HP shows off concept devices of the future

BERLIN, GERMANY--HP wants you to believe you never have to sit through another boring meeting, ever. That's only if the Recap Meeting concept takes off. The idea behind it is pretty simple actually. Instead of attending a meeting in person, you assign a virtual avatar that's capable of recording the proceedings, while you're someplace else working on something more important, like burning rubber on Project Racer.

A few other concept devices were showcased to the media attending the Connecting Your World event in Berlin. These included a wearable data manager, which is essentially a ring that contains your personal bio-data profile and reacts to gesture controls; an interactive work surface with two flat surfaces for display and data input; and a volume printer that redefines the shopping experience by "printing" out mockup products before you pay for them.

There's also a tablet-like device which is capable of doing a multitude of tasks, which looks like an uber-cool remote control.

Pictures right after the jump! (And a video of it, too, if I manage to upload the file.)
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Air-powered go-kart hits the tracks

First, cars that run on water and air. Now, here's a go-kart that zips along on compressed O2. Considering that air is (still) free, this project by mechanical engineering students from Canada's Dalhousie University is on the right track. The air-powered vehicle apparently compares favorably against electric-powered carts. In test laps, the students managed three rounds or just under 2 minutes going full out at 43kmh on two tanks. But the air-powered go-kart still has some ways to go, literally. It runs out of air quickly, according to its makers. Nothing that time and refinements won't improve. And in the name of cheap, sustainable energy, we say bring it on!

Watch it in action below:



Source and picture from Dalhousie University of Canada

Scorpion sportscar would burn gasoline and hydrogen

A Texas company is offering a glimpse of a high-end hydrogen-gasoline sportscar it hopes to sell by October.

Rather than using fuel cells to power an electric motor, the Scorpion from Ronn Motor Company would have an internal combustion engine burning both gasoline and hydrogen, achieving 40 highway miles per gallon.

Unlike with a hydrogen fuel cell car, the Scorpion's "hydrogen on demand" system wouldn't require a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank. Nor would a driver need to find and fill up at a hydrogen fueling station.

Instead, electricity from the Scorpion's alternator sends an electric charge through the water in a storage tank, fracturing molecules and releasing hydrogen, which is injected into the motor, explained Ronn Maxwell, CEO of Ronn Motor in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

"This means that as we're driving down the road, we're producing hydrogen in real time, and blending it with gasoline at a ratio of 30 to 40 percent," he said.
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Hybrid-electric carmaker readies 220mpg "super car"

Hybrid Technologies is preparing a "green" sports car to submit in the Automotive X Prize contest, according to a report in Popular Mechanics.

The car will come in two versions: One for the Auto X Prize that will have a gasoline engine and battery and another all-electric version.

The gas-battery hybrid will get the equivalent of 220 miles per gallon while the all-electric will get 150mpg to 180mpg. A drivable prototype is set to hit the streets in September.

The idea is to make the X Prize entrant something that will result in a mass-produced electric car, the company told Popular Mechanics.

"We're looking for this car basically to end up mainstream--not just built for a one-and-done," project development engineer Ron Cerven told the magazine. "The X Prize car is going to be the purchasable--obviously a higher-end car, but there might be something else from us in the X Prize."

Hybrid Technologies doesn't get nearly as much attention as Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive, which are both preparing hybrid-electric sports cars.

But Hybrid Technologies has ambitious plans to make a range of vehicles that run on Lithium-based batteries, including scooters, bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, and cars.

Originally posted at Green Tech

A robot that heals itself

Is this how it begins? Somebody builds a robot that self-heals. And Skynet begins. Of course, the prototype droid by the University of Bath which can rebuild itself is a long way from the terrifying liquid metal cyborgs of the Terminator trilogy. While reel is slowly turning into real, the RepRap (short for rapid-prototyper) is still relatively low-tech. Using a technique called "additive fabrication", this puts down thin layers of molten biodegradeable plastic which solidify. The layers are then built up to make 3D objects.

Progress has been made from recreating everyday stuff like sandals and door handles, to replicating parts of itself. The next frontier: A nervous system and brain. The goal here is apparently to create a resilient artificial intelligence that can repair itself in situations where human intervention is difficult. It's all toward a greater purpose, though somehow the phrase "be afraid, be very afraid" keeps popping to mind.

Via Telegraph UK | Picture credit: Fox's Sarah Connor Chronicles

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