Hasta La Gadget!

Based on just how intimately we studied Chris Berman’s hairdo from ESPN’s 1979 launch, we’re more than confident in saying that the video produced here to showcase a “new” wireless desk is most certainly a relic from yesteryear. WiPower — a company that was trumpeting its wireless charging pad way back in ’07 — has purportedly joined up with Gill Industries in order to showcase the planet’s first production through-desk, wireless charging system at NeoCon 2010. The solution would enable laptop users to plop their machine down anywhere on their desk (within the charging area, of course) and have it instantly charge, and if you play your cards right, doing so may open up a wormhole to the era of your choice. In all seriousness, we already saw a working demo of a similar solution at Qualcomm’s Computex booth, so there’s a better than average chance that this stuff is ready to ship right away. Trouble is, there’s no official launch date for Gill’s new family of energy-infused tables. Blast the from past is after the break… if you’re prepared.

Continue reading WiPower flees to 1974, returns with through-desk wireless charging system (video)

WiPower flees to 1974, returns with through-desk wireless charging system (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The past week was also surging with developments from the field of renewable energy – first we were excited to see the unveiling of the Oyster 2, an offshore wave-harvesting energy plant that improves upon its predecessor with a simpler design, fewer moving parts, and a 250% increase in energy generation. Google, HP, and Microsoft are also getting into the green energy game with plans to tap an unexpected energy source to run their data centers – cow dung! Google also led the charge towards cleaner energy this week by funding a new type of jet engine-inspired geothermal drill that uses superheated streams of water to bore through previously impenetrable surfaces.

Speaking of jets, MIT has just unveiled several ultra-efficient airplane designs that are capable of cutting fuel use by a whopping 70%. The auto industry also received a jolt of energy as Toyota announced a partnership with Tesla that will boost California’s flagging economy and likely lead to more affordable iconic electric vehicles.

The field of wearable technology saw several innovative advancements this week as well – safe cyclists rejoice, because a group of Indian students have designed a $22 Solar and Wind Powered Bike Helmet. Meanwhile, a group of Colorado State University seniors have designed a medical incubator backpack unit that they believe can reduce baby deaths in medical emergencies.

Finally, we shined light on several brilliant advancements from the field of solar technology, starting with China’s plans to build the “biggest solar energy production base” in the world. We also looked at the HYDRA, a solar-powered hydrogen fuel cell system that can reportedly generate 20,000 gallons of pure water a day, and green energy got literal with the unveiling of the first leaf-shaped crystalline silicon solar panels.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: surfing renewable energy, hexagonal LEDs, and ultra-efficient aerodynamics originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 May 2010 20:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen data centers use excess heat for greener purposes, but how’s about injecting a little green into the other side of that equation? HP Labs is on that very wavelength, going so far as to publish details on how these centers could be partially powered by none other than cow manure. Yeah, cowpies. The essential thought process went a little something like this: “Data centers need a lot of energy. Dairy farms create a lot of methane. Let’s make it happen.” Purportedly, 10,000 dairy cows could “fulfill the power requirements of a 1-megawatt data center — the equivalent of a medium-sized data center — with power left over to support other needs on the farm,” and heat generated by the data center could “be used to increase the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion of animal waste.” The stomach-twisting details can be found beyond the break, but we can’t be held responsible for any images you conjure up. Remember — once your third eye sees it, you can’t un-see it.

[Thanks, Bob]

Continue reading HP data center fueled by hopes, dreams and… cow dung

HP data center fueled by hopes, dreams and… cow dung originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 14:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, Apple. Just a few short months ago, a USB port was (largely) a USB port, charging pretty much any gizmo we could find without so much as a fuss. Now, loads of USB ports are throwing temper tantrums when faced with the energy-hungry iPad, with most simply refusing to charge the thing. Apple contends that a 10W USB port is needed to effectively rejuvenate its first tablet, though some sockets will do the trick so long as you have the display switched off. If you’re looking to quickly evaluate the strength of every USB port in your home or office, QuickerTek’s aptly-titled iPad Charge Monitor ain’t a half bad option. You simply plug this LED-infused dongle into a suspicious port, then connect the product you wish to charge to the other end; the device then glows to tell you how much power is flowing out, though there’s nothing included to deal with all-but-guaranteed bouts of frustration from seeing too few LEDs light up. It’s up for order right now at $29.95, and while you’re over there, you can pick up an iPad solar panel and an iPad external battery pack for $250 each. What a bargain.

[Thanks, Lan]

QuickerTek iPad charge monitor tests your USB port’s output potential originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen the future of Intel’s mobile platform, and it isn’t all roses and sunshine. Three years after the chipmaker told us Moorestown would reduce Atom’s energy consumption by a factor of 20, company execs told us earlier today that they’ve more than reached that goal with the new Z6xx series. Problem is, in the smartphone realm Intel’s competitors haven’t been sitting idle; according to one of Chipzilla’s cantaloupe-and-magenta bar charts, it seems the company has merely caught up in terms of battery life. That’s not to say the chips aren’t worlds better than previous Atoms — Intel sees 1.5GHz smartphone processors that slay Snapdragons and up to 1.9GHz in a tablet PC variety — but 5 hours of web browsing is most decidedly not the 24 hours of productivity Intel previously promised. Besides, who knows: Qualcomm also has a 1.5GHz SoC in the works, though it may not be available by the time Intel’s chips ship in the second half of the year.

None of this is to say that Intel won’t continue to dominate in the netbook marketplace — we shudder to think at the potential when combining a nice, chunky battery with Intel’s nearly leakproof new chips, and perhaps a small serving of switchable graphics while we’re at it. But without a single new MID or smartphone to show us this morning — Aava Mobile and OpenPeak‘s offerings seemed unchanged from our previous encounters — we’re not sure if the company’s other mobile ambitions have any sway. Not technical enough of a discussion for you? Peruse our gallery for the nitty-gritty.

Intel reaches for the ‘smartphone zone’ with Moorestown-based Atom Z6, comes up shorthanded originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 May 2010 02:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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