Tag: BATTERY

Say what you will about their incessant strikes, their unwavering arrogance or their myopic fear of modernity. But when it comes to green transportation, there's no denying that the French are well ahead of the curve. Today, it's virtually impossible to stroll through the streets of Paris without seeing at least a few people cruising around on Vélibs -- the public bikes first introduced a ...

While it may not garner any fashion awards, a line of climate-controlled clothing developed by an MIT student can help regulate the body's temperature. According to Co.Design, Kranthi Kiran Vistakula's ClimaWare apparel can operate for eight hours on a single charge, and the vest (pictured right) weighs the same as a pair of jeans. Vistakula's apparel, which also includes a helmet, neckwrap and ...

The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money, or technology, many of those products never move from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over their creations, nevertheless. Can you ...

While its main function is to demo a new fuel-cell technology, SiGNa's electric bike can travel 60 miles on a single charge, which is nearly twice as far as most electric bikes. According to Wired, its fuel cell is filled with a powdery chemical that -- upon adding water -- generates hydrogen gas, which produces electricity. The chemical reaction is safe for bikers, and the excess electricity is ...

Figuring out which way to insert batteries into a device is one of those small tasks that often turns into a big hassle. But Microsoft's new InstaLoad technology should make battery orientation a distant memory. According to Geekosystem, the battery container, which could be installed in any device, lets you replace batteries without worrying about which end is positive or negative. Falling under ...

It's summer, which means your gadgets will be spending some time around water. But a trip to the beach or lake doesn't have to spell doom for a camera or cell phone. Lifehacker recently wrote about some cheap and easy ways to waterproof a gadget (and protect against STDs, too!) Believe it or not, you can use a clear, non-lubricated condom as a waterproof bag for cameras and other hydro-sensitive ...

As much as we love new technology here at Switched, we also sort of hate it. No matter how cool, innovative, or flat out mind-blowing a new device may be, it's equally frustrating when our gadgets, for whatever reason, fail us. But what are the most common issues people have with technology? According to a recent report, they're pretty basic. Consumer Reports recently surveyed over 13,000 of ...

You know the saying: everything's bigger in Texas. Apparently, that even holds true for batteries. According to DVICE, the border town of Presidio has constructed what it claims is the country's largest battery. Best of all, it's earned the local nickname 'BOB,' which is an acronym for 'big ol' battery.' The room-sized sodium sulfur (NaS) battery can supply the entire town with 4-megawatts of ...

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines.... U.S. politicians have increasingly turned to social networking to rally support and spread information. For the British government, though, Facebook isn't just a medium for political communication and discussion anymore, as it's being actively used to raise voter awareness. The social networking site has paired with England's ...

Scientists have searched from sea to sun in the exploration for alternative energy sources. Researchers at the University of Michigan have turned to sound; an unexpected, yet abundant source of energy. Scientists at U of M's Engineering Research Center for Wireless Integrated Microsystems have created miniature generators that produce energy from random vibrations, such as the sound of a ...

Share There are tons of tips for stretching your batteries to the limit. The New York Times has run yet another collection of such suggestions, and a lot of them should sound quite familiar. By now, most of you know to: dim your screen; turn off 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS; and check your mail manually rather than using a battery-killing push function. But did you know also that your choice ...

Share Everybody wants efficient, inexpensive, clean energy. But, problem is, nobody seems to know just how to produce it. Now, one man is certain that his new technology will turn this dream into reality. According to Engadget, K.R. Sridhar, founder of Bloom Energy, unveiled his "Bloom Box" on Sunday's episode of '60 Minutes' (video from the show after the break). With two small blocks, each ...

We've seen what happens when laptops and other small gadgets have faulty lithium-ion batteries: they burst into flames. So imagine what would happen if the batteries in the upcoming barrage of hybrid and electric cars failed in the same catastrophic fashion. Since they're several magnitudes larger, it's only logical to assume a meltdown would be that much more severe. That's why Peter Roth's ...

Imagine if you had to walk to work on a prosthetic foot. It's a sobering reality, but many Americans do it every day. Dragging around such a limb takes a lot of effort, but a new prototype could make it easier by recycling the energy a wearer would typically expend between steps. According to Inhabitat, when walking, we spend most of our energy transitioning from one foot to the other; ...

Remember when researchers at Stanford University turned paper into batteries? Well, they haven't stopped there. According to TG Daily, engineer Yi Cui and his team have created clothes that can recharge your electronic devices. By injecting the fabric with a carbon nanotube ink, the researchers were able to coax the cloth into holding an electric charge. It's like wearing a battery. Best of all, ...