Happy 54th Birthday, Laser Beams

We imagine that on May 16th, 1960, when the first laser was fired, no-one involved was particularly concerned with the invention’s impact upon pop culture. After all, proving Albert Einstein’s 1917 theory about amplifying light by the stimulated emission of radiation was probably seen as a bigger deal back then. In the decade that followed, the technology was used to verify the veracity of the moon landings, remove a tumor from someone’s eye and threaten the survival of James Bond’s “gentleman’s area” for ever.

Nowadays, lasers are everywhere, from our optical mice and optical disc readers all the way through to industrial cutting machines, barcode scanners and on military vehicles. We decided, therefore, that to celebrate the 54th birthday of the simple, gentle laser, that we’d compile a few of our favorite moments from pop culture over the last half-century in tribute. And yes, if we miss your favorite, feel free to shout it out in the comments.

Filed under: Science

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Comcast has ‘no plans’ for internet caps despite testing them

Those statements that Comcast’s David Cohen made about possible nationwide data caps within the next five years? He’d like you to forget them, please. As he explains in follow-up statement, the company has “no plans to announce” such a policy. The company doesn’t want to implement plans that hurt your internet experience, he says, arguing that reports took what he said “out of context.” With that said, it’s clear that Cohen has a narrow definition of what a data cap is. He claims that the company has no caps whatsoever despite running trials where customers are charged extra for usage beyond a bandwidth limit — at last check, that’s still a cap.

The executive is quick to note that these trials aren’t necessarily a sign of things to come. If they are, however, you may have to pay extra to get unfettered service; Cohen notes that the company is “looking at” adding unlimited plans to the trials. It’s unclear just what those would entail, although the overage-based model from the trials suggests that you’d pay a premium over normal offerings. That’s in sharp contrast to Comcast’s acquisition target Time Warner Cable, which offers you a discount if you accept a cap. It’s entirely possible that Comcast will forego usage-based pricing, particularly if it wants to please regulators worried about attempts to stifle online video, but it’s obvious that the business model is at least under serious consideration.

[Image credit: Getty Images]

Filed under: Networking, Internet

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Source: Comcast

MIT harvests fog to make water in one of the driest places on Earth

The climate is so arid in some corners of the globe that virtually any source of water is crucial to survival; even the fog rolling over the hills could make a big difference. MIT is well aware of this, and has been testing an advanced form of fog harvesting in Chile’s Atacama Desert (one of the driest places on the planet) to see how the technology can help communities in very harsh regions. By taking inspiration from fog-collecting organisms like beetles and grass, researchers built large meshes that are 500 percent more efficient at turning fog into drinkable water than previous systems. In the Atacama experiment, they’re good enough to produce half a gallon of water a day for every 10 square feet of mesh. That’s not a lot, but it’s sufficient for watering gardens of edible plants like aloe vera.

This is just the start, too. In time, MIT hopes to boost efficiency to the point that a mesh can collect three gallons of water in the same surface area. More importantly, the technology is already cheap and easy to maintain. If the mesh technology reaches mass production, it could quickly improve the quality of life for some desert dwellers — they wouldn’t have to worry as much about basics like clean water and healthy crops.

Filed under: Science

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Via: Motherboard

Source: MIT

Let us fund your hardware dreams: Submit your project for the 2014 Insert Coin competition

It’s May 16, and you know what that means? You only have 133 days to submit your Insert Coin entries and get the chance to win some serious cash to fund that childhood dream or that brilliant idea you just know will be huge. We want to hear about that innovative creation — and we’d love if you can send it in before the submission deadline on September 26th.

Just like last year, the Judge’s Choice will get a $10,000 prize, while the Reader’s Choice will get $15,000. This time, though, we don’t only accept pre-crowdfunded projects: those currently being crowdfunded or in their post-crowdfunding stages are very much welcome, as well. Engadget editors will also review the winning products to drum up interest and hopefully help you reach your funding goal like DiWire Bender and Ziphius (our first ever Insert Coin winner!) did in 2013.

Before we crown those two projects that embody the innovation we’re looking for, however, we’re first choosing 10 that stand out the most among the crowd. If you end up as one of the 10 semi-finalists, we’re giving you Expand New York tickets, a $1,000 travel stipend, a space on the show floor and a chance to demo your invention in front of live and online audiences. Hopefully, you’ve got your stage fright under control by November to win both readers and judges over.

Now that we’ve got you pumped to share your brainchild with everyone, get that project ready for victory and head over to our submission page.

Filed under: Misc

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