Green Gadgets To Help Save Water, Energy And Money

Use These Green Gadgets To Help Save Water, Energy And Money In Your Home

By Katherine Boehrer

Posted: 10/02/2014 3:42 pm EDT Updated: 10/02/2014 4:59 pm EDT 

 

Saving energy and water can be difficult, but now there are plenty of gadgets on the market that aim to make the process easier for you. From smart light bulbs to thermostats that learn your habits to motion-sensing power strips, being green has become part of the home automation craze sweeping the nation.
Here are some of the cool options available, including budget options that will help conserve without breaking the bank.

Lightbulbs

There’s a lot of room for improvement over the traditional light bulb, but by far the best energy-saving innovations are in LED light bulbs. Not only do LED bulbs use up to 80 percent less energy compared to traditional incandescents, they last up to 25 times longer, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Although the energy savings of LEDs are on the same scale as compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), they are now being made with added “smart” features to help you save even more energy by using less light. One smart light, the recently introduced Stack Alba smart bulb, changes brightness or turns off based on the time of day, how bright the room is and whether or not someone is home. Its developers say it will learn users' habits and respond accordingly. The Philips Hue is a similar LED bulb that lets you use an app to control your lights. You can even send a text message to tell your lights to turn off!
If you don’t want to deal with smart bulbs, you can purchase motion detectors or smart light switches that work with both regular CFLs and LED lights. Belkin WeMo offers both of these options and allows you to use an app to control your lights. You can set rules for your lighting, like setting times for lights to turn on and off, or you can use Siri on your iPhone to tell them to turn off.
The bottom line: Smart lighting, if used correctly, can help you cut down your energy consumption while saving money on your electricity bill.
Budget option: You can forget the smart bulbs, but switch your lights over to LEDs as your current bulbs burn out. LEDs are now priced under $10 each, such as this bulb from Cree, which lasts decades and is covered by a 10-year warranty.

Air Conditioners and Heating

Air conditioning accounts for only 6 percent of household energy use nationwide, while space heating accounts for around 40 percent. But this can vary a lot depending on where you live. For example, in Arizona, 25 percent of energy is used for air conditioning and only 15 percent for heating, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
If you have central heating and cooling, the Nest Learning Thermostat is a favorite, earning a #1 bestseller tag on Amazon and glowing reviews on CNET. The thermostat learns your habits over time, allows you to make changes with your smartphone or computer and displays your energy use on a dashboard. The Environmental Defense Fund called Nest “promising” and said the technology is good at reducing peak energy demand and saving money without being disruptive.
If you don’t have central air, the Quirky+GE Aros Smart AC may be right for you. This window air conditioning unit will allow you to connect with an app to schedule your cooling as if you had a thermostat. If you don’t want to buy a whole new AC unit, Tado° offers devices that turn your “dumb” air conditioner or heating system into a smart one. Both Tado° and Aros allow you to use your phone to tell control the system when you're away from the house.
The bottom line: Smart air conditioning or heating can be expensive to install. But if you don’t have a programmable thermostat at all, you’re missing out on lots of potential savings.
Budget option: You can get a basic model with most of the features you need for $20-25, and save around $180 a year by programming correctly.

Smart Power Strips

There are lots of devices in your home that use energy constantly, even if you only use them for a few hours or minutes a day. For example, TVs, DVD players, gaming consoles, laptops and many other devices that stay plugged into the wall will draw power even when they’re not in use. To cut down on energy lost to these “energy vampires,” smart power strips shut off energy to these devices when they’re not in use.
There are a variety of simple options, from timers and motion sensors to remote controls. There are also power strips that shut off when a key device is turned off, so that if you turn off your TV, the strip also cuts power to your cable box, gaming console and DVD player. Some also disconnect the power when all the devices plugged in are turned off, preventing devices from sucking power while they are in standby mode. Check out this infographic by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab for more info.
You can also get really fancy and use your smartphone to control outlets. The Belkin WeMo Insight outlet, for example, lets you turn off devices with your phone, track energy use, set alerts and more.
Bottom line: These power strips can definitely help you cut electricity loss and don't have to cost a fortune. They key, depending on the technology you choose, is setting them up and remembering to use them.
Budget option: The easiest way to deal with vampire energy is to just unplug all of your devices when you're not using or charging them (including cell phone chargers). You can also use a regular power strip with a switch to cut power to many devices at once, saving the number of plugs you’ll have to pull. They can cost less than $10 each and help you save up to 10 percent on your electricity bill.

Shower Savers

We’ve talked about saving energy, now its time to consider your water use. Only 16 percent of household water is used in the shower, but it is something we have a lot of control over on a daily basis. A lot of tech innovations have focused on how to use less water and take less time in the shower. For example, this shower head changes color when you’ve been in too long. User testing has found that it decreases time spent in the shower by 12 percent.
There are also devices that help you save water, like the Oxiget aerating showerhead, which reduces water consumption by 50 percent without compromising water pressure. The Evolve shower head or adapter stops running water as soon as it gets hot, which saves the water we often lose while waiting for the shower to heat up.
Bottom line: All three of these will save water in one way or another. Now, if only we could use all three of these at once!
Budget option: You can install a water-flow restrictor in your shower, if you don’t have one already. This slows the amount of water coming through your showerhead. You can also switch to an inexpensive WaterSense labeled showerhead, which can cost less than $10, and add WaterSense aerators to your faucets to save water and energy.

Green Apps

Beyond fancy equipment, knowledge is power when it comes to greening your home. While not technically gadgets, these apps will help give you the know-how to make environmentally-friendly decisions.
You can use an electricity-tracking app to help monitor your energy usage, drawing the information from either your energy bill or from direct data sent from your utility company. Apps like WattBuddy, Kill-Ur-Watts, Leafully and others do just this, though some only work with certain utility companies. Check your local utility's website to see if they have an app or the ability to work with one. By tracking your consumption, you can find out which habits help you save.
You can make greener purchasing decisions by using an app like GoodGuide or Ethical Barcode. These apps collect data about companies to help you sort through which products are actually green and which ones are just pretending. They also record other data on company ethics, safety and health.
You can find local recycling centers (including ones that take refuse like batteries, hazardous materials and lawn waste) using the iRecycle app. And educate yourself on all sorts of water saving activities using a variety of water conservation apps, like Water Use Calculator or H2O Tracker.

Bottom line: Apps can help you learn to make green decisions and develop water and energy-saving habits.
Budget option: These apps are all free, so no excuses.
It’s important to remember that a green home isn't just achieved by using cool gadgets. While technology can definitely help, good energy and water habits are also a must. Check out the Department of Energy’s Energy Saver website and the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program for great information on reducing your consumption.

10 Green Technologies That Could Help Revolutionize Our Changing Planet

  By Nick Visser

Posted: 05/07/2015 7:40 am EDT Updated: 05/07/2015 1:59 pm EDT 

 

In an era of drought, climate change and food shortages, environmental pioneers have joined forces to help tackle some of the world's most pressing issues through technological advancement.
Here are 10 burgeoning technologies that have the potential to help revolutionize our planet of consumerism. Some are currently in development and others are trying to gain a greater foothold in society, but all are promising solutions to some very real threats the world is facing.

Vertical Farming The future of modern agriculture could very well be found indoors. Vertical farms grow plants hydroponically (without soil) in large, multistory buildings under artificial light. Crops can be stacked on top of each other and grown far more quickly than with traditional farming methods.

Some advocates argue this new technology could become the norm as soon as 2050, while crop land grows scarce and a booming population demands more food. In the short term, vertical farms can be up to 100 times more productive than fields, and all produce is grown organically because of the nature of the contained environment.

Green Burial
Sure, you can be as green as you like while you're alive, but what about your environmental impact after you're dead? A new market for sustainable burials has blossomed to help counter the carbon-intensive and chemical-filled methods currently employed.
You can now be buried in everything from a "mushroom death suit" to a biodegradable casket, sans embalming. Another, more creative approach takes your ashes and puts them into "reef balls" that can help restore damaged coral ecosystems. The (under)world is your oyster.

Better Lighting
Lighting has come a long way in the past few years. The U.S. government banned many energy-guzzling incandescent light bulbs at the beginning of 2014 in favor of compact fluorescents and LEDs.
But it's the application of these new lighting technologies that's so exciting. LEDs have been named as a potential weapon against the mega-deadly plight of malaria in developing regions of Africa. And next-generation LED technology has helped vertical farming, mentioned above, take root.

Widespread Composting
Americans are awful about throwing things away. The average person in the U.S. produces about 4.4 pounds of trash a day and recycles just a third of that. But the Environmental Protection Agency estimates at least 75 percent of all trash could be diverted to recycling and compost facilities if people were a little less liberal with what they toss in garbage bins.
Several cities have instituted far-reaching composting and recycling programs to help cut back on waste and keep food scraps out of landfills. Early this year, in an effort to increase composting, Seattle made it illegal to throw food and food waste into the trash.

Batteries
Batteries are due for an upgrade.
Elon Musk's Tesla has said it plans to build a massive factory sometime in 2017 that would supply lithium-ion batteries for electric cars -- up to 500,000 a year. The company also announced a new line of rechargeable batteries that would store solar energy and power homes and businesses. They have been called the "iPad of stationary storage."

Renewable Energy At Home
Speaking of renewables, the falling cost of solar power has made it far more affordable for the everyday homeowner to install solar panels on their roofs. The cost of solar has fallen from around $150 per watt in 1970 to less than 60 cents a watt today.
But the U.S. is still lagging behind other countries. Americans have installed solar arrays on about 600,000 homes and businesses so far. But places like Germany have far more prolific coverage. The country reach a point one day last year when it produced nearly 75 percent of its entire energy demand from renewables.

Offshore Wind Power
One of the last great hurdles for renewable energy is offshore wind -- turbines located just off the coast that can generate near-constant green power.
Cape Wind was hailed as the first offshore wind array off the U.S. coast. But the multibillion-dollar project has faced a series of funding hurdles and the future of the farm is in doubt. Other countries have been more successful, with advances including a wind farm in Scotland that drew the ire of Donald Trump and floating turbines off the coast of Fukushima, near the site of Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster.

Reusable Rockets
SpaceX, another Musk company, has been trying to revamp the space exploration game and fuel our "Star Trek" fantasies with reusable rockets.
Rockets are notoriously expensive, and Musk has long advocated for reusable shuttles, which he says could reduce the cost of space travel by a factor of 100. SpaceX has had some trouble with its first three test flights, but it's only a matter of time until Musk sticks the landing.

Drought-Tolerant Crops
With the drought in California still raging, many farmers are worried about the future of their water-guzzling fields. Despite widespread water cutbacks for homeowners, agriculture hasn't been affected by the drought-fighting mandates of Gov. Jerry Brown (D).
Moving crops to less-parched areas of the country isn't always feasible, but farmers can instead plant drought-tolerant crops, such as genetically modified, resilient seeds that can surive with less water.

(Cheaper) Green Vehicles
Yes, many of us can admire a Tesla Model S from across the street, but the $70,000 starting price is still exorbitant. Tesla began selling used electric vehicles in May, but other companies are itching to join the fray.
Tesla said it is allowing others to access its patents to help boost innovation surrounding green automobiles, and BMW has started to pump out electric vehicles that start at almost $30,000 less than the Model S.

The Hobbit, Auckland, New Zealand

Posted: 12/16/2013 6:08 pm EST Updated: 02/15/2014 5:59 am EST 

 

Two hundred sixty-six days, 500 people, 115 truck drivers, 263 beards, and more than 140,000 cups of coffee.
These are a few of the astounding statistics behind the logistics of filming the latest in The Hobbit trilogy. Though the majority of the movies were filmed in a Wellington studio, nine weeks were spent in the New Zealand countryside filming in surroundings that excite the imagination. From the soaring peaks of the Southern Alps to the rolling green hills of Matamata, the scenery of New Zealand is so phenomenally mesmerizing that it's almost too perfect to be real.
In fact, while filming the movies, many of the cast expressed concerns that viewers would think the landscape was fake. How, they argued, could moviegoers believe that such stunning scenery is real? Where in the world do thundering waterfalls, turquoise lakes, volcanic pinnacles, and alpine glaciers all occupy a terrain with hardly any people?
Luckily for travelers to New Zealand, this fantasy-world of rings and hobbits was shot in a very real place, and thanks to the convenience of movie-themed tours, it's easy to visit the same outposts where dwarves and trolls once voyaged.
To take a walk in the footsteps of The Hobbit, here is a guide to many of the locations where scenes from the movies were filmed.

North Island

Matamata
Seeing as most visitors fly into Auckland -- and that the epic journey all began in The Shire -- it only makes sense that Matamata should be the first stop on a Hobbit-themed holiday. This rolling pastureland three hours south of Auckland offers the famous setting for Hobbiton, and after the filming of Lord of the Rings, the Hobbiton movie set was completely dismantled and the area returned to pasture. For the filming of The Hobbit, however, Hobbiton was constructed from permanent materials, and the captivating hamlet of life-sized hobbit holes is now a permanent North Island attraction. In addition to visiting Bag End -- home of Bilbo Baggins -- you can enjoy a meal in the Green Dragon Inn made famous in the Lord of the Rings.
While Matamata is only a short drive from Hamilton, many travelers choose to visit as part of a guided tour. There are multiple tours which depart from Auckland, others which also visit Waitomo Caves, and an exclusive option to arrive early to tour around Hobbiton prior to the opening.


Photo credit: Donnie Ray Jones via Flickr.

Set in a remote section of the Waikato region, PioPio and the Mangaotaki Rocks were the famous site of Trollshaw Forest. At an area known as Denize Bluffs, huge shafts of rock plunge upwards from the forest and make the perfect setting for a secretive hideaway.
Located 40 minutes south of Waitomo Caves and not far from the town of Te Kuiti, the setting itself is on private land and can only be accessed as part of a private tour.

Turoa

Photo credit: Heike Quosdorf via Flickr

For local Kiwi skiers and snowboarders, the Turoa ski area is a popular part of the largest skifield in New Zealand. For those on the trail of The Hobbit, however, the area around Turoa is better known as the entrance to The Lonely Mountain. Also known as Hidden Bay, this grassy tussock and rocky slope has the feel of an alpine outpost, and it's also the area from The Lord of the Rings where Gollum chased fish through the river. Not far away -- on the opposite side of the mountain -- is the volcanic section of Tongariro Park which was home to Mordor and the famous Mt. Doom.
Given the somewhat remote location and the distance from major cities (four to five hours from both Auckland and Wellington), the best way to visit the area around Turoa is by providing your own transportation. While here, be sure to do some hiking in Tongariro National Park, and the Tongariro Crossing is often considered as the best one-day hike in New Zealand.

Wellington

In addition to being the nation's capital, Wellington is the home of Stone Street Studios where much of the movies were filmed. It's also the home of the Weta Cave, which is the legendary studio of special effects where much of the magic was born.  Only 20 minutes from downtown Wellington, the Weta Cave is a must-stop destination for anyone who is a fan of the films. Inside this iconic compound of creative imagination, you can come face-to-face with replicas of the characters and learn about how they were brought to life on screen.
Though access to the Cave is open to the public, you can also visit as part of a tour which spends the day traveling to filming sights around Wellington. For Lord of the Rings fans, spend the morning touring the Gardens of Isengard and the walk along the banks of the Great River Anduin. After passing the site of famous Helm's Deep, attend the workshop at the Weta Cave for a full day of immersion in Middle Earth magic.

South Island

Pelorus River
Photo credit: Jeff Hitchcock via Flickr.

An hour west of the famous Marlborough vineyards -- though not quite as far as the sunny coast of Nelson -- Pelorus River is the only site in New Zealand where a collection of dwarves have rafted a river in wine barrels. The Pelorus River was used as an escape plan as a way to free the dwarves from Elvish imprisonment, and today is best visited as part of a guided kayak tour. For those who want to spend more time in the area, there is also a campground not far from the Pelorus Bridge where you can sit by the riverbank and re-enact the scene.

Queenstown

Known to most travelers as the adventure capital of New Zealand, areas around Queenstown were also the setting for some of the film's most dramatic vistas. On the outskirts of town, The Remarkables mountain range which is so popular with skiing also served as the setting for the mysterious Misty Mountains. An hour to the west of Queenstown, not far from the town of Glenorchy, Earnslaw Burn is the name of the glacier where Bilbo and company visit when leaving Rivendell.
Today, visitors can walk in the footsteps of The Hobbit by lacing up their hiking boots and walking the Earnslaw Burn Track. Along this walk through the Southern Alps, glacial waterfalls cascade their way down mountains with such dramatic splendor that they seem to spill from the sky.

Twizel, Lake Pukaki, and Mount Cook

Situated high in the Canterbury interior, these expansive plains were the dramatic setting for many battles and panoramic vistas. Mt. Cook and the neighboring Southern Alps feature prominently in the backdrop of many aerial shots, and the turquoise-infused Lake Pukaki was the setting for Laketown -- the city which is featured in The Desolation of Smaug.
Small group Hobbit tours visit filming locations around Twizel, which itself is located over three hours from Christchurch. For those who are staying in the city of Christchurch, you can also take a Lord of the Rings tour to Mt. Sunday which was used as the setting for the city of Edoras.

Strath Taieri

Photo credit: Phillip Capper via Flickr.

Located an hour outside the city of Dunedin, Strath Taieri and the Rock and Pillar Range are the remote outposts used for many of the chase scenes. The Hobbit cast members were forced to use helicopters to access many of the locations, although physically-fit hikers can access the craggy ridgeline by a series of walking tracks which weave through the hills.
Fiordland

Finally, the filming of The Hobbit could never be complete without a series of scenes featuring footage from Fiordland. Of all the footage which was gathered from Fiordland, the iconic landmark which is immediately recognizable is 1,900 ft. Sutherland Falls. Located along the trail for the Milford Track, this awe-inspiring waterfall forms the dramatic backdrop for when the hobbits are soaring on the backs of eagles.
Even though the sets -- with the exception of Hobbiton -- have been completely dismantled since completion of the films, movie fans are guaranteed to be touched by the magic of walking in the beauty of the footsteps of The Hobbit. After all, New Zealand is a real place, and while it might now be crawling in dwarves and orcs, standing in the surroundings leaves little to the imagination.

 - Kyle Ellison for Viator 

The Real-Life Giant Transformer - A Robot into a Two Seater CAR

The real-life giant Transformer that morphs from a robot into a two seater CAR: Japanese humanoid transforms in seconds

• Japanese inventors have unveiled their humanoid Transformer robot
• Called 'J-deite half' it can change from a robot into a car 
• Eventual plan is to build one 16.4ft (five metres) tall by 2020  
• The robot is only a prototype and will not be available for public release 

By Mark Prigg

Published: 22:51 GMT, 15 June 2015 | Updated: 23:04 GMT, 15 June 2015

Ever wanted to own a Transformer? Thanks to a Japanese company, that dream is not far away.

Called 'J-deite half', it will be a 3.5-meter-tall robot that can transform into a two-wheel-drive vehicle running at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour, or 37 mph.

Its creators, Brave Robotics and Asratec Corp, say it will hit the streets in 2017 - and have already built a working quarter scale version.

The 3.5-meter-tall robot that can transform into a two-wheel-drive vehicle running at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour, or 37 mph.

 

HOW IT WORKS 

The 3.5-meter-tall robot can transform into a two-wheel-drive vehicle running at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour, or 37 mph . 

Weighing 700 kilograms (1,540 pounds), the machine could transform in less than 10 seconds into a two-passenger vehicle that could be controlled from the cockpit or remotely. 

Brave Robotics Inc. and Asratec Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Corp., said they have begun work on a 3.5-meter-tall robot that can transform into a two-wheel-drive vehicle running at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour, or 37 mph. 

They aim to have a working model by 2017.

The robot in its humanoid form to walk at 30 kph with wheels and at 10 kph on foot. 

Weighing 700 kilograms (1,540 pounds), the machine could transform in less than 10 seconds into a two-passenger vehicle that could be controlled from the cockpit or remotely.

A quarter-sized prototype was unveiled in October 2014. 

'Brave Robotics and Asratec started joint development of a huge transforming robot 'J-deite RIDE'' the firm's said.

'J-deite RIDE' is the high-end model of the 'J-deite Quarter' which was announced last year, and it also adopts Asratec's robot control system 'V-Sido OS.'

'We aim to complete development in 2017 and development process will be continuously announced on this website.'

The prototype robot was created by a collaboration involving Brave Robotics, Asratec and Takara Tommy.

Scheduled to be completed by 2020, the current robot is 4.3ft (1.3 metres) tall - but it will eventually be 16.4ft (five metres) high.

Real-life Transformer: Japanese robot goes from car to humanoid

The first prototype, which weighs 77lbs (35kg), was unveiled at the annual Digital Content Expo in Tokyo on 23 October last year.

It can walk on two legs at a speed of 0.62mph (1km/h), but when it changes to 'car mode' however, it can reach speeds of 6.2mph (10 km/h).

The prototype, which weighs 77lbs (35kg), was unveiled at the annual Digital Content Expo in Tokyo on 23 October last year.

When the prototype changes to 'car mode' it can reach speeds of 6.2mph (10 km/h).

In the video it is seen moving its head, lifting its arms and of course changing into car mode - all in a matter of seconds.

However, when in robot mode it seems to prefer an awkward waddle, rather than walking in full stride like a real Transformer.

It is powered by something called 'V-Sido OS', software designed by creator Wataru Yoshizaki to allow anyone to control humanoid robots.

The team doesn't have plans to release the robot to the public, instead only building it as a prototype.

The robot has even been give the 'face' of a Tansformer

Humanoid to car in a flash: WATCH the speedy transformation

   

The prototype robot was created by a collaboration involving Brave Robotics, Asratec and Takara Tommy. Scheduled to be completed by 2020, the current robot is 4.3ft (1.3 metres) tall - but it will eventually be 16.4ft (five metres). It operates in both car mode (left) and robot mode (right)

Where Are All the Aliens?

Where are all the aliens? Video explores the Fermi paradox that questions why we haven't made contact with other civilisations despite the size of the universe

• Italian physicist Enrico Fermi posed a troubling question in 1950
• He asked, if life was abundant, why has no one made contact with us?
• No-one has been able to solve this so-called Fermi Paradox to date
• But a new video has taken a look at what the solutions might be

By Jonathan O'Callaghan

Published: 14:27 GMT, 5 June 2015 | Updated: 08:04 GMT, 8 June 2015 

 

There are billions of galaxies in the observable universe, each with up to a trillion stars, meaning there are likely trillions and trillions of habitable planets in the cosmos.

But, if such worlds are so abundant, and life on Earth has been able to thrive, then why have we not found any aliens yet?

Known as the Fermi paradox, this is a question that continues to plague scientists - and in a video, experts have tried to tackle what's going on.

Italian physicist Enrico Fermi posed a troubling question in 1950. He asked, if life was so abundant, why has no one made contact with us? No-one has been able to solve the Fermi Paradox to date. In a new video (still image shown), experts took at look at what the answer might be

Humanity has rapidly advanced in the last 100 years, but this is considered 'a blink of an eye' in history of the 13.82-billion-year-old universe. 

So it’s not inconceivable to think we might start visiting other stars in the future.

But it seems unlikely that we would be the first civilisation to reach this stage, so surely we should have heard from someone by now?

This has led people to suggest that true interstellar travel may be impossible or, more dauntingly, perhaps no civilisation can last long enough to make contact.

 

WHAT IS THE FERMI PARADOX? 

The Fermi Paradox questions why have we not found aliens, despite the existence of hundreds of billions of exosolar systems in our galactic neighborhood in which life might evolve.

Italian physicist Enrico Fermi devised it in 1950.

He believed it was too extraordinary that not a single extraterrestrial signal or engineering project has yet been detected.

He claimed there must be some kind of barrier that prevents the rise of intelligent, self-aware, technologically advanced, space-colonising civilisations.

This barrier is sometimes referred to as a 'Great Filter'. 

The absence could be caused because either intelligent life is extremely rare or intelligent life has a tendency to go extinct. 

In a video created by YouTube channel Kurz Gesagt, they take a look at some of the factors that might have prevented us from making contact so far.

The first - and perhaps biggest - obstacle is space travel itself, which is extremely difficult, based on our current knowledge.

To colonise another planet with our current technologies, ‘a journey of maybe thousands of years needs to be survived by a population big enough to start from a scratch,' the narrator in the video explained.

Even if we could travel close to the speed of light, something inconceivable to us right now, it would take 100,000 years to cross the Milky Way.

So perhaps visiting another planet is out of the question.

It may also be a chance of cosmic circumstance that we have not yet made contact.

‘The universe is very old,’ the narrator in the video explained.

‘On Earth there's been life for at least 3.6 billion years. Intelligent human life for about 250,000 years.’

‘But only for about a century have we had the technology to communicate over great distances.

‘There might have been grand alien empires that stretched across thousands of systems and existed for millions of years, and we might just have missed them.’

Humanity has advanced in the last one hundred years, a blink of an eye in the 14.6 billion-year-old universe, so it’s not inconceivable to think that we might start visiting other stars in the future (artist's impression shown). But it seems unlikely that we would be the first civilisation to reach this stage, so where is everyone?

Another problem could be that, even if there are other alien civilisations alive right now, it might just be that our methods of communication are too primitive at the moment.

‘Imagine sitting in a house with a morse code transmitter, you'd keep sending messages but nobody would answer, and you would feel pretty lonely,' said the narrator.

‘Maybe we're still undetectable for intelligent species.’

Another interesting concept is the idea of a Matrioshka Brain.

This would essentially be a virtual reality within which a species that had no desire to progress further could live in paradise for eternity - not unlike The Matrix, although slightly less dystopian.

We have been searching in earnest for planets outside the solar system for decades using telescopes like Kepler (illustrated) but, so far, no sign of life has been found. In addition, we have been sending our own signals out for more than a century but, again, no one seems to have taken notice

One theory for an advanced alien race is that they might harness the power of an entire star, known as a Dyson Sphere (illustrated). However, if such a structure existed, it is theorised that we would be able to detect its infrared signature - but a recent study found no such evidence

 

HOW COULD ALIENS HARNESS THE POWER OF ENTIRE STARS? 

A proposed method for harnessing the power of an entire star is known as a Dyson sphere.

First proposed by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960, this would be a swarm of satellites that surrounds a star.

They could be an enclosed shell, or spacecraft spread out to gather its energy - known as a Dyson swarm.

If such structures do exist, they would emit huge amounts of noticeable infrared radiation back on Earth.

But as of yet, such a structure has not been detected.

Source: All About Space magazine 

A giant structure containing the collective consciousness of the species inside this virtual reality would harness the power of a star.

‘If built around a red dwarf [star], this computer could be powered for up to ten trillion years,’ said the narrator.

‘Who would want to conquer the galaxy or make contact with other life forms if this were an option?’ 

It has been theorised that such a structure - sometimes called a Dyson Sphere - would be noticeable if it did exist, owing to the huge amounts of infrared radiation it would give off.

But a study by Penn State University in Pennsylvania to find one of these structures in 100,000 galaxies proved unsuccessful, although further attempts are likely to be made.

‘All these solutions to the Fermi Paradox have one problem,’ said the narrator.

‘We don't know where the borders of technology are. We could be close to the limit or nowhere near it.

‘And super technology awaits us, granting us immortality, transporting us to other galaxies, elevating us to the level of gods.

‘One thing we do have to acknowledge is that we really don't know anything.’

We have now found planets beyond the solar system that could possibly support life, such as Kepler-186f (illustrated), but the chances of visiting one of these planets at the moment with our current forms of propulsion is out of the question - and perhaps true interstellar travel is simply not possible

The video concludes by saying that, although we might be ‘embryos’ on a galactic time scale, the only way to find out our true place in the universe, and discover if we are alone, is to continue our search, the advancement of our species and, ultimately, the colonisation of other worlds.

It could even be that we are, in fact, the most advanced race in the universe.

If that is the case, then many experts have argued that we must do all we can to survive and preserve perhaps the most important discovery we’ve made so far: life itself, namely, us.

BMW 7 Reries - Remote Driving

Is this the most hi-tech car EVER? BMW's 7 series boasts a cinema, massage seats and James Bond-style remote driving - and it lets you control the dash using gestures

• BMW 7 Series is designed to marry luxury with technology
• Top-of-the-range models include massaging, reclining seats, a tablet, TV screens, automatic air-con and other comforts
• Drivers can use gestures and a touch screen to control functions 
• New model will go on sale this autumn and cost from $81,000 (£52,000)  

By Sarah Griffiths

Published: 16:19 GMT, 11 June 2015 | Updated: 20:24 GMT, 11 June 201

 

In a bid to rival the luxurious, high-end cars from the likes of Rolls Royce and Bentley, BMW has unveiled its next 7 series. 

The car boasts a back-seat cinema, massaging seats and gesture controls so drivers can adjust the radio, for example, with a wave of their hand.

And the top-of-the-range car will also allow drivers to park the new model using a remote control, much like James Bond controlled an old BMW model in the 1997 film, Tomorrow Never Dies.

Cinema, massage seats: Inside possibly the most hi-tech car ever

   

Clever: But the German automaker’s new 7 Series boasts a back-seat cinema, massaging seats and gesture controls (pictrured) so driverscan adjust the radio, for example, with the wave of their hand

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG said: ‘This balance of cutting-edge technology, connectivity and comfort is our vision of modern luxury.'

The car has a sleek carbon fibre body that makes it 190 lbs (89kg) lighter than its predecessor, hiding a more efficient V-8 engine generating 445 horsepower.

An ‘adaptive mode’ will match driving style to the route driven, so the ride will be focused on comfort on a rough country road, for example, but sporty on a smooth motorway.

LIght: The car has a sleek carbon fibre body (pictured) that makes it 190 lbs lighter than its predecessor, hiding a more efficient V-8 engine generating 445 horsepower

Comfortable: Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG said: ‘This balance of cutting-edge technology, connectivity and comfort is our vision of modern luxury. Here, a businessman relaxes in the leather interior, with TVs, a reclining massage seat and in-built tablet 

The 7 Series is the first production car to allow owners to manoeuvre in or out of forward-parking spaces or garages without anyone at the wheel by using a remote control - much like James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan (pictured) controlled his BMW 759i in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies, although less violently

 

REMOTE CONTROL PARKING 

The 7 Series is the first production car to allow owners to manoeuvre in or out of forward-parking spaces or garages without anyone at the wheel.

It allows drivers to access tight parking spaces with ease and a lack of personal skill at the touch of a button on a smart key ring.

While the car is carrying out the semi-automated manoeuvre, the driver simply has to watch out for obstacles.

But it is the interior that’s super luxurious.

Top-of-the range models can include an ‘Executive Lounge’ which BMW said ‘redefines personal well-being in a luxury car.’

In practice, this means the back seats are spacious and packed with gadgets for discerning business people.

There is automatic air conditioning, electronically adjustable seats with a massage function and TVs embedded into the front seats.

A footrest can make lounging in the back more comfortable, or more active executives can choose a ‘Vitality Programme’ massage, which gives them ‘active physical exercise,’ according to the firm.

And when they have finished working up a sweat, the rear seats can be reclined to a near-horizontal position for a power nap.

Spacious: Top of the range models can include an ‘Executive Lounge’ (pictured) which BMW says ‘redefines personal well-being in a luxury car.’ In practice this means that the back seats are spacious and packed with gadgets for discerning businessmen

Sleek: Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, said: ‘In BMW’s eyes, modern luxury is rooted in the most advanced technologies and extremely fine attention to detail.' This is the front of the car

Smart: A table in between the rear seats plays host to a removable seven-inch tablet, known as the ‘Touch Command System’ (pictured) that lets passengers control the radio or use it to play games or surf the net

A table in between the rear seats plays host to a removable seven-inch tablet, known as the ‘Touch Command System’ that lets passengers control the radio or use it as a controller to play games and surf the net on the TVs.

Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, said: ‘In BMW’s eyes, modern luxury is rooted in the most advanced technologies and extremely fine attention to detail.

‘This generation of the BMW 7 Series is the most luxurious, most comfortable and – all round – the best car we have ever built in this class.’

Drivers of the new model will be also able to control some of the car’s features using gestures for the first time.

Gestures are detected by sensors and can be used to control the car’s music system, including turning the volume up and down with the wave of a hand, as well as accepting or rejecting phone calls.

There is also the option of pairing a specific gesture with an individual choice of function, BMW said.

Drivers of the new will be able to control some of the car’s features using gestures for the first time.The car's main control panel has a touch screen (pictured) so it can be used like a tablet

Alert: The car has a head-up display to show traffic warnings and phone calls (illustrated)  as well as a steering and land control assistant, cameras to help them park and even a Remote Control Parking system, which means they can park their car remotely

 

GESTURE CONTROLS IN 7 SERIES 

Drivers of the new will be able to control some of the car’s features using gestures for the first time.

Gestures are detected by sensors and can be used to control the car’s music system, including turning the volume up and down with the wave of a hand, as well as accepting or rejecting phone calls.

There is also the option of pairing a specific gesture with an individual choice of function, BMW said.

Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW North America, told CNBC : 'Just a simple gesture, moving your hand or just pointing two fingers towards the dash, will mean a certain order to the car.’

Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW North America, told CNBC: 'Just a simple gesture, moving your hand or just pointing two fingers towards the dash, will mean a certain order to the car.’

‘It is elegant, it's dynamic, it's futuristic, [it] has a lot of innovations.’

A new smartphone holder allows wireless inductive charging for mobiles for the first time in a car, meaning no more annoying wires and connectors.

Life will also get easier for 7 Series drivers because the car has a heads-up display to show traffic warnings and phone calls as well as a steering and land control assistant, cameras to help them park and even a Remote Control Parking system, which means they can park their car remotely.

The 7 Series is the first production car to allow owners to manoeuvre in or out of forward-parking spaces or garages without anyone at the wheel.

It allows drivers to access tight parking spaces with ease and a lack of personal skill at the touch of a button on a smart key ring.

While the car is carrying out the semi-automated manoeuvre, the driver simply has to watch out for obstacles.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, all this technology and luxury comes at a cost.

Prices start at $81,300 (£52,461) and the car will launch this autumn. However, this is for the 'basic' model and the price of the optional extras has not been revealed. 

MailOnline has contacted BMW for more information.   

The remote control function on the new model is similar to the one featured in the Bond film, Tomorrow Never dies (clip above) 

The 7 Series is the first production car to allow owners to manoeuvre in or out of forward-parking spaces or garages without anyone at the wheel by using a remote control (pictured)

Hoverbikes for the Battlefield

US soldiers could soon travel like stormtroopers: Military bosses developing Star Wars 'hoverbikes' for the battlefield

• Hoverbike will become a Tactical Reconnaissance Vehicle
• Could carry troops and equipment into battle 
• Being developed with UK firm Malloy Aeronautics 

By Mark Prigg

Published: 20:25 GMT, 15 June 2015 | Updated: 21:07 GMT, 15 June 2015 

 

Star Wars could soon be headed to the battlefield - thanks to a New Zealand inventor.

Malloy Aeronautics has revealed a deal with the  U.S. Department of Defense to develop its radical flying machine for the military.

They say the Hoverbike is being developed to operate as a new class of Tactical Reconnaissance Vehicle (TRV).

Malloy Aeronautics has revealed a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop its radical flying machine for the US military.

A mockup of the full sized hoverbike, which is similar in size to a small car.

HOW IT WORKS

The 'hoverbike' is similar to a quadcopter, using four standard helicopter style rotors, overlapped with each other.

The full sized design uses a motorcycle engine and controls. 

The firm made the announcement at the Paris Air Show.

Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford joined with SURVICE Engineering Co., a Belcamp, Md.-based defense firm, and U.K.-based Malloy Aeronautics, an aeronautical engineering firm, to announce that the two companies have teamed up on the development of Hoverbike technology for the U.S. Department of Defense. 

SURVICE and Malloy are working on the Hoverbike as part of an ongoing research and development contract with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.  

As part of this strategic alliance, Malloy Aeronautics has also announced that they have established a U.S. office in Belcamp adjacent to Aberdeen Proving Ground to complete work on the Hoverbike. 

'I am pleased to join with SURVICE Engineering and Malloy Aeronautics to announce their partnership on the Hoverbike, which represents a new frontier in aviation,' said Lt. Governor Rutherford. 

'We are also very excited to welcome Malloy and look forward to working with them to grow their operations in Maryland.'

'Establishing an office in Maryland was a clear business decision,' said Chris Malloy, managing director of Malloy Aeronautics. 

'The proximity to the Army Research Laboratory and U.S. defense decision makers, access to the world-class facilities through the laboratory's Open Campus initiative, and the co-location with our strategic business partner, SURVICE Engineering, were all factors in favor of Maryland as the best choice for Malloy Aeronautics.' 

The world's first flying motorcycle! Hoverbike gets test flight

 

The hoverbike is here! The 1/3 scale version of the bike being piloted by a 3d printed robo-pilot

The firm says it producing a 1/3 sized version of its design to help fund the full sized prototype.

'This drone was originally built as a proof of concept for our latest full-sized Hoverbike prototype,' said Chris Malloy, the drone's inventor.

'After testing the 1/3rd Hoverbike, we realized that it had lots of features that made it a fantastic drone, not only this - selling this scale Hoverbike to the public would allow us to raise funds to continue the development of the manned version.

'The objective of this campaign is to kick-start sales of our beautiful 1/3rd scale Hoverbike drone and accessories via your pledges, and to help create a long term income stream that we can use to continue development of the manned Hoverbike,' it says.

The full sized design uses a motorcycle engine and controls.

However, the smaller version uses electric motors, and can be controlled using a standard RC helicopter controller.

The hoverbike in action - complete with its 3D printed humanoid robot driver.

The drone is made up of four blade, which give it its stability.

The firm says its full sized version could be used to commute on.

The futuristic prototype has the potential to travel up to 92 miles or for about 45 minutes on one tank of fuel and is expected to come with a hefty price tag of more than £45,000.

So far the bike, which weighs 270kgs, has only been tested while tethered to the ground to prevent it flying too high. But plans to test it's capabilities without any restrictions are set to go-ahead soon.

The firm will also make a 3D printable pilot, who can have a Go Pro camera fitted in his 'head' to record flights

'We combined the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter to create the world's first flying motorcycle,' it said.

'When compared with a helicopter, the Hoverbike is cheaper, more rugged and easier to use - and represents a whole new way to fly.  

'The Hoverbike flies like a quadcopter, and can be flown unmanned or manned, while being a safe - low level aerial workhorse with low on-going maintenance.'

The firm says it is almost ready to begin flight testing of the full sized version.

Big screen: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) battle a Stormtrooper on their speeder bike in Star Wars Return of the Jedi 

'We are in the final construction stages of the latest manned prototype of Hoverbike, and in a few months we will start flight testing.

'After the successful completion of test flights we will build a final engineering prototype for submission to aviation certification authorities.