Solar cells are typically made from silicon crystals. This is the same material used in computer semiconductors and chips. Crystalline silicon is a somewhat scarce commodity because of the huge demand. Alternative materials or perhaps less use of scarce materials will go a very long way to increasing the feasibility of solar power. This becomes even more important when you consider the ideal future, which for me would include every roof surface having a solar panel array. Fortunately, Power Film has created solar cells that use a minimal account of silicon. This cell is incredibly thin, using 2 micrometer thick non crystalline silicon wavers. This allows the Power Film cell to be mounted on flexible plastic, curved surfaces and other materials. It still has a ways to go as the power yield is about half of the normal crystalline silicon panels. Also the performance decreases over time. This will have to be fixed

via - UberGizmo

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This could change everything if it’s really more capacity than hype. Scientist at EEstor claim to have created a battery - a “parallel plate capacitor with barium titanate as the dielectric” or hypercapacitor. This is basically a battery that holds extremely high voltage charges in solid ceramic material. Quoting from www.TreeHugger.com with info obtained from a Toronto Star source within EEstor, this is what such a battery could offer:

The batteries fully charge in minutes as opposed to hours.

* Whereas with lead acid batteries you might get lucky to have 500 to 700 recharge cycles, the EEStor technology has been tested up to a million cycles with no material degradation.

* EEStor’s technology could be used in more than low-speed electric vehicles. The company envisions using it for full-speed pure electric vehicles, hybrid-electrics (including plug-ins), military applications, backup power and even large-scale utility storage for intermittent renewable power sources such as wind and solar.

* Because it’s a solid state battery rather than a chemical battery, such being the case for lithium ion technology, there would be no overheating and thus safety concerns with using it in a vehicle.

* Finally, with volume manufacturing it’s expected to be cost-competitive with lead-acid technology.

“It’s the holy grail of battery technology,” said my source. “It means you could do a highway capable electric city car that would recharge in three or four minutes and drive you from Toronto to Montreal. Consumers wouldn’t notice the difference from driving an electric car versus a gas-powered car.”

This could have major implications for the use of Electric Cars in specific and power storage in general. Although I’m not sure if that 5 minute charge would be possible in non industrial sectors. That amount of voltage or amperage is beyond the power mains connected to most homes. As some of the astute readers at www.treehuggers.com pointed out, perhaps the home solution could be slow charging 8 to 9 hrs, while one could go to a commercial “energy station” to get a quick 5 min full capacity charge.

I really hope this comes out for real and is not shelved or sabotaged for the sake of other corporate interest. The good news is the people behind this are extremely well funded. Also of note, Feel Good Cars of canada has an investment stake in EEStor and as - Gizmodo writes is committed to making this technology roadworthy by 2008. We really need clean energy and storage!

Be sure to check these sources for the full details, ( before they’re shut down and removed by “the man”)

The Toronto Star article by Tyler Hamilton
EEStor info on Tyler’s Blog Clean Break
TreeHugger article

Never-Ending Potency: Battery Replacement Could Charge Electric-Car Industry [Jalopnik]

Technorati Tags: batteries, capacitor, clean energy, Concept Car, electric cars

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For all the computer music makers out there, Ultimate Sound Bank has just released their updated version of the PlugSound series (compatible with intel Macs). Now instead of having seperate plugins for each sound set, USB has consolidated the series around the new PlugSound Pro plugin instrument for which you can buy expansion packs. With a very powerful new architecture somewhat akin to the earlier Mach V on steriods with groove capability. PlugSound Pro comes decked out with an 8 Gb sample library and many high quality juicy effects to use on it’s contents. I can’t wait to dig into this.

Specifications

• New Hybrid UVI Engine, managing instruments and grooves in the same interface
• 8 Gb of sounds, including the complete award-winning Plugsound Box contents, plus additional classical instruments and loops
• Universal compatibility Mac/PC
• Expandable with new UVI Soundcards
• Unlimited polyphony / ultralow software latency
• Easy selection with a smart integrated browser, including realtime preview for grooves
• MIDI learn on most of the parameters, including speed control
• 64 parts. Parts can be instruments, loops or phrases, with a freely assignable MIDI channel (create stacks and layers in seconds)
• 64 MIDI channels
• Disk streaming for larger instruments
• Multiple separate outputs
• Expert mode to create complex stacks, layers, zone splits and key-switches performance, including intruments, loops and phrases
• Multis are cross-platform & all host compatible
• Sound Design-Shaping tools : envelopes, multi mode filters, LFOs, pitch…
• Complete professional effects arsenal, with easy editing : delay, reverb, phaser, flanger, chorus, EQ, filter, drive, distorsion, compressor…

Grooves features

• Direct sync to host : tempo & transport (user selectable)
• Realtime sync to the beat : loops are always in time
• State-of-the-art realtime time-stretch algorithm
• Latch mode to start and stop loops with a simple keystroke (perfect for LIVE application)
• Double/Half tempo with LED indicator
• Sample/Slice Start for loops and phrases
• Drag & Drop MIDI files of sliced loops into the sequencer
• Drag & Drop Audio files from stretched or sliced loops into the sequencer’s audio tracks
• Import of REX files, Apple Loops, Aiff & WAV

Technorati Tags: Audio, audio units, computers, DAW, Digital, plugin instrument, plugsound pro, software, ultimate sound bank, universal binary

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Well as the name suggest the Pioneer Elite series is at the top of the Pioneer home theater food chain. I have seen the Elite series line in other products like A/V recievers, DVD players and Laser Disc Players (remember those?). Well the Pioneer Elite Pure Vision plasma display does not disappoint and lives up to it’s true Elite series lineage in a big way. Coming in 42″, 50″ and 60″ screen sizes, these plasma panels feature state of the industry picture brightness, sharpness and color richness, but that’s not all. Also included is the unique and exclusive Pioneer home networking program, Home Media Gallery. This program allows you to use USB or Ethernet to network your media and access this stored media anywhere on the network. For example you could view stored media on your screen instantly in full high definition resolution across the Home Media Gallery Network. Of course with the Elite product line comes the “Elite” price; these HDTV Plasmas start at $4000 and go up from there.

via - UberGizmo

Technorati Tags: 1080p, HDTV, Home Theater, Pioneer Elite, Plasma, Media Networking

Canon is at it again on the digital camera front with the release of the Ixus i7 7.1 megapixel digital camera Otherwise known as the new PowerShot SD40 Digital ELPH. While this appears to be a trendy camera available in four colors, gray, dark brown (sepia), pink and blue, it packs a serious punch with a 7.1 megapixel count. While it has the power, the Ixus i7 also provides the point and shoot ease of use with features like automatically detecting faces and focusing on them, shake reduction, and a host of others:

• Compact, stylish 7.1 Megapixel Digital ELPH with 2.4x Optical Zoom
• Four attractive colors: Twilight Sepia, Olive Gray, Precious Rose, and Noble Blue
• DIGIC III Image Processor with Face Detection technology for superior image quality, fast operation and low power consumption
• Fashionable camera station with wireless controller for easy charging, image transfer and printing anywhere
• 1.8 inch LCD monitor enables you to view your images on camera with ease
• ISO 1600 to reduce image blur and expand low-light shooting capability
• Improved Movie Mode with Fast Frame Rate at 60 fps QVGA (320 x 240) or 30 fps VGA (640 x 480)
• Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with Canon CP and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers

Visit Canon to find out more

Technorati Tags: Camera, canon, Digital, Digital ELPH, digital photos, Ixus i7, photo accessories, PowerShot SD40, 7.1 Megapixel

via - UberGizmo, the Gadgets News Blog

Technorati Tags: 1080p, HDTV, LCD

In this modern time of smart phones with GPS satellite uplinks, video cameras and mp3 players. Battery technology has been lacking in similar development. It looks like that may soon change. Thanks to new research at Brown University, batteries have been created using plastic rather than metal as their conductors. This combines the high voltage power of a capacitor with the large storgage capacity of a battery. The technology is said to have 100 times the capacity of todays batteries. WOW! These new batteries could be made into any shape, even fabric. Currently the only drawback is that the cells loose their capacity greatly after being recharged numerous times. But they are working on that problem.

via - SCI FI Tech

Technorati Tags: batteries, capacitor, new research, power storage, power cell

At Cornell University, some interesting research is taking place. A bacteria and virus detecting napkin that utilizes nanotechnology is being developed. In this time of contaminated spinach and other vegetables, let’s hope this development comes to market soon. According to Sci Fi Tech,

The napkin will contain nanofibers that are bound to certain antibodies, and when those antibodies latch on to specific elements the cloth will change colors. It could be used from detecting anything from E. Coli in meat to the flu virus on your kitchen table to cooties on your little sister’s face.

It also seems that this napkin won’t be too expensive and we could possibly see it in a variety of different everyday situations. It’s still a few years away so exercise your usual caution and common sense when it comes to avoiding germs and viruses.

via - SCI FI Tech

Technorati Tags: bacteria, ecoli, Future Kitchen, health, Kitchen, kitchen gadgets, health, saftey

Another great addition for your kitchen of the future is here. From the design team of Jess Griffin and Jim Termeer, we have a high tech cutting board with a marked area for weighing your ingredients as you cut them. In a totally futuristic style, the weight is written for you in electronic red ink right on the cutting board. This is a useful product for the advanced chef, or someone cooking those more difficult recipes that call for a level of precision beyond a pinch and a dash. The board is 10 inches x 15 inches and measures weight in grams.

via - SCI FI Tech

Technorati Tags: cutting board, Future Kitchen, Kitchen, kitchen gadgets, cooking scale, digital scale

LG is jumping into the fray of ultra chic phones. Motorola really raised the bar with their ultra thin RAZR line. LG has answered with the MG810 Chocolate flip phone. It’s a handsome well designed package. With the following features:

• 1.3 megapixel camera
• 176 x 220 internal display
• 96 x 96 external display
• media player that supports AAC, MP3, Bluetooth, FM radio and GRPS
• 128 MB of flash memory

Source
via - New Launches

Technorati Tags: cell phone, mp3 player, LG chocolate