'bout time, I say. Innovators and crackpots have tried for decades to build "free-energy" systems using magnets and such, and now it looks like one has finally succeded.

Kohei Minato of Japan has created a new type of motor that uses 80% less electricity by utilizing specially arranged permanent magnets. This is a significant technical advancment because 55% of U.S. energy is spent on running motors. If the technology becomes widespread (and I see no reason why it won't), that's a 44% decrease in U.S. energy use! Little doubt this will help decrease dependence on foreign energy suppliers.

Besides reduced energy consumption, the new motors also run cool to the touch and are very quiet. More intresting however, is that the motors run at an average of 330% efficency when coupled to a generator....While this would seem to break the laws of physics (e.g. the conservation of energy), the article assures us this is not the case, but a result of magnetism. While the article didn't say so, I imagine running the motor on a generator for prolonged periods of time would wear-out the magnets.