Scientists at Stanford are hard at work trying to improve the efficiency and durability of solar panels — two key factors that have kept the Sun from becoming a more popular source of energy. Their latest effort involves nanocrystalline-silicon, a material that has proven resilient and highly conductive, but not very good at absorbing light. Their solution, nanoshells — hollowed out spheres of silicon that trap and recirculate light much like a whispering gallery does sound. Balls of the crystalline material are dipped in silicon, then hydrofluoric acid is used to eat way the center of the sphere, leaving a path for light to enter. The shells trap the light, allowing more of it to be absorbed, and also reduce the effect of non-optimal angles on energy production. Hit up the source for a few more details.

SOURCE via Stanford University

For now, voice over LTE is but an idea – one with unrealized potential, as Verizon, AT&T and Metro PCS all still rely on their 3G networks for voice duty. Qualcomm has edged us one step closer to a completely 4G future, though, with the first successful test of a mid-call LTE to WCDMA transfer. Using one of its own chipsets, specifically an MSM8960 Snapdragon S4, the company successfully utilized Single Radio Voice Call Continuity to switch from a VoIP-over-LTE connection to a traditional voice channel over WCDMA. It might seem like a small victory, but it’s one that’s an essential step towards and entirely LTE-dependent network.

SRVCC is the next logical step in the 4G LTE voice roadmap following the commercial launch of circuit-switched fallback technology (CSFB) on smartphones in 2011. CSFB allows a single radio in the handset to dynamically switch from an LTE data connection to a 3G connection when the user needs to make or receive a call.

Similarly, SRVCC support enables a single radio in the handset to execute a seamless handover of a voice call from an LTE network to a 3G network. Furthermore, SRVCC and CSFB allow both LTE and 3G network connections to be supported on a single chip, eliminating the need for smartphones to use separate LTE and 3G radios and modems. This allows OEMs to design handsets with lower power consumption and component costs and a smaller size. Given that 3G networks will continue to be deployed in conjunction with LTE networks for quite some time, SRVCC and CSFB are essential to provide a seamless voice experience to customers using LTE multimode handsets once VoLTE is commercially deployed.

Sandia National Laboratories have invented a small calibre self-guided bullet. The bullet contains an optical sensor, CPU, battery and electromagnetic actuated fins. It is able to track laser designated targets out to 2,000 meters.

The CPU tracks laser designed targets using the optical sensor in the nose and can make changes to its flight as often as 30 times per second. The below photo shows a nightime field test in which they attached a LED to the base of the bullet.

Reading in between the lines of the Sandia press release this invention is a long way from actually being able to hit targets at long distances. Computer simulations indicate that the bullet could theoretically get within 8″ of a target at 2,000 meters. Sandia is looking to license the technology to a commercial partner to develop the technology. Sniper training will be much easier in few years’ time.

We’ve seen scientists explore a number of ways to make paint “smarter” over the years, and now a team of researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow have devised a method that they say could do nothing short of “revolutionize structural safety.” The key to that is some novel nanotechnology that effectively turns the paint into a sensor network that’s able to detect minor structural faults before they become a severe problem. More specifically, the paint consists of a mix of highly aligned carbon nanotubes and a recycled waste material known as fly ash — when the nanotubes bend, the conductivity changes, indicating that there could be a structural problem developing. What’s more, the fly ash is also said to give the paint a cement-like structure, which the researchers say could let it be used in harsh conditions where traditional structural monitoring can prove difficult (and expensive).

Smartphones are a wonderful invention, but their wide range of abilities mean that battery life takes a beating. Sure, you can navigate your way around town, find the best restaurants, update your social networks, play games and send email, but you better not bank on doing these things for longer than a day because they’re sure to run down your battery before nightfall. As a result of all these power-hungry activities, CES is filled with different devices for keeping your phone juiced without having to plug in. For those that are ready to ditch smartphones completely, there’s also a phone that runs on just one AA battery.

Taking things back to the basics of cell phones (you know, making phone calls), the SpareOne phone is slim, light and incredibly power efficient. It’s the brain child of battery technology company XPAL Power and it runs on just one battery. What’s more, XPAL Power (the company behind Energizer and PowerSkin) claims that this phone can maintain its charge for up to 15 years. Of course, once you start using the thing, that drops considerably. Talk-time for the SpareOne is reported to be around 10 hours.

It’s not a fancy phone, and it’s definitely not going to help you find reviews of that new Mexican restaurant around the corner, but at $49.99 (SIM-free but GSM-only) it would make for a great addition to your car’s first aid kit. Available sometime this quarter, you can purchase the SpareOne from spareonephone.com or power-skin.com. Different versions (for the Unites States, Europe and Asia) will be available with WCDMA frequency options for selected regions.

Having Gorilla Glass on a touch-device is a good bullet point to have. While the name may be marketing, the actual product is a huge plus for tablets and smartphones. In our experience, Gorilla Glass keeps touchscreens looking more pristine under harsh (or everyday use) conditions.

At CES 2012, Corning announced Gorilla Glass 2, which is just as tough as the original glass technology, but with an up-to-20 percent thinner profile. Corning says that thinner Gorilla Glass 2 will enable slimmer and sleeker devices, brighter images, and greater touch sensitivity.

Plenty of effort is going into improving smartphone battery life, but only a few individuals are delving into radical realms to achieve the goal. Take for example, Arman Ahnood, a researcher at the London Centre for Nanotechnology, whose latest prototype uses solar cells to capture wasted energy from OLEDs. Similar to Wysips (which uses only ambient light), and equipment from UCLA (designed for LCDs), each project faces the unenviable task of making the smartphone a self-sustaining piece of gear.

Ahnood’s handiwork relies on an array of solar cells that surround and sit beneath the phone’s display. Currently, the system averages 11 percent efficiency in its energy capture, with a peak efficiency of 18 percent. Naturally, there are gains to be made. Of the light generated from OLEDs, Ahnood approximates that only 36 percent is actually projected outward. Critically speaking, this also suggests that similar power savings could be achieved with dimmer, more efficient displays, but we’ll let that slide.

As it stands, Ahnood’s system is able to generate approximately five milliwatts of additional power, given a screen size of 3.7-inches. It’s hardly sustainable, but if the creation lets us squeeze in a few more text messages on Friday and Saturday night, we’ll take it.

SOURCE via Extreme Tech

We’ve seen electronic components that can heal itself before; if a circuit cracks, microcapsules with liquid metal will fill the crack and restore conductivity but before those cool stuffs ever make their way to the consumer market, Nissan and the University of Tokyo were kind enough to introduce their scratch-proof and self-healing iPhone case.

The case is made out of polyrotaxane, something Nissan and the University have been researching on since 2005. Similar to the self-healing electronic component mentioned earlier, the casing will automatically fill scratches with some chemical structure, thus healing the scratch. The best part is this is not only a concept,; it was actually launched in Dubai in Nissan’s automotive show. Unfortunately, it looks like the cases were only given out to Nissan customers and journalists for a beta test.

Great, now all we need is Nissan to introduce the material to phone manufacturers so they can make scratch-proof and self-healing phones.

SOURCE via Gizmodo

Either TI has the hots for Arduino in a big way, or its latest wireless charging kit isn’t quite ready for mass production. When it does arrive, however, it promises to do away with those cumbersome specialized sleeves and back covers that are currently needed for inductive charging. Instead, it’ll deliver efficient in a package that’s small enough to be installed as part of a device’s internal circuitry. In addition to the Qi-standard 5W version we glimpsed a while back, the company is also working on a 10W variant for the iPad 2 and other tablets, which could wipe the smile off LaunchPort’s face and perhaps make MicroUSB 3.0 superfluous before it even gets here.

SOURCE via Anandtech

China has unveiled a new high-speed train which is capable of reaching 500 km/h or 311 mph, according to media reports.

While China has several other high-speed trains in operation, including monorails traveling at more than 265 mph, this new train is the first that has been entirely developed and built in China by state-owned train maker CSR.

China’s bullet trains have been routinely traveling at 186 mph, but have been heavily criticized since July when two trains collided and at least 40 people died as a result of the crash. According to media reports, flaws in the control system of the trains, a lack of security checks and failures in emergency management led to the accident. Reports also stated that 54 people that were found to be responsible for the crash will be “punished”.

It was unclear when the new train, the design of which is apparently reminiscent of ancient Chinese sword, will go into operation and how fast it will travel. Typically, high-speed trains run substantially slower than their maximum speed allows. For example, the Transrapid 09 monorail, which connects Shanghai downtown with the Pudong airport can hit 313 mph, but is limited to a maximum speed of 267 mph in regular operation and typically runs at only 217 mph.

SOURCE via News.com.au