cement

The next Air Jordan 2011 sneaker drops in stores tomorrow, but Californians lucky enough to live near the Culver City Footaction store in the Westfield Mall, you'll have a chance to pick up the latest Skullcandy/Jordan Brand collaboration featuring the Jordan 2011 and the Air Jordan 3.

The pack isn't cheap, but it's definitely rare. Priced at $500 per pack, the headphones are based on Skullcandy's "Aviator" model with an exclusive alternating blue-and-red earcup colorway to match the sneakers' interchangeable "quick" and "explosive" insoles.

The package will include one pair of the new MJ signature shoes and a set of headphones, but the Culver City Footaction also pays tribute to the recently released Air Jordan 3 cement gray with an elephant-print headphone that goes with the pattern on the toe and heel rands of the shoe.

Both $500 sets will go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT, so get there early and get in line!

More images after the jump.… Read more

Nanoengineered cement beat out a handful of other technologies in this year's MIT Entrepreneurship Competition, earning its creators a $100,000 prize.

C-Crete Technologies, which created a new type of cement that cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions and yet is stronger than any current cement, took home the top prize Wednesday night from the awards ceremony on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Mass. A panel of judges composed of fellow entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and industry executives chose C-Crete as the winner based on the execution of its business plan and presentation.

"For many years, the world has … Read more

Engineers in England have come up with a product to save a few bob for those who work in semi-dangerous occupations--cement body armor.

The vests combine "super strong" cement with recycled carbon fiber, making the vests tough enough to withstand most bullet calibers, according to researchers at the University of Leeds' School of Civil Engineering.

Currently, top-of-the-line bulletproof vests are made with alumina plates--the raw material used to make aluminum--through a costly process called sintering, which involves heating the material for up to two weeks at 1600 degrees Celsius to harden it.

The cement vest, on the other hand, would offer a cost-effective level of protection for people in semi-risky occupations short of full-on combat.

"By using cement instead of alumina we are confident we can deliver a cost-effective level of protection for many people at risk," said research team leader Philip Purnell. "It should be good enough for people like security guards, reporters, and aid workers who are worried about the odd pot shot being taken at them." … Read more

Most efforts to "green" transportation focus on car technology, but roads can also be revamped to reduce carbon emissions. A national effort to improve millions of miles of highways and streets seeks to make asphalt more eco-friendly and less expensive.

The Asphalt Research Consortium aims to increase the use of recycled materials and improve energy efficiency of asphalt, which makes up more than 90 percent of U.S. roads.

"It has been a challenge to get the industry to look at this seriously just because our pavements have been performing relatively well and there have not been … Read more

CalStar Cement says it will tackle one of the unrecognized sources of greenhouse gases: cement.

The company, which is still operating in stealth mode, hopes to later this year unveil its plans for bringing a high-quality cement to market that requires far less energy to manufacture than the conventional stuff, according to sources close to the company. Consuming less energy directly results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

And cement takes a lot of energy. Making cement involves a mixture of burning limestone and clay together at very high temperatures ranging from 1,400 to 1,600 degrees Celsius. Many factories … Read more