homes much faster, as previous efforts of convincing people to switch to this ecological fuel were not sustained by the Governments.
San Francisco Built Of Scallion-Shaped High Rises
Iwamoto Scott, an architecture firm from San Francisco has released some photos and ideas of how they see the city in the future, more exactly in 100 years. Probably the population will double until 2108, so we definitely need new ways of transportation, that can be more reliable, carry more people and also be environmental, so they came with some ideas.
The transportation will be done via hydrogen-powered hovercrafts through an underground network of tunnels, collecting and distribution of water, electricity, gas and other products will be done through a symbiotic multi-scalar infrastructure. The walls will be built of carbon nanotubes by drilling bots, the hydrogen fuel will be produced from algae in aquaculture zones.
Trev Might Be The Future Electric City Car
The staff and students from the University of South Australia have built a two-seat electric car, with good autonomy, lightweight and very economical, called Trev.
Trev seems a great car for city driving, with enough luggage space, weights only 270kg, is very quiet and environmental-friendly, is safe, has an autonomy of 150km and can reach a top speed of 120km/h.
It seems great for a city car, but it’s not looking very good, having a kinda strange design. As performances, it sports 30kW IEMS brushless engine, that boosts the car from 0 to 100km/h in less than 10 seconds, has a simple and efficient transmission due to it’s single rear wheel, which also helps on suspension. Unfortunately, we don’t know if it will go on production and if so, what it’s price would be.
UltraBattery Brings Longer Lifetime & More Power
Australian CSIRO has developed a battery for hybrid cars, that has very good specifications and good emission. The new battery is called the UltraBattery and is supposed to be 70% less expensive than the current Ni-MH batteries used in hybrid cars. With a 4 times longer life cycle and 50% more powerful than the current batteries, it already worked for 100,000 miles and still hasn’t died, so it’s definitely an increase in lifetime.
David Lamb stated that “The UltraBattery is a leap forward for low emission transport and uptake of HEVs,” but this isn’t all, as they also have plans for renewable energy storage developed from solar and wind power. We hope we will see the battery in the upcoming hybrid cars soon.
Samsung To Exclusively Distribute HydroGen’s Fuel Cell Plants
Samsung has signed a partnership with HydroGen, an US-based company that produces phosphoric acid fuel cell ( PAFC ) power plants. The Master Cooperation Agreement’s terms state that Samsung will be HydroGen’s power plants exclusive distributor in Asia, Middle East and also other regions.
HydroGen has also agreed to design a multi-megawatt PAFC plant to operate on natural gas within 6 months. If they come to a success and gain Samsung’s satisfaction they will also sign an agreement to sell natural gas fueled multi-megawatt PAFC power plants.
Also Samsung will purchase and operate PAFC power plants from HydroGen to sell heat and energy in the specified territories.
1.3 – 2 Times Longer Lifetime For Panasonic Evolta Batteries
For those that still prefer disposable batteries, Panasonic has developed the Evolta lineup, that has a lifetime 1.3 to 2 times longer than the existing alkaline batteries. Actually it’s quite good, but less favorable to use than a rechargeable battery.
Panasonic claims that the Evolta are the longest lasting AA batteries in the world and they will be 15% more expensive than usual batteries. We should see them on shelves on April 26th.
Voltaic Generator Bag Charges Your Laptop in One Sunny day
Forget the solar bags that only charge your phone, handheld or laptop a bit, because Voltaic launches a bag that can charge your laptop in just one day, if the bag is kept in sunlight. Unfortunately, it still isn’t really useful, because one day it’s quite long to charge your laptop and this if you can keep it into sunlight.
The solar bag can produce 14.7 watts from one solar panel in one sunny day and it also comes with adapters, so you can charge your USB devices, phones and also it includes a battery.
It’s other bad part is the price of $599, that doesn’t really seem to make it affordable, because you would probably better buy more batteries and don’t need to wait that much to use your laptop again. But this is good if you don’t want to carry many batteries with you and you need to stay away from electricity for at least a few days.
via Engadget
Silicon Nanowire Battery Has 10 Times the Capacity of Existing Li-ion Batteries
Standford announced that it managed to build batteries with 10 times the capacity of conventional Li-ion batteries, by using silicon nanowires. The problem with existing Li-ion batteries is that the silicon pulverizes and they found a way to solve it.
Yi Cui’s team from Standford found a way to use silicon nanowires in the battery, so that the silicon can shrink and grow without pulverizing. They are now planning to patent the technology and license it so it can get manufactured and sold.