Visionary Tony Fadell who, back in the day, was in charge of the iPod at Apple *just* launched a brand new product called Nest, the world’s first Learning Thermostat.
Nest learns from your temperature adjustments, programs itself to keep you comfortable, and guides you to energy savings. You can control the thermostat from anywhere using a smartphone, tablet or laptop, and Nest never stops learning, even as your life and the seasons change.
‘SmartBird was inspired by the herring gull, Larus argentatus. It’s a bit larger than this gull species, with a two-metre wingspan and a carbon-fiber “skeleton” that weighs 450 grams (a bit more than one pound). Like live birds, SmartBird’s “torso” can flex, providing directional control. But unlike live birds, SmartBird’s movements can be radio-controlled and monitored from afar.’
‘The focus of this research is to learn how to maximise energy-efficiency and conservation of resources.’
“We learned from the birds how to move the wings, but also the need to be very energy efficient”, says Mr Fischer, Festo’s head of Corporate Design.
‘SmartBird technology is providing key innovations and fresh insights that can optimise hybrid drive technology. For example, the minimal use of materials and its extremely lightweight construction are already improving efficiency in resource and energy consumption.’
Alzheimer’s Society iPhone app Brain Map has been developed so that everyone can learn more about the brain and dementia. You can snap a photo of your friend’s brain and then rotate our 3D model to examine the different parts of the brain and find out what each bit does.
What does the cerebellum control? Why is the brain stem so important? Just what is the limbic system? Find out the answers to all these questions and more by downloading our free Brain Map iPhone app.
Mobile network O2 has released figures today for carbon efficiency across its business.
According to figures released by the company, in the last two years it has cut carbon emissions by nearly 30,000 tonnes CO2.
The government has announced £2.5 million in new funding to support the development of a national network of environmental training courses, to tackle the emerging shortfall in skilled workers capable of installing renewable energy technologies such as solar panels. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has announced that it will invest the money over the next three years in a new environmental technologies National Skills Academy. Read more of this post
