Samsung Introduces Completely Solar-Powered, Transparent TV

At the CeBIT electronics show in Germany, Samsung unveiled their latest television prototype and it’s the coolest one yet.  The 46-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution LCD TV is fully solar-powered and transparent!

The prototype was designed to use only a tiny amount of energy and it gets all it needs from solar panels running off ambient light in the room — no need for back-up power sources.  The screen is also transparent, so while you’re seeing images on the screen, you’re also seeing whatever is behind it.  This means that it could be used in storefronts, as digital window blinds or even in car windshields.

In addtion to your favorite TV shows, it can also project photos or any other data and features ten-finger touchscreen technology.

Japanese Inventor Creates Machine that Converts Plastic Bags into Fuel

Written by Megan Treacy on 14/02/11

Plastic bags have been the enemy of environmentalists for pretty much as long as they have existed.  Not only are they made from oil, but they clog our landfills for hundreds of years.  Many cities, states and countries have banned plastic bags altogether, but for most of the world, they’ll be hanging around for a while longer.

In an attempt to deal with the millions and millions of plastic bags used every year, Japanese inventor Akinori Ito has created a machine that can turn plastic bags into fuel in a carbon negative process.  The machine, which is now being sold by the inventor’s Blest Corporation, heats the plastic and traps the vapors in a system of pipes, where the vapors are cooled and condensed into crude oil. The crude oil can be used in generators and even some stoves, but with one more refining step, it can be used in gasoline.

The very efficient machine can process two pounds of plastic (including polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene) into a quart of oil using only one kilowatt of electricity. (Continued…)