Image credit: SolarAid I already knew that solar is a life saver in Africa , and that it can be a great way to boost school performance too. But it hadn’t occurred to me that it is also a fantastic way to bring the joys of a good Jackie Chan movie to the masses. That, and some well-aimed education on the benefits of solar over fossil fuels. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photos: Planar. I have to admit I’m a bit the green grinch of the family: I really can’t stand all the mindless consumption over the holidays, and I’m always pushing the buy nothing concept. I don’t even have a Christmas tree. If I did, however, these cute, biodegradable wool felt figures would probably be the ornaments hanging from it instead of plastic shinny balls. More on them and Planar inside…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Mercedes electric SLS AMG E-Cell previewed: neck-snapping and retina-searing (video)
December 16, 2010 No Comment
If ever a post needed a sunglasses warning this one is it. Check out that paint job. It’s a pretty hot hue for a pretty hot car, the E-Cell , a Mercedes SLS AMG that has had its internal combustion assets stripped and replaced with not one, not two, but four electric motors. That’s one per wheel, naturally, and if you add them all up you get the equivalent of 528hp, a little short of the production car’s 563hp, but torque is up to 649ft/lbs from the stock car’s 479 — and being electric that’s all available from the start. Sadly, though, twisting force isn’t the only thing that’s swelled, with this car adding a whopping 880lbs to an already heft 3,571. According to Auto Express that’s had a decidedly negative effect on handling, but it does at least offer a quite respectable 125 mile range. No information yet on cost or when exactly Mercedes might put this thing into production, but earlier word was we won’t see it on the streets anytime before 2013. You’d better prepare yourself now by staring at the sun for a few minutes a day, and do yourself a favor: start squinting before you click “play” on the video below. Continue reading Mercedes electric SLS AMG E-Cell previewed: neck-snapping and retina-searing (video) Mercedes electric SLS AMG E-Cell previewed: neck-snapping and retina-searing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Looking for a little zip in your next portable hard drive ? Look no further than Super Talent’s latest, the svelte USB 3.0 Storage Pod. As you’ve likely pieced together by now, that ultraslim black box above contains a 500GB hard drive and the appropriate circuity to transfer files using SuperSpeed USB, or right around ten times faster than USB 2.0. It’s completely bus-powered, too, so don’t bother packing an AC adapter. The company claims that it’ll pass along files at up to 90MB/sec (vid’s after the break as proof), and if you’re already sold, you can fetch one yourself next month. Continue reading Super Talent intros 500GB USB 3.0 Storage Pod, wants $99 for it Super Talent intros 500GB USB 3.0 Storage Pod, wants $99 for it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …WaPo Promotes Gay-Art Exhibitors Calling Conservatives ‘American Taliban,’ Implying Nazism
December 16, 2010 No CommentThe Washington Post once again promoted the cultural leftists fighting the Smithsonian's removal of an ants-on-Christ video from a gay-left exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. In a story headlined “Video outcry flares anew,” art critic Philip Kennicott covered a very one-sided panel discussion in New York with the exhibit's very political activists. The nod to conservatives came at the beginning, with William Donohue of the Catholic League telling Kennicott he wasn't going to this event — where the mudslinging was in full swing by curators Jonathan Katz and David Ward: Katz lamented that gays and lesbians were “once again being offered as raw meat” to political activists and the Catholic League, which he accused of being a hate group and anti-Semitic. “We have an American Taliban that we have not called as such ,” he said… Katz and Ward said they now worry about the lasting effect on the Portrait Gallery and on other institutions that might think twice about shows depicting gay subject matter, as well as on the dispiriting effect of criticism from the left at a time when the museum and cultural world should be mounting a concerted resistance to the right. read more
Continue reading …Christmas lights hack puts your IM contacts on the wall above your desk (video)
December 16, 2010 No Comment
As you well know, if it exists it can be hacked. And what better way to ring in the holidays than by taking a string of GE Color Effects G-35 lights and — thanks to some hand-crafted drivers and a Microsoft . NET Micro Framework embedded controller — turning it into a IM notifier? Of course, these aren’t any old Christmas lights: between the ability to change colors and the preset light shows, these guys boast a feature set that Clark Griswold would die for. And that’s where a Microsoft employee named Andrej Kyselica comes in: using the Microsoft Lync 2010 Office Communications Server, our man has rigged a system that allows him to assign each of his instant messenger contacts to a particular bulb, which changes color according to each contact’s status (for instance, green indicates that someone’s available, white means away, and purple means out of the office). Pretty sweet, eh? Check out the video after the break for a closer look. Continue reading Christmas lights hack puts your IM contacts on the wall above your desk (video) Christmas lights hack puts your IM contacts on the wall above your desk (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …BMW uses bright lights, subliminal messages to sell motorcycles (video)
December 16, 2010 No Comment
The BMW S1000R is fast enough and sexy enough (other than that one lazy eye) to sell itself, and you’d think a commercial showing World Superbike rider Ruben Xaus flogging one around the track would be quite enough to get people inclined to buy the things. Not enough for BMW . The company used the optical illusion of afterimage to temporarily imprint “BMW” onto the retinas of theater-goers. Behind the screen was a giant cut-out backed by an even bigger light (a Profoto Pro-7B, we’re told). It flashed for an instant during the commercial and, while all the spectators noticed was a quick pop, when they were asked to close their eyes they saw the logo hovering in their vision. Subliminal? Possibly. Illegal? Maybe. Ingenious? Absolutely . Continue reading BMW uses bright lights, subliminal messages to sell motorcycles (video) BMW uses bright lights, subliminal messages to sell motorcycles (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Athlete Robot runs just a few steps before falling down, does it with style
December 16, 2010 No Comment
Since 2007, researchers at Tokyo University’s ISI Lab have been working on a prototype of a running robot , which we’ve seen several of in the past. Athlete Robot (as it is seemingly dubbed) is a little bit different though. While it hasn’t outwardly been given the humanoid treatment in any significant way, technologically, it works very much like a human. As you’ll see in the video below, early prototypes of the bot which were less ‘human’ like in design didn’t function as well as the newer version, which boasts McKibben artificial muscles and a biologically correct musculoskeletal system. Now, the robot still can’t run very far without falling over, but it’s impressive to watch its movements nonetheless. Continue reading Athlete Robot runs just a few steps before falling down, does it with style Athlete Robot runs just a few steps before falling down, does it with style originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kinect Hacks Daily, Episode 47: Kinect taught to control XBMC through hand gestures
December 16, 2010 No Comment
One of our favorite parts of Kinect, at least theoretically , was the idea of controller-free and remote-free control of the dashboard and media playbook. Sure, it’s never going to be as optimized and snappy as those tried-and-true digital buttons, but it’s a great party trick, and we’re all about the party tricks. Well, now you can get some of that gesture mojo going on with your XBMC setup — and we’re guessing eventually you’ll be able to control just about anything else you’d use basic “left, right, click” actions for navigation. Our only suggestion? Get some of that Dance Central-style menu navigation going on here. That goes for you, too, Microsoft. [Thanks, Joshua] Kinect Hacks Daily, Episode 47: Kinect taught to control XBMC through hand gestures originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Field Monitor Pro: ‘portable’ 15.4-inch USB monitor packs number pad, DisplayLink
December 16, 2010 No Comment
This, friends, is the ThinkPad W700 ‘s worst nightmare. Rather than forcing consumers into buying a gargantuan lappie with an inbuilt secondary display (or settling for one of Mimo’s diminutive alternatives ), Mobile Monitor Technologies has an even better solution: this thing. The four-pound Field Monitor Pro is sure to be a hot seller over at Accountemps, with a fold-flat design and a spacious 15.4-inch LCD underneath. Essentially, this is a 15-inch laptop sans the guts, boasting just a 1280×800 LED-backlit display, a rear kickstand, two Kensington lock slots, a pair of USB 2.0 sockets, DisplayLink technology and a full-on number pad. It’s designed to be used in both lay-flat or stood-up modes, and if you’re looking for a more permanent solution, it can also be mounted on a nearby wall. Unfortunately, you’ll still need a separate AC line running to a wall outlet, and the relatively low resolution isn’t apt to drop any jaws. Head on past the break for a peek at what exactly this beast can offer, and then wait patiently for a price as “busy season 2011″ swings in. Ah, the sweet smell of taxes coming due. [Thanks, Ian] Continue reading Field Monitor Pro: ‘portable’ 15.4-inch USB monitor packs number pad, DisplayLink Field Monitor Pro: ‘portable’ 15.4-inch USB monitor packs number pad, DisplayLink originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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