Aquanta, the Device that Makes Your Water Heater Smart
Water heaters have just joined the continuously expanding family of smart appliances thanks to a new controller. Meet Aquanta, a smart attachment that learns the...
Israeli Hobbyist Makes a Bicycle Out of Cardboard
Is it possible to make a bicycle out of cardboard, you might ask. The answer is yes, and if you do not feel like...
New farmerless “farm” to break ground in Japan
Japan will break ground on a new farmerless farm this summer. This indoor, fully automated farm will produce up to 17,000 heads of lettuce...
Solar Cells Featuring Carbon Nanotube Antennas Concentrate Light 100 Times
These days, MIT chemical engineers have come up with a new approach to concentrate solar power by 100 times without needing any lenses, mirrors or anything else than the solar cell itself.
Chemically-Etched Black Silicon Proves Efficient Solar Cells Can Be Cheaper
While SiOnyx, a MA-based startup, uses lasers to create black silicon and improve the efficiency and price of solar cells, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) discovered a simple chemical treatment that could replace the otherwise expensive antireflective solar cell coatings currently used in the industry.
‘Power Paper’ – Story Of A Paper That Can Store Electricity
Power Paper, created by the researchers of Sweden’s Linköping University, is showing an outstanding ability in storing energy, which can later be used to recharge...
Fast-Forward Powered Pedals Should Help You Climb Hills Easier
The idea of modding my bike and making it electric excites me every time I think about it. I even wanted to buy one of those kits on from China a few weeks ago. Then, my wife reminded me that biking is not about going fast and sweatless, but rather about pedaling and enjoying the sports. I can hardly wait till she sees this... the "Fast-Forward Powered Pedals"
Bamboo Studied as Green Alternative to Many Construction Materials
Hard as steel, quick-growing (three times faster than hard woods), bamboo has been long used in countries like Colombia to make good, durable home....
Southern California Implementing 53 MW Ice Energy Storage for Air Conditioning Systems
Ice can be used to store energy (though the other way we may be tempted to think) just like hot bricks or molten salt. Several Southern California municipal utilities will be implementing ice-based energy storage devices to reduce the air conditioning consumption in government offices and commercial buildings. Over the next two years, they will install 6,000 devices at 1,500 locations, storing around 53 megawatts of energy in total.
3G iPhone to Charge from Solar Powered Case
If you ever had a 3G mobile phone in your hand, you know that it sometimes remains stuck on data mode and drains all your battery in a matter of hours (and it heats up considerably, too). The same goes with the new iPhone 3G that has just been launched.
