Hello, and welcome to The Edge, the newsletter that brings you groundbreaking stories from the frontiers of technology and science.
We’ve got some great stories for you today including flying cars in Japan, bricks as batteries and an exciting Apple patent. For today’s Start-up Stories we’ll be talking about Front. As always, we’ve added extra stories under each article should you find yourself in a curious state of mind.
Brick power
Build a house, charge your phone. Image credit: D’Arcy Laboratory
They Turned a Brick Into a Battery
Researchers at the Washington University in St Louis have done something incredible - they figured out a way to turn standard bricks into batteries. What’s even more fascinating is how they did it.
The team filled the pores of the brick with small, conductive plastic nanofibres capable of storing a charge. Early tests showed that the bricks were able to power a small LED light. Right now, the energy density of the bricks is nothing to write home about. This is because the bricks are supercapacitors, not batteries based on chemical reactions. However, this research does pave the way for a future where energy could be stored in house walls.
According to study co-author Julio D’Arcy at Washington University, “A solar cell on the roof of your house has to store electricity somewhere and typically we use batteries. What we have done is provide a new ‘food-for-thought’ option, but we’re not there yet.” If the researchers can figure out how to increase the storage capacity of the batteries to levels comparable to a lithium-ion battery, energy storage would likely change immeasurably.
How do lithium-ion batteries work?
Skynet AirPods
The wireless experience just became smoother. Image credit: Wallpaper Flare/Victor Tangermann
Bizarre Apple Patent Describes Self-Aware AirPods
A recent patent filed by Apple hints towards AirPods becoming a great deal more self-aware.
Specifically, the patent mentions a “wearable audio device”, which is more than likely in reference to AirPods. The patent describes how the tech in question would let AirPods automatically adjust audio and volume based on what you’re doing and where you are.
Ultimately, the system will attempt to figure out what you’re doing based on your location and the noise going on around you, adjusting volume accordingly. For example, if you’re walking on the pavement, the tech might turn down the volume on whichever ear is closer to the street, while the other ear’s volume remains unchanged. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Apple will ever deploy the technology - many large companies file patents that they never end up pursuing - but the prospect of self-aware AirPods is exciting.
How AirPods work.
Japan’s flying car goals
A different daily commute. Image credit: SkyDrive
Flying Cars Are Actually, Finally Becoming a Reality in Japan
Come 2023, the Japanese government hopes to have commercialised flying cars as a means of transport.
Across the globe, flying car concepts are in the works, development being led by companies like Airbus, Uber and Boeing. However, smaller start-ups, like Japan’s SkyDrive, is working on the challenge as well. Recently, they revealed their SD-XX, a sleek two-person electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, similar in size to a car. It has a range of several tens of kilometres at 100kmh. SkyDrive is hoping to complete its first test flight this summer.
According to SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, a former engineer at Toyota, “We’re considering launching an air taxi service in big cities, either Osaka or Tokyo, with initial flights over the sea as it would be too risky to fly over many people all of a sudden.” The company’s goal is to sell at least 100 vehicles by 2028, which will go for around the same price as an “expensive car”, according to Fukuzawa.
The challenges of making flying cars the norm.
The Surface Duo is here
The Duo, a productivity powerhouse. Image credit: Microsoft
The Surface Duo, Microsoft’s Answer to Productivity On the Go, is Up For Preorder
Microsoft’s Surface Duo, another addition to the growing foldable phone market, is finally available for preorder.
Microsoft claims that the Duo will change how creatives and professionals do mobile work as the phone provides a dual-screen solution, similar to what you’d get with a multi-monitor computer setup. The phone will arrive on the 10th of September and preorders are now open.
The dual-screen setup of the phone allows users to use the device as they would a device consisting of two Android phones glued together. For example, a user could have Twitter open on one screen and a productivity app like Slack or Trello on the other.
However, with all that productivity, as well as the beauty of the device, a steep price tag is to be expected. Specifically, the phone can be yours for $1,399. For a full list of specs, check out this TechRadar page.
What happened to Windows phones?
Start-up Stories
Front
Image credit: Front
Emails remain an important part of business the world over. Front is aiming to improve emailing across the board.
Front is a French start-up that, having made it through Y Combinator’s start-up accelerator, is working on email solutions for businesses. Specifically, the Front app is designed for teams that share an inbox. The app is hugely beneficial to customer support, sales and PR teams as it allows teams to assign emails to pertinent team members. It also allows teams to work together in collaborative spaces, which increases efficiency and response rate.