Gizmodo
-
science
Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla!
Nikola Tesla, the granddaddy of electricity, was born on this day way back in 1856. If only he were alive to see what kind of goofy crap we were doing with his namesake coils! More »
10,963
30
By Adam FrucciComment by nutbastard: too bad his wireless power tech got canned because nobody could figure out how to charge money for it. had... 2 Responses | Other threads
-
image cache
Photography Through Electrocution
Robert Buelteman takes electrifying photographs, but he doesn't even use a camera. Instead, he places flowers directly onto film and shocks them with 80,000 volts. More »
29,985
By Mark WilsonComment by znoop: some put that photographer through 80,000 volts and take a picture of him as well.. wtf.. if he can do... 13 Responses | Other threads
-
zap
Omega Recoil Makes Art With Tesla Coils
Art is great, sure. But art made from bolts of electricity fired from tesla coils? That's my kind of art. More »
3,301
By Adam FrucciComment by CatboyMac's angry girlfriend: I don't know how Tesla got away with stealing so many of his inventions from Edison. 4 Responses | Other threads
-
design
Node Power Outlet Makes Power Strips Almost Useless
Rob at Boing Boing Gadgets thinks that Node—a power outlet that can accept several cables safely—may be the power outlet of tomorrow. I completely agree with him. More »
66,649
By Jesus DiazComment by Cheatachu: why not 3 tracks...one with a ground too? 23 Responses | Other threads
-
tesla
Recreating Tesla's Wireless Power Experiments
If you have a thing for Tesla coils (and who doesn't really) you will be interested in this experiment/history lesson about wireless power put on by Omega Recoil at this year's Maker Faire. More »
13,068
By Sean FallonComment by Professional_Iceberg_Hunter: You know what Sean? I can't see a problem with a million bolts just hanging out in the air either. I... 4 Responses | Other threads
-
google
Google PowerMeter Begins Rollout, Gives You One More Metric To Obsess Over
Google PowerMeter, an online widget that monitors your home's power usage in real time, is one of those ideas that really should've caught on by now. Well, it's starting to! More »
25,423
By John HerrmanComment by OMG! Ponies!: Big surprise - Con Edison is not one of them. Con Edison: the company that charges you for the privilege of... 11 Responses | Other threads
-
maps
Power Plugs of the World Map
Have you ever wondered what type of plug they use in Nepal? Yeah, me too. UPDATE: Ooh, looks like they got China wrong. Don't use this map when visiting China! [Eurocom via bookofjoe via Unplggd]
21,321
By Mark WilsonComment by iatacs19: Australia and Argentina are pretty unique. 8 Responses | Other threads
-
power
Must See: Where Your Power Comes From, Visualized
NPR has an amazing interactive map of our power grid—the complicated mesh of power plants and transmission lines delivering juice to your house. This picture shows new proposed lines—it looks damn sad without them: More » -
-
art
Bare Conductive Ink Turns Your Body Into Handy Extension Cord
Bare is a paint that can transform your body into a circuit (without the inconvenience of electrocuting you). More »
22,136
By Mark WilsonComment by LuckyLakey: It will be interesting to see electronic enthusiasts get their hands on this. I could see an LED body paint... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
power
K3 Harnesses the Power of the Sun, the Wind, and the Electric Grid
The Kinesis K3 power generator updates their previous K2 unit with a new power source: In addition to its windmill and solar cells, it can now charge its internal battery with external electricity sources. More »
8,446
By Jesus DiazComment by Lupison: The electricity your car produces would have been wasted if you didn't have something hooked into the lighter. The... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
ouch
One in Ten Tasers Are Defective, Voltage "Exceeds Manufacturer's Specifications"
Yikes. The Canadian province of Alberta called in 400 of its police tasers for a study on their effectiveness, and what did they find? Over 10% unleash more voltage than they should. More »
6,182
By John MahoneyComment by Froggmann: If you don't want to be beat, shot or tased then don't do bad things, if you do, then don't... 20 Responses | Other threads
-
we're doomed
Scary: Spies Have Totally Infilitrated Our Electricity Grid
This is frightening: Cyberspies from China and Russia have penetrated the US electricity grid, leaving behind software that could be triggered to mess up our infrastructure, reports the WSJ. More »
18,519
Comment by AnalysisDialysis (and a MudkipNDS): Great... I hope they already didn't infiltrate California. That way, we could declare independence and just leave the rest of... 25 Responses | Other threads
-
concepts
Mini Hydro Turbine Concept Turns Drippy Faucet Into Energy Source
Whether the laws of physics would allow something like this to happen, I do not know, but Jin Woo Han's faucet dynamo concept for powering small electric devices with water power is a neat idea. More » -
weapons
Taser X12 Stun Gun Freezes People From 88 Feet Away
There's a new stun gun called the X12. And it's pretty much a freeze ray without the ice. More »
45,605
By Mark WilsonComment by Kaiser-Machead: No need for the paralysis itself to hurt you. The limp and lifeless fall to the ground is hurt-y enough. 13 Responses | Other threads
-
retromodo
Retromodo: GE's Principles of Electricity Circa 1942
I seem to remember watching something like this on a projector in middle school...in the 90's. Damn my second rate education! More »
7,820
By Sean FallonComment by klaybc: Eeeeelectricity. Eee-eee-ee-lectricity. Anyone remember that one? 1 Responses | Other threads
-
green
Green Erg Generator: An Energy Tail That Harnesses the Power of Walking
In rural Africa, electricity is hard to come by. That's why Dr. Cedrick Ngalande has developed the Green Erg Generator—a dynamo that produces electricity from friction generated with the ground while walking. More » -
traffic
Theory: Traffic Triggers Lightning
It's just a theory but some scientists believe that lightning strikes are provoked by traffic. Honk if you like thunder! More »
13,395
By Brian LamComment by Jestermeister: It sure has hell triggers lightning from my head. 9 Responses | Other threads
-
PRT System
Driverless, Electricity-Run Taxis Will Dominate UAE Eco-City
The United Arab Emirates is planning a bunch of “personal rapid transit” devices: driverless taxis that run on electricity and could hit the streets of Masdar as early as this year. More »
8,825
By Elaine ChowComment by Aidan Penttila: May I be the first to say "You're in a Johnny Cab!" 11 Responses | Other threads
-
pets
High Voltage Pet Brush Kills Fleas, Ticks, Pets
Call me crazy, but using a "High Voltage" pet brush doesn't seem like the safest thing to be using on Fido. Although, the manufacturers claim it can kill fleas and ticks with extreme prejudice. More »
6,575
By Sean FallonComment by KeepingTheForeName_GitEmSteveDave: But it says "Urgent Required!", so don't I need it? 6 Responses | Other threads
-
pranks
Video: Hooking a Car Battery Up to a Wet Towel Rack Is a Pretty Horrible Prank
This is one way to lose friends/roommates for good: sneak into the bathroom while they're in the shower, cover the towel rack with tin foil, and hook up a car battery. Zzzzap! More »
45,004
By Adam FrucciComment by ScottRose: FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKETY FAKE FAKE. Not relevant to fakeness, but that's a battery charger, not a battery. Either way, we're talking... 17 Responses | Other threads
-
danger
Repairing High-Voltage Cables from a Helicopter is One Badass Job
More »
You've gotta have serious balls to repair high-voltage cables from a helicopter while wearing a faraday cage suit. Not only are you dealing with heights, but tons of electricity as well.
25,538
By Adam FrucciComment by slater: Being a helicopter pilot myself, I'd have to say this guy has balls-o-steel. Power lines are a pilots worst... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
surge protector
Electroman is a Surge Protecting Superhero
Electroman: defender of gadgets, scourge of surges. This electric superhero saves the day along with his trusty sidekick USB Hub Man. Together they form a duo to be reckoned with. [WOE via BOJ]
6,333
By Sean FallonComment by Shooting a monkey is now a hate crime: Soooo, if I paint it black, is that a hate crime? Note: I'm black, put your self-righteous comments away. 1 Responses | Other threads
-
retromodo
Retro Illustrations Show 30 Ways To Die From Electrocution
Sometimes, we so take for granted our shiny devices that we forget they could very well kill us. Need pictures to illustrate that macabre thought? Here are 30, brought to you by 1930s Vienna. More »
52,718
By Elaine ChowComment by dosthebos2: thats positvely shocking! (someone had to say it) 11 Responses | Other threads
-
crime
Fingerprinting a Bullet the Bond Way
Well, the John Bond way that is. Bond, the head of forensics at the Northamptonshire Police in the UK, has devised a way to fingerprint bullets with electricity. More »
9,539
By Sean FallonComment by jdbaile3: Too bad all the half-way intelligent criminals will collect their casings if they are able to. 15 Responses | Other threads
-
wave power
Searaser Wave Buoy Can Generate, Store Enough Power For 470 Homes
We've mentioned ocean power stations a bit recently, and now here's one with a rather different approach: It can store power for when its needed. Searaser is in prototype form at the moment, and it works by bobbing up and down as waves pass by. An underwater pump uses this motion to push water into a reservoir 160 feet uphill. And there it sits until it's simply released to power a generator. Neat stuff, particularly when the inventors say a full-sized version can power about 470 homes all by itself. [The TImes via Dvice] -
mud
Mud-Powered 'Soil Lamp' Proves Water and Electricity Go Together Well
This zany lamp created by Marieke Staps outdoes most lamps in more ways than one: the electricity is powered through the organisms contained in the mud. The mud is enclosed in cells that contain copper and zinc, which conducts the electricity in the LED. Besides doing wonders for your energy bill, Staps claims that the only thing the lamp needs is a "splash of water" every now and then. I wouldn't stand too close when you are doing it though, or the end result might be akin to sticking a live hair dryer in your bathwater. [Marieke Staps via MAKE]
3,862
By Erica HoComment by CMU_Bueller: Why would you get shocked? Water doesn't conduct electricity. 14 Responses | Other threads
-
green
GE Developing 'Smart Appliances' That Can Talk To Power Grids, Manage Energy Flow
GE is testing a line of appliances with Louisville Gas and Electric that are able to communicate with the power grid and manage energy consumption according to the overall energy usage in the area. According to Cnet's Planetary Gear, appliances in this trial program include washers, dryers, ranges, dishwashers and microwaves. These appliances are equipped with "Smart Meters", which enable the products to interact with the grid and schedule the them to run during non peak hours. More » -
clothing
Ardica-Heated Jackets Also Juice Your Gadgets on Long Winter Trips
If you're planning on a long distance ski trip or a mountain climb this winter, check out Ardica's new power and heat platform for outerwear. Not only will Ardica-enabled jackets charge your gadgets (up to 11 full charges on your cellphone and 20 on your iPod), it'll also keep you nice and warm for either nine hours on low heat or three hours on high. If you'll be in the cold for even longer than that, just bring along a second battery. Jackets are being made by a few great companies, but particularly great news is that Mountain Hardware is selling one of these. Hopefully in GoreTex so you don't get wet and shocked with 10 watts worth of zap. (Ardica writes to say they've gone to great lengths to make the battery and kit water resistant. That makes sense, but I can't imagine they'd agree it's appropriate for lake and river activities during the fall.) More » -
thermoelectric energy
Laptop Heat Creates Energy Instead of Burning Precious Man Parts
Japanese engineers who were tired ofsweaty nutsacksquickly draining batteries revealed a prototype of a thermoelectric device that could create electricity using heat produced from laptops, which means more renewable energy and less time being plugged into a wall. More »
6,650
By Andi WangComment by Ethan Allison: What about a turbine that gets pushed by the exhaust heat venting out that's linked up to the cooling fans?... 2 Responses | Other threads
-
power
Huge Rubber Snake is No Joke, Generates Power From Waves
For some reason or other, we've shown you a lot of robotic snakes here on Giz. But this new one is kind of a robot snake in reverse: it's designed to float just beneath the surface of the sea and capture wave energy, which it then turns into electrical power. A science team in the UK has been working on the design, and is now testing small versions in a test tank: ultimately the "real" machines would be 23 feet across and 650 feet long, and be able to generate 1 megawatt. Check out the video to see how "Anaconda" works. More » -
turbine
Democratic Ecology: Philippe Starck's Cheap Designer Wind Turbine For Your Home
Famous designer Philippe Starck recently revealed he felt a certain shame that all the things he'd designed were not essential for living. This turbine, which he designed with the help of generator company Pramac, can theoretically provide a single home with 20-60% of all the electricity it needs. The name, which needs work, or at least the prefix "turbo" in front of it, is "Democratic Ecology." If the performance is indeed true, at $633, it's actually a steal and I'd order one right now. [inhabitat via Boingboing]
-
sakai city solar power
Japan to Build Huge Solar Power Plants to Power Sharp Factories
The city of Sakai in Japan is going to have a glittering new "green" addition in 2010, when Sharp and Kansai Electric Power build two massive solar-electric power plants there. In a bid to make Sharp's factories more eco-friendly, the two plants will generate 10 megawatts and 28 megawatts of electricity and reduce CO2 emissions by 10 kilotons yearly. Apparently the "Sakai City Waterfront Mega Solar Power Generation Plan" will be among the biggest like it in the world, and is part of a bid by Sakai to become a leading eco-friendly city. Smashing, and means Sharp gadgets can be bought with a clearer conscience. [Crunchgear via Dvice] -
electricity
Electricity Generator Gets Its Power From Waste Heat
Dallas' Southern Methodist University is now recycling energy with one of the first commercial electricity generators that use thermoelectricity—the act of drawing power from waste heat. The machine operates by using heat given off by other processes (such as manufacturing) to boil liquids, which then turn into steam, which then turns an electricity-generating turbine. More » -
question of the day
Question of the Day: How Much Was Your Electricity Bill Last Month?
A lot of factors come in to play when it comes to how much people spend on electricity each month, but given the movement towards towards eco-friendliness and the poor state of the economy, it seems like an interesting question. Plus, most of us are probably running a fair amount of gadgets around the house which can bring those bills up in a hurry. Electricity usage can fluctuate wildly throughout the year, so to keep things simple I have narrowed the question down to a single month. So, how much did you spend on electricity in April? More »
17,832
By Sean FallonComment by Kendra: Things are so bad that I'm plugging in gadgets at work and skipping home charging altogether. It's not our usage, ... more » | Other threads
-
zap
The Best Way To Cook Hot Dogs: by Tesla Coil
The most exiting way to cook hot dogs: connect a chain of 12 of them up and send bolts of multi-thousand-volt electricity through them. Awesome, and all thanks to the Nevada Lightning Lab and their 10-foot Tesla coil at Maker Faire '08. And amazingly, the coil they used is just a prototype for a 122-foot version they want to build for lightning experiments. Imagine the light show and cookability you'd get from that! [Lightning Lab via Oh Gizmo] -
piezing
Piezing Dress Concept Generates Electricity as She Walks
Oasis were right, she is electric, or at least she would be with the Piezing dress concept, designed by Amanda Parkes. The concept was shown off at the 2nd Skin: Imaginative Designs in Digital & Analog Clothing event in San Francisco, and it uses piezoelectric material around the joints to generate electricity when motion is detected. Unfortunately, the current isn't used instantaneously as some sort of nipple stimulator, instead it is stored in a small, removable battery, which can then be discharged when required. More »
4,247
By Haroon MalikComment by mrnagrom: my ass generates tonnes of usable methane... and i don't even need to wear an ass ugly dress... more » | Other threads
-
booze
Put Some Age On Your Cheap Booze With the Help of 15,000 Volts
Why get drunk on cheap booze when you can get drunk on cheap booze that actually tastes good? That is the question Jon Sarriugarte asked himself when he and a buddy set out to solve the problem of how to artificially age brandy. Inspired by a single sentence in a book from the 1930s, they decided that electric current would do the trick. Fortunately, John already had a luminous transformer in his basement (don't we all), and he proceeded to pump 15,000 volts into a glass of bitter brandy. To his surprise, the taste had mellowed considerably. More »
11,704
By Sean FallonComment by Ben Zvan: I'm late to the party on this one, as usual, but if the hooch is in copper pipes, how does... more » | Other threads
-
mods
DIY Project: Motorbike to Electric Motorbike
There's a new Instructables page up that shows you how to mod your regular motorbike into an eco-warrior electric cycle. You'll be able to hit a top speed of 70mph after shelling out $3000 to complete the project. Thankfully, you'll probably make the money back in saved fuel in approximately a days use. The machine pictured above is a mid-mod bike. Sure, the 72v motor is held in place by rope, but it isn't properly finished yet, so give the modder a break. If you have the time, spare cash, a bike that's looking at you with contempt and the technical know how, give it a shot and then send us a video of the finished article. Hit the link if you're tough enough. [Instructables via Hack n Mod]
8,761
By Haroon MalikComment by toyotaboy: optima batteries are horrible expensive, and better suited to cranking amps as apposed to maximum amps for electric applications. ... more » | Other threads
-
cameras
This Camera Is Shocking (Sorry)
Forgive the headline, but it's true! The annoying background music is ripped from Noah Kalina's 'net famous "everyday" video, but it's laid over a montage of the camera's (re)construction, which re-routes the battery's juice through the hand of the sucker holding the camera, giving them a nasty little shock. For your own safety, if you nail someone with this, make sure they're either a) smaller than you or b) incapacitated by the jolt. [Pyro Electro, Thanks Chris] -
energy
Daylight Saving Time Jump May Actually Waste Energy
It may not require 1.21 gigawatts of electricity for you to spring forward tonight—that is, tomorrow at 2 a.m.—but a new study does show that rather than save energy, Daylight Saving Time may very well lead to added energy consumption, potentially costing the country many billions of dollars. More »
electricity
Gizmodo Team
Tip your editors:
tips@gizmodo.com
Editorial Director:
Brian Lam | Email | Twitter
Editor:
Jason Chen
Email | AIM | Twitter
Features Editor:
Wilson Rothman
Email | Twitter
Senior Contributing Editor:
Jesus Diaz
Email | AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Mark Wilson, Reviews
Email | AIM | Twitter
Matt Buchanan
Email | AIM | Twitter
Adam Frucci
Email | Twitter
Sean Fallon
Email | Twitter
Jack Loftus
Email | Twitter
John Herrman
Email | Twitter
Dan Nosowitz
Email
Editorial Assistant:
Chris Mascari
Email
Columnist:
Brendan I. Koerner
Comment Intern::
Nick Ellenoff | Email
Comment Account Questions:
Comments@gizmodo.com
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
