Developments that aren't otherwise classified

There's always some weird gizmo that's interesting enough to make note of, but seems to stand in a classification all on its own. This section is dedicated to all those weird and wonderful developments. This portion also includes Vehicle and fuel technologies.

Solar Electric Vehicles – (Company website – no date)
http://www.solarelectricalvehicles.com/
A Prius with a solar collector on its roof?  Yes. This company makes a solar charging system for hybrid electric vehicles that provides increased electric driving range and improved fuel economy. The system was designed and engineered as an easy to install (2 to 3 hours) integrated accessory system with a custom molded low profile solar module, supplemental battery pack and a proven charge controlling system.

Talking Paper Made by Scientists – (BBC News – June 5, 2007)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6723475.stm
Researchers from Mid Sweden University have constructed an interactive paper billboard that emits recorded sound in response to a user's touch. The key to the billboard's capabilities is a layer of digital paper embedded with electronics. This is printed with conductive inks, which, when pressed, relay information to a micro-computer that contains recorded audio files.

Livescribe – (Company website – no date)
http://www.livescribe.com/sneakpeek/index.html#
The Livescribe is a paper-based computing platform – the combination of a smartpen, paper, software applications, and development tools that may be available around the end of the year. The smartpen will be less than $200. Additional dot paper will be available at prices comparable to standard paper products. Click on the animations to get a sneak peek.

Buildings Could Save Energy by Spying on Inhabitants – (New Scientist – April 28, 2007)
http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/mg19426016.500?DCMP=NLC-nletter&
nsref=mg19426016.500
A SMART building, one with a network of motion detectors, can improve the energy efficiency and safety of the building while remaining deaf and blind to the activities of individuals. Such systems could use their knowledge of where groups congregate to turn down the air conditioning when there are only a few people in one part of the building, for example. In an emergency, electronic signs could direct people to the nearest available escape route when one becomes congested

Sugar-Fueled Battery Could Power Portable Electronics -- (Physorg -- March 25, 2007)
http://www.physorg.com/news94043039.html
Juicing up your cell phone or iPod may take on a whole new meaning in the future. Researchers have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on virtually any sugar source - from soft drinks to tree sap - and has the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional lithium ion batteries.

Boeing working on Fuel Cell Airplane -- (Areo Gizmo -- March 28, 2007)
http://www.gizmag.com/go/7046/
Experimental flight tests are to begin this year, involving a manned airplane powered only by a fuel cell and lightweight batteries. The plane uses a fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor, which is coupled to a conventional propeller. The fuel cell provides all power for the cruise phase of flight. During takeoff and climb, the system draws on lightweight lithium-ion batteries.

Tax Credits for Plug-In Hybrids -- (MIT Technology Review -- March 1, 2007)
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18247/
Plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be recharged using a standard wall outlet, are becoming increasingly practical because of advances in battery technology. And now the technology is also gaining support in Washington, with the promise that it could soon receive the type of federal tax incentives that have helped fuel the sales of conventional hybrid vehicles over the past several years. Depending on the configuration of the vehicle, people who drive less than 40 miles a day could use no gasoline at all, while the average U.S. driver could see fuel economy of 150 miles per gallon.

New Sub Dives Crushing Depths -- (Wired -- February 26, 2007)
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72794-0.html?tw=wn_index_1
Scientists have developed an autonomous underwater vehicle that can stay out to sea for up to a year and dive to depths of nearly 9,000 feet -- nearly three times deeper than the deepest-diving military submarines. Known as Deepglider, the 71-inch long, 138-pound device is made of carbon fiber that can withstand the deep ocean's immense pressure. The energy-efficient, battery-powered glider carries sensors to measure oceanic conditions including salinity and temperature - information that is key to understanding climate change.

Race to the Bottom -- (Wired -- March, 2007)
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/undersea.html
A new age of undersea mining may be dawning. Test digs from ocean floors around the world have produced rock samples with gold, copper and other precious metal concentrations far in excess of what is currently found in most mining operations. This new approach to mining comes as the industry reaches a critical juncture. Many of the major land deposits have been exhausted by the $225 billion-a-year industry. But demand for minerals has never been higher.

Green Fuel Out Performs Petrol According to Top Car Firm (Peter Warren -- www.futureintelligence.co.uk )

Published July 12, 2006 - Guardian

Environment Section under headline 'Fast Forward'

A car that is powered by green fuel could soon win a formula one race, according to engine designers at the car company Lotus.
Richard Pearson, a technical specialist at Lotus Engineering and a champion of greener engines, says tests being conducted at the company have found that high-performance engines run on ethanol - which is mostly made from sugar cane and maize - can produce more power than their petrol counterparts.

Full story.

NASA Technology Used in High-Tech Bloodhound

Written by Peter Warren

A computerized nose millions of times more sensitive than a bloodhound’s has become the latest high-tech weapon in the police’s war against drugs.
For the nose following the distinctive trail of aromatic smoke from a Marijuana joint will be child’s play, this nose is capable of sniffing out the existence of a chemical on a passing asteroid

Taken from www.futureintelligence.co.uk  

Full article: http://www.futureintelligence.co.uk/content/view/84/62/ 

Powering GM's Electric Vehicles -- (MIT Technology Review -- January 11, 2007)
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18054/
General Motors recently announced that it is developing two types of plug-in hybrid vehicles, cars designed to run exclusively or almost exclusively on electricity for daily commutes - but the announcements came with this caveat: the battery technology isn't ready, and production will have to wait. In reality, the battery technology is actually quite close to being ready.

Xerox Developing Erasable Paper System -- (International Herald Tribune -- November 27, 2006)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/27/business/xerox.php
Researchers now have a prototype copier that will produce documents on a specially coated paper with a light yellow tint. The process works without toner and produces a low-resolution document that appears to be printed with purple ink. The printed information on the document "disappears" within 16 hours. The documents can be reused more quickly by simply placing them in the copier paper tray. Individual pieces of paper have been reused up to 50 times, and the only limit in the process appears to be paper life.

Alloy of Hydrogen and Oxygen Made From Water -- (Physorg-- October 26, 2006)
http://www.physorg.com/news81094124.html
Water, the only indispensable ingredient of life, is just about the most versatile stuff on Earth - and has revealed yet another trick up its sleeve. Researchers have now used x-rays to dissociate water at high pressure to form a solid mixture--an alloy--of molecular oxygen and molecular hydrogen. As long as the sample remained under pressure equivalent to about 10,000 times atmospheric pressure at sea level, it stood up to intense punishment.

Flying-Car Firm Releases Simulator, Takes Deposits -- (CNET -- September 6, 2006)
http://news.com.com/Flying-car+firm+releases+simulator%2C+takes+deposits/2100-
1008_3-6112862.html?tag=sas.email
The Transition, a plane that can also be driven as a car, won't come out for a few years, but you can try a flight simulator. Potential buyers can also now plunk down $7,400, or 5 percent of the anticipated $148,000 purchase price, for a deposit on a Transition. The planes will come out in late 2009. A fully operational prototype is expected to come out in 2008.

Rethinking the Concept of the Automobile -- (BBC Prime -- March, 2006)
http://www.youtube.com/p.swf?video_id=ry6w3mRm-FM&eurl=&iurl=http%3A//
sjl-static16.sjl.youtube.com/vi/ry6w3mRm-FM/2.jpg&t=OEgsToPDskLxx6OF93aNaDBmMDN058Sp
GM has developed the car of the future – sans petroleum. This fully-functional prototype could fit right in on the highway. Only, this car runs on hydrogen-powered fuel cells and has absolutely no harmful emissions. And it should be rolling out in little more than a decade’s time.

Redefining Battery Operated -- (Technology Review -- July 11, 2006)
http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17096
A bird in flight makes small adjustments to its wings as it soars, hovers, or dives. If airplanes and helicopters could do the same to their wings and rotors, they'd fly more efficiently and need less fuel. Now, using batteries, MIT researchers have designed a model helicopter rotor that's able to do just that - well, almost.

New York to L.A. in Two Hours -- (Wired-- August 28, 2006)
http://www.wirednews.com/news/technology/0,71665-0.html?tw=wn_index_2
A new generation of supersonic private jets could trigger a boom in luxury high-speed flight -- without the sonic boom normally associated with breaking the sound barrier. These jets would have all the speed of the now-retired Concorde, but would produce only a whisper of the annoying crack once emitted by the Concorde, allowing for significantly expanded flight plans and a substantial increase in the jets' utility.

Gas Station Looks at Gas-Free Future -- (CNN -- June 12, 2006)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/06/12/alternative.fuel.ap/index.html
If the United States is going to end its addiction to oil, the fuel station of the future might look like Pearson Ford Fuel Depot. Along with gasoline and diesel, the one-of-a-kind station -- located in California -- offers a full range of clean-burning alternative fuels from ethanol to propane to BioWillie, a brand of biodiesel made from soybeans and promoted by country music legend Willie Nelson.

The Top 10 Emerging Environmental Technologies -- (LiveScience -- June 12, 2006)
http://www.livescience.com/environment/top10_emergingenvironment_technologies.html
By the year 2025, an additional 2.9 billion people will strain tightening water supplies, and the world's energy needs will go up 60 percent by 2030, according to the United Nations. LiveScience looks at 10 technologies - some old, some new, some a bit offbeat - that might help make the future a little brighter.

Shape-Shifting Car Will Brace for Impact -- (New Scientist -- May 10, 2006)
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn9143
A car that can anticipate a side-on impact and subtly alter its body shape to absorb the force of the crash is being developed by researchers in Germany. The car will use hood-mounted cameras and radar to spot a vehicle on course for a side-on collision. Once it realizes an impact is imminent it will activate a shape-shifting metal in the door.

Cheaper Fuel Cells -- (Technology Review -- April 5, 2006)
http://www.technologyreview.com/BizTech/wtr_16665,296,p1.html
Fuel cells still cost too much to be a viable alternative for internal combustion engines in cars -- they require expensive materials and are difficult to make. Now a new, simple-to-produce material boosts the performance of fuel cells many times -- and could be a major step toward making them affordable

Crystal Sponge a Hydrogen Breakthrough? -- (MSNBC -- April 13, 2006)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11761455/
In what could be a breakthrough on the road to a pollution-free hydrogen economy, researchers say they have developed a "crystal sponge" material that can store nearly three times more hydrogen than any other known substance. Test cars that use hydrogen in fuel cells to create an electric propulsion system now get just 150 miles or so on a tank the same size as those in gasoline cars, which can travel 300 or 400 miles on a tank.

Quantum Quest Leads to Super-Efficient Lights -- (New Scientist -- April 12, 2006)
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn8992-quantum-quest-leads-to-superefficient-lights.html
A light that lasts 20 times longer than a conventional bulb and is 75% more energy efficient has been developed by researchers. The light is based on organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) that use a novel combination of photon-emitting compounds to convert more energy into light than existing versions.

Kids Build Soybean-Fueled Car -- (CBS News -- February 17, 2006)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/17/eveningnews/main1329941.shtml
The star at the recent Philadelphia Auto Show wasn't a sports car or an economy car. It was a sports-economy car, one that combines performance and practicality under one hood. Five kids, along with a handful of schoolmates, built the soybean-fueled car as an after-school project. It took them more than a year, rummaging for parts, configuring wires and learning as they went.

A Solid That's Light as Air -- (Wired -- March 23, 2006)
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70268-0.html?tw=wn_index_3
If you wanted to catch a few particles of comet dust without damaging or destroying those particles, how would you do it? Faced with exactly this problem, scientists focused on aerogel, an extremely lightweight, porous material that is chemically identical to glass, but weighs only a little more than air. Aerogel is the lightest solid known to science. It's also one of the most insulating materials on Earth, the most porous, and it's nearly transparent. Those last two properties made it an ideal choice for catching flecks of comet and interstellar dust.

All About Plug-In Hybrids (PHEVs) -- (The California Cars Initiative -- January 26, 2006)
http://www.calcars.org/vehicles.html#comparisons
Plug-in Hybrids, or PHEVs, use the same technology as the popular hybrids on the road today, but have a larger battery that can be recharged by plugging into a standard home outlet. PHEVs are outfitted with a battery pack sufficient to power the vehicle from 20 to 60 miles on battery charge alone. Considering that half the cars on America's roads are driven 25 miles a day or less, a plug-in with a 25-mile range battery could eliminate gasoline use in the daily commute of millions of Americans. This website gives an overview of its future prospects, and includes numerous links for future PHEV car designs.

Rocket on Two Wheels -- (CNN -- January 25, 2006)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/01/24/rocket.bike/index.html
Designer Tim Pickens has created a rocket bike, attaching a 200-pound-thrust engine capable of blasting him from 0 to 60 miles an hour in five seconds, fast enough to beat a Porsche in a drag race. The rocket bike employs the same hybrid rocket technology as the suborbital rocket plane SpaceShipOne, whose propulsion system Pickens helped design.

Tokyo to Get World's First Maglev Elevator -- (CNN -- January 18, 2006)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/01/17/maglev.lift.ap/index.html
The world's first elevators controlled by magnetic levitation will debut as early as 2008, a Tokyo-based company said Tuesday. Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp. will employ so-called maglev technology, capable of suspending objects in mid-air through the combination of magnetic attraction and repulsion, to control the lifts, it said in a statement.

Japan Puts Its Money on E-Cash -- (Washington Post -- December 28, 2005)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/11/AR2005121101097.html
A cashless society? Japan seems to be nearing this, as experts cite the rise of e-cash as a reason for a drop last July in the circulation of yen coins, the first decline since 1971. Using cell phones that transmit infrared signals, Japanese consumers are whisking through checkout lines, buying everything from sushi to furniture without ever yanking out their wallets. Similar electronic money concepts are being tried in North America and Europe. Analysts say the Japanese version requires some fine-tuning before it can be exported.

A Tinfoil Hat on Every Head -- (Wired -- December 6, 2005)
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,69640,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3
Targeting Americans concerned about exposure to mobile phone and electrical infrastructure, online retailers are selling a growing selection of protective gear. Listings include radiation-blocking boxers, radio curtain shields and pendants for removing electromagnetic frequencies. Top sellers include meters for measuring magnetic fields and radio frequencies as well as clothes that shield wearers from electric, radio and microwave emissions.

A Paint Job for Your Car That Touches Itself up -- (Sydney Morning Herald -- December 6, 2005)
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/05/1133631194936.html
Nissan claims its new car paint can repair its own scratches and scrapes. Minor scuffs disappear in about a week if your car has Scratch Guard Coat, a clear paint that the Japanese automaker developed with Nippon Paint Co. The coating, which Nissan says is the first of its kind in the world, contains elastic resin. Its rubbery surface can bounce back to repair itself of slight scratches caused by car-washing, off-road driving and fingernails.

Biodiesel Keeps Home Fire Burning -- (Wired -- November 14, 2005)
http://www.wired.com/news/planet/0,2782,69524,00.html
Biodiesel, the vegetable-oil alternative to diesel that sparked a small, grass-roots movement, is exploding onto the commercial marketplace and rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. But not as an alternative to gasoline, as many had envisioned. This clean-burning, renewable fuel is making its way into a growing number of American homes as a substitute for residential heating oil.

Finger-Vein Reader to Foil Car Thieves -- (New Scientist -- November 8, 2005)
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/mech-tech/dn8249.html
Car thieves could be foiled by a car security system that recognises the unique pattern of veins on a driver's fingers as they pull the door handle. The system would stop a thief even if he had stolen the keys to the car, says Japanese company Hitachi, which has developed the technology.

Accidental Invention Points to End of Light Bulbs -- (Live Science -- October 25, 2005)
http://www.livescience.com/technology/051021_nano_light.html
The main light source of the future will almost surely not be a bulb. It might be a table, a wall, or even a fork. An accidental discovery has taken LED lighting to a new level, suggesting it could soon offer a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative to the traditional light bulb.

AGELESS AGING--AND OTHER PREVIEWS FROM THE FUTURIST

With better health than previous generations, baby boomers will likely stay in the workforce longer and remain active consumers, according to Age Wave president Ken Dychtwald.

Among the businesses that could benefit from the trend are antiaging spas, cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals, and "Silver Seals"--teams of elders hired to solve problems, writes Dychtwald in "Ageless Aging: The Next Era of Retirement," in the July-August 2005 issue of THE FUTURIST magazine.

Also in the this issue, labor writer Sam Pizzigati points out that income disparities lead to discontent--even among the super-rich who must live like prisoners in gated communities. But many people balk at the notion of income redistribution to address these disparities. A "maximum wage" law that limits incomes to no more than 10 times the minimum wage, heavily taxing all income above that amount, is Pizzigati's proposal, outlined in "The Rich and the Rest: The Growing Concentration of Wealth."

And nanotechnology researcher J. Storrs Hall takes a realistic look at what this much-ballyhooed technology will be able to accomplish and what is likely out of reach. Possibilities include 100-kilometer towers, transcontinental flying cars, and countertop synthesizers that could create meat without animals, among other things. Impossibilities include personal spaceships in every garage and flawless three-ton diamonds, Hall writes in "What's Next for Nanotechnology."

The July-August 2005 issue of THE FUTURIST will be mailed to members after June 7. To ensure you receive your copy, join or renew your membership now: https://www.wfs.org/membord2.htm 

Single copies of THE FUTURIST may also be purchased:

https://www.wfs.org/futuristorder.htm 

ANTARCTIC CAR 

A new concept car for traversing the icy terrain of Antarctica has been unveiled by the British Antarctic Survey. The compact, eco-friendly vehicle, called "Ninety Degrees South," combines tracks and wheels to allow it to operate over hard ground, snow, or ice surfaces with dangerous crevasses. The vehicle uses ground-penetrating radar to assess the risk of crevasses, which allows the driver to detect and avoid the dangerous spots faster. The versatile icy-terrain vehicle could potentially be entirely automated and used for expeditions not only in the Antarctic, but also on other planets, designer James Moon believes. 

SOURCE: British Antarctic Survey, http://www.antarctica.ac.uk

Car Aimed at Drivers with Parking Woes -- (Dallas News -- October 4, 2005)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/autos/topstories2/
093005ccwcAutosNissanpivo.e29c78cd.html
For drivers who find backing out of tight parking spots a hassle, Nissan has an answer: An egg-shaped car whose body pivots 360 degrees so that its rear end becomes the front. Such moves are possible because Pivo's steering, wheels and other parts are controlled electronically by wireless, or electronic signals, not mechanical links between the cabin and the vehicle's chassis.

Danish Researchers Reveal New Hydrogen Storage Technology -- (Science Daily -- September 29, 2005)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050907102549.htm
Scientists have invented a technology which may be an important step towards the hydrogen economy: a hydrogen tablet that effectively stores hydrogen in an inexpensive and safe material. With the new hydrogen tablet, it becomes much simpler to use the environmentally-friendly energy of hydrogen. Hydrogen is a non-polluting fuel, but since it is a light gas it occupies too much volume, and it is flammable. Consequently, effective and safe storage of hydrogen has challenged researchers world-wide for almost three decades.

GM Plans Fuel-Cell Propulsion Vehicles -- (Fuel Cell Works -- October 6, 2005)
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage3632.html
A future in which cars operate without using petroleum-based fuels, run hundreds of miles before refueling and emit only water is closer than you might think. GM discussed its progress toward producing a hydrogen-powered vehicle, and is standing by its previous stated goal of designing and validating a vehicle with a fuel-cell propulsion system that can compete with the traditional internal combustion engine by 2010.

Hi-Tech Beermats for 21st Century -- (BBC -- October 4, 2005)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4298344.stm
An intelligent beermat that alerts the bartender that your glass is empty could feature in pubs of the future. Like an ordinary mat, it absorbs drips; but the gadget also has hidden sensors. The device will detect the weight of the drink above it, working out how much is left before sending a signal to the bar for a refill.

SOLVING THE WASTEPAPER PROBLEM 

Genetic engineering is normally associated with creating things, but now researchers are hoping it will destroy. The global wastepaper glut--caused by insufficient moisture in the world’s landfills to break the paper down--could be solved with a genetically modified form of cellulosome under development at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science. Cellulosome is a molecular complex that degrades cellulose, a major component of wood and other plants. In the laboratory, the modified cellulosome took only a day to turn finely chopped paper into a syrup of soluble sugars. Although the designer molecules are not yet ready to be applied to actual landfills, the process offers hope for a solution to a growing problem. 

SOURCE: Weizmann Institute of Science, http://www.weizmann.ac.il/

SUPER CLIMATE SIMULATION MODELS OCEANS, ICE, LAND AND ATMOSPHERE -- (Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- July 28, 2005)
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/climate-software.html
Researchers have created four new supercomputer simulations that for the first time combine mathematical computer models of the atmosphere, ocean, land surface and sea ice. These simulations are the first field tests of the new Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF), an innovative software system that promises to improve predictive capability in diverse areas such as short-term weather forecasts and century-long climate-change projections.

SURFACES HAVE BUILT IN 'FINGERPRINTS' -- (Physics Web -- July 27, 2005)
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/9/7/15/1
The surfaces of most paper documents, plastic cards and cardboard packages contain unique "fingerprints" that could be used to combat fraud, according to physicists in the UK. The fingerprint is contained in microscopic imperfections on the surface and can be read by a portable laser scanner. The results could eventually eliminate the need for expensive security measures like holograms, chips and special inks on passports, identity cards and pharmaceutical packaging.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm

With identity theft on the rise, there is more reason than ever to ensure the authenticity of important documents such as passports and birth certificates. Now physicists have discovered that many items, including paper documents, plastic cards and product packaging, have intrinsic patterns that can be used for identification purposes. And because the configurations are virtually impossible to modify in a controllable manner, they could form the basis of a new tool in the fight against fraud.

WOOD MAY REPLACE OIL -- (Associated Press -- August 3, 2005)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050804/ap_on_sc/wood_crude_oil
Graduate student, Juan Andres Soria, says he has developed a process that turns wood into bio-oil, a substance similar to crude oil. The process in which sawdust and methanol are heated to 900 degrees Fahrenheit to create the bio-oil is already drawing some interest from energy and wood product companies.