Sunday, January 10, 2010

New Materials for Making "Spintronic" Devices

1:21 AM SHAZIA MALIK

L to R: Alexei Tsvelik, Dmitri Kharzeev, Igor Zaliznyak An interdisciplinary group of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory has devised methods to make a new class of electronic devices based on a property of electrons known as "spin," rather than merely their electric charge. This approach, dubbed spintronics, could open the way to increasing dramatically the productivity of electronic devices operating at the nanoscale - on the order of billionths of a meter. The Brookhaven researchers have filed a U.S. provisional patent application for their invention, which is now available for licensing."This development...

Fuel from fiber

1:21 AM SHAZIA MALIK

"Put a tree in your tank." Fuel companies aren't touting that slogan. At least not yet.But thanks to research done in part by Bruce Dale, Michigan State University professor of chemical engineering and materials science, making fuels from poplar trees and corn stalks is becoming more efficient and cost-effective.Dale is internationally known for his 30 years of research on making ethanol from plant biomass the stems, leaves, stalks and trunks of plants and trees commonly discarded as waste after a crop is harvested. He's developed a patented pretreatment process for biomass, ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX), which makes the breakdown of cellulose...

New Technology Stores Solar Energy

1:21 AM SHAZIA MALIK

With the hunt for alternative energy sources coupled with technological innovations, wood no longer remains just a structural component, or a decorative trim or paneling. It can now be transformed into energy storage.This is exactl2007 Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge awathe Enertia Building System has done. Its technology has turned a piece of wood into a thermal battery!The wood house becomes a solar energy storing device, and once properly configured and sited it can heat and cool itnew technology is especially applicable to solid wood homes, so, more wood means more effective heating and cooling system of the house.The solid GluelaEnertia...

An Alternative To Video Surveillance

1:20 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Surveillance systems take on a new look with a technology developed by scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.The Laser-Based Item Monitoring System balances the need for high-resolution monitoring and personal safety with respect for confidentiality and personal privacy. This is particularly important today with heightened emphasis on security and privacy and is possible because the system does not use video."Our system is specifically designed to address surveillance requirements in places where video would be unacceptable because of the presence of proprietary information or other privacy concerns," said...

Aluminum Alloy to Extract Fuel Cell-powering Hydrogen from Water

1:20 AM SHAZIA MALIK

The increasing need to curb global warming at the earliest is broadening the horizon of fuel cell usages each day, as an alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting energy sources the key element lading to climate change.Cuing with the need to replace gasoline and cap greenhouse gas emissions, an engineer has coa new method of extracting hydrogen from water for running fuel cells.The Purdue University engineer has used an aluminum alloy to do the extraction job. This innovative technique can efficiently extract hydrogen from water to run not just fuel cells but also internal combustion engines.Thus, it is an easy and effective alternative...

New technology slow to hit U.S. shores

1:20 AM SHAZIA MALIK

I an article from Variety below because some of you are interested in newer technologies.A cell phone with an HD screen that tricks your brain into thinking it's watching a 48-inch letterbox plasma TV. Cell phones with rollout screens. A broadcast network devoted entirely to mobile programming.These technologies and others have already hit the streets, or will soon, in Europe and Asia. But in America, they may as well be science fiction.... The U.S. continues to lag in implementing new cellular and digital technologies. And while there are signs that gap may be closing, it's done little to shed the impression that this is a nation of Luddites.The...

Antenna Calibrations Extended to 60-110 GHz

1:19 AM SHAZIA MALIK

NIST engineer Katherine MacReynolds prepares a new NIST "tabletop" range for characterizing high-performance antennas, such as horn antennas (small gold pyramids) operating at 94 Gigahertz. The surrounding blue foam cones absorb electromagnetic fields to reduce scattering from nearby objects, thereby improving measurement accuracy.Credit: © 2006 Geoffrey Wheeler The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a new "tabletop" sized facility to improve characterization of antennas operating in the 60 to 110 gigahertz (GHz) frequency range. This extended frequency capability serves needs for advanced civilian and military...

How to Rip and Tear a Fluid

1:19 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Credit: J. Gladden, A. Belmonte (Penn State) In a simple experiment on a mixture of water, surfactant (soap), and an organic salt, two scientists working in the Pritchard Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at Penn State have shown that a rigid object like a knife passes through the mixture at slow speeds as if it were a liquid, but rips it up as if it were a rubbery solid when the knife moves rapidly. The mixture they study shares properties of a number of everyday materials -- like toothpaste, saliva, blood, and cell cytoplasm -- which do not fall into the standard textbook cases of solid, liquid, or gas. Instead, these "viscoelastic" materials can...

Helping carbon nanotubes get into shape

1:19 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Caption: A carbon nanotube bundle before (left) and after (right) densification.Credit: Rensselaer/Liu Troy, N.Y. -- Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method of compacting carbon nanotubes into dense bundles. These tightly packed bundles are efficient conductors and could one day replace copper as the primary interconnects used on computer chips and even hasten the transition to next-generation 3-D stacked chips.Theoretical studies show that carbon nanotubes, if packed closely enough together, should be able to outperform copper as an electrical conductor. But because of the way carbon nanotubes are grown...

New tool for spectroscopy

1:17 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Image courtesy of gmp.ch Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed two new calibration tools to help correct and validate the performance of analytic instruments that identify substances based on fluorescence.Recent years have seen a significant increase in the development and use of fluorescence-based analytic techniques. Scientists can detect, measure and identify unknown substancespotentially including chemical and biological weaponsusing spectroscopic techniques. In fluorescence spectroscopy, researchers send a beam of light at a certain wavelength into a sample, exciting electrons in particular...

Nanoscale Details of Photolithography Process

1:17 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Schematic of the photolithography process shows the formation of a gradient extending from the photoresist material to be removed (center) into the unexposed portions of the resist on the sides. NIST measurements document the residual swelling fraction caused by the developer that can contribute to roughness in the final developed image. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made the first direct measurements of the infinitesimal expansion and collapse of thin polymer films used in the manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices. It's a matter of only a couple of nanometers, but it can be enough to...

Proton Camera

1:17 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Lab researchers, working with Teledyne Imaging Sensors, have built the world's fastest camera, and it has just won an R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine as one of the 100 most technologically significant products of 2007.Made from two bonded microelectronic chips, the "Camera on a Chip" can capture 2.8 million frames per second. A normal motion picture camera captures 24 frames per second.The camera produces movies of ultra-short (sub-microsecond) processes, mostly induced by powerful high explosives. These processes are studied using a remarkable imaging technique known as proton radiography, in which high-energy protons pass through...

Transparent toaster

1:16 AM SHAZIA MALIK

I know there are fancy toasters out there, but essentially most toasters work in the same way, whether you paid $10 for your little machine or $300. You set the timer, put the slice of bread in, and it pops out when done. If it''s not quite toasty enough, you put it back in. If it''s burned and inedible, you throw it out and start over with a new piece of bread.But here''s a concept product that not only takes the guess work out of toasting, but also turns something common into a bit of visual interest for your kitchen. The Transparent Toaster toasts your bread or pastry (using "heating glass technology," whatever that is) in plain view...

Groundbreaking Technology in Spam Prevention

1:16 AM SHAZIA MALIK

As per Ferris Research, spam can cost over $500 per user a year. Even with spam filters in place, they claim it still costs $140 per user a year. It also results in lost productivity and higher IT costs. InformationWeek is offering an interesting white paper detailing a groundbreaking new anti-spam technology used in the Abaca Email Protection Gateway. The new approach involves analyzing the relationship between sender and receiver and claims it can block 99 percent of incoming spam. Check it out for yourself here and leave a comment letting us know what you thi...

Skewered Pumpkins

1:16 AM SHAZIA MALIK

We encounter valves every day, whether in the water faucet, the carburetor in our car, or our bicycle tire tube. Valves are also present in the world of nanotechnology. A team of scientists headed by J. Fraser Stoddart and Jeffrey I. Zink at the University of California, Los Angeles, has now developed a new nanovalve. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, the researchers reveal what is special about it: In contrast to previous versions, which only function in organic solvents, this valve operates in an aqueous environment and under physiological conditions-prerequisites for any application as a gate for nanoscopic drug-transport agents, which...

Fake Diamonds Help Jet Engines Take The Heat

1:15 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Ohio State University engineers are in the process of developing a technology to coat jet engine turbine blades with zirconium dioxide -- usually called zirconia, the stuff of synthetic diamonds -- to combat high-temperature corrosion.The zirconia chemically converts sand and other corrosive particles that build up on the blade into a new, protective outer coating. In effect, the surface of the engine blade constantly renews itself.Ultimately, the technology could enable manufacturers to use new kinds of heat-resistant materials in engine blades, so that engines will be able to run hotter and more efficiently.Nitin Padture, professor of materials...

Origami Space Flight

1:15 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Japanese scientists and origami masters hope to launch a paper airplane from space and learn from its trip back to Earth. It''s no joke. A prototype passed a durability test in a wind tunnel this month, Japan''s space agency adopted it Wednesday for feasibility studies, and a well-known astronaut is interested in participating.In the picture above, a 2.8 inches long and 2 inches wide Space Shuttle-shaped paper plane is seen in a wind tunnel before a durability test at a Tokyo University laborato...

Waterman Award to UCLA's 'Mozart of Math'

1:15 AM SHAZIA MALIK

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is proud to announce that 32-year-old Terence Tao, a professor of mathematics at the University of California at Los Angeles, will receive its 2008 Alan T. Waterman Award. Called a "supreme problem-solver," and named one of "the Brilliant 10" researchers by Popular Science (October 2006), Tao's extraordinary work, much of which has been funded by NSF through the years, has had a tremendous impact across several mathematical areas. He will receive the award at a black tie dinner program at the U.S. Department of State on May 6.The annual Waterman award recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any...

Oncology Diagnostics By AviaraDx

1:14 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Innovations on cancer diagnostics are what AviaraDx, Inc. brought to the market.© AviaraDx, Inc.Two new oncology tests have been launched for the classification of metastatic cancer and identification of patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer who are at high risk of recurrence and also those unlikely to respond favorably to standard adjuvant endocrine therapy.The said tests are the following:AviaraDx, Inc.Assists physicians in diagnosing metastatic cancer types based on a 92-gene expression assay that is capable of classifying 39 tumor types as well as 64 cancer subtypes. The results help clinicians quickly identify...

'Sticky nanotubes' hold key to future technologies

1:13 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Nanotube attached to a "microcantilever" Scientists at Purdue University are the first to precisely measure the forces mandatory to peel tiny nanotubes off of other materials, opening up the possibility of creating standards for nano-manufacturing and harnessing a gecko's ability to walk up walls.So-called "peel tests" are used extensively in manufacturing. Knowing how much force is needed to pull a material off of another material is essential for manufacturing, but no tests exist for nanoscale structures, said Arvind Raman, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue.Scientists are trying to learn about the physics behind...

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Washable Keyboard - join the scrub-a-dub club

7:23 AM SHAZIA MALIK

The Washable Keyboard has got to be awesomeness incarnate. No more digging dead McNuggets out from under the spacebar, or wiping old rancid Mountain Dew stains from the numpad, just drop the whole dang thing into the sink and give it a good scrubbing. Lovely. It’s also dishwasher safe, and anti-bacterial, which puts it one step ahead of Windows Vista, eh? £39.95.As well as being fully washable, this sparkling peripheral features Silver Seal™ Antimicrobial Protection to resist microbial growth and combat the spread of whiff-causing bacteria. We’re not entirely sure how this works but boffins tell us it’s got something to do with the silver...

10 Awesome Flash-Animated Interactive Websites

7:23 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Ever wanted to draw a song or discover more about how the ancient Egyptians mummified their dead? How about learning about cocaine from Pablo the pooch, who just happens to be a talking doggy drug mule? No? Then what about connecting up the stars to create your own constellation then see it wrap around your screen in 3D?There must be something you will like from this selection of flash based websites.(via Robert-Joh...

Rumors of a BMW Electric Scooter

7:20 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Unnamed sources at BMW report that a new electric scooter could debut at an upcoming motorcycle show sometime in late 2010 and put in production in 2011, as per Spain’s Solo Scooter website. If the rumor mill is right, this new scooter would sport a lithium ion battery pack, have a range of about 155 miles or three hours of continuous use and a top speed of 75 miles per hour.No word on the exact body style of the alleged scooter, though it could be modeled after their failed C1. The image here by the well-known Oberdan Bezzi may or may not be what the BMW scooter will look like. It’s a mystery we’ll have to wait to sol...

Leica M9 Digital Rangefinder Camera Introduced

7:17 AM SHAZIA MALIK

I recently said that some of the latest P&S digital cameras were mimicking the appearance of rangefinder film cameras of the 1940's-80's.Well, the king of rangefinder film cameras, Leica, has just introduced their latest gem, the model M9.Pretty simple name/designation, M9, for a camera boasts an 18mp sensor and a shutter speed range of 1/4000 - 32 seconds.Oh yeah, it costs about $7,000.00 bucks, and Amazon is taking pre-orders right now.You owe it to yourself to at least take a look at what that kind of paper will get you. Here's the link to the Leica M9 story.Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a...

Cooking on the Road

7:17 AM SHAZIA MALIK

People and lawmakers complain that drivers don"t need additional distractions from the task at hand and hence love to crack down on talking on the phone, texting, or even putting a cell near one"s head. As such, as hard as it is top believe, one company believes there will be a market for those people who wish to make a grilled cheese sandwich on their way to work.There are no laws on the books about driving and cooking sandwiches so why not? The Road Pro 12-Volt Sandwich Maker let"s anyone with a car become a quick-order chef. The unit plugs directly into the cigarette lighter socket, features non-stick cooking plates, has a 5-foot power...

Automatically record every phone call

7:16 AM SHAZIA MALIK

This USB Recording Box may look like nothing, but it’s chunky enough to automatically record all the telephone conversations coming in and going out from your building. Throw in some sophisticated call management and related information software, backup and line testing smarts and you’ve got yourself a right fancy package. And available in multi-colours too? Telephone recording system is widely used, for call recording, in a variety of commercial, industrial and services applications, with unique value in recording real scenes and increasing working efficiency. There are a number of typical scenarios of Telephone recording system’s applications....

Free Online Digital Photography Magazine

7:16 AM SHAZIA MALIK

Here's a stocking stuffer type of gift for the digital photographer compliments of "Whatdigitalcamera.com"."Whatdigitalcamera.com" is a website you should know about if you're looking for a place with information about virtually every aspect of digital photography.They are also offering a free subscription to their interactive magazine which is not only fun to use but it contains valuable information.Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhe...

Pages 381234 »