A Next-Gen Transistor Material Loses Its Luster
Vanadium dioxide might just make the ultimate transistor material—but physicists know less about how it works than they once thought
'Redshirt' Programs Could Help Generate More Engineers
One extra year to prep for undergrad degree could make a big difference for some students
Advertisement
“Seven or Never”: Emerging Technology’s Seven-Year Odyssey
The Nanoclast looks back to see where the technologies it's covered in the past are at today
IBM’s Watson Tries to Learn…Everything
What happens when Watson learns a million databases? RPI students and faculty hope to find out
Robot Octopus Shows Off New Sculls
What tentacled swimming gait works best for a robotic octopus?
Building a Bicycle Barometer
A networked dial makes it easier to choose whether to commute by bike or train
'Strongbox' for Leakers Offers Imperfect Anonymity
Humans still represent the weakest link in a new online tool for anonymous sources
Robotic Insect Eyes Destined for Next-Gen Micro Drones
This flexible new camera can see even better than bugs do
Innovations, Profound and Whimsical, Compete in Stanford Challenge
Better land mine detection, tools for long distance touch among the hardware innovations that competed for prize money this week at Stanford.
IT Hiccups of the Week: Lie Detector Lies?
No-swipe payment system swipes customers’ money; Big Apple worries that e-voting will take a bite out of mayoral election
This Week in Cybercrime: Are Strong Passwords Only for Your Important Accounts?
Plus: Eavesdrop-ready Internet is a disaster waiting to happen
Nanotube Supply Glut Claims First Victim
Bayer Material Science closes carbon nanotube production to focus on core business
Bitcoin ATM Robocoin Makes Money Laundering Easy
As the Department of Homeland Security targets online Bitcoin exchanges, alternatives are beginning to emerge
Advertisement
How Kepler’s Pointing System Might Have Failed
Launch damage or radiation are most likely causes, says CEO of reaction wheel company
Graphene Nanopump Zeroes in on the Perfect Ampere
Quantum-dot single-electron pump opens door to defining amp, volt, and ohm on a single chip
Data Science Is Now a Job Market Based Entirely on Merit
A start-up ranks data scientists and creates competitions between them for specific consulting projects
Video Friday: Droneapult Launch, Robot Rope Ascender, and Spock vs. Spock
We've still got lots of news from ICRA, but not today, since it's Video Friday!
Can the Kepler Planet Hunting Telescope Be Saved?
A Stanford engineer says there might be a fix
New Quantum Dots Make Colors in LCD Even Brighter
Doping of quantum dots promises LCDs comparable to OLED displays for color brightness
Too Tall for Steel: Engineers Look to Concrete to Take Wind Turbine Design to New Heights
Iowa State researchers think a modular concrete design could allow turbines to climb up to stronger wind currents
Google and NASA Turn to New D-Wave Computer
A new Quantum Artificial Intelligence lab is the latest user of D-Wave's supposed quantum computer
JPL BioSleeve Enables Precise Robot Control Through Hand and Arm Gestures
This sensor-studded cuff from JPL enables intuitive robot control
Science-Fiction Movie Roundup
Break out the popcorn for these upcoming flicks
Kuka Robot Competition Offers 20,000-Euro Award
The German company is organizing a competition based on its youBot robot
Hardware Startups: The Class of 2013 Launches at Haxlr8r
Autonomous personal drone helicopters, smart handlebars, and electrical-circuit building blocks among the products about to hit market
Polariton Lasers Light Up at Low Power
Two independent groups of researchers come up with a new kind of laser
Advertisement
Robot Plane Flies from U.S. Navy Carrier
The X-47B stealth drone takes off from a moving ship at sea--all by itself
MIT Cheetah Robot Runs Fast, and Efficiently
It's now the second fastest legged robot in the world
Lost in America: Still No Phone Service After Hurricane Sandy
In several communities, Verizon has not restored landline phone service in seven months—and may never
A Nanoscale Peek at Lithium-air Batteries Promises Better Electric Vehicles
Ten times better charging capacity of Lithium-air batteries over the Li-ion variety just got a little closer
D-Wave's Quantum Computing Claim Gets Boost in Testing
In some cases, D-Wave's computer proved 3600 times faster than standard computers
Iowa Utility to Build Another Gigawatt of Wind Power by 2015
The state continues to lead the way on wind energy, thanks to the new $1.9 billion plan
Germany Takes the Lead in HVDC
New developments in high-voltage DC electronics could herald an epic shift in energy delivery
Groundwater Contamination Is the Latest Bad News from Fukushima
Situation at plant continues to make life difficult for the pro-nuclear
Loser: D-Wave Does Not Quantum Compute
D-Wave Systems' quantum computers look to be bigger, costlier, and slower than conventional ones
3-D Printed Gun's First Shot Has Big Implications
A mostly 3D-printed gun represents an imperfect weapon with big implications
Why I'm Wagering $100,000 on Quantum Computing
If quantum computing really does turn out to be impossible for some fundamental reason, I'll be absolutely thrilled.
The All-Electric Car You Never Plug In
Wireless power transmission would let EVs draw their power from the road
Graphene Becomes Magnetic for First Time
Making graphene magnetic is a breakthrough, but it doesn't really change the prospects for spintronic devices
Eye-Tracking Software Goes Mobile
Umoove aims to bring hands-free control to phones and tablets
Japanese MH-2 Shoulder Robot Wants To Be Your Friend, Literally
This 20-DOF miniature humanoid acts as a shoulder-mounded remote-telepresence avatar
These Exercise Machines Turn Your Sweat Into Electricity
Exercise equipment that generates power is the latest fad. But will the economics work out?
Printing Process Makes Illuminating 'Wallpaper'
Layered inks produce light-emitting electrochemical cells from conventional materials under ambient conditions.
Start-up Profile: Skybox Imaging
The satellite-imaging company plans to bring remote sensing to the mass market
The Pursuit of Corporate Happiness
Biometric sensors can gauge worker productivity but carry real risks as well
Japanese Researchers Developing Robotic Chameleon, Tongue First
The world desperately needs a robotic chameleon, and we're now one projectile-tongue closer to that goal
Japanese Fast Reactor Found to Be on Active Fault
U.S. Satellite Shootdown: The Inside Story
While assessing the hazards of hydrazine reentry from space, a journalist discovers the hazards of media commentary as well
The Job Market of 2045
What will we do when machines do all the work?
The Smartest, Greenest Grid
What the little Danish island of Bornholm is showing the world about the future of energy
Video Friday: Robohand, Entropy-Powered AI, and Bad Breath Bot
It's Friday, and we know what you need: robot videos
Does Antimatter Fall Up?
Physicists mine data from CERN’s ALPHA experiment for hints of how antimatter responds to gravity
MIT Robots Can Assemble Your IKEA Furniture For You
These robots can assemble your Swedish furniture, without even looking at the instructions
Global CO2 Concentration Reaches 400 Parts Per Million
Now what?