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Researchers create incredibly thin solar cells flexible enough to wrap around a human hair

Zach Honig — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:50:00 EST

You've probably heard that the sun is strong enough to power our planet many times over, but without a practical method of harnessing that energy, there's no way to take full advantage. An incredibly thin and light solar cell could go a long way to accomplishing that on a smaller scale, however, making the latest device from researchers from the University of Austria and the University of Tokyo a fairly significant discovery. Scientists were able to create an ultra-thin solar cell that measures just 1.9 micrometers thick -- roughly one-tenth the size of the next device. Not only is the sample slim -- composed of electrodes mounted on plastic foil, rather than glass -- it's also incredibly flexible, able to be wrapped around a single strand of human hair (which, believe it or not, is nearly 20 times thicker). The scalable cell could replace batteries in lighting, display and medical applications, and may be ready to be put to use in as few as five years. There's a bounty of physical measurement and efficiency data at the source link below, so grab those reading glasses and click on past the break.

Researchers create incredibly thin solar cells flexible enough to wrap around a human hair originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onyx develops 330-watt 'plug-n-play' solar panel with built-in AC outlet

Zach Honig — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:25:00 EST

Onyx's new 330-watt solar panel isn't the first to offer a "plug-n-play" solution for getting power to your gadgets, but it may be the first to include a standard US power outlet, and enough output to juice up a computer, light or any other appliance (within reason) through its built-in micro inverter. "You can literally point the panel at the sun and plug an extension cord directly into the panel for immediate power," according to the Onyx PR, which you'll find in full just past the break.

Continue reading Onyx develops 330-watt 'plug-n-play' solar panel with built-in AC outlet

Onyx develops 330-watt 'plug-n-play' solar panel with built-in AC outlet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar Ship takes to the skies powered by good deeds and sunshine (video)

Brian Heater — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:57:00 EST

The Solar Ship is a little bit airplane, a little bit blimp and all good intentions. The hybrid dirigible combines the cockpit and landing gear of a plane with the top of a blimp, the latter of which is lined with solar panels. The green vehicle can take off from and land on short runways, an ideal feature in a craft designed to deliver supplies to areas hit by natural disasters or with otherwise rough terrains. The ship will come in three sizes, and the company will be offering up more public demonstrations next year. If you can't wait that long, however, you can check out a test run after the jump.

Continue reading Solar Ship takes to the skies powered by good deeds and sunshine (video)

Solar Ship takes to the skies powered by good deeds and sunshine (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photovoltaic polarizers could make self-charging smartphone dreams come true

Lydia Leavitt — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:03:00 EST

There's nothing worse than losing the charge on your iPhone at the company picnic. But fear not, you won't be stranded Twitter-less next to the potato salad if UCLA's new energy recycling LCD technology ever makes it to market. According to its inventors, the traditional LCD polarization process loses as much as 75 percent of light energy -- something that eats around 80 to 90 percent of the device's power. By using polarizing organic photovoltaic cells, however, the LCD-packing gizmo can recycle its own lost backlight energy, keeping itself charged for longer. What's really cool is these cells can recycle indoor or outdoor light as well, so you will essentially never lose a charge -- or have to speak to another human IRL again. Full PR after the break.

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Photovoltaic polarizers could make self-charging smartphone dreams come true originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sun CEO's deleted blog post to help end Oracle vs Google patent dispute?

Joseph Volpe — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:14:00 EST

Ever heard of estoppel? The term, sadly, does not denote a new German electronic bus service, but is rather a court-ordered way of telling companies "no backsies" on previously made public statements. It could also prove to be another nail in Oracle's patent dispute coffin, should Google's latest Wayback Machine defense hold up. Thanks to the internet's never say die policy, a 2007 post, recently deleted by Oracle, from Sun Microsystem's then CEO Jonathan Schwartz has surfaced, in which he enthusiastically endorsed Android's Java base. The public statement falls in line with the aforementioned legal doctrine, potentially contradicting new owner Oracle's patent infringement claims. Unfortunately for both parties, Judge William Alsup doesn't seem to be too cool under the collar as he's reportedly blasted each for "asking for the moon" and chiding them to "be more reasonable." A final ruling in this case is still a ways off, but in the meantime you can head to the source to read Schwartz's damning praise for yourself.

Sun CEO's deleted blog post to help end Oracle vs Google patent dispute? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Judge tells Oracle to rethink $2.6 billion claim against Google

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:42:00 EST

The war between Google and Oracle is far from over, but the big G keeps racking up tiny victories in what are admittedly modest battles. Now the Redwood Shores-based company has been told to go back to the drawing board with its damages report. Originally Oracle sought $2.6 billion, but its theories were largely dismissed and Judge William Alsup suggested an alternative starting point of roughly $100 million. The company still has an opportunity to present a new report, one that will likely seek much more than the proposed $100 million, but things are looking increasingly tough for the claimant. It wasn't all good news for Goog, though. While the judge told Oracle to narrow its focus from Android as a whole to just specific infringing features, he did agree that related advertising revenue should be included in the theoretical royalty base. He also offered harsh criticism for what he viewed as its "brazen" disregard for intellectual property rights. The trial is still scheduled for October, so we should have a better idea of how this whole thing will play out by Halloween.

Judge tells Oracle to rethink $2.6 billion claim against Google originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sanya Skypump charges your EV, illuminates parking lots using wind and rays (video)

Zach Honig — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:24:00 EST

So you're the first person in town to adopt an electric vehicle (EV), even clearing room for that 240v charging station in the garage. But what do you when you venture far from home, edging past the 200 mile mark on your Tesla Roadster? Well, if the Sanya Skypump ever sees the light of day (from its 150-watt solar panel), the hybrid solar / wind turbine-powered charging station will be making its way to parking lots around the world, pairing with a GE WattStation to juice up your EV as you shop at the mall, or browse a certain tech site from the office. The WattStation can theoretically recharge your EV in four to eight hours, though we're not sure how those figures translate with this particular setup. The Skypump system is based on Sanya's Streetlamp, which you can see in all its twirling glory in the B.o.B. music video remix just past the break.

Continue reading Sanya Skypump charges your EV, illuminates parking lots using wind and rays (video)

Sanya Skypump charges your EV, illuminates parking lots using wind and rays (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung NC215S solar netbook delayed, won't see sunlight until August

Christopher Trout — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:53:00 EST

Well, that didn't take long. The sun's only set once since we reported Samsung's solar NC215S netbook was up for pre-order and we're already getting word that it's been delayed. Despite earlier estimates of a July 3rd US shipping date, Liliputing is now saying that the solar-powered laptop won't make it to consumers until sometime in mid to late August, due to hold ups involving the machine's custom panels. Here's hoping this doesn't spoil anyone's plans to journey out of the house this summer.

Samsung NC215S solar netbook delayed, won't see sunlight until August originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's NC215s solar netbook up for pre-order at $399, NC110 follows at $329

Darren Murph — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:19:00 EST

It's hard to forget a face like this one, and if Samsung's NC215s solar netbook has been tickling your brain for the past few weeks, you'll likely be delighted to hear that you can pre-order one now for $399. We'd actually not heard yet of Sammy's plans to ship this thing here in North America, but it's fairly clear that Amazon intends to hawk it -- complete with an Atom N570 CPU, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 1GB of DDR3 memory, 25GB HDD and Windows 7 Starter. If you're not exactly keen on ponying up for the solar panel, the otherwise similar NC110 has also popped up in pre-sale fashion, with $329 getting you in line for that one. Per usual, tap those links below to do the deed(s).

Samsung's NC215s solar netbook up for pre-order at $399, NC110 follows at $329 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar Sinter solar-powered 3D printer turns sand into glass, renews our faith in higher education (video)

Christopher Trout — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:48:00 EST

Where would we be without the world's graduate art projects? In the case of Markus Kayser's Solar Sinter, we might never have seen the day when a solar-powered 3D printer would turn Saharan sand into a perfectly suitable glass bowl. Well, lucky for us (we suppose) we live in a world overflowing with MA students, and awash in their often confusing, sometimes inspiring projects. Solar Sinter, now on display at the Royal College of Art, falls into the latter category, taking the Earth's natural elements, and turning them into functioning pieces of a burgeoning technology. Solar Sinter uses the sun's rays in place of a laser and sand in place of resin, in a process that is perhaps more visually stunning than the results. See for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Solar Sinter solar-powered 3D printer turns sand into glass, renews our faith in higher education (video)

Solar Sinter solar-powered 3D printer turns sand into glass, renews our faith in higher education (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung NC215S solar netbook will see the light of day in Russia

Brian Heater — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:52:00 EST

Anyone who's ever attempted to use a laptop on a sunny summer day can surely tell you that direct sunlight is not your friend -- that's why we like to ride out the season in our dark basement apartments. If only there were a way to harness the sun's rays for good, instead of evil -- like powering your PC while you're off doing whatever it is that normal people do when it's sunny outside. First introduced for the African market, Samsung's NC215S will be hitting Russia in early August for 13,999 rubles ($479). The netbook sports a lid almost entirely monopolized by a solar panel, which contributes to an overall estimated battery life of 14.5 hours. The NC215S packs a 1.6GHz N570 Intel Atom dual-core processor, 250GB of storage, and 1GB of RAM into a 2.9 pound frame. It's almost enough to make us want to venture out into the sunlight. Almost.

Update: The folks at Liliputing have been told the NC215S is heading stateside on July 3rd, with a suggested retail price of $399, so it looks like you'll need to stay planted in your patience for just a few days more.

[Thanks, Marco]

Samsung NC215S solar netbook will see the light of day in Russia originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sun's coronal ejections caused by magnetic ropes, galactic weathermen to predict solar storms?

Michael Gorman — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:46:00 EST

Space weather gets nasty when the sun starts shooting plasma into the cosmos, and these solar storms wreak havoc on both satellites and gadgets here on earth. Scientists want to predict the sun's eruptions so we can protect our gear (and know the best time to go tanning), and George Mason University researchers have made a discovery that may help us do so. By examining images from NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory spacecraft, Professor Jie Zhang and grad student Xin Cheng determined that magnetic ropes are causing coronal ejections. The ropes are formed by several magnetic fields wrapped around each other, and scientists believe they can carry electrical currents strong enough to cause the plasma bursts. Prior to an eruption, Zhang observed a low-lying channel with unique electromagnetic properties (believed to be a magnetic rope) heat a portion of the sun's surface up to 10 million degrees. Once hot enough, the spot spewed forth copious amounts of the plasma and magnetic energy that gives GPS units and phones fits. Now that we know what gets Helios all riled up, we just need to find a way to calm him down. Close-ups of the sun in its tizzy are after the break.

Continue reading Sun's coronal ejections caused by magnetic ropes, galactic weathermen to predict solar storms?

Sun's coronal ejections caused by magnetic ropes, galactic weathermen to predict solar storms? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scent generator threatens to waft Odorama into the 21st century

Christopher Trout — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:14:00 EST

Finally, an invention John Waters can get behind. When the harbinger of filth brought the odiferous experience to screenings of Polyester, he took the scratch-and-sniff route -- including scents like glue and feces -- now a team of researchers at the University of California in San Diego are expanding on the smell-what-you-see concept, albeit in a much more high-tech fashion. In collaboration with the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, the team has developed a method for generating odors that could pack the appropriate hardware into a device "small enough to fit on the back of your TV." Basically, scents are produced by an aqueous solution, like ammonia, which is heated by a thin metal wire, and eventually expelled, as an odorous gas, from a small hole in its silicone elastomer housing -- and, bam! You've got Smell-O-Vision. The team has tested its method using perfumes by Jennifer Lopez and Elizabeth Taylor, but have yet to create a working prototype. For the sake of innocent noses everywhere, let's hope Mr. Waters doesn't get a whiff of this.

Scent generator threatens to waft Odorama into the 21st century originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Europe's first solar powered train tunnel goes live on Belgian high-speed line (video)

Amar Toor — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:41:00 EST

The train ride from Paris to Amsterdam may not be the most scenic of European railway routes, but it's the only one capable of harnessing the awesome power of the Sun -- for two miles, at least. Yesterday, engineers in Belgium officially switched on Europe's first solar-powered train tunnel, spanning a 2.1-mile stretch of the rail line connecting the City of Lights to Mokum. The installation's 16,000 solar panels will be used to provide 50 percent of the energy needed to power nearby Antwerp Central Station and to provide extra juice for both high-speed and traditional trains. Originally developed to help protect travelers from falling trees in an ancient forest, the project is expected to produce up to ~~3.3MWh~~ 3,300 megawatts hours per year, while decreasing annual CO2 emissions by about 2,400 tons. Speed past the break for some aerial footage of the artery, along with a brief PR from Enfinity -- the Belgian renewable energy company that helped bring it to life.

Update: According to the AFP, the tunnel will produce 3,300 megawatts hours per year.

Continue reading Europe's first solar powered train tunnel goes live on Belgian high-speed line (video)

Europe's first solar powered train tunnel goes live on Belgian high-speed line (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google hires Java founder James Gosling amid Oracle infringement suit - ah, snap!

Christopher Trout — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:53:00 EST

And the war wages on... We've been reporting on the showdown between Oracle and Google over Java-related patent infringement since its inception, and now El Goog's throwing a little extra excitement into the fray by hiring Java founder, and former VP of Sun Microsystems, James Gosling. When Oracle acquired Sun last year, Gosling, who refused to take part, wasn't shy about expressing his views, calling Oracle's Larry Ellison "Larry, Prince of Darkness." On a post to his blog, which has since crashed, Gosling was vague about his new duties saying simply, "I don't know what I'll be working on. I expect it'll be a bit of everything, seasoned with a large dose of grumpy curmudgeon." That's just the kind of smack talking this scuffle needed to keep things interesting. Long live James Gosling!

Google hires Java founder James Gosling amid Oracle infringement suit - ah, snap! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sun.com, the twelfth oldest domain on the internet, will be decommissioned on June 1st

Vlad Savov — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:08:00 EST

Sun Microsystems, one of the original gangsters responsible for supplying all the electronics and infrastructure we now know as the internet, ceased to be Sun Microsystems in January of last year. Assimilated into the Oracle juggernaut, its operations no longer carry that familiar logo and soon they'll no longer even be referenced in the same spot on the internet. Yes, after 25 years of answering the call of sun.com, the company that no longer is will be letting go of its former domain name as well. The site has already been redirecting users to Oracle for quite a while, but come June 1st, it'll be like the Sun we knew had never even risen.

[Thanks, Jeroen]

Sun.com, the twelfth oldest domain on the internet, will be decommissioned on June 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oops: Android contains directly copied Java code, strengthening Oracle's case (updated)

Nilay Patel — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:03:00 EST

Florian Mueller has been killing it these past few months with his analysis of various tech patent suits on his FOSSpatents blog, and today he's unearthed a pretty major bombshell: at least 43 Android source files that appear to have been directly copied from Java. That's a big deal, seeing as Oracle is currently suing Google for patent and copyright infringement in Android -- which isn't a hard case to prove when you've got 37 Android source files marked "PROPRIETARY / CONFIDENTIAL" and "DO NOT DISTRIBUTE" by Oracle / Sun and at least six more files in Froyo and Gingerbread that appear to have been decompiled from Java 2 Standard Edition and redistributed under the Apache open source license without permission. In simple terms? Google copied Oracle's Java code, pasted in a new license, and shipped it.

Now, we've long thought Google's odd response to Oracle's lawsuit seemingly acknowledged some infringement, so we doubt this is a surprise in Mountain View, but we're guessing handset vendors aren't going to be so thrilled -- especially since using Android has already caused companies like HTC and Motorola to be hit with major patent lawsuits of their own. We'll see what happens, but in the meantime you should definitely hit up Florian's site for the full dirt -- it's some 47 pages worth of material, and it's dense, but if you're into this sort of thing it's incredibly interesting.

Update: It appears things aren't this simple, but they're still not great. Check here for the latest.

Oops: Android contains directly copied Java code, strengthening Oracle's case (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dynamic Eye LCD sunglasses blot out the sun, not the rest of your life (video)

Tim Stevens — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:07:00 EST

Those giant Chanel sunglasses you bought for $450 may make you look happening at the pool, but did you notice the extra squint-lines you're getting thanks to their barely-there tinting? Not cool, and that wouldn't be a problem with Dynamic Eye shades. The concept model above admittedly looks worse than that pair of knockoff Oakleys you got for $20 from some mall kiosk, but that's hugely better than the early prototype demonstrated below, ready for its cameo in Revenge of the Nerds V: Nerds Hit the Beach. The concept is simple: each lens is an LCD that creates a dark box over the sun, blotting out the biggest source of glare and allowing the rest of the glasses to remain rather less tinted. They're even said to work at night. It's a project the company has been working on for years and still has many months of development left, but it feels close enough to ask for your help via Kickstarter. If you're feeling generous, a $400 donation will ensure you get one of the first pairs to roll off the assembly lines -- or you can just chip in $10 for now and get an e-mail telling you when you can order. Probably the safer way to go.

Continue reading Dynamic Eye LCD sunglasses blot out the sun, not the rest of your life (video)

Dynamic Eye LCD sunglasses blot out the sun, not the rest of your life (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokero's solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible

Darren Murph — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:23:00 EST

No one's going to be calling Nokero out for falling behind. Just a few short months after revealing its first commercial light bulb for developing nations, the outfit has now rolled out a second version, the predictably titled N200. This guy strikes a vastly different pose compared to the original, with the LED enclosure hanging on a swivel that enables it to be positioned in a way that would optimally catch light. When night falls, users can flip the light north to create a lantern. Nokero claims that this edition is just as rugged and rainproof as the original, but it's 60 percent brighter and lasts three times as long. A single NiMH battery is included, and that's what is rejuvenated by the sun -- once charged, it'll provide between 2.5 and 6 hours of light, depending on the mode. It's on sale now for $20 apiece (bulk prices are less), representing a modest $5 premium over the (still available) N100. Can't say the Yankees will be looking to decorate their outdoor patio with lighting right about now, but for the nomads trekking to Panama to escape Old Man Winter... well, you know what to do. Vid's after the break.

[Images courtesy of Larry Bollig]

Gallery: Nokero N200 solar-powered light bulb

Continue reading Nokero's solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible

Nokero's solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google responds to Oracle's Android patent lawsuit, we break it down

Nilay Patel — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:33:00 EST

It's been just over a month and a half since Oracle first sued Google for infringing various Java-related patents in Android, and the big G's just filed its official response to the lawsuit after calling it "baseless." For the most part, it's a pretty standard answer to a patent complaint: Google says Android doesn't infringe any of Oracle's patents, and even if it does, those patents are invalid and / or unenforceable for a variety of reasons anyway, so, you know, shove it. That's basically all Google -- or any patent defendant -- needs to say in the answer, and if that was it, we'd just note it and move on with our lives. But we were struck by the factual background section, which reads to us like Google's geared up for war: it basically accuses Sun and Oracle of not playing fair when it comes to Java's open-source license situation and directly implies that parts of Android are based on code that might require a patent license. It's a little wonky, but let's break it down:

Continue reading Google responds to Oracle's Android patent lawsuit, we break it down

Google responds to Oracle's Android patent lawsuit, we break it down originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vdara hotel 'death ray' claiming victims in the Las Vegas Strip

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:09:00 EST

"Death ray" is probably one of the most tantalizing phrases in the blogger's vocabulary, so our ears perked up when we heard talk of one out there in the Las Vegas Strip. A totally unforeseen and unpredictable consequence of building a 57-foot curved mirror in the desert, the Vdara Death Ray is the affectionate nickname given to a phenomenon that's been plaguing poolside loungers staying at the hotel / spa. Among the victims is one Bill Pintas, whose tale of woe was recently printed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

[A]fter a brief dip in the hotel pool, he was sunning on a recliner. He was on his stomach, relaxed, eyes closed. But suddenly, the lawyer became so uncomfortably hot that he leaped up to move. He tried to put on his flip-flop sandals but, inexplicably, they were too hot to touch. So he ran barefoot to the shade. "I was effectively being cooked," Pintas said. "I started running as fast as I could without looking like a lunatic." Then he smelled an odor, and realized it was coming from his head, where a bit of hair had been scorched.

A spokesman for MGM Resorts International (which owns Vdara) claims that it is working to fix the problem. In the meantime, if you're going to be in town for any random tech shows that might pop up, we suggest that you either get a trailer or barricade yourself into your suite at Circus Circus. Both have worked for us in the past.

Vdara hotel 'death ray' claiming victims in the Las Vegas Strip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASA going to the Sun, Jay Leno readies 'hot' jokes for coming years

Trent Wolbe — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:52:00 EST

Our favorite aerospace exploration organization will finally fulfill a 1958 recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences by sending the Solar Probe Plus into the Sun's atmosphere. It will be the first time any craft visits a star -- previous data have been collected from at least millions of miles away. Why the personal visit? Two main reasons: to determine why the sun's corona is millions of kelvin hotter than its visible surface, and to learn more about how that solar wind we've been hearing so much about lately gets accelerated. Look out for answers to these and other burning questions (we're getting started early!) sometime before 2018.

NASA going to the Sun, Jay Leno readies 'hot' jokes for coming years originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google calls Oracle Android lawsuit 'baseless,' says Java goes 'beyond any one corporation'

Nilay Patel — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:21:00 EST

Oracle's decision to sue Google for infringing its patents and copyright on Java in Android has certainly stirred up a hornets' nest of commentary and analysis on the web today, but it's only just now that we've received Google's official statement, in which the search giant calls the suit "baseless" and vows to "defend open-source standards." Them's fightin' words -- and considering the Dalvik virtual machine at the heart of the Android OS is the centerpiece of this dispute, we wouldn't expect either side to back down quietly here. Get ready for years of litigation, friends. Here's Google's full statement:

We are disappointed Oracle has chosen to attack both Google and the open-source Java community with this baseless lawsuit. The open-source Java community goes beyond any one corporation and works every day to make the web a better place. We will strongly defend open-source standards and will continue to work with the industry to develop the Android platform.

Google calls Oracle Android lawsuit 'baseless,' says Java goes 'beyond any one corporation' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HomeSun to install gratis solar panels on UK roofs, hope for reimbursement

Darren Murph — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:59:00 EST

As the story goes, the UK government is helping to subsidize the installation of solar panels on homes around the country, and HomeSun is hoping to make a name for itself by providing a bit of encouragement for those on the fence. Reportedly, the outfit will be providing and installing 2.5 kWh to 4 kWh systems -- which typically range between £11,000 and £15,000 -- for precisely nothing on abodes with "optimally sited and sized roofs." Post-install, HomeSun will receive government funds over 25 years, and at any point, customers can buy the system off on a straightline depreciation basis and start receiving the feed-in tariff themselves. Better still, those who don't meet the "free" qualifications can still get in on the goodness for a one-time fee of £500 and a £5/month maintenance charge. We'd suggest you apply quick, though -- the company will only be installing 100,000 systems over the next three years.

HomeSun to install gratis solar panels on UK roofs, hope for reimbursement originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photon enhanced thermionic emission could double efficiency of solar cells

Laura June — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:25:00 EST

Engineers at Stanford have developed a process which can harness the light and heat of the sun simultaneously, which could lead to solar cells that are twice as efficient as those currently available. Called photon enhanced thermionic emission -- or PETE for short -- the process differs from traditional cells which lose efficiency as temperatures rise, and the materials needed to build the cells are cheap and widely available. The engineers got around the lower efficiencies by coating a piece of semiconducting material with a thin layer of the metal cesium, which enables the material to use both heat and light simultaneously. While the materials as currently demonstrated work best in very high temperatures, the researchers indicate that in the near future, the materials could have wide enough application to make them competitive with traditional forms of energy. Hit the source for the full story.

Photon enhanced thermionic emission could double efficiency of solar cells originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Violent sun throws fit, massive blast of plasma to hit Earth tomorrow

Tim Stevens — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:02:00 EST

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are no laughing matter, but for quite some time now we've been livin' easy as the sun kept it cool. That changes tomorrow, when a massive CME will hit our atmosphere, flung asunder by that great CFL in the sky, which apparently spent much of yesterday throwing a giant, solar tantrum. Scientists are saying that human life will probably not be exterminated thanks to our atmosphere, but GPS and cellular reception could be a little finicky tomorrow. We can't wait to see the anti-sun attack ads from Apple.

Update: Twitter user d0mth0ma5 sent us this link to a NASA time-lapse of the ejection. Make your time.

[Thanks, Eric]

Violent sun throws fit, massive blast of plasma to hit Earth tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New biggest star discovered, is not Justin Bieber

Trent Wolbe — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 06:49:00 EST

You know how sometimes you're just sitting out in a field with your homies, looking up at the stars and thinking man, the universe is so BIG... and I'm just so small! Thanks to the Very Large Telescope in Chile, Professor Paul Crowther at Sheffield University, and some good old-fashioned Hubble data, you can feel just a little bit smaller. Crowther and his team have measured the giant known as R136a1 to be 265 times the size of the sun. That's a pretty cool size, but not quite as cool as the 320 solar masses it was at birth -- nothing to sneeze at, since previous discoveries had the largest stars somewhere around 150 solar masses. It's also the most luminous star ever found, at 10 million times brighter than the sun. Even so, don't get your hopes up trying to see this with your telescope (unless it's, you know, Very Large) because it's a good 165,000 light years away. Doesn't mean you can't look in its direction and smile, though.

[Image: ESO / M. Kornmesser]

New biggest star discovered, is not Justin Bieber originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar powered tattoo gun makes the earth happy, doesn't guarantee you won't regret that Biz Markie ink

Laura June — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:41:00 EST

Hey, if we told you that you could get a tattoo from a guy in Dallas who uses a rotary tattoo gun powered by a solar panel, would you go for it? The guy in the video below sure did.

[Thanks, Naveen]

Continue reading Solar powered tattoo gun makes the earth happy, doesn't guarantee you won't regret that Biz Markie ink

Solar powered tattoo gun makes the earth happy, doesn't guarantee you won't regret that Biz Markie ink originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ComEd launches pilot solar energy program for 100 customers in Chicago

Laura June — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:47:00 EST

Chicago utility company ComEd announced earlier this week it will launch a pilot program for 100 of its customers to test out the power of the sun. The program will include the installation of solar panels into 100 homes, and further devices -- such as smarter thermostats which do things like lower during the day when no one's at home, and give out hourly pricing information -- in fifty of those homes. The meters will also have the ability to reward customers who generate excess solar power that can be pumped back into the grid -- because everybody loves being rewarded, right? ComEd will choose the pilot families by mail-in survey, and by factors such as their roofs, and the amount of shading trees there are in their yards.

ComEd launches pilot solar energy program for 100 customers in Chicago originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Melbourne's decommissioned Observation Wheel re-imagined as energy-making windmill

Darren Murph — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:01:00 EST

A Melbourne icon was shut down recently due to damages that were apparently too severe to bother fixing, but thankfully for the otherwise stunning Southern Star Observation Wheel, a few good men and women have their gears going about what to do next. Designer Büro North, who also dreamed up the VEIL Solar Shades, has a most splendorous idea of how to turn a broken ride into something that actually benefits local citizens. Obviously everything's still a pipe dream for now, but said dream involves strapping solar sails onto the sides and creating a wind-driven energy generation machine that pulls juice from two renewable sources. And let's be honest, you'd totally ride this -- risks be darned.

Melbourne's decommissioned Observation Wheel re-imagined as energy-making windmill originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar flares set to wreak havoc on GPS signals

Vlad Savov — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:02:00 EST

The sun's activity isn't usually a hot topic around these parts, but when it threatens to derail satellite navigation services around the world, it must surely take center stage. UK researchers have corroborated Cornell's 2006 warning that our solar system's main life-giver is about to wake up and head toward a new solar maximum -- a period of elevated surface activity and radiation. It is precisely that radiation, which can be perceived in the form of solar flares, that worries people with respect to GPS signaling, as its effects on the Earth's ionosphere are likely to cause delays in data transmission from satellites to receivers and thereby result in triangulation errors. Still, it's more likely to be "troublesome than dangerous," but inaccuracies of around 10 meters and signal blackouts that could last for hours are being forecast in the absence of any intervening steps being taken. So yes, you now have another reason not to trust your GPS too much.

[Thanks, Mike]

Solar flares set to wreak havoc on GPS signals originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZFS open source project abruptly shuts down, Snow Leopard weeps icy tears

Darren Murph — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:09:00 EST

The on-again / off-again love affair between Apple and ZFS seems to be all but over, with a brief but potent message on the Mac OS Forge project site stating the following: "The ZFS project has been discontinued. The mailing list and repository will also be removed shortly." If you'll recall, the implementation of the ZFS file system within Snow Leopard server was so close to happening that Apple actually published it as a feature of the forthcoming OS back in June of 2008. Now, however, all hope has presumably been lost. We'd bother explaining the rumors behind why all of this has suddenly crumbled, but honestly, will knowing the reasons really help the pain? No, no it won't.

[Via TUAW]

Filed under: Software

ZFS open source project abruptly shuts down, Snow Leopard weeps icy tears originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sun FlashFire's record-breaking storage performance will make network admins giddy

Tim Stevens — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:33:00 EST

Most businesses look for a good mix between value and performance for the hardware they lock in the server closet, the majority of those leaning toward the "value" side of the equation. However, for those companies that dodged the economic downturn entirely and want only the best, there's the FlashFire storage array from Sun. It's 2TB of rackmountable bits able to perform 1.6 million read and 1.2 million write operations per second, with a sustained throughput of 12.8GB/sec. Sun says these are records, and we can't find anything to refute them, the closest being the RamSan-440 from Texas Memory Systems, offering an (until very recently) impressive 600,000 I/O operations per second with a 4.5GB/sec throughput. TMS, it's been brought.

Filed under: Storage, Networking

Sun FlashFire's record-breaking storage performance will make network admins giddy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Australian power grid attacked by virus, Linux saves the day

Joseph L. Flatley — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:46:00 EST

This isn't the first time we've heard of an institutional virus outbreak -- even the crew of the International Space Station had a neat little scare not too long ago -- and now various outlets in Australia are reporting that Integral Energy, which supplies energy to homes and businesses in New South Wales and Queensland, has suffered a particularly nasty visit by the W32.Virut.CF virus. When all was said and done, the company had to repair all 1000 of the facility's desktops. Furthermore, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that the company's anti-virus software hadn't been updated since at least February. Between the lack of anti-virus updates and the fact that segregation between the company's main network and the grid was "typically none at all" this story has all the makings of a disaster. Luckily, the grid itself runs on Sun Solaris -- and when control systems became infected, how did they fix the mess? That's right: by replacing them with Linux machines. A word to the wise: they do make anti-virus auto-updates for a reason.

[Via The PC Report]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Australian power grid attacked by virus, Linux saves the day originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oracle just might produce a netbook after acquiring Sun

Darren Murph — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:47:00 EST

Oracle sure has come a long way since its cardboard laptop days, but is it really ready to take on the likes of Acer, ASUS, HP and Dell in the netbook area? During a brief appearance at Sun's JavaOne conference today, Oracle's main man Larry Ellison proclaimed that his firm "might build a variety of devices as a result of its planned acquisition of Sun Microsystems, including netbooks." Sadly, there was absolutely no elaboration beyond that, but it's certainly interesting to think of what a netbook would look / feel like with a Sun flair to it. Who knows, maybe we won't even have to wonder in a few months.

Filed under: Laptops

Oracle just might produce a netbook after acquiring Sun originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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75-megawatt solar plant to power "first solar city" in Florida

Darren Murph — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:11:00 EST

Given that Florida has accurately been coined The Sunshine State, it's not at all shocking to hear that America's first "solar city" will be built in the state's southwest corner. Or, at least that's the plan. According to a new report, West Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners is currently developing a new city near Charlotte County, which will get juiced by a massive 75-megawatt solar plant. Said plant will cost around $300 million to build and will be installed by Florida Power & Light; if all goes well, homes will begin construction on a sizable plot of land dubbed Babcock Ranch by 2011. If things don't go so well, we're told that the actual power plant will still be erected and fed into the larger grid. In other words, Florida's gettin' some solar power, with or without this newfangled concrete jungle.

[Via Fark]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

75-megawatt solar plant to power "first solar city" in Florida originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recession roundup: Monday morning edition

Tim Stevens — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:57:00 EST

It wasn't that long ago that Monday mornings in the office were a depressing time -- another cheerful weekend gone; another long week of work ahead. But, these days, being in the office on a Monday is a good thing, because if your login still works you've survived another scary layoff Friday. Spare a thought, then, for those whose system access has been cut off, including 1,300 from Sun (the first wave of a total of 6,000 planned job cuts), 8,000 workers at Sprint who are due to receive pink slips, 6,000 from Philips, and an unannounced number of IBM workers (rumored to be 16,000) who have also found themselves to be on the wrong side of the cost-cutting ax. In one final bit of cheery news, AMD has reported a $1.4 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 and, after shedding its handheld graphics unit, is now selling its manufacturing operations to Advanced Technology Investment. Oh, sorry, you were hoping for some genuinely good news? How about this: that loss is smaller than AMD's $1.8 billion loss from the same time last year. Now have a great day!

Read - Sun confirms 1,300 layoffs
Read - Sprint Nextel Plans to Cut 8,000 Jobs in Quarter
Read - Philips to Release 6000 Employees into Wild
Read - Several IBM employees report being laid off on Alliance@IBM
Read - IBM Confirms Layoffs
Read - AMD Reports $1.4 Billion Loss

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Recession roundup: Monday morning edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Shouting at disk drive causes high latency, low morale

Ross Miller — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:01:00 EST

Here's a tip for everyone who hasn't made the jump to solid state: try to be nice to your disk drive. Brendan Gregg from Sun's Fishworks team wanted to see the effects of vibrations on his disk array, so he proceeded to shout at it. On video. Yeah, we bet that's pretty embarrassing for the drive in question, and what results is a sharp spike the number of I/O operations that take over 5ms to complete. Moral of the story? Yelling at your computer isn't going to make it run any faster. How about next time we see how it reacts to Ozzy, Mozart and warm, gentle nuzzles? We've placed video of Gregg's sadistic hardware taunts after the break.

[Via Slashdot]

Continue reading Video: Shouting at disk drive causes high latency, low morale

Filed under: Storage

Video: Shouting at disk drive causes high latency, low morale originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sun Direct launches DTH satellite service in Delhi, NCR

Darren Murph — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:25:00 EST

After Sun Direct became the first carrier in all of India to offer up MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) direct-to-home broadcast service, the company is now expanding its offerings to Delhi and the National Capital Region, the latter of which consists of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad. The starting package is priced at Rs 999 ($20) per month with a free set-top-box, although installation will set you back another Rs 1,000. No word on when it'll begin sending down HD channels, but we'd say it's about time, no?

Filed under: Satellite

Sun Direct launches DTH satellite service in Delhi, NCR originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vista, OS X updates could bring significant SSD speed gains

Paul Miller — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 07:10:00 EST

It's been a real roller coaster ride of emotions with SSD. The once lauded (at least in our hearts) savior of all things computing has, in real life, provided us with lackluster and even controversial performance gains, while battery improvements haven't been revolutionary and the prices still aren't exactly wallet-friendly. Most of that is unlikely to change in the next couple of years, but there's still plenty to be fixed in the short term. Samsung is working with Microsoft to define optimum packet sizes and best practices for reading and writing files to SSD as a potential update for Windows Vista, which is particularly optimized to work best with traditional hard drives. Sun is also working to improve SSD support with its next-gen ZFS file system, which in addition to powering its Solaris OS should be making an appearance in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, at least in the server version. There's clearly still plenty of untapped potential in SSD, let's just hope the powers that be figure this stuff out sooner rather than later.

[Via Mac Rumors]

Filed under: Storage

Vista, OS X updates could bring significant SSD speed gains originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Aug 2008 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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