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For almost 8 years now Skype has allowed users to make voice calls over the Internet. Calls to other Skype users have almays been free, while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a small fee.

In recent times Skype has gained in popularity for its additional features such as instant messaging, file transfer, and video conferencing.

The info-graphic below sourced from MeetTheBoss details the numbers behind Skype showing just how big it has become!

Click to open a larger version in a new window

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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What Are We WIlling To Sacrifice For Clean Energy?

February 24th 2010 01:38

The Belo Monte Dam is a hydroelectric dam to be built on the Xingu River in the state of Pará, Brazil. The planned installed capacity of the dam will be 11,000 MW (enough power for over 23 million homes), which would make it the second-largest hydroelectric dam in Brazil, and the third-largest in the world. The dam is expected to cost $3 billion and the transmission lines $2.5 billion.

The project is criticized by environmental organisations as it will flood 400 square kilometres of agricultural lands and forest and will directly impact the Paquiçamba reserve of the Juruna indigenous people. It was also said that to be feasible, the Belo Monte dam needs other dams upstream to guarantee a year-round flow of water. This means that more forest will be flooded.

The first Belo Monte dam proposal was abandoned in 1990s because of international and national protest.
In February 2010, Brazil's government granted an environmental licence for the construction of the dam.

The info-graphic below from EU Infrastructure details the facts, figure and environmental costs of the dam. Read more of their take on the Belo Monte Dam here.

click to enlarge

*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article for Belo Monte Dam.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Upcoming Technological Innovations

January 4th 2010 01:25

As the current decade comes to a close, Kiplinger asks "What will be the technological breakthroughs of the next decade?"
It appears that ms innovations will be from the energy and transportation sectors. Read the full list here.

Power from Space

Space based power plants are no longer just a science fiction fantasy. Pacific Gas and Electric aims to supply 250,000 customers from one by 2016. The California utility inked a deal with Solaren Corp. for 200 megawatts of electricity -- power to be generated by an orbiting solar cell plant and transmitted as microwaves to Fresno, where it will be converted to electricity.

Solaren, PowerSat, Space Energy and others working on orbital power are getting a lift from state laws requiring more use of renewable sources. And they figure they’ll have a steady customer in the Defence Department, which wants a means of getting power to troops in remote areas.

Power Spray

Spray-on solar cells will shake up the electricity market by 2015. University and private labs in the U.S., Australia, Switzerland and Canada are developing cost-effective plastic coatings containing microscopic particles of copper, indium, gallium and titanium. Painted on building rooftops and exteriors, they’ll absorb sunlight and produce electricity just as bulky solar panels do now.

One big plus: The cell coatings could generate power even on cloudy days, making this solar catcher up to three times more efficient than today’s solar modules. That’ll give them the potential to cut a company’s electricity purchases by 50% to 75% and even offer some companies the chance to sell power to utilities when their own needs ebb.

Unjamming the Roads

New technologies to unsnarl traffic are on the horizon: Traffic management systems that combine video devices with computer logic will reduce collisions, reroute motorists and allow real-time adjustments to signals. They’ll be sorely needed to help ease major congestion that not only frustrates motorists but also slows business shipping and delivery.

Budget Electric

Think an all-electric car is out of your budget range? Maybe not. A $25,000 model from U.S. upstart Aptera Motors is close to commercial rollout. You’ll know it when you see it -- a bullet shaped three-wheeler about the size of a Toyota Prius. The range: 140 miles. Buyers have already put down deposits on the first 4,000 to come off the assembly lines. Those orders will be filled by August 2010. It’ll take a year or so longer for General Motors, Nissan and Toyota to produce plug-ins, and they’ll cost more and have shorter ranges. GM’s Chevy Volt, for example, will sell for $40,000 after rebates and will go only 40 miles per charge.

Ever heard of thorium power? You will. Thorium is a naturally occurring element, slightly radioactive, that is far more common in the ground than uranium. The first nuclear reactor fuelled by thorium will be built in about five years, with more to come.

Thorium has a lot of practical advantages over the more commonly used uranium, and it can churn out the same amount of emission-free electricity to power the U.S. Thorium is safer, produces less waste and is abundant here in the U.S. Plus it’s less likely to cause accidents and can’t be used by terrorists for dirty bombs.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Wind Energy Pros And Cons

November 16th 2009 01:23

What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind farms?
Do they have the potential to solve our energy problems in the future?
The infographic below provides a nice summary.

click to enlarge

*Image source.

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Land Required to Power The Earth With Solar Power

October 9th 2009 08:07

Surface Area Required to Power the World
With zero carbon emissions and with solar alone.

Required area that would be needed in the year 2030 is shown and also as distributed around the world relative to use and available sunlight.

As a reference, also see the charts for wind power and 'other' forms..

click to enlarge

*Areas are calculated based on assumption of 20% operating efficiency of collection devices and a 2000 hour per year nations input of 1000 watts per square meter striking the surface.
*These 19 areas distributed on the map show roughly what would be a reasonable responsibility for various parts the world based on 2009 usage. This would be further divided many times to reach a diversified and localised infrastructure.
*The large square in the Saharan Desert would power all of Europe and North Africa. Although very large, it is only 1/18 the total size of the desert.
*The definition of power covers the fuel required to run all electrical consumption, all machinery, and all forms of transportation.

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Running of the Bulls

July 27th 2009 11:32

The Running of the Bulls San Fermín festival in Pamplona, Spain.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Inside A Nuclear Power Plant

May 22nd 2009 10:43

Here are photos from inside a modern Russian nuclear power plant. It is difficult to receive permission to take photographs inside a station so these pictures are rare indeed.
This particular plant is located near Smolensk city and it can generate up and 3 Megawatts with three reactors. This is one of 10 nuclear power plants in Russia.

[ Click here to read more ]

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Inventions That Changed The World

March 27th 2009 01:29

Thanks to news.com.au, these are the inventions which have had the largest impact on our lives. See the full list here.

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1934 BMW R7 Motorcycle

March 16th 2009 01:28

After over seventy years languishing in a box the BMW R 7 has been restored to its former glory. Although the motorcycle, manufactured in 1934, was only ever a prototype and never went into production it is one of the most important, innovative and visually stunning motorcycles ever produced.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Gadgets Throughout History

January 23rd 2009 04:34

We all enjoy the convenience of modern technology, however sometimes it can be interesting to take a look back through time and trace how our modern gadgets developed. Thanks to the Chicago Tribune, here are various pieces of technology that once upon a time were cutting edge.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Possible Solutions to Global Warming

October 8th 2008 13:56

How to counteract global warming. Click on the image to open a more readable version.

How to cool our planet.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Brain Scans

September 5th 2008 03:41

Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI scans can provide detailed images of the body from any angle making them extremely useful in the medical profession. A member at Flickr has published some MRI scans of his own brain. See some samples below:

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Posted By: Ian - Category: technology

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Bugatti Veyron

June 25th 2008 12:09

Bugatti Veyron

This car has an 8L V16 engine (Actually they are 2, 4L V8 engines which joined form an 8L V16), with 1001Hp @6000 rpm, 1250NM, 4 TURBO’s and a 7 speed gear box

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Microphotography

March 26th 2008 13:10

A micrograph, microphotograph or photomicrograph is a photograph or similar image taken through a microscope or similar device to show a magnified image of an item. It's amazing what these tiny objects which can't be seen with the naked eye actually look like close up. There are a few more micro pictures here.