Ready to have your mind blown? What if 250 DVDs could fit onto a storage module no larger than a quarter? According to research conducted by brilliant geeks at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it’s all within the realm of feasibility. Reportedly, an easily implemented technique “in which nanoscale elements precisely assemble themselves over large surfaces” could soon blow open the doors to significant improvements in data storage capacity. Without getting too Ph.D on you, the process essentially works by taking advantage of just how precise molecules can self-assemble. The end result has researchers achieving “defect-free arrays of nanoscopic elements with feature sizes as small as 3 nanometers, translating into densities of 10 terabits per square inch.” Per square inch , son. [Via TheStandard , thanks Apoc] Filed under: Storage Self-assembling nanoscale discovery could catapult data storage capacity originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

NASA commissioned a study on the feasibility of using little smallish tractor bots to prep a lunar outpost before the humans show up, and the research seems to show it as a good idea. The theoretical plan is for 330 pound mower-sized bots to show up on the moon and prep the surface for actual buildings, landing sites, roads and so forth. The robots are basically glorified tractors (or perhaps simplified tractors) so lunarnauts shouldn’t expect a palace by the time they show up — just a bunch of displaced dirt. Berms seem to be a big theme of construction, since a sort of “blast shield” is needed to make sure debris from takeoff and landing don’t damage the actual settlement. [Via ComputerWorld ; warning: PDF read link] Gallery: NASA ruminating a robot-built lunar outpost to make way for manned missions Filed under: Robots NASA ruminating a robot-built lunar outpost to make way for manned missions originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

When you name a custom built vehicle Eleanor, it better be good. It better be really good. But in fairness, the machine concocted by MIT ’s Solar Electric Vehicle Team is actually one of the more stellar creations we’ve seen on wheels. The newest iteration is a touch taller than prior versions and should be more comfortable to operate. Additionally, designers managed to increase the frontal area by 30 percent, all while keeping the drag area exactly the same. The juice comes from six square meters of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, and reportedly, the car can run all day long (providing the sun shines brightly the entire time) at a steady speed of 55 miles per hour. Eleanor will be competing later this year in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, and in preparation, the team is hoping to drive it across America this summer. So yeah, if you’ve ever wanted a summer to try hitchhiking, this would be it. [Via Wired ] Filed under: Storage MIT team develops solar car, bodly calls it Eleanor originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

We’ll just go ahead and warn you — don’t even think of giving the read link any attention if you’re both a) a Lego freak and b) strapped for cash. Otherwise, you’ll definitely be $169.99 further away from paying the light bill next month, as the limited edition Mindstorms Black NXT Brick is simply a must-have item for even amateur collectors. The device, which was created to celebrate ten years of Mindstorms , boasts four input ports, a trio of output ports for motors, a large dot-matrix display, USB 2.0, Bluetooth, a 32-bit microprocessor and a digital wire interface for third-party developments. We’d get in line now if you want to be assured of a piece come March 3rd, but that’s totally your call. [Via GoRobotics ] Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Limited edition Lego Mindstorms NXT brings back a decade of memories originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Not that we haven’t seen cooking robots before , but there’s just something distinctly awesome about one that whips up a sandwich. Particularly one that kvetches first, and then gives in and makes a sandwich. Bre Pettis’ Sudo robot isn’t exactly sophisticated — anything more than a simple grilled cheese is asking a bit much — but even that should be plenty for the average college student. Check the read link to see it in action, and don’t be surprised to see Subway pick this up and tweak it for use with multiple toppings and condiments. [Via Digg ] Filed under: Robots Sudo robot begrudgingly makes sandwiches on command originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Well, here’s a novel concept. Rather than bothering with turning up the volume on your ancient television, just crank up the volume on this here remote . Asahi Electric’s block-shaped remote is about as unergonomic as it gets, and it sure won’t bring along any advanced functionality, but we suppose that’s sort of the point. The 30mm speaker connects to a wireless transceiver in order to blast out the audio, and while most everything else is lost in translation, do you really need to understand any more? [Via OhGizmo ] Filed under: Home Entertainment Curious ELPA remote sports built-in speaker originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

President Obama’s proposed 2010 budget goes where no Bush has gone before by including significant spending for scientific agencies, including NASA, the EPA, and Department of Energy, on top of the stimulus package. NASA will get $700 million from the budget, which isn’t all that much, but combined with the $1 billion from the stimulus bill, they’re still getting a substantial increase on last year’s operating budget of $18 billion. Interestingly, the budget stipulates that NASA will need to retire its three space shuttles by 2010, with a push for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle proposed by Obama’s predecessor, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. The Environmental Protection Agency will bump their budget up 35% to $10.5 billion with the $2.7 billion increase, in addition to the $7 billion they’ll receive from the retooled stimulus package. The National Science Foundation, which handles all non-medical science and engineering research, landed an 8.5% bump, which along with their stimulus cash money will give them an operating budget of $10 billion. On a different note, Obama plans to increase the spectrum license fees for wireless provides from $50 million to $200 million, a huge increase. We’re not really sure why; there’s not a ton of money to be made on this kind of tax and there’s no obvious symbolic reason to up the fees. We’re just hoping the carriers don’t pass the costs on to the consumer. [ Wired ]