Technology feed

The Week in Clean Tech: Smart watches, smart water meters, and smart moves for cleantech funding

Jaymi Heimbuch — Sat, 26 May 2012 07:00:00 -0400

Catch up on cleantech news from the week in 5 minutes.

Revolve Water Bottle Filters Tap Water While You Drink

Derek Markham — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:39:58 -0400

The Revolve Tap Water Filtration system is an easy way to start choosing to drink tap water over bottled water.

Liquid-to-Solid Material Leads to Cheaper, More Environmentally-Friendly Solar Cell

Megan Treacy — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:02:06 -0400

Researchers have developed a dye-sensitized solar cell that is inexpensive to make and more environmentally friendly through the use of a new liquid-to-solid material.

1/3 of U.S. Homes Now Have Smart Meters

Megan Treacy — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:02:54 -0400

A new report highlights the quick roll-out of smart meters by utilities, stating that half of homes will have them by 2015.

Solar Backpacks to Charge Marines in the Field

Derek Markham — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:35:00 -0400

Marines deployed at forward operating bases may soon get their power in the field through solar backpacks, cutting their fuel use up to 50%.

Emergency Solar Cooker Design Unfolds In Seconds

Jaymi Heimbuch — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:40:00 -0400

In an emergency or disaster relief setting, you want something that is as basic to use as possible. This design is perfect for that.

"Inexact" Computer Chip is 15X More Efficient By Making a Few Mistakes

Megan Treacy — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:08:29 -0400

Researchers have designed a microchip that is faster, smaller and far more energy efficient by allowing it to make occasional errors.

Pinball Wizardry Earns Kiddies Kinetic Knowledge

EarthTechling.com Staff — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 -0400

A design for a kid's game has won a James Dyson Award, and for good reason. It teaches kids about kinetic energy all through a pinball-style game.

Next Generation Wastewater Treatment Uses Hydrodynamic Forces to Clean Water

Derek Markham — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:15:00 -0400

Instead of using a physical barrier, such as a filter, a new water treatment technology uses a combination of centrifugal and hydrodynamic forces to separate biomass and recover water in wastewater treatment.

Pollution-Hunting Robot Fish Head to Sea for Test Swim

Jaymi Heimbuch — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:40:00 -0400

They've gone from the lab to the ocean, and these robotic fish are stretching their fins to see how they do in gathering information on pollution.

Wave-Powered "Dolphin Speaker" Could Let Us Talk to Dolphins

Megan Treacy — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:43:54 -0400

Scientists have developed a piezoelectric speaker that can playback the full frequency range of dolphin sounds, getting us closer to human-dolphin communication.

How to Turn Your Backpack Into A Solar Charger

EarthTechling.com Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:30:00 -0400

There are solar backpacks on the market to choose from, but what if you could turn a favorite backpack you already own into a solar charging machine? Here's what you need.

Robot To Wash Solar Panels Among Winning Student Inventions

EarthTechling.com Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:20:00 -0400

Students in a competition for the Department of Energy came up with some winning ideas, including an automated way to wash down solar panels for improved efficiency.

Swap-O-Matic Vending Machine Lets You Trade But Not Buy

Alex Davies — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:00:00 -0400

A novel vending machine lets users take and leave objects, but no money is involved.