A passing cloud can make the sun’s rays a little more bearable on a hot summer afternoon. Which is presumably what inspired the Netherlands’ Studio Toer to create this cloud-shaped parasol that automatically inflates whenever the sun is shining, providing some much-needed shade without you having to get off your comfy backyard lounger.
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Hey you, Apple user. Have you been waiting—and waiting and waiting—for Apple to make some face-melting upgrades to the MacBook instead of just bumping the specs every few months? Well, this is it. Maybe. With a capital "M."
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A new patent granted to Apple today (via AppleInsider) introduces a concept that shows how it might go about introducing touch-based input to its notebook line. The patent describes a special notebook display that has two sides, as well as photovoltaic cells for charging, and touch input sensors on its outward shell.
The design is quite different from anything Apple currently puts out, and has an almost sci-fi style top surface that features glass which can be triggered via electrical sensor to appear either solid and opaque or transparent. Solar charging cells are built into the surface so that when it’s transparent it can use ambient light to charge the notebook’s battery. There are also provisions for either an embedded Apple logo to be included beneath the glass surface, a small secondary LCD display or a series of touch sensors.
The secondary display could thus be optionally hidden away from view entirely when not in use. And it sounds like the secondary display could provide vital information when needed, or at-a-glance access to notifications and updates even when the device is closed or in sleep mode.
Touch sensors on the shell could trigger mechanical lock or software locks, according to the patent, as well as allow a user to input pass codes, or control media playback on the device. Other types of input could be accommodated as needed, according to the patent, so you can imagine it serving as supplementary for a number of applications, or as a potential trackpad replacement if the laptop is being used in closed mode with an external monitor.
The patent was originally filed in 2010, so this may be relegated to the R&D labs, but it would make for a very interesting and novel Apple notebook design. The solar-powered element alone would do wonders for all-day usability and possibly alleviate space requirements for batteries within the case, so it could be an area of continued study for Apple engineers.
If you’re planning on riding a jet ski, chances are that it’s going to be a sunny day, which is why we don’t understand why nobody would create a solar-powered jet ski, especially since they tend to guzzle up gas at an exceptionally high rate. British designer Ross Kemp has come up with an alternative vehicle to jet skis and powered surfboards that runs on the power of the sun. (more…)
Solar-Powered Jet Ski Created To Help Lifeguards Save Lives original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Laptop battery life is something that we all can’t seem to be happy with. No matter how long the battery is able to last, there are always times when we curse into the wind when we get that dreaded battery warning while on the road. However, a new Ubuntu laptop looks to solve those problems […]
A blazing sun and the outdoors don’t exactly make for an ideal computing environment — unless you’re toting a ruggedized laptop that harnesses energy from sunlight like the Ubuntu-running Sol. Created mainly for use in developing countries with intermittent (or non-existent) electricity, it’s equipped with solar panels that soak up the sun when unfolded. According to OMG Ubuntu, its creators from Canadian company WeWi Telecommunications claim Sol’s battery, which can last for up to ten hours, only takes two hours to charge via solar energy.
The device’s official website reveals little else, but according to the nuggets of information we’ve stumbled upon, Sol will pack an Intel processor, WiFi connectivity and an HD display, with an optional satellite module for internet connectivity. While full availability details have yet to be announced, a countdown timer on its website hints at more info in just under two days. Ghana will reportedly see the hardware arrive first with an accompanying $300 price tag. Though the notebook isn’t exactly wildly affordable, it’s at least a bit cheaper than Samsung’s 2011 take on a sunbeam-fueled laptop.
Filed under: Laptops
Via: OMG! Ubuntu
Source: Sol
Students at the Eindhoven University of Technology have developed a solar-powered car they call “Stella,” which is claimed to be the first-ever family car that runs off the sun. The vehicle is designed to seat four individuals, and utilizes power drawn from the sun via solar panels that are located on its roof. We have a video of it in action after the break.
As you can see in the image above, the car is very long, as well as short in terms of roof height, tapering down to a thin tail for aerodynamics. According to the students who created it, Stella is capable of traveling up to a distance of 600 kilometers, something that will be put to the test in Australia’s World Solar Challenge, which is a 3,000 kilometer race that starts in Darwin and goes all the way to Adelaide.
Stella is racing under the Cruiser Class category, which is a new addition to the event this year. For the new category, the solar car will be competing under different requirements than the other cars in the race, aiming for both usability and comfortable. As part of the category’s regulations, Stella will need to transport a passenger in addition to the driver for the duration of the race.
Said Solar Team Eindhoven: “The design of the car of the future has to meet the needs of modern consumers. The car must be capable of transporting a family from the Netherlands to France in one day, it needs to be suitable for the daily commute to work, and it needs to achieve all this in comfort. Since Solar Team Eindhoven wants to contribute to the development of a car of the future, the design demands more than just a focus on speed. Comfort, ease of use, and feasibility are all key terms.”
The car is made of both carbon and aluminium, and offers a dashboard composed of a touchscreen panel, eschewing typical button conventions. The steering wheel is said to also be unique, contracting and expanding depending on the speed the car is traveling at. As for the race itself, it will take place from October 6th to 13th.
SOURCE: Dezeen
“Stella” is first solar-powered family car, will race in World Solar Challenge is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Most solar-powered vehicles are so tiny and light that they can only carry one environmentally cautious driver. But not any more. The big-boned Stella, designed by Solar Team Eindhoven, is the first solar-powered car with enough room to fit your whole four-person family.
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The solar-powered cars we’ve seen to date are usually built for just one person — not very useful when many of us need to carry passengers. TU/e’s Solar Team Eindhoven just brought some much-needed realism on that front by unveiling Stella, which it claims is the world’s first solar-powered family car. The vehicle’s combination of efficient solar cells with lightweight construction allows such radical concepts as back seats and a trunk while maintaining a 373-mile range. The barebones design won’t rival most modern cars for luxury, but it’s also energy-positive — in typical use, it can contribute back to the power grid. You may even see it outside of competitions; while Stella is designed with October’s World Solar Challenge in mind, Solar Team Eindhoven plans to make the car road-legal. Let’s hope we catch it putting around Dutch streets.
[Image credit: Bart van Overbeeke]
Filed under: Transportation, Alt
Via: Phys.org
Source: Solar Team Eindhoven (Facebook)
Apple is working on a new, huge solar panel farm to power its Reno data center, aiming to pump out up to 20 megawatts of energy with a complex magnifying system that will boost the natural power of the sun by up to seven times. The solar farm, which Apple will build in partnership with
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