For everything from family to computers…
What would happen if you ripped out all the TVs and associated wiring from a plane, and gave everyone an iPad instead? Well, we just found out: the plane becomes 7 percent lighter, and saves an awful lot of fuel as a result. More »
from Gizmodo
Last week, we reported that a staggering 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Now, engineer Craig Mansfield has worked out how much it would cost per year to pre-screen all that video for copyright infringements—and the answer is close to that of Google’s annual revenue. More »
from Gizmodo
I was just about to be elated but then found out that there’s an enclosure of some kind… 🙁
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Wicked Lasers has created the LaserSaber, which utilizes optical elements, diffuser tubes, and magnets to create waving wands of laser light.
The parts are also interchangeable.
LaserSabers by Wicked Lasers contain a 32″ polycarbonate blade and an aircraft-grade aluminum hilt.
LaserSabers range from about $300 to a whopping $1,000, depending on the model.
View the official video below and see how they work.
**Just like any sword or saber, G.A.S. reminds you to please operate LaserSabers with care and respect and read the instructions.**
[Via GeekTyrant]
Imagine all you wanted for Christmas was a telescope. As you frantically peel off layer after layer of wrapping, there it is — your brother’s old one. Well, okay, if your brother was the National Reconnaissance Office (and you were NASA) this might not seem quite as unjust. Thankfully so, as that’s effectively what’s just happened. The NRO has given NASA two 2.4-meter “space qualified” telescopes and satellite casings for it to play with. The gifts — which can observe about 100 times the area of the Hubble telescope — could complement existing projects and provide much-needed resources at the space agency. As there is currently no funded mission for them, however, they’ll remain firmly on the ground for now, but at least this implies they’re not needed elsewhere — hinting at improved international relations. Unless the NRO just got an upgrade?
from Engadget
Supercapacitors complement batteries in energy storage and delivery schemes both large and small, as they can provide quick bursts of power. They already help Honda’s fuel cell vehicle FCX accelerate. But supercapacitors hold less energy per volume than a typical battery, so they have limited storage capacity.
Changing the electrode material can boost the capacitance, thus improving the energy density. Yi Cui and Zhenan Bao of Stanford University have made a hydrogel (water-based gel) using a conducting polymer. When used as electrodes in a supercapacitor, the new material has a capacitance about three times greater than a typical carbon supercapacitor. It’s also cheap to build and operate.
Typical supercapacitors are made from two closely spaced, porous carbon electrodes that charge and discharge quickly. Negative ions from the electrolyte collect inside the pores in the positive electrode, while positive ions gather in the negative electrode. That ion separation stores energy as a potential difference between the two electrodes.
from Ars Technica
Verizon today said it will double its highest FiOS Internet speeds to 300 megabits per second. That’s faster than any cable offering, and faster than many of the wireless routers powering our homes. (If only FiOS was available in more places…)
The new speeds will be available in June, and offer a big boost to both upload and download times across most FiOS service levels. The biggest increase percentage-wise comes in the 50Mbps tier, which will triple to 150Mbps, as you can see in this chart provided by Verizon:
The vast majority of existing Verizon customers will be eligible for the upgrades. Unfortunately, Verizon may be stopping any major expansions of its FiOS infrastructure, so if cable and its 100Mbps max speed is your best option today it will likely stay your best option. But for existing customers, Verizon will provide free equipment upgrades (including faster routers) when necessary.
from Ars Technica
