Green Tech

'Rushing fireball' could turn carbon dioxide into biofuel

Scientists cite as a major driver of climate change the large amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere that's created by the burning of fossil fuels. They spend day after day trying to figure out a way to generate power for the world's populations, but at the same time leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Now, researchers at the University of Georgia say they've hit upon a way to take the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and turn it into useable industrial products. The impact of such a discovery is potentially huge.

The goal is to remove the CO2 directly from the air and turn it into biofuel -- not only helping power the world, but hopefully taking down global temperatures at the same time.

The researchers essentially have created a microorganism that acts like a plant that removes the carbon dioxide from the air and turns it into something we can use. During photosynthesis, plants utilize sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air to create their food source. This would behave in a similar fashion. … Read more

Tesla's Elon Musk tweets about big announcement for Thursday

In a tweet mentioning @TeslaMotors, Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised a big announcement on Thursday, and wrote, "Am going to put my money where my mouth is in v major way."

A Tesla spokeswoman told CNET that the company is still working out the place and timing of the announcement. However, she said that Tesla will not be at the New York auto show, which is holding a press preview on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

After the tweet was posted, Tesla's shares jumped 4.23 percent.

Musk's second sentence in the tweet suggests he … Read more

Tesla delays Model X one year

Last year, Tesla introduced the Model X crossover electric vehicle at its Los Angeles design center, and said it would begin production of the vehicle in late 2013. That production date has been revised, according to Tesla's shareholder annual report, to late 2014.

The report says that Tesla reached its steady state rate of production for 20,000 Model S sedans per year last December. The Model S is built at Tesla's Fremont manufacturing plant.

A Tesla spokesperson told CNET last December that there is a nine-month waiting period for current Model S orders. Tesla's goal is … Read more

Mu aims to offer thermal imaging cam for cheap

When you own an older home, it's common for aging insulation, warped windowsills, and other pesky problems to let the cool or hot air out and drive the energy bill up. To help homeowners locate these weak spots (and for many other uses), Mu Optics created a low-cost thermal imaging camera that allows users to see the world according to temperature -- anywhere in the range of -86 to 285 degrees Fahrenheit.

The thermal imaging device features USB charging and battery life of more than 3 hours (an hour for video recording). The optics offer 160x120 resolution -- which may sound very small, but most thermal cameras deliver a similar view -- for pictures and video up to 30 frames per second.

Five live viewing modes enable the owner to see things such as temperature information for a specific area, a thermal and regular camera view blend, and other combinations. Check out some of the neat thermal videos produced by the camera on Vimeo.… Read more

Light it up: Epic LED show to wrap SF Bay Bridge in swirls and stars

With the flip of a switch Tuesday night, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, already known as one of the world's most amazing bridges, will undergo an epic transformation.

Starting tomorrow evening, anyone looking at the San Francisco side of the Bay Bridge at night will be wowed by the ever-changing swirls, bursts, star fields, and other patterns of the Bay Lights Project, the world's largest LED art installation.

Created by artist Leo Villareal, the project features 25,000 1-inch LEDs strung for 1.8 miles along the bridge's cables that together make up the pixels on what … Read more

Kick a Soccket soccer ball, power an LED lamp

Portable generators just got a lot more fun with the introduction of the Soccket, an energy-harnessing soccer ball raising funds on Kickstarter. Kick the ball around, play, and have a good time. When you're done, connect an LED lamp into a port built into the ball, and light up your night.

Playing with the Soccket for 30 minutes can power an LED lamp for 3 hours. For those of us fortunate enough to have reliable electrical grids, the Soccket isn't the most necessary object in the world. For people in developing countries without many lighting options, however, it could be a fun and functional option for providing light for working or doing homework in the evening.… Read more

3D-printed car saves money, energy

It wasn't long ago when 3D printing was a really cool concept we liked to daydream about. Now, it's gearing up to change our lives. We've seen 3D-printed buildings, portraits, organs, prosthetics, food, couture, a moon base, and even a pen for all your creative and repair needs. What's missing?

3D-printed transport, of course.

That, however, could change if engineer Jim Kor has his way. Heading up the team behind 3D-printed electric car Urbee, Kor has more than 35 years of experience in designing automotive, bus, rail, agricultural and heavy mobile equipment, as well as civil … Read more

This sheet turns your windows into mirrors

One feature on the beleaguered Boeing 787 Dreamliner is its electrochromic dimming system that lets passengers make windows on the aircraft more or less opaque at the touch of a button.

Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) says that while these smart windows can take about 30 seconds to change, it has a new stick-on window film that can go from reflective to see-through in only 5 seconds.

The switchable mirror device can change states when a low voltage is applied. … Read more

Tesla, the Times, and how to drive an electric car

This week's Tesla versus The New York Times flap came to a climax yesterday when Tesla released the logs it promised on its Web site, and the newspaper responded with a point-by-point refutation.

Tesla's post says that New York Times environmental reporter John Broder misrepresented the Model S' performance. Broder argues that he was simply following advice from Tesla personnel during the drive.

The original New York Times story painted the Model S with a negative brush, but as I wrote Wednesday, a close reading of the article shows that the Model S operated exactly as you'd … Read more

Tesla releases logs on disputed NYT car review

Tesla, the electric car maker, has made good on its promise of releasing logs connected to the contested New York Times' review of its Model S.

In the review, published Sunday, the Times' John Broder criticized the Model S for range issues and for problems in low-temperature environments. Tesla's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, has wasted no time trying to discredit the review, claiming that Broder's account of what happened was not factual.

Here's a brief list of issues Musk gleaned from the logs:

Despite Broder saying that he called a flatbed truck after the Model S … Read more