Steam

Weaning the world off fossil fuels will take time, so finding ways to make energy generation more efficient is still important. A new coating for steam condenser pipes could, if rolled out widely, add more than a Russia’s worth of extra power per year.

The Nintendo Switch is a nifty concept, but arguably underpowered and lacking in game variety. Valve is now having a crack at it with the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming console that can play your existing Steam library on the go or on a big screen.

A new type of hybrid solar energy converter can use energy from the Sun to create both electricity and steam. The device reportedly has high efficiency and runs at low cost, allowing industry to make use of a wider spectrum of solar energy.

3Doodler has launched a 3D printing pen specifically designed for pre-schoolers and above. The 3D Build & Play package comes with a low-heat drawing device, character and accessory molds and colorful backdrops to encourage learning through play.

One of the best things about auto shows is the oddball vehicles that often come out of private collections, museums, and warehouses of the local area. In Chicago, there are a lot of goofy things to see while looking for the latest from automakers.

Scientists are getting creative with propulsion methods for small spacecraft, including carrying water as fuel and converting it to steam. NASA’s OCSD mission has now leaned on this to pull off a first-of-a-kind maneuver between two of its CubeSats in low-Earth orbit.​

A team of researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a prototype steam-powered space probe using water as a propellant. The World Is Not Enough spacecraft can operate indefinitely by topping off on ice gathered while visiting asteroids and other bodies to fuel future travels.

Unlike the legendary sea vessel of the silver screen, this Black Pearl is a land vehicle running on a steam engine. Constructed by Dutch company Revatu Customs, the two-wheeled locomotive is actually a proper, fully functioning motorcycle.

Working at MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, scientists claim to have created a sponge-like graphite-carbon material that helps convert water to steam using sunlight only one-hundredth as bright as that required by conventional steam-producing solar generators.

The CSIRO has claimed a world record for the highest temperatures ever recorded using solar energy to generate "supercritical" steam at its solar thermal test plant in Newcastle, Australia. This achievement is touted as a breakthrough for solar energy production.

For dedicated surfers, even the colder months aren't enough to keep them from a good swell. But if peeing in the wetsuit isn't fending off the cold anymore, it might be time to head to shore and the warm refuge of the Surf Sauna.

Tivitas Interactive is aiming for a fundamental revamp of the traditional game controller design with Sinister – a device that it doesn't even look like a game controller at first glance.