Wheels with solar panels can power a bicycle

These people in Denmark are working on a solar powered electric bike where the solar panels are actually embedded into the wheels. The wheels charge the battery when parked, which in turn powers the bike when in motion. But don't expect this invention to directly power the wheels without charging the battery first. At least not yet.

Helping the visually impaired navigate public transit

These people are working on a technology that would help visually impaired people find their way around the London transit system using bluetooth beacons and their smart phones.

Alberta election video makes a good point

As you may know, my province (Alberta) is in the midst of an election campaign right now. I think this TV ad for Elections Alberta (produced by DDB Canada) cleverly makes the point as to why it's important to get out and vote. So vote, for goodness sake!

Quest carbon capture and storage project to reduce carbon footprint

Although the world is working on alternate energy sources to reduce the threat of climate change, most people acknowledge that fossil fuels will be with us for some time. So Shell is working on a project called Quest that will reduce the amount of CO2 emitted in the production of fossil fuels. The project is scheduled to become operational later this year.

Space-based solar power systems could beam electricity from orbit to Earth

Even the biggest proponents of solar power know there are problems with the technology: most notably, the sun does not always shine. Night time and cloudy days don't generate much, if any, electricity. But what if you could position solar panels in orbit (where the sun always shines) and beam electricity to Earth? Some very clever people are working on the idea!

Hot Coffee documentary claims to tell the real truth behind the famous McDonald's case

Remember the legal kerfuffle involving the American woman who sued McDonald's and was awarded millions of dollars over a cup of hot coffee that she spilled in her lap? The incident has become an international urban legend and the subject of much ridicule. But what actually happened? This documentary claims to tell the real truth and asks the question: "If we don't want judges and juries to make these kinds of decisions, then who should?"

Click on the link above to watch the trailer. You can also watch the full documentary on YouTube and Netflix.

nanoFlowcell might beat Tesla at the electric car game

A European company called nanoFlowcell is developing their Quant electric cars without traditional batteries. Instead, they have two fluid reservoirs – one for a negatively charged electrolyte and one for a positively charged electrolyte. A membrane between the two electrolytes generates a current, powering the electric motors.

This would seem to solve the three big issues with battery electric vehicles – recharge time, range and infrastructure. The electrolyte fluids can be filled-up in about the same amount of time as petrol. The first two Quant prototypes have a range of 800 kms (for the large car) and 1,000 kms (for the small car). And you would think that existing gasoline stations could be easily retrofitted to dispense the fluids since they're already in that business.

It will be interesting to see how this technology develops.