The thinnest superconductor yet is a layer of copper oxide material less than a nanometre thick. The feat suggests a new possible route to faster electronic components.
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Friday, October 30, 2009
MIT's Affective Intelligent Driving Agent
A dashboard-mounted AI system that collects environmental data, such as local events, traffic and gas stations, and combines it with a careful analysis of your driving habits and style to make helpful suggestions and note points of interest.
How Terahertz Waves Tear Apart DNA
Great things are expected of terahertz waves, the radiation that fills the slot in the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and the infrared. Terahertz waves pass through non-conducting materials such as clothes , paper, wood and brick and so cameras sensitive to them can peer inside envelopes, into living rooms and "frisk" people at distance.
'Blue energy' seems feasible and offers considerable benefits
Generating energy on a large scale by mixing salt and fresh water is both technically possible and practical. The worldwide potential for this clean form of energy - 'blue energy' or 'blue electricity' - is enormous. However, it will be necessary to work actively on several essential technological developments and to invest heavily in large-scale trials.
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2 parachutes malfunctioned in NASA test flight
Two of three parachutes malfunctioned in the test flight of a prototype moon rocket earlier this week, causing major damage to the booster, NASA said Friday.
A Mars Rover Named 'Curiosity'
Dust cloaks some fascinating tales in other places, too. NASA scientists will soon brush the dust off some Martian rocks that are practically bursting their seams to give their lively account of the red planet's past. The Mars Science Lab -- aptly named "Curiosity" -- is heading up there in 2011 to read the diary of Mars.
US boots up new unified cybersecurity center
The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) brings together various government organizations responsible for protecting cyber networks and infrastructure and private sector partners.
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Superhydrophobic surfaces reduce drag
Microscopic features on a wall can have an enormous influence on macroscopic flows along it.
Researchers led by Jonathan Rothstein tailored the microscale structure of a hydrophobic material—polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), akin to the rubbery polymer used to caulk bathtubs—to create air pockets that allow the flow to “slip” (shear free) at the liquid–air interface. The greater the area covered by air pockets, the greater the overall reduction in shear stress.
LM Starts Integrated Testing Of 2nd Missile Warning Satellite
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that the second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO-2) spacecraft is progressing through a series of key tests that will demonstrate the integrated satellite's readiness to enter the critical environmental test phase in preparation for launch.
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Lighter sentence for murderer with 'bad genes'
An Italian court has cut the sentence given to a convicted murderer by a year because he has genes linked to violent behaviour — the first time that behavioural genetics has affected a sentence passed by a European court. But researchers contacted by Nature have questioned whether the decision was based on sound science.
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Windows 7 app turns laptop into Wi-Fi access point
A developer has found an unfinished feature of Windows 7 that turns any laptop into a wireless access point, allowing other devices to share the connection without special software.
Chip Design Thwarts Sneak Attack on Data
Cache architecture harnesses the power of randomization.
The new technology, called Newcache, developed at Princeton University by electrical engineering professor Ruby Lee and her graduate student, Zhenghong Wang, foils these so-called cache side-channel attacks by randomizing where data is stored in the cache.
Airbag RPG Countermeasure
Textron Defense Systems' Tactical Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Airbag Protection System, (TRAPS), has recently completed the first phase of testing at the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) in Socorro, New Mexico.
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U.S. Navy Facing Submarine Challenges
Donald highlighted several issues of concern, including recruiting, training and retention of “highly competent operators.” The training piece is particularly tough, he added, noting aging facilities and a backlog of students, which has resulted in a diminished flow of qualified operators to the fleet.
U.S. Seeks to Counter Enemy’s ‘Weapon of Choice’
The Defense Department expects U.S. forces in Afghanistan to continue to be targeted by improvised explosive devices -- which have claimed more lives there than any other weapon -- while it seeks ways to counter the threat, officials said.
Rocketeers take lead in $1 million race
Masten Space Systems' Xoie rocket prototype has apparently taken the lead in a nail-biting race for a million-dollar prize from NASA.
The Masten team's "try, try again" effort at California's Mojave Air and Space Port was aimed at winning the top prize in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge's Level 2 contest.
The Masten team's "try, try again" effort at California's Mojave Air and Space Port was aimed at winning the top prize in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge's Level 2 contest.
Russian submarine fails to launch troubled missile: report
Russia's latest test of its next-generation Bulava missile was aborted when a submarine failed to carry out the launch, in a fresh setback for the project, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday.
Harris to Supply US Army With Falcon-III PRC-117G Radios
Harris Corp recently received a basic purchasing agreement contract worth up to $419 million to supply the US Army with Falcon III AN/PRC-117G multiband tactical manpack radios, and vehicular power-amplifier adapter systems.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Pinning down superconductivity to a single layer
Using precision techniques for making superconducting thin films layer-by-layer, physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified a single layer responsible for one such material's ability to become superconducting, i.e., carry electrical current with no energy loss. The technique, described in the October 30, 2009, issue of Science, could be used to engineer ultrathin films with "tunable" superconductivity for higher-efficiency electronic devices.
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Intel Claims Memory Research Milestone
Intel (NSDQ: INTC) and Numonyx say they have achieved a research milestone in computer memory that could one day lead to a less expensive and higher-performing alternative to the technology used today.
The accomplishment stems from the work the two companies have been doing together on a type of non-volatile memory called phase-change memory, or PCM. The research partners say they have successfully stacked multiple layers of PCM arrays within a single 64 Mb die.
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The accomplishment stems from the work the two companies have been doing together on a type of non-volatile memory called phase-change memory, or PCM. The research partners say they have successfully stacked multiple layers of PCM arrays within a single 64 Mb die.
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Fermi Telescope Caps its 1st Year with a Glimpse of Space-Time
During its first year of operations, NASA's Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope mapped the extreme sky with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity. It captured more than one thousand discrete sources of gamma rays -- the highest-energy form of light. Capping these achievements was a measurement that provided rare experimental evidence about the very structure of space and time, unified as space-time in Einstein's theories.
Raytheon Awarded More Than $100 Million For New Missile Defense System
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) was awarded two contracts worth in excess of $100 million by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. to design and develop the David's Sling Weapon System.
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Metamaterials Arrive in Cellphones
The quest to build more-powerful multiband mobile handsets has gotten a boost from a relatively new class of materials. Called metamaterials, they arespecifically engineered to have properties that do not occur naturally, such as the ability to bend light the wrong way. For manufacturers of mobile devices, recent advances in metamaterials promise a way to shrink size while still retaining multiband functionality.
Yellow Jacket Fuses MASINT, IMINT, UAVs to Hunt IEDs
CenTauri Solutionshas been awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense to demonstrate an integrated UAV-based counter-IED technology. Known as “Yellow Jacket” the $11.7 million program is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, (AFRL) in Rome, New York. Such a capability could provide life saving services for military patrols and convoys, by scanning the roads and locations and identifing potential IED threats before the arrival of the forces.
Northrop Grumman Announces Successful G/ATOR AESA System Tests
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced a prototype partial array antenna representative of the U.S. Marine Corps Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) active electronic scanned array (AESA) has completed successful testing at a company antenna test range in Norwalk, Conn., where all planned test objectives were met. This provides a high degree of confidence that the first EDM fully populated array (currently under integration/test) will likewise be a success.
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NASA: Ares I-X rocket damaged in test flight
The booster rocket used in a test flight was badly dented when it fell into the Atlantic because of a deflated parachute, NASA said Thursday.
Asteroid explosion was a whopper for Earth
A space rock explosion earlier this month over an island region of Indonesia is now being viewed as perhaps the biggest object to tangle with the Earth in more than a decade.
Japanese Ship Conducts Successful BMD Test
A Japanese destroyer shot down a ballistic missile target during a seven-minute engagement off Hawaii on Tuesday night, becoming the third Japanese ship to demonstrate an engagement capability using the Aegis combat system.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Google reveals complimentary GPS navigation for cell phones
Google revealed a free navigation scheme for mobile phones on Wednesday in a progress seen as a prospective challenge to the makers of GPS navigation devices. US telecommunications carrier Verizon Wireless and US handset manufacturer Motorola announced in the meantime that latest smartphone will be available on sale in the United States next week, the Droid, would be the foremost to attribute Google Maps Navigation.
Scientists Discover Gene that 'Cancer-Proofs' Rodent's Cells
Despite a 30-year lifespan that gives ample time for cells to grow cancerous, a small rodent species called a naked mole rat has never been found with tumors of any kind—and now biologists at the University of Rochester think they know why.
Old Trick Threatens the Newest Weapons
Despite a six-year effort to build trusted computer chips for military systems, the Pentagon now manufactures in secure facilities run by American companies only about 2 percent of the more than $3.5 billion of integrated circuits bought annually for use in military gear.
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Russia Develops Spaceship with Nuclear Engine
The Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos has developed a design for a piloted spacecraft powered by a nuclear engine, the head of the agency said on Wednesday.
Next-generation microcapsules deliver 'chemicals on demand'
Scientists in California are reporting development of a new generation of the microcapsules used in carbon-free copy paper, in which capsules burst and release ink with pressure from a pen. The new microcapsules burst when exposed to light, releasing their contents in ways that could have wide-ranging commercial uses from home and personal care to medicine.
Raytheon Moves Ahead in Competition for Next Gen Jammer Program
Having completed an initial technology maturation study in July, Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has entered the subsequent phase of the competition for the U.S. Navy's Next Generation Jammer program.
The study described new technological approaches to provide 21st century jamming capabilities for current and future threats in the airborne electronic-attack arena. The next-generation jammer is intended to replace the ALQ-99 jamming pods on the EA-18G Growler aircraft, providing a solid basis for 30 more years of airborne electronic-attack capability.
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The study described new technological approaches to provide 21st century jamming capabilities for current and future threats in the airborne electronic-attack arena. The next-generation jammer is intended to replace the ALQ-99 jamming pods on the EA-18G Growler aircraft, providing a solid basis for 30 more years of airborne electronic-attack capability.
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Test Results Promising that Navy Hornet Can Fly on 'Green Fuel'
The Navy is one step closer to flying the "Green Hornet." Members of the NAVAIR Fuels team recently made a small, but very vital step toward changing the source of jet fuel the U.S. Navy uses. The team tested an F404 F/A-18 engine to determine if it could run on a jet fuel (JP-5) derived from a weed.
Google Closes the Loop on Music Search
Google Wednesday announced a widely anticipated addition to its popular search engine that reduces the number of steps one has to take between hearing about a piece of music and actually hearing it, thanks to partnerships with a bevy of music services: imeem, Lala, iLike, Pandora and Rhapsody.
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Self-driving technology on a roll
A new EU-funded project envisions future vehicles having the ability to drive themselves in long convoys on motorways.
The SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project, which will be led by engineering consultancy Ricardo UK, will develop technology that allows vehicles to control acceleration, braking and steering, and drive as part of a 'road train' of similarly controlled vehicles.
Raytheon Awarded $81.1 Million for Airborne Low Frequency Sonar
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has received an $81.1 million U.S. Navy contract for the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS), the primary undersea warfare sensor for the Navy's MH-60R multi-mission helicopter.
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Air Force Uses Airborne Lasers to Create High-Speed Data Links
Manned Air Force jets and drones could soon send high quality video and audio by using ultra-high bandwidth lasers, transmitting critical battlefield data faster than ever. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research has conducted experiments that transmit data without interference across almost 22 miles, both in the air and on the ground.
Light Peak Technology
Light Peak is the code-name for a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect your electronic devices to each other. Light Peak delivers high bandwidth starting at 10Gb/s with the potential ability to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade.
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Mantis Shrimp's Eyes Hold Key to New Optics
Scientists have discovered the mechanism behind the eyes of the only animal that can detect a certain kind of polarized light: the mantis shrimp, native to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Optical devices can manipulate the polarization of light for research and for commercial products like CD and DVD players and digital cameras. However, these devices can't manipulate light nearly as well as the mantis shrimp can.
NASA launches test rocket on second try
A one-of-a-kind NASA rocket soared into the Florida sky Wednesday in a brief but critical test flight of a new booster slated to launch astronauts into space and, eventually, toward the moon.
'Father of Su-27' Simonov: F-15 hater
Mikhail Petrovich Simonov, designer of the iconic Su-27 Flanker, realized after the 1977 first flight that the T-10 prototype was a dog, a fact he explained to the aviation minister in Moscow.
LockMart's New HELLFIRE II Missile Design Up And Away
Lockheed Martin's new multi-functional AGM-114R HELLFIRE II missile scored a direct hit during its first proof-of-principle (POP) flight test recently at Eglin Air Force Base, FL.
Mounted laser weapon passes two key tests
A laser weapon mounted on a vehicle that is set to enter U.S. Army service in a few years passed two key tests at the Boeing Co.'s review sites, the company announced.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Desktop Supercomputer by Asus
Asustek teams with Nvidia on 1.1 Teraflop supercomputer.
Asustek Computer unveiled its first supercomputer on Monday, the desktop computer-sized ESC 1000, which uses Nvidia graphics processors to attain speeds up to 1.1 teraflops.
Asustek Computer unveiled its first supercomputer on Monday, the desktop computer-sized ESC 1000, which uses Nvidia graphics processors to attain speeds up to 1.1 teraflops.
Xerox Develops Silver Ink for Cheap Printable Electronics
Xerox has invented a silver ink that conducts electricity, and could be used to build flexible electronics cheaply and easily.
US Army uncovers successful results for AIDS vaccine
The fight against one of the deadliest virus known may have met its match against the United States Army.
The Army in conjunction with the Thai Ministry of Public Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the National Institutes of Health, Sanofi Pasteur and Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases have uncovered successful results for an AIDS vaccination.
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The Army in conjunction with the Thai Ministry of Public Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the National Institutes of Health, Sanofi Pasteur and Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases have uncovered successful results for an AIDS vaccination.
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New All-Terrain Vehicles Arrive in Afghanistan
The first mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles designated for southern Afghanistan arrived here, Oct. 22 by air transport.After months of government testing, the Defense Department awarded a contract in June to Oshkosh Corp. to supply an initial order valued at $1.05 billion for more than 2,000 of the vehicles, known as M-ATVs.
Liquid granite reduces fire risk
Scientists have developed a new building material made largely from recycled material that that is fire resistant to temperatures in excess of 1,100oC.
The so-called 'liquid granite' can reduce the fire risk in buildings as, unlike concrete, it doesn't explode at high temperatures. It can also withstand high temperatures for longer periods of time.
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The so-called 'liquid granite' can reduce the fire risk in buildings as, unlike concrete, it doesn't explode at high temperatures. It can also withstand high temperatures for longer periods of time.
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Toshiba launches consumer fuel cell
Japanese electronics consumer giant Toshiba has launched its first direct methanol fuel-cell (DMFC) product for consumer use.
Called the Dynario, it can be used as an external power source to power mobile-digital consumer products.
Coming Soon: Non-Latin Character URLs
Since its inception, the World Wide Web has been dominated by English. Even websites that use a different language still use the Latin-character "www" format, with a URL spelled out with the English alphabet. Well, that domination will soon come to an end, as Icann, the committee that regulates the Internet, has begun finalizing steps towards approving web addresses in non-Latin characters.
Fastest Supercomputer in the World Models Dark Matter, HIV Family Tree Simultaneously
n November of last year, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory switched on Roadrunner, the world's fastest computer. IBM and the Department of Energy built the machine to model nuclear explosions, but two new studies, both released today, are proof that the computer's massive power has been at least as devoted to peaceful science as to simulating thermonuclear weapons.
Physicists Develop Multifunctional Storage Device For Light
Light is intangible and, in addition, it travels at great velocity. Nevertheless, it can be confined to a very small space by controllably inserting light into a microscopic container surrounded by reflective walls. The light will then be stored by continuous reflections and cannot escape. In the scientific domain, such a small reflective microcavity is termed a microresonator.
The Spin Cycle: Nanotechnology could lead to next generation of transistors
For decades, the transistors inside radios, televisions and other everyday items have transmitted data by controlling the movement of the electron’s charge. Scientists now have discovered that transistors could use less energy, generate less heat and operate at higher speeds if they exploited another property of the electron: its spin.
Boeing completes detailed design of 787 wing fix
Boeing engineers have completed detailed design and computer validation of the final aspects of the 787 wing fix, the company says. The the final parts are currently being fabricated for the side of body modification that has kept the 787 grounded.
FAA contract to accelerate NextGen data communications
The FAA has signed a $12 million contract with Honeywell and Rockwell Collins to develop prototype avionics hardware and software for air-to-ground digital data exchange, also known as data communications or datacomm.
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Faulty steering system to blame for Bulava's latest flop
The latest failure of the Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) was caused by a defective steering system in its first stage, a defense industry source said on Monday.
E.U. Plan Could Lead to Lower Cost International Calls
The European Commission will urge the 27 European Union countries Wednesday to reserve a uniform slice of broadcast spectrum for a pan-European mobile broadband network, one that could enable flat-rate, international voice and data calling plans.
Obama Announces $3.4B for 'Smart Grid'
Today President Obama is taking a tour of one of the country's largest solar farms, in Arcadia, Fla., which will be the backdrop for his announcement about a major federal investment in a "smart grid" -- a system of transmission lines to distribute electricity around the country quickly and efficiently.
Medvedev Unhappy with Quality of Russian Weapons
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev criticized the pace of military-industrial modernization Oct. 26, saying it is affecting the quality of Russian weapons and harming national prestige.
"Considerable funds have been invested over the past few years to develop the military-industrial complex. So far the results are mediocre," Medvedev said on Russian television.
"Considerable funds have been invested over the past few years to develop the military-industrial complex. So far the results are mediocre," Medvedev said on Russian television.
RFID Technology: Keeping Track of DoD’s Stuff
In World War II, the US Army kept track using IBM punch cards and electric accounting machines (EAMs).
Well today, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have replaced punch cards and RFID readers and computers have replaced the EAMs. The RFID tags work like “wireless bar codes” that record, track, and manage the supplies and equipment of a modern networked military.
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Well today, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have replaced punch cards and RFID readers and computers have replaced the EAMs. The RFID tags work like “wireless bar codes” that record, track, and manage the supplies and equipment of a modern networked military.
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Monday, October 26, 2009
Tilera Crams 100 Cores Into Next-Gen Processors
Tilera has targeted its new family of multicore processors at cloud computing, enterprise networking, multimedia and wireless infrastructure functions. The largest of the chips will have 100 cores, the company claims.
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Brother, NEC look to invade your retinas next year
Brother now seems to have a fully developed, fully functional prototype (pictured above), and it says it plans to commercialize the glasses sometime "next year." Naturally, there are a few considerable limitations compared to more traditional displays, but the company's as yet unnamed goggles do promise to beam an 800 x 600 image directly into your retina that'll appear as a 10-centimeter wide image floating about one meter in front of them.
Snail mail to get its own top level Internet domain
ICANN and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) have reached an in principle agreement for the UPU to sponsor the .post top-level domain.
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Taking Earth’s Temperature With 30-Mile Thermometer
Roll out the world’s biggest thermometer: a fiber-optic cable up to 30 miles long that records temps at 3-foot intervals every 10 seconds.
Obstacle Detection/Video System helps prevent backing accidents
Mobile Awareness, LLC, a provider of leading-edge transportation safety products, today announced VisionStat(TM) Plus, an extremely affordable and complete commercial-grade system to prevent backing accidents.
Lund reports nanowire progress
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have for the first time successfully injected 'nanowires' into the brains of rats.
The breakthrough at Lund has significant implications for understanding how the body reacts to nanoparticles.
Staying Out of a Jam: Air Force Looks at Nanotube Sheets for Electromagnetic Shielding
Strong, lightweight materials made from nanotubes could protect aircraft and satellites from harmful electromagnetic interference.
First Acoustic Hyperlens Boosts Power of Ultrasound and Sonar
Imaging an unborn fetus and and spotting a lurking submarine could both become much easier with the world's first acoustic hyperlens. The device manipulates imaging sound waves to provide an eightfold increase in the magnification power of technologies such as ultrasound and sonar.
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