Engineers World

This Umbrella Will Charge Your Phone and Boost Its Signal

2012-07-23T04:01:00.001-07:00

The umbrella, which is sadly just a prototype at the time of writing, is the result of a collaboration between Vodafone and University College London. There are 12 silicon solar cells integrated into the canopy; together they provide enough juice to run the signal booster, a LED flashlight and a USB phone charger which is able to charge a phone in around three hours. That is a lot of technology for the world’s most commonly misplaced item.
Vodafone plans to test the Booster Brolly at the Isle of Wight music festival on June 22nd. Whether or not it has a future from there is anyone’s guess – but as long as they get the pricing right, I could see it taking off in countries that get a lot of rain.

Amazing 2012 BlackBerry Blade Smartphone Concept...!!!

2012-07-23T03:52:00.002-07:00

BlackBerry Blade Smartphone Concept design has a slight curved and the main Touchscreen slides upward in order to reveal the familiar BlackBerry key pad. But there are also fixed buttons below the Touchscreen in addition to a track pad. BlackBerry Blade can be connected to some other devices using the MicroVGA, MicroHDMI or even Micro USB ports and the Blade comes having a MicroSD slot for expanded memory. The smartphone can also handle each HTML5 and Adobe Flash in addition to employing a 4G LTE connection to download content on the smartphone.

Google Gets Licence For Self-driving Car In US

2012-06-07T19:49:00.001-07:00

Driver-less cars will soon be a reality on the roads of Nevada after the state approved America’s first self-driven vehicle license.The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has issued the first license plates that will allow Google’s autonomous cars onto public highways. The first to hit the highway will be a Toyota Prius modified by search firm Google, which is leading the way in driver-less car technology.

Nevada is the first state to devise licensing procedures for autonomous vehicles, and Google is the one of the leaders in that field, having hired some of the top talent that took part in the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges. Google‘s fleet will have red Nevada license plates with a Greek infinity symbol, intended to alert other drivers that a computer has control of the vehicle.

Googles Driver-less Car

The car uses video cameras mounted on the roof, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic. Engineers at Google have previously tested the car on the streets of California, including crossing San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge. For those tests, the car remained manned at all times by a trained driver ready to take control if the software failed. According to software engineer Sebastian Thrun, the car has covered 140,000 miles with no accidents, other than a bump at traffic lights from a car behind.

This is what the car sees while navigating through the roads.

Bruce Breslow, director of Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles, says he believes driver-less vehicles are the “cars of the future“. Nevada changed its laws to allow self-driven cars in March. The long-term plan is to license members of the public to drive such cars. Google’s car has been issued with a red licence plate to make it recognisable. The plate features an infinity sign next to the number 001. Other states, including California, are planning similar changes.

“The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error,” said California state Senator Alex Padilla, when he introduced the legislation.

“Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and operating the vehicle more safely.”

E=MC^2 USB

2012-05-15T04:13:00.001-07:00

Transformor USB

2012-05-15T04:07:00.000-07:00

Hotelicopter : The World’s First Flying Hotel - World's First Flying Hotel

2012-05-15T04:05:00.002-07:00

THE HOTELICOPTER : ELEVATE YOUR STAY -
Dimensions Length: 42 m (137 ft)
Height: 28m (91 ft)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 105850 kg (232,870 lb)
Maximum speed: 255 km/h (137 kt) (158 miles/h)
Cruising speed: 237 km/h (127 kt) (147 miles/h)
Original Mi Range: 515 km (320 mi)
Our augmented Mi Range - 1,296 km (700 mi)

The Hotelicopter. It is what it sounds like, a hotel with wings designed for those five star clients that don’t want to bother with the hassles of flying. This is aviation heaven, the compilation of every desire any frequent-flyer ever had, made real.

Japan's melody roads play music as you drive !

2012-05-14T22:55:00.003-07:00

Motorists used to listening to the radio or their favourite tunes on CDs may have a new way to entertain themselves, after engineers in Japan developed a musical road surface.
A team from the Hokkaido Industrial Research Institute has built a number of "melody roads", which use cars as tuning forks to play music as they travel.

The concept works by using grooves, which are cut at very specific intervals in the road surface. Just as travelling over small speed bumps or road markings can emit a rumbling tone throughout a vehicle, the melody road uses the spaces between to create different notes.

Depending on how far apart the grooves are, a car moving over them will produce a series of high or low notes, enabling cunning designers to create a distinct tune.

Patent documents for the design describe it as notches "formed in a road surface so as to play a desired melody without producing simple sound or rhythm and reproduce melody-like tones".

There are three musical strips in central and northern Japan - one of which plays the tune of a Japanese pop song. Notice of an impending musical interlude, which lasts for about 30 seconds, is highlighted by coloured musical notes painted on to the road. According to reports, the system was the brainchild of Shizuo Shinoda, who accidentally scraped some markings into a road with a bulldozer before driving over them and realising that they helped to produce a variety of tones.

The designs were refined by engineers at the institute in Sapporo. The team has previously worked on new technologies including the use of infra-red light to detect dangerous road surfaces.

But motorists expecting to create their own hard rock soundtrack could find themselves struggling to live the dream. Not only is the optimal speed for achieving melody road playback a mere 28mph, but locals say it is not always easy get the intended sound.

"You need to keep the car windows closed to hear well," wrote one

Japanese blogger. "Driving too fast will sound like playing fast forward, while driving around 12mph has a slow-motion effect, making you almost car sick."

Engineering Wonders: Moai stone statues on Easter Island

2012-05-07T12:10:00.002-07:00

The islanders call Moai, but otherwise little is known about these massive carved heads that the outer slopes of Easter Island, known rim. The moai with their backs to the sea and are, as the ancestors of today's inhabitants of Rapa Nui. It is estimated that these heads back to 1000 BC date.

Engineering wonder: the "Wedded Rocks'

2012-05-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

The "Wedded Rocks" (Meoto-IWA) or "husband and wife Rocks" are named after two Japanese Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami. On behalf of their permanent union is a heavy rope of rice straw or shimenawa that connects them. Like many couples, they have weathered their share of storms. Together, they sit in the sea near the coast of Ise, Japan.

Tunnel of love, Kleven – Ukraine

2012-05-07T09:01:00.003-07:00

This beautiful train track is naturally covered by green trees and makes a tunnel. Located in Kleven, Ukraine, this train tunnel is named as” “Tunnel of Love” by local people.

Firefly Squids in Toyama Bay, Japan

2012-05-07T08:53:00.002-07:00

The Firefly Squid is a bioluminescent squid growing to a length of only three inches. The squid is equipped with special light-producing organs called photophores that emit a deep blue light. Large photophores can be found on the tips of the tentacles as well as around the eyes. Thousands of tiny photophores can be found throughout the squid's body, giving it the ability to emit light along its entire form. In the Toyama Bay, in the central Japan Sea, the squid are found in fantastic abundance. Normally living at 1200 feet underwater, waves in the Toyama bay pushes the squid to the surface in massive numbers where they are fished by tons from March to June.

The spawning season of the firefly squid also runs during the same period. Millions of squid come together to fertilize and to drop their eggs in the Toyama Bay. The big reunion of these squids is one big light show that you can admire and it attracts thousands of tourists. This event is very important for other sea creatures and sea birds who enjoy eating the dead bodies of the firefly squid. Firefly squids is also considered a delicacy in Japan.

Early in the morning, after 3 AM, sightseeing boats depart the Namerikawa fishing port (Namerikawa is also home to the world's only museum dedicated to the firefly squid) in Toyama prefecture, making a short journey to fixed nets located about 1 to 2 km offshore. As the fishermen haul in their nets, the light emitted by the firefly squid causes the sea surface to glow a cobalt blue, evoking squeals of delight from the tourists.

The lights from thousands of firefly squid can flash in unison or alternated in an endless number of animated patterns. These light shows are thought to serve several functions. They can be used to communicate with potential mates or rivals. They may also be used to disguise the squid's shape and confuse predators, allowing it to escape. On the other hand, it is believed that the squid can also use their blue lights to attract prey. By flashing the lights on and off, they can attract small fish and then pounce on them with their powerful tentacles

World's Largest Video Game Museum in Berlin !

2012-05-06T22:59:00.004-07:00

The world's largest video game museum was opened early this year in Berlin. The Computerspielemuseum (Computer Game Museum), located on Karl-Marx-Allee, unveiled a new permanent exhibition, Computer Games: Evolution of a Medium. Previously, the museum had only temporary displays while the bulk of the museum's collection was dedicated to several touring exhibits.

Over 300 video and computer systems and stand-alone games dating from 1951 until the present obtained from around the world are on display at Computerspielemuseum, many of which are playable.

Among the products on display are the Nimrod--an incredibly rare game-playing computer from 1951, the first ever arcade game, 1971's ComputerSpace which guests can play, Cold War-era strategy game Balance of Power and numerous rare video games from the former Eastern Bloc.

Video game systems on display include the first commercial video game system, the Magnavox Odyssey (1972), the Milton Bradley Microvision, a hand-held game console from 1978 and the BSS-01, an ultra-rare East Germany video game console from 1980. Guests also have the opportunity to try out a rare 1994-vintage virtual-reality gaming system alongside more conventional options such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and the various members of the Playstation family.

Another original and interesting installation is PainStation. The game is an adaptation of the classic "Pong". If the player misses a ball, he or she will be subjected to one of three physical penalties (heat, electric shock, whipping), depending on which symbol the ball hits. Instead of hitting the ball in order to attain the highest score, the player has to avoid missing the ball in order to avoid being penalised. Physical punishment is an integral part of the game. The player loses as soon as he or she removes his or her left hand from the related surface. The game, which was created by German artists Tilman Reiff and Volker Morawe, was originally developed in 2001 with the motto “no game, no pain.”

Sunlight-powered 'bulbs' made from plastic bottles light up homes !

2012-05-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Plastic bottles are put in shanty home roofs to provide light. Photograph: Sunshine Deleon

.The Liter of Light project, launched to combat the rising cost of electricity in the Philippines, aims to provide 1 million homes with light.

Around 25,000 low-income homes in the Philippines have been lit up after the launch of a scheme to fit sunlight-powered "bulbs" made from old plastic bottles.

In a country where 40% of the population lives off less than $2 a day, the rising cost of power leaves many unable to afford electricity. Some use candles as a light source, but when generations of family members share a small, dark space in shanty towns, accidental and destructive fires are often the result.

The Liter of Light project was launched six months ago by the My Shelter Foundation, a Philippines-based NGO which aims to provide light to 1 million of the roughly 12 million homes who are either still without light or live on the threshold of having their electricity shut down.

The scheme uses plastic bottles filled with a solution of bleached water, installed into holes made in shanty towns' corrugated iron roofs, which then refracts the equivalent of 55W of sunlight into the room – during the day, at least. It takes five minutes to make, and using a hammer, rivet, metal sheets, sandpaper and epoxy, it costs $1 to produce.

Eduardo Carillo, a resident in one of Metro Manila's many impoverished areas, said: "Before we had the bottle light, the walkways to our house were so dark and going inside made it even darker. The children are no longer scared – they are happy now and they laugh because they can play inside during the day instead of playing in the streets."

The idea of using plastic bottles as a light source is not a new one - it was developed in Brazil by Alfredo Moser in 2002. But with the help of a group of MIT students, the solar bulb used in the Philippines has been modified to meet local needs.

My Shelter Foundation Founder and social entrepreneur Ilac Diaz explains: "We basically did a cheap kind of one-way lock using the metal sheet. Once you put in the bottle, it will not slip down anymore. That way even if the roof expanded or contracted with the heat, it would not affect the waterproofing and would keep the bottle intact for many years to com."

Diaz believes in the importance of using "appropriate" green technologies for poorer countries:

"The challenge is how can the developing world come up with its own model to limit emissions of carbon- we cant afford to buy imported, patented or manufactured solutions from the developed world and can't afford to wait until they become affordable."

The programme is also creating jobs. What began with teaching and contracting one unemployed man to make the first 1000 bottles has evolved into an ongoing program that has creating more than 20 jobs in installing the bottles. "We wanted to prove one man could change his village," said Diaz..

vedio url:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Fpsw_yYPg&feature=player_embedded

Mind Blowing floating movie-theater in Yao Noi, Thailand

2012-05-06T13:06:00.001-07:00

Wealthy people can easily afford to own private home theaters, but that’s not the ultimate when it comes to movie theaters. The world is full of outdoor screens and entertainment systems, but none equals this marvelous floating movie-theater – temporary auditorium-raft – in the Andaman Sea, on the private island of Yao Noi, Thailand.

The project was designed by the fable architect Ole Scheeren, closely working with the Film on the Rocks Yao Noi Foundation. The screen is actually posed in front of limestone protrusions rising from the bottom of the Andaman Sea, with a gathering of rafts assisting it. The whole contraption was named the Archipelago Cinema.

The spectators hover above the sea, focusing on the moving images across the water displayed on the huge screen. The experience is truly unique. The idea behind this project was to appear like the Film on the Rocks Yao Noi Festival comes from a world totally different from ours. The movie-enthusiasts, which impatiently rushed to come here, from all over the world, have experienced a memorable event, with one of a kind cinematic techniques, on a superb shoreline.

The Thai festival is the work of Chomwan Weeraworawit, the owner of Six Senses Yao Noi. He has brought all sorts of designers, artists, actors and writers, from all over the Globe, to collaborate in realizing this unique proof of true cinematic. The event lasted for 4 days, featuring, besides movie-watching and auditions, discussions, exquisite dining and lounge, the whole place having worked like a resort of its own.

The Tallest Buildings in the World

2012-05-06T12:57:00.001-07:00

When speaking of the tallest buildings in the world, it is imp
ortant to specify exactly what is being measured.Listers must decide if the building is to be measured from sidewalk level or below, whether or not TV towers or masts are included, and whether an antenna, flagpole, or spire should count.A building is considered to differ from a tower in its primary use, being designed for residential, business, manufacturing, or mixed use,
whereas a tower is not.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, formerly the Joint Committee on Tall Buildings in conjunction with Emporis Buildings,is the authoritative source for information about the tallest buildings in the world, and their list of the tallest buildings, drawn from an extensive database, is based on the height of the building to the structural or architectural top, which includes spires and pinnacles, but does not include antennas, masts, or flagpoles.Prior to 9/11, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York were ranked fifth - 1,368 ft (417 m) – and sixth – 1,362 ft (415 m) – on the list of the tallest buildings in the world.

The height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance. At the time, the Willis Tower held first place in the second and third categories, the Petronas Towers held the first category and the original World Trade Towers held the fourth. Within months, however, a new antenna mast was placed on the Willis Tower, giving it hold of the fourth category. On April 20, 2004, Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was completed. Its completion gave it the world record for the first three categories. On July 21, 2007 it was announced that Burj Khalifa had surpassed Taipei 101 in height, reaching 512 m (1,680 ft).

Since being completed in early 2010, Burj Khalifa leads in all categories (the first building to do so). With a spire height of 828 m (2,717 ft), Burj Khalifa surpassed Taipei 101 as the tallest building to architectural detail and the Willis Tower as the tallest building to tip. It also leads in the category of highest occupied floor.

Before Burj Khalifa was completed, Willis Tower led in the fourth category with 527 m (1,729 ft), previously held by the World Trade Center until the extension of the Chicago tower's western broadcast antenna in 2000, over a year prior to the World Trade Center's destruction in 2001. Its antenna mast included, One World Trade Center measured 526 m (1,726 ft). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest buildings to be destroyed or demolished; indeed, its site entered the record books twice on September 11, 2001, in that category, replacing the Singer Building, which once stood a block from the WTC site.

Structures such as the CN Tower, the Ostankino Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout.

What Your Old Watches Maybe Used For !

2012-05-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Finally, those living in the USA can buy Ukrainian-made motorcycles! Production of Ukrainian Harleys was launched by Ukrainian immigrant Dmitry Khristenko who now lives in the States. Dmitry makes his motorcycles using old watches. Check them out!

Believe it or not ( urine-controlled video games )

2012-05-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

Drinkers can enjoy a spot of simulated skiing or extinguish some virtual flames while relieving themselves at The Exhibit bar in Balham, south London.

High-tech sensors detect the direction of urine and translate it into action on a 12-inch screen above every urinal.

By aiming carefully while spending a penny, users can guide a skier off piste or put out a raging inferno during their 60-second toilet trip.

There is also a general knowledge quiz called Clever Dick, in which players must pee in the right direction to select their answers.

When their game is over, players are given a code which they can enter into a website to join online leaderboards.

Developed in Britain after three years of research, it is hoped the world-first system will make money for bar owners through advertising.

Designer Gordon MacSween said: "We weren't sure how people would react, but on the first night after we installed it, a group of America servicemen were in the bar.

"I heard one of them coming out of the toilet, high-fiving his mate saying, 'Twelve!'

"His pals were saying 'No way dude!' and going off to play and compete, and I thought, this is good.

"Because of where it is, and you've got a minute of a guy's time, it's a great time to put messages in front of him.

"We've already carried adverts for products whose sales have gone up by 40 and 50 per cent, so they are very keen to use it as a promotional tool."

He added: "Because people are having a laugh, there's a lot less vandalism — people tend to get less angry.

"During testing, we tended to drink a lot of water so that we could play it more often."

The system was trialled at a bar in Cambridge before opening at The Exhibit in London this weekend.

Bar owner Drew Weatherhead said: "Hopefully it will bring people in and they will start competing for high scores."

It comes five years after Nintendo wowed the world with motion-controlled gaming and their pioneering games console — the Wii.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvi92b6BfUs&feature=player_embedded

Terrifying Glass Skywalk on the Side of Tianmen Mountain !

2012-05-05T22:38:00.002-07:00

Jutting out from a sheer cliff 1,430 meters high, the glass skywalk in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park offers sightseers terrifying thrills and clear view of the mountains below as they tread nervously across the 60 meter long bridge encircling the vertical cliffs of Tianmen Mountain in Hunan province. The 3ft-wide, 2.5in thick glass walkway is so scary that sightseers are requested to wear cloth slip-ons over their shoes when they cross the skywalk, presumably to make the job easier for the cleaners.

No matter how terrifying the glass skywalk looks, it can only be an improvement from the treacherous road made of wooden planks thousands of feet high on the sides of the Huashan Mountain, located in the south of Huayin city.

11 Coolest Offices in the World

2012-05-05T04:14:00.002-07:00

Being an office clerk is not exactly the most coveted job in world, not to mention that the concept of being pinned at a desk is something 90% of the people dread. What if you would be invited to work in an office that not only brings the concept into a whole new dimension but also makes the work be fun and relaxed? There are places out there where a job from 9 to 5 is a delight because of the cool looking environment and amenities. Here, the spectacular meets functional and important work gets done better because the people are feeling much better here than in an awful corporate cubicle.

1.Canary Wharf – UK

2.Cannon Design Regional Office – St. Louis

3.Googleplex – California

4.McLaren Technology Center – Surrey

5.Red Bull Headquarters – Amsterdam

6.Skype’s On Cloud Nine Office – Sweden

7.Vocon’s Headquarter Building – Cleveland

8.Williams Group Grand Rapids – Michigan

9.Etsy Office – New York

10.Horizon Media Office – New York

11.Macquarie Group Office – London

A Car Made From Coconut

2012-05-05T03:58:00.002-07:00

Sounds Strange? lets talk about going greener, so now a days we will be finding American much ahead in studying going green for cars, but in Philippines we got a changed definition of it. As a company from Cebu built a car from coconut. This was a real challenge for the developers but it turned out to be a lovely thing on creation..

The catchy point was that the company preferred and used the local material as it could save cost and boost economy by using the natural available resources. Sea shells, and coconut flower stalks, rattan stripes these all things were used to build this beautiful car. The car was properly designed and modeled after a 1959 Porsche 356. It took nine months to complete the car. Clayton Tugonon, a well known and award winning furniture designer built the car body along with the efforts of Cebu. It was also one of the aims of Clayton that he wanted to demonstrate the locals that they can have a good advantage of the local available material inspite of importing other materials and paying their cost. Right now the car is put on display at the Northwing SM City shopping mall in Cebu.

Recycled Light Bulb Oil Lamp !

2012-05-05T03:39:00.001-07:00

These handcrafted oil lamps incorporate a classic incandescent light bulb in the design, and handmade base which created from a beautiful solid wood half dome.

Chicago's City Hall Rooftop Garden

2012-05-05T02:57:00.001-07:00

Chicago’s most famous rooftop garden sits atop City Hall, an 11-story office building in the Loop. City Hall and the adjacent Cook County building appear to most people as one building spanning a city block bounded by LaSalle, Randolph, Clark and Washington streets. First planted in 2000, the City Hall rooftop garden was conceived as a demonstration project - part of the City's Urban Heat Island Initiative - to test the benefits of green roofs and how they affect temperature and air quality. The garden consists of 20,000 plants of more than 150 species, including shrubs, vines and two trees. The plants were selected for their ability to thrive in the conditions on the roof, which is exposed to the sun and can be windy and arid. Most are prairie plants native to the Chicago region.

Like all green roofs, the City Hall rooftop garden improves air quality, conserves energy, reduces stormwater runoff and helps lessen the urban heat island effect. The garden's plants reflect heat, provide shade and help cool the surrounding air through evapotranspiration, which occurs when plants secrete or "transpire" water through pores in their leaves. The water draws heat as it evaporates, cooling the air in the process. Plants also filter the air, which improves air quality by using excess carbon dioxide to produce oxygen.

The rooftop garden mitigates the urban heat island effect by replacing what was a ballasted, black tar roof with green plants. The garden absorbs less heat from the sun than the tar roof, keeping City Hall cooler in summer and requiring less energy for air conditioning. The garden also absorbs and uses rain water. It can retain 75% of a 1 inch rainfall before there is stormwater runoff into the sewers.

The City Hall rooftop garden is not open for public tours. You can view the garden from one of the surrounding office buildings.

Recycled...!!!

2012-05-05T00:04:00.001-07:00

Do You have any such ideas???

Play Angry Birds With a USB Slingshot !

2012-05-04T23:59:00.003-07:00

welcome friends

2012-05-04T23:36:00.001-07:00