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Sky Sail

SkySails is a new alternative propulsion system for ships. This innovative system consists of a large automated towing kite designed to significantly decrease ships' operation costs. The kite has a nominal power of up to 5,000 kW (about 6,800 HP), and is intended to lower fuel consumption rates by 10%-35% on average, and by up to 50% in optimal wind conditions. . No additional personnel is needed to operate this technology, as the system is fully automatic. The christening of “Beluga SkySails”, the world's first cargo ship equipped with a SkySails-System, took place on December 15th, 2007.

-The Future of Things

closed-loop regenerative fuel cell

An Energy Storage Milestone



In the summer of 2005, Glenn demonstrated the first fully closed-loop regenerative fuel cell ever operated. It completed five continuous day and night cycles. That's nowhere near forever, but at the end of the demonstration, it had not leaked and was capable of running at least one more cycle.
Regenerative fuel cell stacks at NASA Glenn. Credit: NASA



Those five days of operation were the result of several years of hard work. The team's diligence paid off by proving a regenerative fuel cell's potential as an energy storage device for aerospace solar power systems.



Since the demonstration in 2005, the team has modified and upgraded much of the software, circuitry and hardware to make the system run more reliably.



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Vertical Farming

“ Vertical farming is a conceptual form of agriculture done in urban high-rises. In these high-rises food such as fruit, vegetables, fish, and livestock can be raised by using greenhouse growing methods and recycled resources year-round, allowing cities of the future to become self-sufficient. The potential advantages of vertical farming would be the prevention of deforestation, desertification, sprawl, and other consequences of growing agricultural land use. By producing food within population centers, less pollution is produced transporting the food from distant farms. The controlled environment of a greenhouse may also allow greater crop yields and reduced need for pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. As currently envisioned, the vertical farm would also be designed to turn sewage into fresh water, generate its own electricity from decomposition byproducts, and be virtually self sufficient.”

- Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_farming]

More Articles:

“Agriculture for the 21st Century and Beyond...”

http://www.verticalfarm.com

 (The Vertical Farm Project, 2007)

“Turning Skyscrapers into Crop Farms”

http://nymag.com/news/features/30020/

 (New York Magazine, April 1, 2007)

“Vertical farming in the big Apple”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6752795.stm

(BBC News, June 19, 2007)

“Farm of the Future?”

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070520/28food.b1.htm

(US News & World Report, May 20, 2007)

“The Vertical Farmer”

http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/10/technology/farming_vertical...

(CNN Money, September 3, 2007)

“Skyscraper Farms”

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/environment/...

(Popular Science, July, 2007)

Car that runs on air

“The engine, which powers a pneumatic-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), works alongside an electric motor to create the power source. Cheol-Seung Cho, of Energine Corporation, told CNN the system is controlled by a computer inside the car, which instructs the compressed-air engine and electric motor what to do. The compressed air drives the pistons, which turn the vehicle's wheels. The air is compressed using a small motor, powered by a 48-volt battery, which powers both the air compressor and the electric motor. Once compressed, the air is stored in a tank, Cho said”…[more]

“Korean company has created a car engine

 that runs on air”

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/03/30/spark.air.car/index.html

(CNN, April 11, 2005)

More articles:

“Move over corncobs, these guys run on air”

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/24/business/24air...

(Herald Tribute October 24, 2007)

“Compressed Air Cars to hit the Indian Roads in 2008”

http://hybridautoinfo.com/air-powered/compressed-air-cars...

(Hybrid Auto Info, August 21, 2007)

“Lofty idea initially aimed at French market”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6138972/

(MSNBC, October 4, 2004)

“Compressed Air Hybrid Car Could Increase 

Fuel Efficiency”

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/001552.html

(Energy Transportation August 5, 2003)

'World's smallest radio' unveiled

Small science has big potential, say scientists

The world's tiniest radio is a step closer to reality.

US scientists have unveiled a detector thousands of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair that can translate radio waves into sound.

According to a University of California team, the study marks the first time that a nano-sized detector has been demonstrated in a working radio system... [more]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7050477.stm

Skype on 3G

Wireless data streaming networks (3G and WiFi) for hand held devices, equipped with voice over internet protocol (viop), is boxing in traditional telecommunication companies. Unless they start keeping up with the times, their role will inevitably be tied more specifically to regional network administration, and less to being the business face of communications, individuals and companies are used to dealing with. Especially as the price of 3G bandwidth decreases, consumers will have the option of installing viop clients like Skype on their phones which will enable them to be less tied to charged-by-the-minute calling rates, charged by their phone companies.

Skype on 3G Mobile Devices

14th March , 2006
Europe UK :
Skype, the fastest growing Internet Communications Company and Hutchison 3 Group, the leader in 3G mobile services, today announced an agreement to enable Skype communications on 3G.

Working together, Hutchison 3 Group and Skype plan to give people the freedom to enjoy Skype anywhere they go, whether at home, in the office or on the move while on Hutchison’s 3 networks. Hutchison views Skype as an attractive value added service, providing customers with more choice and thus further accelerating the uptake of the Hutchison’s 3G services.

3 Sweden is already offering a Skype bundle with a 3G flat-rate subscription and 3G data card. With a mobile flat-rate data plan from Hutchison 3, users can make unlimited Skype calls... [more] http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/March2006/2772.htm