IMPLUX: Omni-directional, vertical axis wind turbine for urban environments

IMPLUX: Omni-directional, vertical axis wind turbine for urban environments: "When most people think of wind power they think of large-scale wind farms with fields of huge three-bladed horizontal axis turbines. With such farms requiring lots of room they are generally unsuitable for placement in or even near large cities."

Renault opens online reservations for Twizy all-electric two-seater

Renault opens online reservations for Twizy all-electric two-seater: "Renault is now taking online reservations for its Twizy two-seater all-electric micro car ahead of its launch in Europe later this year. The announcement made at the Barcelona Motor Show relates to two models – the Twizy 45, which is equipped with a five-horsepower (4 kW) electric motor, and the Twizy, which is equipped with a 17 hp (13 kW) motor and comes in Urban or Technic trims. However, the purchase prices for all variants, which start at EUR6,990 for the Twizy 45, don't include the battery, which will be leased from the company for a monthly fee"

Jetman flies across Grand Canyon

Jetman flies across Grand Canyon: "Yves Rossy, the former Swiss jet fighter pilot better known as Jetman, flew over the Grand Canyon last Saturday (May 7th) using his wearable jet-propelled wing. It was the first time he has flown with the device in North America, having previously used it to cross the English Channel, perform an aerial loop, fly in formation with stunt planes, and to unsuccessfully attempt traversing a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean between Morocco and Spain."

The Radiopool Thereglyph: a poor man's Theremin made from a talking dinosaur game

The Radiopool Thereglyph: a poor man's Theremin made from a talking dinosaur game: "Ever since a chance encounter with the new soundscape produced by a short-circuited toy amplifier in the 1960s, Reed Ghazala has been randomly exploring audio generation in compromised electronic devices such as talking games and toys. He has written a book on the subject, teaches others to bend circuits, and has created experimental instruments for many well-known artists including Tom Waits and Peter Gabriel. His latest work started life as an educational dinosaur game – which was broken apart, rewired and rebuilt, and then introduced to a plasma globe to become the Radiopool Thereglyph."

Bee venom used to create ultra-sensitive explosives sensor

Bee venom used to create ultra-sensitive explosives sensor: "Not only do bees play a vital role in agriculture by pollinating plants, but it now turns out that they may help keep us from getting blown up. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have shown that bombolitins, which are protein fragments found in bee venom, can be used to detect single molecules of nitro-aromatic explosives such as TNT."

Boeing Phantom Ray unmanned aircraft begins flight testing

Boeing Phantom Ray unmanned aircraft begins flight testing: "Boeing has successfully kicked-off its test flight program for the Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS). The fighter-sized technology demonstrator reached an altitude of 7,500 feet and a speed of 178 knots in its first flight on April 27 in the skies above NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. A second successful test flight followed on May 5."