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Sunday, June 26, 2011

New phase-changing alloy turns waste heat into green energy, exhibits spontaneous magnetism (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/25/new-phase-changing-alloy-turns-waste-heat-into-green-energy-exh/

Looks like harvesting waste heat is all the rage in 2011. Yet another team of researchers -- this time at the University of Minnesota -- has found a way to harness energy from our hot castoffs. The group has apparently created a brand spanking new alloy that spontaneously creates energy when its temperature is raised by a small amount. Future uses for the material, known as Ni₄₅Co₅Mn₄₀Sn₁₀, include charging a hybrid car's battery with the help of waste heat from its exhaust. So what's the trick? Well, this wonder material is a phase changer, meaning it can go from non-magnetic to magnetic in moments, when the temperature rises. When that happens, the alloy absorbs heat, and bam! You've got electricity. The team is also collaborating with chemical engineers to create a thin film version of the material that could be used to convert waste heat from computers. If phase changing gets you all hot and bothered, check out a video demonstration of the alloy's sudden magnetism after the break.

Continue reading New phase-changing alloy turns waste heat into green energy, exhibits spontaneous magnetism (video)

New phase-changing alloy turns waste heat into green energy! , exhibi ts spontaneous magnetism (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon C2 portable media player review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/26/cowon-c2-portable-media-player-review/

And here you were assuming the tried-and-true PMP was dead. Au contraire. Cowon's not giving up on its dream quite yet, but after the D2 hung around at the company's low-end for the better part of four years, it's an alphabetic step backwards that's taking over as the successor. The diminutive C2 is about as simple as a PMP gets -- design wise, anyway -- but it's actually capable of supporting both music and video on its 2.6-inch resistive touchpanel. And then there's the purported 55 hours of battery life, included microSD card for expansion and the company's world-class audio quality. Still, $135 goes a long (long!) way in the portable music industry these days -- does the C2 pack enough punch to make your short list? Head on past the break to find out.

Gallery: Cowon C2 hands-on and unboxing

Continue reading Cowon C2 portable media player review

Cowon C2 portable media player review originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's N950 splayed by FCC, 12-megapixel camera lurking within

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/26/nokias-n950-splayed-by-fcc-12-megapixel-camera-lurking-within/

Our friends over at the FCC have somehow both scored and already torn asunder Nokia's new flagship MeeGo development phone. Slicing and dicing Espoo's latest confirms the watered-down N9 specs we'd previously heard about, except for one: a 12-megapixel camera. An intriguing addition, as the N950's official specs list an 8-megapixel shooter, which the Finnish firm touted as "different" than the unit in its brother. Perhaps different means the additional 4-megapixels we spotted earlier this year? Sure, last minute component changes aren't unheard of, but if you ever manage to convince the Finns to throw one your way, do us a favor and let us know what it's packing. Ok?

Nokia's N950 splayed by FCC, 12-megapixel camera lurking within originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke University physicists test first air-based acoustic invisibility cloak

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/25/duke-university-physicists-test-first-acoustic-invisibility-cloa/

Firmly departing from the Stuff Of Dreams category, Duke University physicists have successfully tested an acoustic cloaking device that fools sound waves while looking nowhere near as scifi as you'd think. Layering nothing more than a bunch of hole-punched plastic sheets -- known as meta-materials, for those curious -- atop a ten centimeter long block of wood, highly-directed sound in the 1 - 4kHz range bounced right back into the ether none the wiser. The cloaking tech owes some of its origin to the math behind transformation optics -- and maybe to the Duke team, too. Besides allowing defense department bunkers to erupt into silent applause, the research should prove useful in the construction of future concert halls. DIY hobbyists, let us know what you can rig up with some trash bags.

[Thanks, Drew]

Duke University physicists test first air-based acoustic invisibility cloak originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMP camera records 1080p HDR video, you probably can't have one

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/25/amp-camera-records-1080p-hdr-video-you-probably-cant-have-one/

We've already seen cameras that let you ~~pretend you live in a radioactive apocalypse~~ shoot HDR video, combining overexposed and underexposed images into one surreal composite. But so far, that kind of dystopian trippiness has been relegated to experiments and rigs using two lenses. But here we have AMP, a portable-enough five-pound camera that splits the light into three sensors, giving it a range of 17.5 stops to "reveal reality" in our drab, incomplete lives. The single-lens camera shoots 1080p video at 24fps or 30fps, records raw, uncompressed data to an SSD, and works with Nikon F-Mount-compatible lenses. To give you some perspective on the amount of sheer storage required, AMP promises a 256GB SSD can hold 30-plus minutes of footage, with 24fps video consuming less space than the 30 fps variety. It'll be available later this summer for some unknown sum, but not as a mass-produced product. Rather, it'll end up in the hands of a select few prosumers who add themselves to a waiting list. Assuming you won't be one of the chosen, you can get your fill of reality in a pair of demo videos after the break.

Continue reading AMP camera records 1080p HDR video, you probably can't have one

AMP camera records 1080p HDR video, you probably can't have one originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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