Grow a Plant With Batteries, Software and Sunshine

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Lacking a “green thumb?” Click and Grow is for the beginner gardener. You water it once and forget about it.
The Click and Grow flower pot and plant cartridge work like a printer and toner. The pot contains electronics, sensors, batteries, a pump and a water reservoir; the cartridge contains seeds, nutrients and software (in a microchip) for growing the plant. There are currently 13 varieties of flowers and plants, and the selection is continuously growing. Right now the available selection includes painted nettle, lamb’s ear, marigolds and more. You can also grow edible things such as basil, thyme, sage, tomatoes and chili peppers.
Founder Mattias Lepp tells Mashable all you have to do is add water and batteries (not in the same place) — everything else is done by the sensors and software. You’ll also have to find a sunny place for your plant to sit, or at least somewhere it can absorb the sun’s rays, sunshine or not.
The idea for Click and Grow began three years ago, Lepp says, while reading an article about a NASA mission in which plants were taken into space. He began fusing technology with gardening in his own backyard in Estonia to see if he could grow plants with little or no care in a harsh climate. He made several iterations of the planter and one very cold winter, he says, the device he created was able to grow tomatoes “very quickly.” The company grew from there and officially launched one year ago.
Lepp said Click and Grow should also cut down on the waste that comes from single plants being purchased in plastic containers that then get thrown away. The potting container is reusable; though the cartridges need to be replaced for each new plant.
“It’s just a cool device to have on your office table,” he added.
The plant container costs $59 and the cartridges (with plant seeds) cost $19.99. You can buy them on the company’s website or at Brookstone or Amazon.com.
There are a number of other desktop gardening pots, some that combine USB technology to make indoor gardening easier by remind you to water the plant. But Click and Grow seems to be the front-runner in terms of making gardening simple for those who forget, or don’t have time, to water plants.
Check out these photos of some of the plants that can sprout from Click and Grow and tell us, is this product on your wish list?

5 Free iPhone Gardening Apps for Your Green Thumb

our garden grows with some digital assistance. We have previously rounded up 10 great options to help you get more greenery, and now we’re topping up that selection for summer 2012 with five fabulous freebies.

Take a look through our selection of free iPhone apps in the slideshow above. Let us know in the comments below about any other apps that have helped you out in the gardening department.

Here at Mashable,
Thumbnail image courtesy of Faith Goble

 

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Description	English: The front view of the plant pot produced by Click and Grow LLC
Date	12 October 2010
Source	Own work
Author	Priitpedastsaar

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keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the
high Tech RoadShow Blog inventions of today. Enhanced by Zemanta

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NASA Funds ‘Thor Hammer’ Idea for Tossing Satellites

Humans can only dream of having the power of Thor, the Norse-inspired superhero who can whirl and throw his hammer at blinding speeds. A NASA-funded plan envisions rockets using a similar idea to hurl tiny satellites toward other planets.

The “NanoTHOR” project aims to connect small satellites with upper rocket stages by using miles-long tethers, so that the rocket stages can spin the satellites around like Thor’s hammer. NASA awarded the idea $100,000 from its Innovative Advanced Concepts program to begin running computer simulations and figure out a hardware design.
“Using a few tricks, we could get that system spinning so the rocket upper stage could swing the nanosatellite out of Earth’s orbit and on to the moon or an interplanetary trajectory,” said Robert Hoyt, CEO and chief scientist of Tethers Unlimited Inc.
The class of nanosatellites called CubeSats — tiny satellites the size of a loaf of bread — offer the possibility of replacing more expensive, traditional-size satellites. NASA, the U.S. military and commercial companies have all shown interest in launching several CubeSats at a time by having them piggyback on rocket launches for bigger spacecraft to reach Earth orbit.
Tethers Unlimited hopes to make CubeSats even more capable by turning them into interplanetary explorers. Such tiny satellites don’t carry their own fuel and rocket motors to escape from Earth’s orbit, but the tether plan would bypass the problem by using leftover propellant and momentum from upper rocket stages.
“In terms of our hardware it’s really just the high-strength tether on a spool,” Hoyt told InnovationNewsDaily. “What we need beyond that is to figure out how we can work with the rocket provider so that they can control their upper stage to help us get the system spun up and toss the payload.”
Hoyt and his colleagues have already spent years testing tethers made of high-strength fibers — such as Zylon or Spectra — typically found in bulletproof vests or similar applications. The current challenge is to figure out how to make a tether system that represents a cheaper option than simply attaching a small “kick” rocket motor to the CubeSat.
NASA’s recent funding won’t be enough to build a full tether system just yet, but Tethers Unlimited plans to use computer simulations to test out the idea in virtual space.
The NanoTHOR concept represents just one of two big NASA projects for Tethers Unlimited. The company also recently received a $100,000 award from the U.S. space agency to work on designs for using 3D printing in self-building spacecraft.
keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.

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New NASA Satellites Have Android Smartphones for Brains

NASA does some of the best work out of any public agency in the United States. Unfortunately, they are constantly defunded and must work within strict constraints. Even with the limitations, the agency was able to land on Mars with the Curiosity rover. Continuing the trend of getting the most out of a dollar, they’re now sending Android smartphones into space.

NASA recently revealed PhoneSat, a cheap satellite that’s powered by an Android smartphone। The idea behind PhoneSat was to see if NASA’s engineers could build a satellite using only off-the-shelf consumer components. The design was successful and they were able to keep costs to a minimum. The costs are so low that each PhoneSat will only cost $3,500.

Using smartphones has more benefits beyond cost for the next generation of satellites. NASA says that they will be able to easily update the next generation of PhoneSats as newer consumer-grade parts become available. This would save NASA time and money as they would not be required to create custom-made parts for their latest excursions into space.

As for the satellite itself, the PhoneSat will be housed inside of a cube that weighs less than four pounds. It also measures approximately four inches. The first iteration of the satellite used an HTC Nexus One while the second iteration uses a Samsung Nexus S. The satellite features an S band radio that allows NASA to control the satellite from Earth. If the phone were to ever stop working, the satellite also features a watchdog circuit that reboots the phone.

PhoneSat has only been tested in extreme environments so far, but has not actually made its way into space yet. The first PhoneSat prototype made its way into space via a high altitude balloon, but the actual space missions won’t take place until next year. The PhoneSat will be used to conduct heliophysics missions.

Interestingly enough, PhoneSat is not the first time Android has been to space. Google actually sent Android into space via weather balloon back in 2010 as part of a publicity stunt. Google’s weather balloon was also equipped with the Nexus S smartphone.

The Next Generation Of NASA Satellites Will Be Powered By Android

NASA is aiming to launch a line of small satellites called "PhoneSats" that are cheaper to make and easier to build than those it has produced in the past. To achieve this, engineers are using unmodified Android smartphones -- in one prototype, HTC's Nexus One, and in another, Samsung's Nexus S -- to perform many of a satellite's key functions.

As NASA explains on its website, these off-the-shelf smartphones "offer a wealth of capabilities needed for satellite systems, including fast processors, versatile operating systems, multiple miniature sensors, high-resolution cameras, GPS receivers and several radios."

"This approach allows engineers… keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future। On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.

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Angry Birds Space announced for March 22nd release, NASA and National Geographic lending a hand

Angry Birds has spawned countless ports and two sorta-sequels, but Rovio has now announced what it's describing as its biggest launch since the original game. Angry Birds Space will be released on March 22nd, and the company has enlisted NASA and National Geographic as launch partners for the game (exactly what that entails is still unclear, though). As you can probably guess, the hook this time around will be some new physics to deal with, including zero gravity and a new "lightspeed destruction" feature, but details on the game itself otherwise remain a bit light, including any specific word on supported platforms. Rovio is apparently planning a big push at launch though, with a simultaneous rollout planned across "mobile gaming, animation, retail, and publishing." It's also promising to reveal more details ahead of that in early March.

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Game Description

The smash hit game Angry Birds Online is now here! The game has finally become flash! Play the latest craze now!

You are given a slingshot to fire your angry birds at pigs who are placed within different variations of structures (such as wood, ice and stone) which progressively get harder and retrieve the eggs that those pesky pigs stole!

As you advance through the game you'll be given the opportunity to use different birds that have different special abilities.

The blue bird will separate into 3 different birds once fired

The black bird explodes, and the white bird can drop explosive eggs!

Small pigs are relatively weak and can be taken out quite easily but there are also larger pigs and pigs that wear items such as helmets and crowns!

Each level has a pre-determined number type and order of birds at the start and if all pigs are taken out before all the birds have been used the next level is then unlocked and ready to be played!

We're also in the process of trying to get an Angry Birds Online Download sorted for you guys so that you can download and play your favourite game straight from your computer!

Free-Games.net is not Associated with "Rovio" the the brand "Angry Birds", Angry Birds is a Trademark of Rovio Mobile LTD.

Instructions :

Load up your ammo and fire those angry birds at their target. Use as few birds as possible and aim for maximum damage a keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.

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• Rovio Teases Angry Birds Space, Launching March 22 (macstories.net)
• Angry Birds Head to Space in New Game [Video] (inquisitr.com)
• Angry Birds In Space Of The Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)

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