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.
Read more »

Wafer-thin: Samsung's OLED laptop prototype

This picture of a Samsung OLED laptop prototype raises more questions than it answers. Just how thin and light is it? Is touch-typing possible on that keyboard? Where's the mouse pad? What's that panel behind the display? Why is the woman pictured on the display checking her pulse? When can I have one?

What a translated-from-the Korean Samsung page does reveal is that it's an AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) laptop prototype that Samsung's display division developed for the Society for Information Display's gathering in Los Angeles next week. According to Samsung, the prototype features a 12.1-inch screen with a 1,280x768 resolution. Perhaps we'll be able to glean more information next week when the display scientists, engineers, and manufacturers get together. As for when we might see this product on store shelves, Samsung has previously stated it'll start rolling out OLED TVs, monitors, and laptops in 2009.

Via Crave CNET | Source: Engadget

EMC, old phone made new

I'm probably old enough (and dating myself) to remember a time when we used those black bakelite telephones with rotary dial to make calls at home. Today, these antiques are considered vintage and some collectors even pay good money to get one. Too bad mum tossed ours when we embraced the digital age and modernized to the sterile cordless phones. So there's something nostalgic about seeing the EMC, or easy mobile calling, phone by designer Matthias Pinkert.

It's a groovy clamshell take on ye old telephone, but Pinkert keeps it too simple with only the bare necessities. Besides a built-in speakerphone and lanyard, there's only four keys for one-touch calling—enough naturally for four preset numbers. Surprise, surprise, there's also GPS tracking, which kinda cues us to the target audience this is painting a big bull's eye on. Is this really necessary? Today's babyboomer community of retirees are far more with with it and tech-savvy. Dial M for More?

Via Yanko Design

Charge your iPod with a solar-powered bra

Lingerie maker Triumph International has certainly taken the company's eco-friendly efforts to new heights with its latest product, the Solar Power Bra. Unveiled in Tokyo recently, this green-colored bra is made of high-quality organic cotton and features a detachable solar panel which is worn around the stomach. According to Triumph, the solar panel can generate enough electricity to power a mobile phone or iPod.

Unfortunately, even if you are daring enough to wear the solar bra out on the streets, it is still a concept product for now. A Triumph company spokesperson says there are still problems that need to be resolved such as the bra's lack of water resistance and the fact that "people usually cannot go outside without wearing clothes over it". The company, however, believes the Solar Power Bra does send out a positive message on how lingerie can play a part in saving the planet.

Triumph's earlier green efforts included a bra that can double as a reusable shopping bag and one that is designed to promote the use of reusable chopsticks.

Via Reuters
Picture Credit: Triumph

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