Wood Technology
Wood Oil?
The Dutch have always been about renewable energy sources, just look up how much energy they get from wind. So it should come as no surprise that two Dutch startup companies, Bioecon and Khosla Ventures, have joined together to create Kior, a company that boasts a cleaner and cheaper way to create biofuels. Kior is finding a way to create ethanol from the cellulose in plant stems and wood. Although wood is used to create ethanol, studies have shown ehtanol to be extremely volatile and to increase smog problems. The founders of Kior believe that they are able to work around these problems. Paul O'Connor, founder of Bioecon, has been able to insert a catalyst in the cellulose to create better contact between the materials. This makes the entire process more efficient and decreases the expense and toxicity that comes along with making the "commercial" biofuel. Kior is already in talks with two major oil companies, with a pilot plant set to launch in 2009 and then have the biocrude blended in with gas or diesel by 2010. Not only is the fuel renewable, but it also has lower sulfur and nitrogen content, which will help to decrease smog in places such as LA.
FORE!
Golf enthusiasts are always looking for the best and newest technology, and every year there is something different. Currently, the leading company in creating the newest golf fairway woods is PING. Their newest club is the G10 has a shallow face which increases the hitting area and gives added consistency to players shots. Not only that, but the intersection of the crown and sole allow for a lower center of gravity, better ball speed and reduced spin. Traditionally wood clubheads were made of beech or ash although after the twentieth century it was changed to persimmon or maple. Many "woods" nowadays are made of steel, titanium, or a composite of metal and wood. The G10 is made of stainless steel (sure this is the wood issue, but the club IS called a fairway wood...) The company allows for customization of clubs based on height and the distance between wrist height to the floor. The G10 is available in the Strong 3-wood, 3-wood, 4-wood, 5-wood, 7-wood, 9-wood, Draw 3-wood, Draw 4-wood, Draw 5-wood, and Draw 7-wood.