altitude

Plasma TV altitude: How high can they go?

David Katzmaier and I have gotten e-mails asking a seemingly odd question: how high can plasma TVs go? These e-mails, from videophiles living in high-altitude places such as Denver and Santa Fe, are concerned plasmas either won't work for them, or will have a loud buzzing.

Turns out, they're sort of right.… Read more

Altaeros balloon boosts wind turbine power

Startup Altaeros Energy is going up for more energy.

The company yesterday said it has successfully tested a prototype of its airborne wind turbine, which is a traditional small wind turbine enclosed in an inflatable shell. The Boston-based company is seeking to partner with others to build and test a commercial-scale turbine.

Altaeros Energy is one of a few companies developing systems to capture the stronger and steadier winds at high altitudes. Others include Makani Power, Joby Energy, and Windlift.

For its prototype test in Maine, Altaeros Energy placed a Southwest Skystream turbine, which is normally placed on a pole, … Read more

Lightweight wing harvests offshore wind

It's a flying wing, a power generator, and a robot.

Startup Makani Power is developing a wind turbine that's a big break from convention. If it works, it could slash the cost of wind power, particularly offshore.

The company has nearly finished testing flights for a 30-kilowatt prototype turbine and will soon begin work on a larger, commercial-scale system, according to CEO Corwin Hardham. The goal is to complete development and testing that full-scale, 600-kilowatt system by 2016, he said.

Makani Power, which was originally funded by Google and later by the Department of Energy's ARPA-E agency, … Read more

Know your routes

Hybrid GeoTools' 3D Route Builder enhances Google Earth's built-in Path Editor with sophisticated GPS route planning capabilities, fine-grain, real-time control over 3D paths, and editing for location, altitude, and time stamp. It can use existing data or generate new GPX, KML, or Garmin TCX data from scratch.

This free program's interface combines typical Windows elements, including icon-based control and navigation toolbars, with a media player feel; in fact, it calls itself the "Media Player" of GPS playback in the animated ad banner that divides the interface's controls from the main display window. Clicking Embed GeoTool … Read more

Location, location, location

We recently spent some time digging through boxes of old snapshots at our parents' house, and we thought it was kind of sad that so much information about the photos had been lost to the sands of time. Some of the photos had handwritten dates and locations on the back, but most of them were unlabeled. Fortunately for us, and the generations that will follow, digital images are capable of storing tons of information. RoboGEO allows users to easily attach latitude, longitude, and altitude information to images, ensuring that viewers will always know where the images came from.

The program'… Read more

Hydrogen to fuel long-distance drone for special ops

The U.S. Special Operations Command is going green with its purchase of a hydrogen-fueled robo-plane that can loiter in the stratosphere for up to five days at a time.

The high-altitude long endurance (HALE) Global Observer will cost $57 million for the first drone, with two more in the pipeline for an additional $108 million. The drone, or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), is powered by a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine designed and built by AeroVironment, which has already successfully tested a scaled down model during a five-day stretch in an altitude chamber above a simulated 65,000 feet.

The … Read more