Industry News
Taking Lighting to the Next Level with Open, Standards-based Wireless Lighting Controls
July 17, 2012 5:55 am | News | CommentsDaintree Networks, Inc ., and Philips today announced an agreement to develop advanced lighting controls products for commercial buildings through the use of open standards such as ZigBee®, helping customers to avoid vendor lock-in and ensure that their lighting systems are interoperable today and well into the future.
Extracting Multiple Anodes from a Single Wafer for Lithium-Ion Batteries
July 17, 2012 5:49 am | News | CommentsResearchers at Rice University and Lockheed Martin reported this month that they’ve found a way to make multiple high-performance anodes from a single silicon wafer. The process uses simple silicon to replace graphite as an element in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries , laying the groundwork for longer-lasting, more powerful batteries for such applications as commercial electronics and electric vehicles.
Human Eye Inspires Clog-free Ink Jet Printer Invented by MU Researcher
July 17, 2012 5:42 am | by Clogged printer nozzles waste time and money while reducing print quality. University of Missouri engineers recently invented a clog-preventing nozzle cover by mimicking the human eye. | News | Comments“The nozzle cover we invented was inspired by the human eye,” said Jae Wan Kwon, associate professor in the College of Engineering. “The eye and an ink jet nozzle have a common problem: they must not be allowed to dry while, simultaneously, they must open. We used biomimicry, the imitation of nature, to solve human problems.
Researchers Almost Double Light Efficiency in LC Projectors
July 17, 2012 5:37 am | News | CommentsResearchers from North Carolina State University and ImagineOptix Corporation have developed new technology to convert unpolarized light into polarized light, which makes projectors that use liquid crystal (LC) technology almost twice as energy efficient. The new technology has resulted in smaller, lower cost and more efficient projectors, meaning longer battery life and significantly lower levels of heat.
Pioneering Self-Contained 'Smart Village' Offers World Model for Rural Poverty Relief
July 17, 2012 5:27 am | News | CommentsAn innovative, high-tech "smart village" built in Malaysia provides a potential global template for addressing rural poverty in a sustainable environment, say international experts meeting in California's Silicon Valley. Rimbunan Kaseh, a model community built north-east of Kuala Lumpur, consists of 100 affordable homes, high-tech educational, training and recreational facilities, and a creative, closed-loop agricultural system designed to provide both food and supplementary income for villagers.
There's a New Twitter for BlackBerry, But Does it Matter?
July 17, 2012 5:19 am | News | CommentsParent company R esearch In Motion (RIM) may be hemorrhaging cash and fighting rumors of impending doom , but BlackBerry’s remaining users can still enjoy a new version of Twitter on their smartphones. Twitter for BlackBerry version 3.1 adds more detail and context to tweets, according to a corporate blog post that announced the update on Monday.
Workout Gadgets Will Soon Be Battery-Free and Powered by You
July 17, 2012 5:11 am | by Enter battery-free gadgets powered by body heat. If you run hard, bike for miles or work up a daily sweat, TEGwear technology will reward you with power. | News | CommentsLightweight, wearable gadgets have changed our workout routines. Some of us consider it an integral part of every workout to monitor our heart rates, activity and calories burned in real time. Future devices may become even more enmeshed in our fitness routines. Perpetua , a company that specializes in renewable energy solutions for wireless sensors, is marketing an insertable chip that converts body heat into electric energy.
Standex and MEDER Electronics Establish a Global Presence for Electronics Group
July 17, 2012 4:50 am | News | CommentsStandex International Corporation today announced that it has acquired MEDER Electronic Group (“MEDER”), which designs, manufactures and distributes a broad offering of magnetic reed switch , reed relay and reed sensor solutions in an all-cash transaction. MEDER offers significant sales synergies as well as cost synergies resulting from expected procurement and infrastructure savings.
Phoenix Convention Center Awards Contract for Technology Services to Smart City Networks
July 16, 2012 10:47 am | News | CommentsSmart City Networks announced that it has been awarded the contract to provide client technology and telecommunication services at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Ariz., for the next 5 years. Beginning this month, Smart City Networks will maintain the convention center’s phone system, wired and wireless Internet networks and cable television service.
Helmet Helps Firefighters See Through Smoke, Hear Victims
July 16, 2012 9:22 am | News | CommentsFirefighters all over the world risk their lives to save others in the heat of raging fires in various scenarios, from wildfires to urban accidents. In most cases, they are required to dress hastily within 90 seconds to reach ground zero. Because of the rushed time, it’s only human to miss out on key accessories and equipment.
7 Compact, Carry-On Gadgets for Travel
July 16, 2012 7:37 am | News | CommentsDoes work have you constantly on the move? Tablets and smartphones usually make things more efficient and compact on the ground, but traveling with these devices can have the opposite effect. Wires and chargers and cases, oh my! Keeping them organized can be a time-vacuum, and the standard equipment can fill up your carry-on before you’ve stashed your other essentials.
Raytheon Honors AVX with 4-Star Supplier Excellence Award
July 16, 2012 7:11 am | News | CommentsAVX Corporation was recently presented with the 4-Star Supplier Excellence Award from Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business unit. Raytheon IDS instituted the annual Supplier Excellence Awards program to recognize suppliers who have provided outstanding service and partnership in exceeding customer requirements.
Microsoft Set to Make Next Big Announcement Today
July 16, 2012 6:59 am | News | CommentsAnother week, another big Microsoft announcement. The tech behemoth has scheduled a press event for 3 p.m. ET on Monday featuring CEO Steve Ballmer. The event will be live-streamed here . A media alert announcing the event was scant on details. However, the smart money is on an Office 15 announcement.
One in Every Three Mobile Phones Sold in the Philippines is a Smartphone
July 16, 2012 6:30 am | News | CommentsConsumers bought five times as many smartphones in the first five months of this year compared to a year ago. Increasing affordability of smartphones has been propelling the strong growth of the sector in the Philippines, rendering the country one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the emerging Southeast Asia region.
Keeping Electric Vehicle Batteries Cool
July 12, 2012 11:06 am | News | CommentsHeat can damage the batteries of electric vehicles – even just driving fast on the freeway in summer temperatures can overheat the battery. An innovative new coolant conducts heat away from the battery three times more effectively than water, keeping the battery temperature within an acceptable range even in extreme driving situations.
Platinum Is Wrong Stuff For Fuel Cells
July 12, 2012 10:52 am | News | CommentsMaterial wastes energy, Case Western Reserve University researcher suggests Fuel cells are inefficient because the catalyst most commonly used to convert chemical energy to electricity is made of the wrong material, a researcher at Case Western Reserve University argues. Rather than continue the futile effort to tweak that material - platinum - to make it work better, Chemistry Professor Alfred Anderson urges his colleagues to start anew.
ONR Opens a Gateway to Improved Network Data Sharing on Navy Ships
July 12, 2012 10:50 am | News | CommentsAn Office of Naval Research (ONR) universal gateway that gives Sailors access to more accurate, secure, real-time information will be delivered to the fleet in just three years from the project’s inception at ONR officials announced July 11. On any Navy destroyer, cruiser or carrier today, there are two networks: one for combat systems (weapons and sensors) and one for command and control, or C2, which also encompasses intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Researchers 1 Step Closer to New Kind of Thermoelectric 'Heat Engine'
July 12, 2012 10:46 am | News | CommentsResearchers who are studying a new magnetic effect that converts heat to electricity have discovered how to amplify it a thousand times over - a first step in making the technology more practical. In the so-called spin Seebeck effect, the spin of electrons creates a current in magnetic materials, which is detected as a voltage in an adjacent metal.
Toward Achieving 1 Million Times Increase in Computing Efficiency
July 12, 2012 10:43 am | News | CommentsModern-day computers are based on logic circuits using semiconductor transistors. To increase computing power, smaller transistors are required. Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors that can fit on an integrated circuit should double every two years due to scaling. But as transistors reach atomic dimensions, achieving this feat is becoming increasingly difficult.
Researchers Create Highly Conductive and Elastic Conductors Using Silver Nanowires
July 12, 2012 10:35 am | News | CommentsResearchers from North Carolina State University have developed highly conductive and elastic conductors made from silver nanoscale wires (nanowires). These elastic conductors can be used to develop stretchable electronic devices. Stretchable circuitry would be able to do many things that its rigid counterpart cannot.
University of Utah Physicists Invent 'Spintronic' LED
July 12, 2012 10:33 am | News | CommentsNew technology promises brighter TV and computer displays University of Utah physicists invented a new "spintronic" organic light-emitting diode or OLED that promises to be brighter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the kinds of LEDs now used in television and computer displays, lighting, traffic lights and numerous electronic devices.
Test Framework For Upgrading Smart Electrical Meters
July 12, 2012 10:30 am | News | CommentsNext-generation "smart" electrical meters for residential and commercial buildings will have computerized operating systems just as laptops or mobile devices do. On July 10, 2012, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published its first-ever draft guidelines* to help utility companies test their procedures for upgrading meters securely from a remote location.
Wireless Sensors and Energy Harvesters in Harsh Environments
July 12, 2012 5:52 am | News | CommentsEnergy harvesters and wireless sensors are not always deployed under "a walk in the park" operating environments. If anything, the most interesting applications for these technologies tend to be in sectors where conditions are harsh or devices are inaccessible once deployed. Requirements in such operating conditions are stringent enough to make it impossible to even consider wired sensors or battery operated devices.
New York's MTA Metro-North Railroad to Test Smartphone Ticketing This Summer
July 11, 2012 10:11 am | News | CommentsProject to test smartphone ticketing using iPhone, Android and Blackberry handsets on the largest commuter rail network in the US New York’s MTA Metro-North Railroad, working with transit mobile ticketing specialists Masabi US Ltd., will begin testing a smartphone app that will let people buy their train tickets anywhere, anytime and never have to hold a piece of paper.
Solar Powers A Highway In Colorado
July 10, 2012 5:59 am | News | CommentsNearly 3,000 solar panels will power a 17-mile stretch of E-470 in Colorado, officials say, lowering costs for drivers. E-470 wraps around the suburbs east of Denver. Solar-generated electricity will power streetlights, toll collection equipment, plaza and maintenance facilities, variable message signs and the E-470 administrative headquarters.
