Fruit fibers used to create 'green' plastic for cars

Fruit fibers used to create 'green' plastic for cars: "A research team from Brazil has developed a new form of plant fiber-based plastic that is claimed to be stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly than plastics currently in use. Team leader Alcides Leão says that some of the so-called nano-cellulose fibers can be almost as stiff as Kevlar, but that the plastic differs from many in widespread use because the source material – such as pineapple and banana – is completely renewable."

Samsung announces world's first mass produced transparent LCD panels

Samsung announces world's first mass produced transparent LCD panels: "When it comes to display technologies nothing says 'cool' like a transparent display. While we've seen a number of prototypes, such as TDK's flexible OLED display, pop up at trade shows in the last couple of years, Samsung has announced it has already started mass production of a 22-inch transparent LCD panel."

Amazon launches Cloud Drive and Cloud Player

Amazon launches Cloud Drive and Cloud Player: "Amazon has announced the U.S. launch of new cloud storage and media playback services that allow users to securely store and access files and music from any web-connected PC or Mac, or Android phone or tablet."

T-box concept to capture wind energy from trains

T-box concept to capture wind energy from trains: "As anyone living near railway tracks will tell you, speeding trains generate quite a bit of wind as they whoosh past. Industrial designers Qian Jiang and Alessandro Leonetti Luparini have come up with a device that's installed between the sleepers on a track, and as the train passes overhead, the wind drives a turbine to generate electricity."

Nano-brick packaging allows foods to last longer

Nano-brick packaging allows foods to last longer: "We've already heard about new types of packaging that use things such as sorbic acid and silver nanoparticles to keep food fresh for longer, but this week scientists from Texas A&M University announced the development of a 'nano-brick' film that utilizes yet another substance to achieve the same purpose. That substance is montmorillonite clay, which is one of the ingredients used to make bricks. The film is about 70 percent clay (with the rest of it made from various polymer materials) and when its structure is viewed through an electron microscope, it actually even looks like bricks and mortar."

Kansas City is first city chosen for Google's fiber-to-the-home rollout

Kansas City is first city chosen for Google's fiber-to-the-home rollout: "Last year Google announced plans to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the U.S. that will deliver Internet speeds of one gigabit per second (1 Gbps) via a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service. After receiving submissions from nearly 1,100 cities, the Internet giant has now revealed it will build its first ultra high-speed network in Kansas City, Kansas"

QinetiQ provides unmanned robotic systems to aid in Japan's recovery efforts

QinetiQ provides unmanned robotic systems to aid in Japan's recovery efforts: "In the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11, 2011, the country faces a massive cleanup and rebuilding effort that will take years."

New Porsche Panamera Turbo S packs 550 hp and 800 Nm of torque

New Porsche Panamera Turbo S packs 550 hp and 800 Nm of torque: "Porsche has unveiled the top dog in its Gran Turismo line. The new Panamera Turbo S raises the four-door sports car bar with a 4.8 liter, V8 biturbo charged engine that delivers 550 hp (410 kW) , which is 50 hp (37 kW) more than the engine found in the Panamera Turbo."

Student-designed Solarball creates drinkable water

Student-designed Solarball creates drinkable water: "When he set out on a trip to Cambodia in 2008, Industrial Design student Jonathan Liow had no idea it was going to be a life-changing experience. Upon seeing the poverty and poor living conditions in that country, however, he decided that he wanted to build things that could help people."

StrongArm helps load boats onto cars

StrongArm helps load boats onto cars: "Sea kayaks are quite possibly one of the finest things ever created by mankind, but they can be rather difficult to load onto the top of one's car – this is particularly true for people who are trying to do the job single-handed, or who have a tall vehicle. Australia's Steve Scott identified this problem as an opportunity, and invented the StrongArm Kayak Loader."

Partially-biodegradable plastic made from waste bone meal

Partially-biodegradable plastic made from waste bone meal: "Creepy as it may sound, for decades one of the key ingredients in cattle feed was meat and bone meal (MBM), made from by-products of – you guessed it – slaughtered cattle. Sheep, farmed deer, elk and bison were also unknowingly eating their own kind. With the onset of the Mad Cow Disease scare in 1997, the U.S. and other countries banned the use of MBM-containing feeds, as it was believed that the disease could spread via the ingestion of infected animals' body parts."

PreVue would offer parents a live 4D baby watch window during pregnancy

PreVue would offer parents a live 4D baby watch window during pregnancy: "Checking the health of a baby inside the womb using ultrasound has been going on for a good many years and can be a useful tool for detecting problems early."