Tech/Sci
Concept Volt
Expected Production Volt
Remember when plug-in was sexy? Back when Chevy announced the volt something amazing happened every red blooded American instantly wanted the most environmentally friendly car out there. Suddenly people who never would have dremt of driving a prius started getting interested in mpgs and signing up on waiting lists to be the first in their area for the ability to drive 40 miles without using a single drop of gasoline. Soon after oil prices surged and the volt became an iconic middle finger to Opec.
Then something hit and suddenly the volt looks a little bit like an improved camry. This thing is called reality. After months of aerodynamics testing and teams looking for ways to economize the car the cutting edge design has been greatly watered down. It's as if all of a sudden my cappuccino was decaf. While the car is still a revolutionary break through what remains to be seen is if mpg's are enough to make your average Joe fork over 40,000 usd when his new volt no longer makes the guy down the streets BMW look like an Oldsmobile.
This is an incredible update to Google Earth, all the buildings in Manhattan have had a major facelift. Plus there is a unknown feature that allows you to jump from building to building like you are Spiderman.
For the Realistic Buildings:
- Download/Update to Google Earth 4.3
- Go to NYC
- Turn on 3D Buildings
For Spiderman Surfing:
- Do all the steps above
- Right click and drag (a target will pop up on the screen pointing to the building you want to fly to)
- Mac: Ctrl + click and drag
Related Links
Really cool freeze frame bullet time-esque video.
via Kanye West Blog
| It not completely tweaked up, but its a pretty interesting assessment of what is in store for the future. The computer measures the electric charges from the brain to figure out what you want the computer to do. Plus if you watch the video you will see a Monkey controlling a robotic arm with his mind. via Lifehacker |
Hold your breath mac users, because you have been ONE UPped.
This taskbar is pretty impressive, it has this feature called Aero Peek thats tight as anything.
via LifeHacker
For you hardcore audiophiles that hates the compression of MP3s and loves the warmth of Vinyl, I introduce to you the iVinyl Portable Record Player.
via CrateKings
Pharrell Williams shares his views on music, life, energy, and technology in this exclusive Web-only video, as part of the Microsoft Windows "I'm a PC" Life Without Walls initiative.
Here is the real leader of cool, Pharrell, rocking the clear len glasses and talking on some Carl Sagan type stuff.
For more videos some people showcase on the Windows Campaign such as Deepak go to Youtube.com/ Windows Videos
The Seinfeld/Gates ad has been officially dropped and replace with a John Hodgeman (PC guy from Mac ads) look-a-like. The ad features alot of notable clebs such as Pharrell Williams, Eva Longoria, Tony Parker, Bill Gates again, and the that guy with the beard.
more info: Fimoculous - Valleywag
Working in Haiti, Shawn Frayne, a 28-year-old inventor based in Mountain View, Calif., saw the need for small-scale wind power to juice LED lamps and radios in the homes of the poor. Conventional wind turbines don’t scale down well—there’s too much friction in the gearbox and other components. “With rotary power, there’s nothing out there that generates under 50 watts,” Frayne says. So he took a new tack, studying the way vibrations caused by the wind led to the collapse in 1940 of Washington’s Tacoma Narrows Bridge (aka Galloping Gertie).
Frayne’s device, which he calls a Windbelt, is a taut membrane fitted with a pair of magnets that oscillate between metal coils. Prototypes have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph slivers of wind, making his device 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines. Frayne envisions the Windbelt costing a few dollars and replacing kerosene lamps in Haitian homes.
More info @ Popular Mechanics
via 37signals
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