Killer fungus breaks chemical stalemate

A killer fungus may break the chemical stalemate that is hampering anti-malaria efforts.

The fungus killed mosquitoes resistant to the three classes of chemicals commonly used in Africa.

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A flash of light turns graphene into a biosensor

Biomedical researchers suspect graphene, a novel nanomaterial made of sheets of single carbon atoms, would be useful in a variety of applications. But no one had studied the interaction between graphene and DNA, the building block of all living things. To learn more, PNNL's Zhiwen Tang, Yuehe Lin and colleagues from both PNNL and Princeton University built nanostructures of graphene and DNA. They attached a fluorescent molecule to the DNA to track the interaction. Tests showed that the fluorescence dimmed significantly when single-stranded DNA rested on graphene, but that double-stranded DNA only darkened slightly – an indication that single-stranded DNA had a stronger interaction with graphene than its double-stranded cousin.

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EU funding 'Orwellian' artificial intelligence plan to monitor public for "abnormal behaviour"

A five-year research programme, called Project Indect, aims to develop computer programmes which act as "agents" to monitor and process information from web sites, discussion forums, file servers, peer-to-peer networks and even individual computers.

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Superior 3D Graphics for the Web a Step Closer

The development of improved three-dimensional graphics in Web-based applications took a step forward recently, when programmers began building WebGL into the Mozilla Firefox nightly builds, and into WebKit, which is used in Google Chrome and Apple's Safari browser.

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Fabrics that fight germs, find explosives go to market

Two Cornell researchers have launched iFyber LLC, which markets fabrics with embedded nanoparticles to detect explosives and dangerous chemicals or to serve as antibacterials for hospitals.

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Diamonds May Be the Ultimate MRI Probe, Say Quantum Physicists

The candidate system, formed from a nitrogen atom lodged within a diamond crystal, is promising not only because it can sense atomic-scale variations in magnetism, but also because it functions at room temperature. Most other such devices used either in quantum computation or for magnetic sensing must be cooled to nearly absolute zero to operate, making it difficult to place them near live tissue. However, using the nitrogen as a sensor or switch could sidestep that limitation.

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Intel Shows Off Future Technology

Demonstrating that it remains on schedule for developing smaller and faster chips, Intel (NSDQ: INTC) on Tuesday showed off technology not due until 2011 and demonstrated a desktop chip due in about a year, that will run Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s Windows 7 operating system.

During his opening keynote at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Paul Otellini, president and chief executive of Intel, held up a silicon wafer of SRAM chips, a type of semiconductor memory, built with Intel's not-yet available 22-nanometer technology.

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Inside dynamic workload management

Dynamic workflow management -- the ability to sense changes in demand and automatically invoke requisite application and server resources to meet new workloads -- is quickly becoming a fundamental requirement in the new data center. Besides increasing compute efficiencies, the technology helps overcome the shortage of critical data center resources such as floor space and available cooling and power capacity.

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First details of Microsoft's secret tablet

Courier, Microsoft's astonishing take on the tablet.

Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers.

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Intel shows off Larrabee graphics chip for first time

Heads up, Nvidia. Intel demonstrated its Larrabee graphics chip for the first time Tuesday at the Intel Developer Forum.

Larrabee will be Intel's first discrete, or standalone, graphics processor in about 10 years and is expected to compete with graphics chips from Nvidia and AMD's ATI unit. The demo used an early "stepping," or version, of Larrabee, which is expected to come out commercially sometime next year.

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BAE, Quest Launch Pathogen-killing Cabin Air Filter

BAE Systems and Quest International of the UK have combined to launch a cabin air system that they say can destroy airborne viruses and bacteria, including swine flu, Sars, bird flu and eColi. AirManager has been flight tested on BAE 146/Avro RJ regional airliners operated by five European carriers, and has been selected by one undisclosed carrier for its fleet.

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Shrinking ferroelectric RAM

Ferroelectric RAM is different to other kinds of RAM because it uses a ferroelectric layer instead of a dielectric layer for non-volatile storage, which is computer memory that can retain stored information even when not powered.

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Raytheon-led Littoral Warfare Weapons Team Demonstrates Successful Underwater Launch

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) marked a developmental milestone when it successfully demonstrated the underwater launch of a Raytheon AIM-9X air-to-air test missile shape from a submerged Tomahawk Capsule Launching System. This successful test is a significant step in demonstrating payload flexibility for submarines.

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How the Air Force Is Solving Its 3 Biggest Problems

The Air Force has been knocked around recently. The service has generated some bad press about the way it operates, flies, fights and plans for the future. At last week's Air Force Association annual convention, held outside of Washington, D.C., senior leadership discussed the ways the service is working to stay relevant and bolster its reputation.

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Fewer Fighters, New Bomber - CSBA's Air Force Plan

The underlying theme is that the USAF needs a strategy in order to survive as an effective force, rather than a series of short term, reactive decisions. The biggest challenges are changing threats - including the need to form a credible counter to Chinese power in the Pacific, advanced SAMs and improved fighters - and a combat and tanker force that is already too old, and too large to be replaced quickly.

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New microphone technology is based on lasers

Laser-Accurate technology uses a laminar stream of air in a chamber in which microscopic particles are suspended. Air-pressure changes cause particle movement that is detected by a laser beam aimed at a photoelectric cell, producing accurate and precise transduction of any sound. The Laser-Accurate technology, which uses a 650 nm, 5 mW laser and a silicon detector from Thorlabs, captures sound unadulterated by the mechanical motion of the diaphragm and the inevitable time lags caused by that movement.

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3-D Laser Scanner

The scanner creates an exact representation of an object and generates files that can be exported to most CAD platforms. It features simultaneous texture and geometry acquisition, real-time rendering, true color acquisition via a built-in lighting system, adjustable uniform texture resolution, and automatic texture mapping. It requires no external reference system and no external tracking or positioning devices.

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FCC Expands and Strengthens Net Neutrality Stance

As expected, but not without controversy, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski yesterday outlined in a speech at the Brookings Institute in Washington, DC his plan to preserve the principle of "Net Neutrality."

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Lockheed Martin Eyes ISR Testbed Spinoffs

With a month's flying under its belt on the Airborne Multi-intelligence Laboratory (AML), a modified Gulfstream III business jet, Lockheed Martin says it is already talking to customers interested in offshoots from the program.

Although the countries have not been named, discussions are under way with two customers for Gulfstream G550-based versions, and for a roll-on/roll-off system that could be used on EADS CASA C295-type transport aircraft, says Charles Gulledge, manager for strategic programs with Lockheed Martin's C4ISR Systems division.

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Ahmadinejad Warns Iran Will Confront Any Attack

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Tuesday that Iran would confront any attack on the Islamic republic, addressing an army parade which was marred by the reported crash of a military plane.

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KC-X Process Is High Stakes for USAF

The U.S. Air Force fully understands the significance of getting back the right to pick which company will replace its aging refueling tanker fleet, the service's top uniformed leader assured defense experts and industry leaders September 21.

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