David Lidsky's Blog, page 4683

MIT Designs Ultra-Efficient, Flying Fishlike Planes

The next major replacements for the Boeing 737 and 777 models might not come from Boeing at all. MIT researchers recently presented NASA with two models for efficient, low emissions planes--part of a $2.1 million research contract awarded to the university by NASA in 2008. MIT's objective: design quiet subsonic planes that emit 70% less NOx, burn 70% less fuel than current models, and have the ability to take off from short runways. In true MIT style, the university delivered--albeit with...

The Granola Guys | FEED Granola

How a pair of male models made simple, organic snacks attractive and landed their brand in Whole Foods, Costco, and on the Rachael Ray Show.

[vimeo 10333620:]

*In Partnership with

 

About FEED Granola: The Granola Guys believe that what you put in to your body determines what you get out of it, and created their granola from the best organic ingredients on the market. See how these two built their innovative brand that's shaking up the food industry from Whole Foods to Costco to the Rachael...

Nintendo and American Heart Association Team Up to Earn Extra Life

Gaming giant Nintendo and the American Heart Association (AHA) are partnering to help Americans become more active. Starting in the next few weeks, Wii systems and the titles WiiFit Plus and Wii Sports Resort will feature the AHA logo and the motto, "Working together to promote physically active play as part of a healthy lifestyle." "Millions of Americans are involved in gaming, and Nintendo is the leader in that space," Dr. Clyde Yancy, President of the AHA, tells FastCompany.com. "This is...

Q&A: The Spirit of Alvar Aalto Lives, in Designs Meant to Save Lives and the Earth

Senior execs at Artek talk about sustainability, ideology, and the deeply held similarities between Finns and Japanese. And they reveal a hush-hush lamp that combats seasonal depression.

Artek, the legendary furniture firm co-founded by Alvar Aalto, is finally landing on American shores: The company has opened its first-ever American showroom, and, rather than relying on distributors, they've invested in an American sales force.

At this year's ICFF, FastCompany.com spoke with Artek's newly...

London's Big Red Double Decker Bus Reincarnated with Green Tech

It was one of the pledges of his electoral campaign, and now London Mayor Boris Johnson has made good on his promise to bring back the Routemaster, London's iconic red double-decker bus. However, this is not just a return of the diesel-chugging monster that contributed to London's smoggy reputation, but a cleaner, greener--and a damn sight dearer--model. And today, the new design, complete with new-generation hybrid engine, was unveiled to the general public.

"This iconic new part of our...

Google's TV Ambitions to Get Limelight This Week?

Maybe Apple should've spent a little more time tinkering with its "hobby" project, Apple TV--Google, Sony, and Intel are jockeying to steal its position at the heart of your digital entertainment system. This week they'll launch a Smart TV project.

Big rumors are that Google's executive team is due to reveal its plans during this week's developer conference in San Francisco. It'll be dubbed Smart TV, and it will built on the ever-growing trend toward Internet-enabled television by combining...

Redesigning the Bus Stop: Teague's Traffic 2.0 Makes Transit More Friendly

Having grown up in New York in the '70s, public transportation holds a special place in my heart. I can fondly recall the dilapidated state of subway cars and platforms in the mid-'70s. The sight of teenagers catching free rides off the back bumper ledge and that uniquely urban rite of passage: taking your first unchaperoned ride on the unwieldy system. Having now lived almost half my life outside of that city, I've had ample opportunity to test public transit in any number of locations and...

Crib Sheet: Christiana Figueres, Climate Change Chief of the U.N., Not Trashy Romance Novelist

She has described her new job as "thankless," but all hail Christiana Figueres, the U.N.'s new climate chief. The 53-year-old Costa Rican is a surprise appointment, as everyone was expecting Ban Ki-Moon to offer Marthinus Van Schalkwyk the post. But politics is in her blood--her dad, Jose Figueres Ferrer, three-times president of Costa Rica, fronted the country's 1948 revolution, and her mom was a New York-born student activist. Plus, one look at her résumé, and it's not so surprising she's...

Your Ideas for Stopping and Cleaning Up the BP Gulf Oil Disaster

BP can use all the help it can get in cleaning up the ever-growing Gulf oil spill--even with minor successes this weekend, the oil giant still lacks an immediate solution to stopping the flow of oil altogether. That's why it maeks sense to harness the power of the internet and collect as many ideas as possible from, well, everyone. The UK Guardian did just that earlier today, with exciting results. Below, a selection of promising ideas from the Guardian's solicitation for help.

Dr. Philip...

HTC Droid Eris 2.1 Update Frazzling Some Contacts, Is the Cloud the Only Refuge?

The firmware update to Android 2.1 for HTC's Droid Eris is finally out ... but the code seems to be frazzling the existing setups users have on their phones. People's contacts seem to be evaporating. Is it a bug or Google forcing your data into the cloud?

Various reports are popping up on the Web that suggest updating your precious Droid Eris with the newest edition of its Android OS may not be entirely risk-free. Over on the Droid-Eris forum there're complaints like this one from user...