Non-Stink Durians? Tell Me It’s True!

No durians
Duaians… Unless you have smelled them up close you just won’t understand what all the hub-bub is about. I can, for a fact, tell you that very fresh durians smell/taste better than ones that have been frozen. That aside, a researcher has discovered that by breeding 90 different varieties of this stinky fruit the odor can be reduced enough to make them edible by most people. This, of course, has the durian lovers up in arms.

Fans Sour on Sweeter Version of Asia’s Smelliest Fruit – New York Times
(Thank you Eugene for the tip)
More info on durians (wiki)

The Sharp eMobile EM-ONE, Super Phone from Japan

Sharp EM-ONE eMobile PhoneGahh! I wish the data network here in America were as advanced as the ones in Japan. 3.6mb/s? That’s better than what I get on my cable modem at my home.

March 31st is going to bring some major changes when eMobile brings it’s unlimited high-speed (3.6mbps HSPDA) service for a flat monthly rate of ¥4980 ($43). The current mobile data leader Willcom offers a flat-rate service of 128kbps for ¥9000 ($77). As Gerhard points out, eMobiles service is 30 times the speed at half the price. Below is an exclusive look at eMobile’s EM-ONE PDA which will work with the new data service and has wi-fi, digital tv, a 4.1 inch Sharp display, a camera, and Windows Mobile 5.0.

YOu have to check the full article out, this is one hell of a phone.

Trends in Japan – Tokyo Blog » A look at eMobile, the EM-ONE, and the coming upheaval in Japan

Micro Wind Turbines

Mini wind turbinesIn urban settings many times it just isn’t practical to install wind turbines in order to harness the energy of the wind. The buildings may not be able to support a large generator or it might be that there just isn’t enough wind. Strange as that sounds, wind turbines won’t work if the wind is too slow. The blades won’t turn. Simple as that. They need at least 20mph winds to be any good. What is an eco conscious urban dweller to do?
The Motorwind might be an answer to some of your power needs. It’s a bank of turbine blades (apx 10" in dia) that are geared together that will generate power in winds of only 7mph (4m/s). That’s a light breeze, just a 3 on the Beaufort scale, and is pretty common. You should be able to get that from just the convection currents coming off from all the cement in the car park next to your office. With one of these Motorwind turbine setups you can charge batteries and power devices directly or with an AC inverter. All in all a good way to get some work out of a nice spring breeze.

The picture below is of the first micro-turbine array set up in Hong Kong. It includes 40 turbines, which has daily production capacity of 960W/h with average wind speeds of 5.5 m/s. This installation was made in November, 2006, and is large enough to power all of the lights in the apartment below.

[via neat-o-rama]
MotorWave

A Little Slow…

Sorry for not having any posts for the last few days. I have been busy transferring my site to a new server and working on a poster for a friends play. Normal posting should resume shortly.
Thanks!
-John

“Exotic Series” Kit Kat Bars in Japan

Exotic Series Kit kat BarsI wouldn’t mind trying a few of these. But not any that are mint flavored please, I don’t like my chocolate adulterated with mint. Ugh!

These days, Kit Kats are absolutely HUGE in Japan, with a variety of flavors that ranges from “wine” to “green tea” to the latest “brandy and orange”. Now, Kit Kat has taken a page from the Hello Kitty playbook and has started to create custom regionalized chocolate bars!

Oh yeah, why are Kit Kat bars popular in Japan? It’s because the phrase "kitto Katsu" ("I hope you sucsseed!") sounds a lot like ‘Kit Kat"
Trends in Japan – Tokyo Blog » Japan still Kit Kat krazy with the regionalized “Exotic Series”