Posted on July 21st, 2010 by axb
Staying cool can be a challenge in the summer months, especially when global temperatures seem to be hitting an all-time high. Fortunately for your electric bill, a new metal alloy could someday increase the efficiency of your air conditioner by as much as 175%.
The “smart” metal, which would replace liquid coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, is currently being tested by materials engineers at the University of Maryland.
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Filed under: e-News, Environmental, Materials | Comments Off on New Smart Metal Could Make Your Air Conditioner 175% More Efficient
Tags: Environmental, Materials
Posted on July 21st, 2010 by jxh
A new system that detects available parking spots and indicates them for drivers could reduce traffic congestion, carbon emissions – and, with any hope, road rage.
Researchers from Spain’s Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona School of Engineering developed the system, called XALOC – Xarxes de sensors per a la gestió d’Aparcaments públics i LOCalització.
Translation? “Sensor networks for the management of public parking and location.”
Each parking spot in the system has a wireless sensor embedded in the middle of the space, which can tell whether or not the space is occupied.
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Filed under: Civil, e-News, Electrical, Transportation | 1 Comment »
Tags: Civil, Electrical, Green Technology, Transportation
Posted on July 20th, 2010 by jxh
Wouldn’t it be great if the pesky mice in your home would just disappear?
Well, if you’re talking about the mouse for your computer, then you’re in luck!
Researchers are about to unleash Mouseless, an invisible computer mouse that allows users to interact with a computer as usual – just without a physical mouse.
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Filed under: Computer, e-News | Comments Off on The Invisible Mouse
Tags: Computer, Technology
Posted on July 18th, 2010 by axb
In science and engineering, sometimes the most creative inventions are the outcome of happy accidents. Such is the case with the Aqualux 3D, an innovative 3D display technology that resulted when researchers at Carnegie Mellon were attempting to improve the functionality of car headlights under rainy conditions. They discovered that layers of water could make the perfect medium for a truly 3-dimensional, interactive screen.
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Filed under: Computer, e-News | 1 Comment »
Tags: 3D, Computer
Posted on July 16th, 2010 by axb
NASA satellite image of the oil slick from July 12, 2010
The New York Times is reporting that a cap placed yesterday on the exploded BP oil well appears to be holding steady. After the disastrous oil rig explosion on April 20 off the Gulf of Mexico, BP has struggled to find a solution to stop the deadly leak.
See this graphic for a timeline of previous attempts to cap the leak, and this video for views of the current containment apparatus.
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Filed under: e-News, Environmental, Ocean | 4 Comments »
Tags: Environmental, Ocean
