New polymer gel for cheaper, flexible lithium ion batteries

New polymer gel for cheaper, flexible lithium ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries have certainly been a boon to electronic devices, offering much longer run times than their alkaline counterparts. There is still room for improvement, however. Existing lithium batteries can short circuit, they don't stand up to damage, and they can only be made in a limited variety of shapes.

Volkswagen's sporty Beetle R Concept

Volkswagen's sporty Beetle R Concept
If you're one of the people who bemoan how Volkswagen's "new" Beetle has strayed from the original's simple, utilitarian nature ... well, you might want to stop reading now. The German automaker is debuting its high-performance Beetle R Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week.

Diamond Planets, good headlines, public opinion and the carbon lobby

Diamond Planets, good headlines, public opinion and the carbon lobby
Matthew Bailes is Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) of the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and was one of the scientists responsible for the discovery of the diamond planet which received widespread news coverage over the last few weeks. In a well-penned article, Bailes discusses the reaction to the discovery and raises some very interesting questions about the way the scientific method is used and abused by the media.

GM uses active noise cancellation technology to improve fuel economy

GM uses active noise cancellation technology to improve fuel economy
Charged with the task of getting the fuel economy of the 2011 Chevy Equinox down to 32 mpg on the highway and beat out the 28 mpg-rated Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape, GM engineers employed some rather unconventional fuel efficiency technology - active noise cancellation (ANC).

The new Defender? Land Rover unveils DC-100 Concepts in Frankfurt

The new Defender? Land Rover unveils DC-100 Concepts in Frankfurt
Land Rover has taken the wraps off its already controversial DC100 Concept in Frankfurt ... and it has a stablemate - the convertible DC100 Sport. The Concepts are intended to float new ideas and spark debate on the design of the next-gen Defender which is slated for production 2015.

Air conditioned shirt has its fans

Air conditioned shirt has its fans: "Last year we took a look at the EntroSys Motorcycle Air Conditioning system, which is a vest that's designed to blow cooling air across the torsos of leather-jacket-clad bikers."

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Skylight substitute harvests solar power and reduces overheating

Skylight substitute harvests solar power and reduces overheating: "There's no doubt that skylights make for psychologically-nicer buildings, while also reducing the amount of electricity required for daytime artificial lighting. If they let in too much sunlight, however, they can actually increase the amount of electricity needed for air conditioning. California-based EnFocus is attacking the situation from two ends - its Diamond-Power panels diffuse sunlight to keep interior heat down, while also harnessing it to create electricity."

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LG’s LSM-100 mouse that doubles as a scanner set for release

LG’s LSM-100 mouse that doubles as a scanner set for release: "The miniaturization of electronics has meant that the inner workings of a mouse can be crammed inside a package that is much smaller than is ergonomically recommended for such a device."

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Ferrari's 458 Spider - mid-rear engined berlinetta with retractable hard top

Ferrari's 458 Spider - mid-rear engined berlinetta with retractable hard top: "Owning an open top Ferrari is perhaps one of the most common male fantasies, though with a five liter V8 providing motive force, it's infinitely more practical to have the protection and quietness of a hardtop when atmospheric conditions aren't optimum. Hence Ferrari's new 458 Spider with its automated folding aluminum hard-top solution makes infinite sense."

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Doing away with the dentist’s drill by helping teeth regenerate themselves

Doing away with the dentist’s drill by helping teeth regenerate themselves: "The fear of having a mechanical drill crammed into one's mouth is enough to keep many people from regularly seeing a dentist. New technology developed by researchers at the University of Leeds that is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place could soon be providing a pain-free way of tackling the first signs of tooth decay."

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Techart's 720 PS GTStreet RS is based on Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Techart's 720 PS GTStreet RS is based on Porsche 911 GT2 RS: "German TECHART has been remanufacturing Porsches for a quarter century, priding itself on always producing something special for the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) every second year."

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Maserati 450 bhp SUV to be based on Jeep Grand Cherokee

Maserati 450 bhp SUV to be based on Jeep Grand Cherokee: "Two years ago, the U.S. Treasury helped to broker an arranged marriage between the Daimler-jilted Chrysler and an unlikely Italian suitor in the form of the Fiat Group of companies."

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