The U.S. military launched an experimental hypersonic aircraft on its swan song test flight Wednesday (May 1), accelerating the craft to more than five times the speed of sound in the longest-ever mission for a vehicle of its kind. The Air Force’s X-51A Waverider reached a top speed of Mach 5.1 during the test flight, …
Mobile chipmaker Qualcomm and some U.S. wireless carriers are investigating an idea that would see small cellular base stations installed in homes to serve passing smartphone users. That approach is believed to be a more efficient way of meeting the rising demand for data and fixing patchy coverage than building more traditional cell-phone towers. Qualcomm …
Traditionally, carbon fibers are made by “carbonizing” a polymer called poly-acrylonitrile, or PAN. First, the polymer is spun into a fiber and then it is heated to very high temperatures. This causes the polymer molecules to to be converted into a homogenous carbon structure, causing the material to become a stiff solid. Some research groups …
he United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center has awarded SpaceX two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV)-class missions: DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) and STP-2 (Space Test Program 2). To be launched on SpaceX’s Falcon launch vehicles in 2014 and 2015 respectively, the awards mark the first EELV-class missions awarded to the company …
1. BGR.com – picking up the Nexus 4, you can tell this is a quality device just like the LG Optimus G we recently reviewed. Not since HTC manufactured Nexus phones for Google has one felt this good. The Nexus 4 has the best screen of any Android phone. The Google Nexus 4 can be …
The University of Minnesota has invented a unique microscale optical device that could greatly increase the speed of downloading information online and reduce the cost of Internet transmission. The device uses the force generated by light to flop a mechanical switch of light on and off at a very high speed. This development could lead …
80beats – George Church, the geneticist behind the Personal Genome Project, is envisioning a package deal: get your genome sequenced, and he and his collaborators will develop a line of induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS) from your tissue, so in the future, you’ll be able upgrade your system with organs and tissues bearing both your …
China Daily – China is moving to approve a plan to reduce income inequality. A new income-distribution framework eight years in the making, has been tabled for approval by the State Council and is likely to be introduced in the second half of this year. “If low-income families cannot afford a decent standard of living, …
1. IDC – Android and iOS powered 85% of all smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2012 (2Q12), establishing a new combined high for the mobile operating systems from Google and Apple. Meanwhile, BlackBerry and Symbian, two pioneers and former leaders of the smartphone market, both saw their market shares fall below five percent. …
Solve for X – Anthony Sutera is an entrepreneur in communications, specializing in radio, satellite and wireless communications systems. He is currently the CEO of Chamtech Enterprises, a company holding several patents on its nano, spray-on antenna technology. Anthony tells us about an accidental discovery that may change the world of wireless communications. Using nanoparticles …
Nanohex is the world’s largest collaborative project for the research and development of nanofluid coolants, NanoHex comprises of a consortium of 12 leading European companies and research centres. The €8.3 million project has been funded by the Seventh Framework Programme grant. Led by Siemen’s AG, the NanoHex nanofluids will be applied to the cooling system …