AAA ready to deploy mobile EV charging units

AAA ready to deploy mobile EV charging units: "Earlier this month, the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and Nissan began testing a new roadside service vehicle equipped with a charger, to assist stranded electric vehicles (EVs). Now, the American Automobile Association (AAA) is about to launch a similar pilot project, where mobile charging units will join the roadside assistance fleets in six test regions - a significant marker along the path to mass adoption of the EV in North America."

Solar-Sinter 3D printer creates glass objects from sun and sand

Solar-Sinter 3D printer creates glass objects from sun and sand: "We've seen a growing number 3D printers that use additive manufacturing technology to form objects one layer at a time, usually from resin or ABS plastic. But Markus Kayser, an MA student at the Royal College of Art in London, has created a 3D printer that creates 3D objects using two things found in abundance in the desert - sun and sand."

Photos: Toyota's sporty FT-86 II concept

Photos: Toyota's sporty FT-86 II concept: "Perhaps fearing that the brand is losing touch with 'passionate drivers', Toyota is developing a new 'affordable' sports car to fill the gap it left when it dropped the Supra and MR2 from its lineup."

Get a workout while you work with the Elliptical Machine Office Desk

Get a workout while you work with the Elliptical Machine Office Desk: "If you're finding it hard to shed those extra pounds because you're chained to desk all day and can't find time to fit in some exercise then the Elliptical Machine Office Desk will mean there's no more excuses."

Pike Peak hillclimb records smashed

Pike Peak hillclimb records smashed: "Sixty-one year old motorsport legend Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima, almost certainly the oldest world class athlete competing in any sport today, won his sixth consecutive Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday, at the same time as breaking the long standing 10 minute barrier for the course which rises 1.5 kilometers from start to oxygen-starved finish."

Archos' 7-inch, US$99 Arnova tablet

Archos' 7-inch, US$99 Arnova tablet: "The Arnova 7 was first announced with few details in May, but the tablet's spec page is now live, revealing a budget device designed to allow users to surf the internet over Wi-Fi, read ebooks and watch videos."

Futuristic all-electric Ecco Camper concept from NAU

Futuristic all-electric Ecco Camper concept from NAU: "NAU, the design studio behind the 360-degree Immersive Cocoon we checked out earlier this month, has penned this streamlined, zero-local-emission Ecco Camper concept with a view to inspiring a new way of getting away from it all in the 21st Century."

Phase change materials could be used to develop ‘brain-like’ computers

Phase change materials could be used to develop ‘brain-like’ computers: "Unlike human brains that make no real distinction between memory and computation, computers currently deal with processing and memory separately. This means data has to be constantly moved around, resulting in a speed and power 'bottleneck.' Now, using phase change materials that can store and process information simultaneously, researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK have developed a new technique that could lead to the development of 'brain-like' computers."

Kno releases Textbooks app for iPad

Kno releases Textbooks app for iPad: "The company behind the now-abandoned Kno digital textbook has announced the beta release of a new digitized textbook reading application for the iPad. The free to download Textbooks for iPad app offers students access to a vast library of exact digital replicas of real-world textbooks with the added bonus of an enhanced, interactive reading experience, some useful organizational tools and social sharing features"

ESA review finds 'no impediments' for SKYLON spaceplane development

ESA review finds 'no impediments' for SKYLON spaceplane development: "After nearly 30 years of service, the Space Shuttle fleet is due to enter retirement with the last ever mission scheduled for takeoff on July 8, 2011. In its lifetime, the world's first Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) has provided information that will prove invaluable for the next generation of spacecraft that will succeed it."

New process allows fuel cells to run on coal

New process allows fuel cells to run on coal: "Lately we're hearing a lot about the green energy potential of fuel cells, particularly hydrogen fuel cells. Unfortunately, although various methods of hydrogen production are being developed, it still isn't as inexpensive or easily obtainable as fossil fuels such as coal. Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology,"

New ‘gene therapy’ vaccine approach gives hope in fight against cancer

New ‘gene therapy’ vaccine approach gives hope in fight against cancer: "Using a virus containing a 'library' of DNA, researchers from the University of Leeds in the U.K., working with the Mayo Clinic in the U.S., have developed a vaccine that was able to destroy prostate cancer tumors in mice, while leaving healthy tissue untouched. Because the virus contains multiple fragments of genes, the vaccine is able to produce many possible antigens thereby boosting its effectiveness"