Transonic Combustion Revitalizes Engine Output

Teaching an old dog new tricks seems to be the way we are approaching energy consumption; the Transonic Combustion engine is a new trick for a nearly dead dog. The new combustion style uses supercritical fluids that ignite when in contact with air, exactly timed to the piston's most efficient position. This way, no energy is wasted in combustion that is not used in the piston movement. Experts say that the expected out put on the engine will be somewhere around 98 mpg Highway, twice that of the best hybrids on the road today. Transonic says that the technology will be hitting the pavement somewhere between 2013-2014.

Via Inhabitat.

Porsche Gives the Hybrid-Class Some Biceps.

Porsche has unveiled its newest addition to the hybrid movement, the 918 Spyder. It stands right now as the first plug-in hybrid ever. Along with this: 0-60 in 3.2 Seconds, can go 16 miles on electricity alone, and achieves 78 mpg. The way it achieves these in parallel is a combination of two motors: a 500 hp V8 and a set of electric motors that add another 218 hp. While it is still a concept car, Porsche is well known for fulfilling their concepts into realities.

Via Inhabitat.

Piezoelectricity moves forward (no pun intended)

Princeton scientists have introduced a new form of piezoelectric material, a rubber sheet that when stretched and strained, converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The sheets are made of organic lead zirconate titanate, layered over silicone with an embedded chip. Imagine the interior of tires lined with this, gaining energy simply from the pressure of the road; or, as PhysOrg notes, a pace maker that can retain energy from each pump. Click the above links for the full articles and studies.

Apple Releases iPad: Impressive (kind of)

(Engadget hands-on iPad)

A couple of days ago I threw together a little analysis of the up and coming Apple Tablet (released today as iPad). My pricing prediction (starting at $499) was spot on, as well as the concept image I chose to display in the article, and the overall goal Apple had in mind when designing this product. I'm quite satisfied with the shear power they've managed to pack into this thin device, but I have quite a few qualms with Apple's decisions. Check out my thoughts after the break.

Color Changing Windows: A Greener Future

"Imagine wrapping a giant pair of Wayfarers or Aviators around your house on a sunny day. Wouldn't that be cool?

NREL researchers are trying to do the high-tech equivalent of putting sunglasses on buildings with a new generation of insulated "dynamic windows" that change color to modulate interior temperatures and lighting."

Read the whole article here.