Green Tech

After setting a world record for the longest distance traveled on Earth's surface by a robot, Liquid Robotics today unveiled the latest version of its Wave Glider technology.

The updated platform is capable of autonomously prowling the world's seas while analyzing, processing, and transmitting data gathered from a wide variety of on-board sensors.

The new Wave Glider SV3 is essentially a self-powered sea-faring data center, a system that gives users the ability to investigate the world's water ways for months on end. The SV3 features a hybrid propulsion system, Silicon Valley's Liquid Robotics said, that can … Read more

Earth -- unlike perhaps any other planet out there -- provides a mostly hospitable home for humankind. Yet we seem to have opted for unsustainable growth instead of preservation.

At least that's the message in photographer David Thomas Smith's "Anthropocene" exhibition, which Smith describes as a visual examination of global landscapes transformed by the actions and activities of humanity. Each of the 12 prints in the collection derives from thousands of screenshots, which Smith captured from Google Maps and metamorphosed in Photoshop.… Read more

Fisker sent 160 of its employees home from its Anaheim, Calif., headquarters this morning, apparently decimating its workforce, according to a report by Reuters. The move seems to spell the end for the electric vehicle startup.

Reuter's report goes on to say that 53 executives remain on staff, tasked with selling the company's assets.

The company's sole product, the Karma, is a luxury plug-in hybrid with a base price of $103,000. The car uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels and includes an onboard gasoline engine to generate electricity, a drivetrain concept similar to … Read more

Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted of an upcoming big announcement. Despite product-oriented speculation, the details that came out today lay out a new financing plan for the Model S.

The plan could bring net payments down to $500 a month according to Tesla, after taking into account the savings from purchasing electricity over gasoline, government incentives, and resale value.

Tesla added a True Cost of Ownership calculator to its site, which lets prospective buyers see how the numbers add up.

Tesla's announcement says it developed the plan with Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank, each of which … Read more

There's no denying that the ZeitEco scooter looks weird, like the love child of a Yamaha and a Klondike bar. If you want to blend into a crowd, this isn't the vehicle for you. The name stands for "zero-emission individual transport." The result is an electric scooter that can fit in the back of many vehicles.

The ZeitEco handlebars and foot rests fold away so you can pack it into small spaces. It's also ready to handle your gadgets with a built-in sound system and the ability to charge them up. It's kind of like a boom box on wheels.… Read more

Saudi Arabia wants to spend over $100 billion to build vast solar arrays and reduce its dependency on oil to generate electricity. But desert sandstorms pose a major challenge to keeping solar panels clean and efficient.

Japanese startup Miraikikai is developing a solution to getting rid of this pesky dust and grit: a cleaning robot that doesn't need water.

The firm has produced the Wall Walker wall and ceiling robot, and recently unveiled a prototype solar panel cleaner built with researchers at Kagawa University.

It weighs about 24 pounds -- light enough to be carried by one person -- and measures about 22 inches across. … Read more

If you laid out all the electronics components you've ever owned on the floor, what would it look like?

Maybe something along the lines of Federico Uribe's "Tapete" (carpet). It's fashioned out of thousands of discarded computer and other electronics components.

The Miami-based conceptual artist uses objects from daily life in sculptures that evoke animals, plants, and human figures.

His work "Everybody Gets Screwed," for instance, features busts of people including Marylin Monroe made out of all manner of screws. … Read more

Tuk-tuks are a common way to get around in many Asian cities, but they contribute to urban pollution and high fuel costs.

Tokyo-based startup Terra Motors wants to put more non-polluting vehicles on the streets with an electric tuk-tuk unveiled this week for the Philippines.

The blue and white "e-tricycle" is powered by a lithium-ion battery and can carry six people including the driver. It's just under 11 feet long and is steered with handlebars.

It can travel some 31 miles per 2-hour charge, according to the firm, which is hoping to become the world's top electric tuk-tuk maker. … Read more

The Solar Impulse has defied all expectations in its short four-year life.

First, the solar-powered airplane got off the ground in 2010 and stayed aloft for a total of 87 minutes without using a drop of fuel; then, it completed its first international flight traveling from its home of Switzerland to Brussels in about 13 hours. By its first birthday, the plane met the goal of staying aloft for 24 hours -- flying at night with solar energy captured during the day. It has since completed a 1,550-mile journey from Madrid, Spain, to Rabat, Morocco.

Now, before it embarks … Read more