Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Philips Releases an Updated A19 LED Bulb That is Better Looking and More Efficient Read more: Philips Releases an Updated A19 LED Bulb That is Better Looking and More Efficient

The new A19 ditches the gray cooling fins and yellow phosphor that gave the previous version its industrial appearance. But the changes aren’t all aesthetic; the previous A19 consumed 12. 5-watts and the new version consumes only 11-watts. In addition to the new styling, the bulb is also more dimmable than the previous version, with all of the great efficiency benefits that LED provides.
Philips isn’t spilling the beans on the new technology used to create the bulb, employing what they call AirFlux technology to create the sleek new look. No details have been released on what the technology involves, but it is clear that it makes distinct visual improvements. The bulb will come in soft white and daylight temperatures, produces 830 lumens, and will have a retail price of $24.97.


PAPER USB DRIVE CAN BE RECYCLED AFTER USE


intelliPaper® opens doors that have never been open before. Our patented process embeds a small silicon chip inside ordinary paper and turns it into a USB drive. These drives are inexpensive and environmentally friendly. intelliPaper USB drives are transforming printed materials.
intelliPaper® currently burns customer-directed information onto business products as part of manufacturing, and ships them to marketing customers in large quantities only. Indiegogo support will help us bring this same technology to average people for personal use at a low cost—technology that has never been available on a small scale before.

Source-http://www.indiegogo.com/intellipaper

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Sculptor Michael Grab uses patience and balance to defy gravity on earth


Make no mistake about it: no tricks are employed in creating these breathtaking sculptures. The only ‘glue’ holding these stone configurations together is the very gravity they seem to defy.

Grab began stone balancing in 2008, and has since gained recognition in and around Boulder, Colorado for his amazing sculptures. He originally began the hobby to fend off boredom, but Grab now regularly uses stone balancing as an artistic and spiritual outlet. He says that one of the keys to stone balancing, in addition to incredible patience and a sense of balance, is finding the natural grooves and indentions the rocks provide.

Grab is not be the first to discover the art of stone balancing, explaining that many cultures across the globe have employed the art for centuries, but he is definitely making a name for himself as he shares his creations with the world through his site, Gravity Glue.



http://www.gravityglue.com/



Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Africa’s largest solar power plant worth $400m to be located in Ghana


UK firm, Blue Energy, today December 4, 2012 announced plans to build a photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant in Ghana, according to British media reports.
Both the BBC and the Guardian report that the company says the project which is worth $400 million will be the largest solar power plant in Africa when completed.
Blue Energy, the renewable energy developer behind the $400 million project said the 155MW solar PV plant will be fully operational by October 2015, the Guardian reported.
Construction works of the plant begins by the end of 2013 and will be located in the Western Region near the village of Aiwiaso, officials say.
The company says it will install some 630,000 PV modules.
The Nzema project will be able to provide electricity to more than 100,000 homes, the BBC reported.
Douglas Coleman, the project’s director at Blue Energy, told the Guardian that the company was using solar PV instead of the distinctive ‘troughs’ used in concentrated solar power technology seen in north Africa and the Middle East in part because PV only requires light, not direct sunlight.
By Ekow Quandzie

Ten Times the Turbine

Doug Selsam's Sky Serpent uses an array of small rotors to catch more wind for less money
WIND WIZARD Doug Selsam sits beneath a prototype 25-rotor turbine that can produce three kilowatts of power. The other end is held aloft by a balloon. John B. Carnett

Sky Serpent
Cost to Develop: $250,000
Time: 9 years
Prototype | | | | | Product
Today’s largest wind farms are the size of small towns, made up of turbines 30 stories tall with blades the size of 747 wings. Those behemoths produce a great deal of power, but manufacturing, transporting, and installing them is both expensive and difficult, and back orders are common as the industry grows by more than 40 percent a year. The solution, says inventor Doug Selsam, is to think smaller: Capture more power with less material by putting 2, 10, someday dozens of smaller rotors on the same shaft linked to the same generator.
“The wind-turbine design out there right now is a thousand years old,” Selsam points out, as he lets one of his carved wooden blades speed to a blur in the makeshift wind tunnel he’s made of the alley behind his Fullerton, California, apartment. He brainstormed his multi-rotor approach in the early ’80s, in a fluid-dynamics class at the University of California at Irvine. “The textbook said, this single-rotor turbine design is the most power you can get. I knew then it wasn’t right. More rotors equals more power.”

Of course, more rotors also means more-complicated physics. The key to increasing efficiency is to make sure each rotor catches its own fresh flow of wind and not just the wake from the one next to it, as previous multi-rotor turbines have done. That requires figuring out the optimal angle for the shaft in relation to the wind and the ideal spacing between the rotors. The payoff is machines that use one tenth the blade material of today’s megaturbines yet produce the same wattage.
How the Sky Serpent Works: Aligned at the optimal angle, each rotor receives its own wind, increasing efficiency.
Selsam never did graduate from Irvine, but over the next couple decades he kept investigating novel wind designs, and by 1999, after an extended hiatus as a heavy-metal guitarist (he claims that the band Metallica stole its name from his group, Metallix), he turned to wind development full-time. In 2003, he landed a $75,000 grant from the California Energy Commission to develop a 3,000-watt turbine—his seven-rotor design met the challenge—and he has now sold more than 20 of his 2,000-watt dual-rotor turbines to homeowners. He’s built them all in his suburban garage.
“We’ve tested all kinds of wacko things that people think should make a lot of wind energy,” says Brent Scheibel, a former turbine tester for General Electric who now runs a wind-testing facility in Tehachapi, California. “The laws of physics take most of them out of the equation very early. Doug’s idea is one of the very, very few that I’ve seen that actually has a strong chance of making strides into the commercial world.”
Selsam says two rotors is just a start. Someday he sees his multi-rotor turbines stretching for miles across the sky. “We can go big,” he says, “and make turbines using this technique that are way more powerful than anything in GE’s wildest imagination.”

Saturday, 1 December 2012

Disposable Paper Laptops


I quite agree with Je Sung Park when he says that disposable cameras and cell phones have gained acceptance, so why don’t we take the next step and bring out a disposable computer. His Recyclable Paper Laptop is quite a raw version and could do with some refinement. It uses recycled paper or pulp material all packed in layers. This is so that you can easily replace the damaged portions (even corrugated paper will tear easy). The vibe of a Paper Laptop is intriguing, I kno eventually someone will figure out the tech bit, so let’s see who will take the bait.






THE UMBRELLA WITHOUT A CANOPY

Designers Je Sung Park and Woo Jung Kwon, have developed a unique umbrella that only consists of the handle and nothing else. The ‘Air Umbrella’ is a simple electronic device that takes in air from the bottom of the controller, and shoots it out at the top to create a ‘curtain’ of air that can repel raindrops. You can control the length of the stick and the size of the air canopy.
THE AIR-UNBRELLA WITH WIND POWER IS DESIGNED AND INNOVATIVE AND FIXED IDEA. FROM ITS REFINED AND CREATIVE DESIGN,NOT ONLY IT MAKES PEOPLE MORE CONVENIENT,BUT ALSO HELPS MORE ECO-FRIENDLY AS REDUCING THE USE OF PLASTIC BAG.

Thursday, 22 November 2012

MAKERBOT 3D PHOTO BOOTH CREATES PERSONAL PORTRAITS

At the official launch of its NoHo store, Makerbot introduced its own 3D printing photo booth, taking photography beyond digital. While not as detailed as the one we recently profiled in Japan, users will get a monochrome version of their head.
Amazingly, the service costs a total of $25. Customers will sit in the booth for a $5 scan and pay an additional $20 to get their face printed. This initiative was made possible by collaborating with Shapeshot, a 3D printing company focused on applications that relate to personalization.
While it is unlikely that this printing method will replace existing printing and photography methods, Makerbot is driving the forefront of a new technology that will evolve how we understand the relationship between printing and materiality.
Images via Core77






Wednesday, 21 November 2012

WORLD CUP 2014 STADIUM SEATS WILL BE MADE OF COKE BOTTLES

Coca-Cola has launched a recycling campaign to collect bottles to be used in the seat linings for the football event in Brazil.


Ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, partner Coca-Cola has launched asustainability project to collect and recycle plastic (PET) bottles. Around 100 collection points have been set up in Rio, which will help remind people to recycle while also getting them excited about the major football event.

Inhabitat.com reports that Coca-Cola has pledged to reduce the World Cup’s environmental footprint and increase the culture of recycling. The donated plastic bottles will be reused in the linings of 6,773 seats in the new Maracanã Stadium, the venue for the final match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

FIFA’s recent public opinion tracker in Brazil found that sustainability and the environment are important topics for the population. 92% of Brazilians believe that the 2014 FIFA World Cup should be environmentally friendly, and 50% think that the stadiums should have facilities for recycling and proper disposal of waste.

Monday, 12 November 2012

VENDING MACHINE HEATS UP SNACKS BEFORE IT SERVES THEM


While conventional vending machines could only serve items in either cold or room temperature, Eatwave, a new vending machine innovation, is capable of serving and cooking pre-packaged meals, thus eliminating a trip to the nearest microwave oven.

Eatwave is equipped with an internal microwave system that can heat food in a minute or less, while cold food stays cold. This way, you can enjoy a soda, a hotpocket, and a popsicle all from the same vending machine. Eatwell has up to six customizable trays and can accommodate up to 60 selections of food, drinks for a maximum capacity of 1020 individual items.
The all-in-one vending machine is available for about $12,000 USD.
Eatwave

Saturday, 10 November 2012

Four African Teens Create Pee-Powered Energy Generator

Four African teens have wowed visitors to Maker Faire Africa by creating a generator that is powered with pee. Using a resource that everyone has, the girls developed a generator that produces six hour of power for one liter of urine. At only 14 and 15 years old, the students are an inspiration for renewable energy developers everywhere!

Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin and Bello Eniola aren’t even college grads — the young inventors barely in their teens! Growing up in a region with little natural resources, the girls were inspired to take on the challenge of creating an alternative energy system that could be further developed to solve energy solutions in their community.
The girls’ device removes valuable hydrogen from the urine, isolating it so it can be used as an energy source. The average person produces about two liters of urine a day, so the girls’ generator can easily be operated by an individual. One liter is put into an electrolytic cell, which separates the hydrogen. The hydrogen is then purified with a typical water filter, and extracted into a gas cylinder. The hydrogen’s journey is not over yet, though; it is then squeezed into another cylinder of liquid borax, which removes any excess humidity from the hydrogen. The hydrogen, now pure, can then be used in the generator.
Although the system produces six hours of electricity, it is not a stand-alone generator, as it requires electricity to initially power the electrolytic cell. Hydrogen is also volatile, so containing any amount of the pure gas is risky. But still, it’s a pretty impressive accomplishment for three girls who aren’t even old enough to legally drive. We can only imagine the great accomplishments in renewable energy they will achieve in the future.

Thursday, 1 November 2012

Rocking Chair For Technophiles


Picture it, Richardson Texas, a semi-detached town home made of bricks and columns surrounded by majestic magnolia trees. It’s a mild 75ºF and I’m outside on the veranda suckin’ on jujubes. Betwixt yelling at the neighborhood kids for being too loud and at my dog for digging in the yard, I thumb thru the latest news on my iPad rocking gently to the music of Janet Jackson. My hands tire of holding the iPad, so I place it up on a dock connected to my iRock. Yes, it’s pure genius. A rocking chair for a generation of technophiles.
Grammy gram’s rich oak rocking chair may be nice and all but my generation needs to be entertained even while sitting. The ole’ rocking chair isn’t just for geriatrics anymore. The iRock is the world’s first power generating iPad dock and sound station. Made from Swedish oak and pine, available in 5 colors, and the rocking motion provides enough power to keep your iPad juiced up. One hour of rocking provides 35% of power.
See how life comes full circle? We start out life rocking away and we leave this world rocking away. DO WANT!


Designer: Micasa LAB $1,300

Sunday, 28 October 2012

The Personal 3D Printer is Here


The ultra-compact XEOS 3D printer integrates perfectly into smaller office spaces that lack the capacity for larger printers, CNC mills and turning lathes. The use of a new innovative printer arm inspired by a wafer robot arm reduces enclosure volume by 66% compared to the current smallest design available. Create and verify geometric forms in no time, straight from the desktop!

The clean interior and transparent two window design creates a “stage” for the printing process and emphasizes on the fascination people get when they are watching an object appears out of nothing.

The design also features easy and intuitive controls and step-by-step software supports Macs / PCs and Pads, which connect to the printer via WIFI. The software takes the user by the hand and helps even first time users.

The device itself features only one “stop and open” hardware button on the outside to simplify controls and avoid overloading with functions. The printer automatically goes in standby-mode after 15 minutes and wakes up when the next print job is received. A large LED status bar behind the front glass gives visual feedback about the print progress and is easy to read – even from across the room.



Friday, 26 October 2012

We would Say Goodbye To Plastic Very Soon

Weave Goodbye To Plastic
Spider alchemy turns protein into threads stronger than Kevlar. Spidery production occurs at such a tiny scale that the spider's secret has stayed invisible until now. Today the mysteries are falling as science pulls apart both the molecular structure and the means of spider silk production. In labs around the world there is a race to copy each spidery step species use to bind proteins together.

When the copy is perfected, man-made spider silk could replace toxic and energy-intensive processes now used to make strong materials like steel and Kevlar.

If making a material stronger than steel out of protein at room temperature wasn’t enough to make spider silk worth copying, another idea might be - spiders can eat their webs and recycle them.

WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE THIS:
In your body. The first applications might be flexible transplant parts, such as ligaments.




Friday, 19 October 2012

Perfectly organized


Perfectly organized
Ants broadcast their news with chemicals. Every ant that needs to get a message receives it like rain falling from the sky. Nothing is lost in translation.

Because the message arrives with no missing pieces the ants can act immediately on what they learn. They don’t need to hit reply all, or call back to hear more. And they never get left out of an important meeting.

People are studying how ants send and absorb information so we can apply their system to everything from announcing school closings to organizing groups that can talk less and do more.

Cactus Cool Buildings


Cacti are a good source of ideas for desert living.

They manage to stay cool in a broiling climate. Look at the building on the left and you can see some of the ideas that make these plants a cool model for building design.

See the sort of fuzzy objects sticking out from the building? Those mimic spikes on a cactus and form a thicket of shade down the side of the structure. The swollen shape, with a smaller top and wider middle, leaves the lower part in shade during the hottest part of the day when the sun is directly overhead.

Cacti also seal up during the day, and do their breathing at night, when the desert cools. These ideas — from the shape to the spikes to air systems that refresh at night — are being used in scorching climates to help buildings keep cool.
Source: www.chirp.wildcentre.org 

Dog Knows Cancer Smells


Dog Knows Cancer Smells
Cancer cells release distinct gases. When a gas enters a dog's nose it gets sorted the way your eyes can sort the texture on the dog's nose on this screen. Dog's noses are so refined they can recognize the twist of different chemicals wafting up from a ten-year-old drop of blood.

You've probably seen a dog insistently sniff. Some dog owners had pets that kept snuffling specific patches of the owners' skin. Some of these people acted on their dog's advice and had the spots checked out. When they were diagnosed with skin cancer they told doctors about the sniffing behavior, and that opened the door to a look at whether the dogs were actually recognizing cancer. It turned out they were.

This new understanding that different cancers have different smells, coupled with a deeper understanding of how dog's detect and sort smells, may deliver cancer and other disease detection devices.
 Source Material: http://chirp.wildcenter.org

Mu Mu Handcrafts Sustainable...



mu mu, a design and manufacturing workshop based in Cambridgeshire, UK, has made a business out of creating sustainable accessories for iDevices. Run by a three-man team, mu mu works with creatives that design, craft, hand finish, package and ship each one of their products. They use local suppliers where possible, and when not, they keep sourcing within the UK to not only keep their carbon footprint down, but to keep money in the local economy.
With new tech coming out before you can even blink an eye, waste abounds, but starting October 29th, mu mu will be launching a case upgrade program where customers can trade in their old mu mu cases for a discount on the latest version for their handset. The returned cases will be re-sanded and oiled and either offered as refurbished cases or as desk clocks (it’s a brewing idea).

mu mu also has a great upcoming program, dubbed ‘Packaging Return’ where customers can send back their packaging in return for a 10% discount code. The packaging won’t end up in a landfill and mu mu can re-use the foam inserts and outer packaging.

Monday, 15 October 2012

Skeletons and Saints Emerge from Single Pieces of Paper in Peter Callesen's Artworks

Through meticulous and carefully calculated cuts, Callesen removes just enough of the paper to create his three dimensional forms. Reminiscent to spatial problems on SAT tests, the artist must predetermine and visualize the area and shape needed to fold the cuts into his desired form – all before placing the blade to the page. With a slim margin of error, the cuts must be precise, if not perfect, so that no excess paper is cut from the static page.
Callesen almost miraculously has the gift of transforming plain paper into sculpture forms that resemble carved wood or even marble in some cases. His arched skeleton hand and broken marble columns look as if made from a solid mass, instead of a lone sheet of paper. Birds in flight emerge from the page with three dimensional bodies that do not give away their fragile single sheet mass.
What is even more impressive is the subsequent designs Callesen makes with the cutaway negative space. Each is as perfect as the sculptures themselves, creating a shadow of the impressive shapes that emerge from the A4 page. Callesen has mastered the art form of paper cutting, transforming the page into a work of art.



Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Buchtisch Table Book by Voigt Dietrich

Avid readers who cling to the book as an endearing physical object will find in this novel book table a functional companion to the cozy hours of the day. Buchtisch is a multi-functional piece of furniture, carefully tending to both the practical and emotional needs of its users and it is brought to us from German design duo Studio Voigt Dietrich. Hailing from Potsdam, Sebastian Voigt and Franz Dietrich, class of 1984, hold a BA in Product Design from FH Potsdam and have started their studio in 2011. Made in MDF and beech, the small table is simple yet sophisticated, with clear lines and an elegant contrast between the black surface and the light texture of the wood. This minimalist quality is coupled with an aura of comfort and relax, which add to the value of the design.