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Zephyr solar-powered UAV breaks three more world records
The Zephyr is a winning machine. Last we reported, QinetiQ's solar-powered drone had just completed 7-days in the air, and counting. Now, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) has confirmed that Zephyr completed that record-breaking flight with a solid 2-weeks in the air (336 hours). If that wasn't enough to put other drones to shame, FAI found that Zephyr also destroyed records for flight duration for a UAV of its class, and the altitude record for that class at 21,562 meters, or 70,741 feet. So keep the records coming, Zephyr, because everyone loves a winner, even when that winner is a unmanned war machine.
KDDI's biblio Leaf SP02 priced, due out Christmas Day in Japan (update)
E-readers are flooding the market these days, and KDDI has delivered its most recent offering just in time for the holiday season. Since the biblio Leaf SP02's specs were first released, battery life seems to have grown to 13,000 pages, with presumably a few extra thrown in courtesy of its solar array. The device utilizes KDDI's LISMO Book Store and its 20,000 titles to obtain content, and if that isn't enough reading material for you, the company claims that five times as many titles will be available by 2012. All this can be had on Christmas day -- if you're lucky enough to hail from the land of the rising sun, that is. Update: Details on the e-reader, much like the device itself, seem to have gotten lost in translation. As a few readers have pointed out -- and our own Engadget Japanese editor Ittousai confirms -- the SP02 has an "open" price of around ¥15,000 (about $180 in US currency), with 3G prices ranging from ¥525 per month for data on a two-year contract, or ¥1,575 without ($6.28 vs. $19, respectively).
Eton Raptor emergency radio trades the crank for solar power, rakish good looks
If "danger" is your middle name and yet "caution" a favorite word, you've probably already got an ugly old emergency radio buried somewhere in your car. Today, Eton's unveiling a model that you might actually feel comfortable using in public without disaster having to strike first. The solar-powered Eton Raptor boasts a slender, 11-ounce carabiner-like design that seems positively packed with tools, including the typical (AM / FM / WB radio, compass, LED flashlight), the adventurous (altimeter, barometer) and the plain ol' useful (audio line-in, bottle opener). It's also got a USB port for charging gadgets from the internal 1800mAh battery and takes splash-proof cues from the Eton Soulra. No word on price, but we know a few road warriors who might be interested when it hits shelves in the first quarter of next year. PR after the break, images immediately below. %Gallery-111814%
NRG and SunPower partner on 250-megawatt solar plant, plan to power 100,000 California homes
NRG Solar (get it?) and SunPower -- neither of which are strangers to extracting juice from that glowing ball of fire in our sky -- have just linked up to build one of the world's largest photovoltaic solar plants. The tandem will start construction in San Luis Obispo County next year, creating around 350 jobs in the process and helping California inch ever closer to realizing its 33 percent renewable portfolio standard. The 250-megawatt plant still pales in comparison to a few others (namely this guy in Arizona), but it dwarfs the vast majority of factories in operation today. The project is expected to stretch out for three or four years, but when all is said and done, around 100,000 homes (yeah, even the home of one Vincent Chase) will be given sun-sourced energy thanks to this here installation. That said, the actual energy bills for Californians everywhere probably won't sink -- but hey, at least you're throwing Ma Earth a well-deserved bone, right?
Nokero's solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible
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-107898%
AUO solar-powered touch keyboard connects your laptop with the sun
Call us crazy, but we're sensing a trend. Just hours after Logitech came forward with its solar-powered desktop keyboard, in flies AUO with something similar for laptops. Demonstrated alongside its deadzone-free 3D panel at FPD International 2010, the 14-inch solar-powered touch keyboard laptop solution (it's a working title, folks) is meant to be integrated into laptops in order to cut power usage by as much as 20 percent. So far as we can tell, a solar module is built within the laptop's lid and its keyboard panel, and the touch-sensitive overlay enables light to travel through while giving you a totally outlandish typing experience -- something akin to the Libretto W105, most likely. There's no word on a scheduled release date or price, but we'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a nearby prototype.
LaserMotive's unnamed quadrocopter hovers for 12 solid hours using lasers alone
Protip: $900,000 goes a long way, particularly when you're dumping practically all of it into a single investment (Hello Kitty lap warmers notwithstanding). LaserMotive, the company lauded for bringing home nearly a million bucks in the 2009 NASA-sponsored Space Elevator Games, has just broken an endurance record for laser-powered hovering with its unnamed Pelican. This here quadrocopter is designed to get energized by converting beams into power via a set of photovoltaic panels on its underside, and in a recent test, lasers were able to keep it afloat for over 12 hours. It never hovered much higher than 30 feet, and it barely moved from left to right while in the air, but we're guessing it was marginally more interesting than watching paint dry. All jesting aside, the milestone makes it a lot more feasible for the company to get this technology into UAVs used in the military -- "for example, laser-powered copters could perform on-the-road reconnaissance missions when convoys travel through a combat zone." And if you're looking to take home something similar on a far smaller scale, there's always the AR.Drone.
KDDI tacks solar panel onto biblio Leaf SP02 e-reader
Haven't seen enough of KDDI's fall 2010 product line? Good. The company has just outed a new e-reader, and shockingly enough, it actually manages to differentiate itself quite well in the sea of me-too alternatives. The biblio Leaf SP02 (a followup to last year's model) is right around the size of Amazon's newest Kindle, packing a 6-inch E Ink display (800 x 600 resolution), 2GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, included stylus, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, inbuilt 3G and a battery good for around 7,500 page turns. Curiously, there's also a small solar panel adorning the bottom right, and we're guessing that you can (slowly) rejuvenate the internal cell while reading under the sun -- just make sure you keep your right palm out of the way. Unfortunately, there's no direct mention of an expected price, but those stationed in Japan should see it on sale this December for somewhere between free and Yenfinity.
Puma Phone review
So it's true, we're living in an age where people would shamelessly line up for certain electronics and luxurious fashion items. Why? Just because they can, and for that reason, some swanky outlets -- namely Christian Dior, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace -- have attempted to exploit our gadget lust by offering self-branded phones at extortionate prices. In the eyes of every-day consumers, there's really not much appeal in these soulless devices except for the logo and some extra bling, but apparently these two factors alone are enough to make some aficionados drool a river. On the other hand, Puma -- a less luxurious but naturally more accessible fashion brand -- has decided to do more than just slapping an OS skin onto its aptly-named Puma Phone. Priced at a comparably affordable £300 ($469), this Sagem-made featurephone packs a few unusual features such as a solar panel, a sports tracker, and even a virtual cougar named Dylan. Read on to find out if we could sense the Puma spirit in this device.%Gallery-99609%
Tascam's TC-1S guitar tuner is solar powered, super tiny
We hate to point out the obvious, but it's about time you threw procrastination in the nearest dumpster and started thinking about your holiday shopping duties. For the budding guitarist in everyone's life (admit it, there's always one), Tascam has a cutesy new guitar tuner that's both a) affordable and b) Stocking Stuffer-approved at just 3.77- x 0.71- x 1.57-inches. The TC-1S claims to be the world's first solar-powered tuner, complete with a rugged silicon wrap, a USB port for cloudy days and shadowy clubs, a sweet carrying clip, integrated microphone and a quarter-inch input for guitar and bass tuning. It can even be calibrated to an external source, and it'll be available in a half-dozen hues (black, pink, orange, green, blue, white) later this month.
Ford to install solar cells at SUV factory, Mother Nature sees glimmer of hope
From the Baby Steps department: Ford will be working with Detroit Edison to install a 500-kilowatt photovoltaic array and 750kw battery storage system at its Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne. While this is a great thing, the sun will only be handling about 0.5 percent of the plant's yearly 140,000,000-kilowatt-hour consumption. More important than that 0.5 percent, however, is the fact that the PV system will serve as a kind of teaching facility on the subjects of load-shifting, voltage support, off-peak charging, and demand response for an industrial setting -- i.e., an automobile manufacturing plant. Kudos to Ford for the teachable moment, but we know it can do better: the outfit's Dagenham Diesel Center in the UK is powered completely by on-site wind turbines. And we think they will do better: it tells us it's still investigating the possibility of a wind energy component for this and other facilities. You're welcome, Ma Earth.
HomeSun to install gratis solar panels on UK roofs, hope for reimbursement
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.
Hama Zero's Solar Bike Fujin runs thanks to the sun, not on it (video)
Upon hearing the name "Solar Bike Fujin," designed by a Japanese space rover engineer, we leaned back in our chairs and dreamed up dramatic images of a futuristic bicycle dashing across the void before cruising the turbulent surface of the sun. However, when we watched the rest of the video below we realized that the bike will instead conquer rather more terrestrial routes at speeds well short of escape velocity (72km/h, or about 45mph). It is, however, powered by the sun, able to run 220km on a full charge or, thanks to its aerodynamicaly profiled solar wings, can give itself 50km worth of juice just by sitting in the sun while you put in your 9-to-5. This is helped by incredibly low rolling-resistance wheels, the front one able to keep rotating for 20 minutes on its own with just a gentle spin, technology borrowed from creator Mr. Yamawaki's Minerva rover that was part of the Hayabusa probe. Hopefully this bike manages to get a little further than that rover did.
Meet Marvin, the ginormous solar-assisted catamaran
Nah, it's not actually able to get engine power from the insanely large solar panels adorning its roof, but Marvin still utilizes the 35 square meters of photovoltaic panels to run everything else in an eco-friendly fashion. Sadly, this 50 foot fiberglass cruising catamaran is merely a concept for now, but we're hoping that a few VCs get together in order to make this bad boy a reality. Surely there's a Russian billionaire in need of a boat to visit his new home in Newark, right? [Thanks, Panos]
Solar camera strap concept really charges us up
Forget to charge your camera when you're on the go? Well, this solar camera strap concept could help you out -- it would require just a few of the sun's rays to give your cam the juice it needs -- and it's a pretty attractive design to boot. So far (like we said), it's just a concept, but it shouldn't be too hard to make this one a reality, so let's get on it!
HP developing wrist PC for military, finally putting that flexible display to good use
Looks like that flexible plastic display Hewlett-Packard has been talking up since 2008 is finally ready to hit the big time. According to Carl Taussig, director of information surfaces at HP Labs, the company is developing a wrist PC at the behest of the US military. Behind the display, a thin strip of metal-coated plastic (merely 50 microns thick) is printed with transistors for, you know, displaying stuff. The thing will be solar powered and, like the display, the solar panels will also be printed, using a technology called PowerFilm. With any luck a prototype should be ready within a year. Now, can we get a PIP Boy already?
Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse completes first full test flight, nears another frontier (video)
We've tracked this solar-powered tub from its announcement last year, through its first runway tests, past the little hop that counted as its first flight, and now we've arrived at the HB-SIA's first legitimate test flight. The Solar Impulse, brainchild of one Bertrand Piccard, took the upward plunge into the skies yesterday, successfully rising to 5,500 feet and a speed of 30 knots before gliding down gently and calling the whole thing an unqualified success. You can find video of the event after the break. A nighttime test flight is planned for later this year, after which a bulkier production model will be cobbled together with the intent of reaching the final goal of circumnavigating the globe by 2012.
Solar Pebble lamp doubles as a gadget charger, world changer
It might not change the world, but it won't be for lack of trying. Plus Minus Solar has designed what it's calling the LED Solar Pebble, a multifaceted device that requires just a pinch of sunlight (or maybe gobs of it, actually) in order to generate artificial light. And charge your arsenal of gizmos. It's engineered to be built at a low cost and used in developing nations, but unfortunately there's no confirmation on what exactly it'd charge. 'Course, it's just a concept as of now, so we're guessing a micro-USB and mini-USB socket could be tossed on by whatever manufacturer would be kind enough to get this to a production line. Right, prospective manufacturers? %Gallery-89647%
PlanetSolar boat aims for Earth circumnavigation with Sun's help, enters testing stage (video)
You'll be forgiven for letting the PlanetSolar boat slip your mind in the year that's passed since we last heard of it, but the engineers behind the project haven't been slacking and today we're hearing that the multihull vessel has been put into the water to begin its seafaring tests. With nearly 5,400 square feet of photovoltaic cells adorning its roof, this is by far the biggest and most ambitious solar-powered boat yet, so it's no surprise that it won't be casting off on its globe circumnavigation attempt until at least April 2011. For now, you can enjoy photos of the vast ray-muncher at the PlanetSolar link below or skip past the break for the latest video from the team. [Thanks, Pavel]
Caption contest: solar suits, or the future of punishment for eco-abusers?
We get the impression that these guys are really just putting the pressure on "evil corporations" to stop grounding mountains in the everlasting search for coal, but it's not really the environmental activism that caught our attention here. Rather, it's the fact that we're 84.3 percent certain we saw these exact same characters in a Daft Punk video back in college. Seriously -- check the video out after the break and tell us we're loony. Josh T.: "Totally off the grid in regard to both power and girlfriends." Thomas: "And now Solar Sprockets, we dance!" Joe: "You have to go as far as Brussels to find a Devo tribute act worth its salt." Richard Lai: "In the future, humans won't need to eat." Paul: "Sure, they know how to capture the electricity, but do they know what to do with it?" Justin: "In the future, all bands will play the washboard." Laura: "Did anyone make a Beastie Boys joke yet?" Darren: "SABOTAGE." Richard Lawler: "This is not what Boston meant when they said I take what I find."