Wednesday, November 30, 2005

United Press International - Nano-sponges for toxic metals

United Press International - Nano-sponges for toxic metals:
"Microscopic particles honeycombed with holes only nanometers wide soon could help purify industrial runoff, coal plant smoke, crude oil and drinking water of toxic metals, experts told UPI's Nano World."
Via Foresight Nanotech Institute Newsletter

Infolink.com.au - Wireless home electrics from Clipsal

Infolink.com.au - Wireless home electrics from Clipsal:
"Clipsal Integrated Systems, is driving an increase in the take-up of smart home technology with its new Australian made C-Bus Wireless technology, distinguished from previous C-Bus home automation products in that it can perform an impressive range of lighting and control tasks without the need for pre-wiring to perform dimming or switching commands."
LINKS: Clipsal

Infolink.com.au - CSIRO casts concrete in a new light

Infolink.com.au - CSIRO casts concrete in a new light:
"In a joint study conducted with CMR Energy Technologies, the CSIRO study found that a new type of aerated wall panel promises cheaper, faster building and better insulation than conventional precast concrete, according to CSIRO?s online review, SOLVE."

BizReport - Big Easy Launches Free Wireless System

BizReport - Big Easy Launches Free Wireless System:
"To help boost its stalled economy, hurricane-ravaged New Orleans is offering the nation's first free wireless Internet network owned and run by a major city."

BizReport - Yahoo Unveils RSS E-Mail Folder

BizReport - Yahoo Unveils RSS E-Mail Folder:
"Looking to gain another edge on its rivals, Internet powerhouse Yahoo Inc. on Wednesday will begin testing a new e-mail folder designed to make it easier for people to track the latest information posted on their favorite Web sites."

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Dark Horizons - David Bowie Has Much "Prestige"

Dark Horizons - David Bowie Has Much "Prestige":
"In 'Prestige' Bowie will play inventor and electrical wizard Nikola Tesla, who is approached by one of two competing magicians for help in pulling off the ultimate magic trick in 1878. The Tesla character is based on the real-life Serbian-American inventor who discovered the rotating magnetic field."
Via Electrifying Times

Technology Review - The Lithium Economy

Technology Review - The Lithium Economy:
"The need to reduce carbon emissions and to find a long-term replacement for oil has many people looking at hydrogen fuel cells to power factories and vehicles. But finding ways to store volatile hydrogen safely and bring down the costs of fuel-cell ingredients, which currently include the fantastically expensive element platinum, has proved difficult."
Via Electrifying Times

news@nature - Fire and ice caught on camera

news@nature - Fire and ice caught on camera:
"A remote South Atlantic island, trapped under polar ice, is blowing its top in spectacular fashion. It is the first time that researchers have had a chance to watch an Antarctic lava flow in action."

PSFK - BBC To Simulcast BBC2 Online

PSFK - BBC To Simulcast BBC2 Online:
"The BBC has announced its intention to be one of the first television broadcasters to show their programming simlutaneously on TV and the web. A pilot will be unveiled next year along with further trials of MyBBCPlayer, which will allow viewers to legally download BBC programmes."

Digital Chosunilbo - First WiBro Phone to Be Unveiled During APEC

Digital Chosunilbo - First WiBro Phone to Be Unveiled During APEC:
"Samsung Electronics will unveil a mobile phone allowing access to the mobile wireless broadband Internet service WiBro, the world’s first according to the company. The firm said Sunday it will introduce WiBro terminals in various shapes at an IT exhibition that runs alongside the APEC forum in the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) from Nov. 15 to 21. WiBro enables wireless Internet access on the move at speeds of up to 120 km/h. Korea will become the first country to start the service commercially in the first half of next year."
Via PSFK

PSFK - Laundry Evolution

PSFK - Laundry Evolution:
"Two new laundry services have opened up in New York City aimed at busy professionals - one focuses on their eco-friendliness, the other on their fragrant delivery."

Treehugger - Waterless Washing Machine: The Airwash

Treehugger - Waterless Washing Machine: The Airwash:
"Two students from the National University of Singapore's school of industrial design have developed a waterless washing machine that removes stains from garments within a few minutes, without the use of detergents. The AirWash, which won the ElectroLux Design Lab 2005 Award, uses negative ions, compressed air and deodorants to clean clothes; the form was inspired by the waterfall, which just so happens to be nature's own negative ion factory."

Treehugger - New Tankless Water Heater Uses Microwaves

Treehugger - New Tankless Water Heater Uses Microwaves:
"A company based in Canada, Pulsar Advanced Technologies, is set to release the Vulcanus MK4, a water heater that uses microwave technology to heat water on demand. The press release states that the Vulcanus MK4 can heat water from 35 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds and can source multiple applications at once: showers, dishwasher, sink usages and more. The water heater is the size of a stereo speaker with a modern look, making it suitable for condos and apartments."
Via Pulsar Advanced Technologies

contract Magazine - Wal-Mart Goes Green

contract Magazine - Wal-Mart Goes Green:
"A big box retailer may not be the first facility that pops to mind when discussing sustainability, but Wal-Mart is hoping to change that perception. Its recently opened experimental Supercenter in Denver, Colo., is the second of the company's stores designed to reduce the amount of raw materials used in construction, substituting renewable materials when possible, as well as reduce the amount of energy and natural resources requires to operate and maintain the store. The first experimental store opened in McKinney, Texas, this past summer."

AlterNet - A Failed Presidency?

AlterNet - A Failed Presidency?:
"Instead of focusing on this administration's screw-up du jour, isn't it time for the mainstream media to start taking real account of the messes Bush has created already?"
Via Cyborg Democracy