Sunday, 10 April 2011

Apple granted patent for holographic technology

Start saving up your money, and get ready to throw those shiny new iPhones and iPads in the garbage, because they could soon be obsolete. The iMblinded (probably not it's actual name) is Apple's next all-consuming piece of personal technology. It will allow its users to see actual 3D holograms on their palm-top computers.

How does it work? The images will be displayed through a screen that consists of many tiny little plastic domes. As anyone who has played with glass bowls or prisms knows, when light hits the edge of a surface, it is deflected a little from its course. The screen underneath the domes will send out certain images. If they hit one section of the domes, they'll be deflected one way. If they another section, they'll be deflected another way. The technology would work by using the domes to deflect one image to your left eye, and a slightly different one to your right eye. Your brain will then integrate those two different views to form a 3D image.

Many will be excited at the prospect of this new technology. Others — for example people who don't want to have to engineer 3D websites, have light deflected into their eyes at movie theaters, or listen to their friends obsessing about their new toy — won't be as eager.

Thursday, 2 December 2010

Boeing to mass-produce record-breaking 39.2 percent efficiency solar cell

When it comes to solar cells, everyone is chasing the highest conversion efficiency. Although we’ve seen conversion efficiencies of over 40 percent achieved with multi-junction solar cells in lab environments, Boeing subsidiary Spectrolab is bringing this kind of efficiency to mass production with the announcement of its C3MJ+ solar cells which boast an average conversion efficiency of 39.2 percent.

As far back as 2006 Spectrolab was achieving conversion efficiencies of over 40 percent in the lab with its high-efficiency multi-junction concentrator solar cells and it reached a peak of 41.6 percent with a test cell last year, setting a new world record. The company’s newest terrestrial concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cell, called the C3MJ+, uses essentially the same technology as its record breaking test cell and follows on from its C3MJ solar cell in production since mid-2009 which boasts a conversion efficiency of 38.5 percent. The C3MJ+ solar cells

"Given the new cells' close similarity to our existing production cells, we believe that our current C3MJ customers will be able to easily upgrade for more efficiency," said Russ Jones, Spectrolab director of CPV Business Development.

Spectrolab claims the title of the world’s leading supplier of solar cells for satellites with its cells supplying power to around 60 percent of satellites currently in orbit, as well as the International Space Station. Boeing hopes to transfer that success to the terrestrial solar cell market with the new high-efficiency solar cells that are expected to be available from January. And it won’t be resting on its laurels. It expects Spectrolab will achieve a 40 percent average production efficiency for terrestrial solar cells in 2011.

'Plastisoil' could mean cleaner rivers and less plastic waste

A new cement-like material that could be used to form sidewalks, bike and jogging paths, driveways and parking lots, may be able to lessen two environmental problems, namely plastic waste and polluted rainwater runoff. The substance is called Plastisoil, and it was developed by Naji Khoury, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Temple University in Philadelphia. In order to make Plastisoil, discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles are pulverized and mixed with soil, and then that mixture is blended with a coarse aggregate and heated. The result is a hard yet non-watertight substance, similar to pervious concrete or porous asphalt.

With traditional concrete and asphalt paving, rainwater stays on the surface and runs into the storm sewers, accumulating oil and other road filth along the way. With pervious surfaces such as Plastisoil, that water is able to go down through them, and into the soil below. This certainly reduces the amount of pollutants entering the rivers, although Khoury and his team at Temple are currently trying to determine if Plastisoil could even serve as a filter, that removed pollutants as the water filtered through.

Khoury said that it uses less energy to produce one ton of Plastisoil than one ton of cement or asphalt, and that it’s less expensive to manufacture than similar products. It takes 30,000 PET bottles to make one ton of the material, although he is hoping to be able to use other types of plastic in the future.

Monday, 29 November 2010

VIZIO SV470M 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV - very nice surprise

20 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars

November 24, 2010

Resips (San Diego, CA USA) - This review is from: VIZIO SV470M 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV with 120 Hz Smooth Motion (Electronics)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

We just received our VIZIO SV470M 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV. We weren't not quite sure what to expect as we have had two Panasonic plasma TVs before. We unboxed the unit and had it set up in about 15 minutes. It was very easy to set up. My husband hooked up the cables in just a few minutes. Actually, the console we got to hold the TV was more time consuming to set-up than the TV by far.

We were blown away by the beautiful quality of the picture. The screen resolution is 1080 pixels for a really clear picture, not the 720 pixels found on so many LCDs. The unit has 120 Hz Smooth Motion technology which prevents a blurry or jerky picture when the action on the screen really moves quickly. It's a pain to have the picture break up on you when something exciting is happening. Another nice feature is an ambient light sensor which adjusts the brightness of the picture to that of the light in the room. The colors on the screen are excellent. I have heard that blacks are problematic on some LCDs. Not on this screen. The blacks are black, not shades of gray.

We've had some problems with the sound quality of the smaller of our Panasonics and were concerned how this unit would measure up. We are very pleased with the sound of this unit. The speakers are larger and better placed. This unit has SRS TruSurround HD for excellent sound control. Another feature is the set can monitor and balance sound levels, so you no longer have to experience drastic volume leaps during annoyingly loud commercials. With the Panasonics, we are always jumping for the remote to lower or mute the sound during commercials which always seem to blare.

I like the glossy black finish of the unit as well as the narrow border framing the picture. It makes for a very attractive appearance. The finish on the screen, however, is a nice matte black which is much better because there are no distracting reflections from other lighting, natural or artificial. I find reflections off a TV screen to be very annoying.

For me, the remote is fantastic. I don't like those remotes with so many buttons that you have to have a degree in Engineering to decipher them. I don't have the patience for them. No more sitting in front of the TV with the manual at the ready when we want to make adjustments.

My husband is very happy with the P-I-P on this unit. The Panasonics are lacking this feature and he has missed it. I mean, what's better than being able to watch two games instead of one? No more switching back and forth between the games.

We are very pleased with this Vizio model. The value is really apparent - great picture, excellent sound, and a terrific price. As the ad says, "VIZIO - Where Vision Meets Value!" It's really true.

A Quality TV from... Vizio?! Smooth. Home-Theater Feeling

VIZIO SV470M 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV with 120 Hz Smooth Motion

To be honest, when the brand name "Vizio" came to my mind before, I had a feeling it was more of a value brand than quality; however, I have a totally different view of them now after this TV. I'm impressed and more than satisfied with this TV compared to my Toshiba 40RV525R 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

47" is quite a nice size. What a difference just 7" makes. Movies and games feel way more thrilling than it ever did with the Toshiba 40" HDTV. It's a really good size for feeling like you're at the movies, but just at home.

Besides the size being an obvious upgrade, the 120Hz and "Smooth Technology" is really the other main selling point here. If you ever wanted that real feeling like you're looking through a window, then you'll want a fast motion 120Hz TV because the movement will really look faster and seem more life-like. This is really great for sports and reality TV because it really feels like you're actually there more. It really does make a difference.

However, this can be a bad thing for watching most film movies (shot at 24FPS) because it will literally make you feel like a movie shot on a film looking like it was originally shot on digital video instead! Some films just end up feeling really cheap at those speeds and is really distracting to watch (especially those shaky camera films because you'll notice the camera being more berserk than before and end up giving you more seizures; the subtle camera movements will be even more noticeable). Moreover, sometimes, when set to the max smoothness, it feels like the movie is being fast-forwarded but with the audio still magically syncing up...

Thankfully, the "Smooth Technology" can be disabled to still have that film feel (although it's still pretty smooth)! I've actually become a fan of this feature (even for someone like me who doesn't really like the modern digital look and prefers 24FPS film look) because it can actually give a whole new experience on watching films; it really gives a strange raw feeling like you're there at the scene watching it. You can enjoy movies in two different ways! It's really nice watching animation films with this feature on.

I find myself constantly turning this feature on and off depending on the content. I really wish there was easier access or button on the remote to quickly change this! It actually gets very cumbersome pressing "Menu", then "Picture", then scrolling to "Advanced Video", and then scrolling again to "Smooth Mode Effect" just to turn this feature on/off.

Speaking of the menu, it is really small and only takes up a small section of the screen. I also find it strange in order to change the aspect ratio, it's under the "Setup" option instead of the "Picture" setting. What's worse is there is no button on the remote to quickly change aspect ratios either! The remote is VERY basic. It's as basic as it can get.

Watching Planet Earth on Blu-Ray is much more enjoyable and thrilling with the 120Hz Smooth Technology because it really feels like I'm looking through a window now.

I also played PC and PS3 games on this and it looks fantastic. I played NBA 2K11, and with this TV, it really felt like I was at a real game! It is smooth 5ms and the experience is just so much more fun and amazing than it was on my Toshiba. It is such a blast to play it on this TV.

The audio on this TV actually impressed me too. You can't expect much from built-in speakers, especially in the bass department, but there's really good surround sound/depth feel to it (again, playing NBA 2K11 sounded like I was at the game!) It is without a doubt, the speakers on this is better than the one is on the Toshiba.

Most people should be very satisfied with the video quality. Despite this being 7" larger than my Toshiba, I find it to be sharper; it doesn't look that bad up-close like it did with the Toshiba. The further away you are, the better it will look.

I have seen deeper colors from other TVs and I also feel the blacks were better on the Toshiba, being really picky, but overall, I'm still happy with the way it looks.

This TV definitely doesn't deserve anything below a 4 stars (unless you get a defected/broken unit). I give it a 4 or 4.5/5. Even though I'm a harsh rater and also very picky, at this price range, most people should be more than satisfied. I really do like this TV.

I have a more positive feeling towards the Vizio name brand now.

Recommended.

Pros:
+ 47" is a great size/quality for feeling the impact of a home theater
+ Nice sexy black design
+ 120Hz "Smooth Technology" gives it a more life-like feel like you're looking through a window instead of a TV screen (it can also be turned off)
+ Great speakers (bass is never that impressive with built-in speakers, but the surround sound range is nice on these)
+ Great 178 degree viewing angle - even watching it from the side.
+ Power cable is detachable from TV (not pre-wired)
+ Easy to set-up; the base is already mounted
+ Handles on the back for easier lifting
+ Good value

Cons:
- Can't turn off the "Vizio" brand name logo front bezel glow light (why couldn't they add an option to disable this light? The Toshiba has an option to do so! When the TV is off, it will glow orange; when on, it will glow white)
- Very basic remote options
- Menu option is a little cumbersome to work with

Kiyo M.

This review is from: VIZIO SV470M 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV with 120 Hz Smooth Motion (Electronics)

VIZIO SV470M 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV

The SV470M from VIZIO is a great marriage of style and technology. This 47-inch class (46.96 inch diagonal) LCD Full HDTV brings you 1080P full high-definition resolution for crisp, clear, and lifelike image. 120Hz Smooth Motion technology provides a fluid, blur-free experience, even during sports or action sequences. Attractive styling and cutting-edge sound technologies complete the package, taking your home theater to the next level.

1080P Full HD
Full 1080P High Definition resolution (with a native resolution of 1920 x 1080) gives you over 2 million pixels, making the clarity and detail of your picture razor sharp. The SV470M offers support for all HD formats, down to 480i.

120HZ
A 120Hz refresh rate helps deliver clear images during fast action, slow pans, or most any kind of video, for a an even better viewing experience.

ECO HD
This television exceeds current Energy Star guidelines by at least 15% below Energy Star 3.0, saving you money on your utility bills while limiting the impact on the planet.

Ambient Light Sensor
Energy efficient sensors auto-adjust brightness for the perfect picture, regardless of room conditions. Get a great picture night and day, further enhanced by the SV470M's 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, which allows for deeper blacks and brighter whites.

SRS TruSurround HD
Creates a high quality surround sound experience while providing optimum bass performance, high frequency clarification, and dialog clarity, for a more theater-like experience.
Speaking of quality sound, the set can also monitor and balance sound levels, so you no longer have to experience drastic volume leaps during annoyingly loud commercials or movies with a wide dynamic range. Great for quiet, night-time viewing.

Great Connectivity
The SV470M features eight separate high-definition inputs, including four HDMI inputs (v. 1.3) and two component inputs with audio.

Sunday, 31 October 2010

Electric bicycle range reaching the 100 mile mark

While a variety of styles were on display at this year’s Eurobike show, commuting ebikes were by far the most common. An electric drive makes sense on a commuter – you still get some exercise and don’t have to register it as a scooter, yet you also don’t arrive at your destination all hot and sweaty. As with all electric vehicles, however, range is always an issue. That is now being addressed, however, with ebikes that can travel up to 160 kilometers (99.4 miles) on one charge. If your commute is longer than that, you really might want to consider, you know... driving.

The tradeoff with batteries has always been one of weight vs. range. Batteries with less cells tend to be lighter and less expensive, so they’re generally the way to go, unless you want to travel longer distances. German manufacturer Kalkhoff has kept this in mind with its new line of ebikes, which was presented at this year’s show. The bicycles are available with your choice of an 8, 12 or 18 amp-hour battery. Riders who just use their bike for popping up to the store could go with the 8, while more serious riders could get up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) out of the 18.

Giant bicycles is employing a similar strategy with its 2011 Twist ebike. Instead of swapping batteries, however, the rider can add a second one, to extend their range up to 160 kilometers. This figure has, not surprisingly, been disputed in at least one review.