Back To The Future: Mercedes-Benz Creates Bizarre Concept Car That Looks Like a 19th Century

It bears more than a passing resemblance to an old-fashioned carriage, but Mercedes-Benz claims this roadster could be the car of the future.
Built by 150 trainees, the car combines traditional design features with the latest technology.

Mercedes-Benz


So while it has large spoked wheels that hark back to the first Benz Motor Car of 1886, it is powered by a hybrid drive system using an emission-free fuel cell.
It can reach a top speed of 15.5miles an hour and has a range of 220miles.
The students from Daimler AG have worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the F-CELL Roadster for a year. The project was createdto train the junior employees in alternative drive systems.

The car has a top speed of 15.5miles an hour

The car is operated by a joystick and powered by an electric motor

They included carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and a distinctively styled fiberglass front section, inspired by Formula One racing cars.
The roadster is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of a conventional steering wheel.
'I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project,' Labor Relations Manager Günther Fleig said.

The Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster has similar spoked wheels to the first Benz Motor Car.

SunRed Solar-Powered Motorcycle: Best Innovative Technology

One look at these photos and you know this motorcycle is in the concept stage as I cannot remember seeing any of these on the road.
This is the SunRed solar-powered motorcycle that won the Best Innovative Technology award at the Barcelona Int’l Auto Show, this does look pretty cool and anything that is good to the environment and can be classed as gadget or latest technology is good in my books.

The clamshell looking motorcycle is built that way to optimize the panel’s surface and to make the vehicle not too bulky. The SunRed solar-powered motorcycle is not moving it can store energy for up to 20km (13 miles) and travel at around 50km/h (30 mph).
Most modern electric bikes are designed in the same way as the motor on this solar-powered motorcycle; it is placed right in the axle of the wheel and brushless.
Now we got to remember this vehicle designed by SunRed is just a concept, but the company hopes that this will become a benchmark for future developments of solar applications in different vehicles.

AntWorks - Ant Farm by NASA

Actually NASA only came up with the concept of AntWorks, developed so it could test the development of animal life in a 0 gravity environment. The prototype was created back in 2003 but these days you can buy your very-own AntWorks ant farm directly from the shop for about $40. This small ant habitat is filled with a special gel containing all the nutrients the ants need to survive so you don’t have to feed them, ever. Just sit back and enjoy watching the world’s strongest creatures (they are able to carry 10-20 time their own weight) at work. All yo have to do is lift the lid of the AntWorks colony so air can get in.

Crazy Auto

New Ferrari Zobin Concept

The Zobin Concept is a design study of a single-seater aerodynamic sportscar inspired by Ferrari Formula 1 cars. The author is Iranian engineer Siamak Ruhi Dehkordi.

The Zobin design study by Iranian engineer Siamak Ruhi Dehkordi is an aerodynamic single seater with compact dimensions (4,114mm long and 1,855 mm wide).

Rocket Car Spotted in LA

Here’s the rocket car spotted in LA! Actually it looks more like something that “vibrates”….

This looks to be Baron Margo’s latest ride - a Chitty- Chitty- Bang- Bang-esque rocket pod with dualie rear wheels, a propellerized tail and more hand-polished aluminum-and-Bakelite controls knobs than Chuck George Barris could dream up on a meth-and-steampunk bender.

Cool Home Theaters

Home cinema, also called home theater, are entertainment systems that seek to reproduce movie theater quality video and audio in a private home. The most basic system could be a DVD player, a standard CRT television, and a "home theater in a box", a 2.1 speaker system with left and right speakers and a small 8" subwoofer cabinet. An expensive home cinema set-up might include a High-Definition video format such as Blu-ray, a 60" High-Definition Television with a "cinema-style" 16:9 format, a several thousand-watt home theatre receiver with five to seven surround sound speakers, and a powered subwoofer with a 12" (or more) driver. The most expensive home theater set-ups, which can cost over $100,000 US, have digital projectors, expensive screens, and custom-built screening rooms which include cinema-style chairs and Audiophile-grade sound equipment.

Google Street View Accidents

Check out some of the stranger wrecks captured by the Google Street View team.

How Gold Bars are Made

Historically, gold holds its value and is the experts’ pick for diversifying your portfolio and potentially increasing its performance. In fact, gold has increased in value over 150% since 2001. As opposed to equities, which can go from very high levels down to zero in a very short time, gold is never going to zero. When other markets collapse, gold has historically seen huge increases in value as people make a quick flight to quality. Gold investing allows individuals to accumulate assets that protect their wealth.

Light painting WiFi

This project explores the invisible terrain of WiFi networks in urban spaces by light painting signal strength in long-exposure photographs. A four-metre tall measuring rod with 80 points of light reveals cross-sections through WiFi networks using a photographic technique called light-painting.

Spacewalk: The Blue Sky Underfoot

Space shuttle "Discovery" last call on the International Space Station and its astronauts have carried out several spacewalks.We offer you the most exciting pictures of spacewalks made ​​during the last mission.

WALL-E PC Casemod That Can Actually Move Around

German tinkerer Thechoozen from Cologne built this incredible-looking WALL-E robot that has a mini PC inside. That’s not all. The whole thing was made out of sheet metal and also has an RC unit so that this case can actually move around, and he has a pair of webcams hidden behind his eyeballs to capture a 3D POV image wherever WALL-E roams.

The perfect gaming computer at the right price: How to find the parts

It can be difficult to find a computer that meets all your gaming needs. Gaming technology is constantly improving and systems can go from state-of-the-art to obsolete in a couple of years. Buying a computer presents a hassle as well. So many components determine the quality of a gaming system, how do you decide which computer to purchase without comparing every piece of hardware?
The answer is simple — decide your computer’s components for yourself and build your own gaming rig.
Building a computer is much simpler than it sounds. You need only to find the ideal components for your rig and assemble them.
Shopping for computer parts might seem intimidating, but it can be worth it. More than that, buying your own parts individually can help you save money.
The internal components you will need for your computer are a motherboard, CPU processor, hard drive, memory, graphics card and sound card. You will also need a case, monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers.
You will want your motherboard and case to be compatible. Some motherboards are reduced in size to fit smaller cases. Once you’ve chosen a motherboard, you will want to choose the right CPU chip. For gaming purposes, you want to decide what your priorities are. Do you intend to overclock? Do you want to be able to play the most graphically advanced games for years to come, or just run your current library at decent speeds? Either way, multi-core processors are the way to go.
When choosing a hard drive, don’t skimp on space. Purchase at least 400 GB of space. You might also want to invest in a smaller SSD drive to use as a boot drive, while keeping most of your data on a separate hard drive.
If you are “future-proofing” your computer, you might want to go with a fast quad-core CPU. Dual-core processors, however, can handle most games at a significantly reduced price. A computer with a 3.2 GHz Dual-Core processor, for example, can run most games at advanced graphics settings with a good graphics card.
Selecting your graphics card can also be tricky at first. Remember one thing - graphics card companies release new products every year at high prices. That reduces the prices of their previous lines, which are still capable of running games. Older cards, such as the later cards in Nvidia’s 8 and 9 series, are capable of running most games and can be found at very affordable prices. For future proofing purposes, shell out a bit more money, research the latest lines of graphics cards and buy last year’s releases. They will last you quite a long time.
Choosing RAM is less tricky. Again, if you wish to overclock, make sure you choose a brand designed to do so. Otherwise, peruse customer reviews and find a reliable brand that fits your budget. You will want at least 4 GB of RAM to ensure a quality gaming experience. The more the better.
Sound cards are not a major point of concern, for the most part. Anything that fits your motherboard can work, unless you are going for a home theater experience. This is up to you. If you wish to cut costs, an inexpensive sound card can cost about $30 and give you all the sound you’ll need.
Avoid expensive cases. A good, spacious case shouldn’t cost more than $100.
All told, a quality gaming rig should not cost you more than $1,200 to $1,400. Because individual parts are cheaper when purchased separately, building your own rig will cost you less. You will also get the satisfaction of running all the latest games on your computer and admiring your own handiwork. It’s a win-win situation.

Computer optimization for the home worker: How SSD and DRAM can help

Sometimes it is necessary to work from home. Whether you can’t make it to the office once in a while or you’re self-employed and running a business from your living room, it can be hugely helpful to have your home computer optimized for work.
No matter what your job is, it is easy to tailor your computer to meet your needs. DRAM and solid state drives can provide the boost you need to ensure an optimal working experience on your personal computer.
The easiest way to optimize your computer’s performance is to increase its speed. There are a number of ways to do this, but for most work-related needs, none are as effective as increasing your PC’s memory. If your computer is running to slowly for you to work efficiently, purchasing a new stick of DRAM or two might be the remedy you’re looking for.
DRAM is not a specialized form of memory. “All PCs use DRAM for their main system memory,” said PCGuide.com. “The reason that DRAMs are used [instead of other forms of memory] is simple — they are much cheaper and take up much less space.”
Your computer can probably hold more DRAM than it currently possesses, especially if you purchased it pre-assembled. A quick check of your computer’s DirectX Diagnostic Tool will tell you how much memory you have. If you have Windows XP, click the start button, press run, and type “dxdiag” into the box that appears. If you run Vista or Windows 7, simply type “dixdiag” into the default search box.
The amount of memory you need will depend on your job. If your job requires a lot of writing and little use of high-end applications, less DRAM will be necessary; 1 GB or so should do the job. If you are a graphic designer, animator, or any other occupation that requires use of memory-hogging applications, you will want plenty of DRAM to ensure that your computer can keep up with your creative requirements. In this case, 4 GB of DRAM - about the minimum required for a decent gaming rig — is recommended.
Thankfully, DRAM upgrades are not particularly expensive. Some 4GB DRAM upgrades cost as little as $45-$50. Once you have installed your new DRAM, you will immediately notice improvements in performance. Your computer will start faster and applications will run with new-found speed.
SSDs can also help your computer’s performance. While SSDs tend to have lower storage capacities than hard disk drives, their increased speeds can provide a wide range of benefits for home workers.
Upgrading to a lower-capacity, faster SSD might be a wise choice for those whose work is done primarily on document applications. You can easily augment your computer’s storage by using cloud-based services, such as Google Docs. This way, you can reap the benefits of SSDs without compromising your storage abilities.
SSDs will dramatically improve your computer’s startup speeds. Additionally, applications will launch faster, because your computer loads them automatically, rather than waiting to load them from a spinning disk.
Additionally, you also have the option of using an SSD as a boot drive. By transferring your computer’s startup applications to an SSD, you can improve your computer’s startup speeds while still keeping your files on a higher-capacity HDD. This is an ideal solution for those whose work involves saving large files but who hate waiting for their application-laden computers to start up.
With a few easy changes and upgrades to SSD and DRAM, you can make your home work experience better than ever. Before long, you might turn your small home business into a booming enterprise, all thanks to a faster computer.

DRAM can extend the life of your family computer

The average family computer has multiple users, myriad programs installed on it, relatively basic hardware and enough content on the hard drive to slow it down to a crawl.
There are many ways to improve the system's performance by organizing and managing files better, but anything short of a hardware upgrade is unlikely to pay dividends on a device used by so many people. Instead, consider upgrading your system's RAM, a simple and relatively inexpensive solution that requires minimal technical knowledge and can have a major impact on the system's performance.
In many ways, RAM is the most important computer component. While the processor is critical for analyzing data, and the hard drive is necessary to maintain data over an extended period, the RAM essentially acts as a bridge between all of the devices by storing data for a short period of time, allowing everything else to function at maximum capacity.
When the computer is in operation, commands to run a program, open a file or surf the web are all stored within the RAM. Furthermore, the necessary data to maintain the various tasks at hand is also kept in the RAM, where it can be stored while the processor, graphics card and other devices analyze it. As a result, family computers and other devices with a number of users often hog a significant amount of RAM because so many programs run simultaneously on the device. This brings performance down to a crawl because small amounts of RAM can struggle to efficiently contain all of the short-term data running on the machine.
By upgrading the system's RAM, you can equip your computer with the necessary tools to perform well when the system has a variety of applications, internet tabs and other items operating simultaneously. Since the upgraded memory can handle the various system tasks more easily, the other components within the device are also able to work at a higher capacity. Therefore, the relatively inexpensive RAM upgrade can improve the entire system.
When choosing new RAM for your computer, there are a few key considerations that you should keep in mind - your operating system and the type of computer you have.
Operating systems can have a significant impact on your computer's RAM needs because each OS will demand a certain portion of the system's memory. Windows XP, which is now more than 10 years old but is still popular, uses a very small amount of RAM during operation. As a result, an XP system may be capable of running well with 1GB of RAM or less, depending on the applications used. Windows Vista, on the other hand, quickly became notorious as a system hog because is uses a substantial amount of RAM, and will often demand more than 2GB of system memory to run effectively. Windows 7 provides a significant improvement over Vista, but because it is newer and is frequently used on machines running high-performance applications, 2GB of RAM is typically the norm.
The type of computer you have is another important attribute that impacts what kind of RAM you should use. Manufacturers use a variety of technologies that impact the variety of RAM you need to purchase in order for it to work effectively in your system. The key attributes that will tell you if RAM works in your system are its types, DDR1, 2 or 3, and the number of pins in the RAM socket, with 240-PIN RAM being the most common.

Build your computer around DDR3 RAM

DDR3 RAM is one of the fastest mainstream memory types currently on the market. While DDR2 RAM can often get the job done on most desktops, a system builder hoping to create a high-performance or long-lasting rig would do well to consider DDR3 RAM because it offers fast timings and significant power potential.
DDR3 RAM typically comes in a number of packages, with the first number representing the number of memory sticks in the bundle, and the second declaring the power of each stick. Typical bundles include 1X2 GB, 2X2 GB and 3X2 GB. DDR3 speeds range as high as 2,500 Mhz, but 1,333, 1,600 and 1,860 Mhz models are also popular and quite fast. In comparison, the fastest DDR2 memory sticks max out at around 1,200 Mhz.
All of this power, however, can be nullified if the system surrounding your RAM is inferior or incapable of handling high speeds. The motherboard and processor are especially important when choosing RAM.
The motherboard is probably the most difficult to match with your RAM. Each motherboard is only capable of working with RAM of certain varieties and at certain speeds. For example, a motherboard may only support DDR2 RAM with speeds as high as 1,066 Mhz. Likewise, a motherboard supporting DDR3 Memory may max out at 1,333 Mhz. This does not always mean that DDR3 memory with timings faster than 1,333 Mhz will not work with that motherboard. Instead, the RAM will not get enough voltage to run at 1,333 Mhz, and may default to slower timings.
One way to overcome this barrier is to consider overclocking. Experienced system builders will often take components and manually adjust the maximum voltages that can be sent into them from the power supply. This can be risky because it negates the system's inherent safeguards, but it can also boost performance. In many cases, experienced overclockers can provide a significant upgrade to a component without risking stability.
Another important consideration when choosing a motherboard for your DDR3 RAM should be the number of and types of memory slots. Almost all DDR3 RAM uses a 240 PIN connection to plug into the memory slot. As a result, you should ensure the motherboard's memory slots are 240 PIN.
The other key issue when considering your motherboard is the number of memory slots. Most motherboards designed to support DDR 3 memory will come with three or more memory slots. With three plugs, a set of 3X2 GB RAM will fill all three slots and provide 6 GB of memory. Typically, 6 GB will be enough to run most high-performance applications and games without a hitch. However, if your motherboard only has three slots and you want to add RAM in a year or two, you are stuck. It is important to not only consider what you want now, but also consider what you may want in the future when matching RAM with the motherboard.
Choosing a processor to match your DDR3 RAM is a bit simpler than getting the right motherboard. In most cases, the processor really does not matter much in terms of communicating with the RAM. However, it is worth noting because choosing a motherboard that supports DDR3 RAM will often limit your processor selection. This occurs because DDR3 RAM is typically considered a performance component, and is therefore supported by high-performance motherboards. As a result, high-end processors, such as an Intel Core or AMD Phenom, are often necessary to match your DDR3 memory.

If your system is a Mac ...

Open the Apple menu and then select About This Mac.
Select More Info ...
Select Hardware overview. Here, the System Profile screen opens, showing the Hardware Overview.
Select Current memory information
In the Contents section on the left side of the screen, click Memory. The Memory Slot information appears, showing your current memory configuration. This information helps you determine which slots are filled with which type of memory, and how many slots are still available to install new Crucial memory

If your system is a Windows-based PC ...

Start your computer and locate the My Computer icon.
Right-click the My Computer icon, and select Properties from the menu that appears.
Look under the General tab where it gives you information about the size of the hard drive and what operating system you use to find the amount of RAM in megabytes (MB) or Gigabytes (GB).

The BIOS

As we mentioned earlier, the computer knows what to do by taking instructions from programs stored in RAM. The main instructions come from a program called the operating system, and those instructions direct traffic for other programs called applications.
When the computer is turned off, all the instructions copied into the RAM are gone. When the system is turned on again, it needs to go out to the disk, get the operating system and load it into RAM, but there are no instructions in the RAM to tell it how to do this. The solution to this problem is a set of instructions that stay in memory and don’t get lost when the computer is turned off.
This set of instructions is called the BIOS, for Basic Input Output System. Since the instructions don’t need to change, they can be stored in a different kind of chip than we use for RAM. It’s called ROM, for Read Only Memory. We say that the instructions in the BIOS are hard-wired, and instead of software they are calledfirmware.
The computer goes through a process called booting up when it is first turned on. This involves executing the BIOS instructions, loading the operating system from disk into RAM, and then turning control of the computer over to the operating system after everything checks out OK. The term refers to somebody pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps (without outside help, in other words). Any computer term that includes ‘boot’ will have something to do with this start-up process.

CMOS and RTC

There is other start-up information that normally stays the same but that we might want to change once in a while. This includes info about the various pieces of hardware connected to the system, which disk drive to check first for the operating system and that sort of thing. This data can’t be stored on the hard drive because we need it to boot up. It can’t be stored in RAM because it will be lost at power-off, and it can’t be stored in the BIOS because we might need to change it.
The problem is solved by a type of RAM chip that uses very low power, and it is connected to a battery. This type of low-power memory chip is called CMOS. It stands for the type of technology used in the chip, which is Complementary MetalOxideSubstrate. This is probably more than you need to know, but I’m a fanatic about defining things. By the way, since batteries don’t last forever, if you leave your computer unplugged for about 5 years you’ll find it needs a bit of trickery to get it to boot again, because the CMOS information will be gone.
There is another feature in the computer that has the same requirements as CMOS, and that is the date and time function. This obviously needs to change very minute, but we don’t want to lose track when the computer is turned off. The circuitry for this is called the RTC or Real Time Clock, and for convenience it is usually included in the same chip with the CMOS. A little trickle of juice from the CMOS battery keeps the clock running, and when you turn the computer on again it knows exactly what time and day it is. Convenient, isn’t it?

More About Video

The monitor is a passive device that just displays the video output from the system. However, so much data is needed for the constantly changing screen display that special provisions are made for it.
The video card (or video circuitry on the motherboard) has its own RAM memory just to hold the display information, and its own ROM BIOS to control the output. Some motherboards even have a special high-speed connection between the CPU and the video. It’s called the AGP, or Accelerated Graphics Port.
The important numbers in evaluating a video display are how many distinct colors can be displayed and also the resolution, which is how many pixels the image contains across and from top to bottom. Each dot of color making up the image is one pixel. As video technology evolved there have been a number of standards, and each one has its own set of initials like EGA, CGA or VGA. A common one isSVGA, which stands for SuperVideo Graphics Array and has a resolution of 800x600 (that’s 800 pixels across and 600 down). Some high-performance monitors use SXGA (1280x1024) or even UXGA with a resolution of 1600x1200.

More About Memory

led modules that plug into the motherboard. This makes it very convenient to add more memory by plugging in another module. Older computers used a SIMM, which stands for Single Inline MemoryModule, and later ones use a DIMM or Dual InlineMemory Module. The difference is that DIMMs have different signals on each side of the module connector, and the additional signals allow more memory addresses and more data lines going in and out.
The amount of memory is always is some multiple of two bytes. The most common values are 32, 64, 128, 256 or 512 megabytes.
As it is used by the system, RAM is divided into base memory and extended memory.Base memory is the first megabyte, andextended memory is everything over that. The very first PCs had only base memory, and then a scheme was developed calledexpanded memory that tricked the computer into allowing more than 1 MB of memory. Once extended memory was developed though, expanded memory quickly became obsolete and will only be found in older computers.
Another memory term you will encounter iscachememory. This refers to memory that is not on DIMMs but is either built into the CPU or connected directly to the motherboard near the CPU. It provides even faster access than RAM for the data that the CPU expects to need next. The contents of the cache will change constantly depending on what the CPU is doing

Computer program

A computer program (also a software program, or just a program) is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task for a computer.A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute the instructions. The same program in its human-readable source code form, from which executable programs are derived (e.g., compiled), enables a programmer to study and develop its algorithms.
Computer source code is often written by professional computer programmers. Source code is written in a programming language that usually follows one of two main paradigms: imperative or declarative programming. Source code may be converted into an executable file (sometimes called an executable program or a binary) by a compiler and later executed by a central processing unit. Alternatively, computer programs may be executed with the aid of an interpreter, or may be embedded directly into hardware.
Computer programs may be categorized along functional lines: system software and application software. Many computer programs may run simultaneously on a single computer, a process known as multitasking

Programming

Computer programming is the iterative process of writing or editing source code. Editing source code involves testing, analyzing, and refining, and sometimes coordinating with other programmers on a jointly developed program. A person who practices this skill is referred to as a computer programmer, software developer or coder. The sometimes lengthy process of computer programming is usually referred to as software development. The term software engineering is becoming popular as the process is seen as an engineering discipline.