Thursday, October 09, 2008

3 is the new 4

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/414235257/

Auto designers have been toying with the idea of three-wheeled transports for some time now and this latest concept by Higgins-Aubé called ENERGYA is pretty much another attempt at it. This side-by-side two seater is legally considered in most jurisdictions a “motorcycle”, eliminating most of the mandatory automobile systems and components that weigh down and increase the price of regular 4-wheeled automobiles. Higgins-Aubé call this segment bender a “motomobile”, and have fitted it with a hefty (200 HP) motorcycle engine powering the single rear wheel. Future(future) designs will see an all-electric drivetrain that will take all the vroom vroom out and replace it with pssshh psshhh.

Designer: Higgins-Aubé

Aube, Higgins, Higgins Aubé

Silver-Zinc Batteries Coming in 2009 With 40% Better Run Time Than Lithium-Ion [Power Up]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414014204/silver+zinc-batteries-coming-in-2009-with-40-better-run-time-than-lithium+ion

Lithium-ion is, by far, the most common form of rechargeable battery found in today's mobile devices. However, a shift towards silver zinc may be looming on the horizon thanks to a new product in development by ZPower, Inc. Ross E. Dueber, president and CEO of the company is scheduled to address attendees at the Batteries 2008 conference in Nice, France starting tomorrow, where he will tout the advantages of his silver-zinc technology scheduled to launch in "a major notebook computer in 2009." Whether we will find out the identity of this "major notebook" in the coming days remains to be seen, but the impending release does offer some hope for consumers frustrated by the battery life of their precious portable gadgets.

First and foremost, silver-zinc can offer up to 40 percent more battery life than traditional lithium-ion batteries and 200 + cycles at 100% discharge. ZPower claims that their product contains no toxic chemicals and is up to 95% recyclable—which I would assume means that they have addressed the problem of mercury leakage that plagues silver-zinc batteries at the end of their life-cycle. They also noted that the batteries feature a water-based chemistry that is completely non-flammable (unlike lithium-ion that has a reputation for the occasional explosion). The one major drawback of silver-zinc is the cost of the silver itself, but word is that ZPower is planning on a trade-in recycle policy that will help to offset costs. Sounds good, but we will have to wait and see if the notebook coming out next year will be important enough and affordable enough to drive sales.

Dr. Ross Dueber to Discuss First Silver-Zinc Battery
for Mobile Consu! mer Devi ces at Batteries 2008 in Nice

CAMARILLO, October 7, 2008 – Dr. Ross E. Dueber, president and CEO of ZPower, Inc., will discuss the industry's first silver-zinc battery technology for consumer electronics at the Batteries 2008 conference in Nice, France, starting October 8th. His presentation will address the performance, environmental, and safety advantages inherent within ZPowerTM silver-zinc batteries, scheduled to launch in a major notebook computer in 2009. The annual event will be held at the Acropolis Convention Centre on October 8, 9, and 10. Batteries 2008 is a worldwide exhibition focused on power supply, with more than 400 attendees.
Dr. Dueber will discuss the next replacement for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and what power source can take mobility into the future. "At the heart of the $55 billion global battery market is the chemical conundrum of power supply," said Dueber. "Today's consumer has the ability to watch an entire movie on a palm-sized device—but portable power technology has not kept up. Engineers admit that they are hitting the wall on lithium polymer and lithium-ion performance. Unstable lithium-ion batteries have resulted in a high number of product recalls by manufacturers of notebook computers. These market trends are creating a pressing need for a better battery."

Silver-zinc battery chemistry is currently poised to move into the commercial marketplace for use in consumer electronics. This new silver-zinc battery chemistry uses the latest in advanced polymers, nano-technology, power electronics and processing methods to create a battery that surpasses other rechargeable batteries for notebook computers, mobile phone and consumer electronics applications.

The advantages of silver-zinc batteries can be summed up as follows:

High Performance – Up to 40% more run time than traditional lithium-ion batteries. And with recent improvements in battery cycle life, silver-zinc batteries achieve 200 + cycles at 100% discharge an! d thousa nds of cycles at intermediate discharge.

Clean Technology – Over 95% of key battery elements can be recycled and reused. The raw materials recovered in the recycling process of silver-zinc batteries are the same quality as those that went into the creation of the battery. Environmental impact is lessened since the need to mine for new materials is minimized.

Safe – Silver-zinc batteries contain no lithium and are inherently safe. They are not subject to the recent FAA air travel restrictions now placed on lithium-ion batteries. Silver-zinc batteries feature a water-based chemistry that is not flammable. The battery is therefore free from the problems of thermal runaway and fire.

Fanatec RennSport Wheel Stand Hangs On Tight While You Drive Like a Maniac [Racing Wheels]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414105783/fanatec-rennsport-wheel-stand-hangs-on-tight-while-you-drive-like-a-maniac

Racing wheels have come a long way, featuring excellent accuracy and realistic force feedback. But they're still quite awkward, requiring a properly positioned table or precarious lap placement. The RennSport Wheel Stand by Fanatec solves these positioning problems, holding the wheel, pedals and even stick shift in the perfect, adjustable spot for each player.

Constructed solidly out of aluminum and steel, turn as hard as you want, but the RennSport doesn't look to be going anywhere soon. Meanwhile, users can adjust height and angle of the wheel, which is more than you can say for most real steering wheels.

The catch is, of course, the price. At $130, this wheel holder costs as much as many nice wheels themselves. But then again, the RennSport works with most major models and looks like the best thing for racing simulation since this little number. So you could do much worse. [BusinessWire via Digital Trends]

Nasa's Messenger Sends First Full Fly-By Image of Mercury [Space]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414088420/nasas-messenger-sends-first-full-fly+by-image-of-mercury

Yesterday at 4:40AM east time, Nasa's Messenger (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging spacecraft) flew by just 125 miles over the surface of Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System. This is the first time in history that the whole planet is going to be photographed in its entirety by an Earthling probe, with amazing resolution and ultra-crisp detail.

The first time Mercury was photographed up close and personal was in the Mariner 10 mission. Mariner was only able to take pictures of one hemisphere during its flybys, and its camera had a very low resolution: It could only capture details 0.99 miles across. Messenger's wide angle and narrow angle cameras, on the other side, have a resolution of 59 feet across, and is going to be able to take pictures of the fully-lit planet. All while trying not get fried up by the sun thanks to its rotatable solar panels—which balance temperature and power generation—as well as its multilayered insulation. [NASA]

Worldâs Deepest Fish Filmed For the First Time [Ick]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414217318/worlds-deepest-fish-filmed-for-the-first-time

This is a group of snailfish—the deepest living fish in existence—filmed alive for the first time in history in the name science and nausea. They live at depths of 4.6 miles (7,500 meters) or more, so scientists had to develop new camera technology capable of supporting a pressure of 8,000 tonnes per square metre—"the equivalent to that of 1600 elephants standing on the roof of a Mini car"—for a period of days.

The submersible platform reached 4.78 miles down the Japan Sea trench, and had to stay there for two days to be able to obtain this crystal clear footage, taking a total of five hours to reach the seabed. The camera equipment was designed specifically for this mission by the engineers at OceanLab—the sub-sea research facility of the University of Aberdeen.

According to project leader Dr Alan Jamieson, the resulting video taking during those two days is "absolutely amazing".

We got some absolutely amazing footage from 7700 metres. More fish than we or anyone in the world would ever have thought possible at these depths. It's incredible. These videos vastly exceed all our expectations from this research. We thought the deepest fishes would be motionless, solitary, fragile individuals eking out an existence in a food-sparse environment. But these fish aren't loners. The images show groups that are sociable and active—possibly even families—feeding on little shrimp, yet living in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

Whatever. Any fish that have teeth that do this...

...are not my friends. [OceanLab via Daily Mail]

Video and image credit: Natural Environment Research Council and University of Aberdeen.

Beyond the abyss

7 October 2008

The Natural Environment Research Council's HADEEP project

Photographs and video

snailfish (or liparid fish) swarming over their bait Between 24 September and 6 October scientists working on the HADEEP project took video cameras deeper than ever before.

Below are photographs and video footage from this expedition.

Users must credit: Natural Environment Research Council and University of Aberdeen.

Photographs

harumi-1.jpg (3.1MB) View of Tokyo Harbour as the RV Hakuho-Maru leaves Harumi.
toyo-fits-the-bait.jpg (0.7MB) Toyo attaches the dead mackerel carcass to the lander.
fishtrap-1.jpg (3.1MB) The team working on the Fish trap.
landers-on-deck-1.jpg (3.2MB) Hadal-Lander A and Hadal-Lander B on the deck prior to deployment.
deployment-10.jpg (0.7MB) The scene from the deck just prior to deployment.
deployment-3.jpg (3.2MB) The lander is lowered over the stern into the water.
laura-1.jpg (3.0MB) Laura Burns on deck.
liparid-1.jpg (1.0MB) Top of view of the liparid (Snailfish) Psuedoliparis amblystomopsis recovered from the giant trap at 7700m in the Japan Trench.
remains-of-the-bait.jpg (0.7MB) The remains of the mackerel bait after 10 hours on the seafloor at 7700m.

Video

Abyss1-Liparid-Fish-at-7703m-4x3-720x576.avi 232·2MB, 63 seconds - video clip Liparid fish feeding at a depth of 7703m
2nd-attempt-NERC-Japan-Trench-7703m.mov 58·2MB, 15 seconds - movie file Liparid fish feeding at a depth of 7703m
NERC-Japan-Trench-7703m.mpg 4·3MB, 15 seconds - MPEG movie file Liparid fish feeding at a depth of 7703m
1-Abyss-Lander-Deployment-48-sec.mov 26·7MB, 48 seconds - movie file Deployment of the Abyssal Lander from the deck of the ship
Liparid-Fish-Flash-400K.flv 0·5MB, Flash video file*
Liparid-Fish-Flash-1500K.flv 1·5MB, Flash video file*
Liparid-Fish-Flash-4000K.flv 4·0MB, Flash video file*
Liparid-Fish-Flash-7000K.flv 6·6MB, Flash video file*

* All of Liparid fish feeding at a depth of 7703m, at four different quality/resolutions for embedding into web pages. These files will not generally play using standard desktop media players such as Quicktime or Windows Media Player.

Further information

NERC Press Office Natural Environment Research Council Polaris House, North Star Avenue Swindon, SN2 1EU Tel: 01793 411727 or 411561 Mob: 07917 086369 or 557215

Best Buy Thinks Girlier Stores Will Make Womenfolk Buy More Gadgets [Best Buy]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414173259/best-buy-thinks-girlier-stores-will-make-womenfolk-buy-more-gadgets

Best Buy is remodeling some of its newer stores to make them "girlier," using input from female customers to redesign locations with flourishes like skylights and earth tones, hoping it'll bring in more of the ladies—presumably to buy more easy-to-use, pink gadgets. I'm all for nicer stores that are less like industrial warehouses packed with loads of crap and indifferent employees, but uh, do women actually buy into this sexist crap? Update: More dumb details here, like renaming "home theater" the "family room." [Blogging Stocks via Electronic House, Consumerist Image via bdjsb]

First Asus S101 Review (Verdict: What We Expected) [Review]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414188412/first-asus-s101-review-verdict-what-we-expected

We don't know what kind of deal with the devil Mobile Computer made, but while most of us are excitedly posting the first real pictures of the Asus S101 netbook, MC is running their full review. After reading through the four page account of the experience, we can sum it up in these quick points:

• Nicer than most netbooks, not as polished as a Sony product
• Keyboard/monitor identical to that on the Eee PC 1000
• Almost four hours of run time under heavy use
• Near silent operation, possibly no fan inside
• Typical Eee performance
• Lacking premium features, 64GB version still technically a rumor

The only real complaint Mobile Computing voices is the S101's alleged price. Because really, the system is just an Eee 1000 in a moderately nicer package. [Mobile Computing]

Michael Schumacher Tower to Take Over the World [Architecture]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414272138/michael-schumacher-tower-to-take-over-the-world

Another day, another spectacular tower in Dubai: The Michael Schumacher World Champion Tower, a curvy building "inspired by the geometrical order of a snowflake and the aerodynamics of a Formula 1", will not only appear in Dubai but in six other cities around the world. According to the architects—who worked in Beijing's Water Cube—the design will allow for an easy construction process and an efficient use of energy, all while making the building change its look through the day.

The building features an iconic silhouette and a facade characterised by vertical slots with private balconies. A series of reflective fins generates a vertical dynamic and gives the building a constantly changing appearance. The fins track the sun, control the solar shading and dissolve the rationality of the plan into a continuously evolving building volume. The facade's continuous surface enables curvature with a lot of repetition and the potential for standardisation in the building process. State-of-theart engineering and innovative materials will be used to achieve a fully sustainable performance.

Three New Ways to Watch YouTube: Lights Out, Theater View and Super HD [YouTube]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/414291945/three-new-ways-to-watch-youtube-lights-out-theater-view-and-super-hd

Not just one, but three new ways to view YouTube today. The first two should be familiar to anyone who's used Hulu—lights out and theater mode. Lights out dims your whole screen except the video, while the latter also blows up the player and adds tacky/cool theater curtains on the side. Right now, they're only available for feature-length videos, but don't be surprised if they trickle down. The third, and definitely most exciting, is Super HD, which you should definitely check out, even though the selection is currently limited. [YouTube via Lifehacker, Mr Doob via core77]

Super Talent caters to Eee PC with new 16/32/64GB SSDs

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/414745593/

Filed under: Storage

Though not the first SSDs we've seen looking for homes specifically in netbooks, Super Talent is hoping to make an even bigger splash with its latest trio and their bite-sized prices. Merely days after causing us all to drool with a sub-$300 128GB drive, the firm has revealed a trifecta of mini PCIe SSDs designed "explicitly for the ASUS Eee PC." The units are available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, each with 40MB/sec maximum read speeds and 15MB/sec maximum write rates. The trio is expected to hit mass production next month, and they'll only cost you $53, $79 and $149 in order of mention.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

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Exclusive HP / Toshiba laptops first in Best Buy's Blue Label lineup

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/414847070/

Filed under: Laptops

Hey guys / gals, check this out. Best Buy is practically admitting that it is just now starting to "gather insights from customers and work with manufacturers to design products that address [consumers'] needs." In a rather odd release, the big box retailer is announcing two new laptops that'll be exclusive to its store: the 14.1-inch Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402 (we which already knew of) and the 13.3-inch HP Pavilion dv3510nr. As for the former, expect a 1.2-inch thin frame, WXGA (1,280 x 800) panel, backlit keyboard, DVD burner, 5.5-hours of battery life and an $1,199 price tag. The HP (shown after the break) will include a LED-backlit WXGA display, up to 4-hours of battery life, inbuilt webcam and precisely the same retail price. Eventually, Best Buy is hoping to expand the Blue Label series to other product lines, though there's no word on where to find these elusive input cards that it's supposedly using to pick and choose wares.

Continue reading Exclusive HP / Toshiba laptops first in Best Buy's Blue Label lineup

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Shuttle's Atom 230-packin' X2700N nettop now available

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/414928030/

Filed under: Desktops

Surely you remember the Atom-based Shuttle X27 barebones kit -- you know, that cute little nettop case that was selling for $189 with its insides all hollow? For those with no time to fill it up, the full-fledged X2700N is now on tap. Boasting a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 120GB hard drive and a GMA950 integrated graphics set, this Linux-based box can be yours right now for $379.99. That'll also buy you a dual-layer DVD writer, gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11b/g WiFi, a handful of ports (six USB, VGA, DVI, audio in / out) and a 1-year warranty. 'Tis a shame it's not housing one of those dual-core Atom 330s, huh?

[Via ComputerMonger]

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Audi confirms pure electric car, will likely be based on VW Up! concept

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/414957739/

Filed under: Transportation

With an electric MINI Cooper just around the bend, a Twin Drive hybrid Volkswagen landing in 2010 and Chevrolet's Volt rolling into showrooms in a matter of months, Audi's ten-year plan is looking a little awkward. Though we've yet to hear that it's actually speeding things up, Peter Schwarzenbauer, who sits on the management board at Ingolstadt, recently confirmed that the company would be offering "a pure electric car" sometime in the future. Additionally, rumors of it being based on the A1 were dashed, opening the door for speculation that it will instead be built around the VW Up! (Lupo) concept. Here's hoping we find our prior to 2018.

[Via Autoblog]

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Acer launches WiMAX-enabled Aspire 4930-6862 / 6930-6771 notebooks

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/415123161/

Filed under: Wireless

Hot on the heels of Lenovo comes Acer, which is somehow claiming "first!11one!" in the US market with WiMAX-enabled laptops. Introduced today in Baltimore in conjunction with the formal unveiling of Sprint's XOHM network, the Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 both include the innate ability to hop on a WiMAX network and surf at 4G speeds. As for specs, the former packs a 14.1-inch WXGA panel, 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7350 CPU, 3GB of RAM, WiFi / WiMAX capability, integrated graphics, a dual-layer DVD writer, 320GB SATA HDD, 5-in-1 card reader, built-in webcam, Windows Vista Premium and an $899.99 sticker. The larger 6930 differs only in the 16-inch 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, as everything else (price included) remains the same. Charm City residents can snatch 'em up right now at NewEgg and TigerDirect.

[Via DigitalTrends]

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Motorola's Q11 gets official: WinMo 6.1, WiFi, 3MP camera

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/415142758/

Filed under: Cellphones

Not that Motorola's Q11 comes as any big surprise, but it's nice to see the Windows Mobile 6.1-packin' smartphone get all official on us. Now boasting its very own dedicated page on Moto's website, the Q11 comes to us with quad-band GPRS / EDGE (no 3G, for whatever reason), a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash, 64MB of RAM, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 2.1, a 320 x 240 resolution display, integrated GPS and a multimedia player with support for all sorts of file formats. You can also expect up to 450 minutes of talk time and up to 195 hours in standby, but you won't be able to wrap your paws around it until December. As for carriers and pricing? Patience, friends, patience.

[Via UnwiredView]

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