ecovative design has made several appearances here at InventorSpot: for their mushroom-based, biodegradable greensulate insulation products , ecocradle packaging products , and even for both . But their latest announcement is even more intriguing: car parts! Ford Motor Company has made a commitment to replace around 30 pounds of petroleum-based foam per car with alternatives like ecovative’s fireproof, waterproof product. When you consider that Ford can produce up to 10,000 cars a day, that adds up to a lot of mushrooms. Apart from sheer volume, the other main hurdle that ecovative faces is consistency. Packaging products and insulation are one thing, but car parts require pretty exact science. Ford need to know that the foam ecovative is providing is uniformly dense, in order for them to be able to pass the gamut of tests conducted by agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If ecovative have been consistent in one thing since their inception in 2007, it’s been their ability to innovate, so they are sure to find a way to manage this issue at their Green Island, NY facility. And then we’ll be on our way to having cars that’ll compost when you bury them in the ground. Stay tuned! And hope against hope that they use the right kind of mushroom:
Posts Tagged ‘green’
Mush Mush Vroom Vroom – Cars Made Out Of Mushrooms
April 9th, 2011 
admin 
Posted in Tech News 
Tags: been-consistent, green, inception, mushroom, national, pass-the-gamut, tests-conducted, traffic, traffic-safety, uniformly-dense 
Comments OffThe World’s Smallest Solid State Drive
March 26th, 2011 admin In our society, there’s a race going on. It’s really no secret- computer hardware manufacturers the world over are constantly trying to outdo one another. Innovation’s the name of the game nowadays, and Pasadena-based Foremay Green Technologies is one of the leading OEM’s in this regard Looking at the hard drive they released yesterday, it’s easy to understand why. The Terminology As with my other articles; those of you with the requisite background knowledge can skip this next part. Fortunately, there’s only three terms that really need to be explained here- OEM, Solid State Drive and NAND. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. Basically, an OEM is a company that manufactures components or products for anything from computers to automotives. A few relevant examples are IBM and Intel. A Solid State Drive is pretty much what it sounds like. Whereas most computer hard drives consist of at least a few moving parts, solid state drives contain none. They’re pretty much completely still. This gives them a number of advantages over standard storage devices, the topmost being that standard hard drives are easily damaged by too much movement or force; particularly while active. Solid state drives are far more durable and as a result far more portable. NAND is simply a type of solid state memory. If you want to learn more about it, as well as the differences between NAND and NOR, look here . With that out of the way, let’s take a look at Foremay’s new brainchild, shall we? The World’s Smallest Hard Drive Foremay’s new NAND “disc on chip” measures at at 22x22x1.8 millimeters(0.87/0.87/.007 inches)( LinuxDevices ). That’s smaller than an American quarter. You could fit at least twenty or thirty of these things in your wallet, and still have some room left over. Foremay’s intent is for these new hard drives to be soldered directly to a computer’s motherboard (most hard drives are attached via external components). Not only will that save a ton of space, but I foresee it also reducing heat output and increasing the system’s durability tenfold. Unfortunately, the size requires a few sacrifices be made. The new hard drive, part of Foremay’s OC177 line of products, is, well…not exactly a titan as far as its specifications are concerned. It stores a modest 32 gigabytes worth of data, and possesses a read/write speed of 70/40 megabytes per second. By contrast, Intel’s X-25 solid state drive has up to 120 gigabytes with a read speed of 250 mbps and a write speed of 70-110 mbps( Intel ). Consequently, it’s also more than twice the size of Foremay’s DOC. Then again, computers aren’t the only place something like this could be put to use. Cell phones, mp3 players,gps units…pretty much any portable electronic device which requires storage space could include one of these drives. At this point, some of you are probably thinking “there’s SD cards that can store just as much space as this, and they’re smaller!” The thing is, those are just storage units, not fully functional hard drives. They don’t have the same capabilities, and they’re generally less powerful than Foremay’s SSD. Foremay’s announced that they plan to ship a 64 gigabyte DOC by the third quarter of 2011( PRlog ). Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that either the 32 gigabyte or 64 gigabyte variety will be available to general consumers. The folks at Foremay have made their intent for this new innovation fairly clear: they’re only shipping it to other manufacturers( ITproportal ). They’ve not said much about the price, either, but I’m guessing innovation like this doesn’t come cheap. Final Word The fact that something this size can store gigabytes worth of information is mind-blowing, if you really stop to think about it. Years ago- within most of our lifetimes-it was considered ‘top of the line’ to have a standard-size hard drive that stored a few hundred megabytes, and now…we’re looking at tech like this and saying “Well, I suppose it’s alright, but how does it stack up in power?” And someday- perhaps even in the near future- technology like this will be considered primitive! Rather fascinating, isn’t it? But I’ve rambled on enough. See you folks tomorrow.
Posted in Tech News Tags: foremay, foremay-green, game, green, intel, look-at-foremay, manufacturers, price, society, solid-state, Terminology Comments OffG.Skill’s New Sniper Memory Takes Aim at Gamers, Modders, and Gun Enthusiasts
March 14th, 2011 admin We’ve seen a lot of funky looking RAM kits, from ones with finned heatspreaders to others with flashing LED lights. But we can’t recall a memory kit that’s ever looked as rugged as G.Skill’s new Sniper series. If you’re not rocking a case window, the Sniper series will have you rethinking that decision. G.Skill says its new RAM is aimed at gamers and modding enthusiasts. Each kit supposedly undergoes extensive compatibility tests on a wide range of Intel and AMD platforms, so they should run the same no matter what other hardware you have under the hood. The Sniper series is available in 8GB, 12GB, 16GB, and 24GB capacities and clocked at either 1333MHz or 1600MHz. Voltage varies by kit; some are rated at 1.25V and others at 1.35V, 1.5V, and 1.6V. Finally, the Sniper series comes in either “Metallic Army Green” or black. No word yet on price or availability. NRA membership not included. Image Credit: G.Skill
Posted in Tech News Tags: 1333mhz, aimed-at-gamers, build a pc, ddr3, g.skill, green, image-credit, memory, sniper series Comments OffSocial Media & Justin Bieber Selected As Presenters At The Oscars?
February 26th, 2011 admin Was it any wonder, with ‘ The Social Network ‘ movie nominated for ‘best picture,’ that social media would be featured center stage at the 83rd Academy Awards? At the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, February 27, big brands are attaching themselves to celebs and are capitalizing on their Facebook and Twitter pages to hype activities leading up to and at the event. This coupled with mobile apps that will allow fans around the globe to feel like they are teleported into the night’s activity, this year’s award show will provide Suzy and Sammy Social Networker real-time access – and a touch of The Bieb thrown in for equal measure – if interested? Mixing celebrities and social media for an event is not new, but brands know that the Academy Awards is the second best bet to the Super Bowl, and with marketers paying $1.75 million for each 30-second slot on ABC’s telecast, the stakes are pretty high to get it right. The social shopping site Gilt Groupe working with its social marketing firm MyLikes will plug into blog chatter about the red carpet, with bloggers linking to a Gilt-sponsored site to vote on the evening gowns worn by the female celebrities (sounds like the Fashion Police, on overdrive!) In addition to using the red carpet as a backdrop to introduce its ‘rebranding’ to jcpenney , the department store chain will post fashions featured in its TV commercials on its Facebook page . To launch its new tagline and logo, it will air seven spots on the Award show , soliciting viewers to comment about their clothes on their Facebook and Twitter sites. With over 1.4 millions fans, “The consumer is the marketer,” says chief Michael Boylson. “What customers say about you is more important than what you say about yourself.” Dove’s VisibleCare Body Wash is kicking off a social-media campaign that is not only using the Academy Awards for leverage, but also the very popular Dancing With The Stars TV Show. A contest called “The Dove Close-Up Challenge,” will select winners to dance in a Dove ad that will air during a break on DWTS, where they will learn steps from actress and former DWTS contestant Jennie Garth, says Rob Candelino, marketing director. As far as mobile apps getting up close and personal at the Oscars, the NY Times suggests the ‘Oscar Backstage Pass’ looks like the most promising. For 99 cents, you can download the app from Apple’s iTunes App Store for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Dissimilar to most other apps, Backstage Pass will change significantly as Sunday’s festivities unfold. Pre-show, it will provide video segments about various Oscar elements, along with a countdown to the event. Then once ABC’s televised coverage begins (at 7PM EST) the app’s screen will reset for the 90-minute red carpet coverage. As an extra advantage, the network plans to provide users with options for eight camera angles that will not be shown to the TV audience. Here, Robin Rhys, senior editor at AppAdvice Extra gives you a complete run-down of all the other Oscar apps available (some of which are free), in her YouTube report. If you are a Hollywood trivia aficionado who is competitive, the Obsessed With Hollywood iPhone app is a solid bet. The app is featured in Apple’s Game Center, and it includes 2,500 questions and 200 hours of game play. Downloads are available for $1.99 at the iTunes app store. Best Buy seems to think it can tie the season’s two largest events together – the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards – and social networkers will follow. The chain engineered an online vote to attract Justin Bieber fans to pick an alternate ending to the pop star’s ad that aired during the Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers match-up. It will then feature the subsequent commercial with the winning new ending at the Oscars. Will a social media campaign of that type bring in new viewers for the Academy Awards? Possibly- but I have my doubts – since the YouTube phenom known as “Bieber Fever” has about just as much to do with a sporting event, as he does a motion picture award ceremony – even if Best Buy is paying him a cool one million dollars to pull it off. (Note: no word as to why Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne were picked to co-star, nor if they were paid anything close to the Bieb!) As the Academy Awards gets more social with each passing year – you have to wonder if it’s worth all the hype? In this age of hyper-distraction that we live in, is it possible to follow all of these social media interconnections? Even – selecting one and going with it – sounds like a chore? Or, do you chuck it all and settle for being a couch potato for the evening?
Porsche Goes Electric: The Boxster E
February 26th, 2011 admin Porsche has been working on making its line a little greener over the past several years. News reports last year quoted a Porsche official as outlining plans to make hybrid versions of all of its vehicles, though no specific time frame was quoted. Porsche has already begun this process with the Cayenne S Hybrid and, just recently, the Panamera S Hybrid. It has also been thrilling the world with concepts like the 918 Spyder Hybrid, a powerful supercar that it plans to put into limited production. And now it’s cut out the gas altogether. Porsche introduced the Boxster E last week, and while the car’s still a prototype, it represents the first electric vehicle that Porsche has detailed. Porsche is currently testing three separate prototype versions. Each of the Boxster E prototypes is powered by a 29kWh battery pack and two electric motors worth 241 horsepower. Porsche hasn’t gotten into details on the specific placement of the engines or on the performance of the Boxster E models, but has indicated that performance is comparable to the Boxster S, a model that hits 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and tops out at 170 mph. So far, Porsche is just testing the models–Porsche went so far as to call them “mobile laboratories,” so we won’t necessarily be seeing the Boxster E at auto shows or dealerships anytime in the near future. Porsche CEO Mattias Mueller explained in a press release: “The electrical mobility is a central challenge of the coming years and the engineers at Porsche would like to contribute with the usual excellence of them to be resolved. The Boxster E will help us as mobile laboratories in solving the practical problems of electric vehicles the way that our customers expect.” As far as looks, the Boxster E borrows the silver and orange paint scheme of the 918 RSR, a track-focused version of the 918 hybrid concept that Porsche introduced at the Detroit Auto Show last month. Via Autoblog Green
Posted in Tech News Tags: boxster, cayenne, detroit-auto, green, panamera, performance, porsche, press-release, silver, spyder-hybrid Comments OffRobots Now Parking Cars In Chicago
February 12th, 2011 admin Robots are never as cool as they sound, are they? The term always conjures up images of human-like, metal-and-wire beings that can do everything except feel. Yet, the reality is that half the time you’re talking about a big, crane-like arm or some other automated accessory that just isn’t really as awesome as the Jetsons made us believe robots would be. And in this case, the robots are a drastic disappointment. When I read the original headline about robots parking cars, of course I thought walking, talking robot valets that tip their hat and park your car with care. But what I got was a large automated system that looks like a closet organizer for cars. While Chicago’s Green Park Eco Garage doesn’t have walking, driving robots to park your car, it is one of the most advanced, innovative places that you’ll ever park your sedan. Instead of a human attendant or self-parking, the garage relies on an advanced system of cameras, computers, sensors and laser scanners to size up your car, park it into a shelving unit and then return it when you come back. Now you might wonder why so much tech is necessary for something as simple as a parking garage. It’s not like parking your own car is that much of a hassle. But by automating the process, Eco Garage is able to stack cars in a way that you simply wouldn’t be able to park them yourself. And VLF Development LLC, the entity behind the build, estimates that the 100 cars that the garage can hold is about double what it would hold in a traditional configuration. And space is generally a huge issue when it comes to parking facilities in large cities. In addition to helping to cut clutter from the city streets, the LEED Gold-registered Eco Garage boasts a variety of green benefits including construction with recycled materials, renewable energy sourcing and a natural, rain-collecting roof. Since people don’t work or park in the garage itself, the company won’t need to heat or light the interior. Last year, public officials and developers broke ground on the Eco Garage and construction will run through the fall, with the public opening set to happen before year-end. You can get more information about this interesting facility and see a video of how it works at its website . Via: InsideLine
Posted in Tech News Tags: chicago, city, Development, garage, gold-registered, green, half-the-time, heat-or-light, human-attendant, interesting, interior, jetsons, time Comments OffSaving Energy Via Digital Power: Green Plug Presents the Green Power Processor
January 8th, 2011 admin The Consumer Electronics Show 2011: Jan. 6-9 Today, January 7, 2011, Kevin Jones, Vice President of Engineering for Green Plug, will discuss the development of electronics and energy efficiency during a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) panel sponsored by CNET. Green Plug is known as being the first developer of digital technology enabling communication between electronic devices and their power sources. Their latest advancement, and a major topic of Jones’s discussion at the CES panel, is the Green Power Processor (GPP), introduced two days ago. According to PC World , technology used in this device could allow dormant devices to “relax their demand from the electrical grid or shut down automatically, thanks to intelligent power supplies.” Green Plug Presents Exciting Advancements in Energy Efficient Technology The GPP is an advanced System-on-Chip (SoC), which affords consumer electronics manufacturers to design digital power adapters that conserve energy by aiding communication between the source and the connector device. What this means, in lay terms, is that this device eliminates wasted energy usage from any connected electronic device. According to sources, the device will be available in the spring of 2011. Green Plug’s Latest: Green Power Processor (GPP) According to founder and CEO of the company, Frank P. Paniagua, “Green Plug is leading the industry in bringing intelligence, power monitoring and advanced control to AC/DC power adapters and the consumer device eco-system.” He says, thanks to the development and introduction of the GPP, chip makers and power supply manufacturers currently have the technology needed to “undertake the transition from clunky black bricks and wall warts to sleek, efficient digital power adapter architecture capable of exchanging information between the power source and the load and adjusting power use according to product need.” Paniagua is confident the technology used in the GPP indicates a move away from analog power supplies and toward smart digital power adapters. In regards to the device itself, Paniagua states, “GPP is the ideal combination of mixed signal technology, multi-threaded hardware, advanced low-power features and optimizations that make GPP the right platform for rapid development of modern, efficient power supply designs. Practically speaking, it’s a major salvo in the ‘digital power revolution’ – an acknowledgement that analog adapters have hit a wall where cost and energy consumption are concerned.” The Green Power Processor (GPP): by Green Plug Green Plug has been committed to utilizing such advancing technology since they entered the scene in 2006. According to their site , “Green Plug [has] developed the first power converter controller family where communication is an integral part of the solution. In a world where the value of seamless information flow is well understood, Green Plug will enable the next wave of devices to become part of our connected world.” Personally, I’m excited to see how this cutting-edge company will change the way we use technology in the next decade. Green Plug wants manufacturers to move away from analog technology use Sources: TrendHunter and PC World and BusinessWire
Posted in Tech News Tags: consumer, consumer-electronics, Development, device, electronics, energy, gpp, green, green-power, image-image-img, industry, president, processor, spring, technology Comments Off
