James Dyson: Reinventing Britain

“James Dyson has made millions by allowing us to see the dirt we suck up. As he calls for more inventors, Lucy Siegle asks him about manufacturing abroad, design disasters and whether he could build a nuclear reactor”

read the full article here - James Dyson: Reinventing Britain | Technology | The Observer.

,,,”His enthusiasm and ability to humanise the workings of the materials and the structure is infectious (next day I find myself googling magnets to find out what they are actually made from). ..”

…..”Dyson does not have a problem speaking his mind, or indeed being heard, and he’s done a good job of keeping the topic of industrial design in the news. Take his recent suggestion that Chinese students were stealingintellectual property from UK universities, which caused a minor storm….”

…..”And when can we see your next invention, I ask. “When it’s ready!” And with that, Dyson’s chief engineer bounces off to the R&D laboratory.

Entries for the James Dyson Award are open until 2 August. To enter, visit jamesdysonaward.org“

plants could be the ultimate ‘green’ factories

…”Scientists from Dow AgroSciences and the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have reported engineering a plant that produces compounds that could potentially be used to make plastics.

In theory, plants could be the ultimate ‘green’ factories, engineered to pump out the kinds of raw materials now obtained from petroleum-based chemicals, according to the researchers. In reality, getting plants to accumulate high levels of thee desired products has proved elusive – until now.

“We’ve engineered a new metabolic pathway in plants for producing a kind of fatty acid that could be used as a source of precursors to chemical building blocks for making plastics such as polyethylene,” said Brookhaven biochemist John Shanklin, who led the research.”….

via Plastics & Rubber Weekly – News.

SmartFiber project will add intelligence to composites :: WTiN – Executive Intelligence from World Textile Information Network

SmartFiber project will add intelligence to composites
for ADA students Huddersfield , don’t forget you can get the full report and more via our electronic resource subscription to WTin via the library see http://library.hud.ac.uk/wiki/World_Text ile_Information_Network_(WTIN)

“By integrating micro-technologies, the SmartFiber project plans to demonstrate a smart system so small – on the milimetre scale – that it can be embedded into a fibre-reinforced polymer.”

 

 

Exhibition: EcoTopia | DeTnk

“Exhibition: EcoTopia15th March – 15th April ’10Nectar Design StudioLong Beach, California Opening this month in Long Beach California is a juried exhibition called ‘EcoTopia’, which highlights new concepts in green product design. The show was organized by the leading Southern California product design consultancy Nectar, to showcase innovative and trendsetting designs aimed at fostering a healthy ecosystem and more sustainable society.”

via Exhibition: EcoTopia | DeTnk.

Tactility Factory

Tactility Factory is an innovative company that mainstreams tactility in the built environment.

It does this through a range of innovative products and processes that can be used in a variety of contexts.

via Tactility Factory.

.. “the use of innovative and high tech technologies results in a materials of substance with unique antique qualities and high levels of visual and tactile qualities.”

What the Web of Tomorrow Will Look Like: 4 Big Trends to Watch

What the Web of Tomorrow Will Look Like: 4 Big Trends to Watch

The Social Analyst is a weekly column by Mashable Co-Editor Ben Parr, where he digs into social media trends and how they are affecting companies in the space.

“Did you know that it’s been nearly twenty years since the first website was placed online? Have you ever thought about how the Internet and the web have evolved in time?Ponder it: the Internet, a complex series of interconnected networks, protocols, servers, cables, and computers, has evolved from its early days as U.S. Department of Defense research project into the foundation for the World Wide Web, what we use today to interact with one another via browsers, email, Twitter, Skype, and millions of other online tools.As we approach the imminent launch of the Apple Tablet and analyze new trends coming out of out of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show our full coverage, now is good time to reflect on what the web will look like in the next decade — and beyond.I have four big predictions to share for what the web will look like in the near future. This is what I expect in the evolution of our online lives:”

1. The Web Will Be Accessible Anywhere

2. Web Access Will Not Focus Around the Computer

3. The Web Will Be Media-Centric

4. Social Media Will Be Its Largest Component

Read the rest of the story via What the Web of Tomorrow Will Look Like: 4 Big Trends to Watch.

Light Touch – instantly turns any flat surface into a touch screen

“Light Touch™ is an interactive projector that instantly transforms any flat surface into a touch screen. It frees multimedia content from the confines of the small screen, allowing users to interact with that content just as they do on their hand held devices – using multi-touch technology.”

via Light Touch – instantly turns any flat surface into a touch screen | Light Blue Optics.

CES 2010: Green Gadgets Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show! | Inhabitat

Inhabitat reports from the Consumer Electronics Show

“The 2010 edition of CES is in full effect in Las Vegas and with it all of the latest gadgets, gizmos and technologies ranging from automotive to internet and wireless. Walking the floor it was clear that green tech is definitely making its way into the mainstream consumer companies more and more. There is an entire pavilion here at CES dedicated to sustainable technologies and products, but peppered throughout the wireless world and innovation areas of the show green products and services were being demonstrated. Read on for some of the cool green tech that caught my eye on this first day of the show!”

via CES 2010: Green Gadgets Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show! | Inhabitat.

Top 7 Wearable Technology Concepts of 2009 (Vote for the Coolest!) | Ecouterre

Top 7 Wearable Technology Concepts of 2009 (Vote for the Coolest!) | Ecouterre.

“Personal Jetsons-esque jet packs not withstanding, you only need to take a gander at these brilliant examples of wearable technology for proof that the future has arrived. Although pie-in-the-sky concepts like kinetically powered music players and solar-powered beanies abounded this year, we teased out the best ideas that had working prototypes already in place. (Some, likeZegna’s solar-powered jacket and Sonic Fabric’s cassette-tape fedoras are even available for purchase.) Have an inkling of what the next big thing is likely to be? Cast your vote below!”

Natural Fibres ’09

Natural Fibres ’09

14 Dec 2009 – 16 Dec 2009, Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, London, UK

Materials for a Low Carbon Future

Organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

Natural Fibres ’09 is one of the final events of 2009, in the United Nation’s designated International Year of Natural Fibres.

This three day International Conference will celebrate and highlight the increasing use of natural fibres around the World, raise awareness of their diverse engineering properties and take an in-depth look at the research work that is being carried out to quantify and improve the properties of these environmentally sustainable materials in engineering and textile applications.

This event will offer an opportunity for natural fibre industries to come together to foster international partnership and increased understanding of the role that natural materials can and must play in ensuring a sustainable future.

via Natural Fibres ’09 | IOM3: The Global Network for Materials, Minerals & Mining Professionals.