Trexa is aiming to make designing your own electric vehicle using plug and play parts.
Takeaway #2
They unveil the world’s first fully-electric vehicle development platform. All-wheel drive platform includes a battery, driveline, and power electronics.
Takeaway #3
Its modular nature can be tailored to futuristic connected tram systems for commercial fleets, to hot rods, to EV’s perfect for a jaunt around town.
Converting CO2 to useful fuels twenty times better that previous UV based methods in a cycle that eliminates greenhouse gas is no longer a far fetched dream. Researchers at Penn State, led by Craig Grimes has come up with an ingenious method of turning captured CO2 into methane, a combustible fuel, using the energy of the sun. A batch reactor for converting CO2 to methane via sunlight is shown outdoors on a winter day.
Writing in Nano Letters (Volume 9, 2009, pp 731-737).
Takeaway #2
"The team used arrays of nitrogen-doped titania nanotubes sputter-coated with an ultrathin layer of a platinum and/or copper co-catalyst(s). The titania captures high energy ultraviolet wavelengths, while the copper shifts the bandgap into the visible wavelengths to better utilize the part of the solar spectrum where most of the energy lies. In addition, the thin-walled nanotubes increase the transport ability of the charge carriers by reducing the chance for recombination of the electron with the hole."
Web 2.0 is full of examples where one script or site improves on another but this is AWESOME! Really, has anyone merged two different search engines before? Hmm? No you say? Look at the above picture. Thanx to Mark Carey + Firefox + scripts we can know check topics via realtime trends and Google links. How long will it be before the Google devs scramble to make something like this cleaner or….
When I saw the Techrunch post this past Friday I didn’t even read it. “Just another case of the RIAA squeezing the online community“, so I thought. Maybe TC jumped the gun on this one…Let’s see who posted the article, ahh, Erick Schonfeld.
I jumped at the chance to try this beta out! Showing stats and traffic is a tried and true way to make your loyal readers come back for more. That used to Bloglog’s job and for a while, it was.
"Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) looks more and more like a window into the mind. In a study published online today in Nature, researchers at Vanderbilt University report that from fMRI data alone, they could distinguish which of two images subjects were holding in their memory--even several seconds after the images were removed. The study also pinpointed, for the first time, where in the brain visual working memory is maintained." This brilliant study proves fine grained visual storage of visual data up to 11 seconds with 80% Accuracy.
Takeaway #2
"It still remains to be seen how the activity patterns detected by fMRI, which essentially measures blood flow in the brain, translate into actual neural signals, says Haynes. Because it measures information in chunks of three cubic millimeters, fMRI can't gather information about what individual neurons are doing. But "it gives us a better sense of what memory is," says Harrison. "It's hard to know because it's such a subjective personal experience, but this gives us a better sense of what someone might be doing: they might actually be visualizing the information."
Интересный прототип конструкторов роботов игрушек для младших детей. Вы создаете с простых и разноцветных элементов роботы, потом движениями элементов программируете то, как они должны двигаться (учите их), потом нажимаете кнопку и робот сам двигаеться.
"Imagine you've headed out for a two-week vacation and suddenly realize you left your thermostat at 70 degrees and forgot to turn on the home security system. Plus, it's pouring rain back home and you still have your lawn sprinklers programmed to run every morning. "
Takeaway #2
A new wifi chip developed by a ZeroG approved by FCC already. "ZeroG, a Sunnyvale startup founded by Stanford computer science Professor Thomas Lee and backed with $30 million in venture capital."
Takeaway #3
"A partnership with Microchip on Monday that will enable electronics manufacturers to test the chips". Th is is must read for the internet enthusiast.
Takeaway #4
"he extensive buildout of Wi-Fi infrastructure, including Intel's new chip that will embed Wi-Fi connectivity into newer desktop and laptop computers. "
Takeaway #5
eroG is backed by $30 million in venture capital from Battery Ventures, Morgenthaler Ventures, Greylock Partners and Miven.
Thanx Getemboy for the tip!
Oh really?? The already best priced Phone company is about to get better? Guess they grew some heart after the successful Google G1 launch. Hopefully the G2 will continue their cool parade of…coolness. Here’s the rumored Deets.
With the billions of dollars being given to the nations infrastructure, the possibility of "smart infrastructure" is growing. With the need of sensors, wireless communications, computers, and internet, companies like IBM, GE and others are pushing forward.
Takeaway #2
Some examples of smart transportation would be; real time info fed to drivers while driving, giving travel times in car or train, giving the option for faster route. Another is to predict traffic. IBM has found a way to predict traffic jams 45 mins before they start. Tests in Singapore are 90% accurate. Vehicle Infrastructure Integration would let cars talk to each other and report their own accidents notifying emergency and speeding up accident clearing.
Takeaway #3
Smart grids; electric meters that send your data back to the utility company letting them read meters remotely and calculate bills, even in different scenarios. Smart appliances that receive a signal and consume less electricity, and grids that can re-route for downed lines and fix themselves.
Takeaway #4
Smart bridges; electronic monitoring of bridges would be more accurate and efficient than visual inspections and be able to relay traffic data remotely. The new 1-35 bridge in Minnesota has over 300 sensors.
Takeaway #5
Smart water system; leak detection that could prevent the current 15% loss and larger leaks/breaks. Syrinix Ltd in the UK is testing the technology in 16 miles of pipe. Sensors can also help with levies and monitoring their health and water levels.
Some people are good at working for others and some are good at going it alone. I’m a little biased towards Sarah Lacy and Natalie Del Conte (Funny enough, so is the Inquisitr).
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute created an anti-reflective coating helps to capture more sunlight on solar panels, as well as abosrb the whole spectrum of sunlight from any angle of the suns position.
Takeaway #2
The panels went from absorbing 67.4% of the sunlight, to 96.21%.
Takeaway #3
The ability to capture sunlight from all angles means no need for automation and wasted energy to "follow the sun" with mechanics.
Takeaway #4
The coating is made of 7 layers, those layers are made of silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide nanorods. The layers are between 50 and 100 nanometers high.
It is fitting at the 200 year anniversary of the Charles Darwin that we note this article from Science Daily. Certain yeasts apparently vary more within a species, up to 4%, than humans vary in comparison to chimps. The uptick is that we are closer to chimps than were originally thought.
Takeaway #2
"Another observation is that individual organisms from the same species can have extra genetic material. Most of these "extra genes" occur at the periphery of the chromosome (the telomer region), which lends support to the theory that these areas are very important in evolution."
Well, this topic will get hotter as we decide whether Direct TV and Cable is really worth it. Verizon has FIOS but it’s still through a cable subject to taxes and outages. Over The Air TV is now in a crisis because to be truly ready for that, you’d have to buy a new Digital TV. I’m almost sure the separate digital tuner isn’t 100% issue free.
NASA Caltech-JPL engineers designed a robot for planetary crater exploration that looks like a fat axle with a bicycle wheel at each end so comes the name Axel. www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov presents an expanded demonstration. You will want one of these!
Google Maps upgrade marries social networking, mapping and mobility
Takeaway #2
An upgrade to Google Maps that allows people to track the exact location of friends or family through their mobile devices
Takeaway #3
Contact them via SMS, Google Talk or Gmail.
Takeaway #4
A beta version of Google Latitude was released more than a year ago.
Takeaway #5
You see if your spouse is stuck in traffic, a buddy is in town, know that a loved one landed safely. Feel close to the people you care about."
Takeaway #6
GPS technology has been available from other vendors for some time, Google's entry into the business prompts a lot of buzz.
Takeaway #7
Dan Olds, principal analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group, said there are obvious privacy issues when people know your every move.
Takeaway #8
"Latitude puts a powerful tool in users' hands. With Latitude, it can be done without taking the time to call service people to find out if the workers actually are where they think they are.
Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub:
Google Latitude: Ten usesthink through who can access such personal information. "Users need to understand how to do it and why they probably don't want to constantly broadcast their locations to the world at large," he added.
Google explained in an online statement that users can opt into the GPS feature or allow only specific friends or family members to follow their travels. Once an agreement is reached, users will be able to see their friends' profile pictures appear on a map through their mobile device or desktop computer.
Twitter’s going mainstream, Yahoo is poised to reclaim it’s Majestic Web 2.0 position.
Windows is spliting Windows 7 six ways and even Techcrunch is building a Tablet PC…
Alright! This was a feature that was requested from the beginning but clearly they wanted to do it right! I’m ok with that because Friendfeed just might have the most comprehensive internet snapshots online! They’ve become their own search engine.
The state of Kentucky is in a legal battle over its attempt to seize 141 domain names it believes to be engaging in illegal online gambling activities but whose owners are primarily located overseas.
Takeaway #2
The judges are split as the case heads to state high court, with the effort being led by Governor Steve Beshear and secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Pbulic Safety Cabinet Michael Brown
Takeaway #3
"The long-term consequence is you could have any state official on a Web-site-by-Web-site basis making moral or other determinations as to whether they believe their residents should have access," said A. Jeff Ifrah, counsel to the Interactive Gaming Counsel. "That's a First Amendment issue, a dormant commerce clause issue and an anyone-in-the-Internet business issue."
Takeaway #4
The main questions at stake are: "Does a state court have the authority or power to seize domain names when none of the domain owners is present in the state and all of the names are registered outside of the state?" and "Are domain names property?"
Takeaway #5
The State is attempting to make the case that the gambling domains constitute a "machine or any mechanical or other device . . . designed and manufactured primarily for use in connection with gambling"
Takeaway #6
In the Kentucky case the forfeiture orders were not sent to the domain owner-operators, but to the domain name registrars — the companies with which the owners register the domain name.
A Gold River, CA-based Wi-Fi Rail Inc, signed a deal with BART aims to outfit 103 miles of track and 43 stations by end of 2011.
Takeaway #2
The deal is 20 years long.
Takeaway #3
The test began about a year ago, during which 16,000 users signed on.
Takeaway #4
The service plan range from $6 for 2 hours to $300 per year.
Takeaway #5
A BART regular says he liked it, but not without criticisms.
Takeaway #6
Details are not available yet, but Wi-Fi Rail is expected to pick up the construction and operating costs. BART is said to get a share of the revenues.
Graphene, which was discovered at the University in 2004, is a one-atom-thick crystal with unusual highly conductive properties, which has quickly become one of the hottest topics in physics and materials science.
Takeaway #2
Graphane is graphene with an addition of one hydrogen atom on each of the carbon atoms, but instead of being highly conductive like graphene it has insulating properties.
Takeaway #3
That graphene can be modified into new materials means that it could cover the whole spectrum needed for electronic applications.
Takeaway #4
“Imagine a graphene wafer with all interconnects made from highly conductive, pristine graphene whereas other parts are modified chemically to become semiconductors and work as transistors," - Professer Andre Geim of the University of Manchester
Google now supports the "Hybrid Protocol", combining OpenID federated login together with OAuth access authorization.
Takeaway #2
The Hybrid Protocol allows Plaxo to encapsulate their OAuth authorization request inside the OpenID authentication request, letting Google know that the user wants to use both APIs
Takeaway #3
This new support now cuts down on the number of redirects necessary to confirm both OAuth and OpenID identifications, making for a much better user experience.
Here we are! 2009 has begun! The Netvibes team wishes you all the best for this new year! We hope that it started well and that you made the resolution to keep making your Netvibes page looking even more beautiful and entertaining!
About 5hrs ago Robert Scoble asked that question on friendfeed.com. This shows where any tech savvy person would want to be to get the latest events. Social networks are pulling their weight when it comes to circulating news and tech info.
This piezoelectric linear motor will be boon to robotic and micro-manipulator users everywhere. The tiny device eliminates gears and motors with worm screws and associated calibration and wear problems.
Boron is remarkable. "Scientists have found the first case of an ionic crystal consisting of just one chemical element - boron."
Takeaway #2
"This work is published in the January 28, 2009 issue of Nature. Results on the hardness of the new phase are published in a separate paper in the Journal of Superhard Materials. "
Takeaway #3
The history of boron is series of enigmas leading to strange behavior of boron even at 99% purity, unprecedented among elements. www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature07736.html
He also used Qik to vent a little…Thanx Ashton Kutcher for looking out! Now that the world knows you and Demi hang out on twitter, the continued twitter rush will become a tsunami(please!..)
I kinda thought of Twitter when I saw this because even though the owners of the micro-blog are having a terrible time overcoming obstacles to monetization, people are still flocking to the site like crazy.
Google offline email seems better that the online version in many respects. You need to download Google Gears and enable offline mode through gmail labs to engage the service.
Takeaway #2
Once google syncs the e mail contacts (while you have internet connection) the messages and other gmail content load much faster than online.
Takeaway #3
You won't have access to all of your mail. It will sync messages based on 4 labels.
Takeaway #4
You can access contacts and auto complete when offline, but cannot edit.
Takeaway #5
One mystery: Google's offline settings reports that it will sync all my messages that have one of four labels. One of those labels is Starred, which makes sense. The other three categories seem to have been chosen at random. And I couldn't find any way to change which labels get the full backup treatment.