Water

Currently, your iPod might have your favorite songs personalized the way you like them and your laptop might be customized with your own homepage material. But what about your shower or bath? Do they know what you like? An easy-to-use interface for your bathroom is now available from Moen that gives you the ability to set and maintain water temperature, levels and flow with electronic precision – even remotely. The ioDIGITAL is available for three Moen products: the vertical spa, shower and Roman tub.  Read More

Have you ever wanted to create your own little planet? Do you like aquatic life, but think that aquariums are too much work? If your answer to either of those two questions is Yes, then you might quite enjoy owning a miniature closed aquatic ecosystem. All you need is a credit card, or a clear glass jar, some stuff from a pond, and an appreciation for things that exist on a small scale. The result will be a self-sustained miniature world that doesn’t need feeding, filtration, or anything other than light, from the outside world.  Read More

Waterproof cases for cameras are not a particularly new idea but a new range of waterproof bags from Korean company Dicapac, may make you look twice. The covers are suitable for most portable electronic equipment, including your digital camera, camcorder, cell phone and MP3 player. They are transparent, flexible and some covers are waterproof up to 33ft (10 meters). Many also contain a UV coated optical lens – made from the same plastic material as aircraft windows – making them durable, scratch resistant and super clear. The good news? Unlike some other waterproof cases, they are surprisingly affordable. So you can stop worrying about water damage from splashing, rain or snow and focus on taking the perfect photograph.  Read More

Recently we reported on Marines and their deployment of GREENS solar-power for technological devices on the battlefield. World Water and Solar Technologies (WWST) has also placed solar-powered water purification units throughout the world including war-torn Darfur, Sudan. Working with the Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG), two high-volume Mobile Max Pure (MMP) water filters have been installed that use the sun for their power. Placed in a carefully selected location where it could do the most good, each unit can generate up to 3.5kW of solar electric power and provide 30,000 gallons of clean drinking water for the many thousands of displaced civilians.  Read More

Already regarded as a “wonder fabric” for its lightness, softness, warmth even when wet, and other qualities, scientists from China say they have been able to improve on the natural properties of wool. They say their discovery could give wool a “brain,” placing it among other “smart” fabrics that shake off wrinkles, shrinkage and “breathe” to release perspiration.  Read More

Casting one’s eye into a crystal ball is a risky undertaking that can leave the forecaster as visionary or fool – particularly if they are short term predictions that can easily be checked. But that hasn’t deterred the soothsayers at IBM coming up with their fourth annual “Next 5 in 5” list of innovations that will impact our lives in the next five years. Based on market and societal trends as well as emerging technologies, the latest list focuses on innovations that have the potential to change how people live, work and play in our burgeoning cities.  Read More

The principle of harnessing osmosis has the potential to produce enormous amounts of energy anywhere that salt water and fresh water meet. We looked at some of the approaches to turning this theory into reality earlier this year, including Statkraft's plans to build a prototype power plant. The company's plans are now coming to fruition with Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway officially opening the world's first osmotic power plant prototype on November 24.  Read More

Could it be that Mars - the dry, red planet - once had an ocean so huge it covered around one-third of its surface … and that rain created it? New research by scientists from Northern Illinois University (NIU) and the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston would indicate that could be the case. Using an innovative computer program to produce a highly detailed global map of the valley networks on Mars, their findings indicate the networks are more than twice as extensive (2.3 times longer in total length) as had been previously shown in the only other planet-wide map of the valleys. These valley networks roughly form a belt around the planet between the equator and mid-southern latitudes, which would indicate the presence of a long-gone ocean.  Read More

The ocean is a potentially vast source of electric power, yet wave-energy systems are rare as they generally offer limited efficiency, must withstand battering storms, and need to be tethered to the sea floor. But by applying the principles that keep airplanes aloft, a team of aerospace engineers is creating a new wave energy system that is durable, extremely efficient, and can be placed anywhere on the ocean, regardless of depth.  Read More