Smokey the bear would be flipping out right now if he weren’t imaginary. It looks like the scientists at MIT have taken his advice literally and have come up with a way to prevent forest fires. The idea is truly genius. It’s to set up a network of sensors throughout forests that are actually powered by the trees themselves. Apparently a small amount of electricity can be extracted from the difference in pH balance between the soil and the root. It’s not much but they think it’ll be enough[...]

Filed under: Green Power, Misc, Outdoor, Science, technology by cuda114
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The idea of a flying car still seems decades away, but Massachusetts company Terrafugia seems to think otherwise. They are building a carbon fiber car/plane concept that will go into production by the end of 2009. That’s right, we will be able to drive n’ fly in the very near future for a reasonable price [...]

Filed under: Aviation, Cars by cuda114
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Alright, so if you’re in “the know”, you’ve heard about LiFePO4 battery technology over a decade ago when John Goodenough’s group at the University of Texas first discovered it. It was discovered that Lithium Iron Phosphate has some significant advantages over Lithium Cobalt Oxide batteries, currently powering most of our electronic devices today. First and foremost is safety, LiCoO2 batteries have been known to explode/catch on fire when thermal runaway occurs like during overcharge or short circuiting, and as a result, 1.6 million batteries have been recalled. The use of LiCoO2 batteries has been impractical in hybrid vehicles because of the safety concerns. That’s where LiFePO4 technology comes in. Thermal runaway is a result of the bond holding the oxygen atoms breaks down. Th[...]

Filed under: Cars, Green Power, Science, technology by cuda114
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Forget game consoles, touchscreen devices, and computers; when the Cocoon by NAU is released, it will make all existing technology seem, well, kinda basic. The Cocoon is a digital experience that is both intuitive and holistic. Basically, it is a circular human-sized dome that puts users in a new digital dimension. View anything with a [...]

Filed under: technology by cuda114
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In our quest this morning to give you the latest and greatest, we came across this video via Neatorama. This guy at M.I.T. is trying to get as much footage as he can to see what it looks like slowed way down. Above is a video of how a dog drinks water. [...]

Filed under: Misc by cuda114
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I’m sick of my laptop battery running out of juice in 45 minutes, weighing down my computer, and taking up so much room. Researches at MIT are developing new battery technology, which in time will revolutionize the electronics, apparel, and automotive industry (and solve my laptop problem). The batteries are constructed on a [...]

Filed under: Science by cuda114
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