The Maltese Falcon, a $100 million yacht that the designers claim is the largest and fastest personal sailboat in the world, formally set sail in Italy on July 14.

Built for venture capitalist Tom Perkins, the 87.5-meter yacht sports three 57-meter tall masts and each mast has six yards from which hang sails. This design gives it a slight resemblance to a clipper ship.

The masts, though, function in a far different manner than they did on the Cutty Sark. The masts themselves rotate to maximize speed and make the boat more aerodynamically efficient. The rotating mast concept was … Read more

Showing its lighter side, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Museum in Alexandria, Va., on Thursday opened an exhibit called "Shoes: Innovations at Your Feet."

The summer exhibit showcases the history of patented footwear and various shoe technology from the 19th century to the present, as well as patent-pending commercial innovations.

The Cougar Paws' Duraflex roofing boots with detachable soles that allow roofers to change grip depending on the type of roof, or roofing project stage, were on display.

Got cold feet? Shoes using the aerogel material developed for NASA astronauts are also part of the … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--When camera operators for KOVR in Sacramento, Calif., and KOKH in Oklahoma City go out on assignment, they take a source of renewable energy courtesy of a small company that describes itself as the world's largest supplier of portable fuel cells.

Folsom, Calif.-based Jadoo Power Systems poses the question, "How prepared are you to go completely 'off grid'?"

Translation: If the power went out, could you recharge your cell phone in an emergency? Or, could you do your job better if you weren't tied to electrical outlets or hobbled with a case of batteries … Read more

Nanotechnology turns 201 years in 2006, according to Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSI Research, which analyzes the semiconductor hardware industry.

In 1805, Luigi Brugnatelli, a friend of Allisandro Volta, electroplated gold onto silver by experimenting with some of the electronic ideas coined by Volta. By the 1850s, electroplating was big business, he noted.

"So why could electroplating be the first nanotechnology? Plating is about ion's chasing electrons, which all occurs at less than 100nm," wrote Hutcheson. "What is nanotechnology? It's about making molecules working for you. It's less than 100nm and many include the … Read more

HAIFA, Israel--Matteris doesn't think optical discs, even Blu-ray ones, hold enough storage.

The company, which spins out of Israel's technical university Technion, has devised a coating for 5.25 optical discs that can hold up to a terabyte of storage, according to Zohan Gendler, who runs the incubator at Technion. The incubator takes promising ideas concocted by professors, students and local entrepreneurs and turns them into companies.

The massive increase in storage (Blu-ray discs will hold 50GB while HD DVD will hold less) is a variant of holographic storage. Producing the discs, when mass manufacturing occurs, should only … Read more

To search for oil, companies typically employ teams of geological engineers and 3D mapping software, but two groups in Israel are trying to find deposits through biblical clues.

Zion Oil and Gas says it will drill for oil deposits in the north of the country, said Amit Mor, CEO at Eco Energy, an energy consulting and investment firm in the country. Part of the belief at Zion Oil is that Deuteronomy says it was there.

"And of Asher he [Moses] said, blessed above sons; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.&… Read more

Nanotechnology will play an important role in addressing many daunting technical challenges to hydrogen-based transportation, a highly regarded scientist and MIT professor said on Tuesday.

Mildred Dresselhaus, a professor of physics and electrical engineering at MIT, gave the keynote address at an MIT conference on nanotechnology and energy. Among other science management positions, Dresselhaus chaired a 2003 Department of Energy report called the Basic Research Needs for a Hydrogen Economy.

During her talk, Dresselhaus said there has been progress since the 2003 report was published, but there remain a number of challenges in hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cells , the … Read more

Stanford University's robotic wonder "Stanley" is a software-and-sensors powered Volkswagen that drove autonomously for 136 desert miles to win the landmark Grand Challenge last fall. Not to be forgotten, the robot will take the stage at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History this Wednesday through the summer.

Why such glory? Because Stanley "offers a glimpse into a future of 'smart' cars and automated highways," according to the Smithsonian's announcement.

Stanford's robot--wired with sensors, GPS receivers and AI computer systems--deftly beat 22 other bots to finish first in the 2005 Grand Challenge, … Read more

What would you rather do, navigate through the on-demand and TV listings offered up by your cable provider with a standard remote, or snap out your four front teeth with a pair of Vise-Grips?

Hillcrest Labs has come up with FreeSpace, a way to visually search music, movie and photo menus. The company's technology consists of two parts: a four-button remote shaped like a ring that lets you move a cursor around by pointing, and software that turns reams of TV listings into thumbnail menus. The company sells software, but makes the prototypes to encourage potential customers.

So instead … Read more