Lifeboat Foundation

‘Zero-energy’ buildings — which generate as much power as they consume — are now much closer after a team at Australia’s University of New South Wales achieved the world’s highest efficiency using flexible solar cells that are non-toxic and cheap to make.

Until now, the promise of ‘zero-energy’ buildings been held back by two hurdles: the cost of the thin-film solar cells (used in façades, roofs and windows), and the fact they’re made from scarce, and highly toxic, materials.

That’s about to change: the UNSW team, led by Dr Xiaojing Hao of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics at the UNSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, have achieved the world’s highest efficiency rating for a full-sized thin-film solar cell using a competing thin-film technology, known as CZTS.

Continue reading “At last: Non-toxic and cheap thin-film solar cells for ‘zero-energy’ buildings” »

Zero Zero Robotics’ Hover Camera is a flying camera that can follow you around in the air and record your life.

OpenAI wants to give away the 21st century’s most transformative technology. In the process, it could remake the way people make tech.

Nice; however, would like to see intelligent shopping bags. Bags that are reusable and the digital fabric enables the screening & paying each item using this technology in this article as the item is placed in the bag. If you’re like me; I hate going to stores and malls; and only go to accomplish a pre-defined list of items and “you’re in then out” no wasting of time. So, having a bag that quickly captures the item and processes payment as your loading your bag is ideal.

The old checkout process is out and the new is in, via new apps that have the potential to transform the retail industry.

Originally published on EV Obsession.

While it’s now widely realized that Google has been putting substantial amounts of its money into the development of autonomous driving technology over the last few years, it’s probably far less widely known that the Chinese equivalent of Google — Baidu, the top search engine company in China — has begun to do so as well.

Late last week, the company announced that it had formed a new self-driving vehicle team to be based in Silicon Valley — right in the same general “neighborhood” as Google, interestingly. The new team will be focused on the research, development, and real-world testing of autonomous technologies, according to a new press release.

Continue reading “Chinese Search Engine Giant Baidu Intent On Bringing Self-Driving Cars To Reality” »

New requirement if you’re a Smartphone device provider and trying to sell in India.

Starting next year, all mobile phones sold across India must include a panic button, local news outlets are reporting. In addition, by 2018, all cell phones need to come with a built-in GPS chip, so a person in trouble can be more easily found.

“Technology is solely meant to make human life better and what better than using it for the security of women,” communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a statement, according to The Economic Times. “I have taken a decision that from January 1, 2017, no cell phone can be sold without a provision for panic button and from January 1, 2018, mobile sets should have in-built GPS.”

Continue reading “India to require panic buttons on phones” »

Smell what you view.

Practically every product I’ve ever reviewed has had to pass some kind of smell test.

But none more so than Cyrano, a new cylindrical shaped three-inch tall consumer electronics gadget that is being marketed as a “digital scent speaker.” I’ve been sniffing around it for a few days. It is now available in limited quantities on preorder.

Continue reading “Cyrano lets you smell what’s on your iPhone” »

If you’re in Buffalo NY today; smile because you’re on Google Camera today.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Make sure you’re on your best behavior today. The Google Street View team is in town, and they’re not in the Buffalo Niagara region to take pictures of your street.

Google is using the same technology they use to take images of streets and bringing it inside local businesses and establishments. Businesses and establishments that participate will be included in Google’s new Virtual Business and Area Guide.

Continue reading “Google Street View Team is in town today” »

Here is a concept: imagine you’re consumer & you can’t justify the expense of a 3D printer; however, once in a blue moon you need to make an object for business or for personal reasons. Would it be nice is there was an online 3D Print Service that you could send your design into and have the product or prototype built, and the item drone to your office or front door. And, all you pay is a monthly service fee for the entire service including drone shipping for a given area range. With this type of technology, I believe it can be done and interactively online as well.

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