Even Japan's economy, stagnant for two decades, is showing some signs of life. Above, a model displays Japan's first automatic vending machine for gold and silver coins in Tokyo on Jan. 17, 2011. The machine will sell 1/4, 1/10, and 1/20 ounce gold coins and 1/2, 1, and 2 ounce silver coins.
An electric car is powered by Panasonic's 192 Oxyride Dry Cell AA batteries on Aug. 4, 2007. The car ran at an average speed of 65.8 mile per hour, with amaximum speed of 75.8 miles per hour, and was certified as the world's fastest car powered by dry cell batteries by Guinness World Records.
