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JAXA Kizuna Broadband Satellite
By sway Posted on 10.24.2008 CommentsKizuna, launched by the Japanese space agency JAXA in February, will deliver to remote areas of Japan and Southeast Asia the fastest satellite Internet connections ever—up to 1.2 gigabits per second, or 500 times the average American consumer connection. Unlike previous satellites, Kizuna is powerful enough to supply industrial-speed signals to small, inexpensive antennas on the ground. Another first: It tracks the weather and adjusts signal strength for specific regions accordingly; for example, it will send a stronger signal to an area where it’s raining in order to penetrate the storm.
Serious Materials EcoRock
By sway Posted on 10.23.2008 CommentsDrywall, plasterboard, wallboard—whatever you call it, the substance that covers billions of square feet of American homes hasn’t changed since its invention in 1917. Dry- wall factories still roast ground-up gypsum rock in 500°F kilns, spewing out 20 billion pounds of greenhouse gases a year. So Serious Materials created EcoRock: a drywall that congeals without heat, uses recycled materials that don’t require mining, and holds up even better.
Enphase Energy Micro-inverter System
By sway Posted on 10.27.2008 CommentsEnphase Energy reaps 5 to 25 percent more power from solar roofs by placing a small inverter—which changes DC current to AC—under each panel. Most systems use one big inverter, which requires a wiring setup that limits each panel’s output to that of the worst performer. To shrink inverters, Enphase replaced some analog parts with digital ones. From $200; enphaseenergy.com
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December 2009: Best of What's New
In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.
Check out the best of what's new here.
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