A round-up of the latest technology news from around the globe.
2-SECOND HOGEL: University of Arizona are creating moving holograms. An array of cameras records an image from different perspectives. Those images are encoded and sent, perhaps over the Internet, to laser beams. The lasers write holographic pixels, or hogels, every 2 seconds to a photorefractive polymer. This definitely needs fast broadband. More at UANews and video on YouTube.
SOLAR PHARMA: GlaxoSmithKline's distribution centre in York, will hold the largest rooftop solar array in North America and reduce their annual CO2 emissions by 2,700 tonnes. Almost 3 hectares, 11,000 panels, of solar cells will produce 3,400,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year. Big business, big energy. More at Inhabitat.
HOUSE OF CHALK: European scientists are exploring whether bubbles of fatty oil suspended in an aqueous solution, or protocells, can be used to grow the walls of a house. Protocell limestone walls would be like coral, capturing CO2 as they build up. They'd have to be prefab - growing on-site would take way too long. More at DiscoveryNews.
MORE D TV: After HD comes UD: Ultra Definition. Samsung is busy designing a 70 inch 240Hz 3DTV, using 3840 x 2160 pixels on oxide semi-conductor technology. The refresh rate will soon increase to 480Hz. Oh yeah, those cooking shows are going to look so good! More at 2DayBlog.
DON SHOOT: Just outside Moscow is the DON-2N pyramid. It's no Egyptian tomb, but rather a missile defense system that can detect orbiting objects down to 5cm in size. It's the most precise orbital tracking system in the world, in control of 68 short-range Gazelle interceptor missiles. Precise tracking is fine, but is the targeting equally precise? Details at Gizmodo.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz
