Inhabitat’s Week in Green: sexy green cars, glass strong as steel, and Tianjin’s Eco-City revealed
January 17, 2011 No Comment
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green. This week Inhabitat brought you unveilings of the world’s hottest new eco vehicles as we hit the floor of the Detroit Auto Show and rounded up the seven sexiest green cars on display. We also took a first look at Toyota’s new Tesla-infused RAV4 , and we caught up with Venturi’s powerhouse electric concept car . And if unconventional transportation spins your wheels, don’t miss the shape shifting Uno 3 electric scooter and this masterfully-crafted Tron segway that could out-geek a lightcycle. We also looked at several groundbreaking building systems that stand to make our cities stronger and more sustainable, starting with a new type of flexible superglass that is stronger than steel. Meanwhile, Sweden is soaking up body heat from public places to help heat buildings , China unveiled plans for a futuristic eco city , and several offices in Minnesota flipped on a set of souped-up ceiling lights capable of broadcasting wireless internet. In other news, the world of renewable energy is jolting for joy as Southwest Wind Power unveiled the world’s first fully smart grid-enabled windturbine . We also checked out a new ultracapacitor that can charge a power drill in 60 seconds, and researchers are working on energy-generating fabrics that can transform your t-shirt into a power plant. Finally, this week we wrapped up our CES coverage with a look at the best green gadgets from this year’s show, and we flexed our creative capacity with 5 tech projects for kids that foster creativity and critical thinking. Inhabitat’s Week in Green: sexy green cars, glass strong as steel, and Tianjin’s Eco-City revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly
January 16, 2011 No Comment
We know you are vigilant enough not to trust your car’s security to a wireless system, but plenty of other folks like the convenience of putting away the metallic keys and getting into their vehicles with a bit of Bond-like swagger. Professor Srdjan Capkun of ETH Zurich found himself perched on the fence between these two groups when he recently purchased a vehicle with a keyless entry system, so he did what any good researcher would: he tried to bypass its security measures. In total, he and his team tested 10 models from eight car makers and their results were pretty conclusive: each of the tested vehicles was broken into and driven away using a very simple and elegant method. Keyless entry systems typically work by sending a low-powered signal from the car to your key fob, with the two working only when they’re near each other, but the wily Zurich profs were able to intercept and extend that signal via antennas acting as repeaters, resulting in your key activating your car even when it’s nowhere near it. The signal-repeating antennae have to be pretty close to both the key and the car, but that’s why heist movies stress the importance of teamwork. Hit the source link for all the chilling details. Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Macintosh Plus celebrates 25 years by becoming ultimate DJ headgear (video)
January 16, 2011 No Comment
Don’t have $65,000 and / or seventeen months to build yourself a Daft Punk helmet? Here’s the next best thing: crack open a Macintosh Plus, add an iPad, an old bicycle helmet and some electroluminescent gear, and get to soldering. Originally a school project for design student Terrence Scoville, this visualizer helmet now sits atop the cranium of DJ Kid Chameleon. Because there’s nothing like a few digital fireworks to celebrate an old computer’s birthday. Video after the break. Continue reading Macintosh Plus celebrates 25 years by becoming ultimate DJ headgear (video) Macintosh Plus celebrates 25 years by becoming ultimate DJ headgear (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
You thought we were going to take a break after CES, didn’t you? Yeah, no way. We’re back and badder than ever, with all the latest iPhone / iPad gossip AND a treasure trove of new info and insight form Automotive Editor Tim Stevens about some killer new stuff going on under the hood of the vehicles of the very near future. Dig in! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller Guest: Tim Stevens Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Born to be Wild 00:02:40 – Live from Verizon’s iPhone event 00: 07:02 – The Verizon iPhone 00:10:30 – AT&T ‘evaluating’ support for iOS Personal Hotspot, no plans yet 00:14:10 – AT&T iPhone 4 vs. Verizon iPhone 4: what’s changed? 00:22:10 – iOS 4.3 beta arrives for devs, brings AirPlay video support to apps, personal hotspot and customizable iPad side switch (update: video!) 00:29:05 – Exclusive: The future of the iPad 2, iPhone 5, and Apple TV, and why Apple is shifting its mobile line to Qualcomm chipsets 00:38:47 – IBM demonstrates Watson supercomputer in Jeopardy practice match 00:45:00 – IBM’s Watson supercomputer destroys all humans in Jeopardy practice round (video!) 00:51:52 – Toyota debuts new Prius models, family-friendlier Prius V and funkier Prius C 00:58:25 – Porsche unveils 918 RSR, the 767hp hybrid 01:00:45 – Tesla Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson geeks out with us about Model S design 01:08:17 – A tour around the X-Prize winning Edison2 Very Light Car (video) Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [ iTunes ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [ RSS MP3 ] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [ RSS AAC ] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [ Zune ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @engadget @timstevens Engadget Podcast 229 – 01.16.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …13 Japanese companies join to further fuel cell adoption, also plan to ride bikes together
January 16, 2011 No Comment
What’s going to spin the tires in your car of the future? Will it even have tires? Right now it looks like either hydrogen fuel cells or pure EVs will be dominating the streets in a few decades, and thankfully they share enough technology for us to think they can peacefully co-exist — just like Apple and Microsoft fanboys and girls have been known to host really great parties together where they engage in long, respectful discussions regarding their differing opinions. However, while EVs are already well on their way, for fuel cells to take off we’re going to need more hydrogen filling stations and more cooperation between auto manufacturers. That’s happening now in Japan, with 13 companies — Toyota , Nissan , and Honda along with a number of gas and utilities companies — joining forces to enable a “smooth domestic launch” of fuel cell vehicles as soon as 2015. They hope to create about 100 hydrogen stations across the country, work to form a broader hydrogen supply network, and also educate people about FCVs in general. We’ll give them a head start by letting you know that stands for “Fuel Cell Vehicle,” though they’re also often called FCEVs, or “Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles.” Bam! Two items off the to-do list. Continue reading 13 Japanese companies join to further fuel cell adoption, also plan to ride bikes together 13 Japanese companies join to further fuel cell adoption, also plan to ride bikes together originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Todd Bradley did promise us there’d be more than just slates on HP’s webOS menu and today we can add netbooks to the list of form factors for Palm’s famed OS. This heretofore unknown slice of info comes from a carrier training website HP has set up to educate resellers on the strong points of its forthcoming products. The training video on the site speaks of the great synergies that can result from smartphones, slates and netbooks all running the same OS and “speaking” to one another, which echoes Bradley’s “connected experience” mantra from a couple of days ago. Smartphones are said to be the beginning of a new family of webOS products, with their larger siblings set to come “soon enough.” Is February 9th soon enough? We’d say so. Continue reading HP promises webOS netbooks to go along with smartphones and slates HP promises webOS netbooks to go along with smartphones and slates originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Frozen smoke (read: aerogel) — not to be confused with the stuff your Grandma uses to flavor her turkey — is the world’s lightest solid material, and it just keeps getting lighter. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have created a new form of the super material , known as multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) aerogel, that has a density of just four milligrams per cubic centimeter and can be used in sensors to detect pollutants and toxic substances , chemical reactors, and electronic components. Aerogels, which are known as the world’s most effective insulators, have been around since the early 20th century, but most of these are fabricated from silicon dioxide. In order to produce the new aerogel, researchers removed the liquid from a “wet gel of well-dispersed pristine MWCNTs,” creating a honeycomb structure with walls just 100-nanometers thick. The resulting material is an impressive and resilient electrical conductor that looks and acts less like frozen smoke and more like a burnt marshmallow. And now, you know. Check out the coverage link below for video. New carbon nanotube aerogel is now the world’s lightest solid material originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Thieves damage South African traffic lights, reach for the juicy SIM card innards
January 16, 2011 No Comment
Johannesburg, South Africa had six hundred high-tech traffic signals, each with a cellular modem and GPS chip. The idea was, if one malfunctioned, they’d call home immediately. Well, that plan isn’t working out so well, because only two hundred are still in working order — vandals ripped apart the rest to get at their SIM cards, causing traffic jams and accidents. Apparently, the government-provided cards are a ticket to unlimited free phone calls for the thieves — at least until the individual devices are identified and their permissions revoked. The Johannesburg Roads Agency told the Mail & Guardian that the crime looks like an inside job, because only the new, SIM-equipped signals seem to have been targeted so far. The damages are piling up, with the agency figuring it will require ZAR 8.8 million (roughly $1.26 million) to repair the four hundred signals currently out of order. Needless to say, the agency is looking at ways to better secure the traffic lights. We’re guessing that switching to CDMA is probably off the table. Embedded SIMs , perhaps? Thieves damage South African traffic lights, reach for the juicy SIM card innards originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Washington State to put quick chargers on scenic byway, allow tourists to top-up their EVs
January 16, 2011 No Comment
A few weeks back we learned that the US would be getting 310 quick-charging CHAdeMO stations , 480V AC/DC converters that can get a Nissan Leaf to 80 percent charge in under 30 minutes. Most are destined for major metropolitan areas, but we were intrigued to find out that Washington State is going to put two or three of them out in the country, on a 120 mile scenic portion of Route 2 that runs over the Cascade Mountains. It’s a popular tourist destination and, with EVs becoming more popular in the area, soon even tourists with cutting-edge transportation to enjoy the ride. After all, everybody likes a good view. Continue reading Washington State to put quick chargers on scenic byway, allow tourists to top-up their EVs Washington State to put quick chargers on scenic byway, allow tourists to top-up their EVs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 05:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Google defends H.264 removal from Chrome, says WebM plug-ins coming to Safari and IE9
January 16, 2011 No CommentGoogle renewed a heated discussion when it said it was dropping H.264 support from Chrome’s HTML5 video tag last week, but it seems the company’s ready and willing to push its WebM alternative video format hard — not only is hardware decoder IP now available for the VP8 codec, but the project team is presently readying WebM plug-ins for Safari and Internet Explorer 9, neither of which include it themselves. As to the little matter of whether any of this is the right move for the web at large, we’ll paraphrase what Google had to say for itself: H.264 licenses cost money; Firefox and Opera don’t support H.264 either; and big companies like Google are helping the little guy by championing this open alternative. We have to say, the eternal optimist in us is cheering them on. Oh, and the linguist in us, too. Read Google’s own words at our source link, and decide for yourself. Google defends H.264 removal from Chrome, says WebM plug-ins coming to Safari and IE9 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …