If You Can Make Solar Power Better, Google Will Give You $1 Million

“Smaller is baller,” “Min it to win it,” “Think shrink.”

Those are the puns Google is using to promote its new competition: $1 million to whomever can invent a working power inverter for solar and other forms of renewable energy that’s roughly as small as a laptop. The company has teamed up with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to launch the competition.

For background, a power inverter is a box that takes alternating current (AC) out of a direct current (DC) — such as a solar array — and applies that AC to run things in our homes, offices, and businesses. In order to use the DC power generated from wind turbines and solar panels, it must be converted into alternating current, via a power inverter.

“Much of our domestic world relies on AC,” the tech blog Venture beat explains. “And AC needs robust power distribution grids, huge power plants and either fossil fuel, nuclear power, or falling water.”

As they are currently, inverters for solar and wind are, according to Google, too big — “roughly the size of a picnic cooler,” the company said on its new website for the “Littlebox Challenge.” But if they can be shrunk down to the size of a tablet or laptop, the company says, it would “enable more solar-powered homes, more efficient distributed electrical grids, and could help bring electricity to the most remote parts of the planet.”

“There will be obstacles to overcome; like the conventional wisdom of engineering”, Google Green’s Eric Raymond said in a statement announcing the competition. “But whoever gets it done will help change the future of electricity.”

The challenge for engineers is to design and build a 1-kilowatt-minimum power inverter with a power density of at least 50 watts per cubic inch — not an insane amount of power, but enough to fuel some lights and a box fan. Applicants must register by September and submit their ideas by July 15 of next year. Eighteen finalists will be chosen, and a grand prize winner will be announced sometime in January 2016, the company said.

Google has long-promoted increased use of renewable energy, but its relationship with it has been a bit of a puzzle. The company’s Google Green subsidiary has invested millions in clean energy projects throughout the last decade, with an eventual goal to power its data centers with 100 percent renewable energy. The company claims that, with purchased offsets, its carbon footprint is zero, meaning it does not contribute to climate change. So far, Google has sunk more than $1 billion into wind and solar projects that in total generate more than 2 gigawatts of power.

At the same time, however, Google has hosted fundraisers to benefit one of the U.S. Senate’s most vehement climate deniers, and is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — a corporate lobbyist group that actively works to thwart statewide renewable energy programs.

The two-way relationship has raised questions about the company’s intentions among some environmentalists, who are asking Google to cut ties with the anti-climate group. But one possible explanation for the company’s partnership with interests purportedly contrary to their own is that it’s necessary to help sway them to their side, as Tim Worstall in Forbes notes.

“Sadly, the way that the modern economy works is that government, at all levels, has a great deal of influence over how business works,” he writes. “So, it is necessary for a large business to flash the cash around to both sides, to join lobby groups from all sides of the political compass.”

 

Visit Us : @ Hyperjet

Read More

Touch And Hold Hands With Your Loved Ones Online

 Touching a loved one can be so soothing and when you are going through tough times, a mere squeeze of hand could help uplift your mood. However, this changes when you are away from your loved ones. You can talk and now video chat, all thanks to technology, but there has been no such thing to mimic touch, well not until now. Meet Frebble that has been designed by Frederic Petrignani, an entrepreneur from Netherlands. The gadget is currently raising funds at Kickstarter.

Frebble relies on Bluetooth to connect to your system and in words of its manufacturers; ‘For a granddaughter calling grandma with special news, for a husband far away from a wife, for distant grown daughters who crave the comfort of their mother’s touch, for a best friend who wants to let her friend know it will all be ok, Frebble connects – as simply, subtly and as powerfully as though the person was right there with you. While there are many ways to see and hear your loved ones through the power of the internet, the tactile element has been missing – until now. With Frebble, you can cut through the distance and share that smallest gesture – the squeeze of the hand – that means so much.

 Moving on to the design of the gadget; it has been designed ergonomically so that it can fit easily and comfortably in the hand of the user and better stimulate the feeling of holding and squeezing other person’s hand. When you press your Frebble unit, the corresponding unit will apply pressure to the other intended receiver’s hand. This is true irrespective of the fact that where they are. The effect is achieved by making use of two pressure sensors on the front of the device that register the ‘squeeze’ and two vibration motors that are located on the side in order to make the sensation feel more realistic. The gadget also has an integrated bar known as squeeze bar in order to replicate the holding hands.

An LED will light up to indicate the connection status and also when you have got a squeeze waiting. Yup, you can send offline squeezes too folks. The gadget will be compatible with Skype, Hangout and other apps (iOS, Android) that are set to release in September along with Frebble. Each unit measures about 5” in length and comes equipped with a rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery that can survive for 4 hours if being used or more if on standby. The gadget is made from plastic while also imparting rubberized padded areas in order to impart easy gripping.

The gadget will be able to charge by employing a micro-USB cable and will be able to work with Google Chrome version 24 or higher and Firefox version 16 and higher. The gadget is available as a pair for a price of $89 on Kickstarter.

Visit Us : @ Hyperjet

Read More

What is a Surge Protector?

What is a Surge Protector?

A device that shields computer and other electronic devices from surges in electrical power, or transient voltage, that flow from the power supply. Standard American voltage for home and office buildings is 120 volts. Anything over this amount is considered transient and can damage electronic devices that are plugged into an outlet. Even though power surges are so brief that they are measured in nanoseconds, they can cause considerable damage to electronic equipment.

How it Works

A surge protector works by channeling the extra voltage into the outlet's grounding wire, preventing it from flowing through the electronic devices while at the same time allowing the normal voltage to continue along its path. Electrical surges can damage computer equipment by burning its wires or gradually over time wearing down the device's internal components and even wipe out any saved data. Surge protectors can also protect telephone and cable lines as these also carry electric current.

Surge Protectors and Lightening

It is a common misunderstanding that surge protectors will protect systems from lightning, the most familiar source of power surges. Even the most effective surge protectors cannot protect equipment from the sudden increase in electrical pressure of millions of volts that lightning can supply.

The best way to prevent damage during from lightning storm is to unplug devices that could be irreparably damaged. Surge protectors more commonly protect equipment from lower-voltage surges that occur frequently in modern electrical wiring. For example, devices such as refrigerators and air conditioners require large amounts of energy to switch motors and compressors on and off, creating surges in power that disrupt the steady flow of voltage. Faulty wiring, downed power lines and faulty equipment at the power source (utility company) can all cause power surges as well. Surge protectors are also called power strips, surge suppressors and transient suppressors.

Visit Us : @ Hyperjet

Read More

Facebook To Provide Free Internet Around The World Using Solar-powered Drones

It sucks to be without internet in the modern day and age, right? In times we live in, internet disconnection for mere seconds alone can account for sudden mood swings. Are you one of the unlucky folks who face recurring internet disconnections or, worse, have no access to internet at all? Guess who is coming to your rescue? It’s Facebook! If the rumoured talks between an American based aerospace company and Facebook are successful, Facebook could be sending out its own drone fleet around the globe to help people connect better.

It is no surprise that rumoured reports of Facebook’s interest in taking over Titan Aerospace surfaced on TechCrunch this past week. Before you ask, it is estimated to cost nearly $60 million. That’s expensive, but not too expensive by Facebook’s standards. Remember, they acquired Instagram and WhatsApp for a whole lot more (hint: Billions spent)?

Titan Aerospace makes solar-powered drones, nearly 11,000 of which Facebook might be getting in exchange for millions of dollars. TechCrunch even went on to take a net educated guess as to which aircraft Facebook might favour – the Solara 60. Details on the Titan Aerospace website suggest that these drones can not only monitor weather but provide “easy access to real-time high-resolution images of the earth, voice and data services, and other atmospheric-based sensor systems.”

Solar panels installed in each aircraft means that sufficient energy is generated to ensure five years of in-air lifetime for each of these drones. Considering Facebook’s interest in the Internet.org, TechCrunch strongly believes that the deal might well happen. For those of you unaware of the Internet.org program, it’s “a global partnership between technology leaders, nonprofits, local communities and experts who are working together to bring the internet to the two thirds of the world’s population that doesn’t have it.”

This isn’t the first major initiative to spread internet across the globe, though. Only last month, Outernet project, backed by Media Development Investment Fund was reported to be in the works. However, that one is not expected to take just as well.

Visit Us : @ Hyperjet

Read More

World Environment Day 2014

What is World Environment Day?

The very first World Environment Day took place in 1973, inspired by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment that took place the year before starting on June 5th. Each year the United Nations pick a theme and a host city where environmental topics can be discussed , followed by different kinds of exhibits and displays to promote environmental awareness, in many ways very similar to Earth Day. This year (2014)  World Earth Day discussions will be hosted by Barbados and the theme is Raise Your Voice, Not the Sea Level, environmentalists, academics and scientists will come together to bring new ideas to the table concerning the environment, this year the focus is on Small Island Developing States (probably why they picked a Caribbean island!)

How Do You Celebrate?

Even though the United Nations pick a specific host city every year, people around the world still celebrate World Environment Day int heir hometowns with parades, concerts, clean up and recycyling initiatives, tree planting groups and all kinds of green action initiatives that are ment to promote and inspire people in every community to work towards maintaing our beautiful planet and battling pollution.

What Can I Do?

World Environment Day is not a public holiday, so you won't be getting the day off school, but if you want to celebrate why not bring it to the attention of your parents, teachers and classmates? World Environment Day is all about working together to take action for the planet, so   try to get everyone you know interested in helping make a difference. Something as small as making sure people have a way to recycle in your school can make a difference. You could also try beautifying your neighborhood by planting gardens, learn about organic and local foods, or raise money for a local wildlife and conservation charity or simply learning about the effects of different products on the earth.

Remember, we only get one planet, so let's keep it clean and beautiful for generations to come!

Visit Us : @ Hyperjet

 

 

Read More

Telecom Industry Trends in the Next Decade

For 20 years, continuous technical transformation and information waves have driven high growth in the telecom industry. However, an age with saturated telecom penetration is coming, and telecoms industry is facing a brand new situation. Looking to the next decade, how can the telecoms industry adapt itself to the requirements of the new age in the changed environment? Through "Four Surpasses", the telecoms industry will continue to achieve high growth in the next decade.

Surpassing population and developing new subscribers: The Internet of Things opens a door to new opportunities

The rapid development of mobile communication and the Internet facilitates the approaching of a "global village". In some developed countries and regions, mobile communication penetration rate has already reached or surpassed 100%. In the coming two years, the number of mobile subscribers will be up to 5 billion, and the network will cover over 80% of the global population.

However, it is far from enough to achieve the connection of "human beings" and utilize the intelligence of "human beings". Today, we are faced with many common problems. For example, energy shortages coexist with massive wastes of energy. According to research from United States Department of Energy, electrical energy loss accounts for 67% of the total electrical energy produced. Science and technology improves our lives, yet on the other side it results in serious environmental pollution. Statistics from the Asian Development Bank shows 20% of the global population lacks access to safe drinking water, 50% of the population does not have adequate health care...

The Internet of Things emerges under this background. The essence of the Internet of Things is to apply information and communication technology (ICT) to different industries, thus realizing "Intelligent Perception and Intelligent Control" via the adoption of ICT and achieving the objective of "efficiency improvement, scientific decision making, energy saving and environmental protection, and cost savings" to promote the upgrade and development of human society from an electronic society (E society) to a ubiquitous society (U society).

The Internet of Things describes an unprecedented blueprint for industries such as telecom and IT. It is predicted that by 2020, the ratio between machine type communications to human type communications will reach 30:1, which will allow operators to extend their subscriber base from 6 billion people to 50 billion or even over a trillion machines and objects, and thus opens a new door and serves as the basis for "surpass population and developing new subscribers" for the telecoms industry.

Surpassing voice communications and developing new services: Mobile broadband contributes to the industry's rapid development

The revenue for voice services has saturated or even gradually declined with the developments of mobile communication in the past decade. In the past five years, the revenue for fixed voice services was reduced by 15%, and the growth rate of mobile voice services decreased from 17.5% in 2004 to 1% in 2009 in Spain. Even in emerging markets represented by India, the revenue per minute (RPM) of mobile operators in 2008 fell 50% compared with the same period in 2007.

At the same time, mobile broadband is entering a golden age of development, bringing human society to a new height of ubiquity. The number of mobile broadband subscribers will increase tenfold, reaching 3 billion in the next 5 years. However, we still have not fully utilized mobile broadband, which depends on the joint efforts of the entire industry chain, including "terminal, network, and service". Although new network technologies such as HSPA/LTE are capable of supporting the cost effectiveness of mobile broadband development, there are many challenges ahead in facing the thousandfold traffic increase of mobile broadband for the next decade. New types of smart terminals such as iPhone bring convenient man-machine interactions, yet the high price of smart terminals is the biggest bottleneck that restricts the popularity of mobile broadband. WOA technology, represented by "Widget", can move Internet services and industry services to mobile phones, greatly enriching the services and applications for mobile broadband.

Currently, an open ecological environment that includes "terminal, network, and service" which centered on broadband experience is in an early form. With the challenges of traffic and cost being overcome, it is predictable that mobile broadband will become the most significant force to promote industry development. Operators can achieve sustainable growth if they focus on developing mobile broadband services rather than voice communications.

Surpassing the pipeline, and exploring new business model: Cloud computing brings new opportunities

The popularity of broadband provides a basis for cloud computing. Cloud computing appears in the form of an "information power plant", and is overturning the traditional business mode of software, hardware, and media. That is, users are moving from "buying products" to "buying services".

The change in the business mode is redefining the industry structure. By changing the distribution mode of software to "terminal (iPod/iPhone) + application (iTunes/Appstore)", Apple has surpassed Wal-Mart and become the largest music distribution channel; Google is incubating a larger revolution to achieve development, deployment, and operation of software and services through its APP engine, with flexible expansion based on traffic through the cloud computing platform and cloud storage platform at the bottom layer. In this case, there is no need for software vendors and users to buy any hardware equipment or platform software. This technology will overturn the sales modes of hardware and software for companies such as IBM, HP, Microsoft, and Oracle.

The development of cloud computing also brings opportunities for operators. On the one hand, cloud computing has shown the significance of networks and thus promotes network development. On the other hand, cloud computing services rely on "secure and reliable" service providers, and "secure and reliable" are exactly advantages of operators. Conversely, we always see Internet service providers, no matter large or small, shut down Internet services or even go bankrupt. If operators enter the cloud computing market, they can form new services and experiences based on secure and reliable mass computing storage by integrating industry contents and applications in the digital supermarket mode, provide customers with new values, and give full play to operators' networks and subscriber advantages. In addition, by utilizing reliable and enormous user assets obtained through customer locations and user experience, operators can employ new business models and cultivate new revenue streams through building data mining and advertisement platforms.

The market for cloud computing will move into a rapid development phase, with the market size exceeding 200 billion USD in the next five years. Cloud computing will be the key for business development for operators, to realize "extending network value by surpassing the pipeline".

Surpassing telecom and extending to other industries: The revolutionary experience of home networking creates new markets

It is well known that the new experience of "digital music" and music modes like MP3 overturned the CD and music distribution industry; that is, the revolution of the user experience overturned an industry. With the increase in broadband penetration, what kind of revolution of user experience will home networking bring? Which industries will be overturned?

Let's look at the composition of home networking. The first is an audiovisual entertainment network dominated by a "TV screen". The second is a communication network dominated by PCs and mobile phones. The third is a sensor network. The fourth is a video surveillance network. The fifth is a home network. The sixth is an interconnection and control network. Among the six components, the TV screen is the first to experience revolutionary change. "On-line and On-demand" will bring consumers a brand new service experience. Consumers can freely select contents, releasing themselves from a rigid schedule. The brand new service experience will overturn the video industry dominated by "broadcast and DVD".

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in June 2009 that traditional media would disappear within 10 years, being replaced by Internet-based content. EU pointed out in "Internet of 2020" that by then, TV channels are distributed as other Internet services, and do not need terrestrial or satellite broadcasting anymore, except in isolated areas. If the past decade witnessed the convergence of telecom and the Internet, the next decade will witness the convergence of broadcast, TV, and the Internet.

Home networking is the major battlefield for "network convergence of telecoms, TV and the Internet". The "bi-direction and high bandwidth" features of the telecom network have an advantage in network convergence, and provide unprecedented strategic opportunities for operators to "surpass telecom, and enter into new industries".

Looking forward to the next decade, "four surpasses" will help operators break the ceiling of "population, voice, pipeline, and industry", and bring the telecom industry to a new height. However, it takes a long, hard time to achieve "four surpasses", especially faced by the hundredfold increase in network traffic brought by mass terminals and mass digital contents.

The traffic of mobile networks will increase a thousandfold, bringing unprecedented challenges to bandwidth and cost. Huawei will innovate products, services, architectures, and technologies as always, develop a future-oriented single network strategy to support growth of future services, and promote sustainable development for the entire industry.

Visit Us : @ Hyperjet

Read More