First Quantum Cryptographic Data Network Demonstrated

PhysOrg.com, accessed 30 Aug 2006 A joint collaboration between Northwestern University and BBN Technologies of Cambridge, MA, has led to the first demonstration of a truly quantum cryptographic data network. By integrating quantum noise protected data encryption (quantum data encryption) with Quantum Key Distribution, the researchers have developed a complete data communication system with extraordinary resilience to eavesdropping. Read more

Engineers Forge Greener Path to Iron Production

PhysOrg.com, accessed 30 Aug 2006 The American Iron and Steel Institute announced today that the team, led by Donald R. Sadoway of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, has shown the technical viability of producing iron by molten oxide electrolysis. "What sets molten oxide electrolysis apart from other metal-producing technologies is that it is totally carbon-free and hence generates no carbon dioxide gases -- only oxygen," said Lawrence W. Kavanagh, AISI vice president of manufacturing and technology. Read more

On-Board Generation of a Highly Volatile Starting Fuel to Reduce Automobile Cold-Start Emissions

by Marcus D. Ashford & Ronald D. Matthews Environmental Science & Technology, 11 Aug 2006 (online) The on-board distillation system (OBDS) was developed to extract, from gasoline, a high-volatility fuel for exclusive use during the starting and warm-up periods. The use of OBDS distillate fuel results in much improved mixture preparation, allowing combinations of air/fuel ratio and ignition timing that are not possible with gasoline, even with a fully warm engine. The volatility of the distillate is a function of the parent fuel volatility; however, the variability in distillate quality can be diminished via manipulation of the OBDS operating conditions. Thus, it is possible to develop aggressive starting calibrations that are relatively immune to variations in pump gasoline volatility. The key benefits provided by the OBDS fuel relative to standard gasoline were found to be (1) improved mixture preparation allowing a 70% reduction of cranking fuel requirements, elimination of air-fuel mixture enrichment during the warm-up period, and significant extension of warm-up ignition timing retard; (2) a 57% decrease in catalyst light-off time, (3) emissions reductions over the FTP drive cycle of 81% for regulated hydrocarbons (NMOG); (4) emissions index (NMOG) approaching that of SULEV/PZEV vehicles; and (5) an apparent 1% increase in fuel economy over the FTP drive cycle. Read more

Wiki Site Aims to Boost Patent Review Process

by Anne Broache ZDNet News, 28 Aug 2006 The U.S. patent system is supposed to ensure that the latest wireless e-mail technique or crustless peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich granted protection is truly one of a kind. But even the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office acknowledged recently that such judgments are no small feat. In a draft five-year strategic plan released last week, officials solidified their intention to develop a "peer review mechanism" that would enlist volunteers from the public to weigh in on applications and ease the burden on its own staff. Responding to that call for collaboration, a patent attorney and an accountant based in Salt Lake City on Monday launched WikiPatents.com. Read more

New Engine Combusts Old Ideas

by Dan Orzech Wired News, 28 Aug 2006 If your next car gets twice the gas mileage of your current vehicle, and belches out only a fraction of the pollution, you may have Carmelo Scuderi to thank. Scuderi, a Massachusetts engineer and inventor, started tinkering with the fundamentals of the internal combustion engine when he retired in the mid-1990s. The result was a radical new design that could make engines for anything from gas-powered lawn mowers to diesel locomotives lighter, far more efficient, and a whole lot easier on the environment. Read more

Tongue-O-Vision

by Barry Fox NewScientist.com, 29 Aug 2006 Stimulating the tongue could help people with brain damage relearn how to ride a bike, or even to walk again, according to US company Wicab. Its patent application says injury or disease can upset the brain’s ability to balance the body, which hinders rehabilitation, but stimulating the tongue with mild electrical pulses provides the powerful stimulus needed to re-train the brain. Read more

Reversible Switching of Microtubule Motility Using Thermoresponsive Polymer Surfaces

by Leonid Ionov, Manfred Stamm, & Stefan Diez Nano Letters, 16 Aug 2006 (online) We report a novel approach for the dynamic control of gliding microtubule motility by external stimuli. Our approach is based on the fabrication of a composite surface where functional kinesin motor-molecules are adsorbed onto a silicon substrate between surface-grafted polymer chains of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). By external temperature control between 27 and 35° C, we demonstrate the reversible landing, gliding, and releasing of motor-driven microtubules in response to conformational changes of the polymer chains. Our method represents a versatile means to control the activity of biomolecular motors, and other surface-coupled enzyme systems, in bionanotechnological applications. Read more

Military Robo-Surgeon Prepares for Battle

by Tom Simonite NewScientist.com, 24 Aug 2006 Life-saving operations on soldiers in combat zones could become possible thanks to a portable robotic surgeon that allows doctors to perform surgery on the battlefield without endangering themselves. Surgical robots that can be operated remotely are already used in some civilian hospitals. However, these existing systems are large and cumbersome, taking up much of an operating room. Now Blake Hannaford and colleagues at the University of Washington have come up with a system small enough to travel with troops into combat zones in the back of an armoured vehicle. Read more

Combinatorial Search for Optimal Hydrogen-Storage Nanomaterials Based on Polymers

by Hoonkyung Lee, Woon Ih Choi, & Jisoon Ihm Physical Review Letters, 4 Aug 2006 We perform an extensive combinatorial search for optimal nanostructured hydrogen-storage materials among various metal-decorated polymers using first-principles density-functional calculations. We take into account the zero-point vibration as well as the pressure- and temperature-dependent adsorption-desorption probability of hydrogen molecules. An optimal material we identify is Ti-decorated cis-polyacetylene with reversibly usable gravimetric and volumetric density of 7.6 wt % and 63 kg/m³, respectively, near ambient conditions. We also propose "thermodynamically usable hydrogen capacity" as a criterion for comparing different storage materials. Read more

'Nanocantilevers' Yield Surprises Critical for Designing New Detectors

Purdue University Press Release, 28 Aug 2006 Researchers at Purdue University have made a discovery about the behavior of tiny structures called nanocantilevers that could be crucial in designing a new class of ultra-small sensors for detecting viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. The nanocantilevers, which resemble tiny diving boards made of silicon, could be used in future detectors because they vibrate at different frequencies when contaminants stick to them, revealing the presence of dangerous substances. Because of the nanocantilever's minute size, it is more sensitive than larger devices, promising the development of advanced sensors that detect minute quantities of a contaminant to provide an early warning that a dangerous pathogen is present. Read more

Detection, Stimulation, and Inhibition of Neuronal Signals with High-Density Nanowire Transistor Arrays

by Fernando Patolsky et al. Science, 25 August 2006 We report electrical properties of hybrid structures consisting of arrays of nanowire field-effect transistors integrated with the individual axons and dendrites of live mammalian neurons, where each nanoscale junction can be used for spatially resolved, highly sensitive detection, stimulation, and/or inhibition of neuronal signal propagation. Arrays of nanowire-neuron junctions enable simultaneous measurement of the rate, amplitude, and shape of signals propagating along individual axons and dendrites. The configuration of nanowire-axon junctions in arrays, as both inputs and outputs, makes possible controlled studies of partial to complete inhibition of signal propagation by both local electrical and chemical stimuli. In addition, nanowire-axon junction arrays were integrated and tested at a level of at least 50 "artificial synapses" per neuron. Read more

Tiny Ion Pump Sets New Standard in Cooling Hot Computer Chips

University of Washington Press Release, 23 Aug 2006 University of Washington researchers have succeeded in building a cooling device tiny enough to fit on a computer chip that could work reliably and efficiently with the smallest microelectronic components. The device, which uses an electrical charge to create a cooling air jet right at the surface of the chip, could be critical to advancing computer technology because future chips will be smaller, more tightly packed and are likely to run hotter than today's chips. As a result, tomorrow's computers will need cooling systems far more efficient than the fans and heat sinks that are used today. "With this pump, we are able to integrate the entire cooling system right onto a chip," said Alexander Mamishev, associate professor of electrical engineering and principal investigator on the project. Read more

A High-Power and High-Energy Cathode for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

by K. M. Shaju & P. G. Bruce Advanced Materials, 28 Aug 2006 (online) Everyone knows the frustration of battery discharge: that sinking feeling when your notebook computer shuts down before you've saved that vital document or the artistic annoyance when your digital camera cannot snap that last holiday sunset. Worse still, what about those times when you're stuck on a five-hour flight with only a minute's worth of charge in your MP3 player? A solid solution to the problem could come from chemists in the U.K. They have devised a new and efficient way to improve battery power as well as make that precious charge last longer. Read more

Rensselaer Researchers Aim to Close 'Green Gap' in LED Technology

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Press Release, 23 Aug 2006 A team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has received $1.8 million in federal funding to improve the energy efficiency of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Solid-State Lighting Program, the team aims to close the "green gap" in LED technology by doubling or tripling the power output of green LEDs in three years, an advance that ultimately could lead to the replacement of incandescent and fluorescent lamps in general illumination applications. Read more

Biodiesel-Powered Boat Seeks Record

by Dylan McGrath EE Times, 25 Aug 2006 In an elaborate effort to promote the virtues of renewable energy, a crew of New Zealanders is aiming to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat using a 78-foot craft powered exclusively by biodiesel. The boat, known as Earthrace, is preparing to embark from Barbados on a 24,000-mile journey on March 1, 2007. Earthrace's stated goal is to complete the journey in 65 days, which would shatter the current record for circumnavigating the globe -- 75 days -- set in 1998. Read more

A Tree-Based P2P Network Architecture

by B. Hudzia, M-T. Kechadi, & A. Ottewill arXiv.org E-print Archive, 29 Aug 2006 In this paper we proposed a hierarchical P2P network based on a dynamic partitioning on a 1-D space. This hierarchy is created and maintained dynamically and provides a gridmiddleware (like DGET) a P2P basic functionality for resource discovery and load-balancing. This network architecture is called TreeP (Tree based P2P network architecture) and is based on atessellation of a 1-D space. We show that this topology exploits in an efficient way theheterogeneity feature of the network while limiting the overhead introduced by the overlaymaintenance. Experimental results show that this topology is highly resilient to a large number ofnetwork failures. Read more

Neural Network Clustering Based on Distances Between Objects

by Leonid B. Litinskii & Dmitry E. Romanov arXiv.org E-print Archive, 29 Aug 2006 We present an algorithm of clustering of many-dimensional objects, where only the distances between objects are used. Centers of classes are found with the aid of neuron-like procedure with lateral inhibition. The result of clustering does not depend on starting conditions. Our algorithm makes it possible to give an idea about classes that really exist in the empirical data. The results of computer simulations are presented. Read more

Reliable Multicast Fault Tolerant MPI in the Grid Environment

by Benoit Hudzia & Serge Petiton arXiv.org E-print Archive, 29 Aug 2006 Grid environments have recently been developed with low stretch and overheads that increase with the logarithm of the number of nodes in the system. Getting and sending data to/from a large numbers of nodes is gaining importance due to an increasing number of independent data providers and the heterogeneity of the network/Grid. One of the key challenges is to achieve a balance between low bandwidth consumption and good reliability. In this paper we present an implementation of a reliable multicast protocol over a fault tolerant MPI: MPICHV2. It can provide one way to solve the problem of transferring large chunks of data between applications running on a grid with limited network links. We first show that we can achieve similar performance as the MPICH-P4 implementation by using multicast with data compression in a cluster. Next, we provide a theoretical cluster organization and GRID network architecture to harness the performance provided by using multicast. Finally, we present the conclusion and future work. Read more

Entity Based Peer-to-Peer in a Data Grid Environment

by B. Hudzia et al. arXiv.org E-print Archive, 29 Aug 2006 During the last decade there has been a huge interest in Grid technologies, and numerous Grid projects have been initiated with various visions of the Grid. While all these visions have the same goal of resource sharing, they differ in the functionality that a Grid supports, the grid characterisation, programming environments, etc. In this paper we present a new Grid system dedicated to deal with data issues, called DGET (Data Grid Environment and Tools). DGET is characterized by its peer-to-peer communication system and entity-based architecture, therefore, taking advantage of the main functionality of both systems; P2P and Grid. DGET is currently under development and a prototype implementing the main components is in its first phase of testing. In this paper we limit our description to the system architectural features and to the main differences with other systems. Read more

Radial Structure of the Internet

by Petter Holme, Josh Karlin, & Stephanie Forrest arXiv.org E-print Archive, 22 Aug 2006 The structure of the Internet at the Autonomous System (AS) level has been studied by both the Physics and Computer Science communities. We extend this work to include features of the core and the periphery, taking a radial perspective on AS network structure. New methods for plotting AS data are described, and they are used to analyze data sets that have been extended to contain edges missing from earlier collections. In particular, the average distance from one vertex to the rest of the network is used as the baseline metric for investigating radial structure. Common vertex-specific quantities are plotted against this metric to reveal distinctive characteristics of central and peripheral vertices. Two data sets are analyzed using these measures as well as two common generative models. We find a clear distinction between the highly connected core and a sparse periphery. We also find that the periphery has a more complex structure than that predicted by degree distribution or the two generative models. Read more

Wi-Fi Alliance Near New Wireless Standard

CNN.com, 30 Aug 2006 An industry group of wireless networking companies said Tuesday it will start certifying next-generation routers and network cards in 2007, a year before official standards are expected. Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, said that without a certification program, the market could have been fragmented by the growing number and variety of pre-standard "Draft N" or "Pre-N" products claiming faster speeds and greater range. The products take their names from the 802.11n standard. Read more

Shape Memory Surfaces

by Yijun Zhang, Yang-Tse Cheng, & David S. Grummon Applied Physics Letters, 24 Jul 2006 Temperature-controlled reversible surface protrusions can be made on NiTi shape memory alloys and thin films as a result of indentation induced two-way shape memory effect. First, spherical indents or scratches are made on the surface of a NiTi alloy in its martensite phase. Second, the indented or scratched surface is planarized to restore a flat surface. Reversible circular and line protrusions are produced by altering the temperature to drive the martensite to austenite phase transformation. This phenomenon can be exploited for a wide range of optical, tribological, and microelectromechanical device applications. Read more

Making Tunnel Barriers (Including Metals) Transparent

by I. R. Hooper, T. W. Preist, & J. R. Sambles Physical Review Letters, 3 Aug 2006 The classical "brick wall," which may, according to quantum mechanics, leak via tunneling, is here shown to be completely transparent when appropriate impedance matching media are placed both in front of and behind the "wall." Optical experiments involving beyond-critical-angle-tunnel barriers in the frustrated total internal reflection scheme which mimic quantum mechanical systems provide convincing proof of this remarkable effect. The same mechanism also allows vastly enhanced transmission through unstructured thin metal films without the need for surface wave excitation. Read more

High Friction from a Stiff Polymer Using Microfiber Arrays

by C. Majidi et al. Physical Review Letters, 18 Aug 2006 High dry friction requires intimate contact between two surfaces and is generally obtained using soft materials with an elastic modulus less than 10 MPa. We demonstrate that high-friction properties similar to rubberlike materials can also be obtained using microfiber arrays constructed from a stiff thermoplastic (polypropylene, 1 GPa). The fiber arrays have a smaller true area of contact than a rubberlike material, but polypropylene's higher interfacial shear strength provides an effective friction coefficient of greater than 5 at normal loads of 8 kPa. At the pressures tested, the fiber arrays showed more than an order of magnitude increase in shear resistance compared to the bulk material. Unlike softer materials, vertical fiber arrays of stiff polymer demonstrate no measurable adhesion on smooth surfaces due to high tensile stiffness. Read more

Carbon Fibers as a Novel Material for High-Performance Microelectromechanical Systems

by Shahyaan Desai et al. Journal of Micromechanical Microengineering, July 2006 We report the development of novel carbon fiber-integrated MEMS (FIM) structures which can achieve extremely large deformations at high speeds with nearly fatigue-free behavior. FIM cantilevers fabricated using single 5 µm diameter carbon fibers demonstrated tip deflections exceeding ±90° at frequencies of 8-30 kHz, and sustained these deflections for over 10¹⁰ cycles. Using existing MEMS fabrication techniques, carbon fiber-based MEMS optical scanners were subsequently fabricated with demonstrated angular scans >160° at a 2.5 kHz resonance. These results establish the vastly superior mechanical behavior of carbon fiber-based MEMS, while maintaining fabrication processes compatible with existing micromachining techniques. These novel carbon FIM structures are shown to be successful in overcoming the fracture toughness and fatigue limitations of existing material technologies. Further development of this technology offers the potential to realize many moving MEMS structures previously considered unfeasible. Read more

New Engineering Tool Is a Dream

University of New South Wales Press Release, 23 Aug 2006 Hawker de Havilland, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, is the first licensed user of a unique engineering tool, the Intelligent Risk Exchange system. Today, engineering projects, such as those in the aerospace industry, are often conducted globally with key tasks performed by project partners in different locations. The web-based system enables team members working in different locations to communicate concurrently with each other. Read more

Robust Liquid Crystal Polymer Evaluated for NASA Applications

Georgia Tech Research News, 22 Aug 2006 Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have received funding from the NASA/Earth Science Technology Office to evaluate a material called liquid crystal polymer for electronics applications in space. The ultra-thin, paper-like plastic can incorporate a variety of electronic circuits, yet it molds to any shape and appears to perform well in the extreme temperatures and intense radiation encountered by NASA spacecraft. Read more

Wireless Robots May Float above Earth

CNN.com, 22 Aug 2006 Bob Jones has a lofty idea for improving communications around the world: strategically float robotic airships above Earth as an alternative to unsightly telecom towers on the ground and expensive satellites in space. Jones, a former NASA manager, envisions a fleet of unmanned "Stratellites" hovering in the atmosphere and blanketing large swaths of territory with wireless access for high-speed data and voice communications. Read more

Chips Promise to Boost Speech Recognition

by Stephen Shankland ZDNet News, 22 Aug 2006 Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are using custom computer chips to tackle a problem in speech recognition that software largely hasn't been able to solve. Speech recognition has long been a computer industry dream -- but it never has become practical reality for most computer users. But researcher Rob Rutenbar argues that using a custom processor rather than software will improve speech recognition speed and lower its power consumption. Read more

Amputee is First Out of the Gait with 'Power Knee'

by Mary Pilon USATODAY.com, 7 Aug 2006 Bill Dunham's leg has a brain -- at least an artificial one. Dunham, a retired U.S. Army Ranger and now a property manager in Arkansas, is the first amputee to be fitted with the Power Knee, a prosthetic device that uses motors, battery power and artificial intelligence to re-create a more natural stride. "I feel like my gait has improved dramatically," says Dunham, 37, who used to wear a regular prosthetic knee. "I feel like the leg is actually walking with me." Read more

Fibre Patches: Tackling Next-Generation Needs

by Giorgio Friedrich fibers.org News, 21 Aug 2006 The vision of carrying the triple-play of voice, data and video services over a single convergent infrastructure has given birth to the idea of the next-generation network. One key driving force is the ever-increasing level of data traffic, which is in turn driven by the emergence of new IP-based, bandwidth-intensive applications. With next-generation networks delivering advanced services at increased data rates and standards calling for higher connector performance, the production of fibre patches and connections borders on precision engineering. Read more

Modeling Wave Propagation in Damped Waveguides of Arbitrary Cross-Section

by Ivan Bartolia et al. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 22 Aug 2006 This paper deals with a semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method for modeling wave propagation in waveguides of arbitrary cross-section. The method simply requires the finite element discretization of the cross-section of the waveguide, and assumes harmonic motion along the wave propagation direction. The general SAFE technique is extended to account for viscoelastic material damping by allowing for complex stiffness matrices for the material. The dispersive solutions are obtained in terms of phase velocity, group velocity (for undamped media), energy velocity (for damped media), attenuation, and cross-sectional mode shapes. Knowledge of these properties is important in any structural health monitoring attempt that uses ultrasonic guided waves. The proposed SAFE formulation is applied to several examples, including anisotropic viscoelastic layered plates, composite-to-composite adhesive joints and railroad tracks. Read more

Penn Student Creates Electric Tweezers

University of Pennsylvania Press Release, 18 Aug 2006 The ability to sort cells or manipulate microscopic particles could soon be in the hands of small laboratories, high schools and amateur scientists, thanks to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science. They have created a device, called "electric tweezers," which can manipulate and move almost any object seen on a simple microscope slide. The research was led by graduate student Brian Edwards, with the help of his advisor Nader Engheta, professor, and Stephane Evoy, adjunct assistant professor, both of Penn's Electrical and Systems Engineering Department. Read more

The Effect of Scheduling on Link Capacity in Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

by Vinay Kolar & Nael Abu-Ghazaleh arXiv.org E-print Archive, 18 Aug 2006 Existing models of Multi-Hop Wireless Networks (MHWNs) assume that interference estimators of link quality such as observed busy time predict the capacity of the links. We show that these estimators do not capture the intricate interactions that occur at the scheduling level, which have a large impact on effective link capacity under contention based MAC protocols. We observe that scheduling problems arise only among those interfering sources whose concurrent transmissions cannot be prevented by the MAC protocol's collision management mechanisms; other interfering sources can arbitrate the medium and coexist successfully. Based on this observation, we propose a methodology for rating links and show that it achieves high correlation with observed behavior in simulation. We then use this rating as part of a branch-and-bound framework based on a linear programming formulation for traffic engineering in static MHWNs and show that it achieves considerable improvement in performance relative to interference based models. Read more

Design of Multimedia Processor Based on Metric Computation

by Nader Ben Amor et al. arXiv.org E-print Archive, 18 Aug 2006 Media-processing applications, such as signal processing, 2D and 3D graphics rendering, and image compression, are the dominant workloads in many embedded systems today. The real-time constraints of those media applications have taxing demands on today's processor performances with low cost, low power and reduced design delay. To satisfy those challenges, a fast and efficient strategy consists in upgrading a low cost general purpose processor core. This approach is based on the personalization of a general RISC processor core according the target multimedia application requirements. Thus, if the extra cost is justified, the general purpose processor GPP core can be enforced with instruction level coprocessors, coarse grain dedicated hardware, ad hoc memories or new GPP cores. In this way the final design solution is tailored to the application requirements. The proposed approach is based on three main steps: the first one is the analysis of the targeted application using efficient metrics. The second step is the selection of the appropriate architecture template according to the first step results and recommendations. The third step is the architecture generation. This approach is experimented using various image and video algorithms showing its feasibility. Read more

Parametrical Neural Networks and Some Other Similar Architectures

by Leonid B. Litinskii arXiv.org E-print Archive, 18 Aug 2006 A review of works on associative neural networks accomplished during last four years in the Institute of Optical Neural Technologies is given. The presentation is based on description of parametrical neural networks (PNN). For today PNN have record recognizing characteristics (storage capacity, noise immunity and speed of operation). Presentation of basic ideas and principles is accentuated. Read more

Energy from Ceramics

PhysOrg.com, accessed 22 Aug 2006 Micro fuel cells are already being acclaimed as an alternative to batteries. However, producing them from hundreds of tiny separate parts is complex and expensive. An alternative is now available: ceramic fuel cells that can be manufactured in one piece. Read more

New record for world's fastest transistor set

PhysOrg.com, accessed 22 Aug 2006 Engineers in the School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, U.K., have developed a method to make bipolar transistors twice as fast as current devices. Bipolar transistors are solid state semiconductor devices used in mobile phones and various wireless systems. According to Professor Peter Ashburn who undertook this research in collaboration with STC Microelectronics, the researchers used a standard silicon bipolar technique with fluorine implants to deliver a record fT of 110 GHz which is twice as fast as the current record. Read more

New Multilayer Thin-Film Sensors Enable Fast, Efficient Monitoring of Aircraft Defects

PhysOrg.com, accessed 22 Aug 2006 As aircraft reach or exceed their design lifetimes, the U.S. Air Force is turning to advanced nondestructive evaluation methods to determine their fitness for continued duty. Southwest Research Institute has developed a flexible thin-film deposition process (as a follow-on effort to a recent project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) that will enable the fabrication of thin magnetostrictive sensors that can efficiently detect and monitor defects in aircraft without the need for costly teardowns or unnecessary inspections. Read more

A Spin Solo

by Guido Burkard Nature, 17 Aug 2006 Quantum computers could solve problems insurmountable to conventional computers. The missing ingredient for quantum computing with electron spins is now available -- the rotation of a single spin. Read more

New Device Offers 'Sight' through Sound

by Celeste Biever New Scientist, 17 Aug 2006 It's not quite bat-style echolocation, but people could soon use sound to help them see. A portable navigational aid that transmits soft, low-pitched beeps directly to the inner ear has been designed to help blind people navigate around cities or guide firefighters through smoke-clogged buildings. The system guides users with beeps that appear to come from whatever direction the person needs to head in. "We have the user simply walk towards the sound," says Bruce Walker at the Georgia Institute of Technology, who created the device with colleague Frank Dellaert. Read more

Driven Coherent Oscillations of a Single Electron Spin in a Quantum Dot

by F. H. L. Koppens et al. Nature, 17 Aug 2006 The ability to control the quantum state of a single electron spin in a quantum dot is at the heart of recent developments towards a scalable spin-based quantum computer. In combination with the recently demonstrated controlled exchange gate between two neighbouring spins, driven coherent single spin rotations would permit universal quantum operations. Here, we report the experimental realization of single electron spin rotations in a double quantum dot. First, we apply a continuous-wave oscillating magnetic field, generated on-chip, and observe electron spin resonance in spin-dependent transport measurements through the two dots. Next, we coherently control the quantum state of the electron spin by applying short bursts of the oscillating magnetic field and observe about eight oscillations of the spin state (so-called Rabi oscillations) during a microsecond burst. These results demonstrate the feasibility of operating single-electron spins in a quantum dot as quantum bits. Read more

Robot Teammates Tap into Each Others' Talents

by Tom Simonite NewScientist.com, 15 Aug 2006 Teams of robots that can remotely tap into each other's sensors and computers in order to perform tricky tasks have been developed by researchers in Sweden. The robots can, for example, negotiate their way past awkward obstacles by relaying different viewpoints to one another. Robert Lundh, who developed the bots at Örebro University, says cooperative behaviour is normally rigidly pre-programmed into robots. "We wanted to have the robots plan for themselves how to draw on their capabilities and those of others." Read more

Ball-Balancing Robot Refuses to Roll Over

by Kurt Kleiner NewScientist.com, 11 Aug 2006 A robot that balances on top of a metal sphere about the size of a soccer ball could be a model for more nimble android assistants. The tall, thin robot, called Ballbot, sits on top of a ball, which it controls using a pair of rollers. Balance sensors feed information to an onboard computer. This continually moves the ball to make sure it is always under the robot's centre of gravity. Ballbot can also move in any direction, and regain its balance after a push, by making minor adjustments to the ball beneath it. Read more

Carbon Nanotubes Grown from Modified Porous Anodic Alumina Templates

by Matthew R. Maschmann et al. Nanotechnology, 11 Jul 2006 Vertical single-walled and double-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays have been grown using a catalyst embedded within the pore walls of a porous anodic alumina template. The initial film structure consisted of a SiOx adhesion layer, a Ti layer, a bottom Al layer, a Fe layer, and a top Al layer deposited on a Si wafer. The Al and Fe layers were subsequently anodized to create a vertically oriented pore structure through the film stack. CNTs were synthesized from the catalyst layer by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The resulting structure is expected to form the basis for development of vertically oriented CNT-based electronics and sensors. Read more

Storage Networks: Fibre Channel at 4G and Beyond

by Jon Baldry fibers.org News, 7 Aug 2006 The world is rapidly making the transition to the digital domain -- consumer demand fuels the growth of Internet-based services such as online shopping and gambling, while businesses continue to generate more and more data every day. And more data means one thing: an increased need for effective data storage, often with always-on high-speed access, to ensure business continuity and enable efficient disaster recovery. Read more

Hybrid Lighting Technology Gaining Momentum

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Press Release, 7 Aug 2006 With five hybrid solar lighting systems already in place and another 20 scheduled to be installed in the next couple of months, the forecast is looking sunny for a technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Preliminary data from field units, which collect sunlight and pipe it into buildings using bundles of small optical fibers, show potentially significant energy savings in lighting and maintenance costs. An added benefit is that, for most uses, natural light is vastly superior to artificial light. Read more

'Ballistic Computing' Chip Bounces Electrons around Like Billiards

University of Rochester Press Release, 17 Aug 2006 Computer designers at the University of Rochester are going ballistic. "Everyone has been trying to make better transistors by modifying current designs, but what we really need is the next paradigm," says Quentin Diduck, a graduate student at the University who thought up the radical new design. "We've gone from the relay, to the tube, to semiconductor physics. Now we're taking the next step on the evolutionary track." That next step goes by the imposing name of "Ballistic Deflection Transistor," and it's as far from traditional transistors as tubes. Instead of running electrons through a transistor as if they were a current of water, the ballistic design bounces individual electrons off deflectors as if playing a game of atomic billiards. Read more

Diamond Technology to Revolutionize Mobile Communications

DOE/Argonne National Laboratory Press Release, 8 Aug 2006 The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has teamed with industrial and academic partners under a DARPA Phase II research and development program to develop a new technology based on Ultrananocrystalline Diamond, a novel material developed at Argonne that will enable diamond resonators and oscillators to be directly integrated with microelectronics chips for next-generation telecommunication devices. Read more

A Science or Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Is Good for You

National Science Foundation Press Release, 14 Aug 2006 Earning a bachelor's degree in science or engineering (S&E) appears to serve the recipient well in the workforce, regardless of the job they do. In fact, according to a National Science Foundation survey, people who have earned an S&E bachelor's degree generally report that science and engineering knowledge is important to their job. That holds even if the graduate ends up doing non-technical work. Read more

Engineer Designs System to Put Wastewater to Work

Washington University in St. Louis Press Release, 7 Aug 2006 In the midst of the worldwide energy crisis, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have been continuing their work on a microbial fuel cell that generates electricity from wastewater. Advances in the design of this fuel cell in the last year have increased the power output by a factor of 10 and future designs, already in the minds of the researchers, hope to multiple that power output by 10 times again. If that goal can be achieved, the fuel cell could be scaled up for use in food and agricultural industries to generate electrical power -- all with the wastewater that today goes right down the drain. Read more

Just-in-Time Scheduling for Real-Time Sensor Data Dissemination

by Ke Liu, Nael Abu-Ghazaleh & Kyoung-Don Kang arXiv.org E-print Archive, 16 Aug 2006 We consider the problem of real-time data dissemination in wireless sensor networks, in which data are associated with deadlines and it is desired for data to reach the sink(s) by their deadlines. To this end, existing real-time data dissemination work have developed packet scheduling schemes that prioritize packets according to their deadlines. In this paper, we first demonstrate that not only the scheduling discipline but also the routing protocol has a significant impact on the success of real-time sensor data dissemination. We show that the shortest path routing using the minimum number of hops leads to considerably better performance than Geographical Forwarding, which has often been used in existing real-time data dissemination work. We also observe that packet prioritization by itself is not enough for real-time data dissemination, since many high priority packets may simultaneously contend for network resources, deteriorating the network performance. Instead, real-time packets could be judiciously delayed to avoid severe contention as long as their deadlines can be met. Based on this observation, we propose a Just-in-Time Scheduling (JiTS) algorithm for scheduling data transmissions to alleviate the shortcomings of the existing solutions. We explore several policies for non-uniformly delaying data at different intermediate nodes to account for the higher expected contention as the packet gets closer to the sink(s). By an extensive simulation study, we demonstrate that JiTS can significantly improve the deadline miss ratio and packet drop ratio compared to existing approaches in various situations. Notably, JiTS improves the performance requiring neither lower layer support nor synchronization among the sensor nodes. Read more

The Aligned-Coordinated Geographical Routing for Multihop Wireless Networks by Ke Liu & Nael Abu-Ghazaleh arXiv.org E-print Archive, 16 Aug 2006 The stateless, low overhead and distributed nature of the geographic routing protocols attract a lot of research attentions recently. Since the geographic routing would face void problems, leading to complementary routing such as perimeter routing which degrades the performance of geographic routing, most research works are focus on optimizing this complementary part of geographic routing to improve it. The greedy forwarding part of geographic routing provides an optimal routing performance in terms of path stretch. If the geographic routing could adapt the greedy forwarding more, its performance would be enhanced much more than to optimize the complementary routing such as perimeter routings. Our work is the first time to do so. The aligned physical coordinate is used to do the greedy forwarding routing decision which would lead more greedy forwarding. We evaluate our design to most geographic routing protocols, showing it helps much and maintain the stateless nature of geographic routing. Read more

Balancing Robot Could Aid Elderly

CNN.com, 17 Aug 2006 Ballbot, a narrow, 5-foot-tall robot, balances delicately on what looks like a bowling ball. Swaying slightly on a laboratory floor, the aluminum-framed droid seems ready to fall at any moment. But much like a circus animal balancing on a beach ball, Ballbot stays stable, its motors whirring to keep it upright. Some experts say robots such as Ballbot might one day help provide care and companionship to the disabled and the nation's aging population. Read more

Speedy Silicon Sets World Record

BBC News, 17 Aug 2006 A simple tweak to the way common silicon transistors are made could allow faster, cheaper mobile phones and digital cameras, say U.K. researchers. Devices with the modification have already set a new world record for the fastest transistor of its type. To achieve the speed gain, researchers at the University of Southampton added fluorine to the silicon devices. The technique uses existing silicon manufacturing technology meaning it should be quick and easy to deploy. "It just takes a standard technology and adds one extra step," said Professor Peter Ashburn, who carried out the work. "This is a really cheap method." Read more

Concurrent Processing Memory

by Chengpu Wang & Zhen Wang arXiv.org E-print Archive, 15 Aug 2006 A novel memory with limited processing power and internal connectivity at each element is proposed. This memory carries out parallel processing within itself. Many common algorithms using this memory are discussed. For an array of N items, it reduces the total instruction cycle count of universal operations such as insertion and match finding to ~ 1, and local operations such as filtering and pattern recognition to ~ local operation size. It also reduces the global operations sum and sorting to ~√N and less than ~N instruction cycles respectively. Particularly, it eliminates most streaming activities for data processing purpose on the data bus. Yet it remains general-purposed, easy to use, pin compatible with conventional memory, and practical for implementation. Read more

Secure Positioning of Mobile Terminals with Simplex Radio Communication

by Mikio Fujii arXiv.org E-print Archive, 7 Aug 2006 With the rapid spread of various mobile terminals in our society, the importance of secure positioning is growing for wireless networks in adversarial settings. Recently, several authors have proposed a secure positioning mechanism of mobile terminals which is based on the geometric property of wireless node placement, and on the postulate of modern physics that a propagation speed of information never exceeds the velocity of light. In particular, they utilize the measurements of the round-trip time of radio signal propagation and bidirectional communication for variants of the challenge-and-response. In this paper, we propose a novel means to construct the above mechanism by use of unidirectional communication instead of bidirectional communication. Our proposal is based on the assumption that a mobile terminal incorporates a high-precision inner clock in a tamper-resistant protected area. In positioning, the mobile terminal uses its inner clock and the time and location information broadcasted by radio from trusted stations. Our proposal has a major advantage in protecting the location privacy of mobile terminal users, because the mobile terminal need not provide any information to the trusted stations through positioning procedures. Besides, our proposal is free from the positioning error due to claimant's processing-time fluctuations in the challenge-and-response, and is well-suited for mobile terminals in the open air, or on the move at high speed, in terms of practical usage. We analyze the security, the functionality, and the feasibility of our proposal in comparison to previous proposals. Read more

New Cross-Layer Channel Switching Policy for TCP Transmission on 3G UMTS Downlink

qby Dinesh Kumar et al. arXiv.org E-print Archive, 4 Aug 2006 In 3G UMTS, two main transport channels have been provided for downlink data transmission: a common FACH channel and a dedicated DCH channel. The performance of TCP in UMTS depends much on the channel switching policy used. In this paper, we propose and analyze three new basic threshold-based channel switching policies for UMTS that we name as QS (Queue Size), FS (Flow Size) and QSFS (QS & FS combined) policy. These policies significantly improve over a modified threshold policy by about 17% in response time metrics. We further propose and evaluate a new improved switching policy that we call FS-DCH (at-least flow-size threshold on DCH) policy. This policy is biased towards short TCP flows of few packets and is thus a cross-layer policy that improves the performance of TCP by giving priority to the initial few packets of a flow on the fast DCH channel. Extensive simulation results confirm this improvement for the case when number of TCP connections is low. Read more

User-Network Association in a WLAN-UMTS Hybrid Cell: Global & Individual Optimality

by Dinesh Kumar, Eitan Altman, & Jean-Marc Kelif arXiv.org E-print Archive, 4 Aug 2006 We study optimal user-network association in an integrated 802.11 WLAN and 3G-UMTS hybrid cell. Assuming saturated resource allocation on the downlink of WLAN and UMTS networks and a single QoS class of mobiles arriving at an average location in the hybrid cell, we formulate the problem with two different approaches: Global and Individual optimality. The Globally optimal association is formulated as an SMDP (Semi Markov Decision Process) connection routing decision problem where rewards comprise a financial gain component and an aggregate network throughput component. The corresponding Dynamic Programming equations are solved using Value Iteration method and a stationary optimal policy with neither convex nor concave type switching curve structure is obtained. Threshold type and symmetric switching curves are observed for the analogous homogenous network cases. The Individual optimality is studied under a non-cooperative dynamic game framework with expected service time of a mobile as the decision cost criteria. It is shown that individual optimality in a WLAN-UMTS hybrid cell, results in a threshold policy curve of descending staircase form with increasing Poisson arrival rate of mobiles. Read more

Segway Redesigns Scooter

CNN.com, 14 Aug 2006 The maker of the Segway scooter Monday unveiled the second generation of its self-balancing electric one-person vehicle. The redesigned scooter allows the rider to steer by leaning to the right or left, rather than by turning the handlebars. It also features a wireless electric key and alarm system. The scooters feature two side-by-side wheels, and are ridden in a standing position, with the rider grasping handlebars. A gyroscope provides balance, making it fairly easy to remain in the upright position. Read more

Sink-or-Swim Robot Race

CNN.com, 11 Aug 2006 As part of the effort, college students were recently invited to build robots that could perform a series of tasks without human control in a 38-foot deep research pool. The culmination, last weekend's International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition, was a sink-or-swim contest. The robots were required to swim through a gate, find and dock with a flashing light box, locate and tag a cracked pipeline, then home in on an acoustic beacon and resurface in a designated recovery zone. Top prize was $7,000 and serious bragging rights. Read more

Green Pigment Spins Chip Promise

BBC News, 9 Aug 2006 An unpopular pigment used by artists in the 18th Century could lead to more energy efficient, faster computers. Cobalt green, as it is known, has been tested by a U.S. team who believe it could be used in "spintronic" devices. Spintronics involves manipulating the magnetic properties of electrons to do useful computational work. Cobalt green may be useful for building working devices as it can be used at room temperature, unlike many other materials which must be supercooled. "The big challenge is to develop materials that can perform these kinds of functions not just at cryogenic temperatures but at practical temperatures," said Professor Daniel Gamelin of the University of Washington, one of the team that carried out the work. Read more

Subwavelength Fractional Talbot Effect in Layered Heterostructures of Composite Metamaterials

by Simin Feng, Klaus Halterman, & Pamela L. Overfelt arXiv.org E-print Archive, 31 Jul 2006 We demonstrate that under certain conditions, fractional Talbot revivals can occur in heterostructures of composite metamaterials, such as multilayer positive and negative index media, metallodielectric stacks, and one-dimensional dielectric photonic crystals. Most importantly, without using the paraxial approximation we obtain Talbot images for the feature sizes of transverse patterns smaller than the illumination wavelength. A general expression for the Talbot distance in such structures is derived, and the conditions favorable for observing Talbot effects in layered heterostructures is discussed. Read more

Dynamic Radiation Force of Acoustic Waves on Solid Elastic Spheres

by Glauber T. Silva arXiv.org E-print Archive, 31 Jul 2006 The present study concerns the dynamic radiation force on solid elastic spheres exerted by a plane wave with two frequencies (bichromatic wave) considering the nonlinearity of the fluid. Our approach is based on solving the wave scattering for the sphere in the quasilinear approximation within the preshock wave range. The dynamic radiation force is then obtained by integrating the component of the momentum flux tensor at the difference of the primary frequencies over the boundary of the sphere. Results reveal that effects of the nonlinearity of the fluid plays a major role in dynamic radiation force leading it to a parametric amplification regime. The developed theory is used to calculate the dynamic radiation force on three different solid spheres (aluminium, silver, and tungsten). Resonances are observed in the spectrum of the force on the spheres. They have larger amplitude and better shape than resonances present in static radiation force. Read more

Electrical Control of the Linear Optical Properties of Particulate Composite Materials

by Akhlesh Lakhtakia & Tom G. Mackay arXiv.org E-print Archive, 29 Jul 2006 The Bruggeman formalism for the homogenization of particulate composite materials is used to predict the effective permittivity dyadic of a two-constituent composite material with one constituent having the ability to display the Pockels effect. Scenarios wherein the constituent particles are randomly oriented, oriented spheres, and oriented spheroids are numerically explored. Thereby, homogenized composite materials (HCMs) are envisaged whose constitutive parameters may be continuously varied through the application of a low-frequency (dc) electric field. The greatest degree of control over the HCM constitutive parameters is achievable when the constituents comprise oriented and highly aspherical particles and have high electro-optic coefficients. Read more

Investigation of the Standard Equation for the Energy Hoarded in an Elastic Material

by Aasis Vinayak.P.G arXiv.org E-print Archive, 29 Jul 2006 Paper examines the validity and soundness of the standard equation derived to find the amount of energy stored inside an elastic material when it is stretched. The paper also tries to include the parameters that where neglected while deriving the so-called standard equation and thus by trying to solve the anomalies associated with it. The paper suggests a new equation that can solve the problems. Read more

Microbubble Clustering in Turbulent Flow

by Enrico Calzavarini et al. arXiv.org E-print Archive, 27 Jul 2006 Single-point hot-wire measurements in the bulk of a turbulent channel have been performed in order to detect and quantify the phenomenon of preferential bubble accumulation. We show that statistical analysis of the bubble-probe colliding-times series can give a robust method for investigation of clustering in the bulk regions of a turbulent flow where, due to the opacity of the flow, no imaging technique can be employed. We demonstrate that micro-bubbles (R0 ≃ 100 μm in a developed turbulent flow, where the Kolmogorov length-scale is ≃ R0, display preferential concentration in small scale structures with a typical statistical signature ranging from the dissipative range, O(), up to the lower end of inertial range, O(100). A comparison with Eulerian-Lagrangian numerical simulations is also performed and arising similarities and differences are discussed. Read more

Vorticity Dynamics in a Turbulent Vortex

by R. Labbé, C. Baudet, & G. Bustamante arXiv.org E-print Archive, 26 Jul 2006 We investigate the vorticity dynamics in a turbulent vortex using scattering of acoustic waves. Two ultrasonic beams are adjusted to probe simultaneously two spatial scales in a given volume of the flow, thus allowing a dual channel recording of the dynamics of coherent vorticity structures. Our results show that this allows to measure the average energy transfer time between different spatial length scales, and that such transfer goes faster at smaller scales. Read more

New X-Ray Microbeam Answers 20-Year-Old Metals Question

National Institute of Standards and Technology Press Release, 3 Aug 2006 What happens to metals when you bend them? The question isn't as easy as you may think. A research team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Southern California, using a unique X-ray probe, has gathered the first direct evidence showing that, on average, a 20-year-old model is a useful predictor of stresses and strains in deformed metal. Read more

NJIT Researchers Seed, Heat and Grow Carbon Nanotubes

New Jersey Institute of Technology Press Release, 3 Aug 2006 In less than 20 minutes, researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology can now seed, heat, and grow carbon nanotubes in 10-foot-long, hollow thin steel tubing. The ground-breaking method will lead to improvements in cleaner gasoline, better food processing and faster, cheaper ways to clean air and water. Read more

Brownfields May Turn Green with Help from MSU Research

Michigan State University Press Release, 3 Aug 2006 Growing crops for biofuels summons images of fuel alternatives springing from the rural heartland. But a Michigan State University partnership with DaimlerChrysler is looking at turning industrial brownfields green. A professor of crop and soil sciences is leading the investigation to examine the possibility that some oilseed crops like soybeans, sunflower and canola, and other crops such as corn and switchgrass, can be grown on abandoned industrial sites for use in ethanol or biodiesel fuel production. The results of the work conducted here might sprout similar sites across the state and nation in areas that aren't desirable for commercial or residential uses. The results also will contribute crops for biofuel production and may help clean up contaminated soils. Read more

Localization for Anchoritic Sensor Networks

by Yuliy Baryshnikov & Jian Tan arXiv.org E-print Archive, 2 Aug 2006 We introduce a class of anchoritic sensor networks, where communications between sensor nodes is undesirable or infeasible, e.g., due to harsh environment, energy constraints, or security considerations. Read more

Scaling and Saturation Laws for the Expansion of Concrete Exposed to Sulfate Attack

by Paulo J. M. Monteiro Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1 Aug 2006 Reinforced concrete structures exposed to aggressive environments often require repair or retrofit even though they were designed to last >50 years. This statement is especially true for structures subjected to sulfate attack. It is critical that fundamental models of life prediction be developed for durability of concrete. Based on experimental results obtained over a 40-year period, scaling and saturation laws were formulated for concrete exposed to sulfate solution. These features have not been considered in current models used to predict life cycle of concrete exposed to aggressive environment. The mathematical analysis shows that porous concrete made with high and moderate water-to-cement ratios develops a definite scaling law after an initiation time. The scaling coefficient depends on the cement composition but does not depend on the original water-to-cement ratio. Dense concrete made with low water-to-cement ratios develops a cyclic saturation curve. An index for "potential of damage" is created to allow engineers to design concrete structures with better precision and cement chemists to develop portland cements with optimized composition. Read more

FCC Pushes for Broadband over Power Lines

by Anne Broache ZDNet News, 3 Aug 2006 Federal regulators renewed on Thursday their push for a wider rollout of what has been hailed as a viable "third pipe" for the many areas where broadband choices have been limited to DSL or cable modems. If broadband over power lines takes off, then more Americans, particularly in rural and underserved areas, will be able to plug into high-speed Internet access, and markets dominated by cable and digital subscriber line should be forced to lower consumers' bills. Read more

Ice-Powered Air Conditioner Could Cut Costs

by Martin LaMonica ZDNet News, 1 Aug 2006 Can an ice-powered air conditioner take the edge off scorching summer electrical bills? A young company has developed an energy-storage system that uses a tank of water to cut down on the power required for air conditioning by 30 percent. The company's, roughly the size and shape of a squat refrigerator, are an adjunct to standard centralized air-conditioning units. Rather than run AC compressors during the hottest time of the day, they cool water during the night, turning it to ice. During the day, the ice cools the refrigerant as it passes through the tank, lowering the temperature inside. This process of shifting the time that the AC unit works knocks electricity usage and costs down significantly. Read more

Batteries That Pack a Punch without a Pop

by Michael Kanellos ZDNet News, 26 Jul 2006 Except for the rare moments when they burst into flames, lithium ion batteries have helped revolutionize electronics. A small company in Austin, Texas says it has come up with a way to throttle the explosive properties of the battery technology and make larger lithium batteries that can power tools or even hybrid cars. To date, lithium ion batteries have mostly been used in notebooks and personal electronics. Read more

Hydrogen Cars to Hit the Road by 2015?

by Michael Kanellos ZDNet News, 31 Jul 2006 Hydrogen cars aren't necessarily slow. Kevin Eslinger, a graduate student at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, points to one of the projects the university is studying: a Toyota SUV that runs on a hybrid electric/hydrogen engine. "We drove this past 100 miles per hour," Eslinger said. And it accelerates as well as a standard gas car, he added. Read more

Powering Up, One Step at a Time

by Eliza Barclay Wired News, 28 Jul 2006 British engineers are converting street vibrations into electricity and predict a working prototype by Christmas capable of powering facility lights in the busiest areas of a city. "We can harvest between 5 to 7 watts of energy per footstep that is currently being wasted into the ground," says Claire Price, director of The Facility Architects, the British firm heading up the Pacesetters Project. " And a passing train can generate very useful energy to run signaling or to power lights." Read more

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Runs Toy Car

Associated Press Wired News, 23 Jul 2006 It's a dream that's been pursued for years by governments, energy companies and automakers so far without success: mass-producing affordable hydrogen-powered cars that spew just clean water from their tailpipes. So Shanghai's Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to start small. Really small. This month, it will begin sales of a tiny hydrogen fuel-cell car, complete with its own miniature solar-powered refueling station. The toy is a step toward introducing the technology to the public and making it commercially viable. Read more

Engineers Make Like a Tree

by Elizabeth Svoboda Wired News, 10 Jul 2006 An engineer by training, Ken Sandhage had no idea what diatoms were until he took a bus seat next to a woman who was poring over a book about them. "I was curious," Sandhage remembers, "so I asked her what she was reading." Her answer fascinated him -- she was a biologist studying single-celled algae that under a microscope had skeletons resembling ornate seashells. As the bus rolled on, Sandhage was jolted by a sudden insight. What if he could model nanodevices after diatoms? Read more

From Helmet to Sideline, Device Measures Impacts to Head

by Jessica Sidman USATODAY.com, 27 Jul 2006 The latest football helmet innovation not only protects the head -- it can read the mind. Or at least what's happening to it. The Head Impact Telemetry System measures and records impacts to the head and sends a wireless signal to the sideline in real time. The device, which is being tested by several high school and college teams, is a tool to learn more about head injuries, and researchers hope it eventually will lead to safer helmet designs. Read more

General Relativity in Electrical Engineering

by Ulf Leonhardt & Thomas G. Philbin arXiv.org E-print Archive, 26 Jul 2006 In electrical engineering metamaterials have been developed that offer unprecedented control over electromagnetic fields. Here we show that general relativity lends the theoretical tools for designing devices made of such versatile materials. Given a desired device function, the theory describes the electromagnetic properties that turn this function into fact. We consider media that facilitate space-time transformations and include negative refraction. Our theory unifies the concepts operating behind the scenes of perfect invisibility devices, perfect lenses, the optical Aharonov-Bohm effect and electromagnetic analogs of the event horizon, and may lead to further applications. Read more

Transport on Complex Networks: Flow, Jamming and Optimization

by Bosiljka Tadic, G.J. Rodgers, & Stefan Thurner arXiv.org E-print Archive, 25 Jul 2006 Many transport processes on networks depend crucially on the underlying network geometry, although the exact relationship between the structure of the network and the properties of transport processes remain elusive. In this paper we address this question by using numerical models in which both structure and dynamics are controlled systematically. We consider the traffic of information packets that include driving, searching and queuing. We present the results of extensive simulations on two classes of networks; a correlated cyclic scale-free network and an uncorrelated homogeneous weakly clustered network. By measuring different dynamical variables in the free flow regime we show how the global statistical properties of the transport are related to the temporal fluctuations at individual nodes (the traffic noise) and the links (the traffic flow). We then demonstrate that these two network classes appear as representative topologies for optimal traffic flow in the regimes of low density and high density traffic, respectively. We also determine statistical indicators of the pre-jamming regime on different network geometries and discuss the role of queuing and dynamical betweenness for the traffic congestion. The transition to the jammed traffic regime at a critical posting rate on different network topologies is studied as a phase transition with an appropriate order parameter. We also address several open theoretical problems related to the network dynamics. Read more

Tiny Chip Demonstrates Big Memory in Cosmos

PhysOrg.com, accessed 3 Aug 2006 A chemical alloy, used in everyday electronic items such as rewritable CDs and DVDs, serves as the source of a new computer chip which researchers hope will demonstrate non-volatile memory, or information storage retention without a power source, in the radiation-hardened space environment. Debuting in 2000, the chalcogenide random access memory, or C-RAM, program, administered by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicle Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., has invested in the innovative, tiny component, which features 16 times the retention capacity of the best non-volatile memory available for use in the cosmos. Read more

Glass Fibers Instead of Copper Cables

Physorg.com, accessed 3 Aug 2006 Fiber-optic systems transport data at an unrivaled speed. Until now, however, it has only been worth using them to interconnect large numbers of customers. They are too costly for individual connections or for networking machines in a factory. The reason is that the optoelectronic components that transmit light information, receive it, switch it and convert it into electrical signals are made of special inorganic materials such as semiconducting compounds or ceramics. This makes them very expensive. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut HHI in Berlin have developed an alternative made of low-priced plastics. Read more

Tiny Motor Shakes Up Camera Phone Market

by James Tyrrell optics.org News, 31 Jul 2006 A miniature linear motor developed in the U.S. is shaping up to be a big hit with camera phone makers as the industry switches from fixed optics to moving lenses. Based on a vibrating nut and threaded rod, New Scale Technologies' compact mechanism allows engineers to shrink optical zoom modules into a 10 x 10 x 20 mm sized package. Read more

Flat 'Ion Trap' Holds Quantum Computing Promise

by Tom Simonite NewScientist.com, 7 Jul 2006 Quantum computers could be more easily mass produced thanks to the development of a two-dimensional ion trap -- one of their key components. Ion traps have so far proved the best way to make qubits, allowing up to eight to be connected together. They work by trapping super-cooled ions in an electric field. Lasers can then be used to manipulate the ions to alter their quantum states. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland have developed a new way to make ion traps that can be easily scaled up, using technologies common to today's electronics industry. Read more

Spherical Micro-Robots Could Explore Mars

by Kelly Young NewScientist.com, 25 Jul 2006 Hundreds of robotic spheres that could one day explore planets like Mars are to be tested out by scientists back on Earth. The micro-robots could land on the surface of another planet arranged in a capsule like eggs in a carton. Or they could be dropped onto the planet by a balloon floating above the surface. They would move by rolling and bouncing, powered by artificial muscles that alter their overall shape. Read more

Developing Optofluidic Technology through the Fusion of Microfluidics and Optics

by Demetri Psaltis, Stephen R. Quake, & Changhuei Yang Nature, 27 Jul 2006 We describe devices in which optics and fluidics are used synergistically to synthesize novel functionalities. Fluidic replacement or modification leads to reconfigurable optical systems, whereas the implementation of optics through the microfluidic toolkit gives highly compact and integrated devices. We categorize optofluidics according to three broad categories of interactions: fluid-solid interfaces, purely fluidic interfaces and colloidal suspensions. We describe examples of optofluidic devices in each category. Read more

Chemoresponsive Monolayer Transistors

by Xuefeng Guo et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1 Aug 2006 This work details a method to make efficacious field-effect transistors from monolayers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are able to sense and respond to their chemical environment. The molecules used in this study are functionalized so that they assemble laterally into columns and attach themselves to the silicon oxide surface of a silicon wafer. To measure the electrical properties of these monolayers, we use ultrasmall point contacts that are separated by only a few nanometers as the source and drain electrodes. These contacts are formed through an oxidative cutting of an individual metallic single-walled carbon nanotube that is held between macroscopic metal leads. The molecules assemble in the gap and form transistors with large current modulation and high gate efficiency. Because these devices are formed from an individual stack of molecules, their electrical properties change significantly when exposed to electron-deficient molecules such as tetracyanoquinodimethane, forming the basis for new types of environmental and molecular sensors. Read more

Interplay of Electron-Lattice Interactions and Superconductivity in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+

by Jinho Lee et al. Nature, 3 Aug 2006 Formation of electron pairs is essential to superconductivity. For conventional superconductors, tunnelling spectroscopy has established that pairing is mediated by bosonic modes (phonons); a peak in the second derivative of tunnel current d²I/dV² corresponds to each phonon mode. For high-transition-temperature (high-T_c) superconductivity, however, no boson mediating electron pairing has been identified. One explanation could be that electron pair formation and related electron-boson interactions are heterogeneous at the atomic scale and therefore challenging to characterize. However, with the latest advances in d²I/dV² spectroscopy using scanning tunnelling microscopy, it has become possible to study bosonic modes directly at the atomic scale. Here we report d²I/dV² imaging studies of the high-T_c superconductor Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊. We find intense disorder of electron–boson interaction energies at the nanometre scale, along with the expected modulations in d²I/dV². Changing the density of holes has minimal effects on both the average mode energies and the modulations, indicating that the bosonic modes are unrelated to electronic or magnetic structure. Instead, the modes appear to be local lattice vibrations, as substitution of ¹⁸O for ¹⁶O throughout the material reduces the average mode energy by approximately 6 per cent -- the expected effect of this isotope substitution on lattice vibration frequencies. Significantly, the mode energies are always spatially anticorrelated with the superconducting pairing-gap energies, suggesting an interplay between these lattice vibration modes and the superconductivity. Read more

MIMO Scheme Performance and Detection in Noise

by Sander Stepanov arXiv.org E-print Archive, 2 Aug 2006 New approach for analysis and decoding MIMO signaling is developed for usual model of nongaussion noise consists of background and impulsive noise named - noise. It is shown that non-gaussion noise performance significantly worse than gaussion ones. Stimulation results strengthen out theory. Robust in statistical sense detection rule is suggested for such kind of noise features much best robust detector performance than detector designed for Gaussian noise in impulsive environment and modest margin in background noise. Proposed algorithms performance are comparable with developed potential bound. Proposed tool, is crucial issue for MIMO communication system design, since real noise environment has impulsive character that contradict with wide used Gaussian approach, so real MIMO performance much different for Gaussian a non-Gaussian noise model. Read more

NSF Funding Opportunity - Cooperative Activity in Materials Research between US Investigators and Their Counterparts Abroad

Continued progress in fundamental materials and condensed matter research is increasingly dependent upon collaborative efforts among several different disciplines, as well as closer coordination among funding agencies and effective partnerships involving universities, industry, and national laboratories. In addition, because of the growing interdependence of the world's economies, partnerships are important not only at the national level but from an international point of view as well. The National Science Foundation is working jointly with counterpart national, regional and multinational funding organizations worldwide to enhance opportunities for collaborative activities in materials research and education between US investigators and their colleagues abroad. This solicitation describes an activity to foster opportunities for such collaborations. It includes joint activities between NSF and funding organizations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and other regions. Read more

Photonic Charge-Pump Device Measures Distance

by Nicola Massari & Massimo Gottardi SPIE Newsroom, accessed 3 Aug 2006 A variety of imaging applications could benefit from the ability to discern how far an object is from the sensor. Although CMOS image sensors have gained popularity due to their low cost of fabrication and ease of integration with other electronics, 3D optical measurement remains a challenge for these devices. We are developing a compact CMOS-compatible device that uses the phenomenon of charge pumping to extract distance information from sensors. Read more

Complex, Flexible, Virtual Environments Based on a Four Dimensional Grid

by Julieta Aguilera SPIE Newsroom, accessed 3 Aug 2006 As virtual reality evolves, demand increases for structures that are not restricted to 2D or 3D spaces. These self-imposed constraints challenge the developers of computer graphics. Nevertheless, mapping information to complex grids in virtual reality is valuable to engineers, artists, and other users because interactive navigation is then internalized. In other words, the interaction engages the user to maneuver the environment to gain further knowledge of, and experience with, complex spaces. Read more

Reducing the Dimensionality of Data with Neural Networks

by G. E. Hinton & R. R. Salakhutdinov Science, 28 Jul 2006 High-dimensional data can be converted to low-dimensional codes by training a multilayer neural network with a small central layer to reconstruct high-dimensional input vectors. Gradient descent can be used for fine-tuning the weights in such "autoencoder" networks, but this works well only if the initial weights are close to a good solution. We describe an effective way of initializing the weights that allows deep autoencoder networks to learn low-dimensional codes that work much better than principal components analysis as a tool to reduce the dimensionality of data. Read more

Violation of Kirchhoff's Laws for a Coherent RC Circuit

by J. Gabelli et al. Science, 28 Jul 2006 What is the complex impedance of a fully coherent quantum resistance-capacitance circuit at gigahertz frequencies in which a resistor and a capacitor are connected in series? While Kirchhoff's laws predict addition of capacitor and resistor impedances, we report on observation of a different behavior. The resistance, here associated with charge relaxation, differs from the usual transport resistance given by the Landauer formula. In particular, for a single-mode conductor, the charge-relaxation resistance is half the resistance quantum, regardless of the transmission of the mode. The new mesoscopic effect reported here is relevant for the dynamical regime of all quantum devices. Read more

Mode Locking of Electron Spin Coherences in Singly Charged Quantum Dots

by A. Greilich et al. Science, 21 Jul 2006 The fast dephasing of electron spins in an ensemble of quantum dots is detrimental for applications in quantum information processing. We show here that dephasing can be overcome by using a periodic train of light pulses to synchronize the phases of the precessing spins, and we demonstrate this effect in an ensemble of singly charged (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots. This mode locking leads to constructive interference of contributions to Faraday rotation and presents potential applications based on robust quantum coherence within an ensemble of dots. Read more

A Dielectric Polymer with High Electric Energy Density and Fast Discharge Speed

by Baojin Chu et al. Science, 21 Jul 2006 Dielectric polymers with high dipole density have the potential to achieve very high energy density, which is required in many modern electronics and electric systems. We demonstrate that a very high energy density with fast discharge speed and low loss can be obtained in defect-modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) polymers. This is achieved by combining nonpolar and polar molecular structural changes of the polymer with the proper dielectric constants, to avoid the electric displacement saturation at electric fields well below the breakdown field. The results indicate that a very high dielectric constant may not be desirable to reach a very high energy density. Read more

High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Imaging of Dislocations

by J. S. Barnard et al. Science, 21 Jul 2006 Dislocations and their interactions govern the properties of many materials, ranging from work hardening in metals to device pathology in semiconductor laser diodes. However, conventional electron micrographs are simply two-dimensional projections of three-dimensional structures, and even stereo microscopy cannot reveal the true 3D complexity of defect structures. Here, we describe an electron tomographic method that yields 3D reconstructions of dislocation networks with a spatial resolution three orders of magnitude better than previous work. We illustrate the method's success with a study of dislocations in a GaN epilayer, where dislocation densities of 10¹⁰ per square centimeter are common. Read more

Mobile Video-Surveillance Technology Set to Revolutionize Command and Control

by Petko Dinev Military & Aerospace Electronics, July 2006 Mobile video surveillance using several unmanned platforms communicating over a wireless network can be an effective technology to inform command-and-control activities in conventional open battlefields and congested urban environments. During the past few years, development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for battlefield reconnaissance has proceeded rapidly, with remotely piloted vehicles capable of carrying considerable remote-sensing payloads in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other theaters. More recently, autonomous UAVs able to carry out missions with minimal human guidance have come on line. While these assets have already shown that this technology provides valuable information with reduced risk to human aviators, additional technology is already available to reach a much higher level of functionality. Read more

Call for Papers: Vehicular Technology

The 2007 IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference is now seeking paper submissions. Authors are encouraged to submit papers transportation, mobile applications, wireless value-chain, mobile satellite systems, and related topics. The conference takes place from 23 to 25 April 2007 in Dublin, Ireland. Paper submissions are due 16 September. Read more

2007 International Future Energy Challenge

The annual International Future Energy Challenge is an international student competition for innovation, conservation, and effective use of electrical energy. The competition is open to college and university student teams from recognized engineering programs in any location. The 2007 competition addresses two broad topic areas: Universal Adapting Battery Charger and Integrated Starter/Alternator-Motor Drive for Automotive Applications. Schools interested in participating must submit a proposal no later than 18 September 2006. Prizes totaling at least US$50 thousand are expected to be awarded. The major sponsor of the 2007 competition is the IEEE Power Electronics Society. Read more

Preparation of Sodium Aluminate From Basic Aluminium Sulfate

by César A. Contreras, Satoshi Sugita, & Esthela Ramos AZojomo, August 2006 A method for preparing sodium aluminate from basic aluminum sulfate (BAS) is presented. The process consists of two steps. In the first step, BAS was transformed into sodium dawsonite (NaAl(OH)₂CO3) by treating BAS with sodium carbonate aqueous solution at various temperatures and times. The best experimental conditions for preparing sodium dawsonite were established. In the second step of this work, sodium aluminate was obtained by heating sodium dawsonite. In this case, several samples of sodium dawsonite were heated at different temperatures in the range of 600-1100°C for 30 minutes. Sodium dawsonite decomposed at 320°C with the evolution of carbon dioxide and water. At 500°C, a pattern corresponding to a transition alumina was observed by X-ray diffraction. The first traces of crystalline sodium aluminate could be detected in the solid heated at 800°C, whereas at 1000°C a mixture of sodium aluminate and alpha alumina was obtained. Thus, the scheme of phase evolution on progressive heating could be expressed as sodium dawsonite, amorphous, transition alumina (gamma/eta) and crystalline sodium aluminate. By this method, crystalline sodium aluminate could be obtained under mild conditions by heating sodium dawsonite at 900°C for 30 minutes. Read more

Underwater Robots Work Together without Human Input

Princeton University Press Release, 1 Aug 2006 This August in Monterey Bay, Calif., an entire fleet of undersea robots will for the first time work together without the aid of humans to make detailed and efficient observations of the ocean. The oceanographic test bed in Monterey is expected to yield rich information in particular about a periodic upwelling of cold water that occurs at this time of year near Point Año Nuevo, northwest of Monterey Bay. But the project has potentially larger implications. It may lead to the development of robot fleets that forecast ocean conditions and better protect endangered marine animals, track oil spills, and guide military operations at sea. Moreover, the mathematical system that allows the undersea robots to self-choreograph their movements in response to their environment might one day power other robotic teams that -- without human supervision -- could explore not just oceans, but deserts, rain forests and even other planets. Read more

Fingertip Device Helps Computers Read Hand Gestures

University at Buffalo Press Release, 27 Jul 2006 With the tap of a single finger, computer users soon may be drawn deeper into the virtual world using a new device developed in the University at Buffalo's Virtual Reality Lab. UB researchers say their "Fingertip Digitizer," which users wear on the tip of the index finger, can transfer to the virtual world the meaning and intent of common hand gestures, such as pointing, wagging the finger, tapping in the air or other movements that can be used to direct the actions of an electronic device, much like a mouse directs the actions of a personal computer, but with greater precision. Read more

Device Determines How Well Wind Turbines Operate

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories Press Release, 26 Jul 2006 In West Texas, New Mexico, and other places around the world, wind turbines are used to generate electricity. But how can engineers determine their efficiency and health? Sandia's Wind Energy Technology Department has developed a device, the Accurate Time Linked data Acquisition System, which answers that question and can provide all of the information necessary to understand how well a machine is performing. Housed in an environmentally protected aluminum box, ATLAS II is capable of sampling a large number of signals at once to characterize the inflow, the operational state, and the structural response of a wind turbine. Read more

Undergraduates Devise Inexpensive Hand-Held Braille Writer

Johns Hopkins University Press Release, 25 Jul 2006 To help provide a low-cost communication tool for blind people, undergraduates at The Johns Hopkins University have invented a lightweight, portable Braille writing device that requires no electronic components. For a class called Engineering Design Project, four mechanical engineering majors were asked to produce such an instrument that would cost less than $50 each. The more sophisticated and generally more cumbersome typewriter-style or computer-based Braille writers available to blind people typically cost much more. At the end of a two-semester research, design and testing process, the student inventors came in well below the target price. Read more

Nanostructures and Osteoblast Behavior of Thermal Sprayed Calcium Phosphate Splats

by K.A. Khor, H. Li, & P. Cheang AZojomo, Jun 2006 This study aimed to characterize the nanostructures in individual calcium phosphate (CP) splats deposited by thermal spray processes. The CP splats were fabricated using both plasma spraying and high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) techniques. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed for observing the nanostructures. A nanostructure with ~ 30nm grains within the CP splats was revealed. This is consistent with the nanostructures exhibited within the CP coating. The present results also further confirmed that hydroxyapatite (HA) decomposition mainly occurred within the melted part of the sprayed particles. Furthermore, after 2 days incubation of the splats in the culture medium, the osteoblast cells have already very well attached and proliferated on the coating. The nanostructures are capable of enhancing the proliferation of the osteoblast cells. Read more

Vertical Single- and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Grown from Modified Porous Anodic Alumina Templates

by Matthew R Maschmann et al. Nanotechnology, July 2006 Vertical single-walled and double-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT and DWNT) arrays have been grown using a catalyst embedded within the pore walls of a porous anodic alumina template. The initial film structure consisted of a SiOx adhesion layer, a Ti layer, a bottom Al layer, a Fe layer, and a top Al layer deposited on a Si wafer. The Al and Fe layers were subsequently anodized to create a vertically oriented pore structure through the film stack. CNTs were synthesized from the catalyst layer by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The resulting structure is expected to form the basis for development of vertically oriented CNT-based electronics and sensors. Read more

Atom-by-Atom Substitution of Mn in GaAs and Visualization of Their Hole-Mediated Interactions

by Dale Kitchen et al. Nature, 27 Jul 2006 The discovery of ferromagnetism in Mn-doped GaAs1 has ignited interest in the development of semiconductor technologies based on electron spin and has led to several proof-of-concept spintronic devices. A major hurdle for realistic applications of Ga_1-xMn_xAs, or other dilute magnetic semiconductors, remains that their ferromagnetic transition temperature is below room temperature. Enhancing ferromagnetism in semiconductors requires us to understand the mechanisms for interaction between magnetic dopants, such as Mn, and identify the circumstances in which ferromagnetic interactions are maximized. Here we describe an atom-by-atom substitution technique using a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) and apply it to perform a controlled study at the atomic scale of the interactions between isolated Mn acceptors, which are mediated by holes in GaAs. High-resolution STM measurements are used to visualize the GaAs electronic states that participate in the Mn–Mn interaction and to quantify the interaction strengths as a function of relative position and orientation. Our experimental findings, which can be explained using tight-binding model calculations, reveal a strong dependence of ferromagnetic interaction on crystallographic orientation. This anisotropic interaction can potentially be exploited by growing oriented Ga_1-xMn_xAs structures to enhance the ferromagnetic transition temperature beyond that achieved in randomly doped samples. Read more

How to Simulate Billiards and Similar Systems

by Boris D. Lubachevsky arXiv.org E-print Archive, 28 Jul 2006 An N-component continuous-time dynamic system is considered whose components evolve autonomously all the time except for in discrete asynchronous instances of pairwise interactions. Examples include chaotically colliding billiard balls and combat models. A new efficient serial event-driven algorithm is described for simulating such systems. Rather than maintaining and updating the global state of the system, the algorithm tries to examine only essential events, i.e., component interactions. The events are processed in a non-decreasing order of time; new interactions are scheduled on the basis of the examined interactions using preintegrated equations of the evolutions of the components. If the components are distributed uniformly enough in the evolution space, so that this space can be subdivided into small sectors such that only O(1) sectors and O(1) components are in the neighborhood of a sector, then the algorithm spends time O (log N) for processing an event which is the asymptotical minimum. The algorithm uses a simple strategy for handling data: only two states are maintained for each simulated component. Fast data access in this strategy assures the practical efficiency of the algorithm. It works noticeably faster than other algorithms proposed for this model. Read more

Optimal Traffic Networks

by Marc Barthelemy & Alessandro Flammini arXiv.org E-print Archive, 25 Jul 2006 Inspired by studies on the airports' network and the physical Internet, we propose a general model of weighted networks via an optimization principle. The topology of the optimal network turns out to be a spanning tree that minimizes a combination of topological and metric quantities. It is characterized by a strongly heterogeneous traffic, non-trivial correlations between distance and traffic and a broadly distributed centrality. A clear spatial hierarchical organization, with local hubs distributing traffic in smaller regions, emerges as a result of the optimization. Varying the parameters of the cost function, different classes of trees are recovered, including in particular the minimum spanning tree and the shortest path tree. These results suggest that a variational approach represents an alternative and possibly very meaningful path to the study of the structure of complex weighted networks. Read more

New Washers and Dryers Send E-mail

CNN.com, 25 Jul 2006 The technology behind cleaning clothes has spun through more than a few cycles over the last century, from clunky hand-cranked machines to today's gleaming appliances that can detect a load's size and even how much grime is ground into the fabric. Soon, those who delight in living the clean life could be awash in an even newer twist. Washers and dryers that link wirelessly to Internet-connected home networks are being tested by consumers who are receiving updates on their dirty laundry via cell phones, computers and TV sets. Read more

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Computer-Chipped Bikini

CNN.com, 27 Jul 27, 2006 The American Cancer Society advises that the best way to lower the risk of skin cancer, the most common form of the disease in humans, is to avoid too much exposure to the sun and other sources of ultraviolet light. So Canadian company Solestrom has come up with a new bikini that goes on sale next month with a UV meter built into its belt and an alarm that beeps to tell wearers when to head to the shade. Read more

Memory Chip Threat to Hard Discs

by Spencer Kelly BBC News, 21 Jul 2006 Random access memory (RAM) is short term memory, it handles the data a computer needs right now to do its calculations. Reading and writing data to RAM can be done extremely quickly, but it is volatile. And then there is flash memory, which is great for storing moderate amounts of data. It is non-volatile, so it is useful in portable devices like MP3 players and cameras. It is also robust, so you can sling it around in portable devices. Its main drawbacks are that it is very slow to write data to, and it also wears out. So depending on our needs, we have two ways of storing data, which both have disadvantages. What would be lovely is a type of memory which is both fast to write, and non-volatile. So, along comes something called magnetoresistive random access memory or MRAM. Read more

Geckos Inspire 'Super-Adhesive'

BBC News, 26 Jul 2006 Just one metre square of a new super-sticky material inspired by gecko feet could suspend the weight of an average family car, say its inventors. The plastic, known as Synthetic Gecko, has been developed by researchers at aerospace and defence firm BAE Systems. Read more