Floating solar farm juices up winery

Napa Valley winery Far Niente has commissioned what it says is the first floating solar farm.

Called a "floatovoltaic" solar array, it is a collection of almost 1,000 solar panels hitched to pontoons that float in the vineyard's irrigation pond.

In tandem with another 1,300 panels next to the pond, the entire array will generate about 4.000 kilowatts of energy at peak time, covering the winery's annual electricity use.

The panels in Far Niente's solar array, made by Sharp Solar Systems, were installed by SPG Solar.

Via Crave CNET

New image hyperlinking patent comes under fire in online forums

If Vuestar Technologies Pte Ltd, a Singapore-incorporated company, has its way, the World Wide Web could be facing its biggest hurdle to date.

According to an alert from Singapore technology law firm Keystone Law Corporation, Vuestar has been granted a patent that requires Web sites to have a license when they use images to link to another site or Web page.

This patent, which apparently extends beyond the shores of Singapore to include Australia, New Zealand and the US, has caused an uproar in online forums. One member of HardwareZone has even posted images of the invoice which was sent out by the company asking the site affected to pay up the licensing fees.

Vuestar's patent publication number is 95940. For more details, click here for the full report on ZDNet Asia.

Is iSlide going places?

Apple hasn't done us any favors with its popular use of "i" to prefix its model names. Now here's another one for the bandwagon, the iSlide. This doesn't come a hair close to Marty McFly's supercool Hoverboard which we've been patiently waiting to make the leap from reel to real. Still, designer Ofir Tal's concept skateboard is an interesting spin on the skateboard and Segway, as an onboard gyroscope lets the iSlide mimic similar moves to accelerate (leaning forward) and slow down (leaning backward).

The result is a bit of a balancing act, particularly since this zips up to 15kmh on one wheel, with help from the hydrogen fuel cell-powered motor. Built-in lights make this user-friendly for night use, in addition to a rear handle for lugging onto buses and trains. It's been eight months since Tal dreamed this up in college. Now all this needs is a commercial taker to get it on the road.

Via Gizmag

Dutch claim world's first solar speedboat

Boats that run on solar power have been around for a while, but they're usually reserved for touring watercraft and other conveyances designed for a leisurely pace. And that's precisely what makes the Czeers MK1 stand apart from the aquatic crowd.

This Dutch-made prototype is billed as "the world's first solar speedboat," which has reached speeds of up to 30 knots. The 10m boat was built by the Delft Technical University Solarboat Team, which rode it to first place in the 2006 Nuon Frisian Solar challenge, according to Gizmag.

Its success was attributed in no small part to its lightweight carbon-fiber shell, as well as 14sqm of solar panels that power an 80-kilowatt motor. But the MK1's design is anything but utilitarian, featuring a touchscreen LCD control system and full leather trim--in bright orange, no less. (It is Dutch, after all.)

Via CNET Crave

James Cameron: 3D heading beyond movies

REDMOND, Wash.--Filmmaker James Cameron sees the world in stereo. So does everyone else, though, and that's exactly his point.

"When you are viewing in stereo, which is what we do," Cameron said, "more neurons are firing. More blood is pumping through the brain."

Cameron has been a big proponent of making movies in 3D, but he said that the digital projectors going into movie theaters are capable of showing more than just movies. Cameron's talk came as part of Microsoft's Advance 08 advertising conference, which runs through Wednesday.

"That digital image can be live," Cameron said. "That digital image can be 3D."

He suggested such locations can show live sports and events, alongside impressive travelogues and other content.

"We're not quite there but we are on the cusp of that and people need to have a strategy for it," he said.
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