The latest invention developed by scientists from the University of Tokyo is a hologram projector that allows a person to touch a hologram with bare hands. Usually it is impossible to do so due to the fact that holograms are made only of light. However, improved technology allows a user to actually feel holograms floating in 3D space.
Researchers called their latest invention Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display. The hologram projector takes advantage of an ultrasound phenomenon, which scientists dubbed acoustic radiation pressure. Thus, the projector is able to generate a pressure sensation on a person's hands that are identified with the help of two Nintendo Wiimotes. More great inventions can be found here at www.InfoNIAC.com - check the links at the bottom of the article.
According to Japanese scientists, the technology does not require any physical contact, which means that the quality of the hologram will not be diluted. The team of researchers led by Hiroyuki Shinoda, recently presented their latest invention at SIGGRAPH 2009 in New Orleans.
On their website the team explains: "A retroreflective marker is attached on the tip of user's middle finger. IR LEDs illuminate the marker and two Wiimotes sense the 3D position of the finger. Owing to this hand-tracking system, the users can handle the floating virtual image with their hands."
If you look at the video below you can see scientists demonstrating how a person can feel virtual raindrops that fall off the user's hand. Such technology could be widely used in video games.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Latest Invention: Doll's House that Helps Cut CO2 Emissions and Serve as Security System
The latest invention from scientists at University of Hertfordshire, UK, is a doll's house that could one day change our way of life, at least that what its developers state. The doll's house is part of a project entitled InterHome and was developed with the goal of showing that our homes could be much greener and safer if homeowners took advantage of smart technologies that adapt to people's daily lives.
Engineers included in their latest invention a network or infrared sensors that are connected to a central computer. According to the coordinator of the project, Johann Siau, the software algorithm of the house analyzes the rooms that people tend to occupy and then learns when there is a need to turn on the lights, the air conditioning or heating systems and when such actions are not necessary. You can find additional information on latest inventions here at www.infoniac.com in order to be up-to-date with the news from the worlds of science and technology.
The tests carried out by researchers showed that the technology behind the InterHouse can help reduce carbon emissions and cut energy bills by about J300 ($490) per year, reports New Scientist. In addition, their latest invention can also serve as a home security system - the lock sensors on doors and windows are connected to the main computer and whenever the homeowner forgets to lock them the system sends a text message. If the user texts back, the system automatically locks the doors and windows.
Hydrogen Powered Gadgets Presented at Solar and Fuel Cell Exposition in Tokyo
The capital of Japan housed a number of companies that presented their latest inventions in technology, but not just any technology. The exposition, entitled PV & FC Expo 2009 , held at Tokyo Bog Sight, host the largest show of photovoltaic (solar cells) and fuel cell technology, bringing together companies and investors.
Among the most impressive inventions on the exposition there was the dancing hydrogen-powered robot along with her robot dog companion.
Despite the fact that there are still debates regarding the possibility of hydrogen economy, the number of visitors, as well as the commercial interest at the exposition shows that hydrogen economy will definitely become an element of a future sustainable economy.Among other latest inventions at the FC Expo 2009, there was Yamaha's FC-dii hydrogen fuel cell motorbike. It can be powered either by fuel cell, which uses methanol, or by external li-ion battery.
Several hydrogen powered gadgets were presented at the exposition by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. One of them was a hydrogen powered assisted-drive bicycle. Currently its price is $4,600. The bicycle features hydrogen packs that generate power when needed. These packs can be recharged.
In addition, there were a number of hydrogen powered toys along with fuel cell/energy generation learning kits, such as the H-racer 2.0, which is rather pricey, $120, but it features a solar cell and a "hydrogen station."
The popular Japanese company Kawasaki was not left unnoticed. It presented its fuel cell light rail concept.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
HONDA BICYCLE SIMULATOR
This bicycle simulator was initially built for traffic safety education but due to the buzz around the product Honda have decided to bring them onto the Japanese market early next year. The simulator allows the user to cycle through a host of different conditions, without the risk of being knocked down by another vehicle. You won't have to experience the wet weather, or the cold conditons either, but can safely and warmly use the simulator from the comfort of your own home.
The simulator will come pre-loaded with a whole range of different scenarios, including 'Going to School', 'Going to the grocery store', 'Going to cram school' and 'visiting a local shopping street', as well as others. The simulator will appeal to many different organisations and people, including public offices, law-enforcement agencies, driving schools and educational establishments.
Pre-sale orders will begin in November this year.
VUZIX WRAP 310 VIDEO EYEWEAR
Vuzix Corporation, the leader in video eyewear for the consumer, defense and low vision markets, is thrilled to be shipping the Wrap 310 worldwide. The game-changing Wrap 310 challenges the status quo of traditional video viewing devices by looking and feeling like normal sunglasses. The Wrap 310, featuring twin high-resolution video displays and projecting a 55-inch screen at 10-feet is now available through Vuzix.com and a number of other retailers and distribution partners.
"The Wrap 310 promises to change the game in portable video and we're thrilled to officially deliver this product to the masses," said Vuzix CEO, Paul Travers. "The Wrap 310 also brings advanced features to the video Eyewear category that no product has. With capabilities to add tracking and cameras that enable augmented reality and incredible gaming experiences; there is nothing like it on the market" added Travers.
Whether you are an executive business traveler or want an immersive console gaming experience, the Wrap 310 gets the job done in style. With composite video input and optional VGA and component compatibility adapters, the Wrap 310 is the most versatile pair of video eyewear on the market. Additionally, as the first video eyewear designed for upgradeability, the Wrap 310 features an expansion port designed to provide the product with near limitless compatibility. In addition to the VGA and Component adapters available later this year, Vuzix has plans for new and exciting accessories designed to keep the Wrap 310 on the cutting edge.
The Wrap 310 also features an improved on-screen user interface, included independent focus adjustments for users with corrective lenses and still features compatibility with all major 3D video formats. Powered for up to 6 hours on just 2 AA batteries, the Wrap 310 will accept video from almost any video player, including the iPod and iPhone. The Wrap 310 has a MSRP of $249.95.
Compatible Devices Include:
• All iPod/iPhone models
• Portable DVD players
• Mobile phones with video output
• PCs and laptops*
• DVD/Blu-Ray players
• Portable media players
*Requires optional VGA cable adaptor
MINI SOCCER SHAPED FAN (4 COMMENTS)
For soccer fans everywhere, looking forward to the World Cup next year in South Africa, there have been a series of soccer shaped fans manufactured. These solar powered fans are soccer-shaped and provide a touch of relief from the warm Summer weather. This clever, solar-powered Soccer-shaped fan circulates the air to help reduce the temperature without the need for standard electricity. It is handy and easy to use. The blades will spin as long as the round fan is opened and the sunlight...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Latest Invention: Robot That Tests Visual Implants for Blind People
The latest invention of researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a remote-controlled robot that was developed to emulate the vision of a blind person who has a visual prosthesis implanted in the eye, for instance an artificial retina (aka retinal prosthesis). The latter is made of a silicon chip that has several electrodes, which directly stimulate the nerve cells found in the retina.
Scientists believe that their latest invention, dubbed CYCLOPS, could provide blind people the possibility to freely walk around different spaces, avoiding various barriers. CYCLOPS represents a mobile robotic platform and is considered to be the first in the world that can simulate the vision of a blind person who has an artificial retina. The description of the device and its possible uses were published in the journal Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine.
To be able to capture images the artificial retina makes use of an internal or external tiny camera. The pictures that were captured are then processes and transmitted to the electrodes in the silicone chip, which, in its turn, directly stimulates the retinal ganglion cells in the eye of the patient. These cells carry the information about the image to the brain's vision centers.
This latest invention can also be used to help researchers determine the level of resolution in an array of 50 pixels or 16 pixels in a retinal prosthesis, and identify which one is better. It is worth mentioning that the camera on the device is gimbaled, thus it is able to simulate left-to-right and up-and-down head movements. Real-time image processing is carried out by the computing platform inside the robot. Using a joystick, the platform can be controlled from any part of the world using wireless Internet connection.
"We have the image-processing algorithms running locally on the robot's platform - but we have to get it to the point where it has complete control of its own responses. We can run many, many tests without bothering the blind prosthesis carriers", said Wolfgang Fink, a visiting associate in physics at Caltech.
With the help of their latest invention researchers from Caltech hope to make the living environment more accessible for visually impaired people with certain vision prosthesis. In addition, the robot could help researchers decide whether a specific visual implant is really worth testing in blind people.
If you like this invention then vote for it here.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Vulture - Unmanned Aircraft
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of United States is working to develop an unmanned aircraft that is able to stay in air for a period of 5 years at a time. It is one of the most recent inventions of world.
Officials of DARPA has revealed that this aircraft will be known as VULTURE due to its Persistent Pseudo-Satellite Capability . It means that this aircraft will be able to fly over a single area, communicating or performing analysis for years at a time.
Major Obstacles in Project:
Even this project looks appealing to many of you, but there are some serious problems or you can say obstacles in achieving this project.
1) First challenge in front of designers is to figure out some Way to Supply Power to this aircraft during long missions.
2) Another problem is that this aircraft will carry a 1000 pound (450 kg) payload in winds at an altitude of 60,000 to 90,000 feet.
3) Designers have also to sort out the problems regarding Deterioration of Materials during their long-time exposure to stratospheric flight.
In addition to this there may be many challenges during designing of this aircraft.
Daniel Newman: The Man Behind VULTURE
Daniel Newman is the Project Manger of this ambitious project of NASA. In his words: "We want to completely change the paradigm of how we think of aircraft. Aviation has a perfect record - we've never left one up there. We will attempt to break that record". It looks that its time to get out of the traditional "launch - recover - maintain - launch cycle of aircrafts."
Concept Behind Vulture:
Basically Aircrafts operates just like satellites, but the major difference is that these are not regulated by orbital mechanics. You can understand Vulture as a Pseudo-Satellite, which operates in the stratosphere and not in the low Earth orbit. This would provide a 65 dB upgrading in communications capability and will increase onboard sensor resolution.
When Will it Become a Reality?
Well, right now NASA has not mentioned any time table when the aircraft will be ready. But for now NASA has worked on the probable design of Vulture (see picture).
Officials of DARPA has revealed that this aircraft will be known as VULTURE due to its Persistent Pseudo-Satellite Capability . It means that this aircraft will be able to fly over a single area, communicating or performing analysis for years at a time.
Major Obstacles in Project:
Even this project looks appealing to many of you, but there are some serious problems or you can say obstacles in achieving this project.
1) First challenge in front of designers is to figure out some Way to Supply Power to this aircraft during long missions.
2) Another problem is that this aircraft will carry a 1000 pound (450 kg) payload in winds at an altitude of 60,000 to 90,000 feet.
3) Designers have also to sort out the problems regarding Deterioration of Materials during their long-time exposure to stratospheric flight.
In addition to this there may be many challenges during designing of this aircraft.
Daniel Newman: The Man Behind VULTURE
Daniel Newman is the Project Manger of this ambitious project of NASA. In his words: "We want to completely change the paradigm of how we think of aircraft. Aviation has a perfect record - we've never left one up there. We will attempt to break that record". It looks that its time to get out of the traditional "launch - recover - maintain - launch cycle of aircrafts."
Concept Behind Vulture:
Basically Aircrafts operates just like satellites, but the major difference is that these are not regulated by orbital mechanics. You can understand Vulture as a Pseudo-Satellite, which operates in the stratosphere and not in the low Earth orbit. This would provide a 65 dB upgrading in communications capability and will increase onboard sensor resolution.
When Will it Become a Reality?
Well, right now NASA has not mentioned any time table when the aircraft will be ready. But for now NASA has worked on the probable design of Vulture (see picture).
New Blackberry Curve
BLACKBERRY LATEST MOBILE PHONE:
Blackberry Curve (8300) is one of the most popular latest phones since its launch. But since its launch, mobile industry has experienced many advances in technology. So to keep them update wit latest technology Blackberry family has launched its latest edition called BLACKBERRY BOLD.
WHAT'S NEW ?
Blackberry Bold is a blend of greatest features of Windows Mobile and the quality and reliability specific to Blackberry brand.
With the help of new Blackberry Bold now it is possible to edit your Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents. These updates can be moved over onto main PC or Mac. So now you can update and improve speeches and presentations during practice runs or when still on the road.
SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING:
Blackberry Bold is one of the most media-friendly release yet with the inclusion of Wifi which allows you to access the Internet from virtually millions of locations worldwide (the GPS and mapping functions can help you locate a site). And even outside of hot-spot areas, the Blackberry Bold utilizes HSDPA technology to access nearly 3G download speeds.
In new Blackberry Bold streaming videos are also available, complementing the mp3 player. And with the Media Sync application, you can easily transfer media files from itunes to your handset very easily.
Blackberry Curve (8300) is one of the most popular latest phones since its launch. But since its launch, mobile industry has experienced many advances in technology. So to keep them update wit latest technology Blackberry family has launched its latest edition called BLACKBERRY BOLD.
WHAT'S NEW ?
Blackberry Bold is a blend of greatest features of Windows Mobile and the quality and reliability specific to Blackberry brand.
With the help of new Blackberry Bold now it is possible to edit your Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents. These updates can be moved over onto main PC or Mac. So now you can update and improve speeches and presentations during practice runs or when still on the road.
SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING:
Blackberry Bold is one of the most media-friendly release yet with the inclusion of Wifi which allows you to access the Internet from virtually millions of locations worldwide (the GPS and mapping functions can help you locate a site). And even outside of hot-spot areas, the Blackberry Bold utilizes HSDPA technology to access nearly 3G download speeds.
In new Blackberry Bold streaming videos are also available, complementing the mp3 player. And with the Media Sync application, you can easily transfer media files from itunes to your handset very easily.
4G Technology
Fourth Generation (4G) mobiles
4G also called as Fourth-Generation Communications System, is a term used to describe the next step in wireless communications. A 4G system can provide a comprehensive IP solution where voice, data and streamed multimedia can be provided to users on an "Anytime, Anywhere" basis. The data transfer rates are also much higher than previous generations.
The main objectives of 4G are:
1)4G will be a fully IP-based integrated system.
2)This will be capable of providing 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s speeds both indoors and outdoors.
3)It can provide premium quality and high security.
4)4G offer all types of services at an affordable cost.
4G is developed to provide high quality of service (QoS) and rate requirements set by forthcoming applications such as wireless broadband access, Multimedia Messaging, Video Chat, Mobile TV, High definition TV content, DVB, minimal service like voice and data, and other streaming services.
4G technology allow high-quality smooth video transmission. It will enable fast downloading of full-length songs or music pieces in real time.
The business and popularity of 4Gmobiles is predicted to be very vast. On an average, by 2009, this 4Gmobile market will be over $400B and it will dominate the wireless communications, and its converged system will replace most conventional wireless infrastructure.
Data Rates For 4G:
The downloading speed for mobile Internet connections is from 9.6 kbit/s for 2G cellular at present. However, in actual use the data rates are usually slower, especially in crowded areas, or when there is congestion in network.
4G mobile data transmission rates are planned to be up to 20 megabits per second which means that it will be about 10-20 times faster than standard ASDL services.
In terms of connection seeds, 4G will be about 200 times faster than present 2G mobile data rates, and about 10 times faster than 3G broadband mobile. 3G data rates are currently 2Mbit/sec, which is very fast compared to 2G's 9.6Kbit/sec
4G also called as Fourth-Generation Communications System, is a term used to describe the next step in wireless communications. A 4G system can provide a comprehensive IP solution where voice, data and streamed multimedia can be provided to users on an "Anytime, Anywhere" basis. The data transfer rates are also much higher than previous generations.
The main objectives of 4G are:
1)4G will be a fully IP-based integrated system.
2)This will be capable of providing 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s speeds both indoors and outdoors.
3)It can provide premium quality and high security.
4)4G offer all types of services at an affordable cost.
4G is developed to provide high quality of service (QoS) and rate requirements set by forthcoming applications such as wireless broadband access, Multimedia Messaging, Video Chat, Mobile TV, High definition TV content, DVB, minimal service like voice and data, and other streaming services.
4G technology allow high-quality smooth video transmission. It will enable fast downloading of full-length songs or music pieces in real time.
The business and popularity of 4Gmobiles is predicted to be very vast. On an average, by 2009, this 4Gmobile market will be over $400B and it will dominate the wireless communications, and its converged system will replace most conventional wireless infrastructure.
Data Rates For 4G:
The downloading speed for mobile Internet connections is from 9.6 kbit/s for 2G cellular at present. However, in actual use the data rates are usually slower, especially in crowded areas, or when there is congestion in network.
4G mobile data transmission rates are planned to be up to 20 megabits per second which means that it will be about 10-20 times faster than standard ASDL services.
In terms of connection seeds, 4G will be about 200 times faster than present 2G mobile data rates, and about 10 times faster than 3G broadband mobile. 3G data rates are currently 2Mbit/sec, which is very fast compared to 2G's 9.6Kbit/sec
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Spherical Tree Houses
Nestled among the towering tree tops of Canada's west coast rain forest, you will find these innovative homes created by inventor Tom Chudleigh.
Using a combination of sail-rigging, boat construction and biomimicry technology, the pod-shaped spheres are suspended among the trees using strands.
Spiral stairways suspend to the ground providing access to the spheres. Built from cedar or fiber glass, the spheres are insulated and designed to withstand structural impacts.
Source: freespiritspheres.com
Using a combination of sail-rigging, boat construction and biomimicry technology, the pod-shaped spheres are suspended among the trees using strands.
Spiral stairways suspend to the ground providing access to the spheres. Built from cedar or fiber glass, the spheres are insulated and designed to withstand structural impacts.
Source: freespiritspheres.com
Gyro Technology
This wild new motorcycle, invented by 19-year-old Ben J. Poss Gulak, is among the latest inventions to capture attention.
Debuting at the National Motorcycle Show in Toronto, the "Uno" uses gyro technology for balance and acceleration.
It is a battery charged machine that accelerates by leaning forward and slowing down by leaning backwards. It weighs approximately 129 pounds (58 kg.) and has a top speed of 25 mph (40 klms).
Source: the-uno-tomorrows-transportation.com
Debuting at the National Motorcycle Show in Toronto, the "Uno" uses gyro technology for balance and acceleration.
It is a battery charged machine that accelerates by leaning forward and slowing down by leaning backwards. It weighs approximately 129 pounds (58 kg.) and has a top speed of 25 mph (40 klms).
Source: the-uno-tomorrows-transportation.com
Jet Man
Inventor and former Swiss Air Force fighter pilot, Yves Rossy, jumped from a plane over Calais, France and flew 200 mph crossing the English Channel in 13 minutes before landing in Dover, England.
Earlier this year he unfolded the wings on his back and flew 186 mph (300 kilometers) above the Swiss Alps.
Using four small jet engines attached to his carbon wings, he climbed at 200 ft per minute before executing a series of stunts for a crowd of reporters watching from a mountain top.
The spectacular demonstration was the first public revelation of his latest invention, which he spent five years developing.
"It is absolute freedom" says Rossy.
The inventor says his 120 lb Jetman suit will eventually be available to the public but it's still a few years away.
The flight over the English Channel was his second public demonstration. He is planning his next flight through the Grand Canyon.
Source: jet-man.com
Earlier this year he unfolded the wings on his back and flew 186 mph (300 kilometers) above the Swiss Alps.
Using four small jet engines attached to his carbon wings, he climbed at 200 ft per minute before executing a series of stunts for a crowd of reporters watching from a mountain top.
The spectacular demonstration was the first public revelation of his latest invention, which he spent five years developing.
"It is absolute freedom" says Rossy.
The inventor says his 120 lb Jetman suit will eventually be available to the public but it's still a few years away.
The flight over the English Channel was his second public demonstration. He is planning his next flight through the Grand Canyon.
Source: jet-man.com
A House that Walks
A new prototype house walked around the campus of the Wysing Arts Centre in Cambridgeshire, England.
The eco-friendly house is powered by solar cells and minature windmills, and comes with a kitchen, a composting toilet, a system for collecting rain water, one bed, a wood stove for CO2 neutral heating, a rear opening that forms a stairway entrance, and six legs.
A collaborative effort between MIT and the Danish design collective N55, the house walks about five kilometers an hour similar to the walking speed of a human.
The legs reguire a software algorithm to calculate the movement and position of the legs to provide stability over varying terrain.
The house can turn, move forward or backwards, or change height as required and can be programmed with GPS waypoints for travelling to destinations.
The eco-friendly house is powered by solar cells and minature windmills, and comes with a kitchen, a composting toilet, a system for collecting rain water, one bed, a wood stove for CO2 neutral heating, a rear opening that forms a stairway entrance, and six legs.
A collaborative effort between MIT and the Danish design collective N55, the house walks about five kilometers an hour similar to the walking speed of a human.
The legs reguire a software algorithm to calculate the movement and position of the legs to provide stability over varying terrain.
The house can turn, move forward or backwards, or change height as required and can be programmed with GPS waypoints for travelling to destinations.
AirPod - Car Runs On Air
In the past hour, worldwide consumption of petroleum exceeded 100 million gallons.
In the United States, there are 200,000 miles of pipeline, 170,000 gas stations and 243 million vehicles using petroleum fuels.
Guy Nègre, a former aeronautics and formula one engineer is hoping to change all that. He has invented a compressed air technology for cars.
Nègre is the founder and CEO of Motor Development International (MDI SA) based in Luxembourg, with research and development facilities in Nice, France.
The AirPod is a small four-wheel mini-car that uses compressed air to move pistons in a 5.45 hp internal combustion engine.
It has a range of 60 miles on a single tank of air and uses a small motor to compress outside air to keep the tank full.
The compressor can operate on gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol or vegetable oil, but can also be plugged into an electrical outlet for recharging. With regular gasoline fueling the compressor, the Airpod averages an amazing 106 mpg with a range of 800 miles.
With the demand for inexpensive, user friendly, ultra high mileage vehicles that have zero emissions related to global warming - the Airpod is getting a lot of attention.
Air France and KLM airlines are using AirPods to transport passengers between arrival and departure gates at airports in Paris and Amsterdam.
Automaker, Tata Motors has purchased the manufacturing rights for India. Zero Pollution Motors has purchased the rights for the U.S. market and beginning in 2011 expect to manufacture 8,000 vehicles a year in the United States.
Licensing arrangements for other countries are currently in progress.
Source: mdi.lu/english
In the United States, there are 200,000 miles of pipeline, 170,000 gas stations and 243 million vehicles using petroleum fuels.
Guy Nègre, a former aeronautics and formula one engineer is hoping to change all that. He has invented a compressed air technology for cars.
Nègre is the founder and CEO of Motor Development International (MDI SA) based in Luxembourg, with research and development facilities in Nice, France.
The AirPod is a small four-wheel mini-car that uses compressed air to move pistons in a 5.45 hp internal combustion engine.
It has a range of 60 miles on a single tank of air and uses a small motor to compress outside air to keep the tank full.
The compressor can operate on gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol or vegetable oil, but can also be plugged into an electrical outlet for recharging. With regular gasoline fueling the compressor, the Airpod averages an amazing 106 mpg with a range of 800 miles.
With the demand for inexpensive, user friendly, ultra high mileage vehicles that have zero emissions related to global warming - the Airpod is getting a lot of attention.
Air France and KLM airlines are using AirPods to transport passengers between arrival and departure gates at airports in Paris and Amsterdam.
Automaker, Tata Motors has purchased the manufacturing rights for India. Zero Pollution Motors has purchased the rights for the U.S. market and beginning in 2011 expect to manufacture 8,000 vehicles a year in the United States.
Licensing arrangements for other countries are currently in progress.
Source: mdi.lu/english
Einstein Invention
Scientists at Oxford University have reconstructed an Albert Einstein invention in the hopes of developing an eco-friendly refrigerator.
Einstein invented a green technology refrigerator in 1930 that operated without electricity or any moving parts.
The need for eco-friendly cooling technology is becoming more important given the demand by developing countries for air conditioning and refrigeration. Replacing current technologies with energy efficient, green technology is why scientists are now resurrecting Einstein's invention.
More: Albert Einstein Invention
Einstein invented a green technology refrigerator in 1930 that operated without electricity or any moving parts.
The need for eco-friendly cooling technology is becoming more important given the demand by developing countries for air conditioning and refrigeration. Replacing current technologies with energy efficient, green technology is why scientists are now resurrecting Einstein's invention.
More: Albert Einstein Invention
Shark Tank
Television producer Mark Burnett, famous for introducing reality TV hits such as "Survivor" and Donald Trump's "The Apprentice", is creating a new Inventor series with Sony Pictures Television.
The Shark Tank will feature inventors pitching their latest inventions to several multi-millionaire investors.
"We are looking for inventors with amazing ideas or products," says Kris Canning, Casting Producer for the show.
If you're interested in getting a chance to show your invention on television to investors, just send Kris an email at the address below.
Include a brief paragraph about yourself , non-confidential information about your idea or invention, contact info and recent photo.
Mail to: kcanning@markburnettprod.com
The Shark Tank will feature inventors pitching their latest inventions to several multi-millionaire investors.
"We are looking for inventors with amazing ideas or products," says Kris Canning, Casting Producer for the show.
If you're interested in getting a chance to show your invention on television to investors, just send Kris an email at the address below.
Include a brief paragraph about yourself , non-confidential information about your idea or invention, contact info and recent photo.
Mail to: kcanning@markburnettprod.com
Jay Leno Restores 100-Year-Old Electric Car
Jay Leno, an avid car enthusiast, owns a fully restored Baker Electric car that was orginally built in 1909.
Proving that good ideas can be found by rediscovering past inventions, like the Einstein Refrigerator, the Baker Electric car was an idea ahead of it's time.
The crankless, gas-free, emissions-free, maintenance-free and quiet Baker was invented by Walter C. Baker of Cleveland, Ohio and was powered by alkaline batteries invented by Thomas Edison.
Jay still uses the orginal Edison batteries. The Baker can travel approximately 100 miles before recharging, which is about the same as modern electric cars, although top speed is only 25 mph.
Before Henry Ford began mass producing inexpensive gas cars, electric cars such as the Baker accounted for about 38% of the U.S car market. See the Baker Electric at Jay's website below.
Source: jaylenosgarage.com/cars/Baker_E_shell.shtml
Proving that good ideas can be found by rediscovering past inventions, like the Einstein Refrigerator, the Baker Electric car was an idea ahead of it's time.
The crankless, gas-free, emissions-free, maintenance-free and quiet Baker was invented by Walter C. Baker of Cleveland, Ohio and was powered by alkaline batteries invented by Thomas Edison.
Jay still uses the orginal Edison batteries. The Baker can travel approximately 100 miles before recharging, which is about the same as modern electric cars, although top speed is only 25 mph.
Before Henry Ford began mass producing inexpensive gas cars, electric cars such as the Baker accounted for about 38% of the U.S car market. See the Baker Electric at Jay's website below.
Source: jaylenosgarage.com/cars/Baker_E_shell.shtml
Biomimicry Creates New Tires
Biomimicry is the science that imitates nature to create new products.
Resilient Technologies, a Wisconsin based company, has created a tire that can't go flat.
Instead of using a pressurized air cavity, the tire design relies on a geometric pattern of six-sided cells that are arranged in a matrix like a honeycomb.
It has the same ride, reduced noise levels and heat generation as pressurized tires. The goal was to create an airless tire with uniform flexibility and load transfer that would endure tremendous wear and tear and still perform well.
The best design was found in nature, which was the honeycomb.
Source: www.resilienttech.com
Resilient Technologies, a Wisconsin based company, has created a tire that can't go flat.
Instead of using a pressurized air cavity, the tire design relies on a geometric pattern of six-sided cells that are arranged in a matrix like a honeycomb.
It has the same ride, reduced noise levels and heat generation as pressurized tires. The goal was to create an airless tire with uniform flexibility and load transfer that would endure tremendous wear and tear and still perform well.
The best design was found in nature, which was the honeycomb.
Source: www.resilienttech.com
Wind Turbines
The Bahrain World Trade Center is the first skyscraper to have wind turbines integrated into the structure of the building.
Three large wind turbines are suspended between two office towers. The towers are aerodynamically tapered to funnel wind and draw air into the turbines.
This airfoil tapering allows the wind to enter the turbines at a perpendicular angle and increases air speed as much as 30 percent in each of the 95 ft wide turbine rotors.
The turbines supply about 15 percent of the electricity used by the skyscraper - approximately the same amount of electricity used by 300 homes.
Three large wind turbines are suspended between two office towers. The towers are aerodynamically tapered to funnel wind and draw air into the turbines.
This airfoil tapering allows the wind to enter the turbines at a perpendicular angle and increases air speed as much as 30 percent in each of the 95 ft wide turbine rotors.
The turbines supply about 15 percent of the electricity used by the skyscraper - approximately the same amount of electricity used by 300 homes.
Transparent Electronics
Inventors, Jung Won Seo, Jae-Woo Park, Keong Su Lim, Ji-Hwan Yang and Sang Jung Kang, who are scientists at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, have created the world's first transparent computer chip.
The chip, known as (TRRAM) or transparent resistive random access memory, is similar to existing chips known as (CMOS) or metal-oxide semiconductor memory, which we use in our electronic devices. The difference is that TRRAM is completely clear and transparent. What is the benefit of having transparency?
"It is a new milestone of transparent electronic systems," says Jung Won Seo. "By integrating TRRAM with other transparent electronic components, we can create a total see-through embedded electronic systems."
The technology could enable the windows or mirrors in your home to be used as computer monitors and television screens.
This technology is expected to be available within 3 to 4 years.
The chip, known as (TRRAM) or transparent resistive random access memory, is similar to existing chips known as (CMOS) or metal-oxide semiconductor memory, which we use in our electronic devices. The difference is that TRRAM is completely clear and transparent. What is the benefit of having transparency?
"It is a new milestone of transparent electronic systems," says Jung Won Seo. "By integrating TRRAM with other transparent electronic components, we can create a total see-through embedded electronic systems."
The technology could enable the windows or mirrors in your home to be used as computer monitors and television screens.
This technology is expected to be available within 3 to 4 years.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Newest Invention of 2009 - A Flying Car
A Flying Car - At Last!!!!
Well, it sounds a lot better than Road-Going Plane - which is really what it is if you want to kill the James Bond moment right here. If not, then read on!
Someone has finally invented the flying car - and they reckon that it could take to the sky in then next few weeks for it’s maiden voyage. Yippee!!!!!
Basically, it is already a road-legal ‘car’ and you can drive it all over town if you want, fuelling up with ordinary premium unleaded petrol - although you would look a tiny bit silly with the giant wings folded up to the rear of the vehicle as you pulled in to the services!
Why haven’t we had one before?
Well, after changes in the licencing of pilots in light aircraft in the US, there is a new category of ‘light sports aircraft’ for 2009 which this vehicle fit’s into. There are also less regulations to fly one in terms of ‘pilot flying hours’ and you only need 20 or more hours to gain this license (as long as all other requirements are met).
There have been numerous improvements in the field of avionics too - this is the new technology that helps you to fly a plane. There are no longer whole panels of instruments and controls to watch over - it all got a lot simpler. GPS does your navigation, the weather is just displayed on a screen rather than having to run calculations and use charts, and they have automatic throttles.
So, who did it?
A company called Terrafugia (Woburn, Massachusetts) are behind this one, and Carl Dietrich - one of the bosses - describes it as ‘a little Transformer’. However, push all ideas of your car turning into a robot and running across fields - and even forget about your car looking like a regular car. This machine just does the basics at the moment.
So, imagine flying your small 2-seater light aircraft with a ‘fold wings up’ button on the dashboard (obviously don’t press it while flying). Then imagine landing your ‘plane’ on a small runway, and taxing off to the side. You then press your little red button and within 15 seconds the wings have folded neatly away to the sides and you can then drive out through the parking lot and then head straight off to that all important meeting.
Obviously, you need a full pilots licence as well as a driving license for this one, but how cool to avoid all that tiresome commuting every day! You could fly over interstate traffic rather than sitting in it! No need to follow the ring road around a town or city - just pass right on over it!
There will also be no annoying check-in at airports for those shorter business journeys or weekend get-aways - just load up your car with essentials - drive to the airport and press your little button. You fly off and when you land at your destination - press the button again - and drive to your cabin in the woods. Imagine the day trips you could have with this baby!!!!
The facts:
The Terrafugia Transition (it’s full name) is currently a road legal car but is still working on the plane bit. Currently, there are some issues with insuring the vehicle as companies are not sure whether it should be a car that flies or a plane the goes on roads.
When extended, the plane has a 27.5ft wingspan and can fly at around 115mph - covering up to 500 miles on one tank of petrol.
When it’s a car, it drives as an automatic (as there is no gearstick). It has 100bhp and can be driven by anyone with a licence. It fits into a standard garage and saves you having to tow your own plane or pay hangar fees.
The company already have orders for 40 even though it’s not off the ground in both senses of the word!
The competitors:
Believe it or not there are several other companies using the new ‘light sports aircraft’ category to produce their own flying vehicles in 2009. And here are just 2 of these new vehicles/big boys toys:
Parajet Sky Car - Basically a dune buggy with a giant fan attached to the back and a parachute on top. This British invention can travel 100mph as a car and 80mph as a ‘plane’. They even have a pitch for a ’sports’ version and are planning to travel from London to Timbuktu to get publicity.
Pal-V Europe BV - Not so catchy a name, but this invention is a 3-wheeled gyrocopter, with full vertical take-off and landing ability! According to the manufacturers, it is as agile as a motorbike on land and the single rotor folds completely away. As it flies so low, you apparently don’t have to log your flight as you would do with the Transition.
Literally - the sky is the limit now for your childhood dreams to come true!
Well, it sounds a lot better than Road-Going Plane - which is really what it is if you want to kill the James Bond moment right here. If not, then read on!
Someone has finally invented the flying car - and they reckon that it could take to the sky in then next few weeks for it’s maiden voyage. Yippee!!!!!
Basically, it is already a road-legal ‘car’ and you can drive it all over town if you want, fuelling up with ordinary premium unleaded petrol - although you would look a tiny bit silly with the giant wings folded up to the rear of the vehicle as you pulled in to the services!
Why haven’t we had one before?
Well, after changes in the licencing of pilots in light aircraft in the US, there is a new category of ‘light sports aircraft’ for 2009 which this vehicle fit’s into. There are also less regulations to fly one in terms of ‘pilot flying hours’ and you only need 20 or more hours to gain this license (as long as all other requirements are met).
There have been numerous improvements in the field of avionics too - this is the new technology that helps you to fly a plane. There are no longer whole panels of instruments and controls to watch over - it all got a lot simpler. GPS does your navigation, the weather is just displayed on a screen rather than having to run calculations and use charts, and they have automatic throttles.
So, who did it?
A company called Terrafugia (Woburn, Massachusetts) are behind this one, and Carl Dietrich - one of the bosses - describes it as ‘a little Transformer’. However, push all ideas of your car turning into a robot and running across fields - and even forget about your car looking like a regular car. This machine just does the basics at the moment.
So, imagine flying your small 2-seater light aircraft with a ‘fold wings up’ button on the dashboard (obviously don’t press it while flying). Then imagine landing your ‘plane’ on a small runway, and taxing off to the side. You then press your little red button and within 15 seconds the wings have folded neatly away to the sides and you can then drive out through the parking lot and then head straight off to that all important meeting.
Obviously, you need a full pilots licence as well as a driving license for this one, but how cool to avoid all that tiresome commuting every day! You could fly over interstate traffic rather than sitting in it! No need to follow the ring road around a town or city - just pass right on over it!
There will also be no annoying check-in at airports for those shorter business journeys or weekend get-aways - just load up your car with essentials - drive to the airport and press your little button. You fly off and when you land at your destination - press the button again - and drive to your cabin in the woods. Imagine the day trips you could have with this baby!!!!
The facts:
The Terrafugia Transition (it’s full name) is currently a road legal car but is still working on the plane bit. Currently, there are some issues with insuring the vehicle as companies are not sure whether it should be a car that flies or a plane the goes on roads.
When extended, the plane has a 27.5ft wingspan and can fly at around 115mph - covering up to 500 miles on one tank of petrol.
When it’s a car, it drives as an automatic (as there is no gearstick). It has 100bhp and can be driven by anyone with a licence. It fits into a standard garage and saves you having to tow your own plane or pay hangar fees.
The company already have orders for 40 even though it’s not off the ground in both senses of the word!
The competitors:
Believe it or not there are several other companies using the new ‘light sports aircraft’ category to produce their own flying vehicles in 2009. And here are just 2 of these new vehicles/big boys toys:
Parajet Sky Car - Basically a dune buggy with a giant fan attached to the back and a parachute on top. This British invention can travel 100mph as a car and 80mph as a ‘plane’. They even have a pitch for a ’sports’ version and are planning to travel from London to Timbuktu to get publicity.
Pal-V Europe BV - Not so catchy a name, but this invention is a 3-wheeled gyrocopter, with full vertical take-off and landing ability! According to the manufacturers, it is as agile as a motorbike on land and the single rotor folds completely away. As it flies so low, you apparently don’t have to log your flight as you would do with the Transition.
Literally - the sky is the limit now for your childhood dreams to come true!
Are Lotus - Leading The Green Car Revolution?
Is it the car that makes it green or the fuel it runs on? One car manufacturing is racing to be the best in the new battle to become ‘green’.
Many new cars are focusing on offering ‘greener’ fuels for their cars and getting them to drive more economically - but this company are trying to make their entire ethos green, and are taking steps to become ‘responsible’.
Who Are They?
Well, this company are Lotus. They are trying to be the greenest car-maker in the UK, and are not keeping shy about it. They have a new eco-friendly car on the cards - although it’s nowhere near mass-production - but they want everyone to know about it. And everything else they are doing to be ‘green’.
After the huge success of the Tesla Roadster - the very popular all electric sports car (even George Clooney has one!) Lotus want more. They have created a sports car that actually has non-metal components on it’s shell and doesn’t have the ubiquitous leather seats!!!
So What’s New?
The Eco Elise as it’s name suggests, is based on the original sports car version of the same name - however, you will notice some differences. For starters, on it’s roof you will find some solar panals which will power the stereo and the air-conditioning rather than using it’s fuel. Running your hand over it’s bodywork, you may notice that not all it’s panals are metal - some are infact hemp. Yes - the well known plant!
You of course would not know that the paints used for it’s glorious coating were actually water-based products produced by DuPont - which are not only good for the environment in production but also less polluting when disposed of.
Moving inside as you slip into the drivers seat, you notice that the seat covers are made of wool - quite a surprise really - and nothing like the knitted surface you may have expected! As expected though - it will drive like a dream - all the mechanics of the car run the same as it’s namesake.
It’s Competition:
There are other classic car companies on it’s tail though, with the 2 below offering green credentials for their new models:
Jaguar - The Limo Green is their attempt to turn the company ‘green’ which should be coming about later this year. It is a series hybrid vehicle - basically an electric car that has it’s own onboard generater. Ideally it will run at around 120g of carbon per kilometer - but may even get below the 100g/km threshold that will save you paying road tax in the UK.
Land Rover - The Rehav, which is in effect a diesel hybrid verison of the classic style 4×4 vehicle. With little other green modifications bar that, it hopes to offer as little as 130g/km carbon release - now that really would be a first for these giant so called ‘gas-guzzling’ giants!!
The Next Step?
Companies used to be seen as reasonably ‘eco-friendly’ when they converted from oil-based fuels, but now the world is realising that this is a comparitively small step when cars like the Eco Elise start to have less impact on the environment around their factories and supply chain.
Moving towards creating a responsible company rather than creating just an eco friendly car seems to be the most logical step forward - and Lotus have taken that step!
Many new cars are focusing on offering ‘greener’ fuels for their cars and getting them to drive more economically - but this company are trying to make their entire ethos green, and are taking steps to become ‘responsible’.
Who Are They?
Well, this company are Lotus. They are trying to be the greenest car-maker in the UK, and are not keeping shy about it. They have a new eco-friendly car on the cards - although it’s nowhere near mass-production - but they want everyone to know about it. And everything else they are doing to be ‘green’.
After the huge success of the Tesla Roadster - the very popular all electric sports car (even George Clooney has one!) Lotus want more. They have created a sports car that actually has non-metal components on it’s shell and doesn’t have the ubiquitous leather seats!!!
So What’s New?
The Eco Elise as it’s name suggests, is based on the original sports car version of the same name - however, you will notice some differences. For starters, on it’s roof you will find some solar panals which will power the stereo and the air-conditioning rather than using it’s fuel. Running your hand over it’s bodywork, you may notice that not all it’s panals are metal - some are infact hemp. Yes - the well known plant!
You of course would not know that the paints used for it’s glorious coating were actually water-based products produced by DuPont - which are not only good for the environment in production but also less polluting when disposed of.
Moving inside as you slip into the drivers seat, you notice that the seat covers are made of wool - quite a surprise really - and nothing like the knitted surface you may have expected! As expected though - it will drive like a dream - all the mechanics of the car run the same as it’s namesake.
It’s Competition:
There are other classic car companies on it’s tail though, with the 2 below offering green credentials for their new models:
Jaguar - The Limo Green is their attempt to turn the company ‘green’ which should be coming about later this year. It is a series hybrid vehicle - basically an electric car that has it’s own onboard generater. Ideally it will run at around 120g of carbon per kilometer - but may even get below the 100g/km threshold that will save you paying road tax in the UK.
Land Rover - The Rehav, which is in effect a diesel hybrid verison of the classic style 4×4 vehicle. With little other green modifications bar that, it hopes to offer as little as 130g/km carbon release - now that really would be a first for these giant so called ‘gas-guzzling’ giants!!
The Next Step?
Companies used to be seen as reasonably ‘eco-friendly’ when they converted from oil-based fuels, but now the world is realising that this is a comparitively small step when cars like the Eco Elise start to have less impact on the environment around their factories and supply chain.
Moving towards creating a responsible company rather than creating just an eco friendly car seems to be the most logical step forward - and Lotus have taken that step!
Latest Tesla - More Electric Cars Coming Our Way…
They are at it again!
Tesla are now in production with a family electric car to fill the gap in the market. After the unbelievable success of their ground-breaking Roadster (article name and link) they thought that they had better slow down and think of a different demographic.
There is still a waiting list for the Tesla Roadster after it’s launch a while back, so why a whole new design now?
The Model S
A-top-of-the-range shiny new sporty-looking hatchback that can travel 300 miles on a single charge! And can seat 7 people!
The prototype was shown to all and hopes to be ready for 2011 - with plans to churn out 20,000 the following year.
It’s not going to be a cheap family car, but the costs of running will be so much cheaper than gas - estimates reckon that the 4 hour full charge on the cars 8000 fuel cells will cost a tiny $5 at today’s electricity prices!
That really is cost effective!
Bearing in mind that the shortage of oil will no doubt push up already high gas prices - and the pressure of crops for bio-fuel could be making it unpopular.
It has been calculated that owners could save around $15,000 on fuel costs over the life of the car - and obviously help to save the environment at the same time (if using wind-produced electricity rather than coal!).
What Else Is Out There?
Competition is on the horizon from several rival firms - none of whom are in production either!
First up is the Lightning with many claims including 0-60 mph in just 5 seconds and with a charge time of just 10 minutes for 200 miles of driving - get yours reserved with just a £15,000 deposit!
Also the Volvo 3CC is set to revolutionise electric vehicles. With a claimed 0-60mph in 10 seconds and a top speed of 85mph, it will do the trick - but it looks a bit futuristic with flap up doors and a clear roof!
The Future:
However, should new cars be like old cars? Should there be a new way of looking at cars as transport?
Electric car are still just cars - usually with just 1 person in them driving in traffic in the sweltering heat!
Maybe we need to design them to be most fuel efficient with only 2 people inside as this is how most of them are used!
Tesla are now in production with a family electric car to fill the gap in the market. After the unbelievable success of their ground-breaking Roadster (article name and link) they thought that they had better slow down and think of a different demographic.
There is still a waiting list for the Tesla Roadster after it’s launch a while back, so why a whole new design now?
The Model S
A-top-of-the-range shiny new sporty-looking hatchback that can travel 300 miles on a single charge! And can seat 7 people!
The prototype was shown to all and hopes to be ready for 2011 - with plans to churn out 20,000 the following year.
It’s not going to be a cheap family car, but the costs of running will be so much cheaper than gas - estimates reckon that the 4 hour full charge on the cars 8000 fuel cells will cost a tiny $5 at today’s electricity prices!
That really is cost effective!
Bearing in mind that the shortage of oil will no doubt push up already high gas prices - and the pressure of crops for bio-fuel could be making it unpopular.
It has been calculated that owners could save around $15,000 on fuel costs over the life of the car - and obviously help to save the environment at the same time (if using wind-produced electricity rather than coal!).
What Else Is Out There?
Competition is on the horizon from several rival firms - none of whom are in production either!
First up is the Lightning with many claims including 0-60 mph in just 5 seconds and with a charge time of just 10 minutes for 200 miles of driving - get yours reserved with just a £15,000 deposit!
Also the Volvo 3CC is set to revolutionise electric vehicles. With a claimed 0-60mph in 10 seconds and a top speed of 85mph, it will do the trick - but it looks a bit futuristic with flap up doors and a clear roof!
The Future:
However, should new cars be like old cars? Should there be a new way of looking at cars as transport?
Electric car are still just cars - usually with just 1 person in them driving in traffic in the sweltering heat!
Maybe we need to design them to be most fuel efficient with only 2 people inside as this is how most of them are used!
Newest Asus Technology - Latest Laptops
I’d not really heard of this manufacturer until I was looking for notebook computer for my travels, but now I know a bit more about them - I thought I would share it with you.
# Asus won 2,568 independent awards in 2007 - that’s 7 per day for the whole year.
# Asus ranked 4th in the Top Notebook manufacturers listings
# Asus offer a 2 year global warranty
# Asus shipped over 60 million motherboards last year - making 1 in 3 PC’s sold last year.
Here are some of their finest divided into groups.
Ultra Portable Laptops:
Asus offer several designs of notepads to suit your travelling and portable necessities.
Battery life is important in these, so the features you use will need their performance settings and energy-sapping features life BlueTooth switched off when not using them.
Asus U2E:
from £1199 - Steel & Leather outer - 11.1 inch screen (1.25kg)
Runs Genuine Windows Vista Business with 32GB Solid State Disc and Wi-Fi, USB and Bluetooth. It also has fingerprint security!
Asus U6:
from £849 - Stylish metal finish - 12.1 inch screen (1.57kg)
Runs Genuine Windows Vista Business with 4GB of RAM and 320GB hard drive. Has Wi-Fi HSDPA and Bluetooth. It also has fingerprint technology.
Professional Laptops:
With an impressive selection of features in sleek and chic packages - allowing you to work without compromise in any situation.
Asus R1:
from £1119 - Stylish metal finish - 13.3 inch wide-screen (1.98kg)
Runs Genuine Windows XP Tablet Edition with 250GB hard drive and 2GB of memory. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and Intel Core 2 Duo processors.
Asus R50A:
from £899 - Modern palm held office assistant - 5.6 inch screen (520g)
Runs Genuine Windows Vista Business with 32GB hard drive and 1GB memory. With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5g with HSDPA connectivity and built in GPS.
MultiMedia Laptops:
With great images needed and a lot of RAM and storage - these are great finds.
Asus M50:
from £899 - 15.4 inch screen (3.02kg)
With a 500GB HDD and a 4GB memory, you can run the nVidia GeForce 9600 with ease. With HD screen and Blueray drive.
Asus X50:
from $419 - 15.4 inch screen (2.8kg)
With a 250GB HDD and a 2GB memory, you can run the ATI HD3470 graphics easily. With DVD super multi DL drive and photo editing capabilities.
Gaming Laptops:
With exceptional graphics cards and fast action needed, these certainly pack a punch.
Asus G70:
from £1799 - 17 inch wide-screen
With a 640GB HDD and a 4GB memory, running the nVidia GeForce 8700M GT and using Intel Core 2 Duo.
Asus G50:
from £1349 - 17 inch wide-screen
With a 500GB HDD and a 4GB memory, running the nVidia GeForce 9700M GT and using Intel Centrino 2.
Asus are also launching their Asus EPU, a bamboo ecobook!!
# Asus won 2,568 independent awards in 2007 - that’s 7 per day for the whole year.
# Asus ranked 4th in the Top Notebook manufacturers listings
# Asus offer a 2 year global warranty
# Asus shipped over 60 million motherboards last year - making 1 in 3 PC’s sold last year.
Here are some of their finest divided into groups.
Ultra Portable Laptops:
Asus offer several designs of notepads to suit your travelling and portable necessities.
Battery life is important in these, so the features you use will need their performance settings and energy-sapping features life BlueTooth switched off when not using them.
Asus U2E:
from £1199 - Steel & Leather outer - 11.1 inch screen (1.25kg)
Runs Genuine Windows Vista Business with 32GB Solid State Disc and Wi-Fi, USB and Bluetooth. It also has fingerprint security!
Asus U6:
from £849 - Stylish metal finish - 12.1 inch screen (1.57kg)
Runs Genuine Windows Vista Business with 4GB of RAM and 320GB hard drive. Has Wi-Fi HSDPA and Bluetooth. It also has fingerprint technology.
Professional Laptops:
With an impressive selection of features in sleek and chic packages - allowing you to work without compromise in any situation.
Asus R1:
from £1119 - Stylish metal finish - 13.3 inch wide-screen (1.98kg)
Runs Genuine Windows XP Tablet Edition with 250GB hard drive and 2GB of memory. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and Intel Core 2 Duo processors.
Asus R50A:
from £899 - Modern palm held office assistant - 5.6 inch screen (520g)
Runs Genuine Windows Vista Business with 32GB hard drive and 1GB memory. With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5g with HSDPA connectivity and built in GPS.
MultiMedia Laptops:
With great images needed and a lot of RAM and storage - these are great finds.
Asus M50:
from £899 - 15.4 inch screen (3.02kg)
With a 500GB HDD and a 4GB memory, you can run the nVidia GeForce 9600 with ease. With HD screen and Blueray drive.
Asus X50:
from $419 - 15.4 inch screen (2.8kg)
With a 250GB HDD and a 2GB memory, you can run the ATI HD3470 graphics easily. With DVD super multi DL drive and photo editing capabilities.
Gaming Laptops:
With exceptional graphics cards and fast action needed, these certainly pack a punch.
Asus G70:
from £1799 - 17 inch wide-screen
With a 640GB HDD and a 4GB memory, running the nVidia GeForce 8700M GT and using Intel Core 2 Duo.
Asus G50:
from £1349 - 17 inch wide-screen
With a 500GB HDD and a 4GB memory, running the nVidia GeForce 9700M GT and using Intel Centrino 2.
Asus are also launching their Asus EPU, a bamboo ecobook!!
ASUS Technology - Leading The Green Revolution!
Is Asus Going Green?
I am getting myself my first netbook this week, and I have been checking out the options - although it seems as though Asus may well have won me over straight away with their new ‘green’ credentials.
Everything they say they are doing might not apply to the actual model that I buy, but I am warming to a company that is at the ‘action’ end of the spectrum when it comes to making technology more efficient and environmentally kinder.
Technology at the moment moves so fast that ‘new’ gadgets are often overtaken in a matter of weeks by the next ‘best thing’ creating a whole heap of waste. I mean, I know several people with a drawer full of spare mobiles and chargers sitting about as they get a new model every time they upgrade their package!
It’s such a waste of resources, so I’m glad to see that Asus are investing effort not only to make their products without damaging chemicals, they are also making them more durable and they have invested in a program to reclaim parts from your old laptops, etc, rather than have them end up in a landfill.
Apparently there is now more gold found in a tonne of modern electrical waste than in 17 tonnes of ore from a gold mine! Think how reusing our technology could save the worlds remaining resources from being destroyed. I can’t believe more companies can’t see the advantages to getting their resources free!
Efficient Running:
Asus claim that their technology can determine when your laptop needs less energy and adjust the flow into your machine. Many machines lose energy as heat when being used and this new technology claims to make them more the 96% power efficient.
Their Super-Hybrid Engine (SHE) claims to extend battery life by half again - and boost the laptops performance by a further 10% as well. With this in mind - this latest technology can reduce the carbon emissions of one laptop in a year by 12.3kgs.
Reduced Chemicals:
Asus claim that they have identified and removed 37 hazardous chemicals - including mercury and lead - from their products - (the current WEEE directives only ask for 6). They don’t say whether other manufacturers had that many in the first place, but they have also made their factories free of these chemicals too so that can’t be a bad thing for their employees!
They have also just launched their ‘Bamboo’ series of laptops that are coated in natural, sustainable bamboo rather than metal - one of the greenest gadgets in 2009 - further greening up it’s environmental credentials.
Eco Friendly:
They are also making sure that their suppliers are sticking to green methods as well - and they request a list of components and added ‘ingredients’ to make sure that their claims are not being thwarted by others.
Their staff are also getting ‘green training’ in the companies ethics and principles to make sure that everyone involved in the manufacturing process is aware of the how’s and the whys - the Facts.
Recycling:
Apparently they are designed with their dismantling in mind as the company was one of the first (in 2006) to introduce a free recycling service included in the purchase price.
Asus have already collected over 5500 unwanted PCs from customers and have been reusing the parts where possible and reclaiming the precious metals and technology from machines that cannot be repaired.
They also claim to have donated over 1000 usable computers to schools in disadvantaged communities as part of their ‘recycling’ package.
Conclusion:
Seeing as their netbooks, notepads, laptops and PCs have been winning awards all over the place for their usability and incorporated technologies, Asus seemed like a safe bet anyway.
But with their recent take on making their company more environmentally responsible, their products more environmentally friendly and their customers more environmentally aware - while keeping their prices totally competitive (from £149/$220 for the Eee Pc netbook) they are certainly going to be my first choice of laptop next week!
The more people like us that support their efforts - the more of a difference they can make. If other companies start to see their designs out-sold by Asus - they may well start to be more responsible too.
I am getting myself my first netbook this week, and I have been checking out the options - although it seems as though Asus may well have won me over straight away with their new ‘green’ credentials.
Everything they say they are doing might not apply to the actual model that I buy, but I am warming to a company that is at the ‘action’ end of the spectrum when it comes to making technology more efficient and environmentally kinder.
Technology at the moment moves so fast that ‘new’ gadgets are often overtaken in a matter of weeks by the next ‘best thing’ creating a whole heap of waste. I mean, I know several people with a drawer full of spare mobiles and chargers sitting about as they get a new model every time they upgrade their package!
It’s such a waste of resources, so I’m glad to see that Asus are investing effort not only to make their products without damaging chemicals, they are also making them more durable and they have invested in a program to reclaim parts from your old laptops, etc, rather than have them end up in a landfill.
Apparently there is now more gold found in a tonne of modern electrical waste than in 17 tonnes of ore from a gold mine! Think how reusing our technology could save the worlds remaining resources from being destroyed. I can’t believe more companies can’t see the advantages to getting their resources free!
Efficient Running:
Asus claim that their technology can determine when your laptop needs less energy and adjust the flow into your machine. Many machines lose energy as heat when being used and this new technology claims to make them more the 96% power efficient.
Their Super-Hybrid Engine (SHE) claims to extend battery life by half again - and boost the laptops performance by a further 10% as well. With this in mind - this latest technology can reduce the carbon emissions of one laptop in a year by 12.3kgs.
Reduced Chemicals:
Asus claim that they have identified and removed 37 hazardous chemicals - including mercury and lead - from their products - (the current WEEE directives only ask for 6). They don’t say whether other manufacturers had that many in the first place, but they have also made their factories free of these chemicals too so that can’t be a bad thing for their employees!
They have also just launched their ‘Bamboo’ series of laptops that are coated in natural, sustainable bamboo rather than metal - one of the greenest gadgets in 2009 - further greening up it’s environmental credentials.
Eco Friendly:
They are also making sure that their suppliers are sticking to green methods as well - and they request a list of components and added ‘ingredients’ to make sure that their claims are not being thwarted by others.
Their staff are also getting ‘green training’ in the companies ethics and principles to make sure that everyone involved in the manufacturing process is aware of the how’s and the whys - the Facts.
Recycling:
Apparently they are designed with their dismantling in mind as the company was one of the first (in 2006) to introduce a free recycling service included in the purchase price.
Asus have already collected over 5500 unwanted PCs from customers and have been reusing the parts where possible and reclaiming the precious metals and technology from machines that cannot be repaired.
They also claim to have donated over 1000 usable computers to schools in disadvantaged communities as part of their ‘recycling’ package.
Conclusion:
Seeing as their netbooks, notepads, laptops and PCs have been winning awards all over the place for their usability and incorporated technologies, Asus seemed like a safe bet anyway.
But with their recent take on making their company more environmentally responsible, their products more environmentally friendly and their customers more environmentally aware - while keeping their prices totally competitive (from £149/$220 for the Eee Pc netbook) they are certainly going to be my first choice of laptop next week!
The more people like us that support their efforts - the more of a difference they can make. If other companies start to see their designs out-sold by Asus - they may well start to be more responsible too.
Latest Inventions Carnival - Summer 2009
Hello again and welcome to the summer Latest Inventions Carnival. I have split the articles into 3 groups for this one and they start with Gadgets!
Gadgets:
Erika Collin kicks things off with 100 Awesome iTunes Feeds for Technology Junkies where you can find out a lot with very little effort. Sarah Scrafford also saves you a load of time with another ‘100 tips’ in her 100 Apps to Turn Your iPhone into the Ultimate Personal Assistant.
Eric Van Haesendonck tries to make things easier as well with decisions on your next (or first) netbookHow to choose the best netbook computer?
Medical:
Dan offers up a debate on some new medical technology and patenting human body parts in Cancer Genes Patented - What this means for Innovation and Monopoly Power. Mike encourages further debate with a new technology instead with his article on the topic of Brain Stroke Clinical Trial Using Stem Cells
Nancy Miller follows on with a cheeky look at all the applications that can help you get fit! Here is her 50 Awesome iPhone Apps for Serious Athletes!
Eco Friendly:
Harold starts of the eco friendly posts with a way of working out your miles per gallon. We all have the tips for saving fuel and we need to - a car infront of me at the pumps put over twice the amount of fuel I need for a full tank! So he will certainly need the tips given here: What Factors Affect Your Car?s MPG Rating?
Brian young presents Blue-Ray Goes Green: Eco-Friendly Entertainment for the 21st Century. Bearing in mind how they are trying to sell themselves as better than other HD formats - they might just win with these green credentials!
Enjoy and don’t forget to add your feedback!
Gadgets:
Erika Collin kicks things off with 100 Awesome iTunes Feeds for Technology Junkies where you can find out a lot with very little effort. Sarah Scrafford also saves you a load of time with another ‘100 tips’ in her 100 Apps to Turn Your iPhone into the Ultimate Personal Assistant.
Eric Van Haesendonck tries to make things easier as well with decisions on your next (or first) netbookHow to choose the best netbook computer?
Medical:
Dan offers up a debate on some new medical technology and patenting human body parts in Cancer Genes Patented - What this means for Innovation and Monopoly Power. Mike encourages further debate with a new technology instead with his article on the topic of Brain Stroke Clinical Trial Using Stem Cells
Nancy Miller follows on with a cheeky look at all the applications that can help you get fit! Here is her 50 Awesome iPhone Apps for Serious Athletes!
Eco Friendly:
Harold starts of the eco friendly posts with a way of working out your miles per gallon. We all have the tips for saving fuel and we need to - a car infront of me at the pumps put over twice the amount of fuel I need for a full tank! So he will certainly need the tips given here: What Factors Affect Your Car?s MPG Rating?
Brian young presents Blue-Ray Goes Green: Eco-Friendly Entertainment for the 21st Century. Bearing in mind how they are trying to sell themselves as better than other HD formats - they might just win with these green credentials!
Enjoy and don’t forget to add your feedback!
Latest Inventions In Search Engines - Bing.com Launches
It’s strange. Microsoft, with all it’s power, has been dragging along behind Google for some years now. It was really seen as the poor cousin in internet circles and most “serious” users opted to use Google for all their searches. From my experience the majority of users of Microsoft’s MSN.com or their rebranded Live.com search engine seem to have used it because it was easy - they either had MSN set as their home page or they used Hotmail regularly and so MSN was always to hand.
Personally, I’ve always used Google, primarily because of the quality of their results. A search on MSN or Live was a slow and inaccurate process that inevitably turned up all sorts of poor quality or irrelavent sites.
However Microsoft have recently rebranded their search engine *again* (how many times are they going to do it?!) in the form of Bing.com, which is being backed by a massive advertising campaign to promote the new site.
So, is it actually any good, or is it just MSN by another name?
I recently set out to test the search engine out for size, and I have to admit that Microsoft really have added some neat features.
But before I get to them, it’s worth mentioning that the search results that Bing spits out are far more accurate than before, and in my experience now rival Google’s for quality. So that’s a big move in the right direction.
But there are two other features which really jumped out at me when using Bing, which really add to the useability of the site.
Firstly, down the left hand side of the page, you will find a list of related searches, much like Google shows at the bottom of each page. Having them at the side, however, encourages more searching and, as with all long string keyword searches, will likely lead to more accurate search results.
Personally, I’ve always used Google, primarily because of the quality of their results. A search on MSN or Live was a slow and inaccurate process that inevitably turned up all sorts of poor quality or irrelavent sites.
However Microsoft have recently rebranded their search engine *again* (how many times are they going to do it?!) in the form of Bing.com, which is being backed by a massive advertising campaign to promote the new site.
So, is it actually any good, or is it just MSN by another name?
I recently set out to test the search engine out for size, and I have to admit that Microsoft really have added some neat features.
But before I get to them, it’s worth mentioning that the search results that Bing spits out are far more accurate than before, and in my experience now rival Google’s for quality. So that’s a big move in the right direction.
But there are two other features which really jumped out at me when using Bing, which really add to the useability of the site.
Firstly, down the left hand side of the page, you will find a list of related searches, much like Google shows at the bottom of each page. Having them at the side, however, encourages more searching and, as with all long string keyword searches, will likely lead to more accurate search results.
TypeFace With Holes In Could Save Businesses $$$$’s
Want to save ink without having to shrink the font size?
Well, now you can reduce the amount of ink you use when printing normal-size fonts by using a special ‘perforated’ lettering technique.
This new Ecofont has been designed by a Dutch marketing firm to save ink without shrinking your advertising to the size of a thimble!
How Does It Work?
Basically at small sizes - such as a normal 10-font size - the printing just looks a bit paler than any other normal text, such as Tahoma. However, the secret of this potentially massive money-saving ink-reducing eco-advance can only be seen when you blow up the font size to larger sizes like 32.
Then you see that it is full of holes!
Basically someone has gone through all the letters, numbers and symbols with a tiny cookie cutter and the resulting ‘holey’ print can save a fifth of the usual ink needed for basic home printing needs.
I can’t believe nobody thought of this sooner!
Scaled up- Spranq - the company involved in this eco-invention - reckon that a company with 5000 employers could save around $125,000 per year! That is a lot of savings - and not a lot of ink cartridges to replace!
Scaled down - it would certainly be suitable for printing general stuff off the Internet like road directions or receipts and product details. Work emails can be printed off without the added costs that bosses normally moan about and kids can print out their homework without their parents giving them grief about the money!
It Has Limitations, Of Course…
…but this Ecofont isn’t designed for massive posters and street-side adverts.
Nor would it be appropriate for job applications and legal documents - but it is certainly and great idea for the home, school and small businesses - and could still be part of the recession-proofing of many larger companies who would rather cut back on ink than staff!
Well, now you can reduce the amount of ink you use when printing normal-size fonts by using a special ‘perforated’ lettering technique.
This new Ecofont has been designed by a Dutch marketing firm to save ink without shrinking your advertising to the size of a thimble!
How Does It Work?
Basically at small sizes - such as a normal 10-font size - the printing just looks a bit paler than any other normal text, such as Tahoma. However, the secret of this potentially massive money-saving ink-reducing eco-advance can only be seen when you blow up the font size to larger sizes like 32.
Then you see that it is full of holes!
Basically someone has gone through all the letters, numbers and symbols with a tiny cookie cutter and the resulting ‘holey’ print can save a fifth of the usual ink needed for basic home printing needs.
I can’t believe nobody thought of this sooner!
Scaled up- Spranq - the company involved in this eco-invention - reckon that a company with 5000 employers could save around $125,000 per year! That is a lot of savings - and not a lot of ink cartridges to replace!
Scaled down - it would certainly be suitable for printing general stuff off the Internet like road directions or receipts and product details. Work emails can be printed off without the added costs that bosses normally moan about and kids can print out their homework without their parents giving them grief about the money!
It Has Limitations, Of Course…
…but this Ecofont isn’t designed for massive posters and street-side adverts.
Nor would it be appropriate for job applications and legal documents - but it is certainly and great idea for the home, school and small businesses - and could still be part of the recession-proofing of many larger companies who would rather cut back on ink than staff!
Latest Invention In Game Consoles - Playstation 3 Preview
Sony’s Playstation has a long and illustrious history. I remember buying my first Playstation 1 back in roughly 1997 and it was cutting edge at the time. The graphics and gameplay were nothing short of amazing. Anyone remember “Abe’s Oddysey”?!
Of course, since then things have moved on. Firstly the Playstation 2 and then even the Playstation 3. Of course the PS3 was a tremendously impressive piece of kit, but was hardly cheap.
Now it seems that Sony are relaunching the PS3, much like they did with the PS1 some years ago, and based on what we’ve seen it looks like the new machine is going to be a run away success.
It seems that Sony have really put some thought into making the PS3 the “must have” gadget for Christmas 2009 having expanded it from just a games console to now being your entertainment center.
Now of course it does play games. And HD games at that for an amazing gaming experience. But plug your PS3 into your broadband connection and suddenly it becomes so much more than just a games system. Thanks to Sony’s “Playstation Network” you can now access a world of new entertainment.
For example, you can play demos of new games to see what you think before actually buying them. And if you like them, you can download the game straight into your PS3 rather than having to go out and buy a disc. Cold, wet winters day? No problem! Just try out the latest games and purchase the one that looks best then get on with playing. What could be easier?
Of course it’s not just games you can access on the network. You will also be able to rent or buy movies and music too, and even surf the internet. Oh, and don’t worry about all the hard drive space because Sony have increased the drive space from 80gig to an impressive 120gig to give you plenty of space for all your media.
Games, movies, music and internet - all on one device and accessable from the comfort of your couch? Sounds pretty good to me.
And just to top it off, Sony have reduced the size of the PS3 by around a third, and have dropped the price too making this piece of kit even more affordable than ever before.
One final point worth making before you dash out for your game system is the newly released Playstation Eye, which is a motion sensitive camera that will attach to the PS3. It can act as a web cam if you desire or best of all, it will allow you to play motion sensitive games thus challenging the Nintendo Wii for functionality.
Of course, since then things have moved on. Firstly the Playstation 2 and then even the Playstation 3. Of course the PS3 was a tremendously impressive piece of kit, but was hardly cheap.
Now it seems that Sony are relaunching the PS3, much like they did with the PS1 some years ago, and based on what we’ve seen it looks like the new machine is going to be a run away success.
It seems that Sony have really put some thought into making the PS3 the “must have” gadget for Christmas 2009 having expanded it from just a games console to now being your entertainment center.
Now of course it does play games. And HD games at that for an amazing gaming experience. But plug your PS3 into your broadband connection and suddenly it becomes so much more than just a games system. Thanks to Sony’s “Playstation Network” you can now access a world of new entertainment.
For example, you can play demos of new games to see what you think before actually buying them. And if you like them, you can download the game straight into your PS3 rather than having to go out and buy a disc. Cold, wet winters day? No problem! Just try out the latest games and purchase the one that looks best then get on with playing. What could be easier?
Of course it’s not just games you can access on the network. You will also be able to rent or buy movies and music too, and even surf the internet. Oh, and don’t worry about all the hard drive space because Sony have increased the drive space from 80gig to an impressive 120gig to give you plenty of space for all your media.
Games, movies, music and internet - all on one device and accessable from the comfort of your couch? Sounds pretty good to me.
And just to top it off, Sony have reduced the size of the PS3 by around a third, and have dropped the price too making this piece of kit even more affordable than ever before.
One final point worth making before you dash out for your game system is the newly released Playstation Eye, which is a motion sensitive camera that will attach to the PS3. It can act as a web cam if you desire or best of all, it will allow you to play motion sensitive games thus challenging the Nintendo Wii for functionality.
Latest All-Inclusive MP3 Player: The Creative - Zen X-Fi2
Fancy a top of the range new MP3 players with everything included?
There are still a variety of MP3 players coming onto the market that now include almost everything you could need in a personal music-playing gadget.
I have chosen just the Creative Zen X-Fi2, one of the latest sound systems and video experts many mp3 players available today to represent all that is now available at the touch of a button!
The Creative Zen X-Fi2:
We are now at the stage where there is almost every gadget possible on your MP3 players apart from wind turbine and a microwave!
The new Zen X-Fi2 from Creative systems is one such player - and it looks stylish too.
Basically the features go way beyond playing your favorite tracks and the radio at the touch of a button, and now include photos and video and integrated recorder - to save forever those fantastic live summer concerts or boring morning lectures at uni!
Displayed on it’s 3″ LCD touchscreen are a whole host of easy-to-use icons that open up into files of music, videos and even your RSS feed reader (you connect via your USB). You can even forget that screen when you are indoors and connect it up to your huge widescreen TV indoors - or at your friends - via the AV cable! You can now share those videos and photos life-size without having to burn them onto a disc first!
Space-wise you can have either the 8, 16 or 32GB - but it doesn’t really matter that much as it has a microSD memory card slot for extra capacity! So you can have all your live music on one card, all your lectures on another and keep the main machine for great tunes!
The Creative Zen MP3 players also come with some EP-630 in-ear earphones which apparently send the music away from your ears creating a ‘room sound’ in a new concept. They also restrict the maximum volume to prevent ear damage when using long term! Nice.
And, weighing in at only 75g, this little nifty gadget also plans your life - containing a calender, and alarm, tasks and a contacts list!
All you need to do is switch it on and away you go…..
Try the MP3 Expert website for the best prices for Creative Zens.
There are still a variety of MP3 players coming onto the market that now include almost everything you could need in a personal music-playing gadget.
I have chosen just the Creative Zen X-Fi2, one of the latest sound systems and video experts many mp3 players available today to represent all that is now available at the touch of a button!
The Creative Zen X-Fi2:
We are now at the stage where there is almost every gadget possible on your MP3 players apart from wind turbine and a microwave!
The new Zen X-Fi2 from Creative systems is one such player - and it looks stylish too.
Basically the features go way beyond playing your favorite tracks and the radio at the touch of a button, and now include photos and video and integrated recorder - to save forever those fantastic live summer concerts or boring morning lectures at uni!
Displayed on it’s 3″ LCD touchscreen are a whole host of easy-to-use icons that open up into files of music, videos and even your RSS feed reader (you connect via your USB). You can even forget that screen when you are indoors and connect it up to your huge widescreen TV indoors - or at your friends - via the AV cable! You can now share those videos and photos life-size without having to burn them onto a disc first!
Space-wise you can have either the 8, 16 or 32GB - but it doesn’t really matter that much as it has a microSD memory card slot for extra capacity! So you can have all your live music on one card, all your lectures on another and keep the main machine for great tunes!
The Creative Zen MP3 players also come with some EP-630 in-ear earphones which apparently send the music away from your ears creating a ‘room sound’ in a new concept. They also restrict the maximum volume to prevent ear damage when using long term! Nice.
And, weighing in at only 75g, this little nifty gadget also plans your life - containing a calender, and alarm, tasks and a contacts list!
All you need to do is switch it on and away you go…..
Try the MP3 Expert website for the best prices for Creative Zens.
Latest Invention In Mobile Phones - Universal Charging Ports
In the past decade or so, as mobile phones have gained in popularity, and more and more companies have started making phones, the number of different types of phone charger available has ballooned.
Nokia, Samsung, Palm, Motorola, Blackberry, Apple and so on have all had different charging ports meaning that, for example, a Samsung charger won’t charge up a Nokia phone and so on.
This means that hunting for a new charger for your phone can be a very frustrating experience. You need to know at least what brand your phone is to stand a chance of buying the right model.
Worse, some manufacturers - most notably Samsung and Nokia - have also brought out new phones with a new charging point recently. So now you even need to know what model you have as well as the make, if you want to buy a charger.
Worse, if you have an older phone, with the older charging point, getting hold of a suitable charger can be like looking for a needle in a haystack because most stores only stock chargers for the very latest handsets.
Annoying enough if you want to buy a mains charger, but doubly annoying if you also want a car charger for your phone too.
Luckily though, things look like they are starting to change. Reports have recently arrived at the Latest Inventions office that a number of mobile phone manufacturers including Nokia and Apple have signed an agreement that they will shortly be producing mobile phone handsets that all use the same charging point.
This means that one charger should be able to charge all sorts of different phones, which makes buying a new charger far easier. Oh, and incase there are any nerds out there wondering what charging point they have all agreed on, it seems they are going with the mini-USB plug.
Nokia, Samsung, Palm, Motorola, Blackberry, Apple and so on have all had different charging ports meaning that, for example, a Samsung charger won’t charge up a Nokia phone and so on.
This means that hunting for a new charger for your phone can be a very frustrating experience. You need to know at least what brand your phone is to stand a chance of buying the right model.
Worse, some manufacturers - most notably Samsung and Nokia - have also brought out new phones with a new charging point recently. So now you even need to know what model you have as well as the make, if you want to buy a charger.
Worse, if you have an older phone, with the older charging point, getting hold of a suitable charger can be like looking for a needle in a haystack because most stores only stock chargers for the very latest handsets.
Annoying enough if you want to buy a mains charger, but doubly annoying if you also want a car charger for your phone too.
Luckily though, things look like they are starting to change. Reports have recently arrived at the Latest Inventions office that a number of mobile phone manufacturers including Nokia and Apple have signed an agreement that they will shortly be producing mobile phone handsets that all use the same charging point.
This means that one charger should be able to charge all sorts of different phones, which makes buying a new charger far easier. Oh, and incase there are any nerds out there wondering what charging point they have all agreed on, it seems they are going with the mini-USB plug.
Solar Powered Cooking Just Got A Whole Lot Better….
Imagine a plastic box that reduces deforestation, improves health and boils water at the same time!
It seems almost impossible that theses 3 things are related in the same action, but if you just stick with me, all will be explained.
The Kyoto Box could well be the perfect solution for many people in developing countries in terms of reducing their need to travel for miles every day to find fuel for their fires and clean water for their families.
What Is It?
Basically, it is a cardboard box snugly fitted inside another box and topped off with a plexi-glass lid. Sounds simple because it is! All it does is absorb heat energy from the sun during the day which then becomes trapped inside the device.
This allows for very high temperatures to be reached for boiling water and cooking certain foods! It can also be used to dry certain plants and baking ingredients.
Although it is ’simple’ in principle it has taken Norwegian entrepreneur Jon Bøhmer (of Kyoto Energy) around 10 years of tinkering to get it to the stage where it can be shipped out across the world for everyday use - at around $6.
Not only can the Kyoto Box boil a large amount of water in just a few hours, it’s very materials also insulate against heat loss, so any cooked foods will remain warm for many hours after the sun has set.
How Does It Reduce Deforestation?
There are many ways in which this invention helps the people who use it - and the places in which they live, and the following summary covers the main points:
Reduces Deforestation: By removing the need to use any other fuel to cook and boil, local people do not need to clear local woodlands of trees to feed their families.
Improves Health: By removing wood and dung from the equation - this method of cooking is smoke-free. Women and babies no longer need to breathe in fumes from the fire while carrying out their daily chores. It also lowers the risk of fires in the home.
Reduces Diarrhea: By allowing families to boil water before drinking it, this has a massive effect on the family by reducing upset tummies and the drinking of parasites from local water sources.
Reduces Conflict: If families do not need to travel for miles to reach fuel or clean water, they will not come into conflict with other tribes, communities or armed poachers, etc.
Increases Other Livelihoods: If local women can stay in their village for more time everyday rather than spend hours just walking, they can take on other work or trades that could bring more money into their community.
It seems almost impossible that theses 3 things are related in the same action, but if you just stick with me, all will be explained.
The Kyoto Box could well be the perfect solution for many people in developing countries in terms of reducing their need to travel for miles every day to find fuel for their fires and clean water for their families.
What Is It?
Basically, it is a cardboard box snugly fitted inside another box and topped off with a plexi-glass lid. Sounds simple because it is! All it does is absorb heat energy from the sun during the day which then becomes trapped inside the device.
This allows for very high temperatures to be reached for boiling water and cooking certain foods! It can also be used to dry certain plants and baking ingredients.
Although it is ’simple’ in principle it has taken Norwegian entrepreneur Jon Bøhmer (of Kyoto Energy) around 10 years of tinkering to get it to the stage where it can be shipped out across the world for everyday use - at around $6.
Not only can the Kyoto Box boil a large amount of water in just a few hours, it’s very materials also insulate against heat loss, so any cooked foods will remain warm for many hours after the sun has set.
How Does It Reduce Deforestation?
There are many ways in which this invention helps the people who use it - and the places in which they live, and the following summary covers the main points:
Reduces Deforestation: By removing the need to use any other fuel to cook and boil, local people do not need to clear local woodlands of trees to feed their families.
Improves Health: By removing wood and dung from the equation - this method of cooking is smoke-free. Women and babies no longer need to breathe in fumes from the fire while carrying out their daily chores. It also lowers the risk of fires in the home.
Reduces Diarrhea: By allowing families to boil water before drinking it, this has a massive effect on the family by reducing upset tummies and the drinking of parasites from local water sources.
Reduces Conflict: If families do not need to travel for miles to reach fuel or clean water, they will not come into conflict with other tribes, communities or armed poachers, etc.
Increases Other Livelihoods: If local women can stay in their village for more time everyday rather than spend hours just walking, they can take on other work or trades that could bring more money into their community.
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