Converting to solar energy means covering a roof in unsightly solar panels. Not necessarily: Philadelphia company SRS Energy has developed the Solé Power Tile, a roof tile designed to sustainably convert sunlight into electricity without compromising aesthetics. The dark blue tiles, manufactured by SRS Energy, are jointly branded and distributed by US Tileand specifically designed to be compatible with the clay roof tiles manufactured by US Tile. Customers who purchase clay tiles will be given the option to upgrade a section of their roof to Solé Power Tiles. When installed, the system can offset a large proportion of a homeowner’s energy costs—not to mention cleaning their carbon conscience. The tiles are available in select West Coast markets this autumn, with a nationwide rollout planned for spring 2010.

SRS Energy says that the Solé tiles, made from a high-performance polymer often used in car bumpers, are lightweight, unbreakable and recyclable. Flexible solar technology by United Solar Ovonic is embedded inside each tile, allowing them to function independently of each other. Meanwhile, the performance of the system as a whole is monitored remotely by SRS Energy and US Tile. The director of engineering at SRS Energy is J.D. Albert, who also developed the electronic ink technology used in Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader.

What’s so attractive about the Solé Power Tile system he and his team have produced is that it makes it easy for consumers to make a green choice, without having to settle for a product they find unappealing. With more tile styles and colours in the pipeline, SRS Energy could soon be enjoying a big chunk of eco-bounty, as will any other company that can remove the disincentives from sustainable technology.

Website: www.srsenergy.com
Contact: www.srsenergy.com/ContactUs.aspx

Duct-tape Flask to Body

The most classic and effective method of sneaking booze into a non-booze area is to simply grab a roll of duct tape and fasten a flask to your inner thigh a little pain for a lot of gain. The junk is widely known as a security safe-haven; therefore, your odds of success improve exponentially with every inch closer than the last.

Secret Beer Belly

Beer and sports go hand-in-hand so its only natural for sports-fans to develop a bit of a beer gut over time. Using this phenomenon to your advantage, feel free to rock theSecret Beer Belly for a drunken day at the ballpark youll blend in like the rest and security will never know the difference.

Seat Cushion Flask

Nobody can blame you for wanting to sit in comfort rather than on raw planks of stadium seating. Reminiscent of a waterbed, these seat cushions can be filled with your booze of choice, leaving you with a padded place to settle and thirst-quenching refreshment all game long. Yes, they may be a bit heavy to begin with, but youll no doubt lighten your load by days end.

Cell Phone Flask

Keys, wallet, cell phone; the staples carried by everybody, everyday. Simply leave your real phone at home and fill up your phone-flask with your poison of choice. Youll be able to waltz through security looking no different than the thousands that preceded you with the same three items in their pockets.

Wheel-Chair Decoy

Do your good deed for the year and take a disabled or elderly friend to the ballgame with you. No one needs to know your motives but wheelchairs make for a great place to stash your paraphernalia undetected the last thing security is going to do is have them stand for a frisking. Everybody wins.

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since when do we get to play god? I mean i understand the cloning / growing organs story but really what use can civilization have for a GIANT JUNGLE CAT i mean is this not really some sick yanks idea for a fake theme park that resembles AFRICA -- seriously dudes put your cash to better use!

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Top 10: Lottery Tragedies

No.10 - Willie Hurt

Michigan, $3.1 million

Prior to 1989, Willie Hurt was a happily married family man who was fairly well known in his community. But all that changed when he won $3.1 million in the Michigan Lottery. Within two years, Hurt separated from his wife, lost custody of his children, blew through his fortune, and was charged with attempted murder. His lawyer claimed all the money went toward Hurt’s messy divorce and his crack cocaine addiction.

What AM would have bought: Honus Wagner baseball card and the bat Babe Ruth used to hit his first home run at Yankee Stadium.

No.9 - Suzanne Mullins

Virginia, $4.2 million

In 1993, Suzanne Mullins struck it big when she won $4.2 million after matching all six numbers in the Virginia Lottery. The kind-hearted woman planned on splitting the 20 annual payments of $47,800 with her husband and daughter. However, within five years, Mullins found herself in dire straights when her bills began to pile up. Desperate for cash, she resorted to a loan from a financial foundation. Eleven years after winning, Mullins now owes $154,146.50 in defaulted loan payments. She blamed the debt on the lengthy illness of her uninsured son-in-law, who needed $1 million for medical bills.

What AM would have bought: A private island in the Bahamas (Johnny Depp bought one for $3.6 million in 2004).

THEY GET BETTER AND DUMBER AS YOU GO DOWN!

You gotta love it when your mom publicly congratulates you on Facebook for breaking your spell of sexlessness. Isn’t that right, mom? *high-five* But seriously, knock next time. Also, this sock needs washing.

Monopoly City Streets: Take over your own bit of the world…

The Monopoly Dude

Ah the sweet taste of world domination – come on, you can’t say that it’s never crossed your mind before. Fortunately, Monopoly and Google Earth have teamed up to make this harmless desire come true.

As Google Earth is one of the most popular online applications around, and Monopoly is one of the most well known board games of all time, it seems as though each company saw an opportunity to make something different that combines the best of both worlds. The result of all of this is a global online game called Monopoly City Streets.

Cape Town could be yours

In Monopoly City Streets you are initially given 3,000,000 million dollars to buy and sell property from pretty much any location in the world whether it in Paris, New York, or Cape Town. At the beginning you are prompted to buy a street. If someone owns it, you can either make an offer to buy, or try to sabotage them. Your goal, like in any monopoly game is to build your own little empire of property through crafty negotiation.

Segway’s Concept Centaur took centre stage today when Michelin announced its new TWEEL combination tyre-wheel. The Tweel was shown fitted to a Segway, an iBOT and Project Centaur, indicating for the first time from the company that the machine dubbed “The Wheelie Machine” has a commercial future. The Centaur is a lightweight, four-wheel concept vehicle combining the company’s proprietary gyroscope-based dynamic stabilization technology with advanced propulsion and suspension systems, and an intuitive user interface to create a unique four-wheel device that is easily controllable on two or four wheels. That’s right, you’ll be able to wheelstand out of sight the first time you ride it. Check out the image gallery for extensive new images added September 2006.

The Centaur uses dynamic stabilization technology to limit and/or maintain the angle the rider chooses.

What would normally be a dangerous manoeuvre on a motorcycle or ATV becomes safe and controlled on the Centaur. In addition, the rider can position his/her body in three different ways, which makes for a fun ride.

This technology also allows for a high-performance design with a short, compact wheelbase – a combination that traditionally can be very difficult to control.

And you can still steer with the front wheels in the air thanks to a clever combination of simultaneous mechanical and drive-by-wire steering that allows smooth transitions between two-wheel and four-wheel operation.

The front two wheels turn left and right mechanically, which is made possible by an innovative linkage system designed by Segway engineers.

The Centaur’s advanced control software also allows the rear wheels to turn at different rates in response to data received from the rider’s steering direction.

When on two wheels, steering is accomplished in the same manner, by turning the handlebar. Sensors in the vertical portion of the steering column monitor the rider’s input and sends a signal to the controller boards, which then issues a command to drive either or both of the rear wheels.

Turning rate is coordinated so that even with the wheels off the ground, Centaur follows the path defined by the front wheel angles.

The lightweight Centaur weighs around 70 kilograms and can be easily transported in the back of a large SUV or small pick-up truck. If developed, its light weight would allow for transport on the back of small cars through a hitch-mounted rack, similar to that used for carrying bicycles.

Top speed for Concept Centaur is currently around 20 miles per hour but with more testing, this could be expected to vary, hopefully upwards.

Interestingly, one of Gizmag’s most popular stories in 2003 was the Bombardier Embrio, a similar concept to the Segway, using Segway-type gyroscopic balancing, and ONE wheel!

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There have been many tributes both en mass and personal to MJ but i like to think that he would have loved this one the most. It is a classic tribute to the power of his music, movements and the lasting impression he has left on the world as a whole! To top it all of the contribution of Janet shared the personal side and connection he had with his family that few people ever got to see.

Well done to MTV as always!

This poor bastard got stuck on a sand bank as im sure most of you have before – however NOT in a massive oil tanker!!

The talk is they have got crews out here from some far off country to drain the thing and then they are going to slice and dice it – cant wait for that but ill keep you visually updated!