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(Photo by Steve Morse)Not to be outdone by those crazy Danish bastards out on the isle of Samso, Science Daily reports an equally crazy group of Missourian bastards in Rock Port now generate all their electricity using wind turbines. Rock Port went completely wind-powered last week, making use of the 75 wind turbines spread out across three Missouri counties, and local experts are excited about the potential for wind power throughout the state. However, PopSci thinks it won't be so easy to make this a widespread trend in the US.
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Rock Port, Missouri, is First US City to Generate All Its Electricity From Wind Turbines
(Photo by Steve Morse)Not to be outdone by those crazy Danish bastards out on the isle of Samso, Science Daily reports an equally crazy group of Missourian bastards in Rock Port now generate all their electricity using wind turbines. Rock Port went completely wind-powered last week, making use of the 75 wind turbines spread out across three Missouri counties, and local experts are excited about the potential for wind power throughout the state. However, PopSci thinks it won't be so easy to make this a widespread trend in the US.
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4:20 PM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Adrian Covert
4,099 views,
61 comments
Latest by Shoghon: You know what I find humorous? That the majority of the comments come from people who live in larger cities, mostly likely on the coasts and think the middle of the country is a backwards place. Hmm. A small more »
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We're not sure if Brando's version of the external iPhone battery pack bests the others we've seen in performance, but it's definitely the cheapest by far. At $25, it's a whole $18 cheaper than the iPhoneck, and half as costly as Macally's PowerLink. Is it any good? No clue yet. But it's cheap, which is all some people care about. [Brando]
Brando's Power Station Holds 1000mAh, Title For Cheapest iPhone Battery
We're not sure if Brando's version of the external iPhone battery pack bests the others we've seen in performance, but it's definitely the cheapest by far. At $25, it's a whole $18 cheaper than the iPhoneck, and half as costly as Macally's PowerLink. Is it any good? No clue yet. But it's cheap, which is all some people care about. [Brando]
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The "Hang On" Outlet Reminds You To Unplug Your Gadgets
Saving a little extra money on your next power bill is as easy as unplugging your power cables now and then. After all, those greedy gadgets keep sucking power from the grid even when not in use. Designer Paulo Oh has come up with an extremely simple solution to this problem with an outlet that includes hangers for your plugs. Naturally, this little feature means that you don't have to deal with cords lying all willy-nilly on the floor. It is only a concept at this point, but with this whole power conservation thing catching on, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar available in the near future. [Yanko via Ubergizmo]
3:40 PM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Sean Fallon
2,518 views,
32 comments
Latest by n/a: @poedgirl: "Every single outlet in Australia is required to have a switch, and always has. I don't see why the US is so behind like this, is a switch really that hard to operate?" No, we use 110VAC and you use more »
wii
Sanyo Brings Wireless Eneloop Charging to the Wiimote
It's been a while since we've shown you anything with Sanyo's Eneloop label, but this new product bearing the wireless charging tech will sound like good news for Wiimote users fed up of awkward battery/charging solutions. Sanyo have teamed up with Nintendo to make the Eneloop Wiimote charger: and it's contactless. You simply replace the standard Wiimote back, drop it into the stand (which even accommodates silicon covers) when you're done playing, and it'll refill the batteries in 220 minutes. The stands can daisy chain off one power brick, so up to four Wiimotes can get juice at the same time. But there's a problem: apparently it's Japan only for now. Though I can't imagine it'll always be: it's just way too useful. [Akihabaranews]
engines
Plastic Motor Powered Directly By Light, No Solar Middleman Necessary
Professor Tomiki Ikeda, along with his research team at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a plastic motor that runs on direct light. Unlike solar power, there is no need for storing energy before conversion. The motor can achieve this feat thanks to a plastic compound containing azobenzene which contracts when exposed to ultraviolet light and returns to its original shape when exposed to visible light. By making this material into a belt and wrapping it around two wheels of different sizes, movement can be generated when the larger wheel is exposed to ultraviolet light and the smaller one to visible light. More »
solar power
Solar Windows Generate Up To 70 Watts, Serious Debt
Solar windows have finally made their way to the consumer market, and these new panes from Nihon Telecommunications Systems in Japan aren't a bad start. The inconspicuously equipped windows, at peak, generate a claimed 70 watts per square meter, which can be accessed through a few USB ports. In other words, the only way to offset the $1,900 per square meter cost of these windows is charging your iPods and running necktie air conditioners nonstop for the rest of your life. Also advertised is the fact that the windows filter about 90% of sunlight to help reduce cooling costs, which should be a given considering that these panes are using it to generate power. Nihon expects to move 10,000 panes annually, so hopefully we'll see a price drop before too long. [Crunchgear]
windows home server
Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 Now Available, Fixes Data Corruption
Microsoft just made available the Power Pack 1 update for Windows Home Server, which fixes the data corruption issues users have been reporting since Home Server went live. In addition, it adds 64-bit Vista support, shared folder backup features, and improved remote accessibility. You can download it here. [Windows Home Server Blog via All About Microsoft]
tides
However exciting the rubber robot snake wave power generator sounds, a real seagoing power station is way more interesting. And over in the UK, they've just turned on the world's first commercial tidal power generator station. SeaGen is situated in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, and it has twin turbines that spin as the tide rushes into and out of the lough at up to 8 knots. The moving seawater spins the turbines for around 20 hours each day and when it's up to full operating capacity, SeaGen will be pushing out 1.2 megawatts of power, roughly enough to supply 1,000 homes. And since the revolution speed is only around 10 to 15 per minute, the blades shouldn't offer a threat to sealife like the local common seals. Eco-friendliness all 'round. [Daily Mail]
World's First Tidal Turbine Power Station Goes Online, Doesn't Blend Seals
However exciting the rubber robot snake wave power generator sounds, a real seagoing power station is way more interesting. And over in the UK, they've just turned on the world's first commercial tidal power generator station. SeaGen is situated in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, and it has twin turbines that spin as the tide rushes into and out of the lough at up to 8 knots. The moving seawater spins the turbines for around 20 hours each day and when it's up to full operating capacity, SeaGen will be pushing out 1.2 megawatts of power, roughly enough to supply 1,000 homes. And since the revolution speed is only around 10 to 15 per minute, the blades shouldn't offer a threat to sealife like the local common seals. Eco-friendliness all 'round. [Daily Mail]
7:09 AM on Mon Jul 21 2008
By Kit Eaton
10,243 views,
35 comments
Latest by skiterr: @Kit Eaton: this is just another useless "green" invention that serves no real solution to the power shortage or the green movement. If it's not going to produce reliable power 24/7 there is no point of building it. But of more »
power
Macally PowerLink is Flash drive, Sync Cable, Emergency Juice for iPod, iPhone
You know how it is: you're camping in the wild, and your iPhone suddenly runs out of juice, just as you get bored stiff with the music selection you've got aboard it. Previously you'd've had to carry a bunch of stuff around to sort this out, but Macally's PowerLink has come to the rescue. With USB plug on one end and 30-pin iPod connector on the other, it acts as a sync cable, but also has a battery inside to give you a squirt of extra power if you're in a pinch. It also packs a 2GB flash drive, but you'll need to get mp3's off that via iTunes, sadly. No info on how long the battery lasts, but as a 3-in-1 gizmo it's pretty useful. Out "soon" for $49.99. [OhGizmo]
solar power
Scientists Invent Tech for Cost-Effective Solar Power from Windows
Solar power is everywhere at the mo, maybe because it sounds more sci-fi than wind: which is the case with this new technology that turns windows into power sources. Clever bods at MIT have worked out how to use organic dye solar-concentrator coatings to collect light over a whole sheet of glass and "concentrate" it at the edges. This lets you have a much smaller (and hence cheaper) solar-electric cell mounted in the side of a window, more easily achieved than typical mirror-based concentrators. And by tuning the dyes (originally designed for lasers and OLEDs) to different wavelengths, and stacking them up, you get an even bigger power output. Clever stuff. [Physorg]
6:35 AM on Fri Jul 11 2008
By Kit Eaton
5,839 views,
18 comments
Latest by Uncle Remus: For those who don't get it this is not really for windows in your home. Its a replacement for solar panels that are currently very expensive. Instead of needing one square meter of solar cells to gather the light from more »
hdds
Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000B is Power Efficient 1TB Drive, Has Encryption Too
About a year ago we brought you the first retail terabyte HDD, the Deskstar 7K1000, and now Hitachi has released the Deskstar 7K1000.B. And Hitachi's worked quite hard on it: With a 32MB buffer and a three-disk layout, it's apparently the "world's most power-efficient 1TB drive" and consumes about 43% less power when idling. And for those of you who think "bleh" to the power savings, it also has built-in encryption, which Hitachi says doesn't impact on read/write speeds at all. Out soon for $279, which puts it in competition with the Samsung HD103UJ. Available July for $279. [Hitachi and BoingBoing Gadgets]
transport
Jaambaaro Vehicle Puts the Rickshaw in Ambulance
All joking aside, there are plenty of places in the world where getting speedy medical attention is difficult. And that's where the Jaambaaro concept from designer Benoît Angibaud comes in. It's a two-person pedal-powered ambulance, designed to get the sick and wounded to hospital in areas where motor vehicles are rare. It would have solar panels to help generate some energy, and be made of locally-salvaged materials. Great idea, though I have to admit the first thing that came to mind when seeing the stretcher's blister canopy was a short dude in glasses, shouting "Choppers!"... [Yanko Design]
flash
PSA: Turn Off Flash When Working on Laptop Power
Thanks to our frequent liveblogging and writing while solely on laptop power, we're always cognizant of how much CPU load we're putting on our machines. One thing we've noticed is that Flash—the thing that makes YouTube videos move and advertisements blink—puts an abnormally large load on your processor, which makes for a dramatically decreased battery life. If you're using Firefox, use Flashblock to disable Flash except for certain sites, and if you're using Safari, use Safari Stand. IE sufferers can use Toggle Flash.
power strip
Who'd have thought that the humble power strip would warrant so much creative design attention? Not me. But I like this e-Ball power strip design from Mashallah design: it's kind of like the UFO one, designed to deconflict many chunky power bricks, but taken into an extra dimension. In fact, the first thing it reminded me of was the space stations in the amazing old game Elite. But that might be just me. It's a concept, but begging for someone to make it real. [Interior Design Room]
E-Ball: the Power-Brick-Friendly Power Strip, From Space
Who'd have thought that the humble power strip would warrant so much creative design attention? Not me. But I like this e-Ball power strip design from Mashallah design: it's kind of like the UFO one, designed to deconflict many chunky power bricks, but taken into an extra dimension. In fact, the first thing it reminded me of was the space stations in the amazing old game Elite. But that might be just me. It's a concept, but begging for someone to make it real. [Interior Design Room]
prius
Solar Panel-Powered Prius in 2009 Confirmed
In a Nikkei article set to publish Monday, it was revealed that Toyota has green lit plans to offer solar panels on its popular Prius hybrid vehicle. The solar panel option will be available on the high-end Prius model when it receives a redesign in 2009. Strangely, the Japanese business newspaper also reports that the power generated by the solar panels will be used for the air conditioning system. The solar panels are being manufactured by Kyocera Corp. Previously, Gizmodo has covered some DIY solar panel options for the Prius, but the news today confirms that an official offering is now forthcoming from Toyota. It's a start, right? [Reuters]
8:55 PM on Sun Jul 6 2008
By Jack Loftus
12,404 views,
70 comments
Latest by rimplestultskin: @Captain Bringdown: there is a camry hybrid. however, the prius looks the way it looks because toyota wants to draw attention to hybrids, and sure-as-shit-ugly gets a lot of attention! and the aptera had this idea first, if i remember more »
power
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.
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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 »
11:00 AM on Sun Jul 6 2008
By Kit Eaton
33,808 views,
43 comments
Latest by Twp3pf2: I'm impressed by the generally on-topic nature of comments. I came here looking for the "my anaconda makes waves resulting in an increase of energy, hurr hurr" comments. Whoops, mission accomplished, I guess. more »
air gun
Here's a great idea that DeWalt should get their asses on: A handheld 18-volt air gun that can be used to dust, airbrush, or fill up basketballs or bike tires. I'd get one if it meant less time on the bike pump, and it could start a new genre of krylon-free, duel-wielding graf artists. Found this cool gem of a fantasy gadget over at the newly designed and even sexier Core77 website. [Core77]
Cool Concept: Handheld Electric Pneumatic Gun
Here's a great idea that DeWalt should get their asses on: A handheld 18-volt air gun that can be used to dust, airbrush, or fill up basketballs or bike tires. I'd get one if it meant less time on the bike pump, and it could start a new genre of krylon-free, duel-wielding graf artists. Found this cool gem of a fantasy gadget over at the newly designed and even sexier Core77 website. [Core77]
