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Thursday, April 24, 2008
Future of Physics - Trends and Issues
It is not an easy time being a physicist.
On the one hand, the brightest career prospects appear to be in the field of computing and software, and on the other hand, making fundamental breakthroughs and discoveries is becoming more difficult by the day
But all is not doom. The biggest crisis we are facing today is the energy crisis and sciences such as physics are the key to delivering the right solutions. With this in mind, one can expect more money and brains to be employed in this.
So with these pros and cons, where is the science of physics heading? What are the trends and challenges? Can we expect more exciting breakthroughs from this science in the near future? This post @ Future of Engineering Blog looks at web resources discussing and debating the above points.
The Future of Physics David Gross, one of the winners of the 2004 Physics Nobel Prize, gave an interesting colloquium here at CERN, presenting his list of the 25 most important questions in physics. Listed below are some interesting
1 - The origin of the Universe
2 - The nature of Dark Matter
3 - The nature of Dark Energy
4 - The formation of structures in the Universe
5 - The validity of General Relativity
6 - The validity of Quantum Mechanics
Seven questions about the past, present and future of physics? What happens when you ask some of the world's leading physicists seven questions about the past, present and future of physics
Q1. What have been the three most important discoveries in physics
Q2. Which five physicists have made the most important contributions to physics
Q3. What is the biggest unsolved problem in your field
Q4. What is the biggest unsolved problem in the rest of physics
Q5. Would you study physics if you were starting university this year
Q6. If you were starting your research career in physics again, which areas of physics would you go into
Q7. Stephen Hawking has said that there is a 50-50 chance that we will find a complete unified theory in the next 20 years. Do you agree that the end of theoretical physics is in sight
A bleak future for physics - Physics undergraduates are fast becoming a dying breed. Only months after the internationally renowned chemistry department at the University of Sussex was given a last minute-reprieve, another university has confirmed it would axe a science department. The latest casualty is physics at Reading. In the past decade some 19 physics departments have merged or closed and it seems, even a strong research record is not enough to save a department.
The Future of Physics and Society - Many difficulties faced by physics as an 'institution' and as a subject in schools and universities. These difficulties do not arise from its own subject matter and in particular the conference affirmed that the subject is certainly not 'worked out.' Nevertheless, physics as an activity and as an academic subject does face problems and listed below are two such from the article. For many students, physics can seem remote from their everyday concerns. This is true also for the general public. This is in great measure because physics is abstract and lacks visualizable elements (particularly modern microscopic physics, with astrophysics an exception). This presents a problem for teachers and those communicating with the public. The fact that physics is essentially mathematical also presents special problems.
The future of physics A hundred years is a suspiciously round number. But if researchers at CERN, the European particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, turn out to be correct, it is exactly the period needed to build a model of how the universe works. Construction began in 1900 with Max Planck’s publication of the first incarnation of quantum theory. Since then, and particularly with the development of high-energy particle accelerators in the 1930s and 1940s, the structure of matter has been probed in greater and greater detail while theorists have sought to impose order on what has been discovered. The result of their labours, now known as the standard model, will be complete with the discovery of a particle called the Higgs boson. This would round off the 18-strong menagerie of fundamental, irreducible particles required by the model.
The Future of Condensed Matter Physics - The standard model of particle physics is extremely successful, but incomplete. Its mathematical structure suggests how it might be derived from a more comprehensive unified theory. The arguments are both aesthetic and quantitative. They predict specific new phenomena observable which will be observable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Recent results on neutrino masses confirm and encourage this line of thought. Another problem within the standard model, the so-called strong CP problem, is one of a number of reasons to suspect the existence of a radically new class of very light, very weakly interacting particles. All these ideas have important implications for cosmology; in particular, they provide plausible, testable candidates for the ``dark matter''. For nuclear physics, the future is QCD. This theory opens new possibilities for understanding hadronic matter at extreme temperatures (as in the big bang, and at RHIC) and extreme density (as in neutron star interiors). Recent insights concerning color superconductivity are especially beautiful, and shed penetrating new light on the problem of quark confinement. Another lively frontier is the direct solution of the QCD equations using the full power of modern parallel computing. Other topics discussed are Astrophysics and Cosmology, Future of Physics in Biology The Future of String
Space-Time Physics and the Future of Time Travel - Human beings have always tried to explain the world around them. They have worked to organize it, to measure it, and to understand it. These efforts at understanding such basic concepts as space and time and light have led to many discoveries. In the last one hundred years many changes have been made to how we understand these concepts. You may not be able to move as quickly and easily through time as the hero of H.G. Well's Time Machine, but scientists have been able to understand how certain variables can affect time - to slow it down and speed it up - leading them to believe that it is possible that time travel may become possible. Before looking at time travel, an understanding of the terms and history are required. Space, time, and light have been studied and the definitions have evolved as research has advanced. Looking at these concepts as they have been explained through history will help us understand what may be possible in the future
Future Electroweak Physics - This document is the report of a working group established to evaluate the potential of an extended high p T physics program at the Tevatron Collider. The authors have found that, in addition to a complete program of top quark physics, there is a rich catalog of topical measurements and important discovery potential in many areas.
What is in the future for physics? - This page contains interesting questions and answers on the future of physics.
Predictions on the future of physics - A little over a century ago, the scientific community thought that all the questions physics were answered with the exception of one. They thought it would just be a matter of time before that question was solved using what was already known. That single, unanswered question led to an explosion of new questions and the birth of quantum mechanics. The field of physics has never been so fertile or chaotic. Physics is this century will focus on answering questions raised in the last, and will undoubtedly raise more questions. And just as in the last century, new understanding of physics will allow for new forms of technology. We may not have flying cars anytime soon (unfortunately), but we will have new tools at hand that we can hardly imagine.
World's top theoretical physicists converge to consider 'future of physics' - "The Future of Physics" is the subject of a singular conference being hosted by the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) from Oct. 7 to Oct. 9. Over 150 of the world's top theoretical physicists, including many Nobel laureates and the leaders of the various physics fields, are the participants.
On the one hand, the brightest career prospects appear to be in the field of computing and software, and on the other hand, making fundamental breakthroughs and discoveries is becoming more difficult by the day
But all is not doom. The biggest crisis we are facing today is the energy crisis and sciences such as physics are the key to delivering the right solutions. With this in mind, one can expect more money and brains to be employed in this.
So with these pros and cons, where is the science of physics heading? What are the trends and challenges? Can we expect more exciting breakthroughs from this science in the near future? This post @ Future of Engineering Blog looks at web resources discussing and debating the above points.
The Future of Physics David Gross, one of the winners of the 2004 Physics Nobel Prize, gave an interesting colloquium here at CERN, presenting his list of the 25 most important questions in physics. Listed below are some interesting
1 - The origin of the Universe
2 - The nature of Dark Matter
3 - The nature of Dark Energy
4 - The formation of structures in the Universe
5 - The validity of General Relativity
6 - The validity of Quantum Mechanics
Seven questions about the past, present and future of physics? What happens when you ask some of the world's leading physicists seven questions about the past, present and future of physics
Q1. What have been the three most important discoveries in physics
Q2. Which five physicists have made the most important contributions to physics
Q3. What is the biggest unsolved problem in your field
Q4. What is the biggest unsolved problem in the rest of physics
Q5. Would you study physics if you were starting university this year
Q6. If you were starting your research career in physics again, which areas of physics would you go into
Q7. Stephen Hawking has said that there is a 50-50 chance that we will find a complete unified theory in the next 20 years. Do you agree that the end of theoretical physics is in sight
A bleak future for physics - Physics undergraduates are fast becoming a dying breed. Only months after the internationally renowned chemistry department at the University of Sussex was given a last minute-reprieve, another university has confirmed it would axe a science department. The latest casualty is physics at Reading. In the past decade some 19 physics departments have merged or closed and it seems, even a strong research record is not enough to save a department.
The Future of Physics and Society - Many difficulties faced by physics as an 'institution' and as a subject in schools and universities. These difficulties do not arise from its own subject matter and in particular the conference affirmed that the subject is certainly not 'worked out.' Nevertheless, physics as an activity and as an academic subject does face problems and listed below are two such from the article. For many students, physics can seem remote from their everyday concerns. This is true also for the general public. This is in great measure because physics is abstract and lacks visualizable elements (particularly modern microscopic physics, with astrophysics an exception). This presents a problem for teachers and those communicating with the public. The fact that physics is essentially mathematical also presents special problems.
The future of physics A hundred years is a suspiciously round number. But if researchers at CERN, the European particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, turn out to be correct, it is exactly the period needed to build a model of how the universe works. Construction began in 1900 with Max Planck’s publication of the first incarnation of quantum theory. Since then, and particularly with the development of high-energy particle accelerators in the 1930s and 1940s, the structure of matter has been probed in greater and greater detail while theorists have sought to impose order on what has been discovered. The result of their labours, now known as the standard model, will be complete with the discovery of a particle called the Higgs boson. This would round off the 18-strong menagerie of fundamental, irreducible particles required by the model.
The Future of Condensed Matter Physics - The standard model of particle physics is extremely successful, but incomplete. Its mathematical structure suggests how it might be derived from a more comprehensive unified theory. The arguments are both aesthetic and quantitative. They predict specific new phenomena observable which will be observable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Recent results on neutrino masses confirm and encourage this line of thought. Another problem within the standard model, the so-called strong CP problem, is one of a number of reasons to suspect the existence of a radically new class of very light, very weakly interacting particles. All these ideas have important implications for cosmology; in particular, they provide plausible, testable candidates for the ``dark matter''. For nuclear physics, the future is QCD. This theory opens new possibilities for understanding hadronic matter at extreme temperatures (as in the big bang, and at RHIC) and extreme density (as in neutron star interiors). Recent insights concerning color superconductivity are especially beautiful, and shed penetrating new light on the problem of quark confinement. Another lively frontier is the direct solution of the QCD equations using the full power of modern parallel computing. Other topics discussed are Astrophysics and Cosmology, Future of Physics in Biology The Future of String
Space-Time Physics and the Future of Time Travel - Human beings have always tried to explain the world around them. They have worked to organize it, to measure it, and to understand it. These efforts at understanding such basic concepts as space and time and light have led to many discoveries. In the last one hundred years many changes have been made to how we understand these concepts. You may not be able to move as quickly and easily through time as the hero of H.G. Well's Time Machine, but scientists have been able to understand how certain variables can affect time - to slow it down and speed it up - leading them to believe that it is possible that time travel may become possible. Before looking at time travel, an understanding of the terms and history are required. Space, time, and light have been studied and the definitions have evolved as research has advanced. Looking at these concepts as they have been explained through history will help us understand what may be possible in the future
Future Electroweak Physics - This document is the report of a working group established to evaluate the potential of an extended high p T physics program at the Tevatron Collider. The authors have found that, in addition to a complete program of top quark physics, there is a rich catalog of topical measurements and important discovery potential in many areas.
What is in the future for physics? - This page contains interesting questions and answers on the future of physics.
Predictions on the future of physics - A little over a century ago, the scientific community thought that all the questions physics were answered with the exception of one. They thought it would just be a matter of time before that question was solved using what was already known. That single, unanswered question led to an explosion of new questions and the birth of quantum mechanics. The field of physics has never been so fertile or chaotic. Physics is this century will focus on answering questions raised in the last, and will undoubtedly raise more questions. And just as in the last century, new understanding of physics will allow for new forms of technology. We may not have flying cars anytime soon (unfortunately), but we will have new tools at hand that we can hardly imagine.
World's top theoretical physicists converge to consider 'future of physics' - "The Future of Physics" is the subject of a singular conference being hosted by the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) from Oct. 7 to Oct. 9. Over 150 of the world's top theoretical physicists, including many Nobel laureates and the leaders of the various physics fields, are the participants.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Sabic Innovative CEO Brian Gladden @ Plastics News Executive Forum
Keynote speaker Brian Gladden offered some thought-provoking insights into global trends at the recent Plastics News Executive Forum. The president and chief executive officer of Sabic Innovative Plastics LP touched on globalization, future growth, feedstock and energy costs, sustainability and human capital issues, while also suggesting some keys for succeeding in the North American market.
The industry is facing tremendous challenges with sustainability and rising pressure by environmentalists and politicians who want to ban plastics. In the face of this, Gladden suggests four keys to winning the game in the United States
Innovating
Playing global
Finding value-added niches
Driving productivity
More from here
The industry is facing tremendous challenges with sustainability and rising pressure by environmentalists and politicians who want to ban plastics. In the face of this, Gladden suggests four keys to winning the game in the United States
Innovating
Playing global
Finding value-added niches
Driving productivity
More from here
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Manufacturing-Production-Engineering
PermaLink - Sabic Innovative CEO Brian Gladden @ Plastics News Executive Forum posted by Ecacofonix : 3:26 AM
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Biocatalysts - Generics Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Go Green
Green chemistry incorporates concepts such as atom economy, convergency (higher process efficiency with fewer operations), reagent optimization (use of catalysis and more selective and recyclable reagents), and raw material efficiency.
One of the emerging green chemistry aspects is biocatalysts.
An advantage of these biocatalysts and of green chemistry in general, is the ability to manufacture a product in more generic facilities, compared to the demands of traditional chemocatalysis, which typically requires high pressure and high or low temperature reactors.
Another green chemistry strategy is telescoping, which aims to minimize the carryover of impurities from one process step to the next. The ability to make a product or an intermediate without any side products eliminates purification steps, saving time, energy, cost, and waste.
Interest in biocatalysis is high in the generics industry, in particular, as the generics manufacturers are actively seeking strategies to lower manufacturing costs and increase profit margins. It is predicted that biocatalysis technology will improve incrementally, with advances in proteomics enabling molecular evolution to be more directed and structure-based and less dependent on random mutagenesis.
More from here
Keywords: Green chemistry, recyclable reagents, BioVerdant, IChemE Alex Tao, CSO, Codexis, biocatalytic enzymes, biocatalysts, green generic facilities, generics industry
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Biocatalysts - Generics Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Go Green posted by Ecacofonix : 3:25 AM
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Buckyballs Toxicity No Harm To Microbes That Clean The Environment
Even large amounts of manufactured nanoparticles, also known as Buckyballs, don't faze microscopic organisms that are charged with cleaning up the environment, according to Purdue University researchers.
In the first published study to examine Buckyball toxicity on microbes that break down organic substances in wastewater, the scientists used an amount of the nanoparticles on the microbes that was equivalent to pouring 10 pounds of talcum powder on a person. Because high amounts of even normally safe compounds, such as talcum powder, can be toxic, the microbes' resiliency to high Buckyball levels was an important finding, the Purdue investigators said.
The experiment on Buckyballs, which are carbon molecules C60, also led the scientists to develop a better method to determine the impact of nanoparticles on the microbial community.
Keywords: nanoparticles, Buckyballs, Purdue, microscopic organisms, toxicity
C60, microbial community
Labels: Bio-engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Buckyballs Toxicity No Harm To Microbes That Clean The Environment posted by Ecacofonix : 3:24 AM
0 Comments
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Amazing Chemistry Videos - Thermites, Liquid Nitrogen, Stalagmites
Fiery explosions, beautiful reactions, and hilarious music videos are great reasons to be excited about chemistry. Here are some cool videos that are favorites of Wired Science editors.
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Sciences
PermaLink - Amazing Chemistry Videos - Thermites, Liquid Nitrogen, Stalagmites posted by Ecacofonix : 10:50 PM
0 Comments
Microfiber Fabric Creates Electricity, Uses Zinc Oxide Nanowires
Scientists have developed a microfiber fabric that generates its own electricity. The cloth makes enough current to recharge a cell phone or power a small MP3 player.
The fibers are coated with zinc oxide nanowires; one fiber is also coated with gold. When rubbed together, they generate electrical current. The shirt generates power as it moves, so a person walking or a slight breeze would create power. A 3 meter square piece of fabric is enough to power an iPod!
More from here
The fibers are coated with zinc oxide nanowires; one fiber is also coated with gold. When rubbed together, they generate electrical current. The shirt generates power as it moves, so a person walking or a slight breeze would create power. A 3 meter square piece of fabric is enough to power an iPod!
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Microfiber Fabric Creates Electricity, Uses Zinc Oxide Nanowires posted by Ecacofonix : 10:47 PM
0 Comments
Network Science to Predict Future for Pentagon?
The University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science announced recently that it's been awarded a $7.5 million grant to work in the emerging field of network science, which melds everything from mathematics to sociology.
Network science is increasingly the "hot" area for Pentagon research. Why? Because the Pentagon hopes that if it can understand complex networks, then it can understand terrorist networks, and even predict who will join such a network.
What exactly is network science? According a 2005 study done for the Army:
A working definition of network science is the study of network representations of physical, biological, and social phenomena leading to predictive models of these phenomena. Initiation of a field of network science would be appropriate to provide a body of rigorous results that would improve the predictability of the engineering design of complex networks and also speed up basic research in a variety of applications areas
More from here
Network science is increasingly the "hot" area for Pentagon research. Why? Because the Pentagon hopes that if it can understand complex networks, then it can understand terrorist networks, and even predict who will join such a network.
What exactly is network science? According a 2005 study done for the Army:
A working definition of network science is the study of network representations of physical, biological, and social phenomena leading to predictive models of these phenomena. Initiation of a field of network science would be appropriate to provide a body of rigorous results that would improve the predictability of the engineering design of complex networks and also speed up basic research in a variety of applications areas
More from here
Labels: Society
PermaLink - Network Science to Predict Future for Pentagon? posted by Ecacofonix : 10:40 PM
0 Comments
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Future of Commercial Space Travel - Predictions, Companies, Technologies
Future of Commercial Space Travel
This post at the Future of Engineering Blog provides web resources that discuss the future trends in commercial space travel.
Movers & Shakers
One Step Closer to Commercial Space Travel - Sir Richard Branson unveiled the design of spaceship two and whiteknighttwo, the future flagships of his virgin galactic endeavor. Branson, along with scaled composites, has become the only game in town for commercially viable spaceflight able to take passengers.
'Space Ship Two' Unveiled - Virgin Galactic, a company owned and established by Richard Branson's Virgin Group in order to create the world's first commercial spaceline, has unveiled the designs of the Space Ship Two and White Knight two carrier aircrafts. Space Ship Two is designed to carry six tourists and two pilots into sub-orbit, reaching a speed of just over 3 times the speed of sound and climbing to altitudes of over 360,000 feet. White Knight two, an all-carbon composite aircraft, is designed to carry and launch space ship two when reaching a height of around 50,000 feet. Commercial space travel never seemed this close.
NASA and Virgin Galactic to Explore Future - NASA officials announced they have signed an agreement with a U.S. Company, Virgin Galactic, to explore collaborations on development of future space systems and support to commercial human spaceflight activities. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, NASA Ames research center and Virgin Galactic will explore possible collaborations in several technical areas.
Commercial Space Travel - Russia's Mir Space Station was supposed to be the first destination for space tourists. But in march 2001, the russian aerospace agency brought mir down into the pacific ocean. As it turned out, bringing down mir only temporarily delayed the first tourist trip into space. Russia is not alone in its interest in space tourism. There are several projects underway to commercialize space travel. Here are a few of the groups that might take you to space: --> Bigelow aerospace, formed by budget suites of america hotels owner Robert Bigelow Space Island group --> The x prize a national contest that offered $10 million to the first private company. And more such info are present in this article.
50 Years in Space - The wealthy men behind today's commercial space industry were just kids when the U.S.-Soviet space race started 50 years ago. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, Virgin boss Richard Branson. The common denominator between these men? They are the pioneers of a new private space race, 35 years after anyone has walked on the moon. At the 50th anniversary of space exploration, many industry pundits and executives say there's a new era upon us. They describe the 17 years after sputnik as the first phase of a journey marked by new human and robotic exploration in space, and which culminated in the skylab and the apollo missions. The second phase, from 1976 to 2007, was characterized by robotic missions to other planets like saturn, collecting data about the universe. What's in store for the next phase?
Predictions
Space Travel Technology for Next 100 Years - This article contains collection of blogs and discussions on space travel technology.
International Commercial Space Development for the Future 50 Years - The first 50 years of the space era have been driven by the establishment and development of the main space powers: USA and USSR/Russia, followed by Europe, Japan, China, India. Space activities were a field for demonstration of worldwide strategic positioning, with the acquisition of access to space, of new military capabilities, but also through prestige programs in human space flight and exploration, and through utilitarian applications. In the next 50 years, the influence of government business will remain, in security applications, in exploration, and also in civil applications supporting sustainable development. But the development of the commercial markets shall accelerate, through various axes.
Towards Commercial Space Travel - Many people would like to experience space travel for various reasons. Since the early days of science fiction in the 1930s, the image of space flight as adventurous and exciting has played a growing role in popular culture. Furthermore, those who have been lucky enough to visit space have all confirmed that it is a highly enjoyable experience. The view of earth and the stars is spectacular, and the experience of living in "zero gravity" is fascinating. In order to determine the commercial potential of space travel, research is required both on the technological possibilities of reusable passenger-carrying spacecraft and orbital accommodation, and on the economics of operating a commercial service, including market research.
The Near Future of Space - Beginning in 2009 Virgin Galactic will start taking tourists to space. This will be the first “affordable” option for commercial space travel (the much more expensive option being the russian space program). The tickets will start at $200,000 per flight, and i have to say, out of my range but very affordable. What do you get for $200,000? The experience will last for 2 1/2 hour with views of a 1000 miles in any direction at a height of 360,000 feet above earth. The exciting part (for all the people who can spend 200k on a quick space flight is the future. The age of commercial space tourism is here but the rest of us or going to have to wait… but (hopefully) not too long, which is very exciting… at least to me.
Brave New World? Next Steps Planned for Private Space Travel - While Space Ship One's wispy contrail from sky to space quickly vanished into the thin desert air, the flight at Mojave Spaceport left a solid line in the sand -- to create a "new space age" of personal space travel. "This is the end of the beginning," said Gregg Maryniak, X Prize foundation executive director, shortly after brian binnie had piloted spaceshipone to a successful win of the $10 million Ansari X Prize. For the X prize foundation, plans are underway for the start of an annual event called the X Prize cup.
Technologies
Maglev Launch Assist Technology may Enable Commercial Space Travel - The same technology used in Magnetically Levitated ("Maglev") trains may give spaceships a low-cost, stable boost for the future of space travel—possibly even for joy rides. A research group from two universities in beijing, china has constructed a maglev test vehicle that works on a model track made of a permanent magnet-high temperature superconductor (PM-HTS).
This post at the Future of Engineering Blog provides web resources that discuss the future trends in commercial space travel.
Movers & Shakers
One Step Closer to Commercial Space Travel - Sir Richard Branson unveiled the design of spaceship two and whiteknighttwo, the future flagships of his virgin galactic endeavor. Branson, along with scaled composites, has become the only game in town for commercially viable spaceflight able to take passengers.
'Space Ship Two' Unveiled - Virgin Galactic, a company owned and established by Richard Branson's Virgin Group in order to create the world's first commercial spaceline, has unveiled the designs of the Space Ship Two and White Knight two carrier aircrafts. Space Ship Two is designed to carry six tourists and two pilots into sub-orbit, reaching a speed of just over 3 times the speed of sound and climbing to altitudes of over 360,000 feet. White Knight two, an all-carbon composite aircraft, is designed to carry and launch space ship two when reaching a height of around 50,000 feet. Commercial space travel never seemed this close.
NASA and Virgin Galactic to Explore Future - NASA officials announced they have signed an agreement with a U.S. Company, Virgin Galactic, to explore collaborations on development of future space systems and support to commercial human spaceflight activities. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, NASA Ames research center and Virgin Galactic will explore possible collaborations in several technical areas.
Commercial Space Travel - Russia's Mir Space Station was supposed to be the first destination for space tourists. But in march 2001, the russian aerospace agency brought mir down into the pacific ocean. As it turned out, bringing down mir only temporarily delayed the first tourist trip into space. Russia is not alone in its interest in space tourism. There are several projects underway to commercialize space travel. Here are a few of the groups that might take you to space: --> Bigelow aerospace, formed by budget suites of america hotels owner Robert Bigelow Space Island group --> The x prize a national contest that offered $10 million to the first private company. And more such info are present in this article.
50 Years in Space - The wealthy men behind today's commercial space industry were just kids when the U.S.-Soviet space race started 50 years ago. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, Virgin boss Richard Branson. The common denominator between these men? They are the pioneers of a new private space race, 35 years after anyone has walked on the moon. At the 50th anniversary of space exploration, many industry pundits and executives say there's a new era upon us. They describe the 17 years after sputnik as the first phase of a journey marked by new human and robotic exploration in space, and which culminated in the skylab and the apollo missions. The second phase, from 1976 to 2007, was characterized by robotic missions to other planets like saturn, collecting data about the universe. What's in store for the next phase?
Predictions
Space Travel Technology for Next 100 Years - This article contains collection of blogs and discussions on space travel technology.
International Commercial Space Development for the Future 50 Years - The first 50 years of the space era have been driven by the establishment and development of the main space powers: USA and USSR/Russia, followed by Europe, Japan, China, India. Space activities were a field for demonstration of worldwide strategic positioning, with the acquisition of access to space, of new military capabilities, but also through prestige programs in human space flight and exploration, and through utilitarian applications. In the next 50 years, the influence of government business will remain, in security applications, in exploration, and also in civil applications supporting sustainable development. But the development of the commercial markets shall accelerate, through various axes.
Towards Commercial Space Travel - Many people would like to experience space travel for various reasons. Since the early days of science fiction in the 1930s, the image of space flight as adventurous and exciting has played a growing role in popular culture. Furthermore, those who have been lucky enough to visit space have all confirmed that it is a highly enjoyable experience. The view of earth and the stars is spectacular, and the experience of living in "zero gravity" is fascinating. In order to determine the commercial potential of space travel, research is required both on the technological possibilities of reusable passenger-carrying spacecraft and orbital accommodation, and on the economics of operating a commercial service, including market research.
The Near Future of Space - Beginning in 2009 Virgin Galactic will start taking tourists to space. This will be the first “affordable” option for commercial space travel (the much more expensive option being the russian space program). The tickets will start at $200,000 per flight, and i have to say, out of my range but very affordable. What do you get for $200,000? The experience will last for 2 1/2 hour with views of a 1000 miles in any direction at a height of 360,000 feet above earth. The exciting part (for all the people who can spend 200k on a quick space flight is the future. The age of commercial space tourism is here but the rest of us or going to have to wait… but (hopefully) not too long, which is very exciting… at least to me.
Brave New World? Next Steps Planned for Private Space Travel - While Space Ship One's wispy contrail from sky to space quickly vanished into the thin desert air, the flight at Mojave Spaceport left a solid line in the sand -- to create a "new space age" of personal space travel. "This is the end of the beginning," said Gregg Maryniak, X Prize foundation executive director, shortly after brian binnie had piloted spaceshipone to a successful win of the $10 million Ansari X Prize. For the X prize foundation, plans are underway for the start of an annual event called the X Prize cup.
Technologies
Maglev Launch Assist Technology may Enable Commercial Space Travel - The same technology used in Magnetically Levitated ("Maglev") trains may give spaceships a low-cost, stable boost for the future of space travel—possibly even for joy rides. A research group from two universities in beijing, china has constructed a maglev test vehicle that works on a model track made of a permanent magnet-high temperature superconductor (PM-HTS).
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Future of Commercial Space Travel - Predictions, Companies, Technologies posted by Ecacofonix : 7:03 AM
0 Comments
Future of Automation - Trends, Predictions
This resource page @ the Future of Engineering Blog provides web resources that discuss the future of automation.
The Future of Industrial Automation - Because of the relatively small production volumes and huge varieties of applications, industrial automation typically utilizes new technologies developed in other markets. Automation companies tend to customize products for specific applications and requirements. So the innovation comes from targeted applications, rather than any hot, new technology.
The Future of Automation - Advances in computer and automated systems technology have impacted the entire manufacturing enterprise. CASA/SME developed and uses the Manufacturing Enterprise Wheel as a framework for understanding the different elements and relationships of the manufacturing enterprise. Examples of automation technology can easily be found that impact each area of the wheel, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Workflow Management, and Knowledge-Based Design, to name a few.
Avoid Disasters for Automation's Future: Could this Happen to You? - Past analysis has attributed so many aircraft accidents to human error. Yet at a closer look, we could trace quite a few back to design issues. The Airbus philosophy was to give the computer final authority when there was a discrepancy with the pilot. Although there could be a good reason for this, we aren't at the point where we can build software to account for every possible condition. Trusting software above human intelligence and flexibility may be a mistake. At least three other Airbus accidents resulted in hundreds of deaths due to similar computer-versus-pilot control issues.
Are all operating parameters documented and accounted for in your design? Might the safety requirements differ during different plant operating phases, such as start-up, operation, maintenance, and shutdown? Have you considered and reviewed factors like these during your hazard analyses? Make sure you account for the impact of spurious sensor signals in the rest of the system design and operations
Future Automation Flat Screen Lifts - The Future Automation Inverted Plasma lift allows a plasma screen to be stored in a ceiling. Press the remote control and the plasma will drop in to view. The mechanism also opens a trap door in the ceiling before lowering the plasma. A matching piece of ceiling above the plasma then fills the opening in the top of the cabinet when the plasma is down
A Model for Types and Levels of Human Interaction with Automation - Here you find the outline of a model for types and levels of automation that provides a framework and an objective basis for deciding which system functions should be automated and to what extent. Appropriate selection is important because automation does not merely supplant but changes human activity and can impose new coordination demands on the human operator. We propose that automation can be applied to four broad classes of functions: 1) information acquisition; 2) information analysis; 3) decision and action selection; and 4) action implementation
The Hottest Trends in Automation & Technology - Automation and technology systems are exerting more influence on the way businesses run. And as automated systems and technologies get more ubiquitous and powerful, they are also becoming more invisible, with many imbedded intelligent devices undetectable to passersby.CAD/CAM software is improving its process planning capabilities, which "involves finding the right tool to do the right job
Modern Trends in Industrial Automation, Process Control and Robotics - Globalisation, growing Technology and their development increasingly influence Automation in industry. And, it plays an important role in the global economy and in our daily lives. The most effective and visible part of modern Industrial automation is the industrial robotics. Fully automated process control Robots have contributed greatly to improve the productivity of virtually all manufacturing industries throughout the world. And, almost all the process monitoring systems installed as a part of plant or production process are basically Digital Control Systems DCS connected by digital networks.
Design Automation for Deepsubmicron: Present and Future - Advancing technology drives design technology and thus design automation (EDA). How to model interconnect, how to handle degradation of signal integrity and increasing power density are changing now, and have led to integrating logic and layout synthesis. Aggressive gate sizing to control timing has become part of any modern back-end. From 0.13 μ and down, chips will be more susceptive to breakdown during fabrication (antenna effect) or to wear out over time (electromigration) and dealing with these issues will require careful planning. More integration of fast and accurate analysis with a complete design flow (chip planning, synthesis, placement and routing) will be needed, and still, advancing complexity will affect design and verification
Future Trends in Process Automation - The importance of automation in the process industries has increased dramatically in recent years. In the highly industrialized countries, process automation serves to enhance product quality, master the whole range of products, improve process safety and plant availability, efficiently utilize resources and lower emissions. In the rapidly developing countries, mass production is the main motivation for applying process automation. The greatest demand for process automation is in the chemical industry, power generating industry, and petrochemical industry; the fastest growing demand for hardware, standard software and services of process automation is in the pharmaceutical industry. The importance of automation technology continues to increase in the process industries
The Future of Industrial Automation - Because of the relatively small production volumes and huge varieties of applications, industrial automation typically utilizes new technologies developed in other markets. Automation companies tend to customize products for specific applications and requirements. So the innovation comes from targeted applications, rather than any hot, new technology.
The Future of Automation - Advances in computer and automated systems technology have impacted the entire manufacturing enterprise. CASA/SME developed and uses the Manufacturing Enterprise Wheel as a framework for understanding the different elements and relationships of the manufacturing enterprise. Examples of automation technology can easily be found that impact each area of the wheel, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Workflow Management, and Knowledge-Based Design, to name a few.
Avoid Disasters for Automation's Future: Could this Happen to You? - Past analysis has attributed so many aircraft accidents to human error. Yet at a closer look, we could trace quite a few back to design issues. The Airbus philosophy was to give the computer final authority when there was a discrepancy with the pilot. Although there could be a good reason for this, we aren't at the point where we can build software to account for every possible condition. Trusting software above human intelligence and flexibility may be a mistake. At least three other Airbus accidents resulted in hundreds of deaths due to similar computer-versus-pilot control issues.
Are all operating parameters documented and accounted for in your design? Might the safety requirements differ during different plant operating phases, such as start-up, operation, maintenance, and shutdown? Have you considered and reviewed factors like these during your hazard analyses? Make sure you account for the impact of spurious sensor signals in the rest of the system design and operations
Future Automation Flat Screen Lifts - The Future Automation Inverted Plasma lift allows a plasma screen to be stored in a ceiling. Press the remote control and the plasma will drop in to view. The mechanism also opens a trap door in the ceiling before lowering the plasma. A matching piece of ceiling above the plasma then fills the opening in the top of the cabinet when the plasma is down
A Model for Types and Levels of Human Interaction with Automation - Here you find the outline of a model for types and levels of automation that provides a framework and an objective basis for deciding which system functions should be automated and to what extent. Appropriate selection is important because automation does not merely supplant but changes human activity and can impose new coordination demands on the human operator. We propose that automation can be applied to four broad classes of functions: 1) information acquisition; 2) information analysis; 3) decision and action selection; and 4) action implementation
The Hottest Trends in Automation & Technology - Automation and technology systems are exerting more influence on the way businesses run. And as automated systems and technologies get more ubiquitous and powerful, they are also becoming more invisible, with many imbedded intelligent devices undetectable to passersby.CAD/CAM software is improving its process planning capabilities, which "involves finding the right tool to do the right job
Modern Trends in Industrial Automation, Process Control and Robotics - Globalisation, growing Technology and their development increasingly influence Automation in industry. And, it plays an important role in the global economy and in our daily lives. The most effective and visible part of modern Industrial automation is the industrial robotics. Fully automated process control Robots have contributed greatly to improve the productivity of virtually all manufacturing industries throughout the world. And, almost all the process monitoring systems installed as a part of plant or production process are basically Digital Control Systems DCS connected by digital networks.
Design Automation for Deepsubmicron: Present and Future - Advancing technology drives design technology and thus design automation (EDA). How to model interconnect, how to handle degradation of signal integrity and increasing power density are changing now, and have led to integrating logic and layout synthesis. Aggressive gate sizing to control timing has become part of any modern back-end. From 0.13 μ and down, chips will be more susceptive to breakdown during fabrication (antenna effect) or to wear out over time (electromigration) and dealing with these issues will require careful planning. More integration of fast and accurate analysis with a complete design flow (chip planning, synthesis, placement and routing) will be needed, and still, advancing complexity will affect design and verification
Future Trends in Process Automation - The importance of automation in the process industries has increased dramatically in recent years. In the highly industrialized countries, process automation serves to enhance product quality, master the whole range of products, improve process safety and plant availability, efficiently utilize resources and lower emissions. In the rapidly developing countries, mass production is the main motivation for applying process automation. The greatest demand for process automation is in the chemical industry, power generating industry, and petrochemical industry; the fastest growing demand for hardware, standard software and services of process automation is in the pharmaceutical industry. The importance of automation technology continues to increase in the process industries
Labels: Automation, Industrial-Engineering
Future of Astronomy - Trends and Predictions
Future of Astronomy
This post @ The Future of Engineering Blog presents web resources that discuss the future trends in astronomy and space science.
Scientists to discuss future of astronomy from space
Approximately 150 astronomers from around the country will gather at the University of Chicago for a workshop April 2 to 5 to ponder what sort of orbiting telescope should probe the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths once the Hubble Space Telescope's two-decade mission ends in 2010. The Next Generation Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2009, will scan the skies at infrared wavelengths. The Hubble Telescope studies the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths.
Australia's Astronomy Future - Mission: To maximise Australia’s engagement in the new generation of optical/infrared and radio telescopes, through world-class scientific research and innovative instrument development programs. The Australian Astronomy Major National Research Facility (MNRF) is a $52m collaborative venture involving nearly all major astronomical institutions in Australia. The specific objectives of the Facility are to Increase Australia’s share of premier optical/infrared telescopes such as the Gemini 8-metre twin telescopes;
Develop enabling technologies for Australia to play a key role in, and host, the Square Kilometre Array, the centimetre-wave radiotelescope of the future; and
Visions of the Future: Astronomy and Earth Science - What does the future of science hold? Who is making the discoveries that will help shape this future? What areas of research show the greatest promise? Representing a careful selection of authoritative articles published in a special issue of Philosophical Transactions--the world's longest-running scientific journal--the chapters explore such themes as:
The Big Bang
Humankind's exploration of the solar system
The deep interior of the Earth
Global warming and climate change
Atoms and molecules in motion
New materials and processes
Nature's secrets of biological growth and form
Understanding the human body and mind
Quantum physics and its relationship to relativity theory and human consciousness
Exotic quantum computing and data storage
Telecommunications and the Internet Written by leading young scientists
Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers - The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is an international society of dedicated enthusiasts who teach, learn, trade technical information, and do their own observations of the radio sky. This organization is a scientific, non-profit group founded for the sole purpose of supporting amateur radio astronomy. SARA was organized in 1981, and today has hundreds of members worldwide. The group consists of optical astronomers, ham radio operators, engineers, teachers and non-technical persons. Many of our members are new to the field, and membership is extended to all who have an interest in radio astronomy.
Active and future projects - Due to rapid advances in infrared detector technology, the development of adaptive optics for ground based work and the commitment to infrared missions from space organizations such as NASA, ESA and ISAS, the future of infrared astronomy is extremely bright. Within the next decade, infrared astronomy will bring us exciting discoveries about new planets orbiting nearby stars, how planets, stars and galaxies are formed, the early universe, starburst galaxies, brown dwarfs, quasars and interstellar matter. Below is a summary of currently active and future infrared projects. Go through this link to learn more.
Imagining the future: gravitational wave astronomy - On October 27-30, 2004, a group of 64 gravitational wave astronomers and astronomers from traditional fields of astronomy and astrophysics, representing 20 different institutions, convened at Penn State for a workshop to speculate on the future of gravitational wave astronomy.
To facilitate discussion and debate oriented toward considering the future of the field, six questions were posed:
What will it mean to be a ``gravitational wave astronomer''?
What will be the interplay between gravitational wave astronomy and other, now conventional, forms of astronomy?
What will be the interplay between instrumentation, observation, and science in the field?
What will be the role of individual observatories vs. Global networks?
What will be the critical technologies used in gravitational wave detection?
What infrastructure will best contribute to broad participation, community growth, and the best possible science?
A white paper summarizing the key findings and open debates left by the conference is in preparation, and will be posted to arxiv.org when it is completed.
The future of astronomy - Boundaries of the universe, the depth of all that it contains, and the underlying forces that sustain and motivate it, will one day be fully exposed, comprehended, and ultimately and intimately explained by mankind. Such haughty wisdom is to be seriously doubted.
What is the real measure of time and space? Where does the boundary of the universe actually lie? Many would say that it is some 12-billion light years from us. Here, then, one simply needs to ask two very destructive questions; "What is on the other side of the boundary. . . And what, preciously, is time? There will be no factual, scientific answers to these questions.
What, then, is the future of astronomy? It is what it has always been . . . The searching out of, and displaying of, the "observable & quantifiable" universe; the continuing progression into the provable mathematics of the universe; and, yes, the publishing of the many personal "theories" of universal solutions that seem to always abound.
More from this post.
Future of Astronomy in Canada - Canadian astronomers today released the Report of the Long-Range Planning Panel on Canadian Astronomy and Astrophysics in the 21st Century.
The Report, entitled "The Origins of Structure in the Universe", outlines areas critical to Canadian astronomy that need to be developed over the next fifteen years to maintain a Canadian role at the forefront of this field.
Some of the recommendations in their Report include:
Canada's participation in key international projects in the space-based and ground-based astronomy facilities, the Next Generation Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimetre Array
Enhancement of Canada's ongoing observatory and facility commitments
Increased training opportunities for new astronomers through fellowship programs and some increase in staff at national laboratories
Establishing university laboratories for experimental astrophysics
Improvement in computing for astronomical data interpretation
An enhanced public outreach program
What space telescopes of tomorrow will see - Giant-sized telescopes such as Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra offer unprecedented views of the cosmos, but astronomers are eager to put more powerful tools into orbit around the Earth. Without the extra help, said Rachel Somerville, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, it may be impossible to resolve some of the universe's greatest mysteries.
This post @ The Future of Engineering Blog presents web resources that discuss the future trends in astronomy and space science.
Scientists to discuss future of astronomy from space
Approximately 150 astronomers from around the country will gather at the University of Chicago for a workshop April 2 to 5 to ponder what sort of orbiting telescope should probe the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths once the Hubble Space Telescope's two-decade mission ends in 2010. The Next Generation Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2009, will scan the skies at infrared wavelengths. The Hubble Telescope studies the universe at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths.
Australia's Astronomy Future - Mission: To maximise Australia’s engagement in the new generation of optical/infrared and radio telescopes, through world-class scientific research and innovative instrument development programs. The Australian Astronomy Major National Research Facility (MNRF) is a $52m collaborative venture involving nearly all major astronomical institutions in Australia. The specific objectives of the Facility are to Increase Australia’s share of premier optical/infrared telescopes such as the Gemini 8-metre twin telescopes;
Develop enabling technologies for Australia to play a key role in, and host, the Square Kilometre Array, the centimetre-wave radiotelescope of the future; and
Visions of the Future: Astronomy and Earth Science - What does the future of science hold? Who is making the discoveries that will help shape this future? What areas of research show the greatest promise? Representing a careful selection of authoritative articles published in a special issue of Philosophical Transactions--the world's longest-running scientific journal--the chapters explore such themes as:
The Big Bang
Humankind's exploration of the solar system
The deep interior of the Earth
Global warming and climate change
Atoms and molecules in motion
New materials and processes
Nature's secrets of biological growth and form
Understanding the human body and mind
Quantum physics and its relationship to relativity theory and human consciousness
Exotic quantum computing and data storage
Telecommunications and the Internet Written by leading young scientists
Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers - The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is an international society of dedicated enthusiasts who teach, learn, trade technical information, and do their own observations of the radio sky. This organization is a scientific, non-profit group founded for the sole purpose of supporting amateur radio astronomy. SARA was organized in 1981, and today has hundreds of members worldwide. The group consists of optical astronomers, ham radio operators, engineers, teachers and non-technical persons. Many of our members are new to the field, and membership is extended to all who have an interest in radio astronomy.
Active and future projects - Due to rapid advances in infrared detector technology, the development of adaptive optics for ground based work and the commitment to infrared missions from space organizations such as NASA, ESA and ISAS, the future of infrared astronomy is extremely bright. Within the next decade, infrared astronomy will bring us exciting discoveries about new planets orbiting nearby stars, how planets, stars and galaxies are formed, the early universe, starburst galaxies, brown dwarfs, quasars and interstellar matter. Below is a summary of currently active and future infrared projects. Go through this link to learn more.
Imagining the future: gravitational wave astronomy - On October 27-30, 2004, a group of 64 gravitational wave astronomers and astronomers from traditional fields of astronomy and astrophysics, representing 20 different institutions, convened at Penn State for a workshop to speculate on the future of gravitational wave astronomy.
To facilitate discussion and debate oriented toward considering the future of the field, six questions were posed:
What will it mean to be a ``gravitational wave astronomer''?
What will be the interplay between gravitational wave astronomy and other, now conventional, forms of astronomy?
What will be the interplay between instrumentation, observation, and science in the field?
What will be the role of individual observatories vs. Global networks?
What will be the critical technologies used in gravitational wave detection?
What infrastructure will best contribute to broad participation, community growth, and the best possible science?
A white paper summarizing the key findings and open debates left by the conference is in preparation, and will be posted to arxiv.org when it is completed.
The future of astronomy - Boundaries of the universe, the depth of all that it contains, and the underlying forces that sustain and motivate it, will one day be fully exposed, comprehended, and ultimately and intimately explained by mankind. Such haughty wisdom is to be seriously doubted.
What is the real measure of time and space? Where does the boundary of the universe actually lie? Many would say that it is some 12-billion light years from us. Here, then, one simply needs to ask two very destructive questions; "What is on the other side of the boundary. . . And what, preciously, is time? There will be no factual, scientific answers to these questions.
What, then, is the future of astronomy? It is what it has always been . . . The searching out of, and displaying of, the "observable & quantifiable" universe; the continuing progression into the provable mathematics of the universe; and, yes, the publishing of the many personal "theories" of universal solutions that seem to always abound.
More from this post.
Future of Astronomy in Canada - Canadian astronomers today released the Report of the Long-Range Planning Panel on Canadian Astronomy and Astrophysics in the 21st Century.
The Report, entitled "The Origins of Structure in the Universe", outlines areas critical to Canadian astronomy that need to be developed over the next fifteen years to maintain a Canadian role at the forefront of this field.
Some of the recommendations in their Report include:
Canada's participation in key international projects in the space-based and ground-based astronomy facilities, the Next Generation Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimetre Array
Enhancement of Canada's ongoing observatory and facility commitments
Increased training opportunities for new astronomers through fellowship programs and some increase in staff at national laboratories
Establishing university laboratories for experimental astrophysics
Improvement in computing for astronomical data interpretation
An enhanced public outreach program
What space telescopes of tomorrow will see - Giant-sized telescopes such as Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra offer unprecedented views of the cosmos, but astronomers are eager to put more powerful tools into orbit around the Earth. Without the extra help, said Rachel Somerville, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, it may be impossible to resolve some of the universe's greatest mysteries.
Algae Startups to Watch - GreenFuel, Petrosun, Solazyme
If corn-based biofuels are the Britney Spears of the cleantech world (a fallen star but still all over the place), fuel made from algae is the next great American Idol winner (major potential in the pipeline). And despite the fact that algae-to-biofuel startups have been taking their sweet time bringing a pond scum fuel product to market, some inroads have been made recently — GreenFuel is building its first plant, PetroSun starts producing at their farm on April 1, and big oil Chevron and Shell have made some early bets as well.
As we watch this play out, here are 15 algae biofuel firms that you should know about
GreenFuel Technologies
Solazyme
Blue Marble Energy
Inventure Chemical
Solena
Live Fuels
Solix Biofuels
Aurora Biofuels
Aquaflow Binomics
Petro Sun
Bionavitas
Seambiotic
More from here
Keywords: Algae Startups, Pond Scum, Fuel Tanks, corn-based biofuels, cleantech world
GreenFuel, PetroSu,Solazyme , Blue Marble Energy , Inventure Chemical , Solena
Live Fuels, Solix Biofuels, Aurora Biofuels, Aquaflow Binomics, Petro Sun Bionavitas, Seambiotic
As we watch this play out, here are 15 algae biofuel firms that you should know about
GreenFuel Technologies
Solazyme
Blue Marble Energy
Inventure Chemical
Solena
Live Fuels
Solix Biofuels
Aurora Biofuels
Aquaflow Binomics
Petro Sun
Bionavitas
Seambiotic
More from here
Keywords: Algae Startups, Pond Scum, Fuel Tanks, corn-based biofuels, cleantech world
GreenFuel, PetroSu,Solazyme , Blue Marble Energy , Inventure Chemical , Solena
Live Fuels, Solix Biofuels, Aurora Biofuels, Aquaflow Binomics, Petro Sun Bionavitas, Seambiotic
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Algae Startups to Watch - GreenFuel, Petrosun, Solazyme posted by Ecacofonix : 5:12 AM
1 Comments
India's Future Lies in its Water Management
How India manages its fresh water and the populations’ response to water issues will determine whether it will be a giant civilisation, just another giant or a giant problem. Its river basin’s are not only catchments of precipitation or Monsoon but social, cultural and political needs and challenges of highland, lowland urban and rural citizens. India will only be a giant if it survives and prospers after this global environmental change.
Dam building and the National River Linking Project need further study and careful examination because of the lack of a comprehensive environmental and cultural information database. So too the building of mega infrastructure in a seismically sensitive area of the Himalayas needs careful planning even if this hinders economic development.
Full report from here
Keywords: India Hydrological Future, river basins, seismically sensitive area
Dam building and the National River Linking Project need further study and careful examination because of the lack of a comprehensive environmental and cultural information database. So too the building of mega infrastructure in a seismically sensitive area of the Himalayas needs careful planning even if this hinders economic development.
Full report from here
Keywords: India Hydrological Future, river basins, seismically sensitive area
Labels: Civil-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering, Society
Mechanical Engineering Becoming the Choice for Students
Mechanical engineering is all about designing, building, and maintaining machines of all types and sizes. It's an engineering classic, dating to the early days of the industrial revolution, when engineering know-how was needed to harness the potential of the steam engine. But despite its 19th-century pedigree, M.E. is today at the heart of many cutting-edge technologies.
That makes it a hot choice for students. It's by far the most popular undergraduate degree in engineering; according to the American Society for Engineering Education, 16,063 undergrad degrees were awarded in 2006. At the graduate level, it's the third-most-popular discipline among engineering master's and is back in first place among doctorates.
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That makes it a hot choice for students. It's by far the most popular undergraduate degree in engineering; according to the American Society for Engineering Education, 16,063 undergrad degrees were awarded in 2006. At the graduate level, it's the third-most-popular discipline among engineering master's and is back in first place among doctorates.
More from
here
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., Margaret Anderson, space-travel bug, NASA, Rochester Institute of Technology,
co-op program, hybrid rockets, experimental power plants, liquid fuel technologies, counterintuitive, fledgling rocket, RIT
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., Margaret Anderson, space-travel bug, NASA, Rochester Institute of Technology,
co-op program, hybrid rockets, experimental power plants, liquid fuel technologies, counterintuitive, fledgling rocket, RIT
Labels: Education, Mechanical-Engineering
PermaLink - Mechanical Engineering Becoming the Choice for Students posted by Ecacofonix : 5:12 AM
1 Comments
Xcor Aerospace Unveils Lynx Rocket for Space Tourism
A California aerospace company plans to enter the space tourism industry with a two-seat rocket ship capable of suborbital flights to altitudes more than 37 miles above the Earth.
The Lynx, about the size of a small private plane, is expected to begin flying in 2010, according to developer Xcor Aerospace, which planned to release details of the design at a news conference Wednesday.
The company also said that, pending the outcome of negotiations, the Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded it a research contract to develop and test features of the Lynx. No details were released.
Xcor's announcement comes two months after aerospace designer Burt Rutan and billionaire Richard Branson unveiled a model of SpaceShipTwo, which is being built for Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism company and may begin test flights this year.
More from here
Keywords: Aerospace, space tourism, California aerospace company, two-seat rocket ship, suborbital flights, altitude, Lynx, private plane, Xcor Aerospace, Air Force Research Laboratory, Burt Ru, Richard Branson, SpaceShipTwo, Branson's Virgin Galactic space, tourism company , spaceship builder
The Lynx, about the size of a small private plane, is expected to begin flying in 2010, according to developer Xcor Aerospace, which planned to release details of the design at a news conference Wednesday.
The company also said that, pending the outcome of negotiations, the Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded it a research contract to develop and test features of the Lynx. No details were released.
Xcor's announcement comes two months after aerospace designer Burt Rutan and billionaire Richard Branson unveiled a model of SpaceShipTwo, which is being built for Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism company and may begin test flights this year.
More from here
Keywords: Aerospace, space tourism, California aerospace company, two-seat rocket ship, suborbital flights, altitude, Lynx, private plane, Xcor Aerospace, Air Force Research Laboratory, Burt Ru, Richard Branson, SpaceShipTwo, Branson's Virgin Galactic space, tourism company , spaceship builder
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Xcor Aerospace Unveils Lynx Rocket for Space Tourism posted by Ecacofonix : 5:12 AM
0 Comments
Cow Dung, Agriculture Waste as Fuel - Ann Christy, MIT BioVolt Cells
While the brightest scientists in the world are in the process of inventing high-tech equipments and processes in pursuit of alternative energy, there are folks who are looking at utterly down-to-earth sources for the same. Take Ann Christy, for example.
Ann Christy, an associate professor of food, agriculture and biological engineering at Ohio State University, has been conducting new research into the use of cow waste to produce energy. According to Ms Christy's research, the bacteria in cow dung release electrons during the digestion on cellulose - "in the form of undigested plant matter in the cows' waste.
Ms Christy's team of scientific researchers have so far succeeded in producing half of the power required to energise an AA battery. "While that's a very small amount of voltage, the results show that it is possible to create electricity from cow waste," she commented.
This is hardly the first time cow dung is used as fuel. In fact, in developing and poor countries, cow dung has been used as a form of fuel for ages. What is significant about recent research are the more scientific methods used to explore the potential of cow waste as a fuel. Current use of cow dung in poor countries, though intuitive, might not be the most optimal way to use it.
It is hoped that researches such as these will enable us to accomodate animal and human waste as a significant alternative energy source. Don't look forward to waste powering your car anytime soon, but they could at least power your mobile battery!
See also related researches done last few years in using cow dung as fuel here, here, here and here
Energy from waste is an interesting domain because of its double-benefits - creates energy from a free resource while improving the environment by sanitizing waste.
On related developments in the waste-to-energy domain, a team of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have also created waste-powered fuel cells. The MIT BioVolt cells are capable of running on plant waste and can generate electricity for household use in off-grid areas and developing countries.
Ann Christy, an associate professor of food, agriculture and biological engineering at Ohio State University, has been conducting new research into the use of cow waste to produce energy. According to Ms Christy's research, the bacteria in cow dung release electrons during the digestion on cellulose - "in the form of undigested plant matter in the cows' waste.
Ms Christy's team of scientific researchers have so far succeeded in producing half of the power required to energise an AA battery. "While that's a very small amount of voltage, the results show that it is possible to create electricity from cow waste," she commented.
This is hardly the first time cow dung is used as fuel. In fact, in developing and poor countries, cow dung has been used as a form of fuel for ages. What is significant about recent research are the more scientific methods used to explore the potential of cow waste as a fuel. Current use of cow dung in poor countries, though intuitive, might not be the most optimal way to use it.
It is hoped that researches such as these will enable us to accomodate animal and human waste as a significant alternative energy source. Don't look forward to waste powering your car anytime soon, but they could at least power your mobile battery!
See also related researches done last few years in using cow dung as fuel here, here, here and here
Energy from waste is an interesting domain because of its double-benefits - creates energy from a free resource while improving the environment by sanitizing waste.
On related developments in the waste-to-energy domain, a team of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have also created waste-powered fuel cells. The MIT BioVolt cells are capable of running on plant waste and can generate electricity for household use in off-grid areas and developing countries.
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Cow Dung, Agriculture Waste as Fuel - Ann Christy, MIT BioVolt Cells posted by Ecacofonix : 5:11 AM
0 Comments
Rocket Racers from Rocket Racing League, XCOR, Armadillo Aerospace
The Rocket Racing League says its rocket-powered race planes will take off for their first public exhibition races on Aug. 1 and 2 at the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wis. But that's just the start. The league's founders have also acquired an airframe-manufacturing company, taken on a new partner to build rocket engines and set up a string of subsidiaries.
Whitelaw and his partners have been working to create a "NASCAR in the sky" - a series of aerial fly-offs that would draw in spectators and viewers the way auto races do today. Now Rocket Racing Inc. is aiming to take that auto-racing parallel several steps further.
The two rocket racers that will fly will be from California-based XCOR Aerospace and Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace respectively.
More from here
Keywords:
The Rocket Racing League, Rocket Racers, rocket-powered race planes, EAA AirVenture air show, XCOR Aerospace, Armadillo Aerospace, Velocity Aircraft
Whitelaw and his partners have been working to create a "NASCAR in the sky" - a series of aerial fly-offs that would draw in spectators and viewers the way auto races do today. Now Rocket Racing Inc. is aiming to take that auto-racing parallel several steps further.
The two rocket racers that will fly will be from California-based XCOR Aerospace and Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace respectively.
More from here
Keywords:
The Rocket Racing League, Rocket Racers, rocket-powered race planes, EAA AirVenture air show, XCOR Aerospace, Armadillo Aerospace, Velocity Aircraft
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Rocket Racers from Rocket Racing League, XCOR, Armadillo Aerospace posted by Ecacofonix : 5:11 AM
0 Comments
Monday, April 14, 2008
Hybrix Lightweight Steel from Lamera - Combined with Decorex
Last spring Swedish Lamera won the aircraft industry's Crystal Cabin Awards with their lightweight steel Hybrix. It is a sandwich material that consists of microscopic steel fibres between two sheets of stainless steel.
It is thin (1-2 mm), strong and it can be processed and formed in the same ways and with the same tools as ordinary stainless steel. In fact, the only apparent difference is that it weighs about half as much.
Hybrix has been described as "magic" since it seems too thin and firm to be hollow but this story gets even better: Lamera has combined their invention with Decorex - a material developed by another Swedish steel company, Sandvik. Decorex is a steel surface processed on nano level that can be given different colours and structures.
One obvious area of use is aircraft interiors since there is A LOT of money to save with fewer kilos in the air. Hybrix itself was developed at the well-known bionic intersection of biology and engineering.
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Keywords: Swedish Lamera, Lightweight steel Hybrix, Sandwich material, Decorex
It is thin (1-2 mm), strong and it can be processed and formed in the same ways and with the same tools as ordinary stainless steel. In fact, the only apparent difference is that it weighs about half as much.
Hybrix has been described as "magic" since it seems too thin and firm to be hollow but this story gets even better: Lamera has combined their invention with Decorex - a material developed by another Swedish steel company, Sandvik. Decorex is a steel surface processed on nano level that can be given different colours and structures.
One obvious area of use is aircraft interiors since there is A LOT of money to save with fewer kilos in the air. Hybrix itself was developed at the well-known bionic intersection of biology and engineering.
More from here
Keywords: Swedish Lamera, Lightweight steel Hybrix, Sandwich material, Decorex
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Hybrix Lightweight Steel from Lamera - Combined with Decorex posted by Ecacofonix : 8:51 PM
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MediaCore Sofaside PC from Pearing Systems: Adrian Robins
Tired of sitting alone in your computer room? Then this MediaCore computer system dubbed as the Sofaside PC will fit perfectly into your living room. This contemporary piece of furniture by Pearing Systems gives everyone the ability to own a media center PC that is a beautifully designed and highly functional.
Adrian Robins, owner of PearingSystems and inventor of the MEdiaCOre computer system has a background in engineering and a degree in architecture. His love of design and electronics prompted him to design and build the MEdiaCOre™. He says, “This is innovation and invention - as many people know the problem with computers in the living room is, they’re ugly, noisy and need cooling – and what’s the obsession with making them look like audio components?
This European, hand built unit features versatile design with media functionality.
The wooden enclosure offers superior noise reduction over other cases and uses a forced air flow system and unique custom chassis to keep components cool and quiet. It features built-in cable boxes and wireless router to keep your living room clutter-free.
The hand crafted cabinet is available in many finishes and colors to suit many styles of décor.
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Keywords: Sofaside PC, computer room, MediaCore, Pearing Systems , MEdiaCOre, media boxes , forced air flow system AV, cable TV boxes, keyboard, décor.
Adrian Robins, owner of PearingSystems and inventor of the MEdiaCOre computer system has a background in engineering and a degree in architecture. His love of design and electronics prompted him to design and build the MEdiaCOre™. He says, “This is innovation and invention - as many people know the problem with computers in the living room is, they’re ugly, noisy and need cooling – and what’s the obsession with making them look like audio components?
This European, hand built unit features versatile design with media functionality.
The wooden enclosure offers superior noise reduction over other cases and uses a forced air flow system and unique custom chassis to keep components cool and quiet. It features built-in cable boxes and wireless router to keep your living room clutter-free.
The hand crafted cabinet is available in many finishes and colors to suit many styles of décor.
More from here
Keywords: Sofaside PC, computer room, MediaCore, Pearing Systems , MEdiaCOre, media boxes , forced air flow system AV, cable TV boxes, keyboard, décor.
Labels: Computer-Science, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - MediaCore Sofaside PC from Pearing Systems: Adrian Robins posted by Ecacofonix : 8:51 PM
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Americans' DIY & Engineering Skills on the Decline?
Even the simplest of automotive tasks, changing a tire, seems to be beyond the ken of many people. According to AAA, nearly 4 million motorists requested roadside assistance last year—for flat tires.
To be fair, young people today are likely to have skills that earlier generations never dreamed of—building Web sites, say, or editing digital movies. But manipulating pixels and working with physical materials aren’t quite the same thing. Does this matter? And if people are becoming less mechanically handy, is that so bad? I think so—and not just because specialization is for insects.
Interesting musings @ this post. More from here
To be fair, young people today are likely to have skills that earlier generations never dreamed of—building Web sites, say, or editing digital movies. But manipulating pixels and working with physical materials aren’t quite the same thing. Does this matter? And if people are becoming less mechanically handy, is that so bad? I think so—and not just because specialization is for insects.
Interesting musings @ this post. More from here
Labels: Society
PermaLink - Americans' DIY & Engineering Skills on the Decline? posted by Ecacofonix : 8:50 PM
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UK Wind Turbines, Wave, Tidal, Hydro Energy Devices to Increase
Nearly 10,000 wind turbines will be spinning on land and sea by 2020 if Britain is to meet a new renewable-energy target announced recently.
The estimated fivefold increase in the number of turbines would be required to meet a new renewable-energy target for the UK under a plan detailed by the European Commission. Under the proposals, which are still to be agreed by member states, the UK would have to ensure at least 15 per cent of energy – in the form of electricity, heating and fuel – will come from renewable resources. Given limited scope to reduce fossil fuels used for transport and heating, renewable electricity supplies will need to make up between 30 and 40 per cent of the total.This could potentially mean a total of 5,200 turbines on land and 4,000 on sea, plus a mix of about 5,000 wave, tidal, and small run-of-river hydro and biomass devices by 2020, generating up to 46 gigawatts – or around 37 per cent of electricity demand.
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The estimated fivefold increase in the number of turbines would be required to meet a new renewable-energy target for the UK under a plan detailed by the European Commission. Under the proposals, which are still to be agreed by member states, the UK would have to ensure at least 15 per cent of energy – in the form of electricity, heating and fuel – will come from renewable resources. Given limited scope to reduce fossil fuels used for transport and heating, renewable electricity supplies will need to make up between 30 and 40 per cent of the total.This could potentially mean a total of 5,200 turbines on land and 4,000 on sea, plus a mix of about 5,000 wave, tidal, and small run-of-river hydro and biomass devices by 2020, generating up to 46 gigawatts – or around 37 per cent of electricity demand.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - UK Wind Turbines, Wave, Tidal, Hydro Energy Devices to Increase posted by Ecacofonix : 8:50 PM
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Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiny Assembly Lines
A University of Texas at Dallas team will play a key role in a new $15 million research project designed to enable manufacturing at an almost unimaginably small scale: one atom at a time.
Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications.
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity.
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology.
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications.
* Customized surfaces that would have an array of applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person's complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours.
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Keywords: Tiny Assembly Lines, Ultra-low-power semiconductors, cellphones, wireless communications, Sensors, Customized surfaces, Nanoscale genomics arrays, complete genetic sequence
Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications.
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity.
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology.
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications.
* Customized surfaces that would have an array of applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person's complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours.
More from here
Keywords: Tiny Assembly Lines, Ultra-low-power semiconductors, cellphones, wireless communications, Sensors, Customized surfaces, Nanoscale genomics arrays, complete genetic sequence
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiny Assembly Lines posted by Ecacofonix : 8:49 PM
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Biomimetics in Engineering, Materials Science, Solar Panels
A research fellow at the Natural History Museum in London and at the University of Sydney, Parker is a leading proponent of biomimetics—applying designs from nature to solve problems in engineering, materials science, medicine, and other fields. He has investigated iridescence in butterflies and beetles and antireflective coatings in moth eyes—studies that have led to brighter screens for cellular phones and an anticounterfeiting technique so secret he can't say which company is behind it. He is working with Procter & Gamble and Yves Saint Laurent to make cosmetics that mimic the natural sheen of diatoms, and with the British Ministry of Defense to emulate their water-repellent properties. He even draws inspiration from nature's past: On the eye of a 45-million-year-old fly trapped in amber he saw in a museum in Warsaw, Poland, he noticed microscopic corrugations that reduced light reflection. They are now being built into solar panels. Parker's work is only a small part of an increasingly vigorous, global biomimetics movement. Engineers in Bath, England, and West Chester, Pennsylvania, are pondering the bumps on the leading edges of humpback whale flukes to learn how to make airplane wings for more agile flight. In Berlin, Germany, the fingerlike primary feathers of raptors are inspiring engineers to develop wings that change shape aloft to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. Architects in Zimbabwe are studying how termites regulate temperature, humidity, and airflow in their mounds in order to build more comfortable buildings, while Japanese medical researchers are reducing the pain of an injection by using hypodermic needles edged with tiny serrations, like those on a mosquito's proboscis, minimizing nerve stimulation.
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Keywords: Natural History Museum, University of Sydney, Parker, National Geographic on Biomimetics, antireflective coatings, Iridescence, water-repellent properties, amber, Polandmicroscopic corrugations, light reflection, solar panels, mosquito's proboscis, hypodermic needles
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Keywords: Natural History Museum, University of Sydney, Parker, National Geographic on Biomimetics, antireflective coatings, Iridescence, water-repellent properties, amber, Polandmicroscopic corrugations, light reflection, solar panels, mosquito's proboscis, hypodermic needles
Labels: Bio-engineering, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Biomimetics in Engineering, Materials Science, Solar Panels posted by Ecacofonix : 8:49 PM
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Intelligent Homes Lead to the Future of Home Automation
In light of today's suffering housing market, one solution to increasing the resale value of one's home may be through equipping it with the most up and coming technology available.According to Michael Milde, proprietor and systems integrator of Hunter Home Automation based out of Chicago, Ill., the home automation industry has been in place for more than two decades.However, only recently has it surfaced as an affordable means of revamping one's property to include what Ian Trible, operations manager at Intellihome Inc, a home automation company in Houston, Texas, refers to as "more qualities of life people look for.""Full automation in homes will become as common as cell phones are today," Milde said.With that being said, home automation services are destined to become accessible for every home dweller willing to think outside of the box."It used to be a custom standard…[now] it's becoming a standard," Trible said.One dimension of this current standard allows for the acquirement of reasonable "green" additions to the home, making it more energy efficient.
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Keywords: Intelligent homes, future of home automation, housing market, Michael Milde, systems integrator, Hunter Home, Automation, Chicago, Ian Trible, Intellihome, Houston, Texas, cell phones, home automation services
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Keywords: Intelligent homes, future of home automation, housing market, Michael Milde, systems integrator, Hunter Home, Automation, Chicago, Ian Trible, Intellihome, Houston, Texas, cell phones, home automation services
Labels: Automation, Civil-Engineering, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Intelligent Homes Lead to the Future of Home Automation posted by Ecacofonix : 8:48 PM
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Cybercrime - Evolution, Future Trends
What if you could just sneak $1 out of the wallet of 50,000 different people? They probably won’t notice. If they discover the $1 missing, they probably won’t care, or may even assume they just lost it or mis-counted.
Now, what if you could sneak $1 from 50,000 different people while sitting at your laptop in the local coffee shop? What if you never have to physically confront a single person, nor risk physical harm in any way? What if you could perpetrate a virtual crime, cyberpickpocketing? How about if your cyberpickpocketing could net $50,000 today? That definitely sounds like a more solid business plan than the “Pickpocketing Across America” approach cited above. That is the allure of cybercrime, says this interesting post
Got me thinking about cybercrime in general, not just micro-commerce cyber crime. How is cybercrime going to evolve in future? What will be its various dimensions? And what are we doing about it? I have provided the various interesting resources I found during my research for answers to the above questions.
This interesting post @ ThinkQuest ( http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00460/future.html ) was certainly thought-provoking. It discusses how the rate of malware penetration in wireless and PCs is increasing. It also notes how malware are becoming more intelligent by the day. It concludes that "Trends suggest that criminals will become more insidious. Large-scale and damaging acts such as Dos attacks will become less popular as they are easy to detect and thwart with better security systems. Instead, newer and more indirect methods of crime like phishing and Trojans will become much more popular".
In this report Predicting the future of cybercrime and security, Alan Paller of SANS Institute provides details on predictions by twenty respected leaders in cyber focusing on the top 10 security developments for 2007. They narrowed 40 probable computer security developments down to 10 that have the highest probability of happening and will, if they happen, have substantial impact on large numbers of people. The developments predicted are in the following domains: 1. Laptop encryption, 2. PDA smart phones, 3.Targeted cyber attacks, 4. Cell phone worms, 5. Voice over IP (VoIP) systems, 6. Spyware, 7. Security vulnerabilities, 8. Rootkits, 9. Legislation governing the protection of customer information and 10. Network access control (NAC). In summary, the report says that attacker sophistication seems to be ahead of defensive tools. But by making the attackers' job harder and harder and by increasing the length of gaol sentences for cybercrime and improving international police co-operation and skill levels, we can continue to keep up with the attackers and, over time, begin to turn the tide.
In this brief interview titled Protecting the future from cyber crime, Platypus Magazine spoke with Federal Agent Nigel Phair about his new book and the impact of high-tech crime as he sees it, and the challenges which lay ahead in controlling cyber crime. Some of the questions posed in the interview are: "What are the challenges which lie ahead in policing high tech crime?", "Can policing keep up with the evolution of cyber crime – or is this an unwinnable war?", "Does a cyber criminal fit a typical profile?", & "Who do you see as being the most vulnerable to high tech crime?". Interesting perspectives in the answers.
According to Dan Hubard, a cybercime expert, cybercrime is all about costs and benefits, and criminals are no different from legitimate businesses in this respect. "The old criminals are learning from the new ones how to launder stolen credit cards, and they are learning how little risk they face of being caught," he said. The old criminal gangs have a lot of money that they can plough into cybercrime, which is potentially much more profitable that traditional forms of crime and is less risky.
The U.S. military has hinted that it will expand its cyber crime to cyber warfare in the near future, according to this article. Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., who heads the Air Force's cyber operations command told the press that the military was currently developing ways to launch virtual attacks on enemies. The general even reckoned that if cyber squaddies could use the Net to scramble an enemy's communications system, they might even be able to do away with heavy handed conventional weapons like bombs.
First it was SAAS and now it it is CAAS - Crimeware as a Service. Criminals invest in crimeware-as-a-service, says this interesting article from Computerworld UK. 'Crimeware as a service', where criminals use online cybercrime services instead of running their own servers and software, is the latest development in internet crime. Hmmm
The Internet Crime Complaint Center posted their latest statistics on cybercrime recently, based on nearly 207,000 complaints people filed in 2007. Since 2006 losses to cybercrime had jumped over 20%, although complaints fell slightly. Over a third of the complaints were about auction fraud, the center said, and a quarter were about non-delivery of goods. Credit/debit card fraud, check fraud, identity theft and Nigerian letter fraud were also represented.
"Years ago, we saw cybercrime as a speciality," says a Dutch expert. "Now we have added cybercrime in every form of police training, so we are raising the level of the entire Dutch police force. There's no crime anymore where there are no digital components built in."
I guess the last statement kind of sums it up. Cybercrime is not a specialty crime any longer. It is a part of most crimes happening today. Not the most pleasant of news!
Now, what if you could sneak $1 from 50,000 different people while sitting at your laptop in the local coffee shop? What if you never have to physically confront a single person, nor risk physical harm in any way? What if you could perpetrate a virtual crime, cyberpickpocketing? How about if your cyberpickpocketing could net $50,000 today? That definitely sounds like a more solid business plan than the “Pickpocketing Across America” approach cited above. That is the allure of cybercrime, says this interesting post
Got me thinking about cybercrime in general, not just micro-commerce cyber crime. How is cybercrime going to evolve in future? What will be its various dimensions? And what are we doing about it? I have provided the various interesting resources I found during my research for answers to the above questions.
This interesting post @ ThinkQuest ( http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00460/future.html ) was certainly thought-provoking. It discusses how the rate of malware penetration in wireless and PCs is increasing. It also notes how malware are becoming more intelligent by the day. It concludes that "Trends suggest that criminals will become more insidious. Large-scale and damaging acts such as Dos attacks will become less popular as they are easy to detect and thwart with better security systems. Instead, newer and more indirect methods of crime like phishing and Trojans will become much more popular".
In this report Predicting the future of cybercrime and security, Alan Paller of SANS Institute provides details on predictions by twenty respected leaders in cyber focusing on the top 10 security developments for 2007. They narrowed 40 probable computer security developments down to 10 that have the highest probability of happening and will, if they happen, have substantial impact on large numbers of people. The developments predicted are in the following domains: 1. Laptop encryption, 2. PDA smart phones, 3.Targeted cyber attacks, 4. Cell phone worms, 5. Voice over IP (VoIP) systems, 6. Spyware, 7. Security vulnerabilities, 8. Rootkits, 9. Legislation governing the protection of customer information and 10. Network access control (NAC). In summary, the report says that attacker sophistication seems to be ahead of defensive tools. But by making the attackers' job harder and harder and by increasing the length of gaol sentences for cybercrime and improving international police co-operation and skill levels, we can continue to keep up with the attackers and, over time, begin to turn the tide.
In this brief interview titled Protecting the future from cyber crime, Platypus Magazine spoke with Federal Agent Nigel Phair about his new book and the impact of high-tech crime as he sees it, and the challenges which lay ahead in controlling cyber crime. Some of the questions posed in the interview are: "What are the challenges which lie ahead in policing high tech crime?", "Can policing keep up with the evolution of cyber crime – or is this an unwinnable war?", "Does a cyber criminal fit a typical profile?", & "Who do you see as being the most vulnerable to high tech crime?". Interesting perspectives in the answers.
According to Dan Hubard, a cybercime expert, cybercrime is all about costs and benefits, and criminals are no different from legitimate businesses in this respect. "The old criminals are learning from the new ones how to launder stolen credit cards, and they are learning how little risk they face of being caught," he said. The old criminal gangs have a lot of money that they can plough into cybercrime, which is potentially much more profitable that traditional forms of crime and is less risky.
The U.S. military has hinted that it will expand its cyber crime to cyber warfare in the near future, according to this article. Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., who heads the Air Force's cyber operations command told the press that the military was currently developing ways to launch virtual attacks on enemies. The general even reckoned that if cyber squaddies could use the Net to scramble an enemy's communications system, they might even be able to do away with heavy handed conventional weapons like bombs.
First it was SAAS and now it it is CAAS - Crimeware as a Service. Criminals invest in crimeware-as-a-service, says this interesting article from Computerworld UK. 'Crimeware as a service', where criminals use online cybercrime services instead of running their own servers and software, is the latest development in internet crime. Hmmm
The Internet Crime Complaint Center posted their latest statistics on cybercrime recently, based on nearly 207,000 complaints people filed in 2007. Since 2006 losses to cybercrime had jumped over 20%, although complaints fell slightly. Over a third of the complaints were about auction fraud, the center said, and a quarter were about non-delivery of goods. Credit/debit card fraud, check fraud, identity theft and Nigerian letter fraud were also represented.
"Years ago, we saw cybercrime as a speciality," says a Dutch expert. "Now we have added cybercrime in every form of police training, so we are raising the level of the entire Dutch police force. There's no crime anymore where there are no digital components built in."
I guess the last statement kind of sums it up. Cybercrime is not a specialty crime any longer. It is a part of most crimes happening today. Not the most pleasant of news!
Labels: Computer-Science, Safety, Society
Future Of IT -- Very Big and Very Small?
So, you either believe that IT is undergoing yet another upheaval, or you don't.
You either buy into Nicholas Carr's core premise (as found in "The Big Switch"), or you don't.
But if you do buy into these ideas, there's another implication to consider.
There will likely be very little medium-sized IT in the future. Just the very big, and the very small.
Over time, IT is done much more efficiently at uber-scale. Much like power generation shifted from small-scale to large-scale at the beginning of the 20th century, we're seeing the same thing applied to IT at the dawn of the 21st century.
More from here
Keywords: IT, Nicholas Carr's, The Big Switch, Nick, outside IT services, generic, specialized, Google, Amazon
You either buy into Nicholas Carr's core premise (as found in "The Big Switch"), or you don't.
But if you do buy into these ideas, there's another implication to consider.
There will likely be very little medium-sized IT in the future. Just the very big, and the very small.
Over time, IT is done much more efficiently at uber-scale. Much like power generation shifted from small-scale to large-scale at the beginning of the 20th century, we're seeing the same thing applied to IT at the dawn of the 21st century.
More from here
Keywords: IT, Nicholas Carr's, The Big Switch, Nick, outside IT services, generic, specialized, Google, Amazon
Labels: Computer-Science
IBM Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) Solution
IBM's rolling out a new assessment service geared to help enterprises get a better grip on storage using a propriety framework that evaluates everything from architecture complexity to future data growth. IBM said it's specifically targeting film production, entertainment and other media companies.
Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) includes a six to eight-week evaluation process that results in a customized program that lists out recommendations for two to three years of storage management.
Such niche service offerings are gaining ground as vertical markets, such as healthcare and entertainment, wrestle with demanding storage requirements and want better technology to improve data retrieval and more efficient data processes.
More from here
Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) includes a six to eight-week evaluation process that results in a customized program that lists out recommendations for two to three years of storage management.
Such niche service offerings are gaining ground as vertical markets, such as healthcare and entertainment, wrestle with demanding storage requirements and want better technology to improve data retrieval and more efficient data processes.
More from here
Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - IBM Management Complexity Factor for Media (MCF for Media) Solution posted by Ecacofonix : 8:47 PM
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Space Economy - Outer Space the Next Business Frontier
Outer space is the future of business, according to a report released by the Space Foundation.
The report said the Space Economy, defined as the full range of economic activities in the course of exploring, understanding and utilizing space, has become the next great frontier for business growth, exceeding $250 billion in projected value to the U.S. economy.
Commercial activities such as satellite and GPS-related services raked in $173.4 billion in 2007 -- more than 70 percent of total global space revenues. In contrast, NASA's budget is only $17.3 billion in 2008.
Underscoring this development, the Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co., a global business development and market consulting firm launched its Space Technology and Commerce Practice on Wednesday, on the 49th anniversary of the Mercury Seven news conference, when NASA introduced the first seven American astronauts to the world.
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Keywords: Space industry, Space Foundation, Space Economy, GPS, Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co, Mercury Seven news conference, NASA , astronauts, Rich Phillips
The report said the Space Economy, defined as the full range of economic activities in the course of exploring, understanding and utilizing space, has become the next great frontier for business growth, exceeding $250 billion in projected value to the U.S. economy.
Commercial activities such as satellite and GPS-related services raked in $173.4 billion in 2007 -- more than 70 percent of total global space revenues. In contrast, NASA's budget is only $17.3 billion in 2008.
Underscoring this development, the Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co., a global business development and market consulting firm launched its Space Technology and Commerce Practice on Wednesday, on the 49th anniversary of the Mercury Seven news conference, when NASA introduced the first seven American astronauts to the world.
More from here
Keywords: Space industry, Space Foundation, Space Economy, GPS, Austin, Texas-based Phillips & Co, Mercury Seven news conference, NASA , astronauts, Rich Phillips
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Space Economy - Outer Space the Next Business Frontier posted by Ecacofonix : 8:47 PM
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E-commerce to Complement Brick & Mortar Stores - Visa Europe Report
New research commisioned by Visa Europe and unveiled at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona shows that, contrary to suggestions, online channels can complement bricks and mortar stores.
With internet sales expected to account for almost 20% of turnover by 2012-15, and websites becoming increasingly transactional rather than informational, there is also likely to be a rise in the application of technology within the retailer community. As a result there would be a rise in automated self scanning, product tracking for inventory using RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) and targeted promotions delivered directly to consumers while they shopped. In addition they were likely to have access to PC/web based facilities in store giving immediate access to product and customer reviews
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With internet sales expected to account for almost 20% of turnover by 2012-15, and websites becoming increasingly transactional rather than informational, there is also likely to be a rise in the application of technology within the retailer community. As a result there would be a rise in automated self scanning, product tracking for inventory using RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) and targeted promotions delivered directly to consumers while they shopped. In addition they were likely to have access to PC/web based facilities in store giving immediate access to product and customer reviews
More from here
Labels: Automation, Computer-Science
PermaLink - E-commerce to Complement Brick & Mortar Stores - Visa Europe Report posted by Ecacofonix : 8:46 PM
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Future Touch Release MyServant v3.0 Home Automation Software, HAL Add-on
Ozzy smart home company Future Touch have released v3.0 of their MyServant system. The windows software is an add-on for HAL and provides touchscreen support complete with floor plan style graphics as well as occupancy tracking, security system control and weather display...
Ever wished you had a maid or a butler around the home? Then how about a virtual housekeeper? Future Touch Ltd have take the home automation experience to the next level, with the release of their software called MyServant.
MyServant v3.0 is a Windows based application that works in conjunction with the leading home automation software – HAL2000.
Visual Interface features include:
Touch screen support
Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan
See which occupants are home & away
See & hear who's calling the home before you answer it
Access your own personal websites & voicemail on-screen
Control of your Security System, HVAC, media equipment & more
Weather forecast displays
Tracking & low-notification of Battery-levels for all home appliances
Visual display of your Address book
More from
Ever wished you had a maid or a butler around the home? Then how about a virtual housekeeper? Future Touch Ltd have take the home automation experience to the next level, with the release of their software called MyServant.
MyServant v3.0 is a Windows based application that works in conjunction with the leading home automation software – HAL2000.
Visual Interface features include:
Touch screen support
Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan
See which occupants are home & away
See & hear who's calling the home before you answer it
Access your own personal websites & voicemail on-screen
Control of your Security System, HVAC, media equipment & more
Weather forecast displays
Tracking & low-notification of Battery-levels for all home appliances
Visual display of your Address book
More from
here
Keywords: Future Touch, MyServant v3.0, Home Automation Software,Ozzy smart home, HAL, touchscreen, floor plan style graphics, occupancy tracking, security system control and weather display..., Touch screen support, Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan, Home Automation, Lighting Intelligence, Personality Integration, Room Targeted Announcements, Advanced Alarm Clocks, Occupant Tracking, Status enquiries
Keywords: Future Touch, MyServant v3.0, Home Automation Software,Ozzy smart home, HAL, touchscreen, floor plan style graphics, occupancy tracking, security system control and weather display..., Touch screen support, Extensive Visual Control of your home via a custom floor-plan, Home Automation, Lighting Intelligence, Personality Integration, Room Targeted Announcements, Advanced Alarm Clocks, Occupant Tracking, Status enquiries
Labels: Automation
PermaLink - Future Touch Release MyServant v3.0 Home Automation Software, HAL Add-on posted by Ecacofonix : 8:45 PM
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Self-making Bed - Italian Enrico Berruti's Invention
An Italian has given the world the first self-making bed.
Throughout history the Italians have made a major contribution to the world's inventory of useful products -- the barometer, ball bearings, the electric battery, the thermometer, the typewriter and the ice cream cone -- it's a staggering list. Enrico Berruti has this month been proudly displaying his self-making bed at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva and unsurprisingly it's attracted a lot of attention, particularly from rather dishevelled men who look as though they haven't eaten for a week.
Berruti's invention is a godsend to those who hate making beds - and I confess to being one of them.
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Keywords: 21st Century invention, barometer, ball bearings, electric battery, thermometer, typewriter, ice cream cone, Enrico Berruti, self-making bed
Throughout history the Italians have made a major contribution to the world's inventory of useful products -- the barometer, ball bearings, the electric battery, the thermometer, the typewriter and the ice cream cone -- it's a staggering list. Enrico Berruti has this month been proudly displaying his self-making bed at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva and unsurprisingly it's attracted a lot of attention, particularly from rather dishevelled men who look as though they haven't eaten for a week.
Berruti's invention is a godsend to those who hate making beds - and I confess to being one of them.
More from here
Keywords: 21st Century invention, barometer, ball bearings, electric battery, thermometer, typewriter, ice cream cone, Enrico Berruti, self-making bed
Labels: Automation, Society
PermaLink - Self-making Bed - Italian Enrico Berruti's Invention posted by Ecacofonix : 5:42 AM
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Oorja - A Small Stove in India to Reduce Carbon Emissions
A $17 stove could reduce carbon emissions and improve women’s health in India. The invention of a tiny stove in India demonstrates the link between reduced carbon emissions and improved health – and how technology can contribute to slowing climate change. Global energy giant BP is producing and marketing Oorja, which means energy in Hindi, a small pellet stove that produces substantially fewer emissions than the traditional wood-burning stoves so common throughout India. In developing the stove, BP ran models by rural consumers. A team of businesswomen based in villages sell stoves and fuel made of agricultural waste products, while also offering BP advice on promoting other energy products to rural India’s millions. In wealthy and poor countries alike, efforts to control climate changes will require innovative and affordable alternative-energy products, combined with meticulous grassroots marketing campaigns in order to change old habits.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Oorja - A Small Stove in India to Reduce Carbon Emissions posted by Ecacofonix : 5:42 AM
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Flat Screen TV Bed or Robotic TV Bed: from EliteChoice
Flat Screen TV Bed
The functionality of this bed targets elite class who respects space and doesn’t want to compromise on their routine activities done in lavish style. The flat screen TV comes integrated with a bed and its USP is that its hardly visible. It is hidden at the bottom of the bed but in a robot style gets erected on its own, when need be with a simple push of a button and goes back when asked for. Robot TV can be an alternative name for it. No price information is available but for sure this one-of-its-kind TV cum bed furniture is an elite model.
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The functionality of this bed targets elite class who respects space and doesn’t want to compromise on their routine activities done in lavish style. The flat screen TV comes integrated with a bed and its USP is that its hardly visible. It is hidden at the bottom of the bed but in a robot style gets erected on its own, when need be with a simple push of a button and goes back when asked for. Robot TV can be an alternative name for it. No price information is available but for sure this one-of-its-kind TV cum bed furniture is an elite model.
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Labels: Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Flat Screen TV Bed or Robotic TV Bed: from EliteChoice posted by Ecacofonix : 5:42 AM
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Microsoft's LucidTouch Handheld Computer - No More Fat Finger Problem?
If you think the touchscreen on Apple's iPhone is cool, imagine a device that actually sees, reflects and responds to your fingers touching the back of the device. A prototype of that capability was among many that Microsoft Research showed off at TechFest , Microsoft's annual display of its research projects. LucidTouch isn't very practical in its current form. It's a large handheld computer with a small video camera attached to an arm about 30cm long on the back of the device. But the technology that enables it could easily change now that the concept is proven, said Patrick Baudisch, a researcher at Microsoft.
The current setup includes a touch sensor layer on the back of the device. That senses when a user's fingers are touching it. The camera attached behind it sends an image of the fingers to the device, where the image is overlaid lightly, like a shadow, on the screen. Moving your fingers on the back of the device, you can choose an item on the map. With LucidTouch, a user could touch an area on the wristband of the watch instead to make choices on the watch face.
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The current setup includes a touch sensor layer on the back of the device. That senses when a user's fingers are touching it. The camera attached behind it sends an image of the fingers to the device, where the image is overlaid lightly, like a shadow, on the screen. Moving your fingers on the back of the device, you can choose an item on the map. With LucidTouch, a user could touch an area on the wristband of the watch instead to make choices on the watch face.
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Labels: Computer-Science, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Microsoft's LucidTouch Handheld Computer - No More Fat Finger Problem? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:41 AM
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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - Treatment for Depression?
Steve Zatuchni, who suffered from depression, says the magnetic pulse treatment he got saved his life. He no longer takes any medicine. Sixteen years ago, Steve Zatuchni was a computer sales manager, making a six-figure income. Then all hell broke loose in his brain. in 2004, he enrolled in a study of an experimental therapy called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS -- a noninvasive treatment that sends magnetic pulses into the brain. It worked. "Within a week, the depression was lifting," he says. "Within two months, it was gone. TMS saved my life." Zatuchni, 59, who lives in the Philadelphia area, no longer takes any medicine
Proponents -- including scientists at Harvard, Yale and UCLA -- say TMS could transform treatment for depression as well as a range of other ailments, including schizophrenia, migraines, insomnia, epilepsy, chronic pain and Parkinson's
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Proponents -- including scientists at Harvard, Yale and UCLA -- say TMS could transform treatment for depression as well as a range of other ailments, including schizophrenia, migraines, insomnia, epilepsy, chronic pain and Parkinson's
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Labels: Bio-engineering
PermaLink - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) - Treatment for Depression? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:41 AM
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John Kanzius' ( K3TUP ) Ham Radio Waves Kill Cancer Cells
Now comes word of a ham operator using his radio skills and radio waves to kill cancer! Furthermore, this invention seems to kill only cancer cells, sparing surrounding normal tissues. John Kanzius (known as K3TUP to his ham buddies the world over) retired from his job as a radio engineer and moved to Florida. His life of leisure was soon jeopardized by a leukemia diagnosis.
One night John, whose special interest in ham radio is the design of directional antennas to highly focus his radio signals in the direction of parts of the world with which he wishes to communicate, awakened thinking that radio waves could be directed into the body to heat and possibly destroy tumor cells. He began to refine his idea immediately. Eventually he was placed in contact with a medical researcher. Subsequent experimental models have shown that the radio waves heat the nanoparticles which cook and destroy the tumor cells while surrounding tissues are spared.
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Keywords: Ham radio waves, cancer cells, Dan Gold, radio spectrum, John Kanzius, K3TUP, leukemia, American Radio Relay League, Dr. Steven Curley
One night John, whose special interest in ham radio is the design of directional antennas to highly focus his radio signals in the direction of parts of the world with which he wishes to communicate, awakened thinking that radio waves could be directed into the body to heat and possibly destroy tumor cells. He began to refine his idea immediately. Eventually he was placed in contact with a medical researcher. Subsequent experimental models have shown that the radio waves heat the nanoparticles which cook and destroy the tumor cells while surrounding tissues are spared.
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Keywords: Ham radio waves, cancer cells, Dan Gold, radio spectrum, John Kanzius, K3TUP, leukemia, American Radio Relay League, Dr. Steven Curley
Labels: Bio-engineering, Physics
PermaLink - John Kanzius' ( K3TUP ) Ham Radio Waves Kill Cancer Cells posted by Ecacofonix : 5:41 AM
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Millennium Technology Prizes - 4 Finalists to Share Award by Finland
Four widely divergent scientific innovations are finalists in the international $1.8 million Millennium Technology Prize from the Technology Academy of Finland. The inventions — DNA fingerprinting, biomaterials for human tissue regeneration, key elements in mobile communication and fiber optic networks — were created by six scientists, the academy said Tuesday.
The winning innovation, to be announced on June 11, will receive $1.2 million, and the three runners up $180,000 each. Sir Alec Jeffreys, a professor in the genetics department at the University Leicester in Britain, is nominated for the invention of DNA fingerprinting." Finalist Robert Langer — an Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who works with the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, a collaborative of the two universities — was cited for "development of innovative biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration." The academy said his technology has "saved and improved the lives of millions of people."
Andrew J. Viterbi, a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, was chosen for the invention of the Viterbi algorithm, "the key building element in modern wireless and digital communications systems."And three scientists were cited for the fourth innovation, the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, which made possible high-capacity optical fiber networks: Emmanuel Desurvire, with Thales Corporate Research & Technology in France; Randy Giles, with Bell Labs in Murray Hill, N.J.; and David N. Payne, from a professor at the University of Southampton in Britain.
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The winning innovation, to be announced on June 11, will receive $1.2 million, and the three runners up $180,000 each. Sir Alec Jeffreys, a professor in the genetics department at the University Leicester in Britain, is nominated for the invention of DNA fingerprinting." Finalist Robert Langer — an Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who works with the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, a collaborative of the two universities — was cited for "development of innovative biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration." The academy said his technology has "saved and improved the lives of millions of people."
Andrew J. Viterbi, a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, was chosen for the invention of the Viterbi algorithm, "the key building element in modern wireless and digital communications systems."And three scientists were cited for the fourth innovation, the erbium-doped fiber amplifier, which made possible high-capacity optical fiber networks: Emmanuel Desurvire, with Thales Corporate Research & Technology in France; Randy Giles, with Bell Labs in Murray Hill, N.J.; and David N. Payne, from a professor at the University of Southampton in Britain.
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Labels: Sciences
PermaLink - Millennium Technology Prizes - 4 Finalists to Share Award by Finland posted by Ecacofonix : 5:40 AM
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IBM's Racetrack Memory Uses Nanowires, Seeks 100x Storage Boost
IBM is working on its latest "racetrack" memory, which it promises will bring a 100 fold increase in density -- by storing data in long magnetised nanowires rather than disks. Don't make computers seek out data, make the data move to where it can be used. That's one way to describe "racetrack" memory, which IBM argues could one day lead to memory that could hold 100 times more data than flash memory does today and cost 100 times less
In racetrack memory, information is stored in the domain walls, or boundaries, between magnetic regions on a wire. The domain walls are then shuttled up or down the wire via electrical pulses toward another component that can interpret whether the domain wall represents a "1" or a "0".
In flash memory and hard drives, data lives in a discrete location and a computer (or hard drive head) finds it. Shuttling the bits on a wire opens up the possibility for making 3D memory, and hence more dense memory, because wires could be stacked on top of each other. The time it takes to record or retrieve data could also be reduced. Racetrack chips, potentially, could additionally last far longer because they have no moving parts, unlike hard drives, and won't get progressively worn out by successive read-erase cycles like flash memory.
In the next two to four years, IBM hopes to create a complete, working prototype of a racetrack chip with an integrated device that can read the data shuttling across the wire
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In racetrack memory, information is stored in the domain walls, or boundaries, between magnetic regions on a wire. The domain walls are then shuttled up or down the wire via electrical pulses toward another component that can interpret whether the domain wall represents a "1" or a "0".
In flash memory and hard drives, data lives in a discrete location and a computer (or hard drive head) finds it. Shuttling the bits on a wire opens up the possibility for making 3D memory, and hence more dense memory, because wires could be stacked on top of each other. The time it takes to record or retrieve data could also be reduced. Racetrack chips, potentially, could additionally last far longer because they have no moving parts, unlike hard drives, and won't get progressively worn out by successive read-erase cycles like flash memory.
In the next two to four years, IBM hopes to create a complete, working prototype of a racetrack chip with an integrated device that can read the data shuttling across the wire
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Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - IBM's Racetrack Memory Uses Nanowires, Seeks 100x Storage Boost posted by Ecacofonix : 5:40 AM
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Ifugao Rice Terraces - Maintaining Fertility, Less Soil Erosion
Can the Ifugao rice farmer be considered as one of the best, if not the best, rice farmers in the world? The facts behind the fabled and legendary Ifugao rice terraces can perhaps answer that question.
Of the several rice terraces in Ifugao, the Banawe rice terraces are largely touted as the eighth wonder of the world. It is also well known that the Banawe and other Ifugao rice terraces were built without forced labor, unlike the other Seven Wonders of the World, which employed slaves.
Age notwithstanding, the rice terraces are more than a sight to behold and an ancient monument they are actually a very functional agriculture and ecological masterpiece. Likewise, the rice terraces have been producing rice for centuries, showing that the Ifugaos were able to maintain the fertility of the rice fields soils and even contain soil erosion.
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Of the several rice terraces in Ifugao, the Banawe rice terraces are largely touted as the eighth wonder of the world. It is also well known that the Banawe and other Ifugao rice terraces were built without forced labor, unlike the other Seven Wonders of the World, which employed slaves.
Age notwithstanding, the rice terraces are more than a sight to behold and an ancient monument they are actually a very functional agriculture and ecological masterpiece. Likewise, the rice terraces have been producing rice for centuries, showing that the Ifugaos were able to maintain the fertility of the rice fields soils and even contain soil erosion.
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Labels: Agricultural-Engineering
PermaLink - Ifugao Rice Terraces - Maintaining Fertility, Less Soil Erosion posted by Ecacofonix : 5:39 AM
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Datacenter Control - Tideway Systems CEO Richard Muirhead
In this executive Q&A with GRIDToday, Tideway Systems Founder and CEO Richard Muirhead discusses how complexity is spiraling out of control in today's datacenters and explains how his company's solutions help to map datacenter interdependencies, automate processes and, generally, reduce the costs of datacenter management.
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PermaLink - Datacenter Control - Tideway Systems CEO Richard Muirhead posted by Ecacofonix : 5:38 AM
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IT in India, the Next Big Equaliser in Society after Education
India often undermines the innovative prowess of the domestic players and have so far been looking for technological innovations from the West, rues Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman & CEO, HCL Infosystems. He is glad, however, that with the launch of innovative products like Tata Nano, the common perception is slowly but surely changing.
To the league of recent innovation closer home, Ajai likes to add the HCL MiLeap range of Leaptops. “With its ultra small form factor, offering mobile computing at an unbeaten price of Rs 13,990, MiLeap is set to create a new product segment in our country,” he mentions confidently, during the course of an e-mail interaction with Business Line.
“Other innovations in the past include our products like the sub-10K PC which broke the price barriers in the market and set the industry trend of affordable computing among the desktop category,” says Ajai. “The computer that runs on a car battery, the four in one computer, the point of sale product and the ‘Data Centre’ in a box were all developed at our R&D centre.” This article contains excerpts from the interview.
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To the league of recent innovation closer home, Ajai likes to add the HCL MiLeap range of Leaptops. “With its ultra small form factor, offering mobile computing at an unbeaten price of Rs 13,990, MiLeap is set to create a new product segment in our country,” he mentions confidently, during the course of an e-mail interaction with Business Line.
“Other innovations in the past include our products like the sub-10K PC which broke the price barriers in the market and set the industry trend of affordable computing among the desktop category,” says Ajai. “The computer that runs on a car battery, the four in one computer, the point of sale product and the ‘Data Centre’ in a box were all developed at our R&D centre.” This article contains excerpts from the interview.
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Labels: Computer-Science, Society
PermaLink - IT in India, the Next Big Equaliser in Society after Education posted by Ecacofonix : 5:38 AM
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EcoGlove Reusable Gloves, Uses Cold Plasma Sterilization
The makers of the humble disposable rubber gloves are turning “green”, with the introduction of the reusable EcoGlove.
EcoGlove chairman Patrick Hampe claimed that the gloves would be cheaper for end users, reduce the risk of latex and chemical allergies, and friendlier to Mother Nature.
After use, the new gloves would be reprocessed by its manufacturers – sanitised and checked for defects – before being repackaged and sent back to the users.
A machine using cold plasma technology sterilises the gloves, and as a quality control measure, Hampe said any one set of gloves are only allowed to be reused seven times.
With EcoGlove, Hampe said the carbon footprint would be reduced by 60%, as there would be almost zero wastage.
Hampe said Loprol is a formula that is almost free from proteins, which trigger latex allergies, while most chemical allergies are linked to nitrile gloves.
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EcoGlove chairman Patrick Hampe claimed that the gloves would be cheaper for end users, reduce the risk of latex and chemical allergies, and friendlier to Mother Nature.
After use, the new gloves would be reprocessed by its manufacturers – sanitised and checked for defects – before being repackaged and sent back to the users.
A machine using cold plasma technology sterilises the gloves, and as a quality control measure, Hampe said any one set of gloves are only allowed to be reused seven times.
With EcoGlove, Hampe said the carbon footprint would be reduced by 60%, as there would be almost zero wastage.
Hampe said Loprol is a formula that is almost free from proteins, which trigger latex allergies, while most chemical allergies are linked to nitrile gloves.
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Labels: Design-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - EcoGlove Reusable Gloves, Uses Cold Plasma Sterilization posted by Ecacofonix : 5:38 AM
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Precision Engineering Advances - Sol-gel Coating, Liquid Forging, In-situ X-ray
Preciosion engineers help turn ideas into cost-effective reality through equipment design.Take, for example, the semiconductor industry. Its contribution is not in one specific invention but in fitting all the pieces of the puzzle that makes the automated integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process so smooth-flowing, at a low cost. It explains why a laptop today costs under $2,000 and is so fast, compared to the 1990s, when a laptop cost easily above $10,000.
Some developments have been: development of a sol-gel-based multi-layer coating which made laundry irons scratch-proof and which was commercialised by electronics giant Philips in its laundry iron products; the world's first ultra-precision machining method using diamond cutters to carve steel into moulds to optical quality with the finest possible smoothness. This has reduced the manufacturing cost of contact ; liquid forging - doing away with traditional die-cast methods and making stronger components in the process; in-situ X-ray measurement, where a team is developing high-speed software resolution of images.
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Some developments have been: development of a sol-gel-based multi-layer coating which made laundry irons scratch-proof and which was commercialised by electronics giant Philips in its laundry iron products; the world's first ultra-precision machining method using diamond cutters to carve steel into moulds to optical quality with the finest possible smoothness. This has reduced the manufacturing cost of contact ; liquid forging - doing away with traditional die-cast methods and making stronger components in the process; in-situ X-ray measurement, where a team is developing high-speed software resolution of images.
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Labels: Manufacturing-Production-Engineering
PermaLink - Precision Engineering Advances - Sol-gel Coating, Liquid Forging, In-situ X-ray posted by Ecacofonix : 5:37 AM
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Zenith Solar of Israel Pioneering Concentrated Solar Power Method
Israeli energy startup Zenith Solar is pioneering a "concentrated solar power" method that is up to five times more efficient than standard technology
Rooftops all over Israel look strikingly similar: More than 1 million households in the nation of 7.1 million people have solar panels that produce hot water—a relatively simple technology that gained popularity after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when oil prices shot up sharply. As of the early 1990s, all new residential buildings were required by the government to install solar water-heating systems.
Zenith Solar, based in Nes Ziona near Tel Aviv, is a pioneer in a new type of solar energy that uses mirrors and lenses to focus and intensify the sun's light, producing far more electricity at lower cost. Compared with traditional flat photovoltaic panels made of silicon, this so-called concentrated solar power technology has proved in tests to be up to five times more efficient
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Rooftops all over Israel look strikingly similar: More than 1 million households in the nation of 7.1 million people have solar panels that produce hot water—a relatively simple technology that gained popularity after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when oil prices shot up sharply. As of the early 1990s, all new residential buildings were required by the government to install solar water-heating systems.
Zenith Solar, based in Nes Ziona near Tel Aviv, is a pioneer in a new type of solar energy that uses mirrors and lenses to focus and intensify the sun's light, producing far more electricity at lower cost. Compared with traditional flat photovoltaic panels made of silicon, this so-called concentrated solar power technology has proved in tests to be up to five times more efficient
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Zenith Solar of Israel Pioneering Concentrated Solar Power Method posted by Ecacofonix : 5:32 AM
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Plastic Bags Not an Environmental Disaster?
You've all heard the claims -- plastic bags kill marine animals. Hundreds of thousands of them.
Apparently, the problem started with a typo in an 2002 Australian Government report. It attempted to quote from an Canadian study 15 years earlier, which found that up to 100,000 marine animals had been killed over four years by "discarded nets" from the fishing industry. Somehow, the 2002 report replaced that phrase with "plastic bags." But finally science seems to be winning out. According to David W. Laist of the Marine Mammal Commission, and author of a primary research paper on the subject, "plastic bags don't figure in entanglement. The main culprits are fishing gear, ropes, lines and strapping bands." Professor of Marine Biology Geoff Boxshall concurred, “I’ve never seen a bird killed by a plastic bag"
Plastic bags are much cheaper than paper, which is why stores favor them. They take less resources and energy to produce, they're far cheaper to ship and store, they're recyclable and some are even biodegradable. Those savings aren't just for the stores, they translate into lower food costs and less damage to the environment, says this interesting post.
Surprising, I'd all along thought that plastic bags were an environmental disaster!
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Apparently, the problem started with a typo in an 2002 Australian Government report. It attempted to quote from an Canadian study 15 years earlier, which found that up to 100,000 marine animals had been killed over four years by "discarded nets" from the fishing industry. Somehow, the 2002 report replaced that phrase with "plastic bags." But finally science seems to be winning out. According to David W. Laist of the Marine Mammal Commission, and author of a primary research paper on the subject, "plastic bags don't figure in entanglement. The main culprits are fishing gear, ropes, lines and strapping bands." Professor of Marine Biology Geoff Boxshall concurred, “I’ve never seen a bird killed by a plastic bag"
Plastic bags are much cheaper than paper, which is why stores favor them. They take less resources and energy to produce, they're far cheaper to ship and store, they're recyclable and some are even biodegradable. Those savings aren't just for the stores, they translate into lower food costs and less damage to the environment, says this interesting post.
Surprising, I'd all along thought that plastic bags were an environmental disaster!
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
Free Flow Power Corp. to Install Turbines in Mississippi River Bed for Electricity
A New England startup company wants to harness the mighty river Mississippi for generating electricity. The company, Free Flow Power Corp., is pursuing a $3 billion plan to install thousands of small electric turbines in the river bed, reaching from St. Louis to the Gulf of Mexico, that would collectively generate 1,600 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 1.5 million homes. Gloucester, Mass.-based Free Flow Power is among a number of developers of so-called hydrokinetic projects, defined as those that produce electricity from river currents or ocean waves and tides — not dams
Each site would consist of hundreds or thousands of turbines installed over several miles. The turbines, which would be attached to pilings in the river bed, are about 2 feet in diameter and probably would be made of carbon fiber or another lightweight composite material, Irvin said. The river’s natural flow would spin the turbines to generate electricity, which would be transmitted to the power grid
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Each site would consist of hundreds or thousands of turbines installed over several miles. The turbines, which would be attached to pilings in the river bed, are about 2 feet in diameter and probably would be made of carbon fiber or another lightweight composite material, Irvin said. The river’s natural flow would spin the turbines to generate electricity, which would be transmitted to the power grid
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Free Flow Power Corp. to Install Turbines in Mississippi River Bed for Electricity posted by Ecacofonix : 5:32 AM
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Apple Working on 3D Holographic Projection Displays
On March 20, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a new patent application of Apple’s that reveals they’re working on a next generation 3D Holographic-like display system. In one application, Apple’s display system would automatically authenticate a user, greet them and provide a customized desktop for just that user. Something along the lines of how new computer car systems will adjust the seat and controls for a particular driver. The Holographic-like displays are based on a projection system and in many cases the impression given is that these systems would apply to applications as diverse as video conferencing, scientific modeling, entertainment and perhaps even forensics. Think of the TV show “Bones” and their use of a device called holographic “angelator.” One of the unique aspects of this invention is that users won’t be hassled with 3D glasses or headgear of any kind.
Modern three-dimensional (”3D”) display technologies are increasingly popular and practical not only in computer graphics, but in other diverse environments and technologies as well. Growing examples include medical diagnostics, flight simulation, air traffic control, battlefield simulation, weather diagnostics, entertainment, advertising, education, animation, virtual reality, robotics, biomechanical studies, scientific visualization, and so forth.
Apple’s patent illustrates the nuts and bolts of their proposed 3D display system according to one embodiment of the invention. You’ll note that the system includes a host CPU, an operating system (”OS”), a 3D/stereoscopic rendering engine, a graphics card, and other components (not shown) as will be conventionally understood. The 3D/stereoscopic rendering engine renders 3D images (e.g., stereoscopic or pseudo-holographic) as further described herein below, and may be implemented in firmware, software, or hardware, according to the particular implementation at hand.
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Modern three-dimensional (”3D”) display technologies are increasingly popular and practical not only in computer graphics, but in other diverse environments and technologies as well. Growing examples include medical diagnostics, flight simulation, air traffic control, battlefield simulation, weather diagnostics, entertainment, advertising, education, animation, virtual reality, robotics, biomechanical studies, scientific visualization, and so forth.
Apple’s patent illustrates the nuts and bolts of their proposed 3D display system according to one embodiment of the invention. You’ll note that the system includes a host CPU, an operating system (”OS”), a 3D/stereoscopic rendering engine, a graphics card, and other components (not shown) as will be conventionally understood. The 3D/stereoscopic rendering engine renders 3D images (e.g., stereoscopic or pseudo-holographic) as further described herein below, and may be implemented in firmware, software, or hardware, according to the particular implementation at hand.
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Labels: Computer-Science, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Apple Working on 3D Holographic Projection Displays posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Sault Ste. Marie Invention Makes Biodiesel from Cocunut Oil
Are green-energy petrol-alternatives the renewable saviour gas guzzlers need? Green technology from two Sault Ste. Marie residents could mean a new career for many Filipino farmers - producing fuel from coconut oil.
Green Corp. entrepreneurs Luc Duchesne and Norman Jaehrling finished their latest innovation, the Greenstar 1000, last week - a $300,000 machine that produces 1,000 litres of biodiesel in a 10-hour shift. That's 5,000 litres every two days.
Coconut farmers will share the Greenstar machines, housed in explosion-proof trailers, to create biodiesel from coconut oil, which they can then sell to local oil companies.
Critics however argue the alternative fuel push is responsible for large-scale deforestation and a worldwide food crisis.
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Green Corp. entrepreneurs Luc Duchesne and Norman Jaehrling finished their latest innovation, the Greenstar 1000, last week - a $300,000 machine that produces 1,000 litres of biodiesel in a 10-hour shift. That's 5,000 litres every two days.
Coconut farmers will share the Greenstar machines, housed in explosion-proof trailers, to create biodiesel from coconut oil, which they can then sell to local oil companies.
Critics however argue the alternative fuel push is responsible for large-scale deforestation and a worldwide food crisis.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Sault Ste. Marie Invention Makes Biodiesel from Cocunut Oil posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Anti-ecstasy Antibodies that Remove Methamphetamines (Meth) from Bloodstream
In recent years, crystal meth (methamphetamine) and ecstasy (MDMA) have become some of America's top problem drugs. Meth can cause severe problems in the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. Furthermore, because there is no way to remove the drug from the body, therapies tend to focus on treating its side-effects.
But antibodies that bind to methamphetamines and methamphetamine-like compounds to effectively remove them from the bloodstream could change that. Michael Owens, director of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the University of Arkansas, US, and colleagues claim to have developed a way to generate them.
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Keywords: Anti-ecstasy antibodies, methamphetamine, MDMA, Michael Owens, Arkansas, cardiovascular, central nervous systems
But antibodies that bind to methamphetamines and methamphetamine-like compounds to effectively remove them from the bloodstream could change that. Michael Owens, director of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the University of Arkansas, US, and colleagues claim to have developed a way to generate them.
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Keywords: Anti-ecstasy antibodies, methamphetamine, MDMA, Michael Owens, Arkansas, cardiovascular, central nervous systems
Labels: Bio-engineering, Chemical-Engineering
PermaLink - Anti-ecstasy Antibodies that Remove Methamphetamines (Meth) from Bloodstream posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Iceland Turns to Geothermal and Hydroelectric Power to Cut Oil Dependence
Problems linked to foreign oil dependence are real and frightening
In fact, Iceland, in its effort to reduce dependence on imported oil and clean up its environment at the same time, is trying to become the world’s first petroleum-free economy. President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson described his nation’s situation this way: “We have this eternal machine in this country created by the Almighty consisting of the fire below under the ground and the glaciers and the water that comes from the sky, and it goes on and on, year after year, century after century, creating this fascinating source of energy.”
So Iceland set out on an ambitious and risky program to develop its existing resources. Rather than import every joule of their energy, Icelanders drilled wells to tap hot underground water and built a grid of pipes throughout the entire city of Reykjavík to circulate the water to heat the city’s homes and offices. Soon, Icelanders were also using their volcanoes and many rivers to generate copious amounts of geothermal and hydroelectric energy
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Keywords: Real-World Solutions, Foreign Oil Dependence, environmental regulation, Vikings, hydrogen-powered ships, Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, hydrogen-powered cars, Hertz, Jules Verne, Asgeir Margeirsson, geothermal company, Geysir Green Energy
In fact, Iceland, in its effort to reduce dependence on imported oil and clean up its environment at the same time, is trying to become the world’s first petroleum-free economy. President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson described his nation’s situation this way: “We have this eternal machine in this country created by the Almighty consisting of the fire below under the ground and the glaciers and the water that comes from the sky, and it goes on and on, year after year, century after century, creating this fascinating source of energy.”
So Iceland set out on an ambitious and risky program to develop its existing resources. Rather than import every joule of their energy, Icelanders drilled wells to tap hot underground water and built a grid of pipes throughout the entire city of Reykjavík to circulate the water to heat the city’s homes and offices. Soon, Icelanders were also using their volcanoes and many rivers to generate copious amounts of geothermal and hydroelectric energy
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Keywords: Real-World Solutions, Foreign Oil Dependence, environmental regulation, Vikings, hydrogen-powered ships, Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, hydrogen-powered cars, Hertz, Jules Verne, Asgeir Margeirsson, geothermal company, Geysir Green Energy
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Iceland Turns to Geothermal and Hydroelectric Power to Cut Oil Dependence posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
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Smart Wireless Sticker from Axcess - Auto Item Identification, Tracking, Data Logging
Axcess International Inc., a leading provider of wireless business-activity monitoring solutions, announced the "industry's first Smart Wireless Sticker." It provides automatic item identification, locating, tracking, protecting, data logging, and condition sensing for items up to 1000 ft. away, at a cost of less than $10 per sticker. The "wireless computer on a sticker" combines traditional bar codes, Electronic Product Code (EPC) RFID, long-range RFID tracking, and wireless sensing in a small electronic label easily adhered to most any object. It is designed to enhance data management in product manufacturing, product automatic identification in shipping, automatic inventory and protection of enterprise assets, and visibility into the condition of perishables and pharmaceuticals throughout the shipping process.
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Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - Smart Wireless Sticker from Axcess - Auto Item Identification, Tracking, Data Logging posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
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Arctic Ocean Has 400 Billion Barrels of Oil - the Next Saudi Arabia?
Just when we thought that diminishing oil supplies would spur rapid transition to solar and wind power and other non-fossil sources, the Las Vegas-based Arctic Oil & Gas has announced that new geological data on the Arctic Ocean suggests the possible presence of 400 billion barrels of oil.Arctic Oil & Gas cites recent scientific evidence that huge, floating mats of azolla decomposed soon after the age of the dinosaurs and exist today as "vast hydrocarbon resources" trapped in layers of rock below the polar ice cap.
The latest report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says, as we know, that the ice cap is warming faster than the rest of the planet and ice is receding. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Arctic has as much as 25 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas. Moscow reportedly sees the potential of minerals in its slice of the Arctic sector approaching $2 trillion. Major petroleum companies are now focusing research and exploration on the far north. In 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the sovereignty issue "a serious, competitive battle" that "will unfold more and more fiercely.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Geo-Sciences
PermaLink - Arctic Ocean Has 400 Billion Barrels of Oil - the Next Saudi Arabia? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
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Pedal Powered Washing Machine - by Bart Orlando
This article appeared in the HSU Lumberjack newspaper in 1997. The article is based on an interview with the pedal powered washing machine designer, Bart Orlando. Since then, the pedal power drive line of the washer has been simplified. The number of fanbelts used has been reduced from two belts to one belt. Now, one fanbelt connects the flywheel of the exercise bike directly to the pulley which drives the transmission of the washer. This reduces the amount of friction by eliminating one belt and two pillow blocks. Less friction translates into less pedaling effort.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Pedal Powered Washing Machine - by Bart Orlando posted by Ecacofonix : 5:27 AM
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Nokia's Mobile Eco Sensor - More Aware of Your Health & Environment
This concept from Nokia, truly is surfing the Eco trend wave.
To help make you more aware of your health and local environmental conditions, the Nokia Eco Sensor Concept will include a separate, wearable sensing device with detectors that collect environment, health, and/or weather data. You will be able to choose which sensors you would like to have inside the sensing device, thereby customizing the device to your needs and desires. For example, you could use the device as a “personal trainee” if you were to choose a heart-rate monitor and motion detector (for measuring your walking pace).
The concept consists of two parts – a wearable sensor unit which can sense and analyze your environment, health, and local weather conditions, and a dedicated mobile phone.
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To help make you more aware of your health and local environmental conditions, the Nokia Eco Sensor Concept will include a separate, wearable sensing device with detectors that collect environment, health, and/or weather data. You will be able to choose which sensors you would like to have inside the sensing device, thereby customizing the device to your needs and desires. For example, you could use the device as a “personal trainee” if you were to choose a heart-rate monitor and motion detector (for measuring your walking pace).
The concept consists of two parts – a wearable sensor unit which can sense and analyze your environment, health, and local weather conditions, and a dedicated mobile phone.
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Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Nokia's Mobile Eco Sensor - More Aware of Your Health & Environment posted by Ecacofonix : 5:26 AM
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Park Hotel, Hyderabad - India's First Green Hotel
For the new-age green consumer and those who believe in sustainable tourism here is a good news. After eco-friendly hotels, India will have it’s first green hotel — The Park Hotel in Hyderabad. The investment in this 280-room hotel, scheduled to start operations by mid-2009, will be around Rs 350 crore, 15% higher than a regular hotel. And it might not be a good idea for smokers to book a room in the hotel as 90% of it’s area will be non-smoking. Another Park Hotel property lined up in Pune, for which the group recently acquired 90,000 sq ft, will also be built on the lines of green buildings
An eco-friendly hotel is constructed using recycled materials, whereas a green building aims at saving energy. “Though the initial cost of construction is almost 15% higher for a green hotel, we will be able to recover that through efficiency in operations. A green hotel saves 34.7% of the energy costs,” added Bali. According to Spectral Consultancy Services, The Oberoi Group also has two green hotel projects in the pipeline — in Hyderabad and Goa
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An eco-friendly hotel is constructed using recycled materials, whereas a green building aims at saving energy. “Though the initial cost of construction is almost 15% higher for a green hotel, we will be able to recover that through efficiency in operations. A green hotel saves 34.7% of the energy costs,” added Bali. According to Spectral Consultancy Services, The Oberoi Group also has two green hotel projects in the pipeline — in Hyderabad and Goa
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Park Hotel, Hyderabad - India's First Green Hotel posted by Ecacofonix : 5:26 AM
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Pot-in-Pot - A Wireless Fridge, Refrigeration Without Electricity
For hundreds of years a similar type of cooling has been employed by desert dwellers around the world. The concept is explained by a simple law of thermodynamics. When moisture comes in contact with dry air it evaporates. You see, water has this amazing characteristic of having a very high retention of heat. This ancient technology has been used for cooling water for hundreds of years
Mohammed Bah Abba took this idea one step further. By placing one pot inside another and filling the gap in between the two pots with moist sand he was able to create a refrigeration system that requires nothing more than a little bit of moisture. The moist sand filling the gap between the two pots draws heat away from the inner pot and dissipates the heat through the evaporation of the moisture. The inner pot is filled with perishable foods that would normally last for mere days, but with this system can last for weeks. Mohammed Bah Abba's invention awarded him the Rolex Award for Enterprise, and has been recognised as a very important contribution to societies with limited energy resources, or where energy costs are prohibitive. Many families no longer rely on their children to "rush sell" their food goods and can now sell when the demand arises due to the reduction of spoilage
Mohammed is a a lecturer at polytechnic college in Northern Nigeria, and comes from a family of pot makers. He drew on his childhood experience and invented his Pot-in-Pot cooling system in 1995 and received the Rolex Award in 2000.
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Mohammed Bah Abba took this idea one step further. By placing one pot inside another and filling the gap in between the two pots with moist sand he was able to create a refrigeration system that requires nothing more than a little bit of moisture. The moist sand filling the gap between the two pots draws heat away from the inner pot and dissipates the heat through the evaporation of the moisture. The inner pot is filled with perishable foods that would normally last for mere days, but with this system can last for weeks. Mohammed Bah Abba's invention awarded him the Rolex Award for Enterprise, and has been recognised as a very important contribution to societies with limited energy resources, or where energy costs are prohibitive. Many families no longer rely on their children to "rush sell" their food goods and can now sell when the demand arises due to the reduction of spoilage
Mohammed is a a lecturer at polytechnic college in Northern Nigeria, and comes from a family of pot makers. He drew on his childhood experience and invented his Pot-in-Pot cooling system in 1995 and received the Rolex Award in 2000.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Pot-in-Pot - A Wireless Fridge, Refrigeration Without Electricity posted by Ecacofonix : 5:26 AM
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CR5 - Using Concentrated Solar Power to Produce CO, Fuel from CO2
Using concentrated solar energy to reverse combustion, a research team from Sandia National Laboratories is building a prototype device intended to chemically “reenergize” carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using concentrated solar power. The carbon monoxide could then be used to make hydrogen or serve as a building block to synthesize a liquid combustible fuel, such as methanol or even gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
The prototype device, called the Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5, for short), will break a carbon-oxygen bond in the carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide and oxygen in two distinct steps. It is a major piece of an approach to converting carbon dioxide into fuel from sunlight.
The Sandia research team calls this approach “Sunshine to Petrol” (S2P). “Liquid Solar Fuel” is the end product — the methanol, gasoline, or other liquid fuel made from water and the carbon monoxide produced using solar energy.
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The prototype device, called the Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5, for short), will break a carbon-oxygen bond in the carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide and oxygen in two distinct steps. It is a major piece of an approach to converting carbon dioxide into fuel from sunlight.
The Sandia research team calls this approach “Sunshine to Petrol” (S2P). “Liquid Solar Fuel” is the end product — the methanol, gasoline, or other liquid fuel made from water and the carbon monoxide produced using solar energy.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - CR5 - Using Concentrated Solar Power to Produce CO, Fuel from CO2 posted by Ecacofonix : 5:25 AM
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15-Year-Old Llew Falla Uses Cow Manure to Produce Electricity & Methane
There's two schools of thought on the latest invention from Llew Falla, Sarnia's 15-year-old science fair whiz.
Some say there is unlimited application potential for the project, called CH4 optimization of biowaste via microbial fuel cell control. Then, there's the notion the kid's project is full of crap.
Actually, both are correct.
Falla's entry in the upcoming Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Atlanta, Ga., uses cow manure to produce electricity and methane gas.
He's found a better way to break down cow manure using a microbial fuel cell to produce clean, usable electricity and methane gas.
The hydrogen and ions in the manure react with water, generating electricity and methane gas. The gas is trapped and stored in a separate chamber.
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Some say there is unlimited application potential for the project, called CH4 optimization of biowaste via microbial fuel cell control. Then, there's the notion the kid's project is full of crap.
Actually, both are correct.
Falla's entry in the upcoming Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Atlanta, Ga., uses cow manure to produce electricity and methane gas.
He's found a better way to break down cow manure using a microbial fuel cell to produce clean, usable electricity and methane gas.
The hydrogen and ions in the manure react with water, generating electricity and methane gas. The gas is trapped and stored in a separate chamber.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - 15-Year-Old Llew Falla Uses Cow Manure to Produce Electricity & Methane posted by Ecacofonix : 5:25 AM
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Firewinder the Eco-friendly LED Light Powered by Wind
This might not be the most practical outdoor light in the world, but what the Firewinder lacks in pedestrian utility it makes up for in sheer engaging awesomeness. Transforming wind into light, the Firewinder is a hanging, wind-powered LED light that can be powered by the smallest breeze. Unlike most wind turbines that spin vertically, the Firewinderspins in a horizontal direction, illuminating its LEDs in a spiraling helix of light. The coolest thing about the Firewinder is that it doesn’t just run on or off, but instead is visibly reactive to subtle changes in the environment. How bright the LEDs glow corresponds directly to how fast the turbine spins, enabling observers to visualize the power of wind.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Firewinder the Eco-friendly LED Light Powered by Wind posted by Ecacofonix : 5:25 AM
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Japan Aims for 10 % Energy from Ocean - Wave Energy Update
Ocean Energy Association Japan (OEAJ) is proposing to meet 10 per cent of Japan's energy needs from ocean energy by 2050. The recommendation was part of a report submitted to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation, a governmental body set up to develop new oil alternative technologies in the 1980s.
OEAJ is hoping to kick-start the second stage of wave development in the country. The association is aiming to develop new wave power devices capable of generating outputs at JPY20 (US$0.20) per kWh during the second stage development.
Japan is among the pioneers behind the modern wave developments in the 1970s. Major wave power inventions originating from Japan include the Oscillating Wave Column (OWC) and Kaimei in the 1970s. The OWC technology is commonly applied to wave developments following the 1970s.
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OEAJ is hoping to kick-start the second stage of wave development in the country. The association is aiming to develop new wave power devices capable of generating outputs at JPY20 (US$0.20) per kWh during the second stage development.
Japan is among the pioneers behind the modern wave developments in the 1970s. Major wave power inventions originating from Japan include the Oscillating Wave Column (OWC) and Kaimei in the 1970s. The OWC technology is commonly applied to wave developments following the 1970s.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Japan Aims for 10 % Energy from Ocean - Wave Energy Update posted by Ecacofonix : 5:23 AM
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Intelligent Energy, Suzuki Motor Pact for Hydrogen Motorcycle
Leading fuel cell power systems company Intelligent Energy has strengthened its relationship with the Suzuki Motor Corporation with an agreement that will see the progression to commercially viable fuel cell motorcycles.
The collaboration has already resulted in the Suzuki Crosscage, a hydrogen fuelled concept motorcycle unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor show. Intelligent Energy's high performance fuel cell power systems coupled with Suzuki's commitment to low-emissions transport mean the reality of hydrogen powered motorcycles is closer than ever.
Intelligent Energy's proprietary Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell designs are based on the use of thin metallic plates, which make the fuel cell stack compact and amenable to mass manufacture.
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The collaboration has already resulted in the Suzuki Crosscage, a hydrogen fuelled concept motorcycle unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor show. Intelligent Energy's high performance fuel cell power systems coupled with Suzuki's commitment to low-emissions transport mean the reality of hydrogen powered motorcycles is closer than ever.
Intelligent Energy's proprietary Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell designs are based on the use of thin metallic plates, which make the fuel cell stack compact and amenable to mass manufacture.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Intelligent Energy, Suzuki Motor Pact for Hydrogen Motorcycle posted by Ecacofonix : 5:23 AM
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Nanostructures that Exploit Hybrid-Polariton Resonances
Nanostructured devices that exploit the hybrid-polariton resonances arising from coupling among photons, phonons, and plasmons are subjects of research directed toward the development of infrared-spectroscopic sensors for measuring extremely small quantities of molecules of interest. The spectroscopic techniques in question are surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). An important intermediate goal of this research is to increase the sensitivity achievable by these techniques. The basic idea of the approach being followed in this research is to engineer nanostructured devices and thereby engineer their hybrid-polariton resonances to concentrate infrared radiation incident upon their surfaces in such a manner as to increase the absorption of the radiation for SEIRA and measure the frequency shifts of surface vibrational modes
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Keywords: Nanostructures, Hybrid-Polariton Resonances, hybrid-polariton resonances
photons, phonons, and plasmons , infrared-spectroscopic sensors , surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). surface vibrational modes
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Keywords: Nanostructures, Hybrid-Polariton Resonances, hybrid-polariton resonances
photons, phonons, and plasmons , infrared-spectroscopic sensors , surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). surface vibrational modes
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Nanostructures that Exploit Hybrid-Polariton Resonances posted by Ecacofonix : 5:22 AM
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Waste to Ethanol, Biodiesel - U of Maryland Invention Promises Biofuels Advance
University of Maryland research that started with bacteria from the Chesapeake Bay has led to a process that may be able to convert large volumes of all kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer's mash to paper trash, into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline. That process, developed by University of Maryland professors Steve Hutcheson and Ron Weiner, professors of cell biology and molecular genetics, is the foundation of their incubator company Zymetis, which was on view today in College Park for Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and state and university officials.
Partnership with the State enables University of Maryland faculty and students to commercialize new discoveries quickly
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Partnership with the State enables University of Maryland faculty and students to commercialize new discoveries quickly
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Waste to Ethanol, Biodiesel - U of Maryland Invention Promises Biofuels Advance posted by Ecacofonix : 5:22 AM
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Dye Based Solar Cells with Titanium Oxide Nanocrystals To Be Embedded In Consumer Products
Dye based solar cells are made of titanium oxide nanochrystals. These are coated with light absorbing dye that can be used in various materials including glass and plastic. The dye is immersed in an electrolyte solution. When light reaches the surface, the dye sets free electrons which in turn create ‘holes’ – positive charges as a result of ‘lost electrons’. The titanium dioxide semiconducts and transfers electricity to an electrical circuit and energy is created.
The solar cells convert light to electricity with an efficiency of 7.2 percent, which is a record for this type of cell. Solar panels typically convert 16 percent to 20 percent of light into energy. But the advantage of the organic dye cells is that they also convert low light and that they can be ‘tuned’ for specific wavelengths.
The first company manufacturing dye sensitized solar, Konarka, based in Lowell, MA, announced it had successfully conducted the first-ever demonstration of manufacturing solar cells by highly efficient inkjet printing ten days ago. Konarka is focusing on getting the technology embedded in hundreds of day to day products. In the Summer Konarka is planning on shipping out its first products, mainly gadgets, lights and smart cards.
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The solar cells convert light to electricity with an efficiency of 7.2 percent, which is a record for this type of cell. Solar panels typically convert 16 percent to 20 percent of light into energy. But the advantage of the organic dye cells is that they also convert low light and that they can be ‘tuned’ for specific wavelengths.
The first company manufacturing dye sensitized solar, Konarka, based in Lowell, MA, announced it had successfully conducted the first-ever demonstration of manufacturing solar cells by highly efficient inkjet printing ten days ago. Konarka is focusing on getting the technology embedded in hundreds of day to day products. In the Summer Konarka is planning on shipping out its first products, mainly gadgets, lights and smart cards.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Dye Based Solar Cells with Titanium Oxide Nanocrystals To Be Embedded In Consumer Products posted by Ecacofonix : 5:21 AM
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Jayant Baliga's IGBT's Could Have the World's Smallest Carbon Footprint
NC State Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Jayant Baliga, may have the world's smallest carbon footprint - the amount of greenhouse gases that a person directly or indirectly releases into the atmosphere each year.
One of Baliga's inventions is responsible for eliminating the need for more than 100 gigawatts of power, which translates to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of about 1 trillion pounds per year. Now, he is working to make his footprint even smaller by pursuing new inventions that further improve energy efficiency.
The energy saved by the use of IGBTs in electric motors and energy-efficient light bulbs alone equals 100 gigawatts, meaning that new one-gigawatt, coal-fired power plants won't need to be built to match the former demand. There are economic benefits as well - to the tune of $2 billion for each plant that does not have to be built.
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One of Baliga's inventions is responsible for eliminating the need for more than 100 gigawatts of power, which translates to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of about 1 trillion pounds per year. Now, he is working to make his footprint even smaller by pursuing new inventions that further improve energy efficiency.
The energy saved by the use of IGBTs in electric motors and energy-efficient light bulbs alone equals 100 gigawatts, meaning that new one-gigawatt, coal-fired power plants won't need to be built to match the former demand. There are economic benefits as well - to the tune of $2 billion for each plant that does not have to be built.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Jayant Baliga's IGBT's Could Have the World's Smallest Carbon Footprint posted by Ecacofonix : 5:21 AM
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Oil, Gas Extraction Technology Bought by Platina Energy Group
An energy production company bought gas technology developed by UT researchers and will soon install it into oil wells. The technology, licensed to Platina Energy Group Inc., will reduce the amount of equipment used to extract gas and oil from wells and will help eliminate the problem of pump cavitation, which occurs when there is excess air in the pump. Kamy Sepehrnoori and Augusto Podio, petroleum and geosystems engineering professors, helped develop technology that allows a submersible pump and a jet pump to be used together in a gas well, so a separate gas vent line is unnecessary. Max Green, licensing specialist at UT's Office of Technology Commercialization, said the technology will be installed on older oil wells that do not produce oil on a large scale. Green said Platina is the only company licensed to use the technology, though it has the right to sublicense the technology to other companies.Rick Friedman, an associate director for licensing at UT, said giving Platina exclusive rights to the technology gives the company a competitive advantage.The office receives about 140 invention disclosures per year from faculty members who want their technology commercialized, Friedman said. The office then decides if it wants to secure patent protection for the technology and commercialize the invention.The office signs about 30 to 40 new licenses per year.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Oil, Gas Extraction Technology Bought by Platina Energy Group posted by Ecacofonix : 5:20 AM
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Oil Producing Yeast, Buoys for Ocean Waves to Electricity New Energy Sources
Chances are you've heard of hybrids and biofuels, but what about oil-producing yeast and turbine like buoys that transform ocean waves into electricity? Those are just a couple of the alternative-energy sources that may power the future according to Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund and coauthor, with Miriam Horn, of the new book "Earth: The Sequel" (Norton).
"Everyone knows the current story of melting glaciers, rising sea levels, worsening hurricanes, dying coral reefs," said Krupp. "'The Sequel' is the story of what happens next. We are just on the threshold of a great race." While he says oft-cited solar power technology is our best bet for now, Krupp emphasizes that quirkier projects, like algae concoctions that eat up carbon emissions, are essential elements of a smart, diversified energy strategy. NEWSWEEK's Katie Paul talked with Krupp about why he thinks the next industrial revolution looks bright green. Excerpts from the talk are provided in this article
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"Everyone knows the current story of melting glaciers, rising sea levels, worsening hurricanes, dying coral reefs," said Krupp. "'The Sequel' is the story of what happens next. We are just on the threshold of a great race." While he says oft-cited solar power technology is our best bet for now, Krupp emphasizes that quirkier projects, like algae concoctions that eat up carbon emissions, are essential elements of a smart, diversified energy strategy. NEWSWEEK's Katie Paul talked with Krupp about why he thinks the next industrial revolution looks bright green. Excerpts from the talk are provided in this article
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Oil Producing Yeast, Buoys for Ocean Waves to Electricity New Energy Sources posted by Ecacofonix : 5:20 AM
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A123 Company Says Its Auto Battery will Propel EVs
For all the doubts about whether a tiny, 7-year-old company can essentially rewire the domestic auto industry, A123's executives express abundant confidence in their invention.
"Today, we are providing enough batteries to power the equivalent of 100,000 vehicles," said Ric Fulop, one of A123's founders and its chief evangelist. "If you look at other technologies, they're still in the lab. It's years before they get into mass production."
The hurdles to powering vehicles with electricity instead of oil have become less daunting in the past year, but they're still towering: Cost, Safety, Longevity, Environment...
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Keywords: Tech company, future of autos, A123 Systems, Chevrolet Volt, battery pack
General Motors Corp, chief evangelist, Ric Fulop, Chevy Volt
"Today, we are providing enough batteries to power the equivalent of 100,000 vehicles," said Ric Fulop, one of A123's founders and its chief evangelist. "If you look at other technologies, they're still in the lab. It's years before they get into mass production."
The hurdles to powering vehicles with electricity instead of oil have become less daunting in the past year, but they're still towering: Cost, Safety, Longevity, Environment...
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Keywords: Tech company, future of autos, A123 Systems, Chevrolet Volt, battery pack
General Motors Corp, chief evangelist, Ric Fulop, Chevy Volt
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - A123 Company Says Its Auto Battery will Propel EVs posted by Ecacofonix : 5:19 AM
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Stickybot: Robotic Lizard Created by Sangabae Kim, Uses Nano-scale Hairs
A Stickybot is a state-of-the-art robotic lizard that can scale smooth surfaces like walls and windows with the ease of Spiderman.
The Pentagon hopes to someday use the gecko-inspired device as a "spy in the sky" to watch over enemy territory.
According to the robot's creator, Sangabae Kim, the gecko can climb almost any surface, fast. For example, it can climb glass surfaces at about a meter per second using an incredible feature on the bottom of its toe covered in nano-scale hairs. The technology is called "directional adhesive stock" and is meant to imitate real gecko hair. Stickybot has been featured in National Geographic.
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Keywords: Stickybot, Amazing Robotic Gecko, Spiderman, Pentagon, spy in the sky, Good Morning America, Sangabae Kim, nano-scale hairs, directional adhesive stock,
National Geographic
The Pentagon hopes to someday use the gecko-inspired device as a "spy in the sky" to watch over enemy territory.
According to the robot's creator, Sangabae Kim, the gecko can climb almost any surface, fast. For example, it can climb glass surfaces at about a meter per second using an incredible feature on the bottom of its toe covered in nano-scale hairs. The technology is called "directional adhesive stock" and is meant to imitate real gecko hair. Stickybot has been featured in National Geographic.
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Keywords: Stickybot, Amazing Robotic Gecko, Spiderman, Pentagon, spy in the sky, Good Morning America, Sangabae Kim, nano-scale hairs, directional adhesive stock,
National Geographic
Labels: Industrial-Engineering
PermaLink - Stickybot: Robotic Lizard Created by Sangabae Kim, Uses Nano-scale Hairs posted by Ecacofonix : 5:18 AM
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Lunar Rover-Like Vehicle for People with Reduced Mobility
Tokyo's Waseda University is developing some really weird-looking vehicles and mechanical aids for people with reduced mobility. There is one that looks like a cross betwen a Segway and a lunar rover, but unlike Dean Kamen's invention, it requires the user to actually walk on top of it, although with limited motion. This achieves three effects: first, it keeps people doing a little bit of exercise; second, the movement gets translated into a faster motion; and third, thanks to its structure, the user will be able to terrorize people out of walkways with complete safety.
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Labels: Bio-engineering, Mechanical-Engineering
PermaLink - Lunar Rover-Like Vehicle for People with Reduced Mobility posted by Ecacofonix : 5:18 AM
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Statoil Growth - Wireless, Real-time Data Integration Key
A report emanated from the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) and bore the title “Potential Value of Integrated-Operations on the Norwegian Shelf.” OLF released the report in 2006.
The report found if oil and gas companies active in the Norwegian shelf quickly were to integrate their operations, they could increase their revenues from the shelf by $41.5 billion. If they do not, they can expect to miss $10 billion in potential revenues within the next three years alone. These staggering figures reflect an array of challenges the industry faces and the scale of the prize at stake.
Although the prescribed solution to these challenges goes under different names—Integrated Operations (Statoil), eOperations (Hydro), Smart Field (Shell), Field of the Future (BP), and i-field (Chevron)—the key elements are broadly the same.
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The report found if oil and gas companies active in the Norwegian shelf quickly were to integrate their operations, they could increase their revenues from the shelf by $41.5 billion. If they do not, they can expect to miss $10 billion in potential revenues within the next three years alone. These staggering figures reflect an array of challenges the industry faces and the scale of the prize at stake.
Although the prescribed solution to these challenges goes under different names—Integrated Operations (Statoil), eOperations (Hydro), Smart Field (Shell), Field of the Future (BP), and i-field (Chevron)—the key elements are broadly the same.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Manufacturing-Production-Engineering
PermaLink - Statoil Growth - Wireless, Real-time Data Integration Key posted by Ecacofonix : 5:17 AM
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Yasuo Kuniyoshi Smart Goggle Glasses Can Find Anything
We've all asked ourselves that irritating question: "Where on earth did I leave my car keys?"
A team of Japanese scientists claims to have come up with the answer, and the secretive artificial intelligence project code-named Smart Goggle does not stop at elusive keys!
With Yasuo Kuniyoshi's invention balanced on your nose, you will lose nothing. Simply tell the glasses what you are looking for and it will play into your eye a video of the last few seconds you saw that item.
Well, it's not magic, right? So how does it work?
Behind the goggles is an advanced object-recognition software and a computer that can learn the identity of new objects within seconds. So this is what you do, as a user: to start with, you wander around your house for about an hour "telling" the goggles the name of everything you see around you, as you fix your eyes on that object. So you essentially pronounce "coat hanger" when you are in front of the coat hanger and the word "kitchen sink" when you are in front of the kitchen sink - you get the idea. Once this process is over, the software using object recognition tech, stores the image of the object against the word you pronounced. Every time after that you move around your house, as and when that product is sighted by the goggles (though perhaps not perceived by you), its location is stored. And when you are at a loss one fine day as to where you left that product, all you need to do is to say the product name, and voila, the goggles tell you where you (rather, the goggles!) last saw it.
Sounds like a very sophisticated solution to a simple problem, but admit it, this simple problem can be at times most vexing, so who knows, the Smart Goggles could be a big hit!
You can read a bit more on this from here
Labels: Computer-Science, Design-Engineering, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Yasuo Kuniyoshi Smart Goggle Glasses Can Find Anything posted by Ecacofonix : 5:17 AM
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Boeing Makes First Ever Hydrogen Battery Flight
US aircraft maker Boeing flew a plane that was powered by a hydrogen battery at the start of 2008 for the first time in aviation history, senior company officials said in Spain on Thursday.
"For the first time in the history of aviation, Boeing has flown a manned airplane that was powered by a hydrogen battery," Boeing chief technology officer John Tracy told a news conference at the firm's research centre in the central Spanish town of Ocana.
The plane, which used propellers, flew at a speed of 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour for about 20 minutes at an altitude of about 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) using only the hydrogen battery for power, Boeing said in a statement.
The director of the Ocana research centre, Francisco Escarti, said the hydrogen battery "could be the main source of energy for a small plane" but would likely not become the "primary soruce of energy for big passenger planes".
"For the first time in the history of aviation, Boeing has flown a manned airplane that was powered by a hydrogen battery," Boeing chief technology officer John Tracy told a news conference at the firm's research centre in the central Spanish town of Ocana.
The plane, which used propellers, flew at a speed of 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour for about 20 minutes at an altitude of about 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) using only the hydrogen battery for power, Boeing said in a statement.
The director of the Ocana research centre, Francisco Escarti, said the hydrogen battery "could be the main source of energy for a small plane" but would likely not become the "primary soruce of energy for big passenger planes".
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - Boeing Makes First Ever Hydrogen Battery Flight posted by Ecacofonix : 4:21 AM
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Wind-powered Airplanes by Dr. Josef Popf. Airplane Hybrids?
An announcement made recently is stirring excitement in the aviation industry as a scientist turned inventor claims he can dramatically reduce or perhaps remove fossil fuels from modern flight. His innovative design employs wind power to make an airplane version of popular hybrid cars. He claims his prototype is cheap and scaleable–and it can easily be added to existing aircraft. The implications are far reaching as the aviation industry comes under increasing pressure to reduce their green house gas emissions. According to inventor Dr. Josef Popf, “The idea struck me as I was driving through a wind farm in Kentucky. Why not strap one of those puppies to an airplane? When I first started doing the math, it was really just for fun. I expected the wind turbine to slow down the airplane.
But the deeper I delved into the problem, the more plausible it started to appear. Then, after about two solid months, I found the answers I needed and filed for a patent.”
Essentially, it’s not so different from the hybrid systems employed by hybrid cars. As an airplane cruises or comes in to land, the turbine super-charges high-capacity batteries. That energy can then be used during future take-offs and landings. The trick, according to Popf, is to use the wind turbine at high altitudes, where the thinner atmosphere puts less stress on the airplane, preventing excessive drag.
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But the deeper I delved into the problem, the more plausible it started to appear. Then, after about two solid months, I found the answers I needed and filed for a patent.”
Essentially, it’s not so different from the hybrid systems employed by hybrid cars. As an airplane cruises or comes in to land, the turbine super-charges high-capacity batteries. That energy can then be used during future take-offs and landings. The trick, according to Popf, is to use the wind turbine at high altitudes, where the thinner atmosphere puts less stress on the airplane, preventing excessive drag.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Wind-powered Airplanes by Dr. Josef Popf. Airplane Hybrids? posted by Ecacofonix : 4:19 AM
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A Flying Car or an Aeroplane on Road? - James Milner Creates Cool Idea
A former pilot has come up with the idea of finding a solution to traffic problems. James Milner has created a flying car, which he had on display at the New York Auto Show.
“For trips up to one thousand miles, a flying car is the fastest door to door transportation,’’ Milner said. “You extend the wings and you can take off and fly. The airplane will fly at two hundred miles an hour, eventually up to twenty-five thousand feet so you get above a good amount of the weather.”
Once the plane has landed, one has to fold the wings, switch to rode mode and the aviation panels become the car’s dashboard. The wheelbase then adjust from the flight position, which places the weight in the rear so the nose is light – to the road position where weight is more evenly distributed.
The four-seater can go as fast as 85 miles an hour. Its estimated cost is approximately $500,000.
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“For trips up to one thousand miles, a flying car is the fastest door to door transportation,’’ Milner said. “You extend the wings and you can take off and fly. The airplane will fly at two hundred miles an hour, eventually up to twenty-five thousand feet so you get above a good amount of the weather.”
Once the plane has landed, one has to fold the wings, switch to rode mode and the aviation panels become the car’s dashboard. The wheelbase then adjust from the flight position, which places the weight in the rear so the nose is light – to the road position where weight is more evenly distributed.
The four-seater can go as fast as 85 miles an hour. Its estimated cost is approximately $500,000.
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Labels: Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - A Flying Car or an Aeroplane on Road? - James Milner Creates Cool Idea posted by Ecacofonix : 4:12 AM
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Converting Plant Sugars into Hydrogen to Power Fuel Cell Vehicles
Sugar-powered cars may be in your future. Chemists report development of a “revolutionary” process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen, which could be used to cheaply and efficiently power vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells without producing any pollutants. The scientists will describe their unique hydrogen production system in April at the American Chemical Society national meeting in New Orleans. Percival Zhang, a scientist at Virginia Tech, is developing a new process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen that could be used to cheaply and efficiently power vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells without producing any pollutants.
The process involves combining plant sugars, water, and a cocktail of powerful enzymes to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide under mild reaction conditions. The new system helps solve the three major technical barriers to the so-called “hydrogen economy,” researchers said. Those roadblocks involve how to produce low-cost sustainable hydrogen, how to store hydrogen, and how to distribute it efficiently, the researchers say.
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The process involves combining plant sugars, water, and a cocktail of powerful enzymes to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide under mild reaction conditions. The new system helps solve the three major technical barriers to the so-called “hydrogen economy,” researchers said. Those roadblocks involve how to produce low-cost sustainable hydrogen, how to store hydrogen, and how to distribute it efficiently, the researchers say.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Converting Plant Sugars into Hydrogen to Power Fuel Cell Vehicles posted by Ecacofonix : 10:19 AM
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Fuelstar Combustion Catalyst Increases Fuel Efficiency, Cuts Fuel Costs
A 1992 Kiwi invention called Fuelstar, a fit-and-forget fuel combustion catalyst provides greater overall engine efficiency by giving more complete combustion. The benefits are improved performance, better fuel economy, a cleaner engine and lower exhaust emissions.
The car-engine unit is about the size of a soft-drink can and is plumbed into the fuel supply line.
When fuel flows through the unit on its way to the carburettor or injection system, minuscule particles of metallic tin are released into the fuel and are carried through to the combustion chambers.
These particles are far too small to damage engine components. The tin changes the combustion characteristics of the fuel, giving a more complete and more prolonged fuel burn, resulting in improved efficiency and performance.
California Environmental Engineering tested a Fuelstar installed in a 6.9-litre Nissan diesel truck and found it reduced fuel consumption by 27 per cent. It also brought down emissions of CO2 by 30 per cent and particulates by 24 per cent.
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The car-engine unit is about the size of a soft-drink can and is plumbed into the fuel supply line.
When fuel flows through the unit on its way to the carburettor or injection system, minuscule particles of metallic tin are released into the fuel and are carried through to the combustion chambers.
These particles are far too small to damage engine components. The tin changes the combustion characteristics of the fuel, giving a more complete and more prolonged fuel burn, resulting in improved efficiency and performance.
California Environmental Engineering tested a Fuelstar installed in a 6.9-litre Nissan diesel truck and found it reduced fuel consumption by 27 per cent. It also brought down emissions of CO2 by 30 per cent and particulates by 24 per cent.
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Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Fuelstar Combustion Catalyst Increases Fuel Efficiency, Cuts Fuel Costs posted by Ecacofonix : 10:18 AM
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Liquid Computer by John Campbell
John Campbell, after a year of experimentation, 10 to 15 old computers and more than $500 in cash, Campbell's best invention, an arcade machine-sized freezer brimming with gooey liquids, ice and techno-pieces, was ready to boot for the first time. After this period of experimentation, Campbell's "liquid computer" came alive, the first of its kind.
Campbell fully intends to spark a computer-technology revolution with the items in his freezer. Since the first time the liquid computer worked, Campbell, along with his team of five specialists in areas such as materials, programming, chemistry and engineering, have reduced the size of the original liquid computer to that of a modern desktop. The technology, which Campbell says is 70 to 90 percent unpatented, achieves a mild form of super fluidity, a frictionless flow of liquid at extremely low temperatures, to increase the resistance of computer wires, which allows for a greater flow of electricity and higher efficiency.
"There hasn't been a fundamental change in computer technology since 1982, and since then, it has just been putting more things in smaller places," Campbell said. "I think it's about time for something completely new that is so practical you can't ignore it."
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Campbell fully intends to spark a computer-technology revolution with the items in his freezer. Since the first time the liquid computer worked, Campbell, along with his team of five specialists in areas such as materials, programming, chemistry and engineering, have reduced the size of the original liquid computer to that of a modern desktop. The technology, which Campbell says is 70 to 90 percent unpatented, achieves a mild form of super fluidity, a frictionless flow of liquid at extremely low temperatures, to increase the resistance of computer wires, which allows for a greater flow of electricity and higher efficiency.
"There hasn't been a fundamental change in computer technology since 1982, and since then, it has just been putting more things in smaller places," Campbell said. "I think it's about time for something completely new that is so practical you can't ignore it."
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Labels: Computer-Science
Project Better Place Teaming with Renault-Nissan to Promote Electric Vehicles
Today more than three billion cellphones are in use around the world. They have changed, for better or worse, not just the way we communicate, but our sense of what it means to keep in touch.
Now a private investment company with an ostentatious name hopes to employ the kind of marketing structure that put cellphones in so many pockets to launch a new era of electric cars.
Project Better Place is teaming up with Renault-Nissan in a scheme designed to drive electric vehicles from the fringe category and into the mainstream of personal transportation.
They are starting in Israel and Denmark, but if Project Better Place lives up to its name and makes this ambitious plan work, it could be a natural fit in British Columbia.
Although electric cars have been around for almost as long as their conventional gas and diesel-powered cousins, they have been held back by limited performance and range and high costs.
Project Better Place has no world-beating technology to change the performance equation. What it has is enough startup capital -- $200 million committed so far -- and a marketing idea to offer not just an electric car, but a system to make it work.
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Now a private investment company with an ostentatious name hopes to employ the kind of marketing structure that put cellphones in so many pockets to launch a new era of electric cars.
Project Better Place is teaming up with Renault-Nissan in a scheme designed to drive electric vehicles from the fringe category and into the mainstream of personal transportation.
They are starting in Israel and Denmark, but if Project Better Place lives up to its name and makes this ambitious plan work, it could be a natural fit in British Columbia.
Although electric cars have been around for almost as long as their conventional gas and diesel-powered cousins, they have been held back by limited performance and range and high costs.
Project Better Place has no world-beating technology to change the performance equation. What it has is enough startup capital -- $200 million committed so far -- and a marketing idea to offer not just an electric car, but a system to make it work.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - Project Better Place Teaming with Renault-Nissan to Promote Electric Vehicles posted by Ecacofonix : 9:20 AM
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Benz Fill Earth Resistance Solution for Electrical Installations
A Cameroonian Electro-mechanical engineer, Dr. Benz Enow Bate, has invented an earth resistance solution capable of considerably improving the protection of electrical installations.The earth resistance-reducing paste has been named Benz Fill, after its inventor. Benz Fill reduces the earth’s resistance to less than 0.5ohms, a value believed to be very appropriate for conducting excess or faulty current into the soil. This technology, the inventor says, shall greatly reduced electricity related fire hazards. The earth’s resistance is reduced by injecting Benz Fill into the soil surrounding an earth electrode. The Benz-Fill has just been patented by the Organization of African Property Rights as an innovative invention. Dr. Benz Enow Bate says the idea was conceived when he was a student in London. During his laboratory experiments he noticed that a fire accident related to electrical failure could actually be traced back to poor earthing.
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Labels: Electrical-Engineering
PermaLink - Benz Fill Earth Resistance Solution for Electrical Installations posted by Ecacofonix : 9:19 AM
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`Drink Aid` Helping Mitch Hintz and Other Cerebral Palsy Patients
For most people getting a drink of water is a simple task that doesn`t take much thought, but until recently one Dickinson teen with cerebral palsy relied on everyone around him to keep him hydrated. That`s all changed thanks to a new invention.
For Mitch Hintz getting a drink of water has never been easy. He can`t hold a cup in his hands because of his spastic muscles. And he says he can`t place a glass on his wheelchair tray either.
"Cause then it would spill," Hintz says.
So for the past 16 years, wanting a drink meant calling on someone for help.
So Hintz mentioned to a teacher how much he would love to be able to drink water on his own. Word spread to an NDSU electrical engineering professor, and soon three engineering students took on the task of creating a device designed specifically to help him.
The Drink Aid delivers about an ounce of water at a time and kicks in once Hintz puts it into his mouth.
The NDSU students say the project took nearly a year to complete but in the end it was all worth it.
Hintz says now that he can drink on his own he does so at least several times a day.
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For Mitch Hintz getting a drink of water has never been easy. He can`t hold a cup in his hands because of his spastic muscles. And he says he can`t place a glass on his wheelchair tray either.
"Cause then it would spill," Hintz says.
So for the past 16 years, wanting a drink meant calling on someone for help.
So Hintz mentioned to a teacher how much he would love to be able to drink water on his own. Word spread to an NDSU electrical engineering professor, and soon three engineering students took on the task of creating a device designed specifically to help him.
The Drink Aid delivers about an ounce of water at a time and kicks in once Hintz puts it into his mouth.
The NDSU students say the project took nearly a year to complete but in the end it was all worth it.
Hintz says now that he can drink on his own he does so at least several times a day.
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Labels: Automation, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - `Drink Aid` Helping Mitch Hintz and Other Cerebral Palsy Patients posted by Ecacofonix : 9:19 AM
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Duroquinone-based Neuron-Like Molecular Transistor Incredibly Powerful
The most powerful computer known is the brain, and now scientists have designed a machine just a few molecules large that mimics how the brain works.
So far the device can simultaneously carry out 16 times more operations than a normal computer transistor.
Researchers suggest the invention might eventually prove able to perform roughly 1,000 times more operations than a transistor.
This machine could not only serve as the foundation of a powerful computer, but also serve as the controlling element of complex gadgets such as microscopic doctors or factories, scientists added.
The device is made of a compound known as duroquinone.
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So far the device can simultaneously carry out 16 times more operations than a normal computer transistor.
Researchers suggest the invention might eventually prove able to perform roughly 1,000 times more operations than a transistor.
This machine could not only serve as the foundation of a powerful computer, but also serve as the controlling element of complex gadgets such as microscopic doctors or factories, scientists added.
The device is made of a compound known as duroquinone.
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Labels: Bio-engineering, Chemical-Engineering
PermaLink - Duroquinone-based Neuron-Like Molecular Transistor Incredibly Powerful posted by Ecacofonix : 9:18 AM
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BASS Founder Ray Scott Invention Helps Prevent Lake Fish Kills
Ray Scott never had any notion of being an inventor. He's a fisherman -- and a good one at that.
But when the man who founded the BASS sport fishing empire looked out one morning from his Pintlala home and saw his lake filled with dead fish, he put on his thinking cap and designed a product that now is being produced by a Wisconsin-based company.
Scott turned to specialists at Auburn University to get answers to many questions. He learned that the days of hot weather had depleted the oxygen from the bottom of the pond.
The Auburn officials told Scott that if he wanted to ward off future fish kills, he needed to invent a device that would ensure oxygen levels remained balanced in the pond. Scott went to work on a water-circulating device.
Over the next 10 years, he continued to tinker with his invention, building a series of prototypes and testing them.
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But when the man who founded the BASS sport fishing empire looked out one morning from his Pintlala home and saw his lake filled with dead fish, he put on his thinking cap and designed a product that now is being produced by a Wisconsin-based company.
Scott turned to specialists at Auburn University to get answers to many questions. He learned that the days of hot weather had depleted the oxygen from the bottom of the pond.
The Auburn officials told Scott that if he wanted to ward off future fish kills, he needed to invent a device that would ensure oxygen levels remained balanced in the pond. Scott went to work on a water-circulating device.
Over the next 10 years, he continued to tinker with his invention, building a series of prototypes and testing them.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - BASS Founder Ray Scott Invention Helps Prevent Lake Fish Kills posted by Ecacofonix : 9:18 AM
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Electrophoretic Display Device from Composite Particles Invented
San-Ming Yang, Peter M. Kazmaier and Man-Chung Tam, all from Mississauga, Canada, Naveen Chopra of Oakville, Canada, and Ahmed Abd Alzamly of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, have developed an electrophoretic display device.
According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An electrophoretic display device includes a display layer comprised of a binder having a multiplicity of individual cavities therein that contain a display medium, and conductive substrates, at least one of the conductive substrates being transparent, wherein the display layer is located in between the conductive substrates, and wherein the display medium comprises one or more set of colored particles in a dielectric fluid and has an electrical conductivity of about 10 sup-11 to about 10 sup -15 square per meter."
An abstract of the invention, released by the Patent Office, said: "The display device may be made by forming composite particles comprised of a sacrificial binder and the one or more set of particles of the display medium; mixing the composite particles with the binder to form a mixture; forming a layer from the mixture; removing the sacrificial binder from the composite particles in the layer to form cavities in the layer that contain the one or more set of colored particles; and filling the cavities with the dielectric fluid."
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According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An electrophoretic display device includes a display layer comprised of a binder having a multiplicity of individual cavities therein that contain a display medium, and conductive substrates, at least one of the conductive substrates being transparent, wherein the display layer is located in between the conductive substrates, and wherein the display medium comprises one or more set of colored particles in a dielectric fluid and has an electrical conductivity of about 10 sup-11 to about 10 sup -15 square per meter."
An abstract of the invention, released by the Patent Office, said: "The display device may be made by forming composite particles comprised of a sacrificial binder and the one or more set of particles of the display medium; mixing the composite particles with the binder to form a mixture; forming a layer from the mixture; removing the sacrificial binder from the composite particles in the layer to form cavities in the layer that contain the one or more set of colored particles; and filling the cavities with the dielectric fluid."
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Labels: Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Electrophoretic Display Device from Composite Particles Invented posted by Ecacofonix : 9:16 AM
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Saving the Coral Reefs with BioRock Mineral Accretion Technology
The oceans can't recover from the heat trap of carbon-dioxide as quickly as the atmosphere could. The rise in temperatures in the ocean work on a mean turnover rate of up to 1000 years, so even if all carbon-based energy extraction were to cease right now, it is probably too late to prevent a rise in temperatures to levels mortal to coral reefs
Corals lay the foundation for underwater colonies of marine life. If the coral die out, the effects run straight up the food chain to the fish that humans depend on for food. Unless we find a way to assist the coral to recover, we will reduce the available food stock for humans from the sea.
Perhaps there is a way for humans to undo the damage we have caused and allow our foodstocks to return to sustainable levels. Bio-Rock Mineral Accretion Technology may be one way that we can put things back to normal. Biorock Technology, or mineral accretion technology is a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallize on structures, growing into a white limestone similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches. This material has a strength similar to concrete. It can be used to make robust artificial reefs on which corals grow at very rapid rates.
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Corals lay the foundation for underwater colonies of marine life. If the coral die out, the effects run straight up the food chain to the fish that humans depend on for food. Unless we find a way to assist the coral to recover, we will reduce the available food stock for humans from the sea.
Perhaps there is a way for humans to undo the damage we have caused and allow our foodstocks to return to sustainable levels. Bio-Rock Mineral Accretion Technology may be one way that we can put things back to normal. Biorock Technology, or mineral accretion technology is a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallize on structures, growing into a white limestone similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches. This material has a strength similar to concrete. It can be used to make robust artificial reefs on which corals grow at very rapid rates.
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Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Saving the Coral Reefs with BioRock Mineral Accretion Technology posted by Ecacofonix : 9:15 AM
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Paul Bellezza's Efficient Thermoelectric Generator Invention
“For more than eight years, Paul Bellezza has been pursuing a dream. His goal: to be able to mass produce his “Highly Efficient Thermoelectric Generator,” an invention that would produce electricity more efficiently than anything now on the market. Bellezza’s generator is built of thermoelectric positive and negative type semiconductor elements between hot and cold paddles connected in series. His development of a toroidal ring has created high DC currents with low voltage in the 2,000- to 5,000-watt AC range. Ongoing work in varying energy design circuits will yield the high AC electrical efficiency outputs from DC thermoelectric power. The generator produces electrical power from any heat source, including high-temperature solar array. The compact generator is capable of being linked in several pairs to increase power output. Bellezza envisions the generator being used for camping, in RVs and as a quieter alternative to today’s generators. It also could improve the efficiency of hybrid automobiles, he believes.
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Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Sciences
PermaLink - Paul Bellezza's Efficient Thermoelectric Generator Invention posted by Ecacofonix : 9:14 AM
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Liquid Machines Document Control Uses Application Injection to Encrypt Digital Documents
The new dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) at Harvard University—an institution with a deep commitment to freedom of expression—is the inventor of a software technique designed to keep unauthorized people from reading electronic documents.
Liquid Machines, a Waltham, MA, startup founded in 2001 by Harvard’s Michael Smith is founded on a clever idea pioneered by Smith that the company calls “application injection.” The technology takes over word-processing programs, e-mail software, and the like, automatically encrypting digital documents and then decrypting them for authorized users without requiring users to exchange passwords or cryptographic keys or attend to other special chores.
“Tens of billions of e-mails are sent each day,” says Ruffolo. “Just ask yourself, how many of those have proprietary information, and how many of those are sent erroneously? You look at that, and you start to say, ‘I need something to control the flow of information that’s leaving my company.’ The most dangerous breach is the one that you’re not aware of.”
Application injection is essentially the process by which Liquid Machines’ main product, called Liquid Machines Document Control, fuses itself into and takes control of virtually any other program that can play or display digital content—such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat. The “injection” happens at the moment the display program is loaded
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Liquid Machines, a Waltham, MA, startup founded in 2001 by Harvard’s Michael Smith is founded on a clever idea pioneered by Smith that the company calls “application injection.” The technology takes over word-processing programs, e-mail software, and the like, automatically encrypting digital documents and then decrypting them for authorized users without requiring users to exchange passwords or cryptographic keys or attend to other special chores.
“Tens of billions of e-mails are sent each day,” says Ruffolo. “Just ask yourself, how many of those have proprietary information, and how many of those are sent erroneously? You look at that, and you start to say, ‘I need something to control the flow of information that’s leaving my company.’ The most dangerous breach is the one that you’re not aware of.”
Application injection is essentially the process by which Liquid Machines’ main product, called Liquid Machines Document Control, fuses itself into and takes control of virtually any other program that can play or display digital content—such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat. The “injection” happens at the moment the display program is loaded
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Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - Liquid Machines Document Control Uses Application Injection to Encrypt Digital Documents posted by Ecacofonix : 9:14 AM
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To build a deadlier mousetrap: Where high-tech meets low-tech
by Chris Ryan Post a commentIf you thought that the issue of whether a patent covered the use of a microprocessor could only concern the computer or semiconductor industry, think again. High tech has extended its reach to zapping rats (literally).
Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door. Such were the aspirations of Bob Noe, the founder of Agrizap--maker of the patented Rat Zapper, a trap for dispatching pests through electrocution. Agrizap's Rat Zapper, which is about the size of a shoebox, is powered by four AA batteries, and is sold online for about $40 at RatZapper.com.
The slightly larger Rat Zapper Ultra uses D-cell batteries which, according to the Website, enables it to kill "even bigger, badder rats and mice." In the event of serious infestation, or for those with an overdeveloped desire to integrate their equipment, Agrizap also offers the ultimate high-tech equipment including its Battle Station command post and radio-monitoring equipment for use with its traps.
For several years, under an oral marketing agreement, Noe sold the Rat Zapper through Woodstream, one of the nation's oldest mousetrap makers. The relationship broke down in 2003 when Woodstream launched its own competing Electric Mouse Trap, a CPU-controlled rodent-killing device, for which it now appears to hold several of its own patents. In July 2004, Agrizap sued Woodstream for patent infringement and fraudulent misrepresentation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania's Philadelphia division.
The lawsuit raised so many issues that it would make a good case study for students of intellectual property law. There was even a discovery dispute of some note, when Agrizap's former operations manager testified during his deposition that the older Gopher Zapper product had been offered for sale at a California trade show. Three months later, the witness tried to recant his testimony through written changes to the transcript. The court did not allow the changes, and the Gopher Zapper was considered "prior-art" to the patent-in-suit.
The claims of Agrizap's patent-in-suit are directed to a rodent trap with a mechanical portion, in which the rat would physically be made part of a high-voltage electric circuit, and an electrical portion, which used discrete electrical components including a "resistive switch" to sense the presence of the rodent and administer the lethal electric dose. The patent also required a "timing module" to switch off power and disarm the device.
Woodstream challenged nearly everything about Agrizap's patent claims, arguing first that it did not infringe and that the claimed invention was previously known, obvious, barred by prior sale, not enabled, indefinite, listed the wrong inventors, and was unenforceable. Ultimately, after a two-week trial, the jury was not persuaded by these defenses and found that Woodstream had infringed claim 16 of the patent. That means the jury found that Woodstream's microprocessor was the same as the discrete resistive switch and discrete timing module claimed in patent.
The law that allows computer software to be patented is rooted in the notion that software instructions transform a general purpose CPU into a different machine by creating electrical paths within the device. Extending this reasoning, some patent holders have tried to argue that a CPU, when programmed to perform a given function, is literally transformed into the specific set of discrete electrical components found in their patent claims. This approach has not found favor with the courts. For example, in the Overhead Door case, the Federal Circuit held that a software instruction running on a microprocessor could not literally infringe a mechanical circuit component. Following the Overhead Door decision, the judge ruled that as a matter of law, Woodstream's microprocessor-based device could not literally infringe the patent whose claims were directed to discrete circuit components.
Agrizap did not leave the courtroom empty-handed. The jury found Woodstream liable for fraudulent misrepresentation and awarded $1.28 million in damages. In this instance, the judge did not disturb the jury's decision because evidence presented at trial showed that in response to specific requests for assurances that it was not copying the Rat Zapper, Woodstream's senior management misled Noe. The company was, in fact, planning to develop and market its own competing product.
Both sides have appealed the decision at the Federal Circuit, where a hearing on the issue took place Feburary 7. Stay tuned for the latest chapter in the war of the rats--and the Federal Circuit's latest decision concerning microprocessors.
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Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door. Such were the aspirations of Bob Noe, the founder of Agrizap--maker of the patented Rat Zapper, a trap for dispatching pests through electrocution. Agrizap's Rat Zapper, which is about the size of a shoebox, is powered by four AA batteries, and is sold online for about $40 at RatZapper.com.
The slightly larger Rat Zapper Ultra uses D-cell batteries which, according to the Website, enables it to kill "even bigger, badder rats and mice." In the event of serious infestation, or for those with an overdeveloped desire to integrate their equipment, Agrizap also offers the ultimate high-tech equipment including its Battle Station command post and radio-monitoring equipment for use with its traps.
For several years, under an oral marketing agreement, Noe sold the Rat Zapper through Woodstream, one of the nation's oldest mousetrap makers. The relationship broke down in 2003 when Woodstream launched its own competing Electric Mouse Trap, a CPU-controlled rodent-killing device, for which it now appears to hold several of its own patents. In July 2004, Agrizap sued Woodstream for patent infringement and fraudulent misrepresentation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania's Philadelphia division.
The lawsuit raised so many issues that it would make a good case study for students of intellectual property law. There was even a discovery dispute of some note, when Agrizap's former operations manager testified during his deposition that the older Gopher Zapper product had been offered for sale at a California trade show. Three months later, the witness tried to recant his testimony through written changes to the transcript. The court did not allow the changes, and the Gopher Zapper was considered "prior-art" to the patent-in-suit.
The claims of Agrizap's patent-in-suit are directed to a rodent trap with a mechanical portion, in which the rat would physically be made part of a high-voltage electric circuit, and an electrical portion, which used discrete electrical components including a "resistive switch" to sense the presence of the rodent and administer the lethal electric dose. The patent also required a "timing module" to switch off power and disarm the device.
Woodstream challenged nearly everything about Agrizap's patent claims, arguing first that it did not infringe and that the claimed invention was previously known, obvious, barred by prior sale, not enabled, indefinite, listed the wrong inventors, and was unenforceable. Ultimately, after a two-week trial, the jury was not persuaded by these defenses and found that Woodstream had infringed claim 16 of the patent. That means the jury found that Woodstream's microprocessor was the same as the discrete resistive switch and discrete timing module claimed in patent.
The law that allows computer software to be patented is rooted in the notion that software instructions transform a general purpose CPU into a different machine by creating electrical paths within the device. Extending this reasoning, some patent holders have tried to argue that a CPU, when programmed to perform a given function, is literally transformed into the specific set of discrete electrical components found in their patent claims. This approach has not found favor with the courts. For example, in the Overhead Door case, the Federal Circuit held that a software instruction running on a microprocessor could not literally infringe a mechanical circuit component. Following the Overhead Door decision, the judge ruled that as a matter of law, Woodstream's microprocessor-based device could not literally infringe the patent whose claims were directed to discrete circuit components.
Agrizap did not leave the courtroom empty-handed. The jury found Woodstream liable for fraudulent misrepresentation and awarded $1.28 million in damages. In this instance, the judge did not disturb the jury's decision because evidence presented at trial showed that in response to specific requests for assurances that it was not copying the Rat Zapper, Woodstream's senior management misled Noe. The company was, in fact, planning to develop and market its own competing product.
Both sides have appealed the decision at the Federal Circuit, where a hearing on the issue took place Feburary 7. Stay tuned for the latest chapter in the war of the rats--and the Federal Circuit's latest decision concerning microprocessors.
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Labels: Society
PermaLink - To build a deadlier mousetrap: Where high-tech meets low-tech posted by Ecacofonix : 9:06 AM
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Tangle-free Electrical Extension Lead - by Oliver Blackwell
An electrical extension lead that should never get tangled has been patented by a Devon graduate. Oliver Blackwell, 25, developed the spherical PowerBall which will not fall over or unplug.
The former Plymouth University student said he got fed with extension leads which got wrapped around trees when he was mowing the lawn at his Exmoor home.
"Basically PowerBall is like taking a well behaved dog for a walk as it always follows you," he said.
"I realised a ball shape would be a lot more practical. It's a very simple idea really."
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The former Plymouth University student said he got fed with extension leads which got wrapped around trees when he was mowing the lawn at his Exmoor home.
"Basically PowerBall is like taking a well behaved dog for a walk as it always follows you," he said.
"I realised a ball shape would be a lot more practical. It's a very simple idea really."
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Labels: Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Tangle-free Electrical Extension Lead - by Oliver Blackwell posted by Ecacofonix : 9:06 AM
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Molecular Computer Made of Duroquinone Created
The most powerful computer known is the brain, and now scientists have designed a machine just a few molecules large that mimics how the brain works.
So far the device can simultaneously carry out 16 times more operations than a normal computer transistor. Researchers suggest the invention might eventually prove able to perform roughly 1,000 times more operations than a transistor.
This machine could not only serve as the foundation of a powerful computer, but also serve as the controlling element of complex gadgets such as microscopic doctors or factories, scientists added.
The device is made of a compound known as duroquinone. This molecule resembles a hexagonal plate with four cones linked to it, "like a small car," explained researcher Anirban Bandyopadhyay, an artificial intelligence and molecular electronics scientist at the National Institute for Materials Science at Tsukuba in Japan.
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So far the device can simultaneously carry out 16 times more operations than a normal computer transistor. Researchers suggest the invention might eventually prove able to perform roughly 1,000 times more operations than a transistor.
This machine could not only serve as the foundation of a powerful computer, but also serve as the controlling element of complex gadgets such as microscopic doctors or factories, scientists added.
The device is made of a compound known as duroquinone. This molecule resembles a hexagonal plate with four cones linked to it, "like a small car," explained researcher Anirban Bandyopadhyay, an artificial intelligence and molecular electronics scientist at the National Institute for Materials Science at Tsukuba in Japan.
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Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - Molecular Computer Made of Duroquinone Created posted by Ecacofonix : 9:05 AM
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Switching Electricity @ Nanoscale Dimensions to Boost Storage
A university's work on electricity conduction could significantly boost storage.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh say they have invented a method to switch electricity on and off at nano-scale dimensions. The invention could lead to the creation of more compact data storage devices by increasing aerial density between data bits on silicon.
The project, headed by Jeremy Levy, a professor in the university's School of Arts and Sciences, sought to create a new process to control the connectivity between insulating materials from an electrical conductor to an insulator and then back again.
In an interview, Levy said the principle could be refined to allow for the development of very powerful and tightly packed ultra-high-density storage devices for logic and memory devices.
The results of the project, known as "nanoscale control of an interfacial metal-insulator transition at room temperature," were published last week on the Web site of Nature Materials magazine.
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Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh say they have invented a method to switch electricity on and off at nano-scale dimensions. The invention could lead to the creation of more compact data storage devices by increasing aerial density between data bits on silicon.
The project, headed by Jeremy Levy, a professor in the university's School of Arts and Sciences, sought to create a new process to control the connectivity between insulating materials from an electrical conductor to an insulator and then back again.
In an interview, Levy said the principle could be refined to allow for the development of very powerful and tightly packed ultra-high-density storage devices for logic and memory devices.
The results of the project, known as "nanoscale control of an interfacial metal-insulator transition at room temperature," were published last week on the Web site of Nature Materials magazine.
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Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Switching Electricity @ Nanoscale Dimensions to Boost Storage posted by Ecacofonix : 9:05 AM
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Cooling Blankets from Kalb Corp. Could be Used by US DoD
You need not come from a big town or a big company to develop a hot idea.
The Kalb Corp., run by Mike Kalb and his son, Rob, in the tiny town of Oneida, about 12 miles northwest of Galesburg, is a perfect example. Their specialty, which is to throw a cooling blanket over an overheated exhaust, has some people at the Pentagon hot and bothered.
The Kalbs design custom fabricated blankets that go over diesel engine exhaust pipes. They are designed to shield hot exhaust from areas where people might touch it or where random debris could ignite, creating a fire hazard. Their signature product, HeatBlocker, reduces exhaust temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit down to between 200 and 225.
Its primary application has been on heavy diesel equipment associated with mining, landfill and construction applications. But the Department of Defense is looking to develop a new generation Humvee-type vehicle. The Kalbs' product could both reduce the risk of fires from exhausts and dramatically reduce the thermal signature, making the vehicles less vulnerable to heat-seeking missiles.
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The Kalb Corp., run by Mike Kalb and his son, Rob, in the tiny town of Oneida, about 12 miles northwest of Galesburg, is a perfect example. Their specialty, which is to throw a cooling blanket over an overheated exhaust, has some people at the Pentagon hot and bothered.
The Kalbs design custom fabricated blankets that go over diesel engine exhaust pipes. They are designed to shield hot exhaust from areas where people might touch it or where random debris could ignite, creating a fire hazard. Their signature product, HeatBlocker, reduces exhaust temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit down to between 200 and 225.
Its primary application has been on heavy diesel equipment associated with mining, landfill and construction applications. But the Department of Defense is looking to develop a new generation Humvee-type vehicle. The Kalbs' product could both reduce the risk of fires from exhausts and dramatically reduce the thermal signature, making the vehicles less vulnerable to heat-seeking missiles.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Cooling Blankets from Kalb Corp. Could be Used by US DoD posted by Ecacofonix : 7:59 AM
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Sanichiro Yoshida's Optical Interferometry Identifies Weaknesses In Structures
A patent has been awarded to Southeastern Louisiana University through one of its faculty that holds the potential to identify weaknesses in structures ranging from massive bridge construction to the tiniest elements of nanotechnology no larger than a speck of dust on a pinhead.
The patent is for a deformation prediction instrument developed by physicist Sanichiro Yoshida. The instrument uses the technology of optical interferometry to make precise measurements that identify weak spots in a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and other products.
Interferometry uses multiple light paths -- typically two -- from a common source, in this case a laser. The light paths allow the operator to exactly measure the difference in the path lengths when the light waves hit an object. The light waves – measuring less than one micron or one millionth of a meter – intersect on the material under study, are carefully measured and compared by the interferometer. This determines displacements of all points on the object, and through analysis of the pattern of the displacements, reveals a point of weakness in the material.
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The patent is for a deformation prediction instrument developed by physicist Sanichiro Yoshida. The instrument uses the technology of optical interferometry to make precise measurements that identify weak spots in a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and other products.
Interferometry uses multiple light paths -- typically two -- from a common source, in this case a laser. The light paths allow the operator to exactly measure the difference in the path lengths when the light waves hit an object. The light waves – measuring less than one micron or one millionth of a meter – intersect on the material under study, are carefully measured and compared by the interferometer. This determines displacements of all points on the object, and through analysis of the pattern of the displacements, reveals a point of weakness in the material.
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Labels: Civil-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Sanichiro Yoshida's Optical Interferometry Identifies Weaknesses In Structures posted by Ecacofonix : 7:59 AM
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Sewage-Based Fertilizer (Biosolids / Sludge) Safety Doubted
It was a farm idea with a big payoff and supposedly no downside: ridding lakes and rivers of raw sewage and industrial pollution by converting it all into a free, nutrient-rich fertilizer. Then last week, a federal judge ordered the Agriculture Department to compensate a farmer whose land was poisoned by sludge from the waste treatment plant here. His cows had died by the hundreds.
The Associated Press also has learned that some of the same contaminants showed up in milk that regulators allowed a neighboring dairy farmer to market, even after some officials said they were warned about it.
About 7 million tons of biosolids - the term that waste producers came up with for sludge in 1991 - are produced each year as a byproduct from 1,650 waste water treatment plants around the nation. Slightly more than half is used on land as fertilizer; the rest is incinerated or burned in landfills. Giving it away to farmers is cheaper than burning or burying it, and the government’s policy has been to encourage the former.
In 1999, the agency awarded a $12,274 grant to the University of Georgia to study the problem of sludge's negative impacts on the environment. That research would result in a study published in 2003 in the Journal of Environmental Quality finding that the city’s sludge was safe and that EPA’s regulations were working.
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The Associated Press also has learned that some of the same contaminants showed up in milk that regulators allowed a neighboring dairy farmer to market, even after some officials said they were warned about it.
About 7 million tons of biosolids - the term that waste producers came up with for sludge in 1991 - are produced each year as a byproduct from 1,650 waste water treatment plants around the nation. Slightly more than half is used on land as fertilizer; the rest is incinerated or burned in landfills. Giving it away to farmers is cheaper than burning or burying it, and the government’s policy has been to encourage the former.
In 1999, the agency awarded a $12,274 grant to the University of Georgia to study the problem of sludge's negative impacts on the environment. That research would result in a study published in 2003 in the Journal of Environmental Quality finding that the city’s sludge was safe and that EPA’s regulations were working.
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Labels: Agricultural-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Sewage-Based Fertilizer (Biosolids / Sludge) Safety Doubted posted by Ecacofonix : 7:51 AM
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Processor Heat Converted to Electricity - Orest Symko
Perhaps AMD and Intel should not have abandoned the Gigahertz-race and bunsen-burner processors after all: Scientists from the University of Utah today said that they can convert waste heat into sound and electricity.
Physicist Orest Symko and his research team at the University of Utah said they succeeded in building small devices that turn heat into sound and then into electricity.
According to Symko, most of the heat-to-electricity acoustic devices are housed in cylinder-shaped "resonators" that fit in the palm of a hand. Each cylinder, or resonator, contains a "stack" of material with a large surface area – such as metal or plastic plates, or fibers made of glass, cotton or steel wool – placed between a cold heat exchanger and a hot heat exchanger.
When heat is injected, the heat builds to a threshold and moving air produces sound. The sound is then converted into electricity by using "piezoelectric" devices that are squeezed in response to pressure, including sound waves, and change that pressure into electrical current. Only about 20% of the sound energy is lost when pressure is converted to electricity, Symko said.
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Physicist Orest Symko and his research team at the University of Utah said they succeeded in building small devices that turn heat into sound and then into electricity.
According to Symko, most of the heat-to-electricity acoustic devices are housed in cylinder-shaped "resonators" that fit in the palm of a hand. Each cylinder, or resonator, contains a "stack" of material with a large surface area – such as metal or plastic plates, or fibers made of glass, cotton or steel wool – placed between a cold heat exchanger and a hot heat exchanger.
When heat is injected, the heat builds to a threshold and moving air produces sound. The sound is then converted into electricity by using "piezoelectric" devices that are squeezed in response to pressure, including sound waves, and change that pressure into electrical current. Only about 20% of the sound energy is lost when pressure is converted to electricity, Symko said.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Processor Heat Converted to Electricity - Orest Symko posted by Ecacofonix : 7:40 AM
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Fake Nose Hair, Automatic Beds, e-Mail Analyser @ Geneva Inventions Fair
700 inventors are showing off 1,000 wacky new products at this year's International Exhibition of Inventions, which runs in Geneva.
From artificial nose hair to a bed that makes itself, the wacky products on show at this year's International Exhibition of Inventions offer all sorts of impractical solutions to problems you may not know you have.
More than 700 creative minds have set up stands at the word's largest inventions fair to show off products ranging from heavy-duty engineering feats to wacky little gadgets like emoticon-reading robots.
Labor-saving devices for people averse to such as the self-making bed, artificial nose hair, e-mail analyzer to determine whether a person met in a chat room is a man or a woman...
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From artificial nose hair to a bed that makes itself, the wacky products on show at this year's International Exhibition of Inventions offer all sorts of impractical solutions to problems you may not know you have.
More than 700 creative minds have set up stands at the word's largest inventions fair to show off products ranging from heavy-duty engineering feats to wacky little gadgets like emoticon-reading robots.
Labor-saving devices for people averse to such as the self-making bed, artificial nose hair, e-mail analyzer to determine whether a person met in a chat room is a man or a woman...
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Labels: Sciences
PermaLink - Fake Nose Hair, Automatic Beds, e-Mail Analyser @ Geneva Inventions Fair posted by Ecacofonix : 7:40 AM
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Lightfilm (Luccon + Glass) Opens Up Possibilities for Designers, Architects
Lightfilm – which combines the “revolutionary lightweight concrete Luccon” and glass – exclusive windows and doors, security windows and doors are among the innovative products that LIP Middle East intends to promote when it makes its debut at the gulfBID next month.
“This invention throws up exciting possibilities for both designers and architects. You can use the material for vanity tops and have the light filter through from beneath. Or clad pillars with it or use it as a door for a changing room and watch the interesting interplay of diffused light and shadow as people move behind it,” continues Andreas. While its tensile strength, resistance and conductivity are similar to concrete, its unique structure is embedded with a specially-developed webbing of light fibres. Luccon is sold in panels cut to size. However, all common methods for processing concrete, such as sawing, grinding, drilling and polishing are also possible with Luccon. Custom-made products (different sizes, thicknesses and colours) can also be made available on request.
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“This invention throws up exciting possibilities for both designers and architects. You can use the material for vanity tops and have the light filter through from beneath. Or clad pillars with it or use it as a door for a changing room and watch the interesting interplay of diffused light and shadow as people move behind it,” continues Andreas. While its tensile strength, resistance and conductivity are similar to concrete, its unique structure is embedded with a specially-developed webbing of light fibres. Luccon is sold in panels cut to size. However, all common methods for processing concrete, such as sawing, grinding, drilling and polishing are also possible with Luccon. Custom-made products (different sizes, thicknesses and colours) can also be made available on request.
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Labels: Civil-Engineering, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Lightfilm (Luccon + Glass) Opens Up Possibilities for Designers, Architects posted by Ecacofonix : 7:39 AM
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"Instant Water Boiler" Invention Uses Sound Waves - by Peter Davey, NZ
Ninety-two-year-old Peter Davey of New Zealand says he invented a unique water boiling gadget 30 years ago. He claims it uses sound waves, not a heating element, to boil water in seconds. Davey noticed as he played the saxophone at home that everything resonated at a different frequency.
"The glasses will tinkle on one note. Knives and forks in the drawer will tinkle on another note and I realised that everything has its point of vibration," he said. "In the same way, a component in the ball is tuned to a certain frequency."
A retired engineering professor, Arthur Williamson, was invited to look at the boiler in action. He said:
"I don't know enough about sound to know whether you can transfer that amount of energy via soundwaves. I doubt it," said Williamson. He did remember an alternative kettle years ago that had two perforated metal plates inside. The power ran between the plates, through the water. "The resistance through the water provided the load. I wonder if it isn't working like that? Without taking it to bits, you can't tell."
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"The glasses will tinkle on one note. Knives and forks in the drawer will tinkle on another note and I realised that everything has its point of vibration," he said. "In the same way, a component in the ball is tuned to a certain frequency."
A retired engineering professor, Arthur Williamson, was invited to look at the boiler in action. He said:
"I don't know enough about sound to know whether you can transfer that amount of energy via soundwaves. I doubt it," said Williamson. He did remember an alternative kettle years ago that had two perforated metal plates inside. The power ran between the plates, through the water. "The resistance through the water provided the load. I wonder if it isn't working like that? Without taking it to bits, you can't tell."
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Physics, Sciences
PermaLink - "Instant Water Boiler" Invention Uses Sound Waves - by Peter Davey, NZ posted by Ecacofonix : 7:37 AM
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Magnetic Levitation Gives Haptic Computer Users New Sense of Touch
Computers, long used as tools to design and manipulate three-dimensional objects, may soon provide people with a way to sense the texture of those objects or feel how they fit together, thanks to a haptic, or touch-based, interface developed at Carnegie Mellon University. Unlike most other haptic interfaces that rely on motors and mechanical linkages to provide some sense of touch or force feedback, the device developed by Ralph Hollis, research professor in Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute, uses magnetic levitation and a single moving part to give users a highly realistic experience. Users can perceive textures, feel hard contacts and notice even slight changes in position while using an interface that responds rapidly to movements.
The system eliminates the bulky links, cables and general mechanical complexity of other haptic devices on the market today in favor of a single lightweight moving part that floats on magnetic fields.
A user moves the handle much like a computer mouse, but in three dimensions with six degrees of freedom — up/down, side to side, back/forth, yaw, pitch and roll. Optical sensors measure the position and orientation of the flotor, and this information is used to control the position and orientation of a virtual object on the computer display
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The system eliminates the bulky links, cables and general mechanical complexity of other haptic devices on the market today in favor of a single lightweight moving part that floats on magnetic fields.
A user moves the handle much like a computer mouse, but in three dimensions with six degrees of freedom — up/down, side to side, back/forth, yaw, pitch and roll. Optical sensors measure the position and orientation of the flotor, and this information is used to control the position and orientation of a virtual object on the computer display
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Labels: Bio-engineering, Computer-Science, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Magnetic Levitation Gives Haptic Computer Users New Sense of Touch posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Theo Jansen's Kinetic Sculptures Could be of Help to Engineers
Kinetic sculptures that can move around a beach demonstrate a number of innovative techniques that more mainstream engineers might wish to tap into. Made of plastic tubing that is normally used as cable conduit, they walk about under wind or compressed air power. Some can even sense the presence of water or soft sand and avoid it – without recourse to any kind of electronics. The walking mechanisms are unique, and offer a much more energy-efficient way of crossing soft ground than using wheels and tracks. They represent a possible template for future planetary exploration vehicles, but it is some of the component mechanisms that many may find most interesting and potentially transferable
Theo Jansen originally studied physics at the University of Delft, but soon turned to art, while retaining his interest in science and engineering. He has given his machines names, as if they were living animals – saying “I got the plans to make new forms of life” – and which he sees as evolving into a new type of machine
* The machines are mostly made of plastic cable conduit tubing and are purely mechanical, although some use pneumatic
* They use a walking mechanism for traversing soft grounds that is much more energy efficient than any other
* They also include a number of mechanical and pneumatic innovations worthy of study and of potential usefulness in mainstream engineering
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Theo Jansen originally studied physics at the University of Delft, but soon turned to art, while retaining his interest in science and engineering. He has given his machines names, as if they were living animals – saying “I got the plans to make new forms of life” – and which he sees as evolving into a new type of machine
* The machines are mostly made of plastic cable conduit tubing and are purely mechanical, although some use pneumatic
* They use a walking mechanism for traversing soft grounds that is much more energy efficient than any other
* They also include a number of mechanical and pneumatic innovations worthy of study and of potential usefulness in mainstream engineering
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Labels: Design-Engineering, Mechanical-Engineering
PermaLink - Theo Jansen's Kinetic Sculptures Could be of Help to Engineers posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Zero Waste Machines - Tapping into Nature's Genius
Many experts concur that there is other life in the universe - if not a little than an abundance - including beings much like ourselves who are millions of years more advanced. Whether or not you believe these beings have managed to bridge the distance required to visit us, one distinct thread runs though nearly all UFO reports: silence. Mention of sound is scantly present in the droves of UFO documentation, and if anything it is the absence of sound that is remarked upon, often with exclamatory glee: "Totally silent!" What's notable is that a soundless machine is probably running with almost zero waste, or near 100 percent efficiency - an immaculate system with every part exploited in full and no harm done to the other parts or to the environment. In other words, a system much like those found in nature.
If building zero-waste machines is one aspect of achieving interstellar travel, we may one day look back at the turn of the 21st century as the time when humans began to look at industrial design in such a way as to make this possible. How? By consulting the ultimate teacher - Mother Nature.
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If building zero-waste machines is one aspect of achieving interstellar travel, we may one day look back at the turn of the 21st century as the time when humans began to look at industrial design in such a way as to make this possible. How? By consulting the ultimate teacher - Mother Nature.
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Labels: Design-Engineering, Sciences
PermaLink - Zero Waste Machines - Tapping into Nature's Genius posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Target Refractive Index Eliminates Light Scattering in Polymers
A year of adding polymers to nanoparticles and testing their opacity left chemistry Ph.D. student Lindsay Bombalski frustrated. Although she was using a standard procedure to test the particles and characterize them by how much light they scatter, two samples were not giving her any signal at all, as though they had no opacity.“At no point did we think we were looking at something interesting,” said Michael Bockstaller, assistant professor of materials science and engineering who worked with Bombalski and chemistry professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski on the project. As it turns out, they discovered that that “something” could be used to improve product packaging, windshields, and sunblock.
Particle additives such as polymers are often added to particles in other materials to increase heat resistance or mechanical strength of materials. However, the problem with this technique is that the reinforced particles scatter, altering the particles’ original appearance and making them virtually unusable for any matter that requires light to pass through.This scattering is caused by the change in the particles’ refractive index — an assessment of how fast light travels within a material — when the inorganic particles are added to an organic solution. The researchers found that by planning a target refractive index, they could eliminate the scattering of particles.
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Particle additives such as polymers are often added to particles in other materials to increase heat resistance or mechanical strength of materials. However, the problem with this technique is that the reinforced particles scatter, altering the particles’ original appearance and making them virtually unusable for any matter that requires light to pass through.This scattering is caused by the change in the particles’ refractive index — an assessment of how fast light travels within a material — when the inorganic particles are added to an organic solution. The researchers found that by planning a target refractive index, they could eliminate the scattering of particles.
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Labels: Physics
PermaLink - Target Refractive Index Eliminates Light Scattering in Polymers posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Humans Causing New Extinction Event: Australian Scientist
Australian National University scientist says the planet is losing species at a similar rate to the period when the dinosaurs were wiped out. Will Steffen from the Fenner School of Environment says the planet is in the midst of a new geological age, the Anthropocene, in which humans are causing mass species extinction. He says the era began with the industrial revolution and accelerated in the 1950s as humans began burning more fossil fuels and consuming more resources. Professor Steffen says the current levels of species extinction are at least a hundred times greater than natural loss rates.
Professor Steffen says the Anthropocene age will continue for some considerable time."Even if we cut down emissions to zero or close to zero tomorrow, there would be significant amounts of extra CO2 up there for centuries into the future, and I think also in terms of biodiversity loss, there is what some people call committed biodiversity loss, or species that are on their way to extinction and there probably isn't much we can do to turn them around," he said.
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Professor Steffen says the Anthropocene age will continue for some considerable time."Even if we cut down emissions to zero or close to zero tomorrow, there would be significant amounts of extra CO2 up there for centuries into the future, and I think also in terms of biodiversity loss, there is what some people call committed biodiversity loss, or species that are on their way to extinction and there probably isn't much we can do to turn them around," he said.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Geo-Sciences
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Building a Base on the Moon: Infrastructure and Transportation
In this exciting but challenging period of space exploration, the time is fast approaching for serious design concepts for the first habitats that will be built on the lunar landscape. In previous articles, we have examined the hazards associated with such an endeavour, we have looked at the structures available to us, we have even detailed a particular hangar-like structure that might use locally mined materials. Now, we look into the possible infrastructure elements that will be needed to support a viable colony on the Moon. Florian Ruess, a structural engineer who is working on the future of habitats in extreme environments, also took some time with the Universe Today to give his opinions on mankind's future on lunar soil
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iShoe - Motorized Shoes, Lightweight Transportation Device
With walking, driving, biking, Rollerblading and running, students can now add motorized shoes to their list of options to get around campus. Ilya Kaganovich recently developed the iShoe - described on the product's Web site as "a light weight transportation device for getting around the city, office complex or college campus.With constantly changing technology and increasing competition, a modern day inventor has a difficult process to undergo. Kaganovich said he worked on the shoes for 12 hours a day for about a month while spending the summer in New York.
The newest model weighs only 10 pounds with batteries built into the shoes, is able to go 20 mph and can be used outdoors and up hills.
Others are more skeptical of the practicality of the motorized shoes.
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The newest model weighs only 10 pounds with batteries built into the shoes, is able to go 20 mph and can be used outdoors and up hills.
Others are more skeptical of the practicality of the motorized shoes.
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Labels: Design-Engineering, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - iShoe - Motorized Shoes, Lightweight Transportation Device posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Research on Multiple Sclerosis, Protecting Skin in Cold Temperatures Highlights of Cotnell BioExpo 2008
Testing the durability of throat cartilage in horses, which could advance a common surgical procedure for racehorses; an analysis of using a microbead spray to warm up skin in frigid temperatures: These were just two of the student projects showcased at the student-run 2008 Annual Bioengineering Expo at Cornell recently
Among undergraduates, biology and philosophy major Ben Solomon '09 won the $400 first-place prize for his presentation on his work in developing a mouse model for examining a receptor involved in the immune response of people with multiple sclerosis.
Biomedical engineering graduate student Georgette Tzatzalos won the $200 first-place prize for master of engineering students with her biomaterials project that focuses on marking tumor cells.
Among other posters, civil and environmental engineering student Samantha Passman '10 explained how she ran mechanical tests to study the durability and flexibility of laryngeal cartilage in horses. Collapse of arytenoid cartilage near a horse's trachea blocks air and creates turbulence through a horse's airway, which not only reduces oxygen intake but also is the most common cause of poor performance in racehorses. The surgical fix for this condition, which involves placing sutures over the arytenoid cartilage and the nearby cricoid cartilage, fails 40 percent of the time. Passman hopes her research will be a step toward improving the procedure.
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Among undergraduates, biology and philosophy major Ben Solomon '09 won the $400 first-place prize for his presentation on his work in developing a mouse model for examining a receptor involved in the immune response of people with multiple sclerosis.
Biomedical engineering graduate student Georgette Tzatzalos won the $200 first-place prize for master of engineering students with her biomaterials project that focuses on marking tumor cells.
Among other posters, civil and environmental engineering student Samantha Passman '10 explained how she ran mechanical tests to study the durability and flexibility of laryngeal cartilage in horses. Collapse of arytenoid cartilage near a horse's trachea blocks air and creates turbulence through a horse's airway, which not only reduces oxygen intake but also is the most common cause of poor performance in racehorses. The surgical fix for this condition, which involves placing sutures over the arytenoid cartilage and the nearby cricoid cartilage, fails 40 percent of the time. Passman hopes her research will be a step toward improving the procedure.
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Labels: Bio-engineering
PermaLink - Research on Multiple Sclerosis, Protecting Skin in Cold Temperatures Highlights of Cotnell BioExpo 2008 posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Drop-on Demand Dispensing - Controlled Printing Free of Clogging
Queen Mary University's newest spin out company, EMdot, has been awarded the 2008 Royal Academy of Engineering ERA Foundation Entrepreneurs prize. This year's winning team - Dr Mark Paine, Dr Matthew Alexander and Dr Katharine Smith - will receive the £40,000 prize fund for their patented drop-on demand dispensing technology.
The team have developed an ingenious system for controlled printing of tiny dots that was free of the clogging problems of inkjet printing. There are many potential applications, but the invention has particular significance for the manufacture of biological microarrays, and the deposition of ultra-small samples for lab-on-a-chip analysis.The team, along with their colleague Prof John Stark, are all co-inventors of the core technology and founders of EMdot, the company they formed to commercialise the technology.
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The team have developed an ingenious system for controlled printing of tiny dots that was free of the clogging problems of inkjet printing. There are many potential applications, but the invention has particular significance for the manufacture of biological microarrays, and the deposition of ultra-small samples for lab-on-a-chip analysis.The team, along with their colleague Prof John Stark, are all co-inventors of the core technology and founders of EMdot, the company they formed to commercialise the technology.
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Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - Drop-on Demand Dispensing - Controlled Printing Free of Clogging posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Leggett & Plat Semi-Fold Box Spring - Collapsible, Flexible Box Springs
If you’ve ever tried to wrestle a box spring up a stairway or down a narrow hall into your bedroom, then you can imagine how comically awkward and expensive it would be to ship one via UPS or FedEx. Which explains why box springs (otherwise known as mattress foundations) aren’t exactly big sellers on e-commerce websites. But what if there were a way to make a box spring that collapsed to a manageable size for shipping, then unfolded to its full dimensions in the customer’s home? Then the lowly box spring might finally be able to join the Internet revolution.That was the idea that struck engineers at Leggett & Platt a couple of years ago. While the Carthage, MO-based manufacturer isn’t a household name, almost every mattress sold contains some L&P components; indeed, co-founder J.P. Leggett invented the spiral steel coil bedspring in 1883.
The company’s mattress designers had Goldfire Innovator at their sides as they pored over the mechanical, ergonomic, and materials-science problems associated with building a collapsible box spring. The result: the Leggett & Plat Semi-Fold Box Spring, a mechanical marvel that hit the market in 2007 and folds up into a rectangular shape with one-quarter the volume of a traditional mattress foundation.
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The company’s mattress designers had Goldfire Innovator at their sides as they pored over the mechanical, ergonomic, and materials-science problems associated with building a collapsible box spring. The result: the Leggett & Plat Semi-Fold Box Spring, a mechanical marvel that hit the market in 2007 and folds up into a rectangular shape with one-quarter the volume of a traditional mattress foundation.
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Labels: Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Leggett & Plat Semi-Fold Box Spring - Collapsible, Flexible Box Springs posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Spiros, Click Lock, Clave & Genie Prevent Miscarriages to Cancer Ward Nurses
ICU Medical in San Clemente has a new mission – to put an end to miscarriages that affect many nurses who become pregnant while working in cancer wards. The cause of those heart-wrenching events is the harsh chemicals used to treat cancer patients. Nurses come into contact with that chemotherapy medication if it splashes out of a storage vial or leaks while a nurse is setting up an intravenous line
Spiros lets nurses remove a drug from a vial without sucking it through a needle into a syringe and then lets them inject the liquid into a properly equipped IV tube. The Spiros connector shuts off the flow of liquid whenever it is disconnected, so drips and spills are a thing of the past, ICU says. It is the latest in a series of Lopez inventions that include the Click Lock, a secure connection he devised after a patient died when an IV was accidentally detached, and the Clave, a needle-free connection between syringes and IV lines.Design engineer Tom Fangrow came up with the idea for Genie, a specialized attachment that eliminates the need for nurses to puncture a vial lid with a needle, which risks a spill or a splash of chemicals
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Spiros lets nurses remove a drug from a vial without sucking it through a needle into a syringe and then lets them inject the liquid into a properly equipped IV tube. The Spiros connector shuts off the flow of liquid whenever it is disconnected, so drips and spills are a thing of the past, ICU says. It is the latest in a series of Lopez inventions that include the Click Lock, a secure connection he devised after a patient died when an IV was accidentally detached, and the Clave, a needle-free connection between syringes and IV lines.Design engineer Tom Fangrow came up with the idea for Genie, a specialized attachment that eliminates the need for nurses to puncture a vial lid with a needle, which risks a spill or a splash of chemicals
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Labels: Bio-engineering, Safety
PermaLink - Spiros, Click Lock, Clave & Genie Prevent Miscarriages to Cancer Ward Nurses posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Diamond-cooled Nuclear Reactor from Ronald Baney
Nuclear plants can fail when the heat from the reactor is not removed quickly enough from the core. This can happen in pressurised water nuclear reactors if the water in the cooling system boils, because steam is a much poorer conductor of heat than liquid water.These reactors have a primary water cooling system that directly takes heat away from the reactor. It is sealed under huge pressure to prevent it boiling and conducts heat to a secondary water cooling system that is not sealed.But this secondary system is also at risk of boiling. If that happens, heat builds up in the primary cooling system, which can lead to meltdown. Ronald Baney and colleagues at the University of Florida in Gainesville, think they can tackle this problem by turning to diamond – one of the best heat conductors known to science.
Their idea is to add diamond nanoparticles to the water of the secondary cooling system to dramatically improve its ability to transfer heat.Baney and colleagues say such nanoparticles are chemically inert and radiation resistant, so are unlikely to clump together in a way that could block the cooling system. However, they don't say how much a diamond-based heat transfer fluid might cost.Read the full diamond-cooled nuclear reactor patent application.
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Their idea is to add diamond nanoparticles to the water of the secondary cooling system to dramatically improve its ability to transfer heat.Baney and colleagues say such nanoparticles are chemically inert and radiation resistant, so are unlikely to clump together in a way that could block the cooling system. However, they don't say how much a diamond-based heat transfer fluid might cost.Read the full diamond-cooled nuclear reactor patent application.
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Labels: Material-Sciences, Physics
PermaLink - Diamond-cooled Nuclear Reactor from Ronald Baney posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Sonicu Neonatal Sound Monitoring System Monitors NICU Sound Levels
Preemies need quiet so they can learn their mother's voice and their brains can figure out how to process sound, things that normally happen in the last trimester before birth."It's definitely a great idea," Dr. Bob White, a neonatologist at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind., said of the monitoring system in Riley's neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.
Neonatal Sound Monitoring system inventor Chris Smith hopes doctors nationwide agree with White. He has sold his Sonicu system to several Indiana hospitals and wants to expand nationally.
Babies born too soon lose the muffling effect of the womb before their ears can filter sound, White said. NICUs are rife with noise from employees, equipment and excited relatives.Smith, a former car mechanic who tinkered in radio and TV electronics in high school, filled hours of spare time researching sound standards and building a system. He hired an acoustical engineer to help. They created a ceiling-mounted system of microphones that pick up sound and funnel data to a large control panel.
The latest version of Sonicu can feed sound and light data to a computer. It turns on the warning lights and can quickly dim the lighting in a room that gets too noisy.It can also make lighting mimic the sun by brightening it toward noon and then fading it, which also helps babies sleep well. White said he knows of no other NICU monitoring system that sophisticated.
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Neonatal Sound Monitoring system inventor Chris Smith hopes doctors nationwide agree with White. He has sold his Sonicu system to several Indiana hospitals and wants to expand nationally.
Babies born too soon lose the muffling effect of the womb before their ears can filter sound, White said. NICUs are rife with noise from employees, equipment and excited relatives.Smith, a former car mechanic who tinkered in radio and TV electronics in high school, filled hours of spare time researching sound standards and building a system. He hired an acoustical engineer to help. They created a ceiling-mounted system of microphones that pick up sound and funnel data to a large control panel.
The latest version of Sonicu can feed sound and light data to a computer. It turns on the warning lights and can quickly dim the lighting in a room that gets too noisy.It can also make lighting mimic the sun by brightening it toward noon and then fading it, which also helps babies sleep well. White said he knows of no other NICU monitoring system that sophisticated.
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Labels: Bio-engineering, Sciences
PermaLink - Sonicu Neonatal Sound Monitoring System Monitors NICU Sound Levels posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Gordon Thiessen's Swing-arm Invention Helps Construction Workers
Accidental inventor Gordon Thiessen hears a lot of "how come no one's ever thought of this before," when showing off his support arm for construction tools."This" is a gas-strut swing-arm that clamps to a vertical post, scaffolding or a tripod to hold heavy portable jackhammers, drills and other power tools aloft so construction workers don't have to strain and sprain their backs and necks holding them up manually for hours at a time.Thiessen, a research associate in automation and electronics at BCIT's technology centre, started work on developing the device in 2001 at the behest of Worksafe BC, then known as the Workers Compensation Board, which was looking for a way to ease the injurious strains of construction work.
The heavy-tool support arm that Thiessen came up with won some recognition as one of 75 technologies to be highlighted at a major U.S. innovation showcase at the end of last month.
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Keywords: Swing-arm invention, Gordon Thiessen, jackhammers, drills, power tools, BCIT, Workers Compensation Board, Canadian federal government, Arlington, Las Vegas, Robert Duncan, James Wells
The heavy-tool support arm that Thiessen came up with won some recognition as one of 75 technologies to be highlighted at a major U.S. innovation showcase at the end of last month.
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Keywords: Swing-arm invention, Gordon Thiessen, jackhammers, drills, power tools, BCIT, Workers Compensation Board, Canadian federal government, Arlington, Las Vegas, Robert Duncan, James Wells
Labels: Civil-Engineering, Design-Engineering, Industrial-Engineering
PermaLink - Gordon Thiessen's Swing-arm Invention Helps Construction Workers posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Non-conducting Organic Polymers into Electricity Conducting "Synthetic Metals" Using Radiation
Recently, UPM unveiled their latest research at the World's Largest Market-Place for Inventions in Geneva. This research is on a technique to transform non-conducting organic polymers into electricity conducting "synthetic metals" using radiation, which can be used for artificial muscles, antistatic clothing, rechargeable batteries and more
This research is on a technique to transform non-conducting organic polymers into electricity conducting "synthetic metals" using radiation. These "synthetic metals" can be used for electromagnetic shielding, artificial muscles, active electronic devices, antistatic clothing, rechargeable batteries, ion exchange membranes, electrical display, chemical and biochemical sensors, electrochemical actuators, switches, and molecular electronics.
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This research is on a technique to transform non-conducting organic polymers into electricity conducting "synthetic metals" using radiation. These "synthetic metals" can be used for electromagnetic shielding, artificial muscles, active electronic devices, antistatic clothing, rechargeable batteries, ion exchange membranes, electrical display, chemical and biochemical sensors, electrochemical actuators, switches, and molecular electronics.
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Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Non-conducting Organic Polymers into Electricity Conducting "Synthetic Metals" Using Radiation posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Muhammad Yunus Feels Tech Companies Do Not Have Poor in Mind
"Technology is making more changes in our way of life than ever in human history," says Muhammad Yunus. "The way the Internet and the mobile phone are spreading, you cannot compare with any technology of the past." Yunus is known for his visionary leadership in microfinance and helping the poor. He and the Grameen Bank he founded won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Now he wants to see the tech industry work more explicitly to empower the poor. when he looks at the global IT industry, Yunus is deeply unsatisfied. "When we take tech that was designed for other people to the poor, it has impact," he concedes, "but another way is to design it for the poor to begin with." Yunus argues with passion for the invention of new tech tools, especially for poor women in the developing world
As for today's tech companies, he doubts they will bring about the changes he seeks. "Silicon Valley people are used to making crazy money, so non-crazy areas are left out," he opines.
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As for today's tech companies, he doubts they will bring about the changes he seeks. "Silicon Valley people are used to making crazy money, so non-crazy areas are left out," he opines.
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Labels: Society
PermaLink - Muhammad Yunus Feels Tech Companies Do Not Have Poor in Mind posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Organic Field-effect Transistors (OFET) - for Tags, Bar-codes, Active Matrix Elements
Since the invention of the first transistor in 1947 by John Bardeen, William Shockley and Walter Brattain, the vast majority of electronic devices have been based on inorganic semiconductors and, in particular, on silicon. Over the past few years, however, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) have attracted a great deal of interest due to their unique processing characteristics. Organic materials offer the benefit that they can be printed over large areas on plastic, flexible substrates at low temperature by solution-based techniques, which would result in a dramatic reduction of manufacturing costs. Though the first OFETs did not transport charge as well as inorganic materials, the best ones nowadays are achieving charge carrier mobilities of the same order as amorphous silicon. Organic-based electronics will not replace high density and high speed silicon circuits, but might play an important role in applications such as identification tags, electronic bar codes or active matrix elements for displays.
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Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - Organic Field-effect Transistors (OFET) - for Tags, Bar-codes, Active Matrix Elements posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Collaborative Innovation Networks - Online Groups Creating Inventions
Collaborative Innovation Networks (COINs) are online communities of like-minded people working together to create innovations. Author and scientist Peter Gloor originated the term. These cyberteams are cropping up everywhere, unified not only by their "collective vision" but by the giant tentacles of the Internet. In the case of Facebook, they are the Chinese users of the site who are helping to translate it into their native language. Elsewhere, they are the surgeons collaborating on SpineConnect, an online community where experts from around the world can exchange ideas for innovations in the treatment of spinal injuries.
The potential of all this pooling of ideas is enormous.
The Web-based encyclopaedia Wikipedia and the Internet browser Mozilla Firefox are just two of the products whose development relies upon the contribution of a community of online users.
The idea of working collaboratively to create innovations is not new. Even so, it is an approach that the business world has found hard to come to terms with.
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The potential of all this pooling of ideas is enormous.
The Web-based encyclopaedia Wikipedia and the Internet browser Mozilla Firefox are just two of the products whose development relies upon the contribution of a community of online users.
The idea of working collaboratively to create innovations is not new. Even so, it is an approach that the business world has found hard to come to terms with.
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Labels: Society
PermaLink - Collaborative Innovation Networks - Online Groups Creating Inventions posted by Ecacofonix : 12:17 AM
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New Grid-based Superfast Internet May Replace World Wide Web
The internet could soon be made obsolete by a new "grid" system which is 10,000 times faster than broadband connections. Web could collapse as video demand soars.
Scientists in Switzerland have developed a lightning-fast replacement to the internet that would allow feature films and music catalogues to be downloaded within seconds.
The invention could signal the end of the dreaded 'frozen screen', when computers seize up after being asked to process too much information. The latest spin-off from Cern, the particle physics centre that created the internet, the grid could also provide the power needed to send sophisticated images; allow instant online gaming with hundreds of thousands of players; and offer high-definition video telephony for the price of a local call. David Britton, professor of physics at Glasgow University and a leading figure in the grid project, believes grid technology could change society. The power of the grid will be unlocked this summer with the switching on of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a new particle accelerator designed to investigate how the universe began. The grid will be turned on at the same time to store the information it generates, after scientists at Cern, based near Geneva, realised the internet would not have the capacity to capture such huge volumes of data.
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Scientists in Switzerland have developed a lightning-fast replacement to the internet that would allow feature films and music catalogues to be downloaded within seconds.
The invention could signal the end of the dreaded 'frozen screen', when computers seize up after being asked to process too much information. The latest spin-off from Cern, the particle physics centre that created the internet, the grid could also provide the power needed to send sophisticated images; allow instant online gaming with hundreds of thousands of players; and offer high-definition video telephony for the price of a local call. David Britton, professor of physics at Glasgow University and a leading figure in the grid project, believes grid technology could change society. The power of the grid will be unlocked this summer with the switching on of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a new particle accelerator designed to investigate how the universe began. The grid will be turned on at the same time to store the information it generates, after scientists at Cern, based near Geneva, realised the internet would not have the capacity to capture such huge volumes of data.
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Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - New Grid-based Superfast Internet May Replace World Wide Web posted by Ecacofonix : 12:16 AM
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Tiny Sensor Developed To Detect Homemade Bombs
A team of chemists and physicists at the University of California, San Diego has developed a tiny, inexpensive sensor chip capable of detecting trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used in the most common form of homemade explosives.
The invention and operation of this penny-sized electronic sensor, capable of sniffing out hydrogen peroxide vapor in the parts-per-billion range from peroxide-based explosives, such as those used in the 2005 bombing of the London transit system, is detailed in a new article
In addition to detecting explosives, UC San Diego scientists say the sensor could have widespread applications in improving the health of industrial workers by providing a new tool to inexpensively monitor the toxic hydrogen peroxide vapors from bleached pulp and other products to which factory workers are exposed
The sensor works by monitoring the variability of electrical conductivity through thin films of “metal phthalocyanines".
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The invention and operation of this penny-sized electronic sensor, capable of sniffing out hydrogen peroxide vapor in the parts-per-billion range from peroxide-based explosives, such as those used in the 2005 bombing of the London transit system, is detailed in a new article
In addition to detecting explosives, UC San Diego scientists say the sensor could have widespread applications in improving the health of industrial workers by providing a new tool to inexpensively monitor the toxic hydrogen peroxide vapors from bleached pulp and other products to which factory workers are exposed
The sensor works by monitoring the variability of electrical conductivity through thin films of “metal phthalocyanines".
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Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering, Safety
PermaLink - Tiny Sensor Developed To Detect Homemade Bombs posted by Ecacofonix : 12:16 AM
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Flyak from Einar Rasmussen - A Superfast Kayak
At the outset, the race seems lopsided. A single kayaker is outmanned against an Olympic-style K4 craft with four oarsmen. As expected, the foursome achieves an early lead. What happens next, however, is miraculous. The kayak accelerates to triple its speed. The kayak wins by more than a length. Einar Rasmussen arranged the informal 200-M challenge as a demonstration. The four-time Norwegian kayaking champion and physics expert and his partner, kayakbuilder Peter Ribe, have created what they hope will become the fastest human-powered craft in history—the Flyak.
There’s nothing supernatural about the Flyak’s acceleration, as the name implies, the Flyak “flies.” Its wings are underneath the water, in the form of front and rear hydrofoils. The more the surface area of a hull touches the water, the greater the vehicle’s resistance.
Once the rider works the speed up to roughly 10 KMH (6 MPH), the Flyak is ready for take-off. The energy on the oblique foils propels the hull up above the water’s surface. Once airborne, the velocity gained from paddle strokes increases dramatically. Theoretically, the Flyak can achieve speeds nearly twice as fast as conventional championship-level racing kayaks
The foils are removable and interchangeable through a hand-screw apparatus behind the seat. By removing the foils, the craft can be maneuvered like a conventional kayak
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There’s nothing supernatural about the Flyak’s acceleration, as the name implies, the Flyak “flies.” Its wings are underneath the water, in the form of front and rear hydrofoils. The more the surface area of a hull touches the water, the greater the vehicle’s resistance.
Once the rider works the speed up to roughly 10 KMH (6 MPH), the Flyak is ready for take-off. The energy on the oblique foils propels the hull up above the water’s surface. Once airborne, the velocity gained from paddle strokes increases dramatically. Theoretically, the Flyak can achieve speeds nearly twice as fast as conventional championship-level racing kayaks
The foils are removable and interchangeable through a hand-screw apparatus behind the seat. By removing the foils, the craft can be maneuvered like a conventional kayak
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Labels: Design-Engineering, Fluid-Dynamics, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering, Naval-Architecture
PermaLink - Flyak from Einar Rasmussen - A Superfast Kayak posted by Ecacofonix : 12:15 AM
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Qubits - Quantum Bits Could Herald Death of the Silicon Chip
The reign of the silicon chip is over, according to physicists who predict that the conventional silicon chip has no longer than four years left to run. Meeting at the Institute of Physics’ Condensed Matter and Material Physics conference this week, researchers speculate that the silicon chip will be unable to sustain the same pace of increase in computing power and speed as it has in previous years
Just as Gordon Moore predicted in 2005, physical limitations of the miniaturised electronic devices of today will eventually lead to silicon chips that are saturated with transistors and incapable of holding any more digital information. Scientists are now investigating alternative components that may pave the way to faster, more powerful computers of the future and potentially extend Moore’s Law of technological advancement
One team of researchers at the Leeds University in the UK have proposed to replace silicon chips with carbon nanotubes. In a development that is expected to bring carbon nanotubes one step closer to commercial use, the Leeds University researchers have developed a technique of growing nanotubes on a perforated ceramic grid. The technique allows the research team to determine the electrical properties of individual nanotubes, after which the tubes are accurately positioned on a surface using a tweezer-like device
By linking the electric current in a loop to a quantum superposition state, superconductors may act as quantum bits, or qubits, in quantum computing. Qubits are able to exist in multiple states at any one time, which massively increases the amount of information that can be encoded in a quantum computer’s memory.
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Just as Gordon Moore predicted in 2005, physical limitations of the miniaturised electronic devices of today will eventually lead to silicon chips that are saturated with transistors and incapable of holding any more digital information. Scientists are now investigating alternative components that may pave the way to faster, more powerful computers of the future and potentially extend Moore’s Law of technological advancement
One team of researchers at the Leeds University in the UK have proposed to replace silicon chips with carbon nanotubes. In a development that is expected to bring carbon nanotubes one step closer to commercial use, the Leeds University researchers have developed a technique of growing nanotubes on a perforated ceramic grid. The technique allows the research team to determine the electrical properties of individual nanotubes, after which the tubes are accurately positioned on a surface using a tweezer-like device
By linking the electric current in a loop to a quantum superposition state, superconductors may act as quantum bits, or qubits, in quantum computing. Qubits are able to exist in multiple states at any one time, which massively increases the amount of information that can be encoded in a quantum computer’s memory.
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Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - Qubits - Quantum Bits Could Herald Death of the Silicon Chip posted by Ecacofonix : 12:15 AM
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Self-Mending Rubber Invented - Self-healing Properties Make it Suitable for Many Uses
Self-healing rubber that binds back together after being snapped or punctured could pave the way for self-healing shoes, fan belts, washing-up gloves and more. When the material melds together again, it has just as much strength as it had before, says Leibler, a polymer chemist at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Institution (ESPCI) in Paris, France.
The material could eventually make it a cinch to repair holes in shoes, snapped fan belts and punctured kitchen gloves. It might also make strange new products possible – for instance bags that can be ripped open and then resealed. Regular rubber gets its strength from the fact that long chains of polymer molecules are coupled, or "crosslinked," in three different ways: through covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonding between molecules. The solution devised by Leibler and colleagues is to simply get rid of the ionic and covalent bonds. They developed a transparent, yellowy-brown rubber in which crosslinking is performed only by hydrogen bonds. The new substance self-heals when its surfaces are brought together under gentle compression, at room temperature.The material is synthesised from fatty acids and urea, which are cheap and renewable
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The material could eventually make it a cinch to repair holes in shoes, snapped fan belts and punctured kitchen gloves. It might also make strange new products possible – for instance bags that can be ripped open and then resealed. Regular rubber gets its strength from the fact that long chains of polymer molecules are coupled, or "crosslinked," in three different ways: through covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonding between molecules. The solution devised by Leibler and colleagues is to simply get rid of the ionic and covalent bonds. They developed a transparent, yellowy-brown rubber in which crosslinking is performed only by hydrogen bonds. The new substance self-heals when its surfaces are brought together under gentle compression, at room temperature.The material is synthesised from fatty acids and urea, which are cheap and renewable
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Labels: Material-Sciences, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Self-Mending Rubber Invented - Self-healing Properties Make it Suitable for Many Uses posted by Ecacofonix : 12:14 AM
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Nanosieves to Remove Water Out of Biofuels & Save Energy
A new type of membrane, developed by scientists of the University of Twente in The Netherlands, can stand high temperatures for a long period of time. This ‘molecular sieve’ is capable of removing water out of e.g. solvents and biofuels. It is a very energy efficient alternative to existing techniques like distillation. Even after testing during 18 months, the new membranes prove to be highly effective, while having continuously been exposed to a temperature of 150 ºC. Existing ceramic and polymer membranes will last considerably shorter periods of time, when exposed to the combination of water and high temperatures. The scientists managed to do this using a new ‘hybrid’ type of material combining the best of both worlds of polymer and ceramic membranes. The result is a membrane with pores sufficiently small to let only the smallest molecules pass through.
Manufacturing the new hybrid membranes is simpler than that of ceramic membranes, because the material is flexible and will not show cracks.
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Manufacturing the new hybrid membranes is simpler than that of ceramic membranes, because the material is flexible and will not show cracks.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Nanosieves to Remove Water Out of Biofuels & Save Energy posted by Ecacofonix : 12:14 AM
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Guardion-7 Chemical Detector from BYU Scientist Milt Lee
When U.S. Army special forces infiltrate a factory, they need to know quickly whether they've found chemical weapons so they can call in an airstrike. Similar speedy information is important to soldiers who believe they have been exposed to a chemical attack or to police and firefighters who respond to a terrorist attack or a spill that could include hazardous materials
Now, Brigham Young University scientist Milt Lee and the American Fork company he co-founded has created a miniaturized, lightweight device that recalls the fictional Tricorder of the TV and movie franchise "Star Trek." The Guardion-7 chemical detector is a 28-pound portable device that can detect, without false positives and with exact specificity, a wide range of chemicals in fewer than five minutes, even in harsh environments like the Iraqi desert.
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Keywords: Brigham Young University(BYU), Milt Lee, American Fork company, infiltrate, airstrike, firefighters, hazardous materials, Star Trek, Mike Alder, Torion Technologies, Guardion-7 chemical detector, 28-pound portable device, Wintergreen-flavored Lifesaver, miniaturized gas chromatograph, miniaturized mass spectrometer
Now, Brigham Young University scientist Milt Lee and the American Fork company he co-founded has created a miniaturized, lightweight device that recalls the fictional Tricorder of the TV and movie franchise "Star Trek." The Guardion-7 chemical detector is a 28-pound portable device that can detect, without false positives and with exact specificity, a wide range of chemicals in fewer than five minutes, even in harsh environments like the Iraqi desert.
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Keywords: Brigham Young University(BYU), Milt Lee, American Fork company, infiltrate, airstrike, firefighters, hazardous materials, Star Trek, Mike Alder, Torion Technologies, Guardion-7 chemical detector, 28-pound portable device, Wintergreen-flavored Lifesaver, miniaturized gas chromatograph, miniaturized mass spectrometer
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Safety
PermaLink - Guardion-7 Chemical Detector from BYU Scientist Milt Lee posted by Ecacofonix : 12:09 AM
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Lifesaver Bottle by Michael Pritchard - Filters Impure Water, Lightweight
The water in Michael Pritchard's fishtank came straight from his garden pond and it showed. The greenish gunk looked and smelled like it ought not to go anywhere near a human digestive system. But after pumping it through his lightweight, handheld device it came out crystal clear and he even persuaded some onlookers to taste it. The Lifesaver bottle was one of several inventions at a show of military technology hosted by the National Army Museum in Chelsea recemtly.
Once a hurricane or earthquake hits, one of the most pressing logistical needs is to provide clean drinking water to the victims. A transport plane can typically hold enough bottled water for 800 people for a month. The same plane can carry 125,000 Lifesaver bottles. At one bottle per family, that's enough to keep half a million people in drinking water for 16 months. The bottle works by using a handheld pump mechanism to force water from the outside to the inside of a narrow coiled tube inside the device. The polymer that makes up the tube has pores in it that are 15 billionths of a metre in diameter - small enough to filter out bacteria and viruses
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Once a hurricane or earthquake hits, one of the most pressing logistical needs is to provide clean drinking water to the victims. A transport plane can typically hold enough bottled water for 800 people for a month. The same plane can carry 125,000 Lifesaver bottles. At one bottle per family, that's enough to keep half a million people in drinking water for 16 months. The bottle works by using a handheld pump mechanism to force water from the outside to the inside of a narrow coiled tube inside the device. The polymer that makes up the tube has pores in it that are 15 billionths of a metre in diameter - small enough to filter out bacteria and viruses
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Society
PermaLink - Lifesaver Bottle by Michael Pritchard - Filters Impure Water, Lightweight posted by Ecacofonix : 12:09 AM
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The Non-stick Chewing Gum Dream - by Terrence Cosgrove
Terrence Cosgrove, a professor in this town in western England, imagined a world where chewing gum did not stick to sidewalks and shoes, theater seats or hair. Because Cosgrove studies polymers - the chemical compounds that, among other things, make plastics plastic and chewing gum chewy - his was no idle dream. If he could find the right chemical mixture, the professor surmised, he could retain the chewy without the sticky.
The inspiration for Cosgrove's non-stick chewing gum came on a trip to academic conferences in the United States - not in a conference hall, but on American sidewalks, where he noticed wads of hardened chewing gum. Eventually, his team came up with a formulation of polymers that would not stick. To determine whether it came off sidewalks and other surfaces, they pitted it against standard chewing gums on main streets across western England. While the other gums stuck, Cosgrove's rinsed off with rainwater - "though some surfaces are better than others," he said, calling leather a "terrible" magnet.
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The inspiration for Cosgrove's non-stick chewing gum came on a trip to academic conferences in the United States - not in a conference hall, but on American sidewalks, where he noticed wads of hardened chewing gum. Eventually, his team came up with a formulation of polymers that would not stick. To determine whether it came off sidewalks and other surfaces, they pitted it against standard chewing gums on main streets across western England. While the other gums stuck, Cosgrove's rinsed off with rainwater - "though some surfaces are better than others," he said, calling leather a "terrible" magnet.
More from here
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - The Non-stick Chewing Gum Dream - by Terrence Cosgrove posted by Ecacofonix : 12:08 AM
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Breakthrough Nanotechnology Will Bring 100 Terabyte 3.5-inch Digital Data Storage Disks
Invention: 100 Terabyte 3.5-inch Digital Data Storage Disks using nanotechnology
1. This invention and patents on a technique for changing matter at the molecular level is one of the World’s only new enabling technologies, having many hundreds of electro-optic applications. 2. Atomic Holographic Nano-technology will allow for the first time a functional method for programmable molecular lenses that will allow incoming light to be rejected, modified internally, or allowed to pass unaltered through a transparent lens known as disk, tape, card, drum, film, etc. 3. By being able to program optical lenses, many applications based on light and color can be developed, such as holographic storage, bio-terror detection devices, optical electronics, security products, and hundreds of other products never seen before on the world’s markets.
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1. This invention and patents on a technique for changing matter at the molecular level is one of the World’s only new enabling technologies, having many hundreds of electro-optic applications. 2. Atomic Holographic Nano-technology will allow for the first time a functional method for programmable molecular lenses that will allow incoming light to be rejected, modified internally, or allowed to pass unaltered through a transparent lens known as disk, tape, card, drum, film, etc. 3. By being able to program optical lenses, many applications based on light and color can be developed, such as holographic storage, bio-terror detection devices, optical electronics, security products, and hundreds of other products never seen before on the world’s markets.
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Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Breakthrough Nanotechnology Will Bring 100 Terabyte 3.5-inch Digital Data Storage Disks posted by Ecacofonix : 12:08 AM
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Nanowires Could Turn Your T-Shirts Into Nano-Power Stations
A nanotech invention by a US research team offers an intriguing glimpse of the future: slip on some nanowire-embedded clothes, plug your MP3 player or cellphone into them, and as you dance or walk around, your outfit generates enough power to run the gadget. More details on how the fabric works, and some nano-imagery after the jump. Professor Zhong Lin Wang and team of the Georgia Institute of Technology coated kevlar strands with zinc oxide nanowires, protecting the bushy wires with a polymer and adding gold to other fibers to act as a conductor. The piezoelectric power-generating action comes when the nanowires bend as two fibers rub together, translating bending of the material into electricity which flows along the gold fibers. Professor Wang says that across several square feet of fabric the nanowire fibers can generate power adding up to tens of milliwatts, which is not a huge amount, but is certainly enough for a dribble top-up charge for your portable devices. With a little more power, the idea could be great in smart fabrics for consumers, or even for medical or military use, but it's clearly an invention in its infancy.
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Labels: Material-Sciences, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Nanowires Could Turn Your T-Shirts Into Nano-Power Stations posted by Ecacofonix : 12:08 AM
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Fangs A Lot Sells False Teeth for Cats in the UK
A team of eight British college students, calling themselves Fangs A Lot, have created the first false tooth for a cat and set up a business, Animal Solutions, to market false teeth for cats, dogs, and other animals.
False teeth for cats may sound ridiculous, but they could be a solution to a serious problem for cats. Cats have notoriously bad dental problems, says this post @ Curious Cat Blog
False teeth for cats may sound ridiculous, but they could be a solution to a serious problem for cats. Cats have notoriously bad dental problems, says this post @ Curious Cat Blog
Labels: Society
PermaLink - Fangs A Lot Sells False Teeth for Cats in the UK posted by Ecacofonix : 10:17 AM
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Silicon Valley Can't Be Beat - T.J. Rodgers, Cypress Semiconductor Founder
T.J. Rodgers, an outspoken free markets advocate and founder of Cypress Semiconductor says many have tried, but none have succeeded in creating other Silicon Valleys around the world. The region's unique combination of talent, money and unconventional thinkers, he says, simply can't be replicated. Rogers has been a major force in the Valley for nearly 40 years and has lived through every tech trend.
About 20 years ago, Rodgers took a page from his venture capital friends and started an incubator for semiconductor start-ups at Cypress. All told, the San Jose, Calif.-based company has invested $600 million in nine start-ups that have a market cap of $3.6 billion today - most of which is from solar cell maker SunPower, which went public in 2005. Rodgers talked with Forbes.com about the history of innovation in the Valley and innovation in silicon chips - the technology that started it all and gave the region its name.
To the question "Will China or any other place ever rival the Valley?", he answers, "Not in my lifetime. You have to have multiple technologies interacting with each other, free market capital that's willing to take large risks, business acumen to start a company and, most of all, a culture that supports and respects those values." You can find more on the interview here.
This certainly got me thinking. Rogers is not the first to spell out the unique advantages present in the silicon valley ecosystem, but the innovation coming out of that environment is so huge that it is worth revisiting the concept.
For sure, there are other regions in the world where a lot of high-tech is happening. Well, within the US, there are other regions that do a lot of tech innovation stuff as well. Illinois, Washington...some of the brightest tech concepts have come from these regions. Israel is one country that has produced exceptional tech innovation per capita. Parts of Europe, Finland for instance
I wouldn't include China in this list, I doubt they have ever been known for innovative tech. Perhaps India, but even that country has had few breakthrough innovations coming out, most of what it has produced is a large "software factory", certainly not an innovation factory.
So well, there is competition - at least some - for Silicon Valley, but how strong is the competition? Let's analyze.
The other regions in the US - These probably have similar market situations to that of Silicon Valley, but what could be missing from these is the culture that supports companies that take risks in unknown technologies - some of which require a willing suspension of disbelief. At the end of the day, even the smartest bunch of bankers do not make a single visionary tech investor.
Parts of Europe - these have potential in terms of potential and talent, but I again doubt if they have the culture that supports such groundbreaking innovation. Finland and a couple of other Scandinavian countries appear to be one some of the few countries that has produced such genius (Linux, Nokia, Skype, Jaiku. These are markets that are close to London ( and hence money), and they are also part of the European Union - these two aspects give them some distinct market advantages. On balance, there appears to be potential in this region.
Israel - it has the genius and they have certainly proven themselves many times over when it comes to tech innovation, but their being so far away from any other tech cluster and their small size make it difficult for them to be a serious threat to silicon valley.
Japan - Japan has not done well when it comes to disruptive , especially software and Internet related (which was the last great Internet product / concept that came out of Japan? Hmm...I am really scratching my head!). Plus, anyway their corporate culture is miles away from the type of culture that can nurture groundbreaking innovation. I wouldn't even consider them to be in the contention.
China and India - have more been technology factories, not laboratories by any stretch of imagination. Their sizes certainly makes one thing a bit longer before dismissing them, but they are way, way behind in the race. There is really no chance of them catching up with Silicon Valley in the next decade or two.
So where does that leave the scorecard? This is my ranking, based on all the above aspects:
Silicon Valley - 10 / 10
Scandinavia - 4 / 10
Israel - 3 / 10
Japan - 0 / 10
India / China - Let me not bother ranking these
That's some competition for Silicon Valley, wouldn't you agree.
About 20 years ago, Rodgers took a page from his venture capital friends and started an incubator for semiconductor start-ups at Cypress. All told, the San Jose, Calif.-based company has invested $600 million in nine start-ups that have a market cap of $3.6 billion today - most of which is from solar cell maker SunPower, which went public in 2005. Rodgers talked with Forbes.com about the history of innovation in the Valley and innovation in silicon chips - the technology that started it all and gave the region its name.
To the question "Will China or any other place ever rival the Valley?", he answers, "Not in my lifetime. You have to have multiple technologies interacting with each other, free market capital that's willing to take large risks, business acumen to start a company and, most of all, a culture that supports and respects those values." You can find more on the interview here.
This certainly got me thinking. Rogers is not the first to spell out the unique advantages present in the silicon valley ecosystem, but the innovation coming out of that environment is so huge that it is worth revisiting the concept.
For sure, there are other regions in the world where a lot of high-tech is happening. Well, within the US, there are other regions that do a lot of tech innovation stuff as well. Illinois, Washington...some of the brightest tech concepts have come from these regions. Israel is one country that has produced exceptional tech innovation per capita. Parts of Europe, Finland for instance
I wouldn't include China in this list, I doubt they have ever been known for innovative tech. Perhaps India, but even that country has had few breakthrough innovations coming out, most of what it has produced is a large "software factory", certainly not an innovation factory.
So well, there is competition - at least some - for Silicon Valley, but how strong is the competition? Let's analyze.
The other regions in the US - These probably have similar market situations to that of Silicon Valley, but what could be missing from these is the culture that supports companies that take risks in unknown technologies - some of which require a willing suspension of disbelief. At the end of the day, even the smartest bunch of bankers do not make a single visionary tech investor.
Parts of Europe - these have potential in terms of potential and talent, but I again doubt if they have the culture that supports such groundbreaking innovation. Finland and a couple of other Scandinavian countries appear to be one some of the few countries that has produced such genius (Linux, Nokia, Skype, Jaiku. These are markets that are close to London ( and hence money), and they are also part of the European Union - these two aspects give them some distinct market advantages. On balance, there appears to be potential in this region.
Israel - it has the genius and they have certainly proven themselves many times over when it comes to tech innovation, but their being so far away from any other tech cluster and their small size make it difficult for them to be a serious threat to silicon valley.
Japan - Japan has not done well when it comes to disruptive , especially software and Internet related (which was the last great Internet product / concept that came out of Japan? Hmm...I am really scratching my head!). Plus, anyway their corporate culture is miles away from the type of culture that can nurture groundbreaking innovation. I wouldn't even consider them to be in the contention.
China and India - have more been technology factories, not laboratories by any stretch of imagination. Their sizes certainly makes one thing a bit longer before dismissing them, but they are way, way behind in the race. There is really no chance of them catching up with Silicon Valley in the next decade or two.
So where does that leave the scorecard? This is my ranking, based on all the above aspects:
Silicon Valley - 10 / 10
Scandinavia - 4 / 10
Israel - 3 / 10
Japan - 0 / 10
India / China - Let me not bother ranking these
That's some competition for Silicon Valley, wouldn't you agree.
Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - Silicon Valley Can't Be Beat - T.J. Rodgers, Cypress Semiconductor Founder posted by Ecacofonix : 8:18 AM
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iPod Operated by the Wink of Eye Created by Taniguchi
A Japanese researcher says he has developed a system that will soon let people run their iPods with the flick of an eye.
The system, comprising a single-chip computer and a couple of infrared sensors, monitors movements of the temple and is so tiny that it can be built into the side of a pair of eyeglasses. Closing both eyes for one second starts an iPod, while blinking again stops the machine. A wink with the right eye makes the machine skip to the next tune while with a wink of the left eye it goes back. As a person does not have to move either hand, the system can serve as "a third hand" for caregivers, rock-climbers, motorbike drivers and astronauts, as well as people with disabilities.The Kome Kami Switch is also capable of operating television sets, air conditioners, room lighting and other household electronics.
The inventor Taniguchi hopes the system can eventually be adapted to run cellphones, wheelchairs and robots as "an ultimate remote control" used in everyday life
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The system, comprising a single-chip computer and a couple of infrared sensors, monitors movements of the temple and is so tiny that it can be built into the side of a pair of eyeglasses. Closing both eyes for one second starts an iPod, while blinking again stops the machine. A wink with the right eye makes the machine skip to the next tune while with a wink of the left eye it goes back. As a person does not have to move either hand, the system can serve as "a third hand" for caregivers, rock-climbers, motorbike drivers and astronauts, as well as people with disabilities.The Kome Kami Switch is also capable of operating television sets, air conditioners, room lighting and other household electronics.
The inventor Taniguchi hopes the system can eventually be adapted to run cellphones, wheelchairs and robots as "an ultimate remote control" used in everyday life
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Labels: Design-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - iPod Operated by the Wink of Eye Created by Taniguchi posted by Ecacofonix : 8:18 AM
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Innovations That Could Change Manufacturing - SME Innovation Awards
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announced a new initiative called Innovations That Could Change The Way You Manufacture.
The Innovations initiative was born out of a series of meetings, e-mail exchanges and other communications between SME's Technical Community Network (TCN) and the larger manufacturing community
These innovations include:
Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM)
Ultracapacitors
Self-Assembling Nanotechnology
Intelligent Device Integration (IDI) and
Integrated 3-D Simulation And Modeling
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The Innovations initiative was born out of a series of meetings, e-mail exchanges and other communications between SME's Technical Community Network (TCN) and the larger manufacturing community
These innovations include:
Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM)
Ultracapacitors
Self-Assembling Nanotechnology
Intelligent Device Integration (IDI) and
Integrated 3-D Simulation And Modeling
More from here
Labels: Automation, Manufacturing-Production-Engineering
PermaLink - Innovations That Could Change Manufacturing - SME Innovation Awards posted by Ecacofonix : 8:17 AM
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India's People Power? - Rising Costs, Less IP Focus Mean Problems
One of India's biggest challenges is managing its biggest strength: its deep well of young and talented people. Salaries are on the rise for a workforce on the move, making recruitment and training an ongoing issue for India's low-cost service companies.
But the people problem is far from the only issue. At home, battles over inadequate infrastructure dog progress. Overseas, India faces pushback from countries such as the U.S. worried about the loss of domestic jobs to Asia. And India may face a looming crisis in intellectual property. India's R&D outsourcing firms risk being shut out of an intellectual property gold rush.
Wipro execs say they have been struggling to keep up with rising local salaries which have been increasing as much as 15 percent a year
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But the people problem is far from the only issue. At home, battles over inadequate infrastructure dog progress. Overseas, India faces pushback from countries such as the U.S. worried about the loss of domestic jobs to Asia. And India may face a looming crisis in intellectual property. India's R&D outsourcing firms risk being shut out of an intellectual property gold rush.
Wipro execs say they have been struggling to keep up with rising local salaries which have been increasing as much as 15 percent a year
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Labels: Society
PermaLink - India's People Power? - Rising Costs, Less IP Focus Mean Problems posted by Ecacofonix : 8:16 AM
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Clinicon Lavage Tray - A Simple Idea to Reduce Infections
It’s an invention capable of withstanding the toughest scrutiny by Dragon’s Den and which neatly tackles one of the most urgent issues facing UK private hospitals today, the risk of superbug contamination among patients and staff. The brainchild of Spire Bristol Hospital’s Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, John Hardy, and the Clinicon Lavage Tray is a wonderfully simple way of reducing the risk of infection from pathogens, such as MRSA, and blood-borne Hepatitis B, C and HIV, by retaining any spilt blood or body fluids during patient transit and surgery in an inflatable and disposable plastic tray. The tray, which costs just £12 and comes in pre-sterilised packs of 10 units, not only protects patients and staff from cross-infection but will mean quicker turnaround times between patients in busy operating theatres and will even cut the cost of laundry bills! Prototypes are already being used as far afield as Melbourne, Australia
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Keywords: Spire Healthcare, MRSA, Laminar Air Flow filter systems, Spire Bristol Hospital, Dr Jean-Jacques de Gorter
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Keywords: Spire Healthcare, MRSA, Laminar Air Flow filter systems, Spire Bristol Hospital, Dr Jean-Jacques de Gorter
Labels: Bio-engineering, Society
PermaLink - Clinicon Lavage Tray - A Simple Idea to Reduce Infections posted by Ecacofonix : 5:48 AM
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Rubidium-Xenon Gaseous Gyroscope by Lisa Lust & Dan Younger
Micro-electromechanical gyroscopes are widely used to in devices as diverse as game controllers and weapons guidance systems. They work by vibrating a tiny mass and then measuring how it is pushed around by Coriolis forces during rotation. But they have a number of drawbacks; say Lisa Lust and Dan Youngner from the aerospace equipment company Honeywell International in Morristown, New Jersey, US.
Lust and Youngner have come up with a new type of gyroscope that avoids these problems. It is essentially a cavity containing a mixture of rubidium and xenon atoms that can be controlled using two lasers. They say the device is low powered, physically small and robust since it has no moving or vibrating parts. They suggest it could be used to help uncrewed vehicles and robots navigate. Or it could aid personal navigational when GPS is not available – for example, inside a cave or large building.
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Keywords: Gaseous Gyroscope, Personal Navigation, GPS, Polarisation, Xenon Atoms, Lust and Youngner, Rubidium, Micro-electromechanical Gyroscopes.
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Gaseous Gyroscope
Lust and Youngner have come up with a new type of gyroscope that avoids these problems. It is essentially a cavity containing a mixture of rubidium and xenon atoms that can be controlled using two lasers. They say the device is low powered, physically small and robust since it has no moving or vibrating parts. They suggest it could be used to help uncrewed vehicles and robots navigate. Or it could aid personal navigational when GPS is not available – for example, inside a cave or large building.
More from here
Keywords: Gaseous Gyroscope, Personal Navigation, GPS, Polarisation, Xenon Atoms, Lust and Youngner, Rubidium, Micro-electromechanical Gyroscopes.
Related Blogposts
Gaseous Gyroscope
Labels: Mechanical-Engineering, Physics
PermaLink - Rubidium-Xenon Gaseous Gyroscope by Lisa Lust & Dan Younger posted by Ecacofonix : 5:47 AM
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Will Nanocomp's Carbon Nanotubes Replace Copper Wiring in Aircraft?
Nanocomp Technologies has been given an Air Force contract to develop electrically conductive wire and other materials from carbon nanotubes. The major aspect of this contract is an effort to replace copper wiring and its attendant limitations — weighty, physically breaks down, etc. If Nanocomp Technologies is successful the entire aerospace industry will be one of the first beneficiaries of this development.
Under Phase One, Nanocomp Technologies will expand upon its current processing and manufacturing methods for producing CNT sheets and spun conductors, composed of long-length CNTs, to surpass established electrical performance standards required by aerospace to replace traditional copper wiring.
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Keywords: Nanocomp, Carbon Nanotubes(CNT), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Improved Electrical Power, Boeing 747, Aerospace Systems, Copper Wiring Harnesses
Under Phase One, Nanocomp Technologies will expand upon its current processing and manufacturing methods for producing CNT sheets and spun conductors, composed of long-length CNTs, to surpass established electrical performance standards required by aerospace to replace traditional copper wiring.
More from here
Keywords: Nanocomp, Carbon Nanotubes(CNT), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Improved Electrical Power, Boeing 747, Aerospace Systems, Copper Wiring Harnesses
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Material-Sciences, Metallurgical-Engineering
PermaLink - Will Nanocomp's Carbon Nanotubes Replace Copper Wiring in Aircraft? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:47 AM
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Gadgets & Devices Top Executives & CEOs Love
Technology proceeds at such a breakneck pace that sometimes it feels like we're rocketing into science fiction territory: Animal cloning, unmanned aircraft and space tourism are all recent realities. For some, though, invention isn't moving fast enough. Take the 95 CEOs and other executives who were interviewed (results in this post) over the past two years. The organization asked each person to name the one device they wish somebody would invent. The results range from the highly imaginative to the mundanely useful.
Excerpts from the results include
1. "Fountain of youth" pill
2. A simple, cheap means of water desalination.
3. A mobile phone that works everywhere — from mountaintops to subways, from California to the Kalahari
4. A do-it-all device that would reduce gadget overload.
5. A telephone/music player/electronic wallet or, more imaginatively, a telephone/music player/GPS/speedometer
6. An electronic Swiss Army knife
7. Single remote for all of their home entertainment devices
8. A power source that would work with all of their portable electronics.
9. A house-cleaning robot is much desired
More from here
Some related blog posts on gadgets & cool devices
11 Coolest Google/Twitter Combo Gadgets and Devices
Devices That Track Every Precious Need
11 coolest gadgets and devices
5 Interesting , Worth having a look, Gadgets
Excerpts from the results include
1. "Fountain of youth" pill
2. A simple, cheap means of water desalination.
3. A mobile phone that works everywhere — from mountaintops to subways, from California to the Kalahari
4. A do-it-all device that would reduce gadget overload.
5. A telephone/music player/electronic wallet or, more imaginatively, a telephone/music player/GPS/speedometer
6. An electronic Swiss Army knife
7. Single remote for all of their home entertainment devices
8. A power source that would work with all of their portable electronics.
9. A house-cleaning robot is much desired
More from here
Some related blog posts on gadgets & cool devices
11 Coolest Google/Twitter Combo Gadgets and Devices
Devices That Track Every Precious Need
11 coolest gadgets and devices
5 Interesting , Worth having a look, Gadgets
Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering
Microchip Fingerprints to End Chip Piracy - Koushanfar
Pirated microchips account for billions of dollars in annual losses to chipmakers. But a series of novel techniques developed at Rice University over the past year could stop pirates by allowing chip designers to lock and remotely activate chips with a unique ID tag
When a chip is locked with the new technology, only the patent-holder can decipher the key and activate the chip -- meaning knockoffs and stolen chips are worthless.
This month, Koushanfar and colleagues at the University of Michigan, Igor Markov and Jarrod Roy, unveiled a new form of the technology called “EPIC: Ending Piracy of Integrated Circuits" at the IEEE Design Automation and Test Conference in Europe.
Hardware makers have tried a number of approaches to safeguard designers' IP. But safeguarding individual ICs – and not IPs – is the unique aspect and contribution of Koushanfar’s work.
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Keywords: Microchip Fingerprints, Out Chip Pirates, Koushanfar, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), watermarks, DSP, EPIC: Ending Piracy of Integrated Circuits
Related blog posts
Microchip fingerprints used to lock out chip pirates
Microchip fingerprints used to fight chip piracy
Microchip fingerprints to lock out chip pirates
Microchip fingerprints lock out clones
Microchip fingerprints fight against chip pirates
When a chip is locked with the new technology, only the patent-holder can decipher the key and activate the chip -- meaning knockoffs and stolen chips are worthless.
This month, Koushanfar and colleagues at the University of Michigan, Igor Markov and Jarrod Roy, unveiled a new form of the technology called “EPIC: Ending Piracy of Integrated Circuits" at the IEEE Design Automation and Test Conference in Europe.
Hardware makers have tried a number of approaches to safeguard designers' IP. But safeguarding individual ICs – and not IPs – is the unique aspect and contribution of Koushanfar’s work.
More from here
Keywords: Microchip Fingerprints, Out Chip Pirates, Koushanfar, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), watermarks, DSP, EPIC: Ending Piracy of Integrated Circuits
Related blog posts
Microchip fingerprints used to lock out chip pirates
Microchip fingerprints used to fight chip piracy
Microchip fingerprints to lock out chip pirates
Microchip fingerprints lock out clones
Microchip fingerprints fight against chip pirates
Labels: Computer-Science
PermaLink - Microchip Fingerprints to End Chip Piracy - Koushanfar posted by Ecacofonix : 5:33 AM
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Sole Orthotic Solutions - Custom Insoles, Orthotics in 30 Minutes
Brigham Young University undergraduate engineers demonstrated a portable workstation that creates custom insoles for shoes in less than 30 minutes on Tuesday. The team, sponsored by a Utah entrepreneur, was assigned to take a process that currently requires days and reduce it to minutes, with the potential for their invention to be an option for podiatrists' offices, athletic footwear stores or even ski outfitters.
The entrepreneur, who has a master's in engineering from MIT, was inspired to develop a better way of developing "orthotics," as such custom insoles are known, after dealing with delays and problems in getting them for his son, who has cerebral palsy.
The "Sole Orthotic Solutions" team conceived, designed and built an integrated system the size of a desk that begins by acquiring a computerized image of a customer's foot from a pressure pad.
Millions of Americans wear orthotics some for extra arch support, some to compensate for injury or disability, and others for simply a better fit with their shoes.
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Keywords: Brigham Young University, Sole Orthotic Solutions, vacuum system, pin mold, podiatrists, UTAH, MIT
The entrepreneur, who has a master's in engineering from MIT, was inspired to develop a better way of developing "orthotics," as such custom insoles are known, after dealing with delays and problems in getting them for his son, who has cerebral palsy.
The "Sole Orthotic Solutions" team conceived, designed and built an integrated system the size of a desk that begins by acquiring a computerized image of a customer's foot from a pressure pad.
Millions of Americans wear orthotics some for extra arch support, some to compensate for injury or disability, and others for simply a better fit with their shoes.
More from here
Keywords: Brigham Young University, Sole Orthotic Solutions, vacuum system, pin mold, podiatrists, UTAH, MIT
Labels: Bio-engineering, Design-Engineering
PermaLink - Sole Orthotic Solutions - Custom Insoles, Orthotics in 30 Minutes posted by Ecacofonix : 5:32 AM
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Magnetic Levitation Gives Computer an Haptic Interface
Computers may soon provide people with a way to sense the texture of objects or feel how they fit together, thanks to a haptic, or touch-based, interface developed at Carnegie Mellon University. The device developed by Ralph Hollis, research professor in Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, uses magnetic levitation and a single moving part to give users a highly realistic experience. Users can perceive textures, feel hard contacts and notice even slight changes in position while using an interface that responds rapidly to movements.
The field of haptic research and development is expanding rapidly. Carnegie Mellon's research opens new possibilities by joining the world of haptic feedback with a comfortable magnetic levitation interface.
The system eliminates the bulky links, cables and general mechanical complexity of other haptic devices on the market today in favor of a single lightweight moving part that floats on magnetic fields.
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Keywords: Magnetic Levitation, Sense of Touch, orientation, flotor's electrical coils, haptic feedback, bowl-shaped device, Carnegie Mellon University, Hong Tan, Ralph Hollis.
The field of haptic research and development is expanding rapidly. Carnegie Mellon's research opens new possibilities by joining the world of haptic feedback with a comfortable magnetic levitation interface.
The system eliminates the bulky links, cables and general mechanical complexity of other haptic devices on the market today in favor of a single lightweight moving part that floats on magnetic fields.
More from here
Keywords: Magnetic Levitation, Sense of Touch, orientation, flotor's electrical coils, haptic feedback, bowl-shaped device, Carnegie Mellon University, Hong Tan, Ralph Hollis.
Labels: Bio-engineering, Computer-Science
PermaLink - Magnetic Levitation Gives Computer an Haptic Interface posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Superconductors to Keep Satellites Together - DARPA F6 Programme
Using magnetic forces to hold the elements of a modular spacecraft together without mechanical connection is being studied by Cornell University's College of Engineering as part of a Northrop Grumman-led team working on the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's System F6 fractionated satellite programme. F6 aims to replace the traditional large monolithic satellite with several small independently launched spacecraft flying in close formation.
Cornell is working with flux-pinning superconductors that resist movement within magnetic fields and which could be used to hold spacecraft components in place without mechanical connections. The superconductors can be turned on and off, allowing flux-pinned modules to repositioned or replaced like the "virtual building blocks" of a fractionated satellite, says the university. Cornell is also studying electromagnetic formation flight, which can passively stabilise formations of spacecraft flying in close proximity (less than 1m), while also preventing them from colliding. DARPA plans to fly a fractionated satellite within four years.
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Keywords: Electromagnetic, Cornell University, F6 fractionated satellite programme, flux-pinning superconductors, DARPA
Cornell is working with flux-pinning superconductors that resist movement within magnetic fields and which could be used to hold spacecraft components in place without mechanical connections. The superconductors can be turned on and off, allowing flux-pinned modules to repositioned or replaced like the "virtual building blocks" of a fractionated satellite, says the university. Cornell is also studying electromagnetic formation flight, which can passively stabilise formations of spacecraft flying in close proximity (less than 1m), while also preventing them from colliding. DARPA plans to fly a fractionated satellite within four years.
More from here
Keywords: Electromagnetic, Cornell University, F6 fractionated satellite programme, flux-pinning superconductors, DARPA
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Electrical-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Superconductors to Keep Satellites Together - DARPA F6 Programme posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Ultra-thin Nanoribbon Circuit Boards Bend & Stretch
Scientists have created ultra-thin electronic circuit boards that can be bent, stretched and folded. The new component boards could prove useful in wearable health monitors, surgical gloves and other applications in which they can be wrapped into unusual shapes such as body parts, aircraft wings or fuselages. They can hold components such as transistors, amplifiers and logic gates, and have similar electrical performance as traditional brittle silicon circuit boards.
Built from minute "nanoribbons" of silicon crystals and plastic, 50 of the new flexible boards stacked on top of each other would be approximately as thick as a human hair. The integrated circuit boards are made by bonding them to a layer of pre-strained silicone rubber. This process gives it a complex geometry that allows it to be folded and stretched in different directions without losing electrical conductivity. Details of the new invention were published in the journal Science.
More from here
Keywords: ultra-thin electronic circuit boards, fuselages, transistors, amplifiers, logic gates, nanoribbons, silicon circuit boards, electrical conductivity, Prof Rogers
Built from minute "nanoribbons" of silicon crystals and plastic, 50 of the new flexible boards stacked on top of each other would be approximately as thick as a human hair. The integrated circuit boards are made by bonding them to a layer of pre-strained silicone rubber. This process gives it a complex geometry that allows it to be folded and stretched in different directions without losing electrical conductivity. Details of the new invention were published in the journal Science.
More from here
Keywords: ultra-thin electronic circuit boards, fuselages, transistors, amplifiers, logic gates, nanoribbons, silicon circuit boards, electrical conductivity, Prof Rogers
Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - Ultra-thin Nanoribbon Circuit Boards Bend & Stretch posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Computerized Facial Expression and Voice Recognition Changing the Way We Work
In the future your face, and not hands, will do the work. Breakthroughs in computerized facial expression and voice recognition technology are heralding a new era in communications that requires virtually no physical exertion whatsoever – not the click of a mouse or the tap-tap-tap of a keyboard. It'll save space on your desk and could put an end the ache of carpal tunnel syndrome. It will be a godsend for people with severe arthritis in their hands and arms. Like the voice command technology used in cars to keep drivers' hands on the steering wheel, much of this computerized communication is coming down the pipe in bits and pieces.
Technology for computerized facial recognition is ten times more accurate now than it was four years ago, and the best of the systems outperform humans, the National Institute of Standards said almost a year back.
Its facial-recognition test has compared vendor systems on in their ability to recognize high-resolution still images and three-dimensional facial images, under both controlled and uncontrolled illumination. According to the NIST report issued in late March 2007, the facial recognition systems it tested in the trials showed an “order of magnitude,” or tenfold, improvement over comparable tests conducted four years ago.
A new facial-recognition algorithm created by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is able to recognize faces with 90-95 percent accuracy, even if the eyes, nose and mouth are obscured
Reaffirming these trends, a number of consumer products today are coming out with visual recognition capabilities. Some of the new Toshiba laptops such as Portege M800, Satellite M300 and A300 recognize your face. A bunch of researchers from Tel Aviv University have even managed to successfully 'teach' a computer how to spot an attractive woman. Wow!
Voice recognition is making rapid strides too
Yahoo has released a new application that allows users to search the web with voice commands. The feature is part of oneSearch version 2, due to be released during the summer. However, the company is offering BlackBerry users an early peek of the voice recognition technology at m.yahoo.com/voice.
Mac users now have the option to use voice recognition tech too, thanks to MacSpeech Dictate.
Products such as Nuance voicemail to text make the transformation of voice and text messages easy and at the same time lets one access, sort, forward and archive their messages. The voicemail transformed texts are compatible with all standard message media. So that's voice recognition transforming the way you read email!
It's early days yet for facial and voice recognition systems. Sure, there are still lots of promises that face recognition and voice recognition systems are yet to deliver on, but the current status is, some elements of these technologies are poised for greatness even when still in the prototype stage, and some are already available to consumers and work just fine.
You can look forward to a future that involves a lot less using your fingers to type and a lot more using your face to talk and communicate.
Here are some more interesting resources for computerized facial & voice recognition, for those whose curiosity is never satisfied easily!
The Mathematics of Face Recognition
The Year Consumer Voice Recognition Gains Momentum
Technology for computerized facial recognition is ten times more accurate now than it was four years ago, and the best of the systems outperform humans, the National Institute of Standards said almost a year back.
Its facial-recognition test has compared vendor systems on in their ability to recognize high-resolution still images and three-dimensional facial images, under both controlled and uncontrolled illumination. According to the NIST report issued in late March 2007, the facial recognition systems it tested in the trials showed an “order of magnitude,” or tenfold, improvement over comparable tests conducted four years ago.
A new facial-recognition algorithm created by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is able to recognize faces with 90-95 percent accuracy, even if the eyes, nose and mouth are obscured
Reaffirming these trends, a number of consumer products today are coming out with visual recognition capabilities. Some of the new Toshiba laptops such as Portege M800, Satellite M300 and A300 recognize your face. A bunch of researchers from Tel Aviv University have even managed to successfully 'teach' a computer how to spot an attractive woman. Wow!
Voice recognition is making rapid strides too
Yahoo has released a new application that allows users to search the web with voice commands. The feature is part of oneSearch version 2, due to be released during the summer. However, the company is offering BlackBerry users an early peek of the voice recognition technology at m.yahoo.com/voice.
Mac users now have the option to use voice recognition tech too, thanks to MacSpeech Dictate.
Products such as Nuance voicemail to text make the transformation of voice and text messages easy and at the same time lets one access, sort, forward and archive their messages. The voicemail transformed texts are compatible with all standard message media. So that's voice recognition transforming the way you read email!
It's early days yet for facial and voice recognition systems. Sure, there are still lots of promises that face recognition and voice recognition systems are yet to deliver on, but the current status is, some elements of these technologies are poised for greatness even when still in the prototype stage, and some are already available to consumers and work just fine.
You can look forward to a future that involves a lot less using your fingers to type and a lot more using your face to talk and communicate.
Here are some more interesting resources for computerized facial & voice recognition, for those whose curiosity is never satisfied easily!
The Mathematics of Face Recognition
The Year Consumer Voice Recognition Gains Momentum
Labels: Computer-Science, Design-Engineering, Industrial-Engineering
PermaLink - Computerized Facial Expression and Voice Recognition Changing the Way We Work posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
1 Comments
Waste Heat, Sound into Electricity - Orest Symko
Scientists from the University of Utah today said that they can convert waste heat into sound and electricity. Physicist Orest Symko and his research team at the University of Utah said they succeeded in building small devices that turn heat into sound and then into electricity.
According to Symko, most of the heat-to-electricity acoustic devices are housed in cylinder-shaped "resonators" that fit in the palm of a hand. Each cylinder, or resonator, contains a "stack" of material with a large surface area – such as metal or plastic plates, or fibers made of glass, cotton or steel wool – placed between a cold heat exchanger and a hot heat exchanger. When heat is injected, the heat builds to a threshold and moving air produces sound. The sound is then converted into electricity by using "piezoelectric" devices that are squeezed in response to pressure, including sound waves, and change that pressure into electrical current. Only about 20% of the sound energy is lost when pressure is converted to electricity, Symko said.
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Keywords: Orest Symko, resonators, steel wool, heat exchanger
According to Symko, most of the heat-to-electricity acoustic devices are housed in cylinder-shaped "resonators" that fit in the palm of a hand. Each cylinder, or resonator, contains a "stack" of material with a large surface area – such as metal or plastic plates, or fibers made of glass, cotton or steel wool – placed between a cold heat exchanger and a hot heat exchanger. When heat is injected, the heat builds to a threshold and moving air produces sound. The sound is then converted into electricity by using "piezoelectric" devices that are squeezed in response to pressure, including sound waves, and change that pressure into electrical current. Only about 20% of the sound energy is lost when pressure is converted to electricity, Symko said.
More from here
Keywords: Orest Symko, resonators, steel wool, heat exchanger
Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Waste Heat, Sound into Electricity - Orest Symko posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
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Electroluminescent, Chemoluminescent Carpets & Rugs to Light Up Nights
Nightlights, including ones that illuminate when you clap, could be a thing of the past now that two inventors have come up with a new rug that lights up when you step on it. The electroluminescent carpet could keep you from stubbing your toe during a nocturnal walk to the bathroom, guide you to the bedroom after a late-night out and even replace a child's conventional nightlight. The electroluminescent rug uses rechargeable batteries and lights up in response to the weight applied when a person walks across the carpet. Electroluminescence relies on an electric field to generate visible light. Other light producers include photoluminescence, which is used in many glow-in-the-dark toys; and chemoluminescence, which involves light-producing chemical reactions (as in the body of a firefly). So-called responsive surfaces such as Footlume are considered by some experts the next big thing in interiors for fashion-savvy and techie homeowners.
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Keywords: Nightlights, electroluminescent carpet, nocturnal, photoluminescence, chemoluminescence, Footlume, fashion-savvy, techie
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Keywords: Nightlights, electroluminescent carpet, nocturnal, photoluminescence, chemoluminescence, Footlume, fashion-savvy, techie
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Electrical-Engineering, Sciences
PermaLink - Electroluminescent, Chemoluminescent Carpets & Rugs to Light Up Nights posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
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Bioengineered ACL Helps Injured Knees - Cato Laurencin
A new bioengineered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) replacement could provide a new treatment option for the more than 200,000 Americans who rupture their ACLs annually, U.S. researchers report this week. Lead researcher Dr. Cato Laurencin, professor and chairman of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and his team used three-dimensional, braided polyester "scaffolds," that were sometimes seeded with cells taken from the animal's ACL as a replacement for ligaments surgically removed from the animal's knee. Both the cell-seeded and unseeded scaffolds worked well, Laurencin said, though the seeded scaffolds performed better. "Without cells, it takes longer [for the tissue to regenerate]," he said.
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Keywords: Bioengineered, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), Cato Laurencin, orthopaedic, Charlottesville, Virginia, braided polyester "scaffolds, ligaments, tibia
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Keywords: Bioengineered, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), Cato Laurencin, orthopaedic, Charlottesville, Virginia, braided polyester "scaffolds, ligaments, tibia
Labels: Bio-engineering
PermaLink - Bioengineered ACL Helps Injured Knees - Cato Laurencin posted by Ecacofonix : 5:29 AM
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Greek HydroSol Group Produces Solar Energy from Water
A solar platform in Almeria, Spain, produces hydrogen from renewable resources by means of a reactor made by the HydroSol team, coordinated by Athanassios Constantopoulos.
An important step toward a hydrogen society was made on March 31, 2008 by a Greek research team from Thessaloniki working in Spain which held its first official demonstration of a pilot-scale solar reactor at Spain’s Almeria Solar Platform. The project produces clean energy in the form of hydrogen exclusively from water and the sun without emitting any pollutants or greenhouse gases.
The efficiency of converting the solar energy is as high as 70 percent and appears to be the answer to the difficult problem of producing economically efficient hydrogen from renewable energy sources. It is the largest solar reactor in the world, producing 100 kilowatts, and has therefore attracted the attention of researchers and investors from around the world
More from here
Keywords: Almeria, solar extractor, HydroSol team, Athanassios Constantopoulos, Thessaloniki, Descartes Prize, Thessaloniki, oxygen-deficient ferrite structures
An important step toward a hydrogen society was made on March 31, 2008 by a Greek research team from Thessaloniki working in Spain which held its first official demonstration of a pilot-scale solar reactor at Spain’s Almeria Solar Platform. The project produces clean energy in the form of hydrogen exclusively from water and the sun without emitting any pollutants or greenhouse gases.
The efficiency of converting the solar energy is as high as 70 percent and appears to be the answer to the difficult problem of producing economically efficient hydrogen from renewable energy sources. It is the largest solar reactor in the world, producing 100 kilowatts, and has therefore attracted the attention of researchers and investors from around the world
More from here
Keywords: Almeria, solar extractor, HydroSol team, Athanassios Constantopoulos, Thessaloniki, Descartes Prize, Thessaloniki, oxygen-deficient ferrite structures
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Greek HydroSol Group Produces Solar Energy from Water posted by Ecacofonix : 5:29 AM
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Top 10 Advances in Materials Science?
What are the defining discoveries, moments of inspiration, or shifts in understanding that have shaped the dynamic field of materials science we know today?
This post makes an evaluation and does a selection. It has tried to focus on the advances that have either changed our lives or are in the process of changing them.
The list?
1. International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors
2. Scanning probe microscopes
3. Giant magnetoresistive effect
4. Semiconductor lasers and LEDs
5. National Nanotechnology Initiative
6. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics
7. Materials for Li ion batteries
8. Carbon nanotubes
9. Soft lithography
10. Metamaterials
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This post makes an evaluation and does a selection. It has tried to focus on the advances that have either changed our lives or are in the process of changing them.
The list?
1. International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors
2. Scanning probe microscopes
3. Giant magnetoresistive effect
4. Semiconductor lasers and LEDs
5. National Nanotechnology Initiative
6. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics
7. Materials for Li ion batteries
8. Carbon nanotubes
9. Soft lithography
10. Metamaterials
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Organic, Chemical Materials in Digital Signal Processing (DSP)?
Performing digital signal processing using organic and chemical materials without electrical currents could be the wave of the future — or so argue sotirios tsaftaris, research professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and aggelos katsaggelos, ameritech professor of electrical engineering and computer science, in their recently published "point of view" piece in the march 2008 edition of proceedings of the ieee.
Digital signal processing uses mathematics and other techniques to manipulate signals like images (natural medical, and others) and sound waves after those signals have been converted to a digital form. This processing can enhance images and compress data for storage and transmission, and such processing chips are found in cell phones, ipods, and hd tvs.
But over the past 10 years, scientists and engineers around the world have experimented with performing signal processing using different materials. In their piece, tsaftaris and katsaggelos describe these experiments while stirring the engineering community towards "a possible not-so-electronic future" of digital signal processing.
Keywords: Digital Signal Processing, Sotirios Tsaftaris, Aggelos Katsaggelos, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
More from here
Digital signal processing uses mathematics and other techniques to manipulate signals like images (natural medical, and others) and sound waves after those signals have been converted to a digital form. This processing can enhance images and compress data for storage and transmission, and such processing chips are found in cell phones, ipods, and hd tvs.
But over the past 10 years, scientists and engineers around the world have experimented with performing signal processing using different materials. In their piece, tsaftaris and katsaggelos describe these experiments while stirring the engineering community towards "a possible not-so-electronic future" of digital signal processing.
Keywords: Digital Signal Processing, Sotirios Tsaftaris, Aggelos Katsaggelos, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
More from here
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - Organic, Chemical Materials in Digital Signal Processing (DSP)? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Self Assembly the Science of Future? Babak Amir Parviz Answers
In 2007, Dr Babak Amir Parviz was chosen by the MIT Technology as one of the top innovators under the age of 35, for developing the self-assembly manufacturing method.
You can find excerpts from an interview with him on nanotechnology and self assembly. Some interesting questions were asked and answered on self-assembly.
Full interview here
Labels: Manufacturing-Production-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Self Assembly the Science of Future? Babak Amir Parviz Answers posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Plant Cellulose to "Green Gasoline" - George Huber, James Dumesic
A simple (one step) direct conversion process from plant cellulose into gasoline components.
Researchers have made a breakthrough in the development of "green gasoline," a liquid identical to standard gasoline yet created from sustainable biomass sources like switchgrass and poplar trees. Reporting in the April 7, 2008 issue of Chemistry, Sustainability, Energy, Materials, chemical engineer George Huber from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and his graduate students Torren Carlson and Tushar Vispute announced the first direct conversion of plant cellulose into gasoline components.
In the same issue, James Dumesic and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced an integrated process for creating chemical components of jet fuel using a green gasoline approach. While dumesic's group had previously demonstrated the production of jet-fuel components using separate steps, their current work shows that the steps can be integrated and run sequentially, without complex separation and purification processes between reactors.
More from here
Researchers have made a breakthrough in the development of "green gasoline," a liquid identical to standard gasoline yet created from sustainable biomass sources like switchgrass and poplar trees. Reporting in the April 7, 2008 issue of Chemistry, Sustainability, Energy, Materials, chemical engineer George Huber from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and his graduate students Torren Carlson and Tushar Vispute announced the first direct conversion of plant cellulose into gasoline components.
In the same issue, James Dumesic and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced an integrated process for creating chemical components of jet fuel using a green gasoline approach. While dumesic's group had previously demonstrated the production of jet-fuel components using separate steps, their current work shows that the steps can be integrated and run sequentially, without complex separation and purification processes between reactors.
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Plant Cellulose to "Green Gasoline" - George Huber, James Dumesic posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Motorcycle MPG - Best Mileage Motorcycles, Motorbikes Fuel Economy
This post was originally about an innovative Homemade Kawasaki Motorcycle that gave an equivalent of 300 MPG. Since then, we have had thousands visit this page looking for motorcycle and scooter MPG in general. As a result, we decided to focus this page on motorcycles and scooter MPG web resources. We have kept the original post as well...it is at the very end :-)
In these days of super-high fuel costs, we hope you find this resource useful.
Motorcycle MPG Resources
Found a lot of folks visiting this page for the key word "motorcycle mpg" so decided to add a list of useful web resources for these visitors. I don't like to disappoint my visitors :-)
Can MPG Alone Get You on a 250 Cruiser? - An interesting article on the mysterious world of motorcycle MPG data and why there is no major fuss by the motorcycle manufaturers about their MPGs, something their four-wheel counterparts never tire of doing. And oh, while you are here, do not miss reading the comments. There are as many interesting inputs and points raised in the comments (perhaps more) than in the article itself.
Here's a discussion on the MPG you can get from Honda bikes. Most of the numbers discussed are in the 35-60 range.
100 MPG Diesel Motorcycle - Diesel Alternatives - Combat-Tested Diesel Motorcycles Get Ready For The Asphalt Jungle
"I'm curious why fuel economy of motorcycles is relatively poor compared to that of a car. For instance, several of the honda 750cc models get approx 45 mpg. Now a car that's several times heavier with twice as many wheels (greater rolling resistance), a much larger frontal area, and an engine twice as big can get the same mileage. Based on the car's fuel economy, you'd expect a motorcycle with an engine half the size and much less rolling resistance and smaller frontal area could do much better.
Are motorcycles tuned drastically differently -- like for high revs and hp? Can they be re-tuned for improved fuel economy?" - Interesting question, doubtless many of you have asked this yourself - see the discussion on this topic here
What's Your Best Motorcycle MPG? You can bet a question such as this will have many tongues wagging and much data being thrown about, and you are right. See a lively discussion on this topic here
The Measure of Motorcycle's MPG - A Los Angeles Times article
Motorcycle Fuel Economy Guide - from Total Motorcycle
Total Motorcycle Fuel Economy Guide
Guide to Motorcycle Fuel Consumption - tips and suggestions on how to get better mileage from your motorcycle
Motorcycle Fuel Consumption & Real World Performance Guide
Craig Vetter's Streamlined High Mileage Luxury Touring Bike
Fuel Economy in Honda Motorcycles - a good discussion @ Fireblades
Sportbike, Motorcycle Weight, Horsepower, Fuel Economy - Numbers for every sportbike tested by Sport Rider from 1997 to the present.
Honda Announces Next Generation Powertrain Fuel Efficiency Targets for Motorcycle and Automobiles
The Designs & Inventions of Craig Vetter
How to Save Gas with an I-Scooter
The Measure of Motorcycles' MPG - "There's no standardized test for bikes' fuel economy, so where are figures coming from? Hint: the EPA emissions test is involved." So says this LA Times article.
Motorcycle Fuel Economy Should Spike Sales - a brief 2004 news report, has a nice graph from the Honda Environmental Annual Report that shows the improvement in motorbikes' fuel economy in the previous few years.
Motorcycle Fuel Economy Discussion - a forum discussion at Motorcycle Smack discussion board
What Kind of Fuel Economy Does Your Motorbike Get? - some answers and numbers to this question @ Yahoo Answers
The Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Contests - 1980 through 1985
Motorcycle Fuel Consumption & Real World Performance Guide
Sport Bike Motorcycle Weight, Horsepower, Torque and Fuel Economy
Jay Leno's Eco-friendly Custom Bike
Motorcycle Fuel - Flex-fuel, Will You Bite?
Motorcycle Fuel Consumption Real-world Guide - from Motorcycles KMPL
Some useful web resources for saving gas - this is in general, not specific to motorbikes or scooters
101 Ways to Use Less Gas
Thirty Gas Saving Tips
29 Tips on How to Save Money on Gas
Top 15 Ways to Save Money on Gas
11 Car Care Tips that Save Gas
Seven Interesting Ways to Save Gas
13 Ways to Significantly Reduce Your Gas Costs
Nine Ways to Save Gas & Money
66 Ways to Save Money on Gasoline
Other Interesting Motorcycle Articles & Links
Inexperienced Motorcyclists, in Search of Fuel Economy - these folks might pose dangers on the road, says this post
15 Motorcycle Tips for Riding in Traffic
Motorcycle Riding Tips in the City
--
Original Blog Post
Homemade Electric Kawasaki Motorcycle Gives 300 MPG - Ben Nelson
If you are a frequent motorbike rider, you know the kind of MPG that will make you pleased - 70, 80? How about 100 MPG? That must be awesome, right?
Now what would you say if someone tells you he can make your motorbike give an equivalent of 300 MPG? You would of course dismiss it as fanciful thinking. You'd dismiss it even faster when you come to know that the chap who tells you this is an amateur who tinkers around in his sparetime and who buys his spares on Craigslist and eBay.
But it is a fact that this homemade electric motorcycle gets the gas price equivalent of 300 miles per gallon. Its speeds hit 40mph within its modest 15 mile range. And yes, the engine runs silently with zero vibration.
Well, Ben Nelson did spend some good amount of time in producing his beauty. He spent $100 for a Kawasaki rust bucket with a broken tranny, a seized engine, no clutch, a detached seat and a badly dented gas tank. Following instructions from forum folk, he methodically converted the gas motorcycle into a purely electric one.
What followed was a proud accomplishment for Nelson: "It goes 38 miles an hour and it's a 'hot rod!" he's fond of saying. And the topper: Using a meter to measure the amount of electricity that flows from an outlet to the cycle's battery charger, Nelson calculates the machine gets the equivalent of about 300 miles per gallon. That includes $6 a month extra he pays a utility for "green" electricity. So his machine gives you a more than 400% higher returns on your spending (300 MPG vs 60 MPG), and it is green!
Nelson admits frankly that he doesn't even own any power tools other than a drill, doesn't know how to weld and only took one metal shop class in high school. But he loves to learn new things. Now that's DIY ethics for you!
Sources: Gizmodo, TreeHugger, Kawasaki Fuel Efficiency Guide
In these days of super-high fuel costs, we hope you find this resource useful.
You might like some of these useful stuff that could contribute to fuel economy.
Motorcycle MPG Resources
Found a lot of folks visiting this page for the key word "motorcycle mpg" so decided to add a list of useful web resources for these visitors. I don't like to disappoint my visitors :-)
Can MPG Alone Get You on a 250 Cruiser? - An interesting article on the mysterious world of motorcycle MPG data and why there is no major fuss by the motorcycle manufaturers about their MPGs, something their four-wheel counterparts never tire of doing. And oh, while you are here, do not miss reading the comments. There are as many interesting inputs and points raised in the comments (perhaps more) than in the article itself.
Here's a discussion on the MPG you can get from Honda bikes. Most of the numbers discussed are in the 35-60 range.
100 MPG Diesel Motorcycle - Diesel Alternatives - Combat-Tested Diesel Motorcycles Get Ready For The Asphalt Jungle
"I'm curious why fuel economy of motorcycles is relatively poor compared to that of a car. For instance, several of the honda 750cc models get approx 45 mpg. Now a car that's several times heavier with twice as many wheels (greater rolling resistance), a much larger frontal area, and an engine twice as big can get the same mileage. Based on the car's fuel economy, you'd expect a motorcycle with an engine half the size and much less rolling resistance and smaller frontal area could do much better.
Are motorcycles tuned drastically differently -- like for high revs and hp? Can they be re-tuned for improved fuel economy?" - Interesting question, doubtless many of you have asked this yourself - see the discussion on this topic here
What's Your Best Motorcycle MPG? You can bet a question such as this will have many tongues wagging and much data being thrown about, and you are right. See a lively discussion on this topic here
The Measure of Motorcycle's MPG - A Los Angeles Times article
Motorcycle Fuel Economy Guide - from Total Motorcycle
Total Motorcycle Fuel Economy Guide
Guide to Motorcycle Fuel Consumption - tips and suggestions on how to get better mileage from your motorcycle
Motorcycle Fuel Consumption & Real World Performance Guide
Craig Vetter's Streamlined High Mileage Luxury Touring Bike
Fuel Economy in Honda Motorcycles - a good discussion @ Fireblades
Sportbike, Motorcycle Weight, Horsepower, Fuel Economy - Numbers for every sportbike tested by Sport Rider from 1997 to the present.
Honda Announces Next Generation Powertrain Fuel Efficiency Targets for Motorcycle and Automobiles
The Designs & Inventions of Craig Vetter
How to Save Gas with an I-Scooter
The Measure of Motorcycles' MPG - "There's no standardized test for bikes' fuel economy, so where are figures coming from? Hint: the EPA emissions test is involved." So says this LA Times article.
Motorcycle Fuel Economy Should Spike Sales - a brief 2004 news report, has a nice graph from the Honda Environmental Annual Report that shows the improvement in motorbikes' fuel economy in the previous few years.
Motorcycle Fuel Economy Discussion - a forum discussion at Motorcycle Smack discussion board
What Kind of Fuel Economy Does Your Motorbike Get? - some answers and numbers to this question @ Yahoo Answers
The Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Contests - 1980 through 1985
Motorcycle Fuel Consumption & Real World Performance Guide
Sport Bike Motorcycle Weight, Horsepower, Torque and Fuel Economy
Jay Leno's Eco-friendly Custom Bike
Motorcycle Fuel - Flex-fuel, Will You Bite?
Motorcycle Fuel Consumption Real-world Guide - from Motorcycles KMPL
Some useful web resources for saving gas - this is in general, not specific to motorbikes or scooters
101 Ways to Use Less Gas
Thirty Gas Saving Tips
29 Tips on How to Save Money on Gas
Top 15 Ways to Save Money on Gas
11 Car Care Tips that Save Gas
Seven Interesting Ways to Save Gas
13 Ways to Significantly Reduce Your Gas Costs
Nine Ways to Save Gas & Money
66 Ways to Save Money on Gasoline
Other Interesting Motorcycle Articles & Links
Inexperienced Motorcyclists, in Search of Fuel Economy - these folks might pose dangers on the road, says this post
15 Motorcycle Tips for Riding in Traffic
Motorcycle Riding Tips in the City
--
Original Blog Post
Homemade Electric Kawasaki Motorcycle Gives 300 MPG - Ben Nelson
If you are a frequent motorbike rider, you know the kind of MPG that will make you pleased - 70, 80? How about 100 MPG? That must be awesome, right?
Now what would you say if someone tells you he can make your motorbike give an equivalent of 300 MPG? You would of course dismiss it as fanciful thinking. You'd dismiss it even faster when you come to know that the chap who tells you this is an amateur who tinkers around in his sparetime and who buys his spares on Craigslist and eBay.
But it is a fact that this homemade electric motorcycle gets the gas price equivalent of 300 miles per gallon. Its speeds hit 40mph within its modest 15 mile range. And yes, the engine runs silently with zero vibration.
Well, Ben Nelson did spend some good amount of time in producing his beauty. He spent $100 for a Kawasaki rust bucket with a broken tranny, a seized engine, no clutch, a detached seat and a badly dented gas tank. Following instructions from forum folk, he methodically converted the gas motorcycle into a purely electric one.
What followed was a proud accomplishment for Nelson: "It goes 38 miles an hour and it's a 'hot rod!" he's fond of saying. And the topper: Using a meter to measure the amount of electricity that flows from an outlet to the cycle's battery charger, Nelson calculates the machine gets the equivalent of about 300 miles per gallon. That includes $6 a month extra he pays a utility for "green" electricity. So his machine gives you a more than 400% higher returns on your spending (300 MPG vs 60 MPG), and it is green!
Nelson admits frankly that he doesn't even own any power tools other than a drill, doesn't know how to weld and only took one metal shop class in high school. But he loves to learn new things. Now that's DIY ethics for you!
Sources: Gizmodo, TreeHugger, Kawasaki Fuel Efficiency Guide
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Motorcycle MPG - Best Mileage Motorcycles, Motorbikes Fuel Economy posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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4G Mobile - 100 Mbps Speed Wow! But Not So Soon!
There has been a buzz around the news that 3G is coming to the next version of the iPhone possibly in a few months. But it’s 4G the next generation, that’s on the minds of many mobile and iPhone enthusiasts. Not just these enthusiasts, the ever-hyped mobile industry is on a constant chatter about 4G. So let's look at what 4G could offer and where indeed we are on 4G.
The most exciting aspect of the 4G phones is the download speed - expected to be 100 Mbps - and its equally awesome 50 Mbps upload speed.
In terms of speed, 2.5G can offer web access at a rate of between 144 and 384 kilobits per second. 3G is even faster - anywhere between 500 Kbps and 1.5 Mbps. 4G holds the promise of routinely delivering the higher end of that transmission rate, and much faster, in some cases, up to 100 Mbps for downloading, and 50 mbps for uploading.
Naturally, such an order-of-magnitude increase in speed implies that the multimedia browsing apps will get a shot-in-the-arm. The big application thing that 3G and 4G will bring, with such fast upload speeds, is enabling much higher mobile web browsing and richer mobile social networking. Today it takes a while to upload a video to your favorite social networking site using your mobile or camcorder. With promised speeds of 50 Mbps for upload ( at least in selective cases), this should be a cinch.
For many around the world, who are just getting used to 512 Kbps browsing on their PCs, just imagine what a 100 Mbps speed on their mobiles could mean!
Oh well, 4G is not going to be without its attendant niggling issues. Among the 4G issues are what tech standards should be used for it, how existing cell systems can be “backhauled” to put it into effect, and at what cost to network operators — and ultimately — customers. Part of the reason is cost. Data plans, for e-mail and web use, add to a cell customer’s monthly bill by at least $30 to $60 and often more, depending on usage. And last, but not the least, the 100 Mbps and 50 Mbps speeds will not be available to every user of mobile but we suspect it will be available only to select audiences in select locales, at least to begin with.
There is another reason not to get overly excited about 4G. The fact is, even assuming everyone agrees on all standards quickly (which in itself will be a mini-miracle), it is probably 4-5 years before the ordinary you and me can have it on our mobiles.
It is also sobering to remember that in the United States, sales of 3G phones have just topped 50 percent with the remainder being 2.5G or 2G phones. Part of the reason is that the networks aren’t built out yet for 3G, and less than half of cell customers whose phones are equipped for 3G are using its capabilities.
But all said, just the prospect of 100 Mbps download speed on mobile is just too enticing to not get excited. So all of us mobile junkies will have to wait a while before we get our hands on awesome 4G phones, but it appears that it's worth the wait!
Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - 4G Mobile - 100 Mbps Speed Wow! But Not So Soon! posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Paul Saffo - What's in Store for the Future of Technology?
What's in store for the future of technology? For paul saffo, a noted silicon valley forecaster and a consulting associate professor of mechanical engineering at stanford university, that's the wrong question. "what is the future of homeownership?" saffo asked me rhetorically during a recent interview. His answer is as interesting as the question. Saffo says a robot is any computer-powered device or software program that directly interacts with the physical world. A "softbot," for example, is what you get from nuance communications when it creates a voice recognition system that gives you directions or assists you with a travel booking.
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Keywords: Softbot, saffo, nuance communications, bionics, multicore chips, advanced micro devices(amd),
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Keywords: Softbot, saffo, nuance communications, bionics, multicore chips, advanced micro devices(amd),
Labels: Automation, Mechanical-Engineering
PermaLink - Paul Saffo - What's in Store for the Future of Technology? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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AEG Carbon Fib6er-elastomer Composite Bipolar Plate for PEM Fuel Cells
Fuel cells constitute one of the most promising sources of environmental friendly energy for the future. A proton exchange membrane (pem) fuel cell is a stack of electrochemical cell systems (figure) placed in series.
American engineering group (aeg, akron, oh) has developed a new elastomer-carbon fiber composite bipolar plate for pem fuel cells with high electrical conductivity, high strength, light weight and very low permeability. This new unique composite bipolar plate is a less-expensive and light-weight alternative to graphite and steel. The use of highly conductive elastomer compound and multi-stage molding technology enables the fabrication of bipolar plates with high carbon fiber content. This composite bipolar plate is a promising solution, and this plate has the potential for being produced at low cost. The plate is produced using short carbon fiber structure with elastomer impregnation into pre-form uncured structures.
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Keywords: Carbon fib6er-elastomer, proton exchange membrane (pem), electrochemical cell systems, mass-production technologies, fuel cell system assembly, elastomer-carbon fiber, multi-stage molding technology
American engineering group (aeg, akron, oh) has developed a new elastomer-carbon fiber composite bipolar plate for pem fuel cells with high electrical conductivity, high strength, light weight and very low permeability. This new unique composite bipolar plate is a less-expensive and light-weight alternative to graphite and steel. The use of highly conductive elastomer compound and multi-stage molding technology enables the fabrication of bipolar plates with high carbon fiber content. This composite bipolar plate is a promising solution, and this plate has the potential for being produced at low cost. The plate is produced using short carbon fiber structure with elastomer impregnation into pre-form uncured structures.
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Keywords: Carbon fib6er-elastomer, proton exchange membrane (pem), electrochemical cell systems, mass-production technologies, fuel cell system assembly, elastomer-carbon fiber, multi-stage molding technology
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - AEG Carbon Fib6er-elastomer Composite Bipolar Plate for PEM Fuel Cells posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Volvo Hybrid Refuse Trucks in Final Trials - Uses I-SAM System
Volvo has launched two hybrid refuse trucks into trials in regular daily operations in sweden with refuse collection firms renova and ragn-sells.
Although both trucks use a charge-sustaining hybrid system for motive power, one of the trucks is equipped with a second, grid-charged battery that powers the refuse compactor. The hybrid system used in the refuse truck is a version of volvo’s i-sam (integrated starter, alternator, motor) parallel hybrid system. The i-sam system comprises a starter motor, drive motor and alternator fit between the clutch and the i-shift automatic transmission.
Full report here
Keywords: Renova, Ragn, Charge-sustaining, Hybrid system, Grid-charged battery, I-SAM (integrated starter, alternator, motor).
Although both trucks use a charge-sustaining hybrid system for motive power, one of the trucks is equipped with a second, grid-charged battery that powers the refuse compactor. The hybrid system used in the refuse truck is a version of volvo’s i-sam (integrated starter, alternator, motor) parallel hybrid system. The i-sam system comprises a starter motor, drive motor and alternator fit between the clutch and the i-shift automatic transmission.
Full report here
Keywords: Renova, Ragn, Charge-sustaining, Hybrid system, Grid-charged battery, I-SAM (integrated starter, alternator, motor).
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - Volvo Hybrid Refuse Trucks in Final Trials - Uses I-SAM System posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Xcor Lynx 2-seat Rockets for Sub-orbital Space Tourism?
A california aerospace company plans to enter the space tourism industry with a two-seat rocket ship capable of suborbital flights to altitudes more than 37 miles above the earth. The Lynx, about the size of a small private plane, is expected to begin flying in 2010, according to developer Xcor Aerospace. Xcor's announcement comes two months after aerospace designer burt rutan and billionaire richard branson unveiled a model of spaceshiptwo, which is being built for branson's virgin galactic space tourism company and may begin test flights this year.
Xcor intends to be a spaceship builder, with another company operating the lynx and setting prices.
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Key words: Space tourism, two-seat rocket ship, suborbital flights, lynx, xcor, rutan-designed long-ez homebuilt aircraft, spaceship, virgin galactic
Xcor intends to be a spaceship builder, with another company operating the lynx and setting prices.
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Key words: Space tourism, two-seat rocket ship, suborbital flights, lynx, xcor, rutan-designed long-ez homebuilt aircraft, spaceship, virgin galactic
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Xcor Lynx 2-seat Rockets for Sub-orbital Space Tourism? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Eureka Aerospace Microwave Beam Car Stopper Fries Cars in a Jiffy
This idea has definitely been around the block a time or two, but Eureka Aerospace is doing a whole lot more than just envisioning yet another concept. Its 200-pound, 5-foot long prototype has recently undergone testing, and reportedly, it's been able to completely and utterly incapacitate any vehicle that dared roll in its path. The device has been used to shut down four whips thus far, each from a distance of 10 to 50-feet, and all it took was a microwave pulse lasting some 50-nanoseconds to do it. According to James Tatoian, the outfit's CEO, a version that weighs just 50-pounds and can disable rebel rides from 600-feet away is only a couple of years from reality, but it's highly doubtful that these will be available to the general public.
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Keywords: Microwave beam car, eureka aerospace
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Keywords: Microwave beam car, eureka aerospace
PermaLink - Eureka Aerospace Microwave Beam Car Stopper Fries Cars in a Jiffy posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Genesis 2 from Bigelow Launches into Space
A privately-built space station prototype successfully launched into orbit from a russian missile base, kicking off the second test flight for the u.s. Firm bigelow aerospace. Genesis 2, an inflatable module laden with cameras, personal items and a space bingo game, rocketed spaceward atop a dnepr booster from a silo at yasny launch base, an active russian strategic missile base in the country's orenburg region. Genesis 2 is a near-twin of bigelow aerospace's Genesis 1 module, which launched in july 2006 and remains operational today, but carries a series of enhancements and additional cargo, the las vegas, nevada-based spaceflight firm has said. Both spacecraft are prototypes for future commercial orbital complexes that bigelow aerospace, and its founder and president robert bigelow, hope to offer for use by private firms and national space agencies.
Keywords: Bigelow aerospace, space bingo, dnepr booster, yasny launch base, genesis, crew-rated spacecraft, sundancer
Keywords: Bigelow aerospace, space bingo, dnepr booster, yasny launch base, genesis, crew-rated spacecraft, sundancer
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
Photonic Laser Thruster May Shorten Mars Trip - Young Bae
An amplified thruster that could potentially shorten the trip to mars from six months to a week has reportedly attracted the attention of aerospace agencies and contractors. Young bae, founder of the BAE Institute in Tustin, Calif., first demonstrated his Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT), which he built with off-the-shelf components, in December 2007.
The demonstration produced a photon thrust of 35 µn and is scalable to achieve much greater thrust for future space missions, the institute said. Applications include highly precise satellite formation flying configurations for building large synthetic apertures in space for earth or space observation, precision contaminant-free spacecraft docking operations, and propelling spacecraft to unprecedented speeds -- faster than 100 km/sec.
Several aerospace organizations have expressed interest in collaborating with the institute to further develop and integrate plt into civilian, military and commercial space systems, Bae said.
Keywords: Amplified photon thruster, bae institute, photonic laser thruster (plt), space transportation systems, advanced vehicle systems
The demonstration produced a photon thrust of 35 µn and is scalable to achieve much greater thrust for future space missions, the institute said. Applications include highly precise satellite formation flying configurations for building large synthetic apertures in space for earth or space observation, precision contaminant-free spacecraft docking operations, and propelling spacecraft to unprecedented speeds -- faster than 100 km/sec.
Several aerospace organizations have expressed interest in collaborating with the institute to further develop and integrate plt into civilian, military and commercial space systems, Bae said.
Keywords: Amplified photon thruster, bae institute, photonic laser thruster (plt), space transportation systems, advanced vehicle systems
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering
PermaLink - Photonic Laser Thruster May Shorten Mars Trip - Young Bae posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Brain Scan from Siemens' Artis Zeego & BMW Assembly Lines
If you're a fan of german engineering in your car, chances are you'll love it that hospitals are trying to cross-pollinate health care with technologies that have roots in the automotive and aerospace industries. The hope is that, with a medical twist, high-tech navigation systems, pattern recognition software and top-of-the-line robots can revolutionize the treatment of everything from irregular heartbeats to lung cancer. St. Luke's episcopal hospital says it is the first in the world to treat stroke patients with the help of a robotic arm that has its origins in systems created by munich-based siemens ag for precision welding on the assembly lines of BMW and Mercedes-benz.
The medical robot, dubbed Artis Zeego and manufactured by Siemens Medical Solutions, is coupled with a CT Scanner and X-ray. It can tilt, turn and spin at virtually infinite angles, capturing detailed images that track blood flow.
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Keywords: Aneurysms, Triangulation, Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Arrhythmia, Artis Zeego, Brain Scanner, BMW Assembly Line
The medical robot, dubbed Artis Zeego and manufactured by Siemens Medical Solutions, is coupled with a CT Scanner and X-ray. It can tilt, turn and spin at virtually infinite angles, capturing detailed images that track blood flow.
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Keywords: Aneurysms, Triangulation, Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Arrhythmia, Artis Zeego, Brain Scanner, BMW Assembly Line
Labels: Automation, Bio-engineering
PermaLink - Brain Scan from Siemens' Artis Zeego & BMW Assembly Lines posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Monday, April 7, 2008
Boeing Plane Flies on Hydrogen, Fuel Cells
Engineers from across Europe have successfully developed and flown a manned airplane powered by hydrogen and fuel cells — a first in history and a step towards cleaner and more energy-efficient aviation, Boeing announced recently.
The breakthrough is "full of promises for a greener future," Boeing Chief Technology Officer John Tracy told reporters at the company's research center in Ocana, Spain, where the aircraft was on display.
Given rising fuel costs and concerns about climate change, the air industry is keen to find ways to cut energy bills and emissions tied to global warming. While hydrogen is still expensive to produce as an energy carrier, it emits no pollutants.
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The breakthrough is "full of promises for a greener future," Boeing Chief Technology Officer John Tracy told reporters at the company's research center in Ocana, Spain, where the aircraft was on display.
Given rising fuel costs and concerns about climate change, the air industry is keen to find ways to cut energy bills and emissions tied to global warming. While hydrogen is still expensive to produce as an energy carrier, it emits no pollutants.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
Bose–Einstein Condensate Could Lead to Quantum Computing
In an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber at Swinburne University of Technology, a million ultracold rubidium-87 atoms hover just beneath the surface of a silicon chip coated with a thin magneto-optical film.
Tailored to create a shaped, perpendicular magnetic field, the magnetic film confines and shepherds the rubidium atoms on the chip, in much the same way as electrons are guided along conducting wires on an electronic microchip.
Cooled to a temperature of a few billionths of a degree Kelvin, just above absolute zero (minus 273˚C), and confined by a magnetic microtrap on the chip, the ultracold atoms fall into the lowest energy state of the trap and no longer jostle for room – they exhibit almost no random thermal motion.
The atoms condense to a state where they behave as a single super-atom of rubidium-87 and exhibit coherent, wave-like properties – rather like the coherent light from a laser. For several seconds, the chip holds the atoms in an exotic, fifth state of matter called a Bose–Einstein condensate.
If all this sounds ‘sci-fi’ it’s because in many ways it is. Bose–Einstein condensate is a new frontier whose boundaries have yet to be measured, but are more than likely to take humankind to new realms of technological and industrial capability.
Just as the first lasers mystified scientists as to their possible applications, so too now with Bose–Einstein condensate. In theory, they could at the very least be the basis for quantum computing – that is, computers able to use atoms to store data and complete in seconds computations that would take today’s most powerful supercomputers years.
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Tailored to create a shaped, perpendicular magnetic field, the magnetic film confines and shepherds the rubidium atoms on the chip, in much the same way as electrons are guided along conducting wires on an electronic microchip.
Cooled to a temperature of a few billionths of a degree Kelvin, just above absolute zero (minus 273˚C), and confined by a magnetic microtrap on the chip, the ultracold atoms fall into the lowest energy state of the trap and no longer jostle for room – they exhibit almost no random thermal motion.
The atoms condense to a state where they behave as a single super-atom of rubidium-87 and exhibit coherent, wave-like properties – rather like the coherent light from a laser. For several seconds, the chip holds the atoms in an exotic, fifth state of matter called a Bose–Einstein condensate.
If all this sounds ‘sci-fi’ it’s because in many ways it is. Bose–Einstein condensate is a new frontier whose boundaries have yet to be measured, but are more than likely to take humankind to new realms of technological and industrial capability.
Just as the first lasers mystified scientists as to their possible applications, so too now with Bose–Einstein condensate. In theory, they could at the very least be the basis for quantum computing – that is, computers able to use atoms to store data and complete in seconds computations that would take today’s most powerful supercomputers years.
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Labels: Computer-Science, Physics
PermaLink - Bose–Einstein Condensate Could Lead to Quantum Computing posted by Ecacofonix : 11:42 AM
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Free Flow Power Corp Installing Turbines in Mississippi Bed to Generate Electricity
For more than a century, the Mississippi River has been one of the nation’s most important transportation corridors, a muddy, winding pathway for moving bulk commodities such as grain and coal and other goods.
Now, a New England startup company wants to harness the mighty river for a secondary purpose — generating electricity. The company, Free Flow Power Corp., is pursuing a $3 billion plan to install thousands of small electric turbines in the river bed, reaching from St. Louis to the Gulf of Mexico, that would collectively generate 1,600 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 1.5 million homes.
Gloucester, Mass.-based Free Flow Power is among a number of developers of so-called hydrokinetic projects, defined as those that produce electricity from river currents or ocean waves and tides — not dams.
Like the dozens of young companies building wind farms across the Great Plains or putting solar panels on roofs in California, interest in hydro-kinetic projects is a response to a growing appetite for renewable energy as the nation tries to wean itself off crude oil and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas linked to global warming.
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Now, a New England startup company wants to harness the mighty river for a secondary purpose — generating electricity. The company, Free Flow Power Corp., is pursuing a $3 billion plan to install thousands of small electric turbines in the river bed, reaching from St. Louis to the Gulf of Mexico, that would collectively generate 1,600 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 1.5 million homes.
Gloucester, Mass.-based Free Flow Power is among a number of developers of so-called hydrokinetic projects, defined as those that produce electricity from river currents or ocean waves and tides — not dams.
Like the dozens of young companies building wind farms across the Great Plains or putting solar panels on roofs in California, interest in hydro-kinetic projects is a response to a growing appetite for renewable energy as the nation tries to wean itself off crude oil and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas linked to global warming.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Free Flow Power Corp Installing Turbines in Mississippi Bed to Generate Electricity posted by Ecacofonix : 11:41 AM
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Invention Scrubs 90% of Coal Plant Pollutants for Fraction of Cost
Let's face it. For all the big nice talk about alternative energy, it’s not realistic to eliminate fossil fuels in the next 50 years, unless you can afford to shut down the world economy!
The US Department of Energy’s 2008 energy outlook estimates the use of renewables will increase by only 2.5 percent in the next 23 years.
By 2030, it estimates that the use of coal will constitute 55 percent of the nation’s fuel, up from 49 percent last year. The chief reason? There’s an estimated 300-year supply of coal in known reserves in the United States alone, the Energy Department said.
So it looks like coal is going to be a very popular fuel having phenomenal growth. But with that growth will come a surge of roughly 500 million metric tons of emissions, the Energy Department predicts.
All these mean that the urgent need of the hour is a method of removing carbon and other polluting emissions so that coal becomes an acceptable long-term fuel source.
Which is exactly a US scientist has thought up!
A Colorado scientist David Neumann has teamed up with Colorado Springs Utilities to test an invention that could revolutionize the power industry and save the planet at the same time.
Air Force Academy graduate Neumann, who holds a doctorate in physics, has developed a process he says he believes will scrub 90 percent of pollutants spewed by the city’s coal-fired electric plants for a fraction of the cost of other processes under development. If successful, the new chemical treatment would mean thousands of coal-burning plants worldwide could sharply curtail power plant emissions.
So far, there is no proven technology for removing carbon from the emissions, but Neumann said he believes his invention will handle carbon as well as the other pollutants. He also said his unit would be 20 times smaller than other versions being tested, which can cover acres.
The testing of Neumann's process, which has just begun, will start on a small scale.
It is hoped that the test will lead to a way to reduce the cost of retrofitting coal plants. Some analysis suggest a market potential of $700 billion pollution control market worldwide for existing coal plants alone. So, well, Neumann is perhaps not doing it out of just altruism alone, but he deserves the returns if he is successful, doesn't he?
Neumann, after retiring from Space Command in 1994, he started Neumann Systems Group Inc. has done research and development on high-powered lasers for defense contractors. He and his associate, Tom Henshaw decided to work on a way to adapt their laser business to pollution control, and they ended up with a much more powerful (and possibly far more remunerative) idea than their original one!
The US Department of Energy’s 2008 energy outlook estimates the use of renewables will increase by only 2.5 percent in the next 23 years.
By 2030, it estimates that the use of coal will constitute 55 percent of the nation’s fuel, up from 49 percent last year. The chief reason? There’s an estimated 300-year supply of coal in known reserves in the United States alone, the Energy Department said.
So it looks like coal is going to be a very popular fuel having phenomenal growth. But with that growth will come a surge of roughly 500 million metric tons of emissions, the Energy Department predicts.
All these mean that the urgent need of the hour is a method of removing carbon and other polluting emissions so that coal becomes an acceptable long-term fuel source.
Which is exactly a US scientist has thought up!
A Colorado scientist David Neumann has teamed up with Colorado Springs Utilities to test an invention that could revolutionize the power industry and save the planet at the same time.
Air Force Academy graduate Neumann, who holds a doctorate in physics, has developed a process he says he believes will scrub 90 percent of pollutants spewed by the city’s coal-fired electric plants for a fraction of the cost of other processes under development. If successful, the new chemical treatment would mean thousands of coal-burning plants worldwide could sharply curtail power plant emissions.
So far, there is no proven technology for removing carbon from the emissions, but Neumann said he believes his invention will handle carbon as well as the other pollutants. He also said his unit would be 20 times smaller than other versions being tested, which can cover acres.
The testing of Neumann's process, which has just begun, will start on a small scale.
It is hoped that the test will lead to a way to reduce the cost of retrofitting coal plants. Some analysis suggest a market potential of $700 billion pollution control market worldwide for existing coal plants alone. So, well, Neumann is perhaps not doing it out of just altruism alone, but he deserves the returns if he is successful, doesn't he?
Neumann, after retiring from Space Command in 1994, he started Neumann Systems Group Inc. has done research and development on high-powered lasers for defense contractors. He and his associate, Tom Henshaw decided to work on a way to adapt their laser business to pollution control, and they ended up with a much more powerful (and possibly far more remunerative) idea than their original one!
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Invention Scrubs 90% of Coal Plant Pollutants for Fraction of Cost posted by Ecacofonix : 2:10 AM
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Cloncurry Solar System Stores Energy in Graphite in Australia
In what is believed to be a world first, purified graphite is being used for energy storage in systems being installed at Lake Cargellico in New South Wales and Cloncurry in Queensland. The Queensland installation will make Cloncurry, which has a population of about 2,400, the first town in Australia to rely exclusively on solar power.
The purified graphite technology was invented by Australian Scientist, Bob Lloyd.
The Cloncurry system, which relies exclusively on a concentrated solar power , will have the mirrors guide the sun’s rays into holes in the bases of 54 elevated graphite blocks, heating them to 1800 degrees celsius. The stored heat will be used to produce steam which will drive turbines on demand.
For more information: www.lloydenergy.com
Via: Aussie Renewables
The purified graphite technology was invented by Australian Scientist, Bob Lloyd.
The Cloncurry system, which relies exclusively on a concentrated solar power , will have the mirrors guide the sun’s rays into holes in the bases of 54 elevated graphite blocks, heating them to 1800 degrees celsius. The stored heat will be used to produce steam which will drive turbines on demand.
For more information: www.lloydenergy.com
Via: Aussie Renewables
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Cloncurry Solar System Stores Energy in Graphite in Australia posted by Ecacofonix : 2:09 AM
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Hybrid Rice Seeds Not A Boon for Bangladesh?
While private seed companies and organizations in Bangladesh are aggressively pushing their products amongst farmers, the government too is promoting the cultivation of hybrid rice to ensure food security for the country's poor.
Based on the estimates of hybrid seeds sold this year about 7 lakh hectares must have been under hybrid rice cultivation, according to sources.
The higher acreage under hybrid rice has come about despite opposition from environmental activists who claim that it will make farmers dependant on multinational companies that have the patent over the seed technology. “The seed will not be in the hands of farmers. It will always be in market and with the company. Hybrid will be the next future disaster,” says Farida Akhter of Nayakrishi Andolon, a non-governmental organisation, which works closely with farmers to preserv ecological agriculture.
Full report here
Based on the estimates of hybrid seeds sold this year about 7 lakh hectares must have been under hybrid rice cultivation, according to sources.
The higher acreage under hybrid rice has come about despite opposition from environmental activists who claim that it will make farmers dependant on multinational companies that have the patent over the seed technology. “The seed will not be in the hands of farmers. It will always be in market and with the company. Hybrid will be the next future disaster,” says Farida Akhter of Nayakrishi Andolon, a non-governmental organisation, which works closely with farmers to preserv ecological agriculture.
Full report here
Labels: Agricultural-Engineering
Will Large Hadron Collider Nail Higgs Boson & Dark Matter?
The realms of the inconceivably huge and the unimaginably tiny will be united later this year in the countryside near Geneva, when the world’s most massive physics experiment gets under way within a 17-mile ring spanning the French-Swiss border. Inside the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), massive, powerful magnets chilled to a few degrees above absolute zero — colder than outer space — will zip beams of superenergetic protons and lead nuclei in a loop at speeds within a hairsbreadth of the speed of light, then collide them head-on. The energy released will be so vast that the impacts will recreate conditions in the universe as they existed just a fraction of a second after the big bang. If the LHC performs as expected, it could at last nail down that holy grail of contemporary physics, the Higgs boson — known as the “God particle” because it is thought to lend mass to matter. It may even finally unveil the secret of dark matter, the mysterious entity that makes up 85 percent of the universe — thereby shedding light on as-yet-unexplainable motions of galaxies.
See the article and all the comments here @ Popular Mechanics
See the article and all the comments here @ Popular Mechanics