The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
Stuff is related to things that draw my attention.
Polymer Solar Cell Research Breakthrough at California NanoSystems Institute, UCLA
http://info.biotech-calendar.com/bid/89038/Polymer-Solar-Cell-Research-Breakthrough-at-California-NanoSystems-Institute-UCLA
I have read about transparent solar cells before, but their efficiencies were so low that it was hard to envision them being economical at any price (even in new …
Lots of ‘stuff’ today…
Penny-sized “microthrusters” could propel tiny satellites
http://io9.com/5936197/penny+sized-microthrusters-could-propel-tiny-satellites
One of the reasons this is so cool to me is that it seems it can partake of the power of the parallel production of integrated circuits. That would …
A camera that can see around corners
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/19/opinion/raskar-camera-corners/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7
Yes, this is quite likely useless as it is, but the techniques developed to accomplish such a useless thing are likely to be very useful indeed. I recall reading about the light-speed …
Meet the inflatable, ‘invisible’ bike helmet
http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/17/meet-the-inflatable-invisible-bike-helmet/?hpt=hp_c2
I am not totally sure that having my neck swathed in an explosive is an adequate return for not wearing a helmet, no matter how uncool I look. In any case, the form …
Could lasers solve the military’s friendly-fire problem?
http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/09/could-lasers-solve-the-militarys-friendly-fire-problem/?hpt=hp_bn5
There is a similar sort of thing for aircraft and allow for identification of friend/foe (well, you be a foe if you don’t identify as friend). My biggest concern is that it …
Your wallpaper could soon be an HD display
http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/30/technology/microsoft-vx-display/index.htm?source=cnn_bin
Like that deleted scene in Avatar (available on the extended version), at some point in the not-too-distant-future we will have the ability to have an HD screen the size of our …
A touchscreen with keys that rise and disappear
http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/06/a-touchscreen-with-keys-that-rise-and-disappear/?hpt=hp_bn5
I am almost curious enough to explore the technology behind this. It seems rather amazing that you can have actual buttons at will, but I am aware of several substances that …
Scientists Create Reconfigurable Electronic Materials
http://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=30906
I didn’t get any sense of the speed that the hardware could be reconfigured and in the case of FPGAs it seems the lag in reprogramming is substantial enough that it is something you …
I was really interested in this idea when I first read about it:
New camera allows users to shoot first, focus later
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1073136–new-camera-allows-users-to-shoot-first-focus-later?bn=1
But it definitely appears that the company is operated by morons who insist on doing things themselves. …