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Posted: 29 Aug 2007 10:39 AM CDT

Hey check this out! Two clever Canadian teen-scientists have built a bizarre, eco-friendly electric bike which runs on principals similar to those of the Segway -- but looks way cooler. The motorized prototype (called either the "Uno" or "Tango," depending on who you speak with), sports two wheels side-by-side, sort of like a double unicycle which the rider sits directly above.

The bike, based off of the frame design of a Yamaha R6 sport bike, can reach speeds of up to 40 MPH, and uses accelerometer technology to keep its balance. Inventors Ben Gulak and Jason Morrow say that the bike beats out the Segway in terms of speed, and delivers better maneuverability than Bombardier's Embrio unicycle concept. The whole package is surprisingly powered by amped-up wheelchair motors and 36-volt batteries. Next up, the young men plan to assemble a rag-tag band of colorful characters, get on their bikes, and ride into Neo-Tokyo during a riot. Move over Dean Kamen.

[via-engadet.com]

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Inventor of Segway Sets Sights On New Hybrid

Posted: 13 Aug 2007 09:54 AM CDT

Dean Kamen is possibly one of this Generations greatest inventors. With over 150 patents to his name and the creator of the Segway he has now set his sights on hybrid vehicles.

However, he isn't just replacing the fuel that cars will burn...he's replacing the internal combustion engine completely.

Kamen has spent over $40 million in the last decade developing stirling engines which convert heat directly into mechanical energy by use of an expanding and contracting gas inside a cylinder. His stirling engines are already being used in developing countries. There are a couple in India that can power an entire village by burning cow patties. But Kamen started to realize that stirling engines would never be economical until they were mass produced.

Which is when he met the CEO of the electric car company, THiNK, and decided that he'd found his method of mass production. He'd put a stirling engine inside an electric car, and use the engine to recharge the batteries along the road. The range of the electric car would thus be extended by hundreds of miles, and any fuel (gasoline, McDonald's grease, trash, cow poop) could be used to keep the batteries charged.

Kamen also mentions that the engines, once mass produced, could be used to economically feed power into the grid during peak demand as well as power off grid applications in remote or developing areas. As long as his engines are clean and efficient, and the fuel he uses to heat them carbon neutral, I really can't see a disadvantage here. But we're going to have to see some prototypes tested with some different fuels before we'll know whether this is just another awesome technology for a niche market (like both the segway and the insulin pump) or if he's really going to change the world this time.

[Via Green Wombat]

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TV Series 24 To Go Green For Season 7

Posted: 10 Aug 2007 10:39 PM CDT

Paging....Jack Bauer? Earlier this week, we were criticizing Fox News for their biased views that Global Warming doesn't Exist and then Fox goes and puts egg on our face!

But thats ok, because the producers of the popular Fox TV series 24 have decided that if their main character can save the world time and time again then why not have life imitate art and make the seventh season of 24 carbon neutral!

The show's plan is to reduce and offset the carbon emissions from production throughout all of Season Seven, capping off with an entirely carbon-neutral season finale, The Washington Post reports.

"24" is the first series to take part in Fox's "Cool Change" program, a company-wide initiative to reduce the network's impact on global warming.

It's time to get real for the show aired in "real time."Fox spokesman Chris Anderson wants it known that this is not meant to be a publicity stunt or a ratings booster.

"We are publicizing '24's' commitment to climate change for two reasons and two reasons only: to inspire the public to take global warming seriously and hopefully to motivate other studios to make changes to their production practices as well," he told The Washington Post.

Kiefer Sutherland and the rest of "24's" cast and crew will now work on soundstages powered by electricity, rather than diesel fuel. Production vehicles and generators will run on a planet-friendly biodiesel blend, and location scouts are even getting hybrid Toyota Prius cars to get around with.

Also gone are car-delivered paper scripts, schedules and memos -- they will now be sent via e-mail.

Sutherland's Jack Bauer has saved people from terrorists and weapons of mass destruction in past seasons, and he may do so again this time around -- but with climate change reportedly worked into the season's plot.

While that may not sound like the makings of an action-packed thrill ride to some, the report notes that the plotline "just might scare some viewers into taking action." A previous plotline with a setting in Africa was reportedly scrapped last month due to rising costs, and started over from scratch.

To further the Cool Change cause, Fox's Web site now offers energy conservation tips and a public service announcement about global warming featuring Sutherland.

Season seven of "24" debuts in January 2008, with the addition of actress Cherry Jones as the new U.S. President.

[via- Fox Broadcasting Corp]