Tag: naked

Tesla unveils its solar roof and Powerwall 2

At Universal Studios in Los Angeles Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off the company’s solar roof-top panels and new Energy initiative. It also showed off its new $5, 500 Powerwall 2 high-capacity residential batteries and Powerpack 2 for businesses. Musk and company have been teasing the photovoltaic cell-embedded rooftop panels for a few weeks . It’s also using the announcement of the new product as an explanation for why its acquiring Solar City. Musk said that if the merger doesn’t go through, the launch of the new tiles will be difficult. During the event, Musk sort of talked about the price of the panels. He said that when a house has these the “installed cost is less than a normal roof and the cost of electricity.” But there was no concrete pricing announced. The event was held on a Hollywood backlot where Solar City and Tesla had installed non-operating solar panels onto the houses you might recognize for the TV show, Desperate Housewives . The houses didn’t attract any attention before the event because they appeared so normal. He also showed off a house with a Tuscan style glass tiles that to the naked eye, you would be hard-pressed to notice that the roof was actually sucking up the energy of the sun. “People love their homes and we want them to be better, ” Musk said. Of course the entire equation requires batteries for a home to keep it lit up when the sun goes down. Tesla says the new Powerwall 2 will power a four bedroom house with lights, refrigerator and other appliances for an entire day. Musk said that they expect to start installing the glass tiles in summer 2017 and for the roofs to last a very very long time. “We expect this to have two or three times the longevity of asphalt. It’s really never going to wear out. It’s got a quasi-infinite lifetime. It’s made of quartz, ” he said. Tesla and Solar City are working with 3M on the coating on the glass tiles. Tesla has just come off an impressive quarter where it posted a profit for the first time in two years . It also announced earlier this month that all vehicles produced going forward would have the hardware capable of full autonomous driving . Developing. Source: Tesla

Excerpt from:
Tesla unveils its solar roof and Powerwall 2

Orbital’s Antares launches cool science experiments to space

NASA and Orbital ATK had to put off Antares’ comeback until the next day due to a glitch, but everything went well the second try. The rocket finally blasted off to space carrying a Cygnus spacecraft with supplies for the ISS, as well as a bunch of cool scientific experiments . One of its science payloads is the Saffire 2, the follow-up to the largest fire experiment conducted outside our planet. Saffire 2 will burn nine samples made of various materials aboard the Cygnus as it makes its way back to Earth. That will allow scientists to compare their flammability in microgravity to their flammability on the ground. The data they collect could help keep future spacefarers safe when they embark on long-duration missions. Another one will investigate the “cool flames” phenomenon, wherein some fuels burn intensely at first then suddenly appear to go out. In truth, they’re still burning — we just can’t see the flames with the naked eye. By looking closely into cool flames, NASA will be able to create more efficient engines and eco-friendly fuels. Cygnus is also carrying a new lighting system designed to help astronauts maintain their biological clock and to help them be alert at all times. There’s a Fast Neutron Spectrometer aboard, as well, which will collect data on high-energy neutrons, part of the radiation astronauts’ bodies experience. The spacecraft will reach the ISS on October 23rd and will be coming back in late November, so we’ll have to wait till then to hear about Saffire 2’s results. Source: NASA

Read the original post:
Orbital’s Antares launches cool science experiments to space

Xiaomi will let you replace the brains in its new smart TV

Xiaomi is more than just a phone manufacturer — it makes almost every kind of consumer electronics now, including TVs , wearables and GoPro-style action cameras . Today, the company is expanding its living room lineup with a 60-inch 4K TV , which measures 11.6mm at its thinnest point and costs only RMB 4, 999 (roughly $786). That’s a lot of display for your money, although it’s not quite as sleek as the $645 Mi TV 2S Xiaomi announced in July. Plenty of dongles and set-top boxes can transform your old TV into a “smart” one — but what if you could do away with them entirely, and get the same features out of a TV speaker instead? That’s the idea behind Xiaomi’s “Mi TV Bar, ” anyway. To the naked eye it looks like a classic soundbar, but inside there’s a MStar 6A928 processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 8GB of flash storage. Once connected through the Mi Port — which also carries power — you’ll gain access to MIUI TV, Xiaomi’s Android-based smart TV platform. It’s designed to work in conjunction with the Mi TV 3, although you can also buy it separately and hook it up to any TV, monitor or projector. According to Xiaomi, a TV’s motherboard usually accounts for 20 percent of its overall cost — and it’s also a part that customers have to replace every 18 months. By taking the related components out and putting them in a separate device, Xiaomi hopes they’ll be easier to upgrade and replace — meaning you, the consumer, can just focus on buying (and keeping) a stellar display. It’s the same argument behind modern TV set-top boxes, although here you’re also getting a beefy speaker thrown in too. It’ll set you back RMB 999 ($157) on its own — for comparison, the new Apple TV costs $149 in the US, while Amazon’s 4K Fire TV is up for $100. These devices are meant for China, however, and we don’t expect either of them to be sold in the US or Europe anytime soon. Xiaomi might have online accessory stores for both of these markets, but it’s a long way off selling all of its electronic wares to the world. Source: Xiaomi

View original post here:
Xiaomi will let you replace the brains in its new smart TV

GTA V PC Runs Pretty Well In Ultra HD, If You’ve Got The Hardware

Having played Grand Theft Auto V on the Xbox 360 and again on the Xbox One, I didn;t grab a copy of the PC version for the story or the multiplayer—I got it for those sweet 3840 x 2160 ultra HD graphics. So far I’m very pleased. Read more…

See original article:
GTA V PC Runs Pretty Well In Ultra HD, If You’ve Got The Hardware

19 Things I’m Dying to Carbonate With SodaStream’s Magical New Machine

Being able to carbonate water in your own home is awesome. Not being able to inject the same magic bubbles into every other liquid you can get your hands on? That’s a drag. But no longer! The SodaStream Mix is a new machine that can bubblify anything . Are you quaking with glee yet? I know I am. Read more…

More here:
19 Things I’m Dying to Carbonate With SodaStream’s Magical New Machine

The Foods That Cool Your Mouth After Eating Something Spicy

So you misjudged that curry and now your mouth is on fire—what to do? You probably know that milk will stop the burning, but you have other options too. This infographic makes a handy guide. Read more…

See the article here:
The Foods That Cool Your Mouth After Eating Something Spicy

Make Your Mac Feel Like New Again With a Fresh Install of OS X

Remember that zippy performance and warm feeling you got when you booted up your Mac for the first time? Seems a long time ago, doesn’t it? Thankfully, getting everything wiped and back to its original state isn’t too complicated or painful a procedure any more. Here’s how to go about it in the latest Mac OS X. Read more…

Read More:
Make Your Mac Feel Like New Again With a Fresh Install of OS X

Some Very Patient Genius Soldered a Digital Clock From 1,916 Components

You would need a microscope to be able to see all of the miniature components etched onto the single tiny microchip powering the clock in a digital watch. But you can see them all with the naked eye on artist Gislain Benoit’s The Clock , which is made from 1, 916 hand-soldered components that end up weighing a hefty 14 pounds. Read more…

More:
Some Very Patient Genius Soldered a Digital Clock From 1,916 Components