Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve heard of turning yesterday’s lunch into tomorrow’s electricity, but a new energy converter coming out of Oak Ridge National Laboratory harnesses the power of a different type of hot waste. The as-of-yet unnamed thermal waste-heat converter has the potential to cool electronic devices, solar cells, and computers while generating electricity from excess heat. Its creators see the new conversion process being used to reduce the massive amounts of heat generated by petaflop computers. The converter employs up to one thousand tiny cantilevers attached to a one square inch surface (e.g. a computer chip) to produce between one and ten milliwatts of electricity — admittedly a very small amount of energy. However, it’s creators are quick to point out that a slew of these converters could generate enough power to perform small tasks in the heat-generating device — things like sensing when a server room gets too hot for comfort. Sure it’s a small step, but if they can get this stuff to save our future babies from cooking, we’re all in. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading ORNL energy harvester turns heat waste into electricity, converts hot machines into cool customers

ORNL energy harvester turns heat waste into electricity, converts hot machines into cool customers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Oakridge National Laboratory  | Email this | Comments

Watch out, parents — if you live in one of a handful of states, your prodigious student-of-the-month may be bringing home something a bit heftier than a tacky bumper sticker. We’re looking at the Brainchild Kineo, a 7-inch, 800MHz Android tablet, locked down for education-only use. No unauthorized web browsing, no personal email, and no Angry Birds. Running a specialized version of Eclair, the Kineo allows educators to limit student access to curriculum related apps, websites, or features exclusively — negating the tablet’s potential of becoming more distraction than learning tool. Paired with Brainchild’s standards-based Achiever software, the Kineo may actually have a chance of academic success (sorry Kindle). The first 5000 units are making their way to select districts in Texas, California, Tennessee, and a smattering of other states; hit the break for full PR and a video of the tablet in action.

Continue reading Brainchild Kineo joins Kindle, iPad in digital reformation; ships to schools in ten states

Brainchild Kineo joins Kindle, iPad in digital reformation; ships to schools in ten states originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Brainchild  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Exhibit 4G coming to T-Mobile on June 8th? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 19:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TmoNews  | Email this | Comments

Rolling robot learns to fly, plots escape from human captors (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 18:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  IEEE Spectrum  | Email this | Comments

Israeli family gives thumbs-up to new daughter, Like Adler. They promise the name isn’t part of any marketing gimmick.