Information & Technology

Fat that makes you Thin

2009-08-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

Researchers have discovered that "brown" fat helps to keep you thin, by turning the energy obtained from food into heat and burning up calories without physical exertion. 50g of brown fat burns 500 calories per day.

The more brown fat a person has, the thinner they are. Unfortunately, brown fat seems to dwindle with age, making us prone to gaining weight the older we get.

Experiments are being done in which white fat is extracted via liposuction, converted to brown fat by being treated with BMP-7 and then reimplanted into the original donor.

Other methods of increasing brown fat involve turning on the command gene that switches cells into brown fat as they develop.

One Size Fits All Battery from AA-D

2009-07-30T04:37:00.000-07:00

The AtoD rechargeable battery is an innovative battery that solves a problem is a very simple way. With this battery, you only need one size, and it will fit in most gadgets that require batteries of any size from AA to D.
How does it accomplish this feat? Simple: It’s made from memory form, so it squishes to the required size.

Software Increases Security For Computer Screens

2009-07-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

A Baltimore company, Oculis, has developed a program that tracks an authorized reader's eyes to show only them the correct text. Anyone else looking at the screen will see only scrambled letters.
Chameleon is a combination of gaze-tracking software and camera equipment that, apparently, takes just 15 seconds to learn a subject’s screen-viewing patterns. After that, only the sweet spot on which your eyes are resting will be legible. Everyone else will see dummy text that constantly and randomly changes.

Drug rescues memory lost to Alzheimer's disease

2009-07-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906.

Just like the rest of our bodies, our brains change as we age. Most of us notice some slowed thinking and occasional problems remembering certain things. However, serious memory loss, confusion and other major changes in the way our minds work are not a normal part of aging. They may be a sign that brain cells are failing and this is called Alzheimer's Disease.
UC Irvine scientists have discovered a drug that offers hope that a new treatment may be on the horizon for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's. The drug, called PMX205, prevented inflamed immune cells from gathering in brain regions with Alzheimer's lesions. Cell inflammation in these areas accelerates neuron damage, exacerbating the disease.
Scientists gave treated mice learning and memory tests and then examined their brains for evidence of the disease. Alzheimer's mice that were not given the drug performed significantly worse on the test than normal mice. But - in all but one case - the treated Alzheimer's mice performed almost as well as the normal mice. Those with the rescued cognitive ability had more than 50 percent fewer Alzheimer's lesions and inflammatory immune cells than the untreated diseased mice.

Drugs That Block Blood Vessel Growth May Help Obesity

2009-07-20T00:41:00.000-07:00

Zafgen, a biopharmaceutical startup based in Cambridge, MA, is attacking obesity the way that cancer researchers have been attacking tumors for decades: using drugs that interfere with its blood supply.
The fat cells that make up adipose tissue can't grow without blood vessels to nourish them. Zafgen, a startup based in Cambridge, MA, is developing obesity drugs that starve fat tissue by blocking blood-vessel proliferation. These drugs, which were originally designed to halt tumor growth, cause dramatic weight loss in obese mice.

Solar-Powered Jaguar

2009-07-09T00:19:00.000-07:00

The “Jaguar Mark XXI” was designed by designer Christopher Pollard usesolar panels to generate power. When parked, the black solar panels activate. These panels are photovoltaic, lift from the car automatically, and face and followthe sun.
The “living” panels signify “the synergy between the car’s energy replenishing function and the natural science from which it takes its inspiration.” The photovoltaic panels use solar power to power the car.

Sending Smells Over the Net

2009-07-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

The i-Aroma is loaded with 6 base oils and attached to a PC via USB cable. The user connects the PC to the Internet and special courses designed by astrologist Ryuji Kagami or aroma therapist Kaoru Sasak will determine what scents are mixed by the device and released into the air. A remote control on the i-Aroma can be used to dispense stored, favorite smells when not connected to a PC.

Forest Fire Defence Helicopter

2009-07-07T03:02:00.000-07:00

One of the ways to contain wildfires is starting controlled burn operations that minimize the risk of major wildfire events. The Thirst.D Helicopter is proposed to be a part of the first privatized wildfire fighting force.
The Thirst.D carries out controlled burn operations that minimize the risk of major wildfire events. These burns also help to maintain a balanced ecology. When wildfires do threaten these points Thirst.Ds are called in to create back burns and put down control lines with fire blocking gel.

Needle-Free Injector

2009-07-04T04:02:00.000-07:00

The FDA issued approval for Antares Pharma's (Ewing, New Jersey) needle-free injection device for use with human growth hormone. The device will be marketed under the name Tev-Tropin Tjet Injector system.
This reusable needle-free injector can deliver precise medication doses through high-speed, pressurized liquid penetration of the skin without a needle. These reusable, variable-dose devices are engineered to last for a minimum of two years and are designed for easy use, facilitating self-injection with a disposable plastic needle-free syringe to assure safety and efficacy.

Open Smoking Booth

2009-07-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

This “bubble” of self contained smoke air is filtered and fresh air is released. It’s modern and sleek with a circular arm stand on the base embedded into the floor. A cylindrical glass ash bin with a metal top stands in the middle.
When this system starts, the smoke is filtered by the arm top where low-pressure air is generated. The “air wall” (a transition between low air pressure and high air pressure) keeps the smoke within it. Then the purified fresh air is sent out to the center of the booth from the lower part of the arm.
Travelers can walk conveniently in and out of the smoking space which is created by this invisible spherical “air wall”.

Solar Hybrid Yacht

2009-07-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

Code X's solar hybrid yachtcruises at 9 knots using a fully solar electric drive. It will also use fossil fuel for the twin Ilmor Marine V-10 Formula One engines and unleash 1420 horsepower.
Two electric engines draw power from the bank of lithium-ion batteries that are charged through the large solar panels that extend along the front of the boat - and this is good enough for a nine knot cruise.

iPhone 3G S Upgrade Eligibility Update

2009-06-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

After much thought and many complaints from AT&T customers, AT&T has gone ahead and changed the eligibility for their best upgrade pricing to the iPhone 3G S. When the iPhone 3G S eligibility rules were released, current iPhone 3G customers were taken back and began complaining against the upgrade prices of $399 and $499. Customers who previously would not have become upgrade eligible until July, August, or September of this year, will now qualify for AT&T’s lowest upgrade pricing starting tomorrow, making them eligible to purchase the iPhone 3G S at $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB).

We’re now pleased to offer our iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade eligible in July, August or September 2009 our best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18.

The updated eligibilty tools will reflect this change on June 18th. If you’ve already pre-ordered an iPhone 3G S, the price of the device will be adjusted when picked up, or credit will be given for the difference in price. If you still aren’t eligible for our best upgrade pricing and you still want iPhone 3G S now, you do have options:

* You may qualify for the iPhone 3G S early upgrade price of $399 (16GB) or $499 (32GB).
* You can pay full retail—and not have to sign a 2-year contract—at $599 (16GB) or $699 (32GB).

Users can check their upgrade eligibility status by visiting AT&T’s iPhone page, calling *NEW# on their AT&T handset, or visiting any AT&T store. Remember, the new pricing will not appear in the eligibility tools listed until Thursday, June 18th.

So will these changes encourage you to go buy an iPhone 3G S. Do you plan on waiting in the lines this Friday or will you wait for the crowds to die down?

Hybrid Scooter That Runs on Anything That Burns

2009-06-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

The multimillionaire inventor behind the Segway personal transporter is developing of a new bike that combines electric power and a radical generator which will allow it to burn almost any fuel.
Built around a fairly conventional battery and electric motor combination to provide the drive to the wheel, something experience with the Segway makes relatively easy, the radical part of the design is the inclusion of a Stirling engine to recharge the bike's battery pack.
Based on technology that pre-dates the internal combustion engine by nearly a century, the Stirling engine is closer in concept to a steam engine, using external combustion, and without the need for a fuel that can be injected and burned incredibly fast inside a normal engine's combustion chamber, it can run on virtually anything that burns – opening the door to easily renewable fuels rather than relying on dwindling fossil fuel supplies.

Portable, Inkless Printer

2009-06-29T21:58:00.001-07:00

Dell has released a photo printer that uses a technology called Zero-ink. Dell’s Wasabi PZ310 Ultramobile Photo Printer holds up to 12 sheets of adhesive-backed ZINK Paper, and can connect to a digital camera via PictBridge or wirelessly to a camera phone or computer via Bluetooth.

ZINK Zero-ink technology replaces the hassles and expense of ink or toner with paper that is embedded with cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals. These crystals respond to targeted heat pulses of specific duration to form all the colors of the rainbow and produce prints that are long-lasting, smudge-proof, water-resistant, tear-proof and fade-resistant.

'Waterless' Washing Machine

2009-06-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

A washing machine that cuts water usage by 90% is due to hit American shores next year. The Xeros washing machine, which takes its name from the Greek word for “dry”, cleans clothes using reusable nylon polymer beads with an inherent polarity that attracts stains.

The beads are added to the wash along with as little as a cup of water and a drop of detergent. After the water dissolves the stains, the beads, which become absorbent under humid conditions, soak up the water along with the dirt. The dirt is not just attracted to the surface, but is absorbed into the center of the beads.

The Intelligent Hose

2009-06-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

The Measuring Consumption water sprayer displays how much water is consumed during your watering/washing activities. This knowledge can help you save water consumption because you will know when and where you are using the most water.

Metromorph - The Car That Hangs Out of Your Window

2009-06-24T02:27:00.000-07:00

The Metromorph hangs outside of a high-rise window. At the push of a button, it gently glides down to the ground level. When it touches ground it transforms into a car.
The Peugeot Metromorph is powered by two in wheel motors placed in the back. There are two battery cases on the back as well. The seats are held by rotating arms which keep the seat level when the vehicle goes vertical or horizontal. When the vehicle is a balcony the seats are placed on a rolling base which enables them to become lounge chairs thus freeing up the interior of the car to make it a balcony. The interior is also left fairly hollow to accommodate the balcony mode.

Atrificial Heart Inspired by Cockroaches

2009-06-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Cockroaches have multi-chambered hearts shaped like tubes that are much more resistant to failure than human hearts. The chambers are organized sequentially, each one pushing blood into the next, until the ideal output pressure is reached in the last chamber. Due to this setup, a single chamber failure in a cockroach heart is not cataclysmic to the organ; It can continue beating, but with less efficiency.
A team of biomedical engineers out of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IITK), have developed a new artificial heart, modeled after this muti-chamber idea. But instead of shaping the heart as a tube, they've created the chambers in a series of concentric spheres like an onion.

Airless Tire

2009-06-22T21:11:00.001-07:00

A new airless tire using a flexible, honeycomb-like internal structure could again prove to be a disruptive technology in one of the world’s largest industries. With development funded by the U.S. DoD, the initial aim of the project was to replace the Achilles heel of the military vehicle, but now the technology looks like going commercial for the rest of us.
The patent-pending Resilient design relies on a precise pattern of six-sided cells that are arranged, like a honeycomb, in a way that best mimics the "ride feel" of pneumatic tires. The honeycomb geometry also does a great job of reducing noise levels and reducing heat generated during usage - two common problems with past applications.

Citrus-Powered Car

2009-06-22T21:08:00.001-07:00

The Stauro Concept is an innovative idea that looks at alternative source of fuel in a much more creative way than most.
The Stauro has a 700 horsepower engine that runs on a citrus based fuel and burns almost completely clean. The Stauro will also have as many recycled materials as feasibly possible. The shell will be 100% recycled aluminum, while the body panels will be constructed using a new kind of resin that is mixed using up to 40% recycled materials.
The Stauro is still in the design phase, but could enter production without too much trouble.

Energy Bracelet Recharges Phones

2009-06-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Dyson Energy Bracelet is a gadget that uses the Seebeck effect to harness energy and power mobile phones. The thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage.
Thanks to the Seebeck effect, the temperature difference between the surface which touch the skin and the other which is in the ambient air allows to produce electricity that is stocked in a battery. When the user needs to recharge a mobile device, he plugs it into the Dyson Energy through a micro-USB port and can have some additional minutes in use.

The World's Fastest Cars

2009-06-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

Gas prices are up. The economy is down. For some, neither matters--all they want is to be able to drive faster than anyone else on the road, whatever the cost.

And the cars that can deliver that promise are built solely for speed. They're not the kinds of cars that are particularly good for anything else, such as dropping off the kids at school (unless they're running exceptionally late that day) or picking up a carton of milk on the way home from work.

These cars reach obscene speeds in mere seconds, the same amount of time that normal cars need just to warm up. Just ask Tom duPont, publisher of duPont Registry, a gallery of fine automobiles.

"A Bugatti test driver took a $100 bill and plastered it on the dashboard," recalls duPont, who was invited to strap into the passenger seat for a demonstration drive. "He told me I could have it if I could grab it once we took off."

The French-made Bugatti Veyron races from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and effortlessly cruises to a top speed of 253 mph. Most probably can't imagine what that feels like, but duPont learned firsthand.

"The car accelerates so fast that you can't touch [the $100 bill]," he said. "You can't move your hands.”

Rescue Reel Escape Device

2009-06-09T23:37:00.001-07:00

The Rescue Reel is a compact, self-contained device designed to allow people to escape from high-rise buildings in an emergency. The design features a simple sling harness and enough cord to descend from a 100 story building, yet the device is small enough to be stored in a standard filing cabinet drawer.
The user first attaches the Kevlar cord to a secure object (such as a door frame) and then steps into the one-size-fits-all harness before rappelling through an open window to the ground.
The device is also equipped with a dynamic braking system which automatically applies a centrifugal brake to slow the person’s descent.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Inflatable Tower Could Reach the Edge of Space

2009-06-08T20:37:00.001-07:00

Researchers say that a giant inflatable tower could carry people to the edge of space without the need for a rocket, and could be completed much sooner than a cable-based space elevator.
Inflatable pneumatic modules already used in some spacecraft could be assembled into a 15-kilometre-high tower, say Brendan Quine, Raj Seth and George Zhu at York University in Toronto, Canada.
If built from a suitable mountain top it could reach an altitude of around 20 KM, where it could be used for atmospheric research, tourism, telecoms or launching spacecraft.
The tower does a similar job as the proposed space elevator. But while the elevator envisages using ribbons woven from superstrong nanotubes - a material that is as yet non-existent - the tower would use materials that are already available.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Controlling Heat in Large Data Centers

2009-06-08T04:34:00.001-07:00

At the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers are using a 1,100-square-foot simulated data center to optimize cooling strategies and develop new heat transfer models that can be used by the designers of future facilities and equipment.
The researchers believe that there exists the potential to reduce data center energy consumption by as much as 15 percent by adopting more efficient cooling techniques being developed by their lab.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

The Convertible Motorcycle-Aircraft

2009-06-04T20:49:00.001-07:00

Samson Motorworks has developed an aircraft/motorcycle multi mode vehicle. Two dual-use Multi Mode Vehicles models are in development - the Skybike, which uses a patent pending telescoping wing design, and the Switchblade, which uses a scissor wing design to retract the wings when you swap the airway for the freeway.
The MMVs feature a canard layout, with the main wing at the back and the tailplane at the front. This design keeps the center of weight low and to the rear, reducing the potential for overturning while traveling on the ground and placing most of the lift where the majority of the weight is located, resulting in greater stability while airborne. Additionally, the canard design is also stall resistant, providing an extra level of safety. The company aims to have its designs classified as motorbikes for ground based travel.

Ferrari Testa Rossa

2009-06-03T00:41:00.001-07:00

The Testarossa name, which, in Italian means "red head", comes from the red-painted cylinder heads on the flat-12 engine. The engine was technically a 180Â° V engine, since it shared flat-plane crankshaft pins with opposing cylinders. Output was 390 hp (291 kW), and the car won many comparison tests and admirers - it was featured on the cover of Road & Track magazine nine times in just five years. Almost 10,000 Testarossas, 512TRs, and 512Ms were produced, making it one of the most common Ferrari models, despite its high price and exotic design. In 1985, the Testarossa retailed for about $94,000 ($176,032 in 2006 dollars) in the United States. This included a $2,700 (i.e., $5,100) "gas-guzzler" tax.
Although successful on the road, the Testarossa did not appear on race tracks, unlike the 512BBi, which had done so with minor success.The original Testarossa was thoroughly re-engineered for 1991 and released as the 512TR, effectively a completely new car. It increased the output of the 4.9 L engine to 428 hp (319 kW).

The 512TR's engine was modified in many ways. Nikasil liners were added, along with a new air intake system, Bosch engine management system, 10.1:1 compression ratio with new pistons, larger intake valves, and a revised exhaust system. In addition to the extra power, the modifications delivered a flatter torque curve for better acceleration.

Google Wave Aims to Reinvent Email

2009-06-03T00:29:00.001-07:00

This week Google introduced Google Wave, which one of its developers claims is "what email would look like if it were invented today."
Google Wave draws together email, instant messaging, web chatting and project management software. Users can swap a range of files from videos to documents among friends in real time. There's also the option to instant message those within a conversation window or "wave" in real time - that's to say, you see what your friends are typing as they type, rather than waiting for them to finish a sentence and post it to online.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Electric-Powered Superbike

2009-06-02T22:40:00.001-07:00

TTX Grand Prix founder Azhar Hussein has built a demonstrator electric superbike based around a Suzuki GSX 750 and dubbed it the TTX01. It's the first prototype of what he hopes will become a production motorcycle within a year or three.

The first green-powered Grand Prix bike has been built by the people behind the TTXGP, the world's first clean emission motorcycle race due to be held on June 12 on the Isle of Man as part of the annual TT races.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Stem-Cell Contact Lenses Restore Sight in One Month

2009-06-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Researchers have restored sight in patients suffering corneal damage using a groundbreaking technique where contact lenses are cultured with stem cells.
Stem cells from the cornea stick to contact lenses - employing three patients who were blind in one eye, the researchers obtained stem cells from their healthy eyes and cultured them in extended wear contact lenses for ten days. The surfaces of the patients’ corneas were cleaned and the contact lenses inserted. Within 10 to 14 days the stem cells began to recolonize and repair the cornea.
Of the three patients, two were legally blind but can now read the big letters on an eye chart, while the third, who could previously read the top few rows of the chart, is now able to pass the vision test for a driver’s license.
The research team has applied for funds to continue the project.

BMW X Coupe Concept Car

2009-05-29T02:44:00.000-07:00

In a surprise debut at the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, BMW unveiled its latest concept vehicle - the BMW X coupe. Dramatically different from anything that BMW has created before, the X coupe concept car challenges traditional design theory and shows a possible new direction for future BMW designs.

BMW has deliberately questioned existing preconceptions and created a vehicle that combines the sporty styling and driving characteristics of a coupe with the sense of adventure and capability that defines a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV).Based on the four wheel drive chassis of the X5, with a body made completely from aluminium, the X coupe stands 58.3 inches high, (which is slightly taller than the 3 Series Coupé at 53.9 inches), 180.3 inches long and 73.6 inches wide. The wheelbase is identical to the X5's at 111 inches.

Under the coupe's long, one-piece bonnet is the advanced 3.0 litre BMW turbo-diesel engine, six cylinder unit used in the 530d, with state-of-the-art common rail direct injection and developing 184 bhp. The X coupe's power plant has been modified to produce 332 lb-ft. of torque. Stability at speed is enhanced by a rear spoiler beneath the bodywork. Normally flush with the vehicle's bottom rear edge, the spoiler extends downward automatically at 68 mph to generate aerodynamic downforce. Top speed is expected to be in the region of 125 mph.

A five-speed Steptronic automatic transmission takes its power to all four wheels. The driver can control the gearshift via 'paddles' on the steering wheel with the gearbox in Steptronic mode. Massive 20 inch wheels carry 225/50 tyres at the front and 285/45 at the rear adding emphasis to the coupe's assertive presence. Run flat tyres make a spare wheel and tyre unnecessary.

As a member of the BMW X family, the coupe naturally has all the traction and stability enhancing systems on board from All Season Traction (AST) for all-wheel drive, through to Dynamic Stability Control (DSC-X) and Hill Descent Control (HDC). Like the X5 the X coupe is well equipped to go off-road when required.Not content with creating body panels that look like contorted baked bean cans, BMW designers have invented a new terminology to describe the distinctive body contours – 'Flame Surfacing'. Flame Surfacing gives body surfaces the freedom to turn in on themselves and create a series of concave and convex design lines. These can be seen on the doors, the dash and on the top of the front wings where the bodywork has an unusual concave shape.

Bike with Integrated Lock

2009-05-27T21:02:00.001-07:00

This bike is meant to answer all those times when you have forgotten to bring a lock. In fact the bike IS a lock and is called the "Freelock".
This bike has a lock integrated into the seat post. It is made of sturdy metal and is still relatively light.

Electric Concept Car

2009-05-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

Industrial designer Alan Kravchenko has created a concept for a compact urban commuter dubbed the Peugeot Clear.
The Clear has enough room for two at a squeeze and is laid bare by large windows that, without heavy tinting, leave just about everything going on inside open to plain view.
The design is green-friendly by way of an electric drivetrain. It incorporates hydrogen and oxygen fuel tanks positioned so as to provide most efficiency to the wheel-mounted motors.

Completely Self-Contained, Portable Ultrasound

2009-05-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a handheld self-contained portable ultrasound imager with a probe.
The Signos weighs half of a pound and is the size of most smartphones. It will be available with both a 3.5MHz or a 7.5MHz transducer that can be swapped. The company promotes this device for fast paced and active medical environments such as emergency departments and rural medical clinics.
The system might come in handy as a quick initial diagnostic modality for intraabdominal processes, such as ectopics, AAAs, for carotid scans in ER in patients with ongoing TIA, as well as an assistive device for central line placements.

Nanodiamonds for Cancer Treatment

2009-05-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

A team led by Prof. Horacio Espinosa and Assist. Prof. Dean Ho at the McCormick School of Engineering have shown that nanomaterials can shuttle chemotherapy drugs to cells without producing the negative effects of today's delivery agents.
Clusters of the nanodiamonds surround the drugs to ensure that they remain separated from healthy cells until they reach the cancer cells, where they are released.
The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation and the results were recently published online in the scientific journal Small.

HIV Vaccine Turns Muscle into Antibody Factories

2009-05-24T22:44:00.001-07:00

Nine macaques have been protected against the monkey version of HIV with a novel vaccine that sidesteps the monkey immune system. Instead, the vaccine turns monkey muscles into factories for churning out antibodies.
Researchers injected the monkeys' muscles with a harmless virus carrying genes for making immunoadhesins, antibody-like molecules pre-selected to attack SIV.
The viruses put the genes into the nuclei of muscle cells, which produce antibodies that combat HIV, potentially indefinitely.

Unbreakable Sunglasses

2009-05-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Fisk sunglasses have a number of innovative elements. First, they have a completely adjustable nose bridge. Second, the hinge is made of surgical stainless steel and built with a Metal Injection Molding process which makes it essentially unbreakable.
The Global Fit nose bridge is structural nylon covered with soft, low porosity silicone. Two stainless steel pins with eccentric heads are inserted into the frame. As these pins are turned, the angle of the bridge turns in or out for a custom to-your-face fit.

New Horizons Sees Changes in Jupiter System

2009-05-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

New Horizons' voyage through the Jupiter system in 2007 provided a bird's-eye view of a dynamic planet that has changed since the last close-up looks by NASA spacecraft. A combination of trajectory, timing and technology allowed it to explore details no probe had seen before, such as lightning near Jupiter’s poles, the life cycle of fresh ammonia clouds, boulder-size clumps speeding through the planet’s faint rings, the structure inside volcanic eruptions on its moon Io, and the path of charged particles traversing the previously unexplored length of the planet’s long magnetic tail.
New Horizons passed our solar system's largest planet on its way to Pluto, which it should reach in 2015.

Pico Mobile Projector

2009-05-21T00:36:00.000-07:00

The KDDI pico projector is designed to work with the new KDDI iida G9 mobile phone. It can project a 480x320 image of between six and 63 inches onto a flat surface or wall up to 8.2 feet (2.5m) away.

The battery provides for up to 130 minutes of continuous viewing and can be fully charged in less than two hours.
The pico projector is made for showing off holiday video and snaps stored on the phone and measures just 50×112×18.3mm and weighs 128g.

An Anti-Smoke Alarm

2009-05-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

This device is meant to help you avoid getting on a ladder and taking the batteries out of your smoke alarm when you accidentally set it off.
The "Smokey" hosts an XBee chip that communicates wirelessly with the smoke alarm. So when the alarm goes off, you just need to press his hand to temporarily silence it until the smoke clears.
It also works as a conventional kitchen timer.

Violin That Teaches You How To Play

2009-05-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

The violin has a very steep learning curve, and this is an innovative instrument that has the ability to help.
Designer Carlos R. Mendez has created a violin called the Squidolin. It's an electric violin that works just like a normal violin, except that you can also connect it to a television set and it will tutor you through a series of lessons via it's built-in software.

Air-powered Battery

2009-05-19T00:37:00.000-07:00

Researchers at Scotland's University of St. Andrews are reporting great progress in their work on the air-powered battery, which is being designed to replace the lithium cobalt oxide electrode in the fuel cell.
The "STAIR" (St. Andrews Air) battery will run on all renewable sources, including solar, wind, and oxygen.
Within the next five years we could see electric cars that can run far longer on one charge than on a tank or two of gas. Your computer and cell phone batteries could last for several days without charging... while they are in use.

Phone Camera identifies objects for the Blind

2009-05-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

iVisit has developed image recognition software that can identify what a cell phone camera is seeing, and read it for a blind person.
The software can identify such things as bill denominations and product labels.

New Treatment for Knee Injuries

2009-05-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

MIT engineers have built a new tissue scaffold that can stimulate bone and cartilage growth when transplanted into knees and other joints, potentially offering a more effective, less expensive – and painful – option to more conventional therapies.
The scaffold developed by MIT has two layers, one that mimics bone and another that mimics cartilage. When implanted into a joint, the scaffold can stimulate mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow to produce new bone and cartilage.
The researchers demonstrated the scaffold's effectiveness in a 16-week study involving goats. In the study, the scaffold successfully stimulated bone and cartilage growth after being implanted in the goats' knees. Although the technology is still limited to small defects, using scaffolds roughly 8 mm (0.3-inches) in diameter, the scaffold offers a potential new treatment for sports injuries and other cartilage damage, such as arthritis.

Memo Personal Robot

2009-05-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

The Memo is a robot designed to provide secondary care for Alzheimer's patients. The fingerprint-secure remote control controls it's various functions, such as schedule planning, dispensing medicine and playing games.
Memo also has a video projector and can call emergency professionals when urgent care is needed.

The Hospital on Wheels

2009-05-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Mercedes-Benz have developed "clinic buses" for the Government of Dubai. These mini-hospitals on wheels were developed so rapid medical assistance can be given in the event of major emergencies.
Of the three observation bays in the bus, one can be converted into a fully-functioning operating theatre. The buses are equipped with an ECG, an InSpectra shock monitor, an x-ray machine and ultrasonic equipment.
The buses can also be equipped with storage units containing generators, tents for the treatment of more injury victims, decontamination systems and an oxygen concentrator.

Nanoenergy Battery

2009-05-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

A company called Front-Edge Technology has developed ultra-thin bendable battery technology which can deliverbetween 10 and 20 times more power than conventional batteries.
The flexibility of these "Nanoenergy" batteries makes them ideal for portable devices. Theese new batteries can also be manufactured in different shapes and in sizes that can be thinner than a sheet of paper.
Front-Edge Technology claims that the special characteristics of their batteries also make them ideal for micro power devices such as one-time-password smartcards, battery-assisted RFID tags, wireless sensor networks and medical applications such as hearing aids and heart-monitoring devices.

The Honda Hovercar

2009-05-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

The Honda Fuzo is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing concept vehicle. The Fuzo has four high-powered turbines for high-speed horizontal flight and directional control.
The vehicle has a top speed of 350 mph and two joysticks on wither side of the armrest to control speed, trust, and steering.
It also features an automatic collision-detection system that relies on GPS to keep cars from hitting one another and also airbags on the inside and outside of the vehicle for safety.

Robot with Artificial Skin

2009-05-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

A new New robot with artificial skin could help improve human communication. The project, worked on by researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, has developed this technology so that it can be used in their work investigating how robots can help children with autism to learn about social interaction.
The researchers have covered a robot with artificial skin and will develop new sensor technologies which can provide tactile feedback from areas of the robot’s body. The idea is to make the robot able to respond to different styles of how the children play with it. This could help the children develop ‘socially appropriate’ playful interaction when interacting with the robot and other people.
Roboskin is being co-ordinated by Professor Giorgio Cannata of Università di Genova (Italy) and other partners include Università di Genova, Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne, Italian Institute of Technology, University of Wales at Newport and Università di Cagliari.

DISCOVERY OF NEW DINOSAURS

2009-05-11T00:14:00.000-07:00

A New Species

DISCOVERY OF NEW DINOSAURS can happen almost anywhere and anytime. A 14-year-old boy found these dinosaur bones buried on his family's ranch in Montana. Although no one realized it at the time, the fossil was unlike any other dinosaur and proved to be a new species. This dinosaur, named , looked similar to a modern bird and was a fierce hunter that may have preyed on small mammals and reptiles.
Around 90 percent of Bambiraptor's bones were recovered, making this one of the most complete specimens ever found in North America. With so much of the skeleton to study, researchers have been able to learn some surprising details about this fossil. Based on analysis of the skull, for example, scientists think that this species had a brain nearly as large as the brains of some modern birds.

FAST FACTS: Bambiraptor

Species: Bambiraptor feinbergi
Pronunciation: "BAM-be-rap-tor fine-BERG-eye"
Size:
LENGTH: 0.7 meter (30 inches)
HEIGHT: 0.3 meters (12 inches)
WEIGHT: 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds)
Food: small mammals and reptiles
When it lived: 75 million years ago
Fun fact: The large claw on Bambiraptor's second toe was probably used for killing prey, suggesting the animal was a fierce hunter.

New Discoveries at Mercury

2009-05-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

Mercury's magnetic field is "alive." Volcanic vents ring the planet's giant Caloris Basin. And Mercury has shrunk in on itself more than previously suspected.
These are just a few of the new discoveries by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which flew past Mercury on January 14, 2008. The results are described in a series of 11 papers published in a special July 4th issue of Science magazine.
Six of the papers in Science report studies of the planet's surface--its colors, mineralogy, and the shape of its terrain. For instance, the color enhanced image below reveals evidence of volcanic vents along the margins of Caloris basin, one of the Solar System's largest and youngest impact basins:
"By combining Mariner 10 and MESSENGER data, the science team was able to reconstruct a comprehensive geologic history of the entire Caloris basin interior," says James Head of Brown University, lead author of one of the Science reports. "The basin was formed from an impact by an asteroid or comet during a period of heavy bombardment in the first billion years of Solar System history. As with the lunar maria, a period of volcanic activity followed, producing lava flows that filled the basin interior. This volcanism is responsible for the comparatively light, red material of the interior plains intermingled with [newer] impact crater deposits."
Read More....

Anti-microbial Paint Kills Superbugs

2009-05-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Scientists in South Dakota have developed the first antimicrobial paint, a material that can simultaneously kill not just disease-causing bacteria but mold, fungi, and viruses.
The paint is especially effective at fighting "superbugs," the antibiotic-resistant microbes that infect hospital surfaces and cause an estimated 88,000 deaths annually in the US.
The researchers developed a new antimicrobial polymer which has no undesirable effects on the quality of latex paints. Laboratory tests showed that the new polymer kills a wide range of disease-causing microbes including those resistant to multiple antibiotics. The paint can be easily "recharged" with a simple chlorination process.

Generating Electricity from Moving Vehicles

2009-05-08T04:21:00.000-07:00

A company called New Energy Technologies, Inc. has designed a system called MotionPower which can trap kinetic energy drivers generate simply by driving over an energy-capturing device on the road.
The MotionPower system is designed to be installed at high traffic locations such as tollbooths, traffic intersections, rest areas, travel plazas, restaurant and bank drive-thrus, border crossings, and neighborhoods with traffic calming zones.
New Energy engineers have built and tested the first prototype, and are working to optimize the efficiency of the system that can potentially produce energy from the 250 million vehicles on the road in the US.

Inventive Reading Glasses

2009-05-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

These LED Light Reading Glasses or inventive reading glasses have ultra-bright LED lights built into each corner of the lens frame. In the frame are four batteries that power the glasses for up to 30 hours.
These glasses have an edge over small book-lights as they do not move or fall out of place and don't have to be moved every time a page is turned.
These headlamp-in-glasses are also useful for using a computer keyboard at night and also for finding things in small, dark places.

Making Urine Drinkable

2009-05-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

This device was created for emergency areas and areas with unclean water, and turns urine into drinkable water.
The device uses a fairly simple Activated Carbon filter to remove the taste and color from the urine, and a housing underneath stores the resulting water.

The Heat is On: Spitzer's Infrared Views of the Cosmos

2009-05-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

RCW 38 is at a distance of ~1.7 kpc (~5500 light years) from us, near the famous Vela supernova remnant and the Gum nebula. This starforming region contains a number of highly massive O stars embedded in a dense obscuring cloud. The stars are about 2 million years old, indicating that star formation is ongoing is this relatively young region.

Flexible, Extremely Thin Loudspeakers

2009-05-05T10:27:00.001-07:00

Extremely flat, flexible loudspeakers have been designed by Warwick Audio Technologies. They bend easily, they could adapt to whatever space they're being installed in. Conventional stereo speakers use vibrating electromagnetic drivers to produce sound, whereas these speakers operate using a flexible laminate composed of a series of conducting and insulating materials. The laminate vibrates when an electrical audio signal is introduced and the speakers create a directional sound wave based on the audio signal. Warwick also says that the technology is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

Shark-Shaped Submarine

2009-05-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Fabien Cousteau (the grandson of the famous Jacques Cousteau) has developed a submarine that is shape like a shark. This allows a diver to interact and study sharks in their own habitat. The 14-foot long shark sub mimics the movement of a real great white shark - when submerged, the sub is flooded with water, making in necessary for the diver/pilot to wear a wet suit.Cousteau hopes that this new device will help other scientists to delve further into the study of sharks.

Telescope snaps most distant object

2009-05-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Astronomers tracking a mysterious blast of energy called a gamma ray burst said on Tuesday they had snapped a photograph of the most distant object in the universe -- a smudge 13 billion light-years away.

Hawaii's Gemini Observatory caught the image earlier this month after a satellite first detected the burst.

"Our infrared observations from Gemini immediately suggested that this was an unusually distant burst, these images were the smoking gun," said Edo Berger of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Distortions in the light signature of the object show it is 13 billion years old -- at the speed of light, 13 billion light-years away. A light-year is 6 trillion miles (10 trillion km).

Air-Conditioned Bed

2009-05-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

Kuchofuku and Itochu have developed a mattress with a built-in air conditioning system.

A fan located at the foot of the mattress pulls in air from behind the sleeper's head drawing off body heat, and transporting it out of the bed.

According to the makers, operating the mattress for eight hours results in about 13 cents in monthly electricity costs, which is way less than using an air conditioner that cools an entire room. The best part is that the mattress can be used in winter as well, as buyers get a heater with the mattress.

Running eight hours a day, the system will generate only about 13 yen in — much cheaper than using an air conditioner to cool an entire bedroom. The mattress goes on sale in May in Japan in May and costs $300.

Zip-up Earbuds

2009-05-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

These innovative iPod earbuds have an integrated zipper which helps keep the cables from getting tangled.

To use the headphones, you unzip them to use, then zip them back up to store them away. The cables don't get tangled, and also the zipper can take up the extra slack when they are being worn.

The volume control is integrated right into the zipper pull.

Hand Exerciser Helps Arthritis Patients

2009-05-02T07:01:00.002-07:00

This "hand fitness trainer" strengthens your muscles and joints, resisting repetitive stress injuries and slowing the progression of osteoarthritis.The device, which was a recipient of the Medical Design Excellence Award, fits over your hand like a glove. As you open up your fingers, the adjustable elastic bands that extend from the palm to your finger tips offer resistance, strengthening the muscles of the hand, wrist, and elbow.

Geostationary Solar Powered Airship

2009-05-02T01:40:00.001-07:00

May-01-09
U.S. Defense contractor Lockheed Martin is developing a $400 million airship surveillance and telecommunications platform called the High Altitude Airship (HAA).The HAA is an un-tethered, unmanned lighter-than-air vehicle that will operate above the jet stream in a stationary position. The airship will be able to survey a 600-mile diameter area to deliver telecommunications relay, weather data or surveillance. The ship will be built using high-strength fabrics to minimize hull weight. Lift is provided by helium and leakage, as well as migration of air and water vapor into the helium enclosure, will be minimized by the envelope design.

A "Mood Lamp " That Can Read Minds

2009-04-30T05:09:00.000-07:00

A technology called “functional MRI” or fMRI can see what is happening inside someone’s brain when they are thinking specific thoughts. The Psyleron Mind Lamp is a fun way that explores an application of this technology.

Researchers at Princeton University developed the Lamp, and claim that the Mind Lamp changes color due to “electron tunneling”, a quantum-level phenomenon that directs the lamp to change the lamp color.

The lamp has a microprocessor that checks for statistical patterns that adjust the red, green, blue and white color balances on the body of the unit.

Gardens on the Moon

2009-04-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

Groundbreaking advancements in the realm of space engineering may see the moon sown with the first gardens to grow on the lunar surface by 2012.

As part of the Google Lunar X Prize, Paragon Space Development Corporation has recently teamed with Odyssey Moon to develop a pressurized mini greenhouse to deploy on the surface of the moon, grow a plant from seed, and hopefully see it flower and seed itself. This marks a critical stage of development for extending life beyond the confines of our planet.

In order to successfully grow a plant on the moon, Paragon has developed a very specialized greenhouse that can safely contain a plant and provide it with all elements it needs to survive.

The greenhouse will need to protect the plant from the sun’s intense rays while providing it with enough water, balanced soil, and carbon dioxide while removing its waste oxygen. They are basically creating a space suit for the plant.

Artificial Blood Vessels

2009-04-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

Researchers have developed artificial blood vessels made using a person's own skin cells which could dramatically improve the results of organ transplants.

These new blood vessels are made from a patient's own tissues, which lowers the chance of a harmful immune reaction.

Normally, doctors typically harvest a piece of a vein from a patient to make a bypass called a shunt, but over time, these shunts often fail, forcing doctors to use shunts made with plastics and other synthetic materials that can trigger immune reactions or blood-flow problems.

Researchers led by Cytograft Tissue Engineering of Novato, California, came up with a method for growing replacement vessels using a patient's own cells. They start by harvesting skin cells growing these in a sheet. They then roll up the sheet into the shape of a tube.

Bermuda-Triangle (Mystery)

2009-04-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

The “Triangle” in History: a shape takes form

“The region involved, a watery triangle bounded roughly by Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, measures less than a thousand miles on any one side.”
. . .So George X. Sand introduced the Triangle to his readers in October 1952 in a short article for Fate magazine, entitled “Sea Mystery at our Back Door.”
Sand’s article recounted the latest disappearance (the Sandra in 1950) and went on to discuss some of the other recent baffling mysteries like NC16002, Star Tiger and Star Ariel, aside from

devoting most of the article to Flight 19.
The Triangle remained a colloquial expression throughout the 1950s, employed by locals when another disappearance or unexplained crash happened.
By the early 1960s, it had acquired the name The Deadly Triangle. In his 1962 book, Wings of Mystery, author Dale Titler also devoted pages in Chapter 14— “The Mystery of Flight 19”— to recounting the most recent incidents of disappearances and even began to ponder theories, such as electromagnetic anomalies and the ramifications of Project Magnet. His book would set the temper for Triangle

The Deadly Triangle as it appeared in a 1962 book Wings of Mystery by Dale Titler. The idea that Vincent Gaddis invented the shape and mystery is nonsense. It had long been popular before his time. He seems merely to have been the first one to call it Bermuda Triangle. It is also nonsense that Gaddis or anybody else ever thought that Miami, Bermuda, and San Juan were absolute nodal points. Gaddis was merely trying to give the area geographic life to a growing audience.

Fate’s October 1952 issue. The Triangle begins.

Swine Flu

2009-04-28T02:58:00.000-07:00

OVERVIEW

An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico has raised concerns worldwide that the disease could be emerging as a global pandemic. On April 26, 2009, American officials declared a public health emergency after 20 cases of swine flu were confirmed in the United States; by the next day, the number had doubled.

The virus in the American cases looked identical to the A (H1N1) swine flu in Mexico that is believed to have killed 149 people and sickened about 1,600. Health officials in the United States and at the World Health Organization urged the public not to panic, noting that the cases confirmed outside of Mexico had been mild, and that the virulence of the virus remained unknown.

Still, they urged Americans to forego nonessential travel to Mexico, where many schools and public venues had been shut. On April 27, the European Union's health commissioner urged Europeans to avoid nonessential travel to the United States or Mexico. The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Richard Besser, responded that the advisory was unwarranted.

Officials said that 28 of the 50 confirmed cases in the United States were diagnosed in New York City, all among students at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Officials said they had also confirmed cases in California, Kansas, Texas and Ohio. Diagnoses have also been made in Canada, Spain, Scotland and New Zealand.

Mexican officials said they had traced the origins of the outbreak to a rural area known as La Gloria in the southeastern state of Veracruz, the site of several major pig farms.

SWINE FLU QUESTIONS

The new swine flu cases are caused by an influenza strain called H1N1, which appears to be easily passed from person to person. Doctors have little information yet on the mortality rate, as there is no reliable data on the total number of people infected.

The central question every flu expert in the world would like answered, Dr. Martin Cetron, director of global migration and quarantine for the Centers for Disease Control, said in an interview, is how many mild cases Mexico has had.

The Most Popular Causes of Death In 2030

2009-04-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

At the end of 2008, a list with a prognostic of the most "popular" causes of mortality in the year 2030 was published by the World Health Organization. Nowadays, these are: tumors, ischemic disease of heart and disturbances of the cerebral blood circulation.

According to this list, the 3 causes will still keep their positions in future; more than that, the frequency of these diseases will increase. Other frequent causes of mortality today are infarctions and heart attacks in an older age. Besides, in such cases, the patient's life often depends on the extreme measures taken in the first minutes or hours, which is a problem for doctors both in big cities, and in villages, because of the distance that may separate them. By 2030 the situation is less likely to change.

The number of deaths in car accidents will also increase. It isn't surprising since the number of cars is in a continuous growth and, in the history of humanity, technical development has always outrun culture evolution.

Pills Against Insomnia Cause Sleepwalking

2009-04-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

Ambien and Lunest are often prescribed sleeping pills. These pills, however, cause the most strange side effects. The Food and Drug Administration reported yesterday such strange behavior as eating or driving while asleep.

These reports have provoked the F.D.E. to order the drug makers to make certain fliers for such sleeping drugs, where patients could read detailed instructions on how to use them.

The investigation of such side effects was caused by, but limited to numerous reports from the users of Ambien (the most prescribed sleeping drug). Their complaints ranged from harmless sleepwalking and hallucinations to eating while asleep, violent outbursts and driving, which is the most disturbing.

2010 Audi

2009-04-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Although media focus has shifted to its smaller Q5 crossover, Audi hasn't forgotten about the larger Q7. The 2010 model, debuting at this week's 2009 Shanghai motor show, sports a few small repairs, helping it fit in with Audi's heavily-revised portfolio.
If you're a fan of the Q7's physical form, you'll be elated to know the crossover's shape doesn't change for 2010. Exterior changes are limited, with the largest revision being revised front and rear bumper skins. Others, notably the new grille insert and LED daytime running lamps, help bring the Q7 in line with the company's current design ethic.

A Wristwatch for The Blind

2009-04-27T04:47:00.001-07:00

This new watch features rotating discs with nub on each representing the "hands". Feeling the nub helps the blind read the time.

Three−dimensional rings distinguish the discs from each other and a flexible membrane protects the face of the watch.

Mind-Reading Headsets That Can Change Your Brain

2009-04-27T03:28:00.000-07:00

Apr-24-09

Researchers have developed systems that read brainwaves – in the form of electroencephalogram signals that can help people suffering from disabilities or paralysis control wheelchairs, play games, or type on a computer.

Two companies are preparing to market similar devices to mainstream consumers.

These devices are remarkably cheap, especially when compared to the price tags on research-grade EEGs. INstead of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the new headsets will retail for $299.

Peanut-shaped Stellar Explosion Spotted By Hubble

2009-04-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Apr. 25, 2009) — Using the NASA / ESA Hubble Space Telescope (HST), an international team of astronomers have taken the first optical images of a dramatic stellar outburst and discovered a peanut-shaped bubble expanding rapidly into space.

Team member Valerio Ribeiro, a graduate student from Liverpool John Moores University presented their results on Wednesday 22nd April at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science conference at the University of Hertfordshire. Read more......

Mauna Kea telescopes spy mysterious blob at cosmic dawn

2009-04-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2009 - Mauna Kea, Hawaii

This composite image of Himiko, an Alpha-Lyman blob, is shown in false color. Himiko sits nearly 13 billion light years from Earth and spans 55 thousand light years, a record for that early point in time. The thick horizontal bar at the lower right corner presents a size of 10 thousand light years.

Using a number of telescopes, including the Subaru and Keck observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea, scientists have discovered what they describe as a mysterious space blob 13 billion light years from Earth.

Dubbed Lyman-Alpha blobs, these huge bodies of gas are thought to be precursors to galaxies.

Astronomers using the Japanese Subaru telescope were the first to find it, and therefore have named this object Himiko for a legendary Japanese queen. Himiko stretches for 55 thousand light years, a length comparable to the radius of the Milky Way's disk, which is a record for that early point in time.

A press release about the discovery issued by the W.M. Keck Observatory said this Lyman-Alpha blob is one of the most distant objects ever found. Its distance does not easily allow researchers to understand its physical origins. The object could therefore be ionized gas powered by a super-massive black hole, a primordial galaxy with large gas accretion, a collision of two large young galaxies, super wind from intensive star formation or a single giant galaxy with a large mass of about 40 billion Suns.
Read More......

Your MP3 With Youtube

2009-04-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

You can have your MP3 with YOUTUBE with this software.. CLICK HERE

you download the software, you open your Youtube, you open your Free YOUTUBE To MP3 Converter, and...

Past just the past and she will recognize the URL.. :)

DowLoad.. :))

CLick on FoLders.. :)))

Ur MP3.. :D

A world away, two planets somewhat like Earth

2009-04-22T05:32:00.000-07:00

By Faye Flam
Inquirer Staff Writer

The most Earth-sized planet and the most temperate planet known beyond our solar system both circle a dim red star 21 light-years away. These discoveries, announced yesterday at a meeting in England, moved astronomers a step closer to their dreams of finding other planets capable of supporting life as we understand it.
Since 1995, scientists have found more than 350 planets orbiting other stars, but most suffer from the same problems that make our neighbors in the solar system so inhospitable.
Many of the so-called extrasolar planets orbit so close that their stars would sterilize their surfaces. Others are jumbo "gas giants," like Jupiter, and therefore unlikely to have solid surfaces.
Astronomers suspect that Earthlike planets are out there but that they are nearly impossible to detect with current technology.
This latest finding came from a Swiss and French team working at the European Southern Observatory in Chile. They announced this latest finding at an international conference at the University of Hertfordshire, in conjunction with the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science.
For the last four years, the team has been studying this relatively nearby solar system, called Gliese 581, named after Wilhelm Gliese, who cataloged this and other nearby stars. It now appears to have four planets. Read More.....

Scientists discover lightest exoplanet yet

2009-04-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

The planet orbiting Gliese 581 has a mass twice that of Earth.
Provided by ESO
April 21, 2009 Well-known exoplanet researcher Michel Mayor today announced the discovery of the lightest exoplanet found so far. The planet "e" in the famous system Gliese 581 is only about twice the mass of Earth. The team also refined the orbit of the planet Gliese 581 d, first discovered in 2007, placing it well within the habitable zone, where liquid water oceans could exist. These amazing discoveries are the outcome of more than 4 years of observations using the most successful low-mass-exoplanet hunter in the world, the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) spectrograph attached to the 3.6-meter European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescope at La Silla, Chile. Read More....

A Daring Pairing of Moon and Venus

2009-04-22T00:52:00.001-07:00

Early risers in North America are in for a treat on the morning of Wednesday, April 22nd, when the waning crescent Moon passes in front of the brilliant crescent Venus.

The apparent path of Venus behind the Moon on April 22, 2009, depends on where you are. The local horizon is approximately downward; celestial north is to the upper left.
Sky & TelescopeFor much of the continent the occultation happens after sunrise in broad daylight. If the air is clear you can find the thin, dim Moon about 33° to the upper right of the early-morning Sun, with Venus near its edge. Sadly, this event will be a near miss along the Eastern Seaboard. Read More....

2009 Aston Martin DB9 Volante

2009-04-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

The good: A stunning exterior and beautiful coachwork mark the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 Volante. The standard 700-watt stereo system is good, and an available 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen system is even better. A hard-drive-based navigation system works quickly, and the Bluetooth system shows cell phone contact lists.
The bad: The ride is a little stiff, with no comfort settings, and the DB9 gulps gas. The navigation system LCD integration looks like a hack, and the overall electronics interface isn't well-integrated.
The bottom line: If you want and can afford an Aston Martin DB9, you will probably get one, no matter what anyone else says. But it's nice to know that the cabin electronics are modern enough for cell phones and iPods.
Specifications: Body style: Convertible ; Trim levels: DB9 ; Available Engine: Gas See full specs

Efficient Designs Reduce Drag By 60% to 80%!

2009-04-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

Aircraft, trucks, autos, ducted fans and vacuum cleaners that undergo this new, completely efficient design for drag reduction (air friction) may decrease their drag by 60% to 80%, while also increasing engine power and speed. There are two main design features:

1) Rear fuselage/body drag reduction devices.

2) Engine intake manifold and exhaust flow system.

The rear foil designs have been tested and results prove to initially reduce the rear aerodynamic drag coefficients by 64% for a six ton diesel truck. The foils increased acceleration and speeds for uphill climbs, cruise and top speeds and reduced a seven hour trip to five hours.

Nanotechnology Robots That Are As Small As Bacteria

2009-04-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

Apr-19-09
Researchers in Zurich have built micro-robots as small as bacteria which are made to help cure disease in humans.The tiny spiral-shaped robots, similar in look to E. coli, are called “Artificial Bacterial Flagella” (ABFs). They were invented, manufactured and enabled to swim with their moveable tails by researchers in a group at the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at ETH Zurich. At a total length of 25 to 60 µm, They can only be observed under a microscope and perform, ironically, the opposite function of real bacteria - to help cure disease.[SCIENCEDAILY.COM]