Nanopool’s spray-on liquid glass could keep bacteria, water off of pretty much anything

You know, we’re beginning to wonder exactly what’s genuine anymore. Our foods are being built in laboratories, our glass panes are being unwillingly converted to touch panels, and now, exposed objects don’t even have to get grimy over the course of time. It’s a travesty, we say. All disappointing rants aside, we have to confess that we’re actually enthused about a newly developed spray-on silicon dioxide solution that promises to protect just about any surface from water, bacteria, dirt and UV radiation. The so-called “liquid glass” is said to be completely harmless to the environment, and creator Nanopool hopes that it can be used eventually on car coatings, clothing and even the nose cones of high-speed trains. Here’s hoping it comes in a spray can — our decade-old keyboard and mouse could probably use a coat of this.

[Thanks, Pierre]

Nanopool’s spray-on liquid glass could keep bacteria, water off of pretty much anything originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Artificial muscles let cadavers (and someday paralyzed humans) wink with the best of ‘em

Artificial muscles let cadavers (and someday paralyzed humans) wink with the best of ‘em originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Invetech 3D bio-printer is ready for production, promises ’tissue on demand’

Say hello to “the world’s first production model 3D bio-printer.” What you’re looking at is a machine capable of arranging human cells and artificial scaffolds into complex three-dimensional structures, which result in such wonderful things as replacement liver and kidney tissue, or such simple niceties as artificially grown teeth. All we’re told of the internal workings is that the bio-printer utilizes laser-calibrated print heads and that its design is the first to offer sufficiently wide flexibility of use to make the device viable. Organovo will be the company responsible for promoting the new hardware to research institutions, while at the same time trying to convince the world that it’s not the fifth sign of the apocalypse. Maybe if the printer didn’t have a menacing red button attached to it, we’d all be a little less freaked out by it.

Invetech 3D bio-printer is ready for production, promises ’tissue on demand’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quantum batteries are theoretically awesome, practically non-existent

Today’s dose of overly ambitious tech research comes from the physics lab over at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in a proposal titled “Digital quantum batteries: Energy and information storage in nano vacuum tube arrays.” It’s like a who’s who of undelivered promises got together and united to form one giant and impossible dream, but it’s one we’d prefer to believe in regardless. Aiming to improve battery performance by “orders of magnitude,” the project’s fundamental premise is that when capacitors — and we’re talking billions of them — are taken to a small enough scale and packed to within 10nm of one another, quantum effects act to prevent energy loss. The projected result is a wonderful world of rapid recharges and storage of up to ten times the energy current lithium-ion packs can hold, as well as the potential for data retention. The only problem? It would take a year just to build a prototype, meaning we can expect market availability somewhere between a score from now and just prior to the underworld morphing into an ice rink.

Quantum batteries are theoretically awesome, practically non-existent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA nanowire discovery could lead to faster, stronger, smaller electronics

Advancements in silicon-germanium have been going on for years now, but a team at UCLA is convinced that their discovery really is “the next big thing.” For scores now, microchip makers have struggled with miniaturizing transistors as the public at large demands that things get smaller and smaller. Thanks to researchers at the aforesaid university, it’s looking like silicon-germanium nanowires could be the key to making the process a whole lot easier. According to study co-author Suneel Kodambaka, the new nanowires could “help speed the development of smaller, faster and more powerful electronics,” also noting that they’re so small that they can be “placed in virtually anything.” Which is great, because the Adamo XPS is just entirely too pudgy.

UCLA nanowire discovery could lead to faster, stronger, smaller electronics originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NC State intellects design twistable, shape-shifting antennas

NC State may be well on its way to yet another underwhelming season on the hardwood, but it seems as if a few of its most spirited boffins aren’t even taking any time off to celebrate the season-ending victory over the hated Heels on the team’s final football game. Dr. Michael Dickey and team have just published their latest invention, and if this thing ever reaches commercial status, you can expect ordinary objects to become a lot more intelligent. The crew’s shape-shifting, twistable antenna overcomes the common limitation of copper-based alternatives by relying on an alloy that can be “bent, stretched, cut and twisted” while still transmitting or receiving a signal. Aside from enabling concept phones like the Ondo to become real, the development could also allow for stretchable antennas to be integrated into actual structures, giving buildings and bridges a way to communicate stresses to architects. Too bad it can’t communicate the crumbling of an athletics program to an oblivious AD, but hey, there’s always room for improvement in version 2.0.

NC State intellects design twistable, shape-shifting antennas originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU scientists develop LifeHand thought-controlled prosthesis

EU scientists develop LifeHand thought-controlled prosthesis originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Large Hadron Collider grinds to a halt… again

In an increasingly unsurprising turn of events, the Large Hadron Collider suffered a major power failure this morning, knocking the machine and its website out of service. The failure occurred in an 18,000-volt power line in Meyrin, Geneva where the LHC is housed beneath the ground, causing pretty much everything to shut down. The LHC’s magnets maintained a temperature of 1.9 degrees above absolute zero (having to re-cool them would have been a pretty sizeable setback), however, and no long-term damage seems to have occurred. The trouble-prone Large Hadron Collider is expected to resume full operations sometime later today, and is currently operating on limited power from a backup supply. Regardless, the unfortunate event is sure to resurrect that zany Higgs boson time-travelling theory.

Large Hadron Collider grinds to a halt… again originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE Global Research holograms increase security, redefine ‘going green’

GE Global Research in collaboration with SABIC Innovative Plastics has developed a new class of holographic materials that can be processed in plastic to create a wide range of novelty products, credit, or identity cards. Instead of just being stamped onto the surface of the card like typical holograms, these new cards rely upon thermo-plastic based volume holography to store the data (binary images, 3D images of your face, fingerprints, and even animations) within the card itself for an extra degree of tamper-free security. And because the holographic material can be injection-molded, it could ultimately be applied to a variety of personalized products including laptops and cellphones. GE Global Research is intent on commercializing the new holographic materials by 2012, until then we’ve got a video that gives a good idea of how your 3D mug might look pressed into those government or corporate mandated ID cards of the future. Check it after the break.

Continue reading GE Global Research holograms increase security, redefine ‘going green’

GE Global Research holograms increase security, redefine ‘going green’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British surgeons using radiation beams to halt macular degeneration

We’ve seen more eyesight restoration efforts than we could easily count, but rather than tooting their horn about some theoretical discovery, boffins at Kings College Hospital in London are actually putting their hard work to use on real, live human brings. The new process, which goes by the name brachytherapy, is a one-off treatment for macular degeneration. In essence, surgeons carefully light up a beam of radiation within the eye for just over three minutes, which kills harmful cells without damaging anything else. A trial is currently underway in order to restore eyesight in some 363 patients, and everything thus far leads us to believe that the process is both safe and effective. As for costs? The procedure currently runs £6,000 ($9,889), but that’s still not awful when you consider that existing treatments involving injections run £800 per month. Hop past the break for a video report.

Continue reading British surgeons using radiation beams to halt macular degeneration

British surgeons using radiation beams to halt macular degeneration originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Large Hadron Collider is online, Higgs boson be damned

“We have captured it! First circulating beam of 2009!” And with that tweet, researchers at CERN announced that they did in fact activate the Large Hadron Collider, after quite a long delay and despite warnings of a looming, nefarious Higgs boson. Whether or not we will have had total destruction as an unfortunate result of the device remains to be seen, but should the future find a way to either cease to exist or travel to the past in some time-bending paradox, we only hope linguists and physicists can work together and figure out the proper verb conjugations for this brave new world.

Filed under: Science

Large Hadron Collider is online, Higgs boson be damned originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next-generation Flip Video camcorder rumored to boast WiFi

Oh c’mon, don’t act surprised. It’s just the natural evolution of things. Sony already upended the pocket camcorder market by adding GPS to one of its models, and now with Cisco at the helm (who, by the way, is a networking giant), it looks as if Flip Video’s next product will sport an internal WiFi module. Granted, we were already assuming as much after listening to Pure Digital’s founder speak of the device’s future post-acquisition, but word on the street has it that a new Flip with WiFi will land sometime in 1H 2010. Furthermore, a Cisco spokesperson has been quoted over at Pocket-lint as saying that a new edition will feature “a large screen that slides to reveal the record and menu buttons underneath.” We’re guessing that we’ll hear more about this mythical product as CES draws near, but that MinoHD you were about to buy? Yeah, might wanna lay off.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Next-generation Flip Video camcorder rumored to boast WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IBM simulates cat’s brain, humans are next

Almost exactly a year ago we noted DARPA pouring nearly $5 million into an IBM project to develop a computer capable of emulating the brain of a living creature. Having already modeled half of a mouse’s brain, the researchers were at that time heading toward the more ambitious territory of feline intelligence, and today we can report on how far that cash injection and extra twelve months have gotten us. The first big announcement is that they have indeed succeeded in producing a computer simulation on par, in terms of complexity and scale, with a cat’s brain. The second, perhaps more important, is that “jaw-dropping” progress has been made in the sophistication and detail level of human brain mapping. The reverse engineering of the brain is hoped to bring about new ways for building computers that mimic natural brain structures, an endeavor collectively termed as “cognitive computing.” Read link will reveal more, and you can make your own cyborg jokes in the comments below.

Filed under: Science

IBM simulates cat’s brain, humans are next originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RealView’s V-Screen for PSP review

The PSP may be a lot of things to a lot of people, but it’s not capable of pumping out images in 3D — cross your eyes all you want but nothing’s going to leap off of that LCD. We’ll have to wait for at least another iteration of portables before we can start expecting any miracles in that department, but until then there’s the V-Screen! It’s a big, silly-looking attachment that pledges to add depth to your PSP games despite the system’s distinctly two-dimensional screen. Is it magic? Is it sorcery? Is it complete bull? You might be surprised.

Continue reading RealView’s V-Screen for PSP review

Filed under: Gaming

RealView’s V-Screen for PSP review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s Ubicell CDMA base station going 3G in 2010

We’re all for upping our cell service in-home, so a few cheers to Samsung for upgrading its Ubicell personal CDMA base station to 3G. Joining the femtocell party in 2010, all we know beyond its primary directive is built-in GPS for more accurate E911 calls. Mum’s the word on price, carriers, or any more definitive launch date. The last Ubicell (pictured) was launched with Verizon, so nah, we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if this one here followed in its ancestor’s footsteps.

Filed under: Cellphones, Networking

Samsung’s Ubicell CDMA base station going 3G in 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leica M7 Edition Hermes drops this December at a price you can’t afford

Continue reading Leica M7 Edition Hermes drops this December at a price you can’t afford

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Leica M7 Edition Hermes drops this December at a price you can’t afford originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony offering ePub upgrade / trade-in program for PRS-500 e-reader

Filed under: Handhelds

Sony offering ePub upgrade / trade-in program for PRS-500 e-reader originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrunchPad is ’steamrolling along,’ will cost between $300 and $400

We’re not super familiar with the term “steamrolling along” as it applies to device launches, but apparently it’s good news for Michael Arrington’s CrunchPad tablet. Mike dropped the news on a recent episode of Steve Gillmor’s “Gillmor Gang” podcast (like “Gilmore Girls,” but with less inter-generational drama), saying that he’s not sure where the rumor of cost being too high came from, since costs continue to come down. The “$300 to $400″ price range he’s quoting is a bit higher than we’d heard previously, but it still sounds pretty good for a 12-inch touchscreen device. He also made mention of “soft revenue” and “sponsorships” on the device, akin to the revenue Firefox gets from its Google search box, and added that it won’t impact the user experience. Outside of those tidbits Mike says they’re working on making it “perfect,” and that there should be some big news about the device coming shortly. Video is after the break, CrunchPad discussion starts at the 39 minute mark.

[Via UMPCPortal]

Continue reading CrunchPad is ’steamrolling along,’ will cost between $300 and $400

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

CrunchPad is ’steamrolling along,’ will cost between $300 and $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KAIST’s HUBO shows off some newfound dexterity, hides emotions behind ill-fitting motorcycle helmet

Sometimes when we see the seemingly slow advance of Honda’s ASIMO, the inherent limitations of WowWee toys, or the purposefully limited one-off research projects of universities, we start to give up hope of being super best pals with a humanoid robot this century; hope of partaking in whimsical 80s movie hijinks, hand-in-metal-hand. This little video of the Korean Institute of Advanced Science and Technology’s recent advances on its HUBO project therefore serves as a bit of a “hope refresher,” allowing us to once again re-imagine those aforementioned scenes of whimsy with a metallic bot that can handle a sword and walk at an almost-useful pace, while inexplicably wearing a smallish, visored helmet. Sure, there’s a long way to go, but we’d just like to say that when the robot apocalypse doesn’t happen and we realize how much we really have in common with these machines we’ve built to look like us, that somewhere in late 2009 this video helped us keep on believing.

Continue reading KAIST’s HUBO shows off some newfound dexterity, hides emotions behind ill-fitting motorcycle helmet

Filed under: Robots

KAIST’s HUBO shows off some newfound dexterity, hides emotions behind ill-fitting motorcycle helmet originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video)

Continue reading Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video)

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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