Howie Chong

A startup company in Idaho has built the prototype for a new road surface that they hope will replace asphalt. The glass-based road surface is an amazing concept that is designed to be a solar array, electrical grid and traffic safety system all in one.

Asphalt covers a great deal of the Earth and absorbs solar energy as heat so converting these surfaces to solar panels makes perfect sense. But the genius of this design lies in combining other energy and transportation needs in innovative ways.

Since the panels will need to transmit electricity anyhow, the designers of the solar roadway have built electrical grid capabilities into the system, allowing the road itself to transmit electricity and eliminating the need for overhead electrical wiring. Additionally, the designers have embedded LED lighting into the design, allowing the roadway itself to display traffic information, warn drivers of impending conditions… perhaps even changing the road configurations to account for greater one-way traffic during rush hour conditions. Unlike traditional incandescent or fluorescent lights, LEDs are essentially computer and electrical circuits, so their integration into the solar electrical system is highly complimentary.

Check out the video above. Sheer brilliance. Now the question: how does the roadway handle rain and snow?

A new accessory for the iPhone that will be released shortly acts as a speaker for amplifying music… without using any power.

(I admit it. I recently purchased an iPhone. And except for some so-so battery lifespan, I’m very happy with my purchase. It allows me to be connected in a way that I’ve never been before.)

One of the interesting things that happens every time Apple makes your brand new iPod obsolete is that each new generation of iPod or iPhone creates an enormous array of accessories. As unsustainable as this enormous number of accessories might be, this recent item stood out due to its simple, yet highly innovative design.

By using the existing sound from the iPhone’s built-in speakers, the AirCurve amplifies music outwards into the surrounding space, like speaking into a rolled piece of paper. Take a look at the design here:

The device is not yet available for purchase, but it’s a testament to the power of Design Outside-of-the-Box. I can’t wait to try it out (at the store) and see if it sounds any good.