| New optical tweezers trap specimens just a few nanometers across Dec 4th 2012, 20:44 A microscale technique known as optical trapping uses beams of light as tweezers to hold and manipulate tiny particles. Researchers have found a new way to trap particles smaller than 10 nanometers -- and potentially down to just a few atoms in size -- which until now have escaped light's grasp. |  | Flexible, low-voltage circuits made using nanocrystals Nov 26th 2012, 19:30 Electronic circuits are typically integrated in rigid silicon wafers, but flexibility opens up a wide range of applications in a world where electronics are becoming more pervasive. Finding materials with the right mix of performance and manufacturing cost, however, remains a challenge. Now researchers have shown that nanoscale particles, or nanocrystals, of the semiconductor cadmium selenide can be "printed" or "coated" on flexible plastics to form high-performance electronics. | | IT building blocks for the ordinary person Nov 21st 2012, 12:57 Would you like to create your own tourist guide? Or put together telecom services that give you better control of the everyday functions on your phone? We seem to be drowning in 'intelligent things' and IT services. In our smart home, we can use various applications to control the front door, TV, washing machine, vacuum, heating and blinds. Other apps enable us to find out what time the bus is leaving, or book a table at a restaurant. On the medical side, there are sensors that can monitor your heart rate, intelligent pill boxes that remember when you should take your medicine, and applications to notify relatives if an elderly person doesn't get out of bed at their normal time. But what if you go on holiday, and want to be able to water the plants in your garden, or turn the heating on or off in a certain room when the weather changes? | | Powering lasers through heat Nov 13th 2012, 13:35 In micro electronics heat often causes problems and engineers have to put a lot of technical effort into cooling, for example micro chips, to dissipate heat that is generated during operation. Physicists have now suggested a concept for a laser that could be powered by heat. This idea may open a completely new way for cooling microchips. | | Happy children less at risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying Oct 31st 2012, 15:07 The latest research on the impact of cynerbullying on children has just been collected in a special double issue of the journal Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, published by Routledge. From the complex relationships between cyberbullies and their victims, to a greater moral disengagement in cyberbullies compared to traditional bullies. | | Robots in the home: Will older adults roll out the welcome mat? Oct 25th 2012, 20:15 Robots have the potential to help older adults with daily activities that can become more challenging with age. But are people willing to use and accept the new technology? A new study indicates the answer is yes, unless the tasks involve personal care or social activities. | | Now the mobile phone goes emotional Oct 25th 2012, 15:29 ForcePhone is a mobile synchronous haptic communication system. During phone calls, users can squeeze the side of the device and the pressure level is mapped to vibrations on the recipient's device. Computer scientists indicate that an additional haptic channel of communication can be integrated into mobile phone calls using a pressure to vibrotactile mapping with local and remote feedback. | | Bringing power of prevention, diagnosis to the people Oct 22nd 2012, 20:23 "A Mercedes Benz isn't designed to function in the Sahara Desert," notes Dr. Eliah Aronoff-Spencer of the University of California, San Diego. "So why are we designing medical equipment for developing countries the same way we do for developed ones?" It's a question researchers at the new Distributed Health Laboratory in the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) at UC San Diego aim to address, and eventually, to render moot. In collaboration with the UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo, Mozambique, Calit2's DH Lab is designing low-cost medical devices such as microscopes and wireless sensing devices that can be used by virtually anyone anywhere in the world to prevent and even diagnose illness. | | Developing the next generation of microsensors: Microscale optical accelerometer created Oct 17th 2012, 17:20 Setting the stage for a new class of motional sensors, researchers have developed a new ultrasensitive, microchip-scale accelerometer that uses laser light to measure displacement. Beyond consumer electronics, such sensors could help with oil and gas exploration deep within Earth, could improve the stabilization systems of fighter jets, and could even be used in some biomedical applications where more traditional sensors cannot operate. | | 'Internet of Things' will transform our everyday life, experts say Oct 17th 2012, 13:17 The next ICT revolution will have a profound impact on our lives and the economy. Ubiquitous computing and the Internet of Things are experiencing remarkable growth. The effects are becoming more and more apparent wherever you look: in housing, transport, health care, and retail, as well as the security and energy industries. | | Using cell phone data to curb the spread of malaria Oct 11th 2012, 18:14 New research that combines cell phone data from 15 million people in Kenya with detailed information on the regional incidence of malaria has revealed how human travel patterns contribute to the disease's spread. | | Materials scientists prevent wear in production facilities in the electronics industry Oct 5th 2012, 20:28 Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are core components in every mobile phone, television and computer. One of the most important methods of fabricating large PCBs involves the precision electroplating of copper onto the PCB panel immersed in an acidic electrolyte bath. However, some of the titanium parts used in the electroplating process suffer substantial wear within a short space of time. A materials science research team has now developed a process process that enables the damaged components to repair themselves. | | NASA's Curiosity rover checks in on Mars using Foursquare Oct 4th 2012, 16:17 NASA's Curiosity Mars rover checked in on Mars Wednesday using the mobile application Foursquare. This marks the first check-in on another planet. Users on Foursquare can keep up with Curiosity as the rover checks in at key locations and posts photos and tips, all while exploring the Red Planet. | | Browser plugin helps people balance their political news reading habits Sep 27th 2012, 19:21 As the U.S. presidential election approaches, many voters become voracious consumers of online political news. A new tool tracks whether all those articles really provide a balanced view of the debate -- and, if not, suggests some sites that offer opinions from the other side of the political spectrum. | |
