Solar Windows from Sony that generate electricity

Sony conducts research on proprietary technologies that contribute to reduction of environmental impact so that they can be applied to new products and services, as well as manufacturing processes.

Sony is engaged in research on dye-sensitized solar cells, which use photosensitive organic dyes adsorbed on the porous electrode surface to convert light energy to electrical energy. Unlike conventional silicon-based solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells do not require a large vacuum process machine in fabrication. Also, because they use a coating and a printing process, these cells allow low-cost fabrication and exert less of an impact on the environment due to the fact that they require fewer materials and less energy. Dye-sensitized solar cells have the additional advantage of providing excellent power generation especially in low-light situations, such as indoors or under cloudy skies. Depending on the dye color, these cells can even provide color variations.
Owing to these advantages, dye-sensitized solar cells are viewed as one of the most promising next-generation solar cell technologies.

Related Links :
- http://www.sony.net/Products/
- http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/
- http://eco-pro.com/

A minimally invasive surgical approach developed by head and neck surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicinehas been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, California) has been cleared for TransOral otolaryngologic surgical procedures to treat benign tumors and select malignant tumors in adults.

Drs. Gregory S. Weinstein and Bert W. O’Malley, Jr. of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery founded the world’s first TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS) programat Penn Medicine in 2004, where they developed and researched the TORS approach for a variety of robotic surgical neck approaches for both malignant and benign tumors of the mouth, voice box, tonsil, tongue and other parts of the throat. Since 2005, approximately 350 Penn patients have participated in the world’s first prospective clinical trials of TORS. These research trials compromise the largest and most comprehensive studies of the technology on record.
“TORS has dramatically improved the way we treat head and neck cancer patients, completely removing tumors while preserving speech, swallowing, and other key quality of life issues,” said Bert O’Malley, Jr., MD, professor and chairman of Penn Medicine’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology:Head and Neck Surgery.

“It is very exciting that a concept conceived at PENN, evaluated in pre-clinical experimental models at PENN, tested in clinical trials at PENN, and then taught to key surgeons and institutions both within the U.S. and internationally has been officially recognized by our federal governing agencies and peers around the world as a new and improved therapy for select neck cancers and all benign tumors.”

45,000 Americans and approximately 500,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with head and neck cancers each year. Head and neck tumor treatments often involve a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In many cases, surgery offers the greatest chance of cure; yet conventional surgery may require an almost ear-to-ear incision across the throat or splitting the jaw, resulting in speech and swallowing deficits for patients. In comparison, the minimally invasive TORS approach, which accesses the surgical site through the mouth, has been shown to improve long term swallowing function and reduce risk of infection while speeding up the recovery time. When compared to traditional surgeries, after their cancers have been removed successfully, patients have been able to begin swallowing on their own sooner and leave the hospital earlier. TORS outcomes are markedly improved when compared to standard chemotherapy, radiation or traditional open surgical approaches for oropharyngeal cancer.

“Based on our data and patient outcomes, coupled with the national and international enthusiasm and interest for TORS, we are changing the way oropharyngeal cancer and tumors will be treated now and in years to come,” noted Gregory Weinstein, MD, FACS, professor and vice chair of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, director of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery and current president of The Society of Robotic Surgery. “We are already investigating new TORS treatments for other conditions such as sleep apnea, and collaborating with colleagues in Penn Neurosurgery to use TORS to remove skull base tumors and repair cervical spine disease.”

The Penn TORS program developed an international training program that has trained numerous surgical teams from 12 different countries, many of whom have started establishing TORS programs at their respective institutions. With the FDA clearance of the da Vinci System for transoral otolaryngology, Penn Medicine will immediately expand its well established training program to include surgical teams from the United States.
Dr. Weinstein and O’Malley have no financial ties or consulting agreement with the surgical company. 
For more information about the Penn TORS Program, please visit http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/pennorl/research/tors/ or call 215-349-5390.
A 2005 Penn Medicine press release on TORS can be found online at: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may05/TORS.htm

---

Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $3.6 billion enterprise.

Penn’s School of Medicine is currently ranked #3 in U.S. News & World Report’s survey of research-oriented medical schools, and is consistently among the nation’s top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $367.2 million awarded in the 2008 fiscal year.

Penn Medicine’s patient care facilities include:

• The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania – the nation’s first teaching hospital, recognized as one of the nation’s top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
• Penn Presbyterian Medical Center – named one of the top 100 hospitals for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters for six years.
• Pennsylvania Hospital – the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751, nationally recognized for excellence in orthopaedics, obstetrics & gynecology, and behavioral health. 

Additional patient care facilities and services include Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse, a Philadelphia campus offering inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient care in many specialties; as well as a primary care provider network; a faculty practice plan; home care and hospice services; and several multispecialty outpatient facilities across the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2009, Penn Medicine provided $733.5 million to benefit our community.

The Thanko eco-friendly Cranking MP3 Player is equipped with a wind up charger that will let you wind it up when you run dry.

The Cranking MP3 player can be charged just by simply holding the lever with one hand and pressing it continuously until the device has received full charge from its battery and power system.
The device can also be charged using a USB port or with the AC adapter.

Its size is 75 × 45 × 34.5 mm, it weighs 88.8 grams and features 1 GB of storage capacity.

Bluelounge, the groundbreaking design studio known for such award-winning products as the SpaceStation, CableBox and The Sanctuary, introduces StudioDesk: their most advanced cable management solution to date. A traditional workspace with a modern twist, the StudioDesk is specifically designed to offer laptop users a clutter-free working environment. Its sliding top surface uncovers a large easily accessed storage compartment that completely conceals all one’s peripheral hardware and their accompanying cables.

Bluelounge’s StudioDesk is immediately available for $599.95 US Dollars through www.bluelounge.com.

"After the success of The Sanctuary and CableBox, I was committed to creating a new product that would bring cable management full circle," said Bluelounge Principal and Designer, Dominic Symons. “The StudioDesk brings harmony to one's workspace. It is perfectly suited for the studio, home, office, conference & classroom environments, in fact wherever laptops are frequently used."

StudioDesk’s ingenious sliding lid allows all ancillary equipment and excess cables to be safely stowed away under the desktop in the concealed, but easily accessed, storage compartment. An elongated slot across the width of the desktop lets the user easily inter-connect all the hidden power strips, AC adapters, hubs, external hard drives, routers etc, thereby keeping the desktop always completely clutter-free. An opening discretely located below the StudioDesk’s rear corners means that only a single cable is needed to connect everything to a power socket. So less floor level clutter too!

The StudioDesk’s timeless design features solid mahogany legs and details. For durability, white laminate is used for the desktop surfaces and storage spaces. In addition, StudioDesk comes with a removable faux leather mat to cover and protect the sliding portion of the desktop. StudioDesk measures 47” x 27.5” X 29.5”. Shipping by UPS ground, knocked down into one package. Assembly tools & instructions are included.

About Bluelounge

Bluelounge, founded in 1999 by designers Dominic Symons and Melissa Sunjaya, is a multidisciplinary design studio that creates a synergy of product, graphic, interactive design and original illustration. Bluelounge products are distributed through over 100 U.S. locations and 17 international distributors, promotional agents and licensees. Bluelounge’s design studios and administrative offices are in both Los Angeles and Jakarta, Indonesia. In addition to their own branded products, Bluelounge has undertaken design commissions for major corporations such as Airwalk, Microsoft, Panasonic, and Trina Turk.

http://www.bluelounge.com/

Intraoperative diagnostics have long since become standard in modern clinical work and boost precision in surgery. A unique hybrid solution is now being offered by Siemens and TRUMPF: The C-arm and the operating table are capable of communicating one with another; their motions are precisely coordinated. This opens the door to new, integrated diagnostic and surgical techniques and at the same times offers hospitals maximum flexibility in patient positioning, regardless of the surgical discipline involved.

A mighty team
Completely matched to each other are the Artis zee ceiling and Artis zeego X-ray and angiography systems made by Siemens and the version of the TRUMPF operating table engineered especially for these applications, the “TruSystem 7500 for Artis zee systems”. In coupled operation, the Artis control module can steer both units simultaneously. The high-resolution X-ray systems register the position of the operating table and use this information to avoid collisions between the operating table and the C-arm.

The operating table support column is fitted with a one-piece, carbon-fiber-reinforced table top. If desired, a segmented, all-purpose table top may be used instead. Both table tops can easily be changed out with the help of a shuttle.

The complete integration of the operating table into the Siemens angiography systems enables quick rotation and 3D images using the C-arm. The table top with its modular design makes for versatility when positioning the patients, accommodating every surgical discipline. Complicated setups such as the lateral position with elevated thorax can be achieved quickly, precisely and conveniently.

New therapy options
Both surgeons and patients benefit from high-resolution imaging procedures, during and after the intervention, without time-consuming, expensive and potentially risky patient transfers. This also expands the therapeutic latitude for neurosurgery and orthopedics since there, in particular, flexible positioning capabilities play a decisive role.

Flexible use
No matter whether for combined, special-purpose surgery, conventional surgery or pure diagnosis – hybrid ORs can be used in many ways and by many medical disciplines. The operating table concept used by TRUMPF throughout enables universal use. Table tops and components are compatible one with another and can be flexibly configured. In addition to carbon-fiber-reinforced table tops, which permit intraoperative diagnostics with artifact-free X-rays, the surgical staff can also use all-purpose table tops. Patented couplers make it possible to configure these quickly and easily, as may be needed by any given surgical discipline. Thus a table for universal use quickly becomes a special-purpose table. With its many adjustment capabilities, it will do justice to every intervention.

More space in the OR
TRUMPF surgical lights, too, with their extended range of horizontal and vertical motion, expand freedom of movement in the OR. They ensure perfect illumination during both open surgery and interventional procedures. Thus they are available for every hybrid use. The TRUMPF ceiling pendants as well can play an important role in the hybrid operating theater. They can be set up close to the ceiling to avoid collisions with other equipment. Thanks to their long support arms they can quickly be swung out of the scanning range.

Exact planning makes it possible to seamlessly integrate hybrid ORs into the central surgical department and at the same time adhere to all the hygiene concepts and specified work sequences. This makes it possible to achieve a high degree of utilization even in smaller hospitals. That is a great advantage – not just in difficult economic times.

 A growing number of mobile applications, or "apps," are helping to keep boaters informed, on course and entertained.

Plus, they're often free or low cost, making a $25 gift card go a long way.
For the uninitiated, a mobile app is software that downloads just like a ring tone to a Web-enabled phone or other device.

Kahn's iPhone 3GS, packed in a watertight OtterBox case, runs an app his company developed called MotionX-GPS. A thousand miles from California, racing his boat, Pegasus, in this year's Transpac to Honolulu, Kahn used MotionX to navigate, record his course and upload his positions to a Google map, Facebook and Twitter with comments, photos and video. Incidentally, Pegasus set a world double-handed record in that race.
Palm and mobile Windows devices have some apps, but Apple's iTunes store has the most.
There's an impressive array of navigation apps there, in addition to full GPS navigation such as MotionX-GPS ($2.99). For instance, Navionics offers $9.99 interactive marine charts with navigation and a database of tide, current and marine services. Wondering how long it takes to tack toward Alcatraz? SailTimer ($13.99) calculates the answer. Anchor Alarm ($9.99) says your boat is drifting, Ship Finder ($4.99) gives details of that ship about to run you over (California not yet available), and StarPilot is a celestial almanac ($29.99) that could be used with a 99-cent Sextant app.
Mark Wilson of Concord religiously packs his iPhone in an Aquapac dry pack on a lanyard to check conditions before and during a day of fly-fishing.
Surf Report is a free app for coastal conditions. Tide Graph ($1.99) and apps like it deliver tide, current, sun and moon information. RiverGuide for Kayakers ($4.99) gives real-time river flow information. The NOAA Buoy Data Reader ($2.99) and Boating Weather ($1.99) deliver easy access to government weather feeds.
Wilson says such apps are great for potentially dangerous river and ocean conditions: "They tell you real-time information, what the seas are, what the winds are, what the temperatures are."
Mobile apps pack a ton of technical reference in a tiny space for a tiny cost. Boater's Pocket Reference ($4.99) is a mini encyclopedia. Official navigation rules go for $2.99, while $1.99 buys cool apps for identifying the navigation lights of vessels (Ship Shape) and the code flags they fly (Naviflags). A mere 99 cents buys Boat Ramps, which shows exactly where to put your boat in the water.
Some learning tools use animation to teach tricky things such as knot-tying and sail adjustments.

Non-Apple devices won't run these apps. Practical Sailor's December issue reviews three pocket navigation apps for Palm and Windows.
Yet even different versions of the iPhone and iPod touch have different position-tracking, motion-sensing and communications capabilities.
Bottom line: Always check whether the app matches the device, and never let technology distract from safety or enjoying the outdoors.

Paul Oliva is a consultant, writer and sailor. He advises and teaches sailing-related groups on San Francisco Bay and sails his boat from South Beach Harbor. E-mail datebookletters@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page F - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/04/DD0S1ATU55.DTL#ixzz0Ynh0kuPt

Video of Solar Islands -- a concept by CSEM, Switzerland (www.csem.ch)

These artificial islands are giant platforms that float on the sea and which, in the long term, will produce the same amount of electricity as a small nuclear-power station.

Thanks to a simple design, coupled with optimized technologies and suitable materials, the energy produced could be offered at a competitive price of 10 to 20 centimes per kWh.