According to the WSJ, Iran has hacked US oil, gas and power companies. The hackers were able to gain access to control-system software "that could allow them to manipulate oil or gas pipelines". Basically, the hackers are far enough inside that people are starting to get worried. Read More >>
Featured comment by suicideneil:
"Meh, when Uncle Sam 'hacks' another countries oil & gas, it usually involves a few thousand troops, aircraft and armoured vehicles..." More »
They say this new kind of super-battery isn't safe yet. But we don't care. We'll sign the disclaimer. If we can have more capacity in a smaller space AND it recharges quicker, we can live with the small risk of fire and burns. Read More >>
The Hydrogen-powered future of gadgets is finally here with PowerTrekk, the first consumer hydrogen fuel cell. It promises to juice-up your gadgets simply with the power of water and H2, instantly, anywhere, any time. Too good to be true, or the best thing since USB? Read More >>
Featured comment by xanderhugh:
"Looks like a Borg Data Node.
http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/9646/10500173_3.jpg?v=8CE70FE16933990
Nice try borg, resistance is not futile." More »
Ah digital currency. It's all in our collective hive-mind right? Coming and going in bits and bytes. Nothing to see here. So why is a hacking process called "Bitcoin mining" using £95,000 worth of electricity a day? This had better be good. Read More >>
Unless you're completely killing your smartphone's battery on a daily basis, you don't need to haul around a massive backup battery. A single emergency charge is all most of us need for those days when we talk or stream more than we intended, which makes the Tarot's 1,500 mAh capacity the perfect balance of size vs. power. Read More >>
The first people to step on to the surface of Mars won't arrive aboard the chemical-fueled rockets that delivered Apollo 11 to the Moon — they simply don't provide enough thrust to get to the Red Planet before exposing their crews to months of dangerous space radiation. Instead, NASA is turning to long-ignored nuclear-thermal rocket technology to deliver the first Martian explorers into history. Read More >>
Featured comment by worldranger:
"p.s. if they had carried on, its likely we would of had the S.S. Botany Bay by the 90's - as Star Trek predicted - hopefully sans Eugenic Wars." More »
Opponents of windmills cite the dangers the spinning blades post to birds; the risk of damage due to storms, and the maintenance required to keep all those moving parts running smoothly. But what if a windmill lacked blades and didn't move at all? That's the idea behind the Delft University of Technology's EWICON which looks more like a modern piece of art more than an eco-friendly source of energy. Read More >>
Featured comment by Prozac:
"Well, its not like we've got options. That's the best current technology can do. If geothermal or solar were as effecient, we'd use those instead. Nat..." More »
While there's no doubt that the nuclear crisis in Fukushima back in 2011 could have been avoided, a recent discovery suggests that this week's extended blackout was entirely out of their of hands. Instead, the loss of power lies in the diabolical paws of a now deceased, foresight-lacking rat. Read More >>
Featured comment by spank86:
"I read this as the wiring being behind a console, so after it had left any ducting.
Of course that kinda makes it worse that they have rats there,
..." More »
The UK's future electricity needs will not be handled by solar panels and turbines alone. We've got a new nuclear power station on the way, thanks to the government approving plans to build a third generator at the Hinkley Point station. Read More >>
Featured comment by OhMyGodICantBelieveItsNotButter:
"The cost of maintaining the site is NOTHING compared to destroying the planet with fossil fuel burning.
It's like only eating McDonalds so you don'..." More »
It's not all Samsung versus Apple in the tedious world of the mobile tech patent. Nokia and HTC are one of the many groups of companies currently at each others' throats, with a recent German ruling finding in favour of Nokia's patents. Read More >>
The Shams Power Company opened its Shams 1 concentrated solar power station this week in Abu Dhabi. The station generates 100 MW and can power 20,000 homes while reducing CO2 emissions by 175,000 tonnes per year. Read More >>
Featured comment by warriorscot:
"They are a world leader. Oil companies that want to work in the area usually have to build a lot of infrastructure along with every project. The deser..." More »
When lightning flashes across the sky, you only get a chance to glimpse its fractal form for a split second. But when you send 15,000 volts coursing through plywood, you get a much better look at how it grows. Melanie Hoff, a student at the Pratt Institute in New York City did just that, and the result is a timelapse where you can see the patterns slowly grow out and smolder, like lightning made from molasses. [Vimeo Staff Picks] Read More >>
Sure, we're all pretty pleased with ourselves and the near-infinite number of electronic gadgets that we've got lying around our dwellings, but don't forget that we need to plug them in to the power supply to keep them running. Read More >>
Featured comment by professore:
"Most of the Asian producers of 13 amp "wall-warts" have not bothered to follow the standard plug-spec. so have the cable exiting by the earth prong.
..." More »
Don't be so smug the next time you walk away from a trade show with a mountain of free flash drives. They require electricity too, and with this simple USB power monitor you can calculate just how much those supposedly 'free' giveaways are contributing to your monthly power bill. Read More >>
If your bedside table has become an unmanageable menagerie of phones, tablets, and other devices charging overnight, Griffin wants to bring order to your chaos of cables. The company's new PowerDock 5 charging station has a footprint no larger than an iPad, but can accomodate up to five tablets, or a mix of devices, and charge them all from a single power outlet. Read More >>
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