World's First "Hot Ice" Computer Solves Problems, With the Occasional Freeze

Those chemical handwarmers you stuff in your gloves during ski season usually solve just one problem: frosty digits. But the sodium acetate used to generate that heat is a far better problem solver than you might think; researchers in Bristol, U.K., have created a "hot ice" computer that utilizes the chemical compound to solve mazes and tackle various other computing problems.

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When peeled, adhesive tape emits terahertz radiation

Believe it or not, researchers at the University of Wollongong (New South Wales, Australia) have discovered that peeling adhesive tape emits unpolarized terahertz radiation. The researchers found that the mechanism of this emission is most likely triboelectric charging, or tribocharging for short–a transfer of electric charge (most likely ions) between two materials.

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A cordless future for electricity?

Electronics such as phones and laptops may start shedding their power cords within a year.

That's the prediction of Eric Giler, CEO of WiTricity, a company that's able to power light bulbs using wireless electricity that travels several feet from a power socket.

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Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser Defeats Ground Target in Flight Test

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 30 defeated a ground target from the air with the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, demonstrating ATL's first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a tactically representative target.

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Tube-launched UAVs could be in air in 2010

An unmanned aerial vehicle small enough to launch from a plane or another UAV could be ready for the Air Force as soon as 2011, according to an expert with one of the five companies competing to produce the missile look-alike.

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Supercomputer Uses Flash Storage Drives

The San Diego Supercomputer Center has built a high-performance computer with solid-state drives, which the center says could help solve science problems faster than systems with traditional hard drives.

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Raytheon Standard Missile-6 Completes Key Developmental Test

Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 has completed tests which validate the extended-range anti-air warfare missile's airframe and autopilot performance.

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Japanese break Wi-Fi Security in 60 seconds

Japanese scientists have developed a way to break the WPA encryption system used in wireless routers in just sixty seconds.

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Toyota Develops Breath-Alcohol Ignition-Interlock System

Toyota is developing an anti-drunk driving system which when installed in the car would automatically lock the ignition if high levels of alcohol are detected in the driver.

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Scientist gets award for turning Wool into Gold

Scientist at Victoria University in New Zealand has won a prestigious award for turning Merino wool into gold.

Professor Jim Johnston developed a world-first process in which nano-particles of pure gold and silver are embedded in merino wool to create a luxury fibre that can be used in high-end fashion garments, textiles and carpets.

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Space Shuttle To Be Replaced By SpaceX For ISS Resupply

Next year SpaceX will perform resupply missions for the International Space Station after the Space Shuttle is grounded, as part of a $3.5 billion NASA resupply contract.

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NASA's Orion Spacecraft Passes Significant Design Milestone

NASA has taken a major step toward building the next crew exploration vehicle by completing the Orion Project's preliminary design review, or PDR. Orion is being designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and other destinations.

The preliminary design review is one of a series of checkpoints that occurs in the design life cycle of a complex engineering project before hardware manufacturing can begin. As the review process progresses, details of the vehicle's design are assessed to ensure the overall system is safe and reliable for flight and meets all NASA mission requirements.

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Lights Out for Traditional Bulbs

It's lights out for incandescent bulbs. Starting Tuesday, the European Union has enacted a ban on the manufacture and import of the standard 100-watt and frosted light bulbs, according to news reports.

Stores will be allowed to sell off remaining stocks of such bulbs.

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Five Lessons from Microsoft on Cloud Security

While Google, Amazon and Salesforce have gotten the most attention as cloud service providers, Microsoft-with its 300 products and services delivered from its data centers-has a large cloud bank all its own.

In May, the company released a paper on its approach to cloud services and how the company plans to secure those services.

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Body sensor networks

GE Healthcare is developing a Body Sensor Network (BSN) that consists of sensor devices that collect patient-specific data, from body temperature and pulse-oximetry to blood glucose levels and respiratory function. The real-time information will be transmitted to doctors, nurses, caregivers, etc., to enable far more efficient body monitoring from any location, which in turn provides the most current patient information and treatment option evaluations.

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Oshkosh to Demo Advanced UGV Technology at Robotics Rodeo

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), will demonstrate the latest in unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) technology at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and Fort Hood III Corps Robotics Rodeo, today through Sept. 3, in Fort Hood, Texas.

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GD Adds Networking Waveform to Radios for Critical Soldier Connectivity

The Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS) team, led by General Dynamics C4 Systems, has successfully added the highly capable Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW 1.0c) to the Rifleman Radio (AN/PRC-154) and the HMS Manpack Radio intended for use in vehicles. This places HMS first in line to bring the JTRS SRW 1.0c to dismounted soldiers for an unprecedented level of network connectivity.

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Airbus Delivers First A318 With 'Steep Approach' Capability

Airbus has delivered the first of two A318 aircraft equipped with 'steep approach' capability to British Airways. The A318 is the largest commercial aircraft certified to land at steeper than usual gradients and has the potential to transform long haul travel between city centres, saving time and cost to the business traveller.

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Nuke Lab Builds ‘Beating Drum’ Sonic Blaster

A Tennessee lab primarily responsible for building components for nuclear weapons is branching off into the nonlethal weapons business with a device that could repel terrorists and criminals.

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Hammers, Water, Lasers Make Deep Drilling Easier

Researchers are developing replacement technologies to reach superheated water for geothermal power or stretch down to previously inaccessible fossil fuel. Here are a few ideas for parts that will be greater than the hole.

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Optical computer research

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is funding the two universities to establish a research programme on the fundamental science of 'nanoplasmonic devices', whose key components include metal structures that guide and direct light. Industry support for the project is being provided by INTEL, Seagate, Ericsson, Oxonica, IMEC and the National Physics Laboratory.

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Quantum Entanglement, Photosynthesis and Better Solar Cells

As nature’s own solar cells, plants convert sunlight into energy via photosynthesis. New details are emerging about how the process is able to exploit the strange behavior of quantum systems, which could lead to entirely novel approaches to capturing usable light from the sun

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MIT engineers create new school of robotic fish

Schools of robotic fish could one day map the ocean floor, detect pollution or inspect and survey submerged boats or oil and gas pipelines, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say.

MIT engineers are showing off the latest generation of so-called robofish 15 years after they built the first one. The latest incarnation is sleeker, more streamlined and capable of mimicking the movements of a real fish.

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Defense secretary touts F-35 as heart of future tactical combat aviation

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited the Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter factory here Aug. 31, assessing progress on what he called "the heart of the future of our tactical combat aviation."

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Ballistic Protection for Aircraft

As the Global War on Terror rages on, the need for airlift capabilities is is rising constantly. Secure air transport of troops and logistic materials is the stategic advantage that counts when it comes to operations which require rapid reactions.

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Airborne Wi-Fi May Soar Despite the Doubters

CONVENTIONAL wisdom says that too few people will pay to use Wi-Fi services when they fly and that the fledgling industry is, therefore, not likely to succeed.

Domestic airlines have been lining up to wire planes for Wi-Fi service. Just a year after it outfitted its first airplane for American Airlines, Aircell has installed its land-based Gogo Wi-Fi service on 526 aircraft for various airlines. Aircell executives told me that installation costs about $100,000 a plane.

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Coldest, driest, calmest place on Earth found

The search for the best observatory site in the world has led to the discovery of what is thought to be the coldest, driest, calmest place on Earth — a place where no human is thought to have ever set foot.

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US Army's guided rocket saga takes another twist

The US Army's frustrated, decade-long ambition to buy a guided rocket for its scout helicopters has taken another twist.

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Boeing To Demonstrate Ground Robotics Capabilities At US Army 'Rodeo'

Boeing will demonstrate its ground robotics capabilitiesat the U.S. Army's first Robotics Rodeo, to be held Sept. 1-3 at Fort Hood, Texas. The event is sponsored by the Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and Fort Hood's III Corps.

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Missile Defense Technology Moves From Testing To Fielding

Boosted by a few strong years of testing successes, much of the United States' missile defense technology that once was questioned is now ready to be fielded.

Most of the new technologies fielded will be to bolster missile defense for deployed troops. Right now, O'Reilly said, forward deployed bases are exposed to missile threats and there is a large gap in U.S. capabilities to protect them.

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