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Mashable (Infographic) via Dvice

The most obvious criticism of solar energy is that it doesn’t work very well when the sun is down. The new Gemasolar heliostatic plant doesn’t have that problem, on account of a vat of molten salt that keeps it running through 15 hours of dark. via Gizmodo

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…a new analysis, by Jonathan Koomey of Stanford University and his colleagues, which seems to have uncovered a deeper law relating to the energy-efficiency of computers, dating back to the era of vacuum tubes. The researchers found that the electrical efficiency of computing has doubled every 1.6 years since the mid-1940s. “That means that for a fixed amount of computational power, the need for battery capacity will fall by half every 1.6 years,” observes Dr Koomey. Read More → "A deeper law than Moore’s?"

Sparkle Labs’ Discover Electronics Kit is back in the Maker Shed and better than ever. New components, documentation, and an accompanying online video course will have you making circuits, building projects and reading schematics in no time. Everything you need to make a light detector, led flasher, noise maker and more is right in the box (well, except 4 AA batteries.) When you finish the course, you’ll be able to upgrade your kit with … Read More → "New in the Maker Shed: Discover Electronics Kit Version 2"

Nao, the miniature humanoid robot favorite, has added yet another capability to its growing list of awesomeness. It hasn’t gotten better at recognizing objects and faces. Its language comprehension skills haven’t been refined. Nor has it learned any new dance moves or card games. The latest addition to Nao’s bag of tricks is more about maintenance than marvel. Aldebaran, the makers of Nao, have created NEST – Nao Energy STation – that the robot uses to charge itself. No longer will members of the Nao Developer Program keep having to check … Read More → "Nao robots can feed themselves by plugging into their NEST"

Cool! Voice Extruder makes a shape of your voice, then sends it to a 3D printer for output.

via Make Magazine

Our cloth covered extension cords are woven in Massachusetts using three copper wires, each stranded and covered in PVC insulation. The wires are twisted together, padded, and braided with a durable cotton weave. Cords are then assembled in New York using solid brass plug blades that are set in a rubber plug (which will resist chemicals and stay flexible in extremely low temperatures). Includes a Phillips combination slot mount with terminal screws which meets … Read More → "Cloth-covered extension cords by Best Made"

It is a two channel 100MHz digital scope with 500MSa/s real-time sampling rate. Saving waveforms to a USB flash drive is available, as well as interfacing with the computer over the USB port. The waveforms and menu are displayed over a 5.7″ LCD Screen. via Dangerous Prototypes

Continue reading</ … Read More → "Sparkfun has new oscilloscope"

Alexey Snezhko and Igor Aronson, physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, have coaxed “micro-robots” to do their bidding.

The robots, just half a millimeter wide, are composed of microparticles. Confined between two liquids, they assemble themselves into star shapes when an alternating magnetic field is applied. Snezhko and Aronson can control the robots’ movement and even make them pick up, transport and put down other non-magnetic particles—potentially enabling fabrication of precisely designed functional materials in ways not currently possible. via Read More → "Argonne scientists design self-assembling “micro-robots”"

Oracle founder Larry Ellison takes his boat racing very seriously. His team’s entry in last year’s America’s Cup, the USA-17, is actually capable of sailing faster than the prevailing wind. And not just by a little bit—2.5 times faster. via Gizmodo

Read More → "Larry Ellison’s sailboat is faster than the wind. Literally."