Go Green with these gadgets.... Tweet

Here’s our list of eco-friendly gadgets! Most notable are the 100mpg CityCat Airpowered Car and the Kill-A-Watt power strip/meter.

1. The Voltaic Solar Backpack
   
   
   This solar powered backpack produces 4 watts of solar power to charge any of your gadgets pretty quickly. It also has a battery pack which can store the electricity for when the sun don’t shine. The solar panels also protect fragile items inside.
2. The Recyclable EarthDrive USB Drive
   
   
   This USB drive has been built with the maximum amount of bio-recycled materials. It is waterproof, dustrpoof and shockproof. If you ever decide you don’t want it anymore, simply recycle it. A portion of every EarthDrive sale goes to planting new trees around the world.
3. Antec Earthwatts, Energy Efficient PSU - 
   
   
   This Power Supply Unit from Antec claims to be 80% efficient, meaning that only 20% of the electricity you feed it gets transformed into waste heat. This is cool, literally, as less heat means less cooling which means less fan noise and less wattage. Sounds like a good deal to me 
4. USB Rechargeable Cell, AA Battery with USB! - 
   
   
   A really convenient gadget, these rechargeable batteries actually have a 5V DC USB plug attached to the cell, allowing you to recharge them from your laptop or any other USB Source. Perfect for recharging any digital camera that uses AA Batteries without the need for bulky chargers and cables.
5. Bamboo Computers, Casings Do Grow on Trees! -
   
   
   Plastics are really bad for the environment, and with the millions of gadgets disposed of each year, plastic cases are really going to fill up landfills for decades. Bamboo on the otherhand is a sturdy, biodegradable material that is produced rapidly by the fast-growing bamboo plant. Whilst we can recycle the computer’s innards, a bamboo casing would allow us to recycle the casing as well! My only gripe?: Doesn’t that make the notebook heavier?
6. Kill-A-Watt, Powerstrip -
   
   
   If you have way too many gadgets and computers, the kill-a-watt powerstrip might just help you monitor your energy consumption. The digital LCD lists the amount of wattage you’ve used so that you can make wise decisions about managing your utility bill.
7. Kill-A-Watt, Appliance Power Meter -
   
   
   This device from P3 International enables you to check the energy usage of any appliance in your home. It measures in kWh (kilo-watt-hours) and gives you a good idea of which inefficient gadgets to recycle, and which ones to keep.
8. Kindle, Wireless E-Paper Reader -
   
   
   The amazon post claims that its “the future of reading and that it will be everywhere”. No doubt, but at US$359, that is an expensive piece of paper. The device comes with wireless, a long battery life and can store up to 200 titles from Amazon. Beats carrying around 200 paperback novels though, and is better for your friends, the trees.

Upcoming Green Gadgets

1. CityCAT Air Powered Car, Zero Pollution Motors -
   
   
   This air powered wonder is set to hit production sometime between 2009 and 2010 in the United States. The company, Zero Pollution Motors has confirmed this with Popular Mechanics magazine, stating that its price would be sub-$18000. ZPM is the US licensee for the France-Based MDI (Motor Development International) headed by Guy Negre, the inventor of Formula One engines. The promise is that the airpowered car will be able to go 1000miles at 96mph on one tank of air…The European version of the vehicle, the CityCat, is already undergoing safety and crash tests in Europe. This could be the first >100mpg non-electric, non-gas car that you could purchase. ZPM/MDI have entered their car into the Progressive Automotive X-Prize.
2. M2E Kinetic Batteries, Michael Faraday would be Proud -
   
   
   The M2E (Movement to Energy) kinetic battery is an improvement of the idea of generating energy using your daily movements (no…not bowel movements). Basically, the average American spends almost 2 hours of their day moving about. The M2E battery converts your movements into electricity using a magnet and coil to trickle charge a lithium-ion pack. M2E claims that 2 hours of light movement can charge the Li-Ion pack for about 1 hour of talk-time in a cellphone. Available in 18-24 months.
3. LG Phillips, 16.7 Million Colors E-Paper -
   
   
   After almost 20 years in the making, a full color, high resolution e-paper screen of ungodly thinness has been created by LG and Phillips. The advantage? It’s just like paper, only it can be reused countless times saving trees. The e-paper also uses less energy than traditional LCDs to refresh itself, and requires no energy at all to maintain the image. Lets hope they get integrated into ultra portable notebooks soon.
4. Air Powered Moped, Vrrrooom! Poof! -
   
   
   Air power has been around for decades, but only now are we seriously looking into it to power vehicles. Part of the problem was compressing the air safely. For example, to get enough mileage you might have to compress the air to 300 times standard atmospheric pressure. Such high pressures can literally cause the tank to explode. However with newer materials and alloys, the air powered vehicle has become a reality.
5. Embedded Solar, Solar Panels beneath Touchscreens - 
   
   
   Apple Computer has recently filed a patent for placing solar panels beneath touchscreens similar to those used in the iPhone. Though personally I doubt that solar technology is efficient enough to fully charge an iPhone in a reasonable amount of time, it might just add an hour or more of use. Also it may not be wise to leave your precious mobile in the sun! But having the panels on the upper-surface yet beneath the screen is a good idea - since you’ll be able to charge as you use it.
6. Gravitas, Gravity Light ** -
   
   
    The basic idea here is to utilise gravity as a power source (no we’re not talking space-time bending or quantum fluctuations). The person lifts the weight to the top of the lamp, and as it falls, generates electricity to run the lights for 4 hours. You might develop really strong biceps too using this thing…invented by a Grad Student.
7. Bamboo Mobile, Mobile Bamboo Phone -
   
   
   Some people go through mobile phones faster than they do a roll of toilet paper. Enter the Bamboo Phone! Once you’re totally done with it, return the innards to your manufacturer and stick it’s casing into your compost pile and very soon a lovely shady bamboo tree will sprout. Be wary though, bamboo grows fast and the manufacturers are probably not going to be held responsible for the plant taking over your backyard.
8. Aperture, Volume-Aware Shower Head -
   
   
   Alot of flaming has been going around recently for energy usage…but why not water as well? A volume aware shower head might just be the thing to put a cap on unecessarily long showers. Maybe they could make it such that once a preset volume of water has been dispensed, the bather has to enter a password to restart the shower: “Dear bather, the toilet should be submerged by now. If you are still in need of more water, please enter password.” (May not be too useful if your house in on fire though)
9. eNutrition, Gadget Facts -
   
   
   We all know about what we eat. How about what we buy? The eNutrition Facts proposal lists the chemicals and materials used to manufacture a gadget. Thus you only buy gadgets that are manufactured via environmentally responsible means.
10. Youlet, Glowing Wall Outlet -
    
    
    Someone should have thought of this high-visibility gadget a lot sooner. If I could see that my socket was glowing I’d know that I had forgotten to turn something off. Great idea, and simple too!
11. EcoTap, Twist-Off Power Socket -
    
    
    The EcoTap physically cuts power to devices by separating the electrical contacts at a wall socket. This method of turning off ensures that even devices that draw power whilst idle/off are completely disconnected.
12. GreenCell, Standardised Li-Ions -
    
    
    Just walk into any cable/electronics/connector shop and you’ll be absolutely amazed by the sheer variety and volume of proprietary connectors, plugs and battery types. The GreenCell Project aims to make your life easier by standardising Li-Ion batteries and mobile a/c adapters. By standardising, we also eliminate waste and improve the ease of recycling. So the next time you forget your charger, just go down to the battery vending machine!
13. Flower Pod, Visual Power Meter -
    
    
    The flowerpod power meter is a digital plant who’s health responds to your household electrical usage. If your usage is above average, the digital flower withers and dies, if it is below, the flower blooms and becomes more beautiful. The idea here is that if people could visually see the effects of power wastage on the environment, they might become more responsible of their electrical usage. This visual-feedback also enables home members to optimize their power usage by seeing if the flower withers.

Call Of Duty:Black ops Tweet

If a core gamer reads the title of this post he'll be as excited as i am writing about it now. I recently had the liberty to get myself the new Call of Duty:Black ops! The best seller of all the CODs.Although i had to shell out a few extra bucks but what the hell its worth it.

The BLACK OPS is the 7th part by the Treyarch's, adding to the family of CALL OF DUTY or COD as it is notoriously known :) 
Now coming to the serious part!The game as a whole. What is so good in it that its world renowned and so popular? well keep reading and you will know why the hype exactly.
Starting with the Graphics and sound, If your a gamer and you tend to look at minute details black ops does not let you down! The graphics is just outstanding.They've made made it so realistic that from the drop of sweat to the blood spilling out when you get your kill just looks like a movie! They've worked a lot with the animations because now they not hold the knee and fall dead but have various actions for different kills.A bullet to the head or a bullet to the knee will be totally different so i hope you get my point!
Sound,what's so special this time? well i quite did not like the conversations because everyone in the game tend to Speak a lot rather than concentrating in the mission and its details! apart from that the Background Music is truly amazing and it suits the situation precisely. 

Flame thrower in action.

Now the In Game options, 
There is the campaign mode which has various difficulties and can be chosen according to your talent :P 
The Multiplayer mode which is the icing on the cream , i'll tell you why down the post.
The zombie mode for playing along with a couple of friends.


The gameplay is just similar to the previous versions about your character fighting alongside a group of people in a particular organization to make sure things are better in the world,in Black ops the entire story seems to be an interrogation which allows the vast location changes to look appropriate. Although the interrogation looks kinda out-of-the way with the narrator getting into your characters head by flashing numbers they've made it look real! 

That's you flying a chopper.

Bdw your character is Alex mason done by Sam worthington.The story is a bit difficult to be kept track of because  of the complex nature of it.The game has a lot of new stuffs ranging from flying a helicopter to riding a motorcycle to riding a boat, yeah you can do it all. Brings back the GTA memories doesn't it? But just all the more real and dangerous.The one draw back i found was that it was too scripted just to make it all dramatic which deprives the gamer his main need the choice! You are bound to do what they want us to. And bdw the game is very small i finished it in 8hr stretch so don't expect it to be all long and time consuming.Well this is all about the campaign mode.
The reason for people to keep playing this game is the MULTPLAYER mode, which has numerous additions like customizing your gun, face paint,Player experience and what not.You can even buy new weapons using your points and customize your guns by adding your own target or a flame thrower or a grenade launcher.Its all there experiment and master your weapon.There is this Wager match that allows gamers to Bet with their points guessing how they will do and the top three in the match wins the prize.Well this could just be the next big thing in gaming which makes things even more competitive,even for all you veterans out there.With better maps and weapons and killstreaks and contracts its just a thumbs up :) and bdw if your a noob please take some combat practice because it can quite mess your minds you know being shot and dying now and then.So, get used to that before entering this mode.
There is the zombie mode too just like COD 5 where friends among each other have to kill zombies, its split screen so its not much of the fun but playing with your friends is a great deal is it not?


Well the cinematography of this game is the most commendable aspect. I am sure tryarch will team up with activision again to bring something as legendary as modern warfare 1. Nothing beats that game!


So,what's my say in this, well CALL OF DUTY:BLACK OPS is not the best COD ever till date.The upgrades in the Animation ,facial expressions , the guns, the helicopters - bikes  - blasts :D but the game play is a tad stretchy. Its all there you just have to discover the soldier in you! Don't worry about the price its truly worth it. Cheers :D
PS: If you've a console better for all you PC gamers you need a great gaming rig like Ani's to make this happen , read the posts in the blog to know about various upgrades and great deals.
So until next time GAME ON :)


Ashwin
For TechnoManiacz 

Scientists store 900,000GB of data in 1 gram of E. coli bacteria Tweet

                                                                       Doesn’t seem possible? Well, scientists have been working on using proteins, bacteria and other organic material as storage media for a while now, and if only looks like all the efforts are bearing fruit, it doesn’t make it any more unlikely! Calling it ‘bioencryption by recombination’, a team of scientists from Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have figured out how to store and en/decrypt data onto living bacteria cells.

                                                                      These efforts are part of the CUHK’s submission to iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) 2010 contest, and its mission statement reads:

CUHK iGEM 2010 team is formed by a group of undergraduates and instructors from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Our project is to create a brand new biological cryptography system. We harness the incredible adaptability of simple organisms in the tortured environment to make sure that the message stored can be left undisturbed regardless of any environmental changes.

 As you can infer, the aim of the project is not just to create an information dense storage medium, but also to make it extremely resistant to hacking and environmental damage, which most current solutions are especially affected by. You can download their presentation (PDF) from here. In essence, the team sought to make bacteria data storage and encryption feasible in the real world, which previously returned very low and impractical data density figures. Now, they’ve managed to squeeze more than 931,322GB of data onto 1 gram of bacteria (specifically a DH5-alpha strain of E.coli, chosen for its extracted plasmid DNA size) by creating a massively parallel bacterial data storage system. Compared to 1 to 4GB per gram data density of conventional media, the 900,000GB per gram figure the team has returned is truly astounding.


Brought to you by KVB DINESH[ Special Reporter ]

Smallest CPU.....This one is smaller than a CPU cooler Tweet

Well i am talking about the Xi3 Modular PC

This one is a complete CPU that fits right in your palm.

It comes with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processor and a 2Gig DDR2 Ram.

Surprisingly the internal memory is just 16 GB. Though not to worry it comes with bucket loads of interfaces like 6 USB ports, 2 eSATA ports and the usual DVI, HDMI, Ethernet and Audio I/O 

ports. This one is a rocker as it is capable of 1080p high def playbacks and even blueray decoding. And the best part is its minimal power consumption.

It comes with attractive body color to suit ones taste. And with such aesthetic design its simply irresistible.

Specs:

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2

RAM: 2 GB DDR2

Memory: 16 GB SSD

Connectivity: 6 USB,DVI,HDMI,Ethernet,3.5 mm Audio.