What do you buy for the person who has everything? They have their sports car, they have their speedboat. But do they have everything in one?

Last year Rinspeed Designs introduced their newest vehicle, called the Splash. The name is appropriate since that’s exactly what this vehicle does. Hydrofoil technology allows the sports car to convert into a water vehicle at the push of the button.

It goes something like this: a panel on the back of the car flips up to reveal the vehicle’s propellers. The hydraulic system lifts the front of the car to turn it into a speedboat. The hydrofoils can even be used to lift the entire car slightly off the water!

The Splash’s speed isn’t striking on either terrain. It can reach 125 mph on the road and 45 knots (52 mph) on the water. But how many vehicles do you know that are able to quote both these statistics?

See the Rinspeed Splash cross the English Channel.

The more we know about chemistry, nuclear physics, and health care, the more it seems like we are threatened by unseen sources: radon from the ground and lead in paint and plastics are just a couple examples.

But scientific advances also reassure us as we come up with more devices to help us combat these unseen foes. An example is the new small, portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer, or XRF device. This tabletop device uses x-rays to probe objects for any of the highlighted elements in the photo shown above. This includes potentially toxic chemicals like lead.

The California Department of Toxin Control recently put on a demonstration of the devices. So far, they have been used to find lead and other toxins in consumer products like toys and shopping bags.

Read more at CNet.com.

The answer is, of course, no. You can buy solar panels in all sorts of sizes, ranging from a square foot or less to an entire yard-size. Of course, if you want to get all of your home power from solar energy, you’ll have to invest in a large span of panels. But if you’re looking for a smaller, cheaper place to begin your relationship with the sun, why not start by powering your personal electronics?

Several companies now offer solar power packs that are small, attractive, and portable. They’re meant for powering devices like CD and MP3 players, speakers, and cell phones. While prices can range up into the hundreds for elaborate systems, some companies like Solar Style offer small packs for as little as $27.99.

Portable solar power packs from Solar Style

How do they do it? We start with the most essential item: the photovoltaic cells that capture energy from the sun. In fact, the sun isn’t even necessary; light from any source can be converted into usable energy. Of course, the more intense the light, the more energy you will store.

The next step is to store the energy. Solar packs have an on-board battery that acts as your savings account for the energy you collect. Leave your power pack collecting light whenever you can, and save the energy for later. (But don’t turn on a houselight specifically to shine on the pack – that’s just being silly!)

Now, the only remaining step is getting that power to your electronic devices. All you need for this is the right connector. Most purchase options include some connectors for cell phones and music players. If your device has an unusual power connector, you may have to buy one separately. The point is, you can power any device this way, as long as you have the connector.

At these prices, there is no reason not to purchase a solar power pack. The devices are small and convenient, and can eliminate the need for an outlet – thus allowing us to truly enter the wireless age. In addition to convenience, these gadgets are green. Instead of using expensive electricity from the power grid, which increases carbon emissions and dependence on foreign oil, you can tap into a free, renewable energy source that already surrounds you.

Check out the websites of Solar Dyne, Radio Labs, and Solar Style for more on their products.

This incredible fire physics simulation are made by Ron Fedkiw from Stanford Computer science department and some of his colleges. This are only simulations but with this resarches made by Ron Fedkiw we can be sure that one day we will see this simulations in real time on videogames… the thing is, when? who knows…

The Perendev magnet motor is claimed to be driven soley by permanent magnets in a particular configuration that includes proper shielding or directing of the magnetic field. The output claimed for the scalable device’s present configuration is 20 kW, attached to a generator. Perendev claims that the unit has been tested in independent laboratories and that no diminution of magnet strength is observed over time.

Although the technology has been developed only recently, [...] Philips Research has made immense progress in fully integrating Lumalive fabrics into garments demonstrated by the jackets worn by Philips’ hostesses at the show. These first-generation jackets are ready for commercialization by companies partnering with Philips Research, particularly those in the promotional industry looking for a new, high-impact medium.

The floating square is pyrolytic graphite, which is extremely diamagnetic. [...] In effect it is a single crystal of graphite, and because the resulting graphite is very highly ordered, pyrolytic graphite is extremely diamagnetic. Also the density of pyrolytic graphite is fairly low. The combination of these two factors – the low density and the strong diamagnetic effect – makes this amazing demonstration possible.

With further improvements since they submitted their new report, the NIST researchers have made a clock that’s about 10 times as precise as the world’s cesium standard, Bergquist says. According to NIST figures, the cesium standard would be off by no more than 1 second in 70 million years of continuous operation.