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Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar-powered plane, chrome Fisker Karma and the 'blackest' solar cells ever
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. With the days getting longer and the spring sun creeping into the evening hours this week, we saw a host of impressive solar energy projects that put those rays to work. Kyocera revealed their plan for Japan's largest solar farm and French company Areva announced they will be building the largest solar installation in Asia. On the other side of the globe, New York City was proud to say that it recently tripled its solar power production and a new study showed that the United States pulled ahead of China in the clean energy race this year. We also saw designs for a new solar satellite that could harvest the sun's rays 24/7 and we ogled photos of the massive array of PV panels topping the zHome complex in Washington. A team at Natcore blew away the scientific community by creating the "blackest" solar cell ever designed and Panasonic gave us a sneak peek at its shimmering, solar-powered "Photosynthesis" Ecosystem installation, which will light up the night at the Milan Furniture Fair next week. In green transportation news, Justin Bieber's blindingly shiny chrome Fisker Karma had people talking (and putting on their sunglasses), while the former head of R&D at GM predicted that we'll see driverless cars by 2020. Honda announced that it is teaming up with Zipcar to provide EVs and hybrids to Zipsters and Ferrari confirmed that its future V12 models will have a new hybrid system. Finally, SolarWorld sent us news about their new Elektra solar-powered plane, which can fly twice as far as its predecessor. Smart design continued to make the world a little better with innovations like this vibrating glove that lets blind people text and Montessori's Intro to Letters app, which teaches kids the alphabet. We also got back into nature (literally) with these see-through bubble tents surrounded by trees, and we reflected upon the mysterious human-shaped mirror sculptures that popped up in a Scottish forest.
Kyocera joins forces with IHI and Mizuho on 70-megawatt solar plant
Japan is often on the cutting edge of technology, but one of the things it apparently does not have is a collection of large solar power plants. Kyocera, better known state side for its interesting cell phone designs, is looking to change that by teaming up with IHI and Mizuho Corporate Bank on a large facility in Kagoshima City. The 314 acre sun farm will collect solar rays on 290,000 Kyocera-built panels capable of generating 70 megawatts of electricity, increasing the country's sun-powered production by almost 40-percent and keeping roughly 22,000 homes thoroughly juiced. The project can't quite match some of the largest such plants here in the US, but it will go a long way towards getting the island nation back on track following the fallout of the tsunami. The ¥25 billion ($309 million) construction is expected to start in July. For more info check out the PR after the break.
Sprint's Kyocera DuraPlus coming March 11th for $70, hopes you like it tough
Exactly one month after unveiling this Military 810G-approved ruggedized handset, Sprint's stamping an official release date and price on it. Those of you who don't appreciate delicate swiping-and-tapping will be able to grab Kyocera's new DuraPlus for a mere $70 -- after a $50 mail-in rebate and with the standard two-year signing -- on March 11th. The device is the newest addition to the rugged Dura family, joining the likes of the DuraMax and DuraCore. To give you a quick brain-refresh, the DuraPlus can take a dive down to three feet underwater and stay submerged for about half an hour. It can withstand dust, shock and "extreme temperatures" while also giving you access to those Now Network bits you're so fond of: Direct and Group Connect. Now, be sure to send us those drop test vids if you buy one -- we have all day for that stuff.
Kyocera DuraPlus: a Sprint phone so masculine it'll kick your face in for misdialing
Sprint's announced that it'll carry the Kyocera DuraPlus -- a rugged cellphone that recalls a lifetime of tedious internet memes. It's certified to "Military Standard 810G," for its resistance to dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, humidity and it's able to withstand water depths of one meter for, erm, up to half an hour. You'll also find an embedded LED flashlight capable of lighting the darkest of very dark rooms. Using Direct Connect, you can push-to-talk to other subscribers or use Group Connect to chat with 20 at a time. It'll ship with a 1650 mAh battery (9.5 hours of talk time) with an additional 2300 mAh battery for those long trips round the secure compound. You'll also be able to buy an external charging port to juice multiple units at once -- if you're running your own private militia and need to swap out devices on the go, for example. It'll be available in the first half of the year for an undisclosed price, but we'd wager it'll be something really manly, like the teeth of a wild animal you've vanquished or in exchange for capturing Denis Leary.
KDDI and Kyocera create speaker-free smartphone, we go hands-on (video)
Leave it to the Japanese to blast us away with another sweet smartphone feature we've never seen before. This Kyocera handset, running what appears to be a heavily skinned Android OS, has had its earpiece summarily disposed with, preferring to transfer your phone-call audio through vibrational technology. Due to the way this works through physical contact, it means you can actually touch any part of the phone with your ear to transmit audio. It'll even work through hats, in-ear headphones and -- as demonstrated above by the brilliant Mr. Suzuki (above) -- over noise-cancelling headphones. So how many years until we get to see this in real phones? You'll be happy to hear that the team-up between Kyocera and Japanese carrier KDDI is a real-world technology that will arrive in Japanese customer's hands later this year. However, further availability outside of the Land of the Rising Sun remains out of ear-shot. Amar Toor contributed to this post
Sprint bringing Samsung Transform Ultra, Kyocera DuraCore to life November 13th?
Here are a couple more devices that will probably add another page to your Black Friday ads: the Samsung Transform Ultra and the Kyocera DuraCore. The leaked images above and below don't show any super-secret phones that we didn't already know about, but we do learn that November 13th is a likely launch date for both of them. The Transform Ultra, a QWERTY-packing Android 2.3 slider which already made its debut on Boost Mobile, looks destined to start off at $80, while the Direct Connect-capable DuraCore will go for $70. Anyone getting up early the day after Thanksgiving for either one? [Thanks, Mike]
Kyocera DuraMax for Sprint hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)
Call us what you will, but we couldn't resist taking a quick look at the Kyocera DuraMax, which (along with the DuraCore) represents the first of Sprint's handsets to support Direct Connect for CDMA. It's no smartphone, for sure, but we were intrigued by its certification for the military's 810G standard, which promises resistance to dust, shock, vibration, water, low pressure, extreme temperatures and solar radiation -- among other nasty elements. %Gallery-136305% Kyocera DuraMax hands-on Kyocera Duramax is in the batter's box, launching with Sprint Direct Connect October 2nd Rugged gadgets put to the test in Engadget labs, wanton destruction ensues From the outset, the phone appears stout and bulky. It measures a full one-inch thick, although it seems like even more. Perhaps this is due to the grooved rubber finish, or maybe it's the clamshell shape, but you'll want a holster for this one, as the protrusion in your pocket would be hard to ignore. So just who is this device for? We'd like to imagine it's targeted at the kids who played with Tonka trucks as kids, who now drive bulldozers and pour hot tar on roofs. Yes, this phone is designed to take some punishment, which is undoubtedly its greatest strength. After carefully inspecting each angle, peeking underneath the battery cover and testing the "walkie talkie" feature -- which seems to work beautifully -- we began dishing out some seriously bad behavior. Check out the video after the break to see just what we mean.
KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert
Japanese carrier KDDI's never been shy about showing off its latest and greatest from its lab, and here at CEATEC 2011 we got to lay our fingers on a couple of its in-development smartphone sensory enhancements, along with a free-viewpoint concert concept that's being researched on. The first demo we saw was actually the same haptic smartphone prototype that was unveiled back in May, but we thought it'd be nice to give it a go with our very own hands -- read on to find out how well it performed. %Gallery-135629%
Kyocera Duramax ready to kickoff Sprint's Direct Connect service on October 2nd for $70
All of the hullabaloo about Sprint's new CDMA-based Direct Connect service was not for naught, as the Now Network has finally confirmed that it will indeed be launching in a limited number of markets this upcoming Sunday, with broader expansion coming in early 2012. To get things started, however, the network ought to have a phone or two that have the tech built in, right? The Kyocera Duramax will receive the honor of being the very first phone to work with the new plans and will be a certified 810G military-standard clamshell handset with a 3.2MP camera, stereo Bluetooth, a 2.5mm headphone jack (not a typo) and a Dura-Grip rubber casing. What about the Kyocera Duracore and the Motorola Admiral? They're still forthcoming, but Sprint only mentions that both devices are coming out before the end of the year. The sooner the better here, because the lack of options can't possibly be a selling point for the brand new service. The nitty-gritty details are in the presser after the break.
KDDI launches latest line of skinny big-screened smartphones for Japan
In addition to the already announced Fujitsu-Toshiba Arrows Z, HTC Evo 3D and Motorola Photon, Japanese carrier KDDI has now also confirmed a trio of new handsets. There's plenty of similarities; they're all Android, all waterproof and are each packing an eight megapixel camera. Kyocera's Digno is a slimline offering available in three different colors, and puts some of Kyocera's US offerings to shame looks-wise. Sharp's AQUOS IS13SH has an IPS-rivalling ASV display, whilst the NEC's Medias BR IS11 will arrive in a choice of pink, white and blue. Sadly, there's still no sign of that mythical iPhone from KDDI. Check out the links below for all the full-fat details.
Kyocera Duramax is in the batter's box, launching with Sprint Direct Connect October 2nd
Is there still any lingering doubt that something big's getting cooked up in Overland Park in time for October 2nd? We've already seen leaked screenshots showing that Sprint's aiming to launch its CDMA-based Direct Connect service that day, as well as a Sprint-backed vid of the Motorola Admiral, the first smartphone to sport the new feature. Courtesy of SprintFeed, another gem has been unearthed: the Direct Connect-compatible Kyocera Duramax. Said to start at $100 with a two-year agreement, the rugged clamshell bears a great deal of resemblance to a large number of legacy iDEN handsets. It's nothing to write home about, but it still sports the proper military specs to keep it protected, as well as a 3 megapixel camera and a non-slip surface. Anyone who isn't looking for a smartphone but is in need of a Direct Connect device will want to keep a close eye on this one as we get closer to the day of destiny. Oh, and Sprint? The cat's out of the bag -- perhaps it's time to make it real.
WiLAN lawyers up, picks patent fight with Apple, Dell, HP, HTC and others
You know what the tech world needs? More patent litigation, which is why WiLAN is at it again in the rocket docket of the Eastern District of Texas. This time, instead of suing cable companies, it's going after the likes of Apple, Dell, HP, HTC, Kyocera, Novatel, Alcatel-Lucent and Sierra Wireless. There are two patents at issue: no. RE37,802 that covers CDMA and HSPA data transmission, and no. 5,282,222 which is related to data transmission tech with WiFi and LTE. Will the plucky patent troll get some quick cash, or will the big boys fight this one to the end? Stay tuned.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 29, 2011
This week, as always, was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011: More rumors are circulating about the upcoming Sony Ericsson Nozumi, originally leaked two weeks ago. The new specs getting floated around are even better than we previously thought, which include a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution for a PPI of 342, and NFC. (Thanks, David) [via XperiaBlog] The Motorola Milestone 3 -- the GSM twin of the Droid 3, essentially -- was released in Brazil this week and will be available in select Latin American countries later this month. [via AndroidCentral] Just as we're getting used to the idea of a white HTC EVO 3D at Radio Shack, it's now reported that a purple version will soon be available exclusively at Best Buy. [via PocketNow] The BlackBerry Torch 9860 has two new Canadian homes, as it launched this week on Telus for $100 and SaskTel for $130. Both carriers involve setting up a three-year commitment. [via MobileSyrup(1) and (2)] Did someone mention SaskTel? Yes, the carrier is jumping on the 4G bandwagon by announcing its intent to deploy LTE by the fall of 2012. [via MobileSyrup] AT&T's LG Thrill 4G is finally getting released tomorrow after several weeks of delays. While the phone will be offered for $100 by the carrier itself, you'll be able to get it at Costco for $30. [via PhoneArena] Alongside the Kyocera Milano, Sprint will also launch a new feature phone called the Kyocera Brio. The Brio will offer a QWERTY keyboard, a 192MHz CPU and will run Java. [via Electronista and AndroidCentral] At HTC's Windows Phone launch this week, reps confirmed that all of its new Windows Phones will indeed have the mobile hotspot feature included, though it won't be a part of the software update to the company's existing lineup. It's likely to be added with a future refresh, but apparently the feature was added too late in the process to get thrown into the initial rollout. (Thanks, Gilles) [via Pocket-Lint]
Kyocera Milano coming to Sprint September 9th for $50, looks nothing like Alyssa
The Samsung Conquer 4G may be appealing to a lot of folks craving a mid-range Android device with WiMAX, but what if that extra G just isn't all that important to you? Sprint has a little extra room to spare in the lower end of its lineup, so it's tossing in the Kyocera Milano. The device is rumored to run on Gingerbread and may include an 800MHz CPU with 512MB of RAM, a 3-inch display, a 1,340mAh battery, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a slide-out keyboard. It's likely to be hitting Sprint on September 9th for $50, just in case you've always wanted a phone with an uncanny resemblance to the cookie of the same name.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 15, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011: Vodafone's very own budget-friendly Facebook Phone, the Vodafone 555, is now on sale. £62.50 is all it will take to get the non-touchscreen featurephone in your fingertips. [via SlashGear] A spec sheet and screenshots of the Sony Ericsson Nozumi leaked this week. The handset will likely feature a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm S2 CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, and 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution. Interestingly enough, the phone is rumored to require a micro SIM, much like the iPhone 4. [via XperiaBlog] US Cellular launched two new Android devices for its prepaid lineup, the Samsung Gem and HTC Merge. The Gem offers a 3.2-inch WVGA display, 800MHz CPU, and Android 2.2 for $140, while the Merge is a global-capable QWERTY slider with a 3.8-inch display, Android 2.2, and more for $300. [via US Cellular] Immediately following Google's acquisition of Motorola, discussion centered around the possibility of the latter company becoming the preferred OEM for Android -- a privilege that would, in theory, include designing and producing the next Nexus. Andy Rubin, the head honcho for the open-source OS, put such rumors to bed by offering more insight on the approval process for upcoming Nexus phones, and insisted that HelloMoto will continue to be treated the same as every other OEM; it will have to bid for the job just like every other company does. [via AndroidCentral] The Huawei Blaze, a budget Android handset that runs on Gingerbread, may arrive in the UK as early as September. The Blaze would mark the first time we've seen the company offer a phone under its own branding in the UK. [via CNet] Shocked to hear the Kyocera Echo isn't selling as well as the company had hoped? Yeah, neither are we. Nonetheless, in the hopes of sparking sales, it's started offering twelve premium games for free to the first 10,000 downloads as part of its "summer of free apps" campaign. Good luck with that. [via Electronista] With all of the buzz rightfully centered around Nokia and its quest for Windows Phone dominance, how bright does Vertu's future look? If Eldar Murtazin is to believed, Espoo's luxury phone branch will also be on the receiving end of WP7 devices. The main difference with Vertu's version compared to the rest of Nokia's lineup? It'll most likely be covered with gold and diamonds. [via WMPowerUser] The Samsung Galaxy Q, another name for the Gravity Smart, is now available on Rogers. The device is geared toward the lower end, so it may not be the most lustworthy letter in the Samsung Galaxy alphabet. [via MobileSyrup]
Kyocera Oblique slides through FCC, Mr. Blurrycam finds one elsewhere
Here we have it, folks. The Kyocera Oblique has cleared the FCC, and even better, we've stumbled across leaked snapshots of the device -- in both the black and pink varieties. We'll forgive you if you haven't kept track, but this is the handset that's rumored to replace the Samsung Intercept on Sprint come September 11th. Like its forebear, it features only EV-DO Rev. 0 (as opposed to Rev. A), which means it'll limp along the Now Network when you're not within range of a WiFi hotspot -- thankfully, it supports 802.11n and Bluetooth. The QWERTY slider is rumored to have a 3.2 megapixel camera, a low-res QVGA screen and to ship with Android 2.3. Follow the break for a glimpse of the black version, and check the source for the high-res stills of Mr. Blurrycam's work.
Kyocera Echo resumes rollout of Gingerbread, without the bricking
It goes without saying that updates are intended to improve our phones' user experience, but the Gingerbread refresh on the Kyocera Echo had exactly the opposite effect. After a small but significant percentage of owners began reporting that the new software turned their devices into bricks, Sprint pulled the update "until further notice." After nine days, Android 2.3.4 is once again available for download. Upon reaching out to the Now Network, we received the following confirmation: Sprint will restart the Gingerbread update to Kyocera Echo users beginning today (August 10). In an effort to provide the best possible customer experience, Kyocera and Sprint have addressed a previous issue with the update raised last week. The Gingerbread update will provide Kyocera Echo users with performance enhancements including faster response, improved power management, enhancements for gaming, and more. Every Echo customer should have the update within the next few weeks. The update will likely get pushed slowly at first, getting sent to a small number of handsets to make doubly sure the same issue doesn't surface again, so don't stress if it hasn't reached your Echo today; as is the usual procedure with large-scale rollouts, it could be a little while before it actually lands on your particular unit. But when it arrives, feel free to download at will with more confidence.
Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update now rolling out, may brick (update: rollout pause)
Kyocera may have jumped the gun yesterday with word of the Echo's Gingerbread destiny, but today those Android 2.3.4 goods have been made official. Rolling out to users in the next few weeks, the OTA update adds Google's latest OS refinements to the dual-screened phone, as well as a new Downloads app, Swype 3.0 and power-saving Eco Mode. Impatient owners can always forego the wait for a carrier-pushed upgrade and pull it themselves, but a word of caution: commenters over on AndroidCentral's forums are claiming this update bricks phones. We've reached out to Sprint for comment on the matter and while the company is aware of the issue, no official statement has been made. So, go ahead and start downloading, or not? Update: We've confirmed with Sprint that there is indeed an issue, and that its product team is "troubleshooting the issue and [has] suspended the update until further notice." Here's hoping things get going soon, with the sailing being a bit smoother the second go 'round.
Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update bringing WiFi calling, NFC support? (update: sadly not)
Um, okay? Hot on the heels of rumors that Kyocera's Echo would see its first major Android update on August 1st, in flies an updated page over at the company's own website detailing the impending changes. Unless someone at Kyocera's pulling a fast one, it looks as if the imminent Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) update will bring a downright staggering list of new features, making an already unique handset capable of even rarer feats. Interest piqued? We're told that the refresh will provide pinch-to-zoom support in the browser, gallery, Maps and Sprint Navigation, an improved downloads app and an upgrade to the Swype 3.0 virtual keypad, with Tap Correction and Horizontal Word Choice list. But that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg -- the real kicker is the addition of "internet calling over WiFi" as well as "an NFC reader to interact with posters, advertisements, products, etc." You heard right, WiFi calling and a previously unmentioned NFC chip -- hopefully of the UMA variety, rather than just SIP. As of now, the only major US carrier to support WiFi calling is T-Mobile, and neither Sprint nor Kyocera have mentioned any secretive Near Field Communications module to us. The luckiest of the early adopters should see their over-the-air update swing through as soon as a half-hour, so be sure to let us know if this all proves true in comments below. Naturally, we'll be watching for the update on our own set and updating accordingly. Update: Bah, humbug! A Kyocera rep contacted Brief Mobile and explained that the feature page shown here went up prematurely, and that the WiFi calling and NFC support in particular weren't supposed to be listed. Consider our hopes dashed, and our dreams crushed. [Thanks, Brain_ReCall]
Refresh Roundup: week of July 25, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! Official Android Updates: Remember the Gingerbread update that's rolling out to the T-Mobile myTouch 4G? If waiting for the OTA download doesn't mesh with your level of patience (or lack thereof), you'll be able to head to a corporate-owned retail store starting August 5th to receive the update manually. [via T-Mobile] The Kyocera Echo's rollout of Gingerbread may be starting tomorrow and getting pushed out to customers over a four-day period. The new refresh also adds Swype 3.0 and security enhancements. [via SprintFeed] Gingerbread is also currently heading to Verizon's Motorola Droid X2. [via AndroidCentral] Sony Ericsson announced that users of the Xperia X10 won't be left off of the Android 2.3 bandwagon either -- it's been confirmed that global and carrier-unlocked versions are receiving the update, though it's up to specific carriers to decide if they want to push the update out as well. [via MobileBurn] Verizon's Droid Incredible 2 is the recipient of a minor software update that aims to improve server connection for email and contacts. The OTA download can be yours by going into settings and having the phone check for updates. [via AndroidCentral] The original HTC Desire's getting its turn for Android 2.3, but the OTA update is currently going out to unbranded devices only. [via HTC Desire Portal] Users have been reporting an issue with their Samsung Fascinates receiving incoming calls after the latest update, and the latest update, called ED05, will be pushed to phones over the next few days to help resolve that concern, while fixing a couple SMS bugs as well. [via Droid-Life] Unofficial updates, custom ROMs, and misc. hackery: A new leaked Gingerbread update for the Samsung Epic 4G, EG22, can be had now. The leak bumps the device up to Android 2.3.4. [via PPC Geeks Forum] The Motorola Triumph hasn't even been out for ten days, but it already has ClockworkMod Recovery. [via AndroidForums] Peter Alfonso's released Android 2.3.5 as a custom download for the original Droid. Follow the via link for instructions on how to download and install it. [via Droid-Life] The Revolutionary S-OFF tool has now been released as an early developer preview. The tool will give you full access to download and install custom ROMs for several devices, including the HTC EVO 3D and Sensation. [via AndroidCentral] Other Platforms: T-Mobile pushed out a firmware update to the HTC HD7 this week, though no change log was provided. If you didn't receive a notification on your phone informing you of the update, connect it to your Zune Desktop and check for updates. [via WPCentral] The Dell Venue Pro's also on the receiving end of a firmware refresh, which brings with it a load of various bug fixes. [via Twitter]
