check out this link! there are many interesting Data Sets!
Mariana
7.10.09
6.10.09
These Bulbs Glow With Only The Ghost Power Of Nearby Power Lines
It’s still the subject of (extensive) debate whether the electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) produced by appliances, cell phones and high-voltage wires contribute to human illness and cancer. For an academic overview, check out the Human Radiation Effects Group, by Professor Denis Henshaw of the University of Bristol. For a visual illustration, look no further than FIELD by artist Richard Box. It’s a grid of fluorescent light bulbs planted into the ground beneath a series of power lines. When the bulbs glow, it’s not because of a series of buried wires, or a battery– they light up using the ghost power radiating from the wires overhead.
Posted by Nathan Tommer
UFO Fiber Optic Light
We've seen plenty of space-aged (and cosmically-influenced) lighting systems in our day, but a newfangled German operation is melding high-class style, energy efficiency, and whole lot of pizazz into one nifty lighting structure. Neues Licht's UFO Chandelier rocks strands of fiber optics arranged above a floating ring, which give off a colored glow depending on whatever light source you attach to it. The designer, Simon Bruenner, describes his innovative chandelier as "simplicity from another planet," and describes that its origin of light can be from the sun or in a different room altogether. Furthermore, the fixture is reportedly waterproof, making it feasible for use in your new spa / pool room, and considering the potential energy savings from pumping in sunlight, you shouldedn't have too much trouble convincing your SO that this thing's worthwhile. Simon's masterpiece was on display lighting things up at last week's Cologne Furniture Fair, and while there's no set date for mass production, we can't imagine Lowe's not jumping all over this one sometime soon.
Posted by Nathan Tommer
5.10.09
Richard Sapper's Bright Ideas
His Halley LED lamp is the latest design innovation in a long career crowded with them. In a Q&A, he sheds light on the creative process
In his new book, The Ten Faces of Innovation, Tom Kelley devotes one chapter to the cross-pollinator -– the person who borrows a clever solution or material from one industry and applies it to another. The escalator, for instance, was originally conceived as a Coney Island amusement-park ride. Reinforced concrete was created by a gardener aiming for stronger flower pots. Richard Sapper is perhaps the supreme example of the cross-pollinator. Again and again, the German designer has created innovative products by mining the knowledge of far-flung disciplines.
click link to read more...posted by Helen Ice
Shrinking jug keeps milk fresh for an extra week
By Loz Blain
04:22 July 28, 2009 PDT
Milk goes sour in about a week, even if you keep it in the fridge. That's because Lactobacillus, the "good bacteria" that's found in yogurt, is constantly going about the job of oxidizing the lactose sugars in the milk into sour-tasting lactic acid - the same chemical that makes your muscles sore after exercise. But since this souring process requires the presence of oxygen, theoretically it could be slowed down even further if you kept the milk out of contact with oxygen. Rather than going with a high-tech nitrous contraption like the N2Wine globes we wrote about recently, one (seemingly) anonymous entrant to this year's James Dyson awards has come up with something devilishly simple: a shrinking milk jug that squeezes all the air out as you empty it. The inventor claims it lets milk last as much as a week longer. Simple and brilliant!
I remember when I was a kid, my brothers and I would have had no idea that milk went off if you left it in the fridge - because we'd go through a couple of liters a day, often chugging it straight out of the carton, leaving just enough for Mum to have a few drips in her cup of tea so that she'd be the one that finished it, and thus the one who'd have to go get more. Heh heh.
These days, my partner and I have to put in a concerted effort to finish a 2-liter bottle before it goes off - and we're not alone in that. It'd be interesting to know what percentage of milk ends up going down the sink because it's soured in the fridge. The Fresh shrinking milk jug seems like a great idea.
The Fresh is a spring-loaded jug with flexible sides. You pop it out to its full height to fill it (perhaps with a low-waste bag of fresh milk, like the way you buy your washing detergent), then put the airtight lid on. Then you press the release valve and push down on the lid until the milk starts pouring out the nozzle. You don't have to lift the jug or tilt it to pour in this way.
When you're done pouring, you release the valve button and the milk is sealed inside the jug, free from contact with any oxygen. Starved of the oxygen it takes to process the milk, and kept at a chilled temperature to slow them further, the Lactobacillus bacteria take a lot longer to turn the milk sour - up to a week longer, the inventor claims.
Being a design study, there's no immediate plans for production - but we know plenty of Gizmag readers are venture capital speculators, so here's one that might be worth checking out, guys! In the meanwhile, I've gone to my fridge and squeezed all the air out of the plastic bottle, but it might not be necessary - all this talk about milk's making me thirsty!
Eric Collins
Loopy design or best board ever?
By Jeff Salton
22:22 July 27, 2009 PDT
The Loop-In concept board could be an extreme skater’s dream, an answer for out-of-season snowboarders, or perhaps surfers who find themselves a long way from the ocean and want to keep up their skills. The Loop-In’s huge wheels can rotate over almost any surface while the board will rotate 360° within its interior independently.
Designed by Marcial Ahsayane, the all-terrain board offers riders an opportunity to create a whole new set of tricks to add to their arsenal, although it might be considered a little too ostentatious for the skate park.
But, for the board-rider who wants to combine his snowboard/surfing/skating acrobatics into a street-based board, the Loop-In looks, on paper at least, very promising.
Can’t see it fitting too snuggly into a backpack, tucked under an arm or on a van’s roof racks but these are minor hurdles for hardcore board-riders, right?
And for brakes … ?!
Eric Collins
Pump off the jam with the Onis ultrasonic dishwasher
By Paul Lester
17:12 September 30, 2009 PDT
The fight for more environmentally-friendly ways of living continues and this time household appliances are getting a boost from innovative French manufacturer De Dietrich, which has come up with an efficient new way to clean the dishes - less power, recycled water and detergent-free.
Its Onis dishwasher takes a whole new approach to automating a common household chore by utilizing ultrasound technology to remove dirt and grime, operating with a minimum of water and an acidifier, such as vinegar, to produce outstanding results. The system makes it more economical and more practical than conventional methods and also cuts operation time by half, while using a closed circuit system to recycle water for additional environmental benefits.
Adopting a stylish, top-loading design, the Onis gains some serious points for style as well, though with no pricing or availability confirmed as yet we can't see it breaking into the mainstream market any time soon.
Posted By: Gabriel Collins
New 'green' geopolymer concrete delivers win-win for industry and the plane
By Jeff Salton
01:09 October 2, 2009 PDT
'Green' research at Louisiana Tech has resulted in new geopolymer concrete technology, like this 5,000lb concrete block cast using fly ash
Sustainable Buildings
Making your buildings green & efficient. Siemens Green Buildings.
buildingtechnologies.siemens.com
Making your buildings green & efficient. Siemens Green Buildings.
buildingtechnologies.siemens.com
Conserve Energy
CFL Light Bulbs for Only $1! Find a Retailer Near You
ResponsibleByNature.com/BrightIdea
CFL Light Bulbs for Only $1! Find a Retailer Near You
ResponsibleByNature.com/BrightIdea
Colorado Solar Pros
50% Off Colorado Solar Panel Projects. Sign Up for On-site Quote
www.CoolerPlanet.com/Solar_Panels
Ads by Google50% Off Colorado Solar Panel Projects. Sign Up for On-site Quote
www.CoolerPlanet.com/Solar_Panels
Concrete is the most prevalent building material on the planet, and though the world would be pretty flat without it (not many tall buildings and structures), it does come at a price – around 5-8 percent of all human-generated atmospheric CO2 comes from the concrete industry. A culprit is Portland cement, the binding agent in concrete. It’s the most widely produced man-made material on earth. Production of Portland cement is currently exceeding 2.6 billion tons per year worldwide and growing at 5 percent annually. To halt these alarming pollution figures, innovative research on geopolymer concrete, along with ways of using a waste byproduct from coal-fired powerplants, is being conducted by Dr Erez Allouche, assistant professor of civil engineering at Louisiana Tech University and associate director of the Trenchless Technology Center.
A greener alternative, inorganic polymer concrete (geopolymer) fits into an emerging class of cementitious materials that utilize ‘fly ash’, one of the most abundant industrial by-products on earth, as a substitute for Portland cement.
Geopolymer concrete has a number of benefits. The first is it has the potential to substantially curb CO2 emissions. It can also produce a more durable infrastructure capable of lasting hundreds of years, instead of tens. And by utilizing the fly ash, it can conserve hundreds of thousands of acres currently used for disposal of coal combustion products, and protect our water ways from fly ash ‘contamination’, too.
In comparison to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), geopolymer concrete (GPC) has better resistance to corrosion and fire (up to 2400°F), high compressive and tensile strengths, a rapid strength gain, and lower shrinkage.
Researchers believe the geopolymer concrete's greatest appeal could like in its life cycle greenhouse gas reduction potential; as much as 90 percent when compared with OPC.
This technology, along with other important research being conducted to meet future energy needs, will be highlighted next month at Louisiana Tech Energy Systems Conference at the Technology Transfer Center in Shreveport.
Posted By: Gabriel Collins
4.10.09
Battery-Free Future On The Horizon
Think of a future without batteries…no need to charge phones or mp3 players, or even electric cars. And forget about replacing lost phone chargers or having enough extension cords for your desktop or entertainment system. Intel showcased a working model their fascinating new technology yesterday: wireless power.
Demonstrating that a 60 watt light bulb could be lit across a room by transmitting electricity via magnetic fields, Intel says the technology is still in an early stage of development, but is the safest, most commercially viable wireless power solution to date. And while we’ve heard rumors of wireless power technologies like Murata’s “Quick Charging System” and Powercasts “Contact-less Power” we’re wondering if Intel will really push their technology to market.
Oh, and we’re not entirely sure if there is any sort of relationship between Intel & MIT, but some of the school’s students demonstrated a strikingly similar technology this past June.
Physorg.com – Intel Cuts Electric Cords With Wireless Power S
ystem
I laugh when I see articles like this one. Tesla demonstrated this exact thing at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893... here's a pic of it:
posted by Helen Ice
3.10.09
360 – A New Way to Ride
 |  |
The 360 is composed of two orbital wheels that are connected by flexible steel shafts. The distance between the two wheels can be adjusted to suit a person's riding style. Unlike a standard skateboard, where the rider's feet are placed on the board, the user places each foot inside the inner part of each wheel.
One maneuvers the 360 quite intuitively by simple body movements. In addition, it is possible to ride the 360 on various types of terrains, including grassland and dirt tracks. The 360 is equipped with a speed regulating system, allowing the user to ride it downhill in a manner dubbed "Freeride". Another possible use is to "Freestyle" by attempting different moves and tricks.
More information on the 360 can be found here.
3 October 2009 - Eric Layton
Carrot nanofibers to make snowboards and battleships
Innovations in new materials have been one of the key drivers in the rapid progress of technology during the past decades. The two best-known and widely-used examples being glass fiber and carbon fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP and CFRP), which are ubiquitous in many applications. However, neither of these materials have Green credentials. An alternative could be high performance biocomposite materials that have desired properties between GFRP and CFRP, are derived from sustainable materials and utilize greener, lower energy intensive production methods.
Enter the humble carrot.
click link to continue reading: http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1430.php
posted by Helen Ice
2.10.09
Introducing the bra that is meant to be taken off
The gas mask bra is one of the winners at the 19th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony. (Credit: Elena Bodnar)
This week the Annals of Improbable Research hosted its 19th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony.
At the ceremony, Bodnar demonstrated her invention, which she said could have prevented people from breathing in Iodine-131 in the wake of Chernobyl.
Eric Layton - 2 October 2009
PhotoView 360 2010 Tutorial Video: Bloom
For all of you who are rendering their project in Solidworks, this may be useful. Add lighting effects to your light render. I couldn't post the video, so you will just have to follow the link.
Erik Roth
http://robrodriguez.com/wordpress/?p=862
PhotoView 360 2010 adds bloom. Bloom is an effect that can give areas of your image a glow. As you would expect this can be helpful when your using light appearances such as LED, neon and area lights. What you wouldn’t expect is can also be useful to add glow to areas of your image that are just bright or have bright highlights. Watch the video to learn more.
Erik Roth
http://robrodriguez.com/wordpress/?p=862
PhotoView 360 2010 adds bloom. Bloom is an effect that can give areas of your image a glow. As you would expect this can be helpful when your using light appearances such as LED, neon and area lights. What you wouldn’t expect is can also be useful to add glow to areas of your image that are just bright or have bright highlights. Watch the video to learn more.
Eye-popping student-designed Lovos concept for BMW uses interchangeable "fish scales"
Wow. Anne Forschner, a design student at Germany's Pforzheim University, developed this wild-looking "Lovos" auto concept in collaboration with BMW.
The body of the car consists of 260 identical, interchangeable panels attached to the structure via hinges. Each panel, or "scale" (as in fish scale) can open or close, either to turn to face the sun and operate as a solar panel, or open to operate as an air brake.
Twelve scales also enclose each wheel. As the car begins to move, the scales around the wheel pivot to collectively form the shape of a turbine, presumably for cooling.
Erik Roth
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)