Daily Tech News

A cheese-powered dragster designed by researchers at Utah State University (USU) set a new speed record for a vehicle of its type, reaching a shade over 65 mph (104 km/h) at the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association's 2012 World of Speed event in September. No prize Stilton was wasted in the pursuit of glory however, as the vehicle runs on yeast biodiesel derived from the industrial waste of cheese production. While reaching a top speed of 65.34 mph (105.16 km/h) may not seem very impressive compared to the capabilities of modern gas-guzzling sports cars, it was enough to snag the USU team and their “Aggie A-Salt Streamliner” dragster a new speed record for a one liter, two-cylinder engine car of its type. The achievement represents over a year’s work to both design the dragster from scratch, and produce suitable biofuel in large enough quantities.“Developing a biofuel on a large enough scale to run in the dragster was a tough undertaking,” explained USU biochemist Alex McCurdy...

Automakers have been toying with the idea of single passenger vehicles in an attempt to reduce emissions in urban centers, and Toyota's Coms is one such example. The company is showing off a new concept version based on this ultra-compact, single passenger electric vehicle dubbed the "Smart INSECT" at CEATEC JAPAN 2012 this week. Short for "information network social electric city transporter," it would connect the home, vehicle, and people in new ways through Toyota's cloud services. The Smart INSECT's cabin features flashy gull-wing doors, and incorporates new features like face and voice recognition. Motion sensors and cameras recognize pre-registered drivers as they approach, and will greet him or her with blinking lights, sounds, and messages from the instrument panel. It also anticipates the driver's intentions by tracking body movements, such as opening doors automatically when the driver reaches for them. The interior features a large di...

BRIGHT Products has created a new solar-powered lamp with the intended goal of bringing more light to developing nations. Not only that, the lamp can be used as a mobile phone charger through the built-in micro USB cord. The designers' main objective is to replace harmful kerosene lamps used for light in many developing nations. With that in mind, they designed the device to be versatile enough for all kinds of household uses. It can be used a hanging lamp, a portable flash light, and a desktop light. According to BRIGHT products, it will take eight to ten hours of sunlight for the device to receive a full charge. Once charged, the light can run for 50 hours on low, eight hours on medium, and four hours on high. Obviously, charging a cell phone through BRIGHT will decrease its operating time. The BRIGHT lamp has a bendable neck which allows it to be more versatile in the ways it's used, and it gives users the ability to make sure the solar panel is pointed di...