Big time (video)

Credit: Time magazine

It's one metre long, just 4 mm thick & weighs less than 1.8 kilogrammes.

An ultra-energy-efficient E Ink* display means it runs for approximately one year on a single button battery.

Self leveling magnetic wall mount.

Tells the time.

And looks fabulous doing it.

The catch? $499.



http://techland.time.com/2014/01/08/like-your-e-reader-but-for-telling-time-heres-an-enormous-e-ink-clock/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fnerd_world+%28TIME%3A+Techland%29

http://www.twelve24clocks.com/
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* Spellings found with a brief search included E-Ink, e-Ink, & E ink. I settled on the one used first in this article, as it's the one used by the E Ink company on their Web page at eink.com. In the interests of confusion, their company logo looks like "Eink".

And the "E"?

Stands for "electrophoretic"./ display time clock ink timepiece time piece time keeping timekeeping set button magnet magnetic bracket self levelling /

Bubble rings

Credit: http://www.bubblerings.com

People do it


Dolphins do it


How you can do it


How it works
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_ring / vortex bubble bubble ring toroidal bubble underwater vortex ring air bubble occupies core of the vortex forming a ring shape ring of air nearby water spins poloidally travels through water spin rotate fast faster bubble ring spins stable bubble ring smoke ring vortex ring physics active study fluid dynamics devices invented generate bubble vortex rings bubblering /

Vitamin D — more important than we thought

Vitamin D — traditionally, it has been associated with the body's use of calcium. Deficiency has been associated with rickets. More recent research is showing that deficiency can increase the risk of such such a diverse range of maladies as diabetes, dementia, schizophrenia & falls in the elderly.

In some ways, the ability of the skin to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight provides a simple solution. Except, sunlight exposure carries with it elevated risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen provides a level of protection against sunburn & skin cancer, but also prevents production of vitamin D. Dark skin is protective against skin cancer, but also reduces vitamin D production. At high latitudes, a dark skin may make it difficult or impossible to get enough sunlight exposure.

In the light of the above, dietary sources & supplements become more attractive. Relatively few foods contain vitamin D, but fatty fish (such as salmon & tuna) & fish liver oils are among the best sources. Lesser sources are beef liver, cheese, & egg yolks.

Low vitamin D linked to diabetes
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1511-low-vitamin-d-linked-to-diabetes.html#.U-cJ1NB_W2c

Lack of vitamin D more than doubles risk of dementia
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26022-lack-of-vitamin-d-more-than-doubles-risk-of-dementia.html#.U-cLO9B_W2c

Elderly falls linked to vitamin D deficiency
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4433-elderly-falls-linked-to-vitamin-deficiency.html#.U-cL_tB_W2c

Vitamin D deficiency & increased risk of schizophrenia
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279915.php / children childhood diet lacking in vitamin D develop type 1 diabetes Finland Finnish researchers supplements disease type 1 diabetes autoimmune disease immune system cells insulin producing cells pancreas populations children Asian descent UK deficient in vitamin D childhood obesity infection enterovirus childhood obesity vitamin D elderly people increased risk dementia Alzheimer's disease study investigate links vitamin D deficiency dementia, risk dementia Alzheimer's disease David Llewellyn University of Exeter Medical School UK lowest levels vitamin D higher risk chances developing schizophrenia sunny born new research theory vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy lack of sunlight alter development child's brain womb data link schizophrenia vitamin D deficiency common epidemiological trends develop schizophrenia Europe North America born spring four times more likely to be born to Afro-Caribbean immigrants sunlight make vitamin D dark darker skin pale paler skinned people John McGrath Queensland Centre for Schizophrenia Research Wacol lack of vitamin D during early development schizophrenia /

Tesla trumps Toyota: Why hydrogen can’t compete with pure EVs

Miles per gallon & CO2 reduction.
Credit: Clean Technica/Business Spectator

Short version:
● tall bars are good
● short bars are bad
● bars extending below zero are worse
● among the fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), only the Toyota 2015 FCV outperforms a Toyota Prius
● all FCVs are inferior to all battery electric vehicles

Long version:
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2014/8/8/smart-energy/tesla-trumps-toyota-why-hydrogen-cant-compete-pure-evs?utm_source=exact&utm_medium=email&utm_content=853446&utm_campaign=cs_daily&modapt= / Toyota Tesla hydrogen RAV4 partnership electric vehicle company Tesla back Prius fuel cell cars hydrogen petrol gasoline mass-market mass market vehicle electricity ubiquitous parked park green electricity far cheaper petrol gasoline hydrogen green hydrogen nonexistent expensive green hydrogen petrol gasoline hydrogen fuel cell alternative vehicle Energy Department Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy transportation fuel cell vehicle FCV boost funding FCV research key technologies climate change science technology hydrogen cars President Obama Energy Secretary Chu Hydrogen fuel cell cars dead end technological practical climate perspective problems FCV global warming greenhouse gas emissions global warming climate change hydrogen produced natural gas methane CH4 hydrogen renewable resources carbon-free electricity expensive wasteful valuable resource state-of-the-art gas steam reforming process Ford Motor company fuel cell vehicle FCVs hydrogen reformed from natural gas significant environmental well-to-wheels basis GHG emissions natural gas reformation process Julian Cox CleanTechnica well-to-wheels WTW life-cycle GHG emissions FCV EV green Californian Energy Commission hydrogen infrastructure budget Climate Progress /

Connect 2 Android devices together for file & battery sharing

Credit: Allputer/The Gadgeteer

You probably know about USB On The Go (USB OTG). It's a standard that allows a USB mobile device to act as a USB host. Practical result: you can connect a USB flash drive, digital camera, USB keyboard etc. to your phone.

But there's another twist: the cable at the top of the article can connected two OTG devices for file & battery sharing.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2014/08/07/connect-2-android-devices-together-for-file-sharing-and-battery-sharing/ / USB OTG On The Go Android users OTG accessories devices On The Go USB On-The-Go USB OTG specification devices digital audio players cell mobile phones host USB flash drive digital camera mouse keyboard USB OTG roles host client device cell mobile phone read removable media host device USB Mass Storage Device connect connected host computer connect mice keyboards flash drives Android smartphone tablet micro USB connector device cable Allputer cables connect two Android devices together file sharing even battery sharing /

Rendezvous in space — Rosetta & the comet

Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko as seen from the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft
Credit: European Space Agency/Twitter

As Douglas Adams wisely wrote, "... you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space ..."¹

Case in point: the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft. After 10 years & 3.7 billion miles (6 billion kilometres), it has finally caught up to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenk. Rosetta is now in orbit around the comet, & the pair continue to orbit the Sun at 34,000 miles per hour (54,700 kph, 9.4 miles per second, 15.2 km per second).

Further study will include an attempted landing on the surface of the asteroid in November, by a robotic probe named Philae. If you are thinking that part will be easy, think again. There are still many unknowns. One member of the European Space Agency's team recently pointed out that the hardness of the asteroid is, "... somewhere between cement & candyfloss."

http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroids-meteors-meteorites/rosetta-probe-makes-historic-comet-rendezvous-140806.htm

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21611028-european-space-probe-has-just-arrived-its-destination-rosettas-stone
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¹ Douglas Adams: “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”, Chapter 8, 1979

/ space probe Rosetta historic rendezvous comet 10 year 3.7 billion mile chase Solar System European Space Agency ESA comet Rosetta's flight operations manager Sylvain Lodiot mission control Darmstadt Germany spacecraft orbit around a comet wanderer Solar System primeval dust ice may how the planets formed comet encounters November robotic robot scientific lab laboratory Philae surface first ever landing comet Rosetta's rendezvous Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 400 million km from Earth signals received ground stations ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain design build launch three-tonne craft tiny target deep space unique mission scientific goal origins understand our future Rosetta mission world science space community Jean-Yves Le Gall president France's National Centre for Space Research (CNES), a major contributor to the project two lobes joined by a neck pucked impact marks first clear views comet project scientist Matt Taylor double lobed structure built from two separate comets that came together in the Solar System's history, or is it one comet that has eroded dramatically asymmetrically launched March 2004 four flybys Mars Earth gravitational force slingshot build up speed catch up 31-month hibernation light from the distant Sun solar panels wake-up call from Earth complex series maneuvers slow down walking speed relative to the comet /

NASA is building a robotic service station for earth-orbiting satellites

Credit: NASA/Mashable

To remain in orbit, a satellite needs to make periodic corrections to its position. Maneuvering requires fuel. Ultimately, a satellite comes to the end of its service life when it runs out of fuel for maneuvering. At that point, the accounting department instantly depreciates that verrry expensive satellite to zero. NASA is developing a robotic refueling system to extend the service life of satellites.

http://mashable.com/2014/08/05/robotic-gas-stations-in-space/ / NASA robotic gas station space interstellar starships refuel rockets outer solar system service satellites orbiting Earth satellites orbit circle Earth transmitting GPS navigation signals weather forecasts television shows fuel to maneuver orbit refuel aging machines satellites more years of service break down retired NASA's Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office Goddard Space Flight Center Maryland Kennedy Space Center Florida refuel satellites solution refueling robotically new technology NASA hopes add precious years functional life satellites expand options operators unexpected emergencies tougher economic demands aging fleets NASA Bob Granath robotic technology fueling NASA fix malfunctioning satellites build entirely new structures outer space Goddard Kennedy preparing spacecraft launch loading propellant excess Space Shuttle Program hardware development costs robotics remote-control capability test remote robot operator valve simulated satellite nitrogen tetroxide spacecraft, flowed smoothly Remote Robotic Oxidizer Transfer Test RROxiTT robot servicing satellites transfer oxidizer satellite refueling Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility space junk refueling costly launches geosynchronous orbit commercial communication satellites refuel repair satellites GEO geosynchronous Earth orbit more sustainable mitigate orbital debris problems NASA's Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office /