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Qarnot's smart space heater has learned some new tricks
Anybody with a desktop tower (or a laptop running Chrome) knows how much waste heat processors can throw off during the course of their computing. Typically that heat is simply discarded, shunted from the processor's surface through a complex series of tubes and sinks. But French startup Qarnot has a better idea: Use that energy to heat your home.
Dyson's latest smart fan heats, cools and purifies the air
Dyson has expanded its lineup with The Pure Hot+Cool Link, a very expensive WiFi enabled fan that combines all the features of the Dyson Pure Hot+ Cool fan and Pure Cool Link. It can thermostatically cool, heat and purify the air, and connect with your home network. You can then control everything using the smartphone app introduced with the Pure Cool Link model.
In Germany, these servers want to keep every home warm
Most places around the world are getting ready to bring out the blankets and coats, in preparation for the cold, cold season ahead. Knowing this, a company called Cloud & Heat has come up with a very interesting idea, one that's beneficial to both it and the parties interested in giving it a try. In exchange for heat, the Germany-based firm is offering to put a cabinet filled with servers in people's homes. As Slate points out, Cloud & Heat isn't the only company working on heat-for-server-housing program, but others aren't as advanced in the implementation stages. Unfortunately, the service isn't free for home owners, since there is a one-time (undisclosed) installation fee. The good news: Cloud & Heat takes care of the electricity and internet bills, so the deal could turn out to be more than decent.
Dyson issues recall after bladeless heater starts a few 'contained' fires (update)
As if a legal battle with Samsung wasn't bad enough, Dyson has to put out a fire within its own walls now. The company's issued a voluntary recall for the heater versions of its Air Multiplier fans because a few have short-circuited and caught alight, as spotted by Reuters. The entire sales run (around 1,000,000 units, as Dyson tells it) will be recalled after reports that four of them malfunctioned, resulting in "contained burning" inside the machines. For its part, the outfit says that there haven't been any instances of injury or property damage; it's simply being proactive to get this straightened out as soon as possible. How soon? Well, Dyson promises more info within 24 hours. We'll update this post as new details arrive. Update: Dyson has apparently started the recall process abroad (including in Israel and the United Arab Emirates). After registering your product, the company will contact you to schedule delivery of a new unit and pickup of the old one. Perhaps best of all, the replacement heater comes with a two-year warranty on parts and labor. Update 2: The company hasn't gotten the formal go-ahead for a recall in the US, but customers in the States can register at this site to get the ball rolling. [Thanks for sending this in, Kaschif!]
Insert Coin semifinalist: Radiator Labs wants to help you control your heat
Just about any apartment-dwelling urbanite can tell you that radiators are a bit of a necessary evil in the world of city living. What if there was a way to control the heat to individual rental units, without relying entirely on a landlord's temperature-controlling omnipotence? The Radiator Labs team has developed a device to help realize this dream. It's essentially a housing that sits on top of an individual radiator unit, controlling heat transfer to a room. Turn it off, and the insulation hampers the heat from making a room too hot. Turn it on, and the ducted fan spreads the heat out to the room. Radiator Labs has a bit more info on its page, which you can check out in the source link below. You can also view graphical breakdown of the technology after the break. Check out the full list of Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists here -- and don't forget to pick a winner!
All-weather motorcycle helmet heats and cools your face, protects grey matter (video)
Bob Averill, who introduced us to the world of underwater hamster care, had a couple of other projects to show us during our visit to Portland, Oregon, including the All-Weather Motorcycle Helmet. What, you ask, makes a motorcycle helmet "all-weather?" Why, built-in heating and cooling, of course. Averill started with a standard Vega modular helmet, adding an evaporative cooler powered by a solar panel on top. The cooler pulls air from an intake on the helmet's side, sucking up more air at higher speeds and blowing it through a sponge, across the wearer's face. When things get too cold, there's a heater built into the liner, created from a heated mouse pad and powered by a lithium battery. Averill is looking to get the project mass-produced, but that's easier said than done, when it comes to a safety products like this -- and Kickstarter, apparently, isn't playing ball. Check out a video of the helmet after the break.
Dyson intros Hot AM04, aims to change the home heating game (video)
Leave it to James Dyson to give your ordinary household appliance a new spin. Tonight in New York City, Mr. Dyson took to the stage in order to properly unveil his latest gizmo -- the $399.99 Dyson Hot AM04. As its name suggests, this is the company's latest fan Air Multiplier, but with a ceramic heating element to keep your toes toasty. On those muggy summer days, you'll be able keeps things breezy similar to previous Air Multipliers, and when the winter's bitter cold hits, you'll be able to heat things up anywhere from 32 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 99 degrees -- caliente. The unit is designed much like a jet's wing, bringing air in from its bottom grills and amplifying it six times as it soars out through the ducts. Interestingly enough, we're told that the heating element stays at one preset temperature, measuring the room until it reaches the level you tell it to. As you'd expect, an inbuilt safety mechanism flips the whole thing off if it tips over. With its tiltable base or an included IR remote, you'll be able to change the temperature, choose between ten fan speeds and set it into an oscillation mode. Better yet, the remote magnetically clings to the top of the unit -- perfect if you're prone to losing things. It's currently available in white or silver directly from Dyson (though a remote-less version is tipped for those looking to save a few bucks), and you'll find more details in the PR past the break. %Gallery-133818%
Water-cooled Aquasar supercomputer does math, heats dorm rooms
Not that we haven't seen this trick pulled before, but there's still something magical about the forthcoming Aquasar. Said supercomputer, which will feature two IBM BladeCenter servers in each rack, should be completed by 2010 and reach a top speed of ten teraflops. Such a number pales in comparison to the likes of IBM's Roadrunner, but it's the energy factor here that makes it a star. If all goes well, this machine will suck down just 10KW of energy, while the average power consumption of a supercomputer in the top 500 list is 257KW. The secret lies in the new approach to chip-level water cooling, which will utilize a "fine network of capillaries" to bring the water dangerously close to the processors without actually frying any silicon. While it's crunching numbers, waste heat will also be channeled throughout the heating system at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, giving students and dorm room crashers a good feel for the usefulness of recycled warmth.
Household heater meshes with LCD, acts like a fireplace
Not really keen on coughing up the dough required to retrofit a chimney in your domicile? Fret not, dear fireplace lovers, as a somewhat chintzy new device from Japan promises to provide the heat your body needs along with the (artificial) glow of slowly burning logs to boot. From what we can glean from the wonders of machine translation, this creature boasts an LCD which shows a heartwarming image of burning logs while the vents beneath actually warm your heart. Not bad for ¥25,800 ($241), not bad at all.[Via Dvice]
DIY solar heater constructed with aluminum cans
A solar-powered air conditioner doesn't do one much good during a Vermont winter, but rather than cranking on the heater (or huddling under the heated Hello Kitty mat) just to heat things up in a relatively small garage, a clever DIYer set out to concoct his own solar heater using scrap parts and a bit of free time. The solar wall was primarily built with black-painted soda cans, a wooden wall, plexiglass cover, and an inlet and outlet to channel the air around. The homegrown "solar furnace" captured the sunlight beaming onto the south side of the building, and as cool air found its way into the toasty cans and rose through drilled out portals, it managed to heat up a respectable 15-degrees Fahrenheit before escaping into the garage. The creator did note that his next attempt would sport a relocated inlet and be much larger in size, but if you're interested in putting a few in-the-way parts to good use next winter, be sure to hit the read link for a pictorial how-to.[Via HackNMod, thanks Joe]
Two-killowatt laser heats coffee, wows onlookers
Lasers have found their way into the hearts of modders everywhere, and while this latest case doesn't guide missiles or remove hair, it does make a mean cup of joe. All you'll need is a sturdy mug, coffee grinds (or a tea bag, whichever you prefer), a bit of water, and a spare two-kilowatt laser to get things a steamin'. Sure, there's most certainly a few alternatives to accomplish this same task with a lot less hassle, but there's just no substitute to making your office a round of java with a commercial-grade laser. Now, how about we give this a go with a 67-kilowatt version? Click on through for the vid.[Via Hack-A-Day]
Hello Kitty embraces warming blankets, gets fired up via USB
If you think we were baffled after seeing Hello Kitty USB foot warmers, you probably can't imagine the speechlessness we all feel when seeing the USB-powered lap warmer. Considering that anyone who would actually toss out their hard-earned dollars on feline feet heaters would likely not have the will power to resist this mat, it's fairly to say to say that this is a must-have for hardcore fans braving the tail end of winter. No word on just how large this thing is, nor if poses any eruption capabilities like one of its siblings (clones?), but judging by the mat-to-USB-connector ratio, this kitty ought to warmly cover a litter or two at least.
Digital Tech's Touch Stone: hot, pocket charging action
Korea's Digital Tech might be best known for their battery technology, but they also produce this freaky little Touch Stone "pocket heater" / mobile device charger. Yeah, so besides heating up the pocketed thigh, buttock, or nipple of your choice, the Touch Stone A30 also provides supplementary power to your cellphone, digital camera, portable media player, whutevs, via a 24-pin connector -- device adapters presumably sold separately. The 102-gram/3.6-ounce device pumps a Lithium Polymer battery at its heart capable of powering a cellphone for up to 9-hours, DMB phone for about 3-hours, or triple the life of MP3 players or digital cameras. Still, we have to wonder if the heating feature is by design, or just an unintentional consequence of hot running product? No matter, it should prove useful for some hardcore, winter-sports media-action this season -- available now in Korea for about 39,600KRW or $42. [Via AVING]
