Links from the Gregg Zone

1) Starting off the week with some encouraging news in the solar field. Seems a new solar power plant entered the grid in Southern California. The only thermal solar plant in the U.S. it is only able to handle about 4,000 homes at the moment, but it is easily expandable. The thermal solar concept is pretty interesting in that it does not require solar cells, rather uses tracking mirrors to concentrate heat. The other advantage to what they are doing is by making everything factory produced bolt together modules; they keep coast down, but can act quickly. http://www.esolar.com/
2) Now here is some news that may make everything obsolete, how about nuclear batteries. The size of a penny last hundreds of years, and millions of times stronger than conventional batteries, sounds too good to be true somehow. But, in the “what if” game, it would make a nice car, not needing fuel for a hundred years or so. A forever lap top, survival flash light on steroids, or how about my whole house. Got to be a catch, check it out here http://hardware.slashdot.org

3) Here is a new prototype sent to me by Wills, how about a roll up computer. That’s right the entire computer, monitor, keyboard; everything rolls up into something that looks like a mailing tube with a shoulder strap. Got to wonder where all of this is heading, R&D must be incredibly frustrating these days; your idea is obsolete before you start drawing. Anyway check it out thanks Wills. http://tech.msn.com/
4) One of the things they have trouble with when it comes to nano-scale designs is power. How do you get mechanical power to an incredibly small machine? Well it seems they may have had another of those breakthroughs. A big wow for me, just trying to understand the scale they are dealing with. The smallest possible motor and be able to demonstrate it can do useful work, consisting of only two atoms, circulating around in a round lattice of laser light. My dick Tracy watch, and transporter must be right around the corner. http://blogs.zdnet.com
5) For a geek link, how about using computers to amplify and demonstrate ESP. This is really pretty weird they have used three computers, and the internet to communicate using only the power of thought. Very basic but who knows where this may lead, to me this is right out of a sci-fi novel. The implications of just what this means is amazing. Granted I have put up a lot of links that probably were the ground work for this, at least on the sending end, the receiving end is a little more muddled. Anyway check it out there is even a video. http://blogs.zdnet.com