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Japan begins testing the world's fastest bullet train
Last week, Japan started testing its latest and fastest bullet train. The Shinkansen ALFA-X is capable of reaching 400 kilometers per hour (249 mph), and it's expected to enter operation around 2030. When it does, the ALFA-X will likely become the world's fastest bullet train, carrying passengers around 360 kph (224 mph).
Google rolls out 3D maps for Tokyo and other Japanese urban hubs
As ubiquitous as 3D city maps might be these days, they typically don't cover Tokyo -- quite possibly due to the massive size of Japan's megalopolis. Google, however, has just taken on that daunting task. Fire up Google Maps or Google Earth and you'll now see 3D imagery for the greater Tokyo area, including landmarks like the Tokyo Sky Tree (that giant tower you see above). The expansion also brings 3D to the major population centers of Chiba, Kanagawa and Sendai. We'd advise against exploring the entirety of Google's enhanced Tokyo map unless you have a couple of hours to kill, but you can at least take a quick tour at the source link.
Diamond shaped supercapacitors could result in faster-charging, higher capacity batteries
Superconductors pass electricity with zero resistance and make stuff float. Superfluids have zero viscosity and can climb vertical walls to escape containers. Supercapacitors? Well, they don't do anything quite so dramatic, but they could result in batteries that charge faster and hold more charge than ever. Capacitors in general have to run a balance between capacity and fast charging, but these fancy ones with diamond-shaped nanopores in zeolite-templated carbon, developed at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, are said to offer the best of both worlds. How good? Cellphones that charge in minutes, electric cars with longer lasting batteries, and free Superman Underoos for all. Naturally there's no word on when these things might actually escape the lab and show up in real batteries, but you already knew that, didn't you.
