Saturday, November 30, 2013

World's 10 Fastest Supercomputers [Infographic]

World's 10 Fastest Supercomputers [Infographic]: "The speed at which our technology grows and expands is incredible, but sometimes as an average consumer it is hard to always keep current. New computers come out seemingly every day with slightly more processing power and versatility than the models right before them, and before long they’ll be outpaced too. Imagine that problem on a massive scale, though: working at a research institute, and trying to keep up with constantly growing power of the behemoths known as supercomputers"

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Techsplanations: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

Techsplanations: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles: "Consumers, however, often shy up when presented with the option of a hydrogen-powered vehicle. They think of "H-bombs," or the explosion of the Hindenburg. But that's pretty silly when you consider we handle 15 to 25 gallons of highly volatile gasoline in our vehicles now.

As the U.S. struggles politically and culturally to map out a logical energy future, hydrogen doesn't get a lot of attention. Most of the talk is about battery-powered electric vehicles and gas-electric hybrids that can run on either gasoline, electricity, or a combination of both simultaneously. But to mark Earth Day 2012, we want to shed some light on perhaps the most abundant energy solution of all for our vehicles – hydrogen."

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Friday, November 29, 2013

Test Drive: Tesla Model S

Test Drive: Tesla Model S: "Having been available for just over a year now, Tesla’s Model S has received its fair share of acclaim, and its fair share of criticism. So what’s it like to drive this 416 hp all-electric, and how does it compare to other premium sedans? Gizmag went to Palo Alto to find out first hand."

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

LED carpet turns the floor into a screen — www.newscientist.com — Readability

LED carpet turns the floor into a screen — www.newscientist.com — Readability: "BIG-SCREEN TV not involving enough? How about a giant LED-studded carpet that transforms the floor into a vivid display? The design could let animated characters step out of your TV and whizz across the floor or guide passengers at an airport."

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Helium Bluetooth speakers powered by supercapacitors

Helium Bluetooth speakers powered by supercapacitors: "Sharing music with friends through laptop or smartphone speakers can be less than satisfying, which perhaps goes some way to explaining the overwhelming choice of portable Bluetooth speakers that come into view as you enter a consumer electronics store. Such offerings all suffer the same problem, though. Just as you're getting your groove on, the built-in battery dies and you have to wait hours while it juices up from a wall socket. What mobile music lovers like me need are wireless speakers that can charge in minutes, and then last for hours. An impossible dream? Sam Beck from Portland's Blueshift doesn't think so. He's developed mono and stereo portable Bluetooth speakers powered by supercapacitors. Helium users can look forward to a super quick charge time, hours of full volume playback and years of recharge cycles before needing to consider a capacitor refresh."

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ABH20 skis bring cross country skiing to the water

ABH20 skis bring cross country skiing to the water: "Decades ago, a few individuals looked at what skiers were doing on snow and thought, "Why can't I do that on a board?" Thus, the sport of snowboarding was born, and it eventually exploded in popularity. On the water, the opposite is happening. The sport of paddleboarding has been growing in popularity and some folks are thinking, "Why can't I do that on skis?" With the Slovenian-designed ABH20 skis, you can. Strap a pair on and you can walk on water."

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Top 10 concept cars and special editions of the 2013 LA Auto Show

Top 10 concept cars and special editions of the 2013 LA Auto Show: "Whereas the concepts of the Frankfurt Motor Show were largely about flash styling and new packaging, the concepts and cars of this month's Los Angeles Auto Show were more focused on forward-thinking technology and green design. Fuel cells, hybrid powertrains and self-driving systems were themes across several models. Of course, there was still plenty of flash and hot styling, too."

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Review: ThermaCELL Heated Insoles

Review: ThermaCELL Heated Insoles: "ThermaCELL released its wirelessly-controlled Heated Insoles in 2012, and I've been wondering about them ever since. A local store couldn't keep the things in stock last winter, yet I've also seen more than a few user reviews stating that they just don't work. Given that I live somewhere where cold toes are a common problem for several months a year, I really wanted to know what the case was ... and I figured that lots of other people would like to know, too. I got the company to send me a pair, in order to find out."

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Taizhou Bridge awarded supreme structural engineering gong

Taizhou Bridge awarded supreme structural engineering gong: "The 2,940-m (9,650-ft) long Taizhou Bridge has won the Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence at this year's Structural Awards. The event gives the nod to a variety of structures across numerous categories, but it was the three-tower, long-span suspension bridge, the first of its kind, which received the overall "Supreme" gong."

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How to clean Stainless Steel Appliances — www.instructables.com — Readability

How to clean Stainless Steel Appliances — www.instructables.com — Readability: "If you own a stainless steel appliance, you know that it rarely ever lives up to its name. It is hardly ever stainless! I cannot seem to remember a time when finger print marks and water stains did not decorate the surfaces of my dishwasher, oven and refrigerator. Woe is stainless steel!"

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Video: Duck Dynasty Offers Thanksgiving Turkey Tips — www.outdoorhub.com — Readability

Video: Duck Dynasty Offers Thanksgiving Turkey Tips — www.outdoorhub.com — Readability: "Jase and Si Robertson of the hit A&E show Duck Dynasty partner with State Farm in this informative commercial about the art of turkey frying. While there are no ducks or duck calls here, Jase and Si still find themselves running into bird-related troubles"

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20K House project aims to make home ownership more affordable

20K House project aims to make home ownership more affordable: "For many people, the chance of owning their own house is very slim indeed. However, the 20K House project by Rural Studio, an off-campus design-build program of Auburn University, aims to tackle this, and make house ownership possible for more people with an attractive and safe modern property for just US$20,000."

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New Wave Energy wants to put power plants in the sky

New Wave Energy wants to put power plants in the sky: "Harvesting power from the wind and the sun is nothing new. We've seen flying wind turbines and solar power plants that aim to provide clean renewable energy. UK-based New Wave Energy has a bolder idea in the works. The company plans to build the first high altitude aerial power plant, using networks of unmanned drones that can harvest energy from multiple sources and transmit it wirelessly to receiving stations on the ground."

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Sunday, November 24, 2013

Totally Random and Obsucre Laws that Actually Exist

Totally Random and Obsucre Laws that Actually Exist: "20 useless laws you didn't know were real"

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Zee.Aero's flying car concept would fit in a standard parking space

Zee.Aero's flying car concept would fit in a standard parking space: "Zee.Aero, a small company located near the GooglePlex, home to Google, is working on a flying car concept that can take off and land vertically using a plethora of small electric motors turning four-bladed propellers. According to illustrations included with the patent filings, one version of the vehicle is narrow enough to fit into a standard shopping center parking space."

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Transparent HeadsUP! display puts smartphone apps in your face

Transparent HeadsUP! display puts smartphone apps in your face: "Smartphone heads-up display systems that project navigation and other information onto car windshields are seen as a way to reduce driver distraction. The HeadsUP! from tech start-up NeXt takes a different approach. Rather than relying on projection, this system is based around a transparent display mounted in front of the windshield that gives drivers control of their most commonly used phone applications without taking their eyes off the road."

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Hammerhead UAV takes to the skies over Italy

Hammerhead UAV takes to the skies over Italy: "There was an unusual shape in the skies over Italy last week as the Piaggio Aero Company and Selex ES successfully completed the first flight of the aptly-named Hammerhead UAV on Thursday, November 14, near the Trapini Air Force Base. The aircraft was remotely controlled from the ground, with no crew on board, while two chase planes kept the UAV in sight during the flight."

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Bridgestone's pedal-electric trike looks sharp, and might reach production

Bridgestone's pedal-electric trike looks sharp, and might reach production: "When you think of Bridgestone, you probably think of tires. The fact is, though, the company also makes bicycles, golf equipment, and has tried its hand at motorcycles. Bridgestone designer Shungo Fujita decided to combine all three things in one stunning concept vehicle – a pedal-electric trike that can carry a set of golf clubs."

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