In the matchup of wind turbine v. hurricane, our bets have traditionally been with the hurricane. But think about it this way: wind turbines are designed to suck energy out of wind. What if they could suck out so much energy that hurricanes like Katrina or Sandy never form in the first place—with the potentially destructive storm instead spun directly into electricity? That’s the win-win situation posited in a new study from Stanford and University of Delaware researchers.
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You know how most people stay indoors when they hear a hurricane is coming? Yeah, these aren’t those people. These crazy guys go out in the ocean and chase the storm with their windsurf boards so that they can fly. Just look at the awesome dude above getting ridiculously big air. It’s like he doesn’t care that he has to come down and smack himself into the waves. So awesome.
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Because we’re all usually so wrapped up with the weather in our immediate vicinity, it’s easy to forget that, somewhere on the planet, there’s usually a cyclone, depression or tropical storm brewing. Not so this week, though—and this image from NASA shows the Earth’s skies in rare, relative peace.
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If the crashing sound of lightning striking Saturn wasn’t enough to excite your inner-meteorologist, then perhaps footage of a raging extraterrestrial hurricane will win you over. After orbiting the ringed planet for nine years, NASA’s Cassini probe has managed to snag video of a super storm on the celestial body’s north pole. Cloaked by the darkness of winter, the hurricane’s eye became visible as Saturn’s northern hemisphere transitioned into spring. Unlike the tropical cyclones of Earth (see: Hurricane Katrina, Sandy and Irene), this furious typhoon has been spinning for several years and has winds that flow at speeds exceeding 300MPH. Further differentiating itself from our world’s whirlwinds, this alien cyclone is locked to its planet’s north pole and is fueled by small amounts of water vapor instead of an actual ocean. Completely in a category of its own, the hurricane’s eye measures about 1,250 miles wide and is surrounded by fluffy white clouds the size of Texas. To see this Saturnian fury in all its glory, check out the video after the break and feel free to leave your gratuitous hurricane names in the comments below.
Source: NASA
Iwan Baan photographed New York City from the air last Wednesday, and his image has become perhaps the most iconic record of Sandy, gracing the cover of New York magazine and flooding the internet. This is how he got the shot. More »
Communication has been all too spotty across much of New York City and New Jersey since Hurricane Sandy struck the region, and those who can get through on their cellphones have found themselves on particularly crowded networks. AT&T and T-Mobile are providing some much-needed, if temporary, relief: the two have struck a deal to share their GSM and 3G networks in the area with no roaming fees or plan changes while the networks come back, with the best-functioning network taking precedence in any given connection. A return to the normal state of affairs hasn’t been fixed in stone and will likely depend on many, many factors, but it’s a much appreciated gesture for residents who might not have a choice to relocate for a vital phone call.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T, T-Mobile
AT&T and T-Mobile temporarily share networks in New York City and New Jersey, shoulder the post-hurricane load originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Even though this summer’s Hurricane Irene left dozens dead and caused billions of dollars of damage, there was an inescapable consensus that it didn’t quite live up to the hype. As you can see above, meeting expectations appears to be the one thing we don’t have to worry about with Sandy. More »
If you look set to be affected by Hurricane Sandy, there’s plenty you can do to prepare. While we’re updating live about the storm’s progress, Google’s Crisis Map is also worth keeping open in a tab. More »
Everything from space looks beautiful, including the extremely dangerous hurricane Sandy. This video, made by Kevin Ward using images from NOAA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, shows the frankenstorm over the Eastern Seaboard through the entire Sunday, October 28, with natural light More »
Just because Google abandoned its October Android event doesn’t mean it’s left its users out to dry — Hurricane Sandy now has its very own Google Crisis Map. It isn’t the first time Mountain View has lent its mapping tech to folks in harm’s way — survivors of Hurricane Issac used a similar Crisis Map to track the storm, follow public alerts and find shelters. Sandy’s map is no different, providing locals with information on the storm’s path, forecast information, evacuation routes, areas of high wind probability and even links to webcams surrounding affected areas. Google isn’t the only firm lending a hand, either — both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are lifting site paywalls during the storm, ensuring the public has access to developing news as long as their internet connection doesn’t give out.
Google puts Hurricane Sandy on its crisis map, hopes to help you weather the storm originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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