How Google's Search Engine Predicts Flu Trends?

Besides bringing a white Christmas, the cold winter also brings along a flu season to the northern atmosphere. The number of patients who have reported flu-like symptoms and the number of hospitalizations will drastically increase during this season. The spread of flu is fairly unpredictable and requires 1 - 2 weeks for data gathering and processing before publishing the trend.

Now, Google has a way to predict flu trend in real-time. A team of Google's engineers were using internet search pattern to predict flu trend. They track the number of times that users search for flu-related information. Google found a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. When compare to the traditional flu surveillance systems they actually match well.

For more info visit: http://www.google.org/flutrends/intl/en_us/

Three Wheeled Solar And Human Powered Bicycle

Organic Transit is raising fund for their new product called ELF. It is a new means of transport combining bicycle and automobile powered with solar energy and good old pedaling force. ELF is an urban, high visibility vehicle that fits in standard bike lanes. The lithium batteries can be recharged using the rooftop solar panels or by plugging into the wall electric socket. It is capable of traveling up to 50 km in a single charge.

The company is now collaborating with industry experts to streamline the assembly process and its goal is to create a small scale production facility capable of producing 1,000 units a month.

For more info visit http://www.organictransit.com/

New Alternative For CFL And LED Light

Wake Forest University researchers are developing a flicker-free, shatterproof alternative for CFL and LED lighting. They claim that the new technology is twice as efficient as CFL and much cheaper than LEDs. It is based on field-induced polymer electroluminescent (FIPEL) technology.

The new material is made of three layers of moldable white-emitting polymer blended with a small amount of nanomaterials. When electricity passes through the device it will glow into a bright white light similar to that of sunlight. The new material can be made in any color and shape, and it is nearly indestructible and long-lasting.

David Carroll, Director of Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials, Wake Forest University, and his team will first make a large-scale natural white-light FIPEL to replace current office and home lighting. Beyond office and home applications, Carroll also sees potential uses in commercial sign display. They are currently working with a company to manufacture the lighting technology and plans to have it in market as early as next year.

Cellulose - Tomorrow High-Tech Material

CelluForce is developing a new type of material, which is sustainable, biodegradable and biocompatible nanomaterial, called nanocellulose. This lightweight material is composed of bundled sugar chains from the cell walls of wood.

There are huge potential for nanocellulose. It could replace petroleum-based plastics, use as windows or electronic displays, build sensors to monitor structures for signs of stress. Applying to food packaging, nanocellulose could keep contents from spoiling by blocking oxygen penetration. Nanocellulose scaffolds implanted in the body might aid bone regeneration.

By adding nanocellulose to paper manufacturers could produce lighter and stronger sheets. Nanocellulose helps to reduce conventional ingredients added to paper thereby reducing materials and cost. Reduce energy to manufacture thereby lower down carbon footprint of the manufacturing process.

Best of all, the raw material for these materials is cheap and endlessly renewable,whether it comes from trees, straw, or even bacteria.

Source: Nanocellulose Is No Small Thing