Solar panels have been around for quite some time now, providing a much greener method of generating power. The only problem is that most solar panel arrays aren’t exactly the most efficient replacements for electricity due to their need for the perfect positioning and good weather. Luckily for solar panel researchers around the globe, a 13 year old boy figured out a way to increase solar panel efficiency all on his own.
While Aidan Dwyer was on a winter hike in the Catskills, he was amazed by patterns he saw in the trees and realized that these pattern resembled the Fibonacci sequence (0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21…etc). After realizing trees grew in that manner in order to be efficient in using sunlight for photosynthesis, he put two and two together and decided to try to apply the same concept to solar panels.
He created a tree-like stand for solar panels and attached them in a Fibonacci-like manner and compared the results with a standard flat solar panel array. His simple creation yielded an incredible 50 percent jump in efficiency between the traditional method and the Fibonacci design. Since then, young Aidan ha already earned himself a provisional U.S. patent and is undoubtedly sought out for by many who are looking to utilize his design. Perhaps now we can expect to see entire groves and forests of solar panel trees in the future. That would be quite a sight to see!
Now can somebody propose to the city council to use solar-powered LED street lights?
Guess what, the holiday’s mood is back! Hell yeah, and guess what? KL will be invaded by immigrants and zerg rush, and NKVE will be so empty we can drag there whole day long, break a leg, and nobody’s gonna save you for the whole week. But most people not celebrating this festive season most probably will hit the beach, so what can you do at the beach? Flirt! It’s all about the booze and the chicks man, so you better get all of your beach-going shenanigans in while you still can.! So watch and learn!
In the case of one very intrepid remote-control vehicle enthusiast, that means cruising the sand in an RC Jeep, complete with a first-person camera and intercom system for stirring up all sorts of trouble. That includes attempting what could very well be the world’s first remote-controlled flirtation.
Is it a little creepy to invite a young lady back to your beach house via an RC GI Joe and camera? Undoubtedly. The whole thing looks a bit like the intro to a slasher flick to us, but what do we know? The moral of the story is that you can still play with toys without being condemned to a life of eating Easy Mac alone in your parents’ basement. Either that, or don’t go in the house. One of the two. Hit the jump to see the videos for yourself. But well there’s only two parts, and last I heard, part 3 is available for purchase at Bang Bros.
Blizzard have launched a new community site for Diablo 3, complete with new forums and a blog that will be regularly updated with Diablo 3 news, fan videos and mad contests. Your first challenge is to grow a massive beard.
Over the past six months, brave members of the Diablo 3 development team have been growing their own enormous, furry food-catchers. The task is simple: “grow and maintain the most awe-inspiring Diableard you can, and don’t shave it off until the day Diablo III is released.” Easy, right?
Here’s the rub: Diablo 3 doesn’t have a release date. It might come out this year, perhaps, if we’re lucky. It could come out next year. It could be another two years if Blizzard decided to add mod tools.
“Whether it be braided, forked, or wild enough to house a family of squirrels, your beard will serve as a beacon of hope for humanity in the coming war against the Burning Hells,” reads the blog post. It’s worth noting that facing the Burning Hells with a beard will make you considerable more flammable, but it’s almost certainly worth it for the +1 wisdom bonus. The picture below will show you what you’re up against. Good luck!
The iPhone 5 rumors have been at a constant flow over the last few weeks but it’s been a while since we heard anything about an iPhone Nano. The so-called iPhone Nano, a smaller, cheaper iPhone, has been rumored for years. However, if the latest scuttlebutt is to be believed, a cheaper iPhone is coming in a matter weeks.
Reuters today cites two sources with knowledge of the matter that say Apple’s Asian suppliers have begun manufacturing a cheaper iPhone with just 8GB of flash storage. One of the sources went on to say that the supplier of the flash drives was a Korean company, leading to speculation that it could be South Korea-based Samsung, which is already an Apple supplier.
The news follows June predictions from Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore. Whitmore made headlines around the world when he predicted that Apple would launch not one but two iPhones this fall. The Deutsche Bank analyst said that Apple would release an iPhone 4S to go along with the iPhone 5. With the news that the iPhone 3GS is now free on a two-year contract (down from $49.99), the Reuters report has sparked reports that this new, cheaper iPhone 4 will replace the 3GS in its $49.99 price point.
Apple is widely rumored to be launching a new iPhone at the end of September with release scheduled for early October. The company let its usual iPhone refresh date (June’s WWDC) go by without making any mention of upcoming plans to launch a new iPhone.
Sources claim that Samsung may be gearing up to purchase HP’s PC division, and is currently talking with major HP contractors to help fill the orders. If insider reports are true, then Samsung Electronics may be gearing up to purchase HP’s Personal Systems Group if the offer is brought to the table.
According to “upstream vendors” in the PC component industry, the Korea-based company invited Taiwan-based notebook makers (and top HP notebook contractors) Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics and Pegatron Technology to its headquarters in South Korea earlier this month “with a rather cautious attitude.” Sources believe this meeting was an indication that Samsung might be preparing to expand its business with the acquisition of HP’s Personal System Group.
If Samsung does indeed purchase HP’s PC division, then it would outsource a small volume of orders to these specific players. Right now Samsung pumps out around 10 million laptops annually via its manufacturing plants in China, but that could increase to 50 to 60 million if the purchase of HP’s PC division becomes official.
“The sources pointed that the Taiwan’s notebook OEM industry’s production efficiency and cost control is currently unmatched worldwide,” Digitimes reports. “Therefore, if Samsung takes over HP’s PC department, HP’s over 40 million PC shipment volume will still need to depend on Taiwan OEMs. However, related suppliers of components such as panel, memory and battery may be affected as Samsung has a rather strong vertical integration supply chain.”
Without commenting on the report, Quanta Computer told the paper that if Samsung takes over HP’s 40 million units of PC shipments in addition to its own 10 million, the company will thus be shipping 50-60 million units total in one year and may have difficulty filling all these orders. Samsung will definitely need to find OEM partner, the company said.
Quanta added that it’s currently working on upcoming cloud computing and related products to increase its non-notebook business’ contribution. It’s also cranking out 20 million units for HP’s current 2011 fiscal year along with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) which is shipping 8 million units, Inventec (7 Million), Wistron (3 to 4 million) and Compal (2 million).
Inventec also wouldn’t comment on the report, but pointed out that HP’s sudden announcement to part with its PC business seems more like an attempt to test the market’s reaction, and the spin-off may depend on the results. Either way, Inventec won’t be hurt by the outcome as it mainly produces HP’s enterprise-class notebooks.
World of Warcraft isn’t the only MMO with kickin’ raptor mounts: EverQuest has some of the fiercest looking dinos this side of the Cretaceous period for you to ride around on. We’ve got an exclusive five-minute video that shows the game’s latest raptor leaper mount being designed from start to finish in excruciating, beautiful detail. Feast your eyes as SOE production artist Nate Temple starts with a blank canvas, creates the concept, colors it, and turns it into an armored dinosaur of war. Between the mesmerizing freehand Photoshop sketching and Temple’s narration of his thoughts behind each detail, you may never look at raptors the same way again.
Never mind the fuss over Scrolls/The Elder Scrolls – if you want trademark confusion, look to DOTA.
To recap. There’s the original DOTA, aka Defense of the Ancients, a Warcraft III map. There’s Valve’s Dota 2, which doesn’t actually stand for anything, acting as a direct commercial sequel. Next year, we can expect Blizzard’s official take, with a Starcraft map combining heroes from all of its units. And then there’s League of Legends, the same game at heart, whose creators want everyone to use the term MOBA – Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. Sound fair? Perhaps, except that even if you ignore that about 99% of online action games could qualify as that, the likes of Funcom’s Bloodline Champions apparently don’t, at least not in the eyes of the players… because they’re not DOTA. Read more…
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