So much in love with shiny new toys, it's unnatural.
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Far more serious than beaming a salted snack advert into space, scientists at Pennsylvania State University in State College suggest that if we really want to catch the attention of aliens, then we should cover half the moon in mirrors, and send coded flashes of light into space. Always assuming ET's not too bored by us, that is.
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When you're green, you're green: Tesla Motors chairman Elon Musk's other gig is SolarCity, a solar energy company that just announced it would lease panels to residents of San Jose with no money down. Typically going solar requires a $20K to $30K install, or at the very least, a $2,000 down payment, so a no-cash-upfront proposition is nice. But further reading suggests it may not be the homeowner's dream come true.
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11:20 AM on Wed Apr 16 2008
By Wilson Rothman
7,488 views,
38 comments
Latest by ekornblum: I know a couple people around the SF bay area who've spec out home systems. In the $20-40K range, and would pay back in 20-25 years at today's rates. And knowing how much rates go up, it's probably more like more »
energy
11:00 AM on Fri Apr 11 2008
By Mark Wilson
10,170 views,
35 comments
solar power
solar paint
They say that inventors should find a need and fill it. I don't know who needs a solar boosted pedal boat, but a design concept for one exists nonetheless. The boat features a center cockpit where up to four passengers can sit, alternating pedaling duties in two-person shifts. When you get tired (which should be after only a few minutes), switching to solar power can help lighten the load. I'm not sure if this concept will ever see the light of day, but in a world filled with non-solar powered pedal boats, it would be a welcome improvement. Video after the break.
That neighbor of yours thinks he is so badass with his top-of-the-line riding mower. With the Husqvarna's new autonomous lawn mower, you can sip a beer on your porch and tell your neighbor to suck it while he toils away on his yard. And the best part is that the mower is a solar/electric hybrid—so it will mow your lawn whisper quiet with nearly zero emissions.
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energy
10:45 AM on Fri Feb 29 2008
By Wilson Rothman
7,594 views,
37 comments
usb survival kit
green energy
Solar energy is great in theory, but the problem is that panels need to face the sun, which is frequently behind clouds or shining down at some less-than-optimal angle. The solution? Put solar panels in space, of course! Duh!
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fire lighter
vapor or solid?
4:35 PM on Mon Jan 14 2008
By Wilson Rothman
4,120 views,
2 comments
Latest by oldbenway: Got mine in the mail ten days after I ordered it, what's up with the skepticism? This thing is crazy, plays NES, GBA and Sega roms; divx movies (even supports subtitles! Anime fans rejoice--); my only gripe, you can't really play more »
TreeHugger's got the scoop on this Sun Table, an otherwise normal-looking table covered in solar panels that's effective enough to power your gadgets for a few hours. The internal battery's max storage stores 13 amps and charges in 3 hours under full sunlight.
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green tech
8:00 AM on Tue Dec 18 2007
By matt buchanan
12,111 views,
45 comments
Latest by millaj92: From data released by Nanosolar, the flagship consumer model SolarPly is about 12% efficient. That's significantly less than traditional silicon based material but it's made up for by it's area effectiveness. For example, a 2ft x 2ft square of SolarPly more »
One of the problems we can see with the Tesla Roadster is that you still have to suck up pollution-causing power to run the thing, even though it doesn't directly pollute the air with noxious internal combustion engine fumes. Now Solar City has teamed up with Tesla to provide solar panels that you install on the roof of your house, and then those panels feed power to the outlet for the Tesla Roadster. So now you can go from 0-60 in 4 seconds, guilt- and gasoline-free.
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1:20 PM on Fri Dec 7 2007
By Charlie White
7,617 views,
24 comments
Latest by borjo: erh.. i live in Greece where sun is plentiful, but even here i don't think the sunshine here is enough to power heating and cooking. let alone power a car too. certainly not in the winter. perhaps not even on the more »
vicarious living
al gore is ecstatic
7:00 PM on Thu Nov 15 2007
By matt buchanan
16,257 views,
25 comments
Latest by JohnSup: Actually I have seen a thin about this about a year ago on the science channel and a scientist already did all this research on it and found all these different "dyes" ,as they described them, to soak up different more »
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