Excellent ideia for folks with diabetic problems

Excellent ideia for folks with diabetic problems

Originally shared by Phandroid

And out of nowhere, Google has just announced smart contact lenses. WOW. http://phandroid.com/2014/01/16/google-smart-contact-lens/

#googlecontacts #smartcontacts #contactlenses #googleglass?

Although solar energy is still a midget among U.S. energy sources, its rapid growth from a small base is beginning to make some of the big players nervous. Regulated utilities in a number of states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho and Louisiana—have started to complain about the various benefits for photovoltaics (PV), says Mac Gunther, in a article appearing on Yale's environment360 website.

Although solar energy is still a midget among U.S. energy sources, its rapid growth from a small base is beginning to make some of the big players nervous. Regulated utilities in a number of states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho and Louisiana—have started to complain about the various benefits for photovoltaics (PV), says Mac Gunther, in a article appearing on Yale's environment360 website. 

Interesting enough, in Portugal the "Micro produção" allows anyone to generate renewable  energy and feed in to the grid and the price of the energy generated at home is more than twice the price of the energy we pay from the grid operators. There is a defined process for this. See http://www.edpsu.pt/pt/PRE/Microproducao/Pages/ligacaoRede.aspx
In many cases, the grid users with local micro solar production in the end of the month receive from the operator money in the end of the month. Usually everyone sells all energy locally produced and buys from the operator the energy they need. It is a good business specially in summer months.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/green-tech/solar/solar-counterrevolution/?utm_source=energywise&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=092513

Interesting article on renewable energy. Der Spiegel, Germany's leading weekly news magazine, reports this week that Germany's aggressive renewables program "has come with a hefty price tag for consumers," especially the poor.

Interesting article on renewable energy. Der Spiegel, Germany's leading weekly news magazine, reports this week that Germany's aggressive renewables program "has come with a hefty price tag for consumers," especially the poor. 
http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/policy/germany-could-face-electricity-customer-revolt

3D printing possibilities. On the way to singularity?

3D printing possibilities. On the way to singularity?

Originally shared by David Fuchs

Sophisticated cybernetic implants have been a science fiction staple for some time now. Assume cybernetic implants were affordable and painless, would you get an implant that enhanced your vision or hearing?

see also
http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=18963
#3dprinting   #cyborg  
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130811-tiny-3d-printed-mems-membranes-could-make-cybernetic-implants-a-reality.html

3D printing opens new possibilities to designers.

3D printing opens new possibilities to designers.

Originally shared by designboom

the first rise in #3Dprinting came in 2009 after s. scott crump's patented method of additive printing ended. find out why we're on the verge of another 3D printing boom and what that will mean for the future of design: http://www.designboom.com/technology/3d-printing-patents-expiring-in-2014-will-see-market-erupt/

#technews #design #futuretech

Interesting report on Solar PV...

Interesting report on Solar PV...

Originally shared by David Fuchs

This does not bode well for the energy utilities. When a bank as influential and capable as Deutsche Bank says "three-quarters of the world’s market will be “sustainable” for solar within 18 months, meaning they can operate with little or no subsidy"  it should have the energy utilities shaking in their boots. 
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/08/02/solar-pv-about-to-enter-third-growth-phase-deutsche-bank/

Interesting Graphics. Our neibourhood is full of old dead stars....

Interesting Graphics. Our neibourhood is full of old dead stars....

Originally shared by Astro Trails

This is a really useful visual aid produced by www.space.com looking at our nearest stars - with distances, categories and spectral information.

This guy knows how to ride a bike....

This guy knows how to ride a bike....

Originally shared by Todd Tuinier

Amazing video +
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmJtYaUTa0&feature=share

Interesting competition between Robots. Sort of Olympics by DARPA.

Interesting competition between Robots. Sort of Olympics by DARPA.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/darpa-vrc-challenge-results-heres-who-gets-an-atlas-humanoid/?utm_source=roboticsnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=070913

Interesting hybrid wind/current generator.

Interesting hybrid wind/current generator.

Originally shared by ****

World's first hybrid wind/current generator could generate double the power

Combining a three-bladed Darrieus turbine on top, a Savonius turbine underneath, and a generator in between, the SKWID power generation concept is claimed to be the world's first hybrid system "capable of maximizing the harvesting of ocean energy from wind and current".

The SKWID, from the Japanese company Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering Company (MODEC), is designed to capitalize on the energy potential available both in the winds above the ocean, and in the currents flowing beneath the waves. The device uses an omnidirectional Darrieus wind turbine sitting 47 meters above the sea on one end of a vertical shaft, with a different type of omnidirectional turbine design, a 15 meter diameter Savonius, spinning at the other end under the surface.

The Darrieus wind turbine efficiently harnesses the ocean wind :

The omnidirectional Darrieus turbine rotates regardless of the wind direction. Due to the location of the generator, the system has excellent stability with a low center of gravity, as well as excellent maintainability with easy access. The Darrieus’ rectangular swept area catches twice as much wind when compared to the circular swept area of typical onshore wind turbines of the same diameter and is therefore capable of delivering twice as much power from a single installation - far more power from the same wind farm area

The Savonius current turbine harnesses the current :

The split-cylinder-shaped buckets of the Savonius current turbine can harness any weak current and will rotate in one direction regardless of current direction. This turbine is insensitive to marine growth on the buckets and is harmless to the marine ecosystem, as it rotates slowly at the speed of the current. - MODEC

The floating unit is said to be stable and self-righting, thanks to a gimbal-like support structure that isolates the generator unit from the motion of the waves, as well as the underwater turbine acting as a ballast or keel. According to CBS News, a prototype SKWID unit will be deployed off the coast of Japan this fall

Reference : treehugger.com/wind-technology/worlds-first-floating-windcurrent-hybrid-generator.html

Video Link : cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57584292/worlds-first-wind-wave-power-system-to-be-installed-off-japanese-coast/

Interesting article on 3D printing.

Interesting article on 3D printing.
http://3dprintingindustry.com/2013/07/04/additive-manufacturing-and-industrial-tooling-part-1/

A promissing tech that can make solar energy a competitor to conventional energy generating technologies.

A promissing tech that can make solar energy a competitor to conventional energy generating technologies.

Originally shared by Yes! Knowledge

New Ultra Thin Solar Solar Cells Are 1000 Times More Powerful

The general drive in the solar energy technology industry has been towards the development of higher solar cell efficiencies and lowered manufacturing costs. That’s exactly what new research from MIT is suggesting — that the development of extremely thin, lightweight solar cells has the potential to completely revolutionize the industry.

Such extremely thin and lightweight solar cells have the potential to greatly surpass “any substance other than reactor-grade uranium” with regard to the energy produced per pound of material.

Read More: http://bit.ly/127PqVn

#science   #sciencesunday

Well, some evolution here....

Well, some evolution here....

Originally shared by Electronic Frontier Foundation

The German Parliament recently eliminated software patents and urged all of Europe to follow.
https://eff.org/r.b7VP