| Naval researchers soak up the sun below sea level with special solar cells Jun 8th 2012, 10:05  Have you ever harbored delusions of living in an underwater city inhabited by the likes of Ariel or those aliens from The Abyss? Yeah, well keep dreaming, because this engineering feat won't necessarily lead to that (the fictional mer people part, that is). What it will pave the way for is a new means of harnessing the sun's rays below sea level to power submerged sensor systems and platforms. The research, carried out by a team of U.S. Naval scientists, forgoes traditional crystalline and amorphous silicon photovoltaic cells for those based on the more efficient gallium indium phosphide. The reason? Turns out those latter semiconductors are well-suited to absorbing photons in the blue / green spectrum -- precisely the wavelengths that diffused sunlight takes on under water. Using this newer approach, the team's proven that about 7 watts of energy can be generated per square meter of these deployed cells at a depth of up to 9.1 meters (30 feet). Further refinements and testing are, naturally, on deck, but soon enough we may be looking at a whole new world of possibilities under the sea.
[Image courtesy Flickr] Naval researchers soak up the sun below sea level with special solar cells originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 06:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Naval Research Laboratory | Email this | Comments | | Deezer starts streaming tunes in 35 Latin America countries, Mexico and Puerto Rico included Jun 8th 2012, 09:19  Music streaming service Deezer unveiled its global expansion strategy late last year, and what better way to stay true to your word than by launching in 35 countries all at once. Deezer announced earlier today it's going live in a whole bunch of Latin American nations starting today, including markets such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Uruguay, Colombia, Bermuda and Jamaica. The service will offer a variety of different plans to choose from; one of which is a "Discovery Mode" that allows users to have access to over 18 million tracks but limits the jams to 30-second clips -- or, there's also a gratis 15-day trial if you're looking for the full-on experience. Additionally, the Premium and Premium+ plans are set to range anywhere from around $4 to $9, all depending on what country you're in. Speaking of, be sure to peruse the PR right past the break to check out the full list of nations involved in the rollout. Continue reading Deezer starts streaming tunes in 35 Latin America countries, Mexico and Puerto Rico included Deezer starts streaming tunes in 35 Latin America countries, Mexico and Puerto Rico included originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Deezer | Email this | Comments | |
