Hasta La Gadget!

It was an interesting week in green tech, as Inhabitat explored the past and future of solar technology. We dug up the world’s first modern solar panel (still working after 60 years!) and wrapped our brains around MIT’s plan to create super-efficient photovoltaic panels by folding them up like origami. Not to be outdone, IBM unveiled plans to roll out a new solar desalination system that could transform entire expanses of desert into rivers.

Solar power also took to the skies this week as the Solar Impulse plane made its first successful flight. And speaking of futuristic transportation, Minority Report-style podcars may be just around the corner if this solar powered urban transit system takes off. We were wowed by Finland’s new all-electric supercar, which will be vying for the Progressive Auto X Prize this summer.

We also took a look at several innovative kid-friendly designs including an incredible Game Boy made from paper and a biometric baby monitoring alarm clock that lets parents monitor their babies’ temperature and heart-rate remotely, as well as cue up lullabies from anywhere.

The past week also produced several promising developments from the realm of energy storage as Hitachi announced that it’s developing lithium-ion batteries that last twice as long. And finally, meet BOB, a battery the size of a building that is capable of powering an entire town in Texas. The gigantic sodium sulfur backup battery can store up to 4 megawatts of power for up to 8 hours.

Inhabitat’s Week In Green: solar panels, solar planes, solar trains originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo loves its red mousing nipple, Apple digs its aluminum and IBM adores those light pulses. Nearly two full years after we heard this very company touting breakthroughs in science thanks to a nanophotonic switch, in flies a similar technique from Yorktown Heights that could “greatly further energy efficient computing.” As the story goes, gurus at IBM have figured out how to replace electrical signals that communicate via copper wires between computer chips with tiny silicon circuits that chat using pulses of light. The device is called a nanophotonic avalanche photodetector, and according to Dr. T.C. Chen, this kind of embedded optical interconnection makes the “prospect of building power-efficient computer systems with performance at the Exaflop level” something that could be seen in the not-so-distant future. Reportedly, the avalanche photodetector demonstrated by IBM is the world’s fastest device of its kind, able to receive optical information signals at 40Gbps and simultaneously multiply them tenfold. We know that’s over some of your (read: our) heads, but there’s a sufficiently nerdy video after the break that gets right down to the whos, whats, whys and wheres.

Continue reading IBM keeps light pulse bandwagon rolling, uses ’em for chip-to-chip communication

IBM keeps light pulse bandwagon rolling, uses ’em for chip-to-chip communication originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week Inhabitat geared up for the Greener Gadgets Conference by showcasing some of the most exciting gizmos from this year’s design competition. First we took a look at the IllumiCharger, a handy wall-mounted solar charger that one-ups your standard outlets with two usb ports. We also liked the Fair Energy Clock, a fool-proof adapter that vanquishes vampire power by staking out times to pull the plug. And in case you missed it, be sure to check out Corky, the kinetic mouse that generates energy with every click. Batteries be gone!

It was also another big week for solar power as technological advances produced photovoltaic cells that are smaller, more efficient, and more versatile in their applications. IBM unveiled a new breed of thin-film cells that are 40% more efficient than previous prototypes, while the University of Michigan announced the world’s smallest solar-powered sensor, which measure a scant 9 cubic millimeters.

Finally, we were flat-out wowed by Porsche’s latest supercar – a 911 hybrid that will be taking on the competition at the 24 hour Nürburgring race this May. The vehicle is based on the tried-and-true 911 platform but features some race-ready tricks under the hood: front wheel hybrid drive and a kinetic energy recovery system that stores braking energy in a flywheel that delivers a 160hp boost of speed with the press of a button.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Illumicharger, thin solar cells, and a Porsche originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IBM Research has unveiled and demonstrated a carbon-based transistor that could render silicon-based CMOS chips obsolete over the next 10 years, according to Smarter Technology.

Carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and quantum dots are already in the works. But  “pure crystalline sheets of carbon” called graphene are the closest substitute yet for silicon sheets, the report said. Why bother? Because silicon chips generate more and more heat as manufacturers shrink the chips and speed them up.

Carbon, at least in labs, seems to reverse the effect using quantum effects, and actually consume less power as researchers shrink the chips. In addition, graphene sheets can carry electrons faster with the same voltage, the report said. The trick has been improving the “on-to-off current ratios,” which IBM has done via a “bi-layer construction method for graphene transistors.”

Sounds complex–but as Moore’s Law threatens to run out of steam, this could be our next best bet.

SSDs may be what’s “next,” but seriously — magnetic tape storage is the real heat. This darn near antediluvian storage medium is amazingly still around and kicking, and what’s even more incredible is that real advancements are taking place. Just under four years ago, IBM and Fujifilm were doing the Cha Cha Slide Tango as they introduced 8TB cartridges; today, the two are rolling out (quite literally, actually) a 35TB version into the wild, wild world that we call home. Nah, you won’t find these on any Best Buy shelves, but your great grandchild’s medical records may one day end up on something built in the year 2010. Just think about that. Think about it.

Continue reading IBM and Fujifilm develop 35TB magnetic tape cartridges, unveil it in black and white

IBM and Fujifilm develop 35TB magnetic tape cartridges, unveil it in black and white originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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