Sunday, August 03, 2008 Energy-101: Here Comes the Sun! POST A COMMENT Storing solar-energy inside batteries right now is way too costly to be used in everyday usage. But, a new breakthrough is about to change all that... Basically, scientists have now figured out a Cheaper way of storing electricity from the sun-rays...'and as one expert offered, this means "you've answered everything." "The breakthrough uses a relatively simple way to use electricity to produce oxygen and hydrogen from water...When the two gases later are recombined in a fuel cell they cause a chemical reaction that spins off electrons that are forced through a circuit, reproducing the electricity." "The discovery shatters the biggest barrier to widespread use of solar power, namely that it's unavailable after dark, said Daniel Nocera, an MIT energy professor. Similar to the way plants store energy from the sun -- "The process uses nontoxic natural materials to convert sunlight into gases..." Researchers also say this could make solar power "in homes a mainstream energy option and might even make power companies obsolete, at least for residential needs." "This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," Nocera told the MIT News Service. "Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon." "This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future," offered another MIT expert. ''It opens up the door for developing new technologies for energy production." Ultimately, this breakthrough would aid us in getting off of our dependence of Foreign Oil. So...I'm sure we'll all be watching this story carefully. Here's a great primer video --(with MIT's Nocera) -- offering a break down of how this actually works: Source: ABC News Labels: Business-101, economy, Education, emissions, Energy-101, environment, fuel economy, hybrid, ideas, MIT Research, News Trends, Oil Prices, science 101, smaller carbon footprint, Solar Power, Trends posted by Henry Cruz at 4:30 PM Sunday, April 27, 2008 One Hour Film School POST A COMMENT Here in NY - the Apple Store and Tribeca Film Fest is sponsoring a "One-Hour Film School" -- promising "everything you need to create your own documentary or feature film. You supply the spark, we’ll supply the low-cost digital filmmaking techniques. Thursday, May 1, 5:00 p.m." -- as someone that is just wrapping a short film...I'm more of the mindset, like this comment from Clive Owen recently, talent aside, decent ideas aside..."filmmaking" takes "focus..." and ultimately, you have to be really passionate about that idea...'cause a good film takes a good chunk of "time." Source: Apple Store Labels: ideas, indie film, tribeca film festival posted by Henry Cruz at 2:22 PM Friday, April 25, 2008 Just Give it Away... POST A COMMENT "You can always spot an amateur...here is the number one tell sign of an amateur writer," I overheard someone say the other day. "They are the folks focused on getting copyrights for their work." Thinking they had that one original idea...yeah, good luck with that. Which leads me the biggest trend on the web: the rise of "freeconomics," as suggested by the editors of Wired Magazine, which is being driven by the underlying technologies that make everybody a user. So, as technology moves more to a "google-ish" business model ...the cost of production is less and less...so, what's left? The craigslist.org model that focuses on charging for premium ads... And then you only have: Ideas...But, you say, "Writers often have the same ideas," though they will go out and develop them differently. How do we maintain our originality? You could work months on a story or even years perfecting it's and then it's rejected because a similar one was just published. Yeah, most of the really good ideas have already been used...and abused. With the web, everything is very much about: How fast can you go? And getting it: now...so, what do you do? You give it away...eek, Free? Giving it away free allows you to claim a stake on that "idea." Like a turf war of ideas....Yep, look at the book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" -- it's available totally free on the web and yet it's become a number one hit on the Times best seller list. Why would people pay for something that they can get for free? In a free market you'll always get folks that want the "premium" model. Now, you just figure out how to make a premium model out that to pay your bills while doing it, and we're all good (sorta, kinda). Labels: Books, freeconomics, ideas posted by Henry Cruz at 2:19 PM     ARCHIVES October 2005 . November 2005 . December 2005 . August 2007 . September 2007 . October 2007 . November 2007 . December 2007 . March 2008 . April 2008 . May 2008 . June 2008 . July 2008 . August 2008 . September 2008 .