Hasta La Gadget!

Yes, that awesome new 8-core chip in your PC is the fastest thing on the block, but it’s got your utility meter spinning accordingly. Fortunately, researchers from Penn State have come up with a new high performance transistor that may turn future chips from power hogs into current-sipping silicon. The group, in cooperation with semiconductor manufacturer IQE, has created a high-performance transistor capable of significantly reducing power demand whether it’s idle or switching. Doctoral candidate Dheeraj Mohata’s the one who made it happen by inventing an alternative to traditional MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) technology capable of turning on and off using far less power. Mohata’s method uses a tunneling field effect transistor crafted from dissimilar semiconductor materials to provide instant on-off capability at 300 millivolts — compared to MOSFET’s one volt requirement — to provide a power savings of 70 percent. You can dig deeper into the technical transistor details at the source, but all you really need to know is that the ladies love a PC with paltry power consumption.

New quantum tunneling transistors to make PCs less power-hungry originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Physorg  |  Penn State University  | Email this | Comments

Continue reading GE’s new factory will push out one solar panel every ten seconds

GE’s new factory will push out one solar panel every ten seconds originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink BusinessWire  |  GE Energy  | Email this | Comments

Do we really need another wireless charging system that’s incompatible with industry standards? Murata seems to think that we do. The company’s prototype uses neither conductive nor inductive transmission, instead bringing its new capacitive coupling technology to the cordless charging mix. Capacitive coupling uses square transmitter and receiver electrodes, instead of the coils used with Qi devices. It also doesn’t require a physical connection like near-obsolete conductive tech, which dictates that both the charging pad and receiving device use metal connectors that must be joined to transfer current. The Murata system is far from being production-ready, with only 70 percent efficiency (30 percent of electricity is lost during transmission). The sample the company had on hand can support 16 watts of output with a maximum of 2.1 amps, making each pad capable of charging several small gadgets, or one larger device, like a laptop.

Murata seemed more interested in demonstrating the concept behind capacitive coupling than actually proving that it works — the laptop we saw “charging” was a plastic mockup, though the base did glow red when the laptop’s charging pad came into contact (though it also glowed blue at times, as you can see in the image above). We did take a close look at an iPhone case, however, which appeared to be remarkably thin — much thinner than models from Powermat, for example, though the case does extend below the dock connector. Another advantage of the square electrodes is that you don’t need to place devices in a certain position on the mat in order for them to charge — they simply need to be positioned within the general charging area. We take a closer look in the video after the break.

Continue reading Murata Wireless Power Transmission System supports laptops, we go hands-on (video)

Murata Wireless Power Transmission System supports laptops, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Dean Kamen files patent application for an inflatable, illuminated wind turbine originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink New Scientist  |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

It’s been an epic week for environmental news as Inhabitat reported that the East Coast battened its hatches against the force of Hurricane Irene, which has arrived in the wake of a 5.8 earthquake that shook the Eastern Seaboard from Virginia to New York. We compiled a series of tips to help our readers weather the storm, and we took a closer look at the six nuclear power plants that were shaken by the East Coast’s unusual quake. We also showcased several incredible examples of high-tech architecture — the recently crowned world’s tallest LEED platinum building and the world’s longest tunnel, which Russia recently announced would span the Bering Straight.

Speaking of remarkable advancements in sustainable transportation, this week we took at look at what could be most powerful electric car on earth, and we brought you footage of the 200 mph Lighting superbike breaking a world land speed record. We also saw eco vehicles take off for greener horizons as Oliver VTOL unveiled an ultra-efficient airplane with 6 engines, a team of engineers in Africa constructed a DIY space shuttle in a local garden, and the flying ParaMoto Trike soared through the skies. On the topic of air travel, you may also want to check out our six tips for flying with small children (without Benadryl).

It was a big week for wearable technology as well, as researchers unveiled a powerful kinetic energy generator that can fit in your sneakers. We also saw a vibrating glove that improves motor performance, a haptic glove that allows the blind to see with sonar, and a range of antenna-embedded clothing that offers a discreet form of hands-free communication. Finally, we heard Ashton Kutcher predict that wearable technology will be the next big wave, and we shared a glow-in-the-dark sequin gown that would make a choice piece of evening wear if this weekend’s storm knocks the lights out.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Lighting superbike, kinetic energy generator and vibrating gloves originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments