Creating a super battery
Washington State University chemist Choong-Shik Yoo, seen here with students, has used super-high pressures to create a compact, never-before-seen material capable of storing vast amounts of energy.
Credit: Washington State University
Credit: Washington State University
"If you think about it, it is the most condensed form of energy storage outside of nuclear energy," says Choong-Shik Yoo, a WSU chemistry professor and main author of results reported in the journal Nature Chemistry
The research is basic science, but Yoo says it shows it is possible to store mechanical energy into the chemical energy of a material with such strong chemical bonds. Possible future applications include creating a new class of energetic materials or fuels, an energy storage device, super-oxidizing materials for destroying chemical and biological agents, and high-temperature superconductors.
The scientists created the material on the Pullman campus in a diamond anvil cell, a small, two-inch by three-inch-diameter device capable of producing extremely high pressures in a small space. The cell contained xenon difluoride (XeF2), a white crystal used to etch silicon conductors, squeezed between two small diamond anvils.
At normal atmospheric pressure, the material's molecules stay relatively far apart from each other. But as scientists increased the pressure inside the chamber, the material became a two-dimensional graphite-like semiconductor. The scientists eventually increased the pressure to more than a million atmospheres, comparable to what would be found halfway to the center of the earth. All this "squeezing," as Yoo calls it, forced the molecules to make tightly bound three-dimensional metallic "network structures." In the process, the huge amount of mechanical energy of compression was stored as chemical energy in the molecules' bonds.........
AMX Launches New Modero Touch Panel
Dubbed the MVP-9000i, the new tool for home automation from AMX will supposedly redefine the term "touch panel" with its nine-inch full-color screen.
"The MVP-9000i significantly advances touch panel capabilities that enhance the way users interact with control and automation touch panels," said Robert Noble, chief technology officer of AMX. "With finger-swipe animated page transitions, brilliant 24-bit color display and other cutting-edge innovations, it will be a must-have for anyone who experiences it."
© AMX
Huawei S7 Android tablet to be announced soon?
Here are the specs known so far:
Network: 3G
OS: Android 2.1
Processor: 1 GHz Snapdragon
Display: 7 inch (800 x 480) pixels
Connectivity: Bluetooth, HSDPA, WiFi,USB, HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack
Memory: microSD slot
How to Select the Best Headsets for Your Office Phone
It has been almost a decade since the wireless headsets have been discovered. They have been a huge technical innovation and are continuously improved upon. A whole new range of Bluetooth headsets have cropped up, further simplifying the use of mobile phones and computers. Recently, Cardo Systems have unveiled the G4 Bluetooth Headset. It is of the wireless variety and it is specifically designed for bikers. It has a very good noise cancellation feature which helps bikers to talk to each other while riding a bike with minimum background noise. One can hear very clearly even while riding a bike. They are compatible with mobile phones which are incorporated by the Bluetooth feature.
The corded headsets as well as the wireless ones are available in a wide range of style. The headbands, over the ear styles and the behind the neck styles are all different from one another. Every manufacture generates different styles with each of these products. But what is more important is the quality of the product. One should not compromise on the audio quality of the product. The main function of the headset is to give you better audio while leaving your hands free to perform other tasks.
One should always do some research on the best models available before buying these kinds of devices. They are available in various ranges. If you are opting to go for a wireless variety then you must check its range. Remember, the wireless variety is used so that one does not have to remain seated in a particular position while having to answer a call over the landline in the office. So, the range of the wireless headset should be such that even if a person moves 20 feet away from the device to do some other office work, he can still carry on a business discussion over phone conveniently without any audio problems.
Hence, choose the best possible headsets available in the market. Invest in the right product and you will definitely be satisfied with the services. Visit Telecom Superstore to select the best possible device.
Ricoh CX3 Digital Camera
If you doubt this check around for a Ricoh GR1 or GR10 film, sorry, analog, camera on the used camera market and be prepared for a shock.
Yes, according to their devoted owners these long discontinued cameras are that good.
But this is the digital age, and obviously Ricoh has made the transition from film with ease, and their new digital camera, the Ricoh CX3, continues their tradition of producing fine cameras.
Check out the Ricoh CX3 and see if this beauty is for you.
Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.
Photo Source:www. cameranews.thomaslaupstad.com
Barbie Gets Geeked
Gadgets may not cause headache
Astrid Milde-Busch, from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Gera number of, worked with a team of scientists to study the links between exposure to electronics and the prevalence and type of headaches. She said, "Excessive use of electronic media is often reported to be linked to long-lasting adverse effects on health like obesity or lack of regular exercise, or unspecific symptoms like tiredness, stress, concentration difficulties and sleep disturbances. Studies into the occurrence of headaches have had mixed results and for some types of media, in particular computer games, are completely lacking".
The scientists interviewed 489 teenagers who claimed to suffer from headaches and 536 who said they did not. When the two groups were compared, no associations were found for television viewing, electronic gaming, mobile phone usage or computer usage. Daily consumption of music was significantly linked to suffering from any type of headache, although, as Milde-Busch points out, "It cannot be concluded whether the habit of listening to music is the cause of frequent headaches, or the consequence in the sense a self-therapy by relaxation".........
Wireless HDMI Senders
Until now, that is, GefenTV have launched a set of wireless streamers capable of sending 1080p content, uncompressed, up to 30 ft from source to source. Sounds sweet right? Unfortunately it comes at a price; a smidgen under $1000.
Perhaps one day we'll have the tech integrated into all Blu ray players, all televisions and the like for a truely connected home?
Hi-Tech And Low-Tech Bicycle Madness
LG bangs out the portable digital TVs
Hands free hand soap
The sensor soap pump dispenses soap touch-free to help avoid cross-contamination. Simply place your hand under the sensor to dispense soap automatically. An optional LED light timer blinks for 20 seconds to indicate how long to lather for germ-free hands. Four volume settings allow the pump to dispense preset amounts of soap or lotion. Operates on 4 AA batteries (not included).
AViiQ's laptop stand
I"m a veteran laptop traveler and for years carried a (relatively) lightweight plastic laptop stand that kept the thing from sliding off my lap and folded to provide a decent typing angle. But the fold didn"t change its outer dimensions--bigger than my laptop"s footprint, which dictated which bags I could carry. The AViiQ laptop stand, said to fit laptops up to 17", is a dream by comparison.
The AViiQ folks, like other laptop stand makers, claim their laptop stand will dissipate heat and prolong battery life. I can"t evaluate that claim, but I can tell you that the 12% slope the AViiQ laptop stand achieves is, as they claim, the perfect typing angle. I was actually kinda startled by how much it improved typing ease. All of a sudden I can race along almost as quickly on my less-than-optimum laptop keyboard as I can on the classic IBM keyboard I use with my desktop.
And did I mention gorgeous? The AViiQ laptop stand is a tech beauty worthy of Apple. The stand is four lightweight plates made of Hylite, a composite of aluminum sheets bonded to a polypropylene core. The material is milled to be both flexible and rigid. AViiQ says that in testing the stand was folded more than 5000 times and showed no wear.
With all that perfection, you knew there was some bad news coming, right? Here it is: the price. $80.
Inkless Portable Photo Printer
This little marvel, which allows you to print in the field immediately after shooting a photo, uses the "Zink Imaging" photo paper which has color dye crystals imbedded in it.
Here's where you can read the whole story about the Pandigital photo printer and Zink photo paper.
Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.
Photo Source: www.ephotozine.com
Non-edible Speakers
No word yet on price or availability, but they will be showing at this year"s CES, so hopefully there will be more information in January.
Via Coolest Gadgets
Hikari to Release Google Android Tablet
Calling it the iFrame, this unit is set to feature a 7-inch touchscreen display, SD memory card slot, and WiFi capabilities (802.11 b/g/n). Other goodies look like internal alarm clock functions, 3G wireless capabilities, and a handy USB port.
It is due out in Japan sometime within the upcoming year for somewhere around a very reasonable $220 to $330. While official word of a stateside release has yet to be announced, insiders are optimistic that the unit will eventually be exported to the US.
Revo heritage iPod-iPhone dock
And we"ve just begun. Hidden inside the lovely retro facade is all of cutting-edge technology - DAB, DAB+, FM and Wi-Fi internet radio, DLNA UPnP streaming, plus docking for your iPhone or iPod (all models). The minimalistic design packs in a "secret-until-lit" graphical OLED screen, with a high-end 7W amplifier, 3-inch neodymium speaker driver, and a remote control. A USB port allows connection to other MP3 players or memory sticks with MP3s and even the videos on your iPod can be output to the OLED display via a video-out socket. Included with this awesome package is a 30-day trial package from online music service Last.fm, which gives you access to its database with more than 5 million tracks and is capable of generating a unique playlist each time you access it.
The Revo is due for an early November UK launch from John Lewis at a totally upmarket price of £229.95 (around USD $375).
Via SlashGear.
