Thursday 31 January 2013

Iron-oxidizing bacteria could be used to convert electricity into biofuel

Iron-oxidizing bacteria could be used to convert electricity into biofuel:
Mariprofundus ferrooxydans PV-1 bacteria (Image: Clara S. Chan)
What do bacteria, wind turbines and solar panels have to do with one another? Nothing ... unless you can teach the bacteria to “breathe” electricity and turn it into biofuel. That’s still a very long way off, but a team of researchers at the BioTechnology Institute at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities have found a method for growing iron-oxidizing bacteria by feeding it electricity. It’s primarily a way to better study a recently-discovered type of bacteria, but it also holds the promise of turning electricity into biofuel. .. Continue Reading Iron-oxidizing bacteria could be used to convert electricity into biofuel

Section: Science and Education

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Monday 28 January 2013

Scientists turn light into a tractor beam

Scientists turn light into a tractor beam:
A team led by the University of St. Andrews has turned a laser into a tractor beam that wo...
From The Skylark of Space to Star Wars, no self-respecting science fiction spaceship would break orbit without a tractor beam on board. We’re still a long way from locking on to errant shuttlecraft, but a team led by Dr. Tomas Cizmar, Research Fellow in the School of Medicine at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, has turned a laser into a tractor beam that works on the microscopic level... Continue Reading Scientists turn light into a tractor beam

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Saturday 26 January 2013

Curiosity works the night shift

Curiosity works the night shift:
MAHLI's first night imaging of Martian rock called 'Sayunei' under ultraviolet lighting (I...
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has taken to working the night shift lately. This week, on the Martian night of January 22, the nuclear-powered explorer used its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) instrument under ultraviolet light to examine a rock called "Sayunei” as part of its two-year mission to seek out areas of the Red Planet where life may once or could still exist... Continue Reading Curiosity works the night shift

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DARPA produces 10 million flu vaccine doses in one month

DARPA produces 10 million flu vaccine doses in one month:
Tobacco plants used in the development of the vaccine
A familiar news topic during the flu season is the difficulties that the authorities face in producing enough flu vaccine fast enough to control the outbreak. That’s a serious enough problem, but when the influenza outbreak turns out to be the start of a global pandemic, then hundreds of millions of lives could be at risk. To combat this, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has developed a new way of making vaccines that has turned out 10 million doses of H1N1 influenza vaccine in a month, in a recent test run. .. Continue Reading DARPA produces 10 million flu vaccine doses in one month

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Friday 25 January 2013

DARPA video outlines progress of Phoenix satellite re-purposing project

DARPA video outlines progress of Phoenix satellite re-purposing project:
Artist's concept of a Phoenix tender in action
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released a new video showing the progress of its Phoenix project, which aims at salvaging parts from defunct communications satellites to build new ones. Based on a new class of nanosatellites and a robotic “tender,” its purpose is to use repurposed satellites to construct a new communications net for the military at low cost. .. Continue Reading DARPA video outlines progress of Phoenix satellite re-purposing project

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Opportunity rover begins tenth year on Mars

Opportunity rover begins tenth year on Mars: David Szondy is a freelance writer based in Monroe, Washington. An award-winning playwright, he has contributed to Charged and iQ magazine and is the author of the website Tales of Future Past. All articles by David Szondy. Tags ...
Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

Thursday 24 January 2013

New evidence of groundwater-fed lake on Mars

New evidence of groundwater-fed lake on Mars:
Artist's concept of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (Image: NASA/JPL)
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has found new evidence of a wet underground environment that once existed on the Red Planet. Using its Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), the orbiter examined the floor of McLaughlin Crater in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet and found evidence of the formation of carbonates and clay in a groundwater-fed lake in the ancient past. .. Continue Reading New evidence of groundwater-fed lake on Mars

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Tuesday 22 January 2013

Planetary Resources shows off full-scale asteroid mining prototype

Planetary Resources shows off full-scale asteroid mining prototype:
Chris Lewicki and the Arkyd-100 prototype
Last year, we took an in-depth look at Planetary Resources’ asteroid mining plans. Now the Bellevue, Washington-based company has revealed a full-scale prototype of its Arkyd-100 Low Earth Orbit spacecraft that will search for promising mining candidates. In a video update, Planetary Resources President and “Chief Asteroid Miner,” Chris Lewicki gave a tour of the 11 kilogram (24.2 lb) spacecraft’s features and outlined the company’s immediate goals... Continue Reading Planetary Resources shows off full-scale asteroid mining prototype

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Monday 21 January 2013

Boeing to upgrade survivor locator devices for U.S. Airforce

Boeing to upgrade survivor locator devices for U.S. Airforce:
The Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL)
Boeing has been awarded contracts worth US$13.6 million to upgrade the U.S. Air Force’s Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) radio and the CSEL ultrahigh frequency (UHF) base stations that support it. The purpose of the contract is to bring the personal survival radio and the CSEL network in line with the latest Information Assurance standards to protect them against jamming and other interference by hostile forces. .. Continue Reading Boeing to upgrade survivor locator devices for U.S. Airforce

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Friday 18 January 2013

The Hyundai Genesis gets high-tech with HCD-14 concept

The Hyundai Genesis gets high-tech with HCD-14 concept:
The Hyundai HDC-14 Genesis concept
Unveiled the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the HCD-14 Genesis is intended to showcase Hyundai's future design direction for rear-wheel drive premium cars. For a premium-sport, four-door coupe, the HCD-14 concept presents a surprising mixture of style choices, along with the inclusion of some interesting interactive technologies such 3D gesture tracking navigation control... Continue Reading The Hyundai Genesis gets high-tech with HCD-14 concept

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NASA releases animation of Titan landing to mark anniversary

NASA releases animation of Titan landing to mark anniversary:
Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
On August 14, 2005, the European Space Agency's (ESA) Huygens probe landed by parachute on the surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. To commemorate the eighth anniversary of this historic event, NASA has released an animation that recreates that landing based on instrument readings taken by the unmanned probe during its final descent through the Titanian atmosphere. .. Continue Reading NASA releases animation of Titan landing to mark anniversary

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Thursday 17 January 2013

ESA to provide service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft

ESA to provide service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft:
Artist's impression of the Orion spacecraft with service module (Image: ESA-D. Ducros)
NASA has signed an agreement with ESA (the European Space Agency) for the latter to supply service modules for NASA’s Orion manned spacecraft, due to launch in 2017. The modules will use technology from ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) currently ferrying supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) and will provide propulsion, power and life support to the Orion module... Continue Reading ESA to provide service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft

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Wednesday 16 January 2013

US, ESA to test asteroid deflection

US, ESA to test asteroid deflection:
Artist’s concept of the US-European Asteroid Impact and Deflection mission (AIDA)
When you’re trying to keep a rogue asteroid from hitting Earth, you’d better get it right the first time. With this in mind, the European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for new ideas to help develop a US-European asteroid deflection mission. With a target date of October, 2022, the purpose of the mission is to send a pair of spacecraft to a near-Earth asteroid where one will impact it while the other observes the effect... Continue Reading US, ESA to test asteroid deflection

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Tuesday 15 January 2013

Curiosity scheduled to conduct first test drill on Mars

Curiosity scheduled to conduct first test drill on Mars:
Artist's impression of Curiosity
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is scheduled to carry out the first drilling ever conducted on the Red Planet. At a press conference, NASA officials said that the unmanned explorer would test its drill on a target rock within the next two weeks. The target selected is the “John Klein” area of Glen Crater where the rover will take rock samples as part of Curiosity’s two-year mission to find places on the Red Planet where life could have or still might exist... Continue Reading Curiosity scheduled to conduct first test drill on Mars

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2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan features drive-by-wire steering

2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan features drive-by-wire steering:
The Infiniti Q50 sedan
Fly-by-wire systems are the sort of thing we associate with aircraft and space shuttles, but they’re now moving into the automotive world. This week at a press conference at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Infiniti unveiled its Q50 luxury sports sedan. Based on the Infiniti Essence concept, this is the first production car to feature drive-by-wire steering instead of conventional mechanical and hydraulic linkages... Continue Reading 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan features drive-by-wire steering

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Monday 14 January 2013

Ecovacs Winbot 7 robot cleans windows with sticktoitiveness

Ecovacs Winbot 7 robot cleans windows with sticktoitiveness:
The Winbot 7 window cleaning robot adheres to a window using a pair of concentric suction ...
Window cleaning robots aren't that new, but most of them, like the Windoro, rely on magnets to stay vertical. This requires the robot to be built in two parts and sets a limit on how thick the window glass can be. Ecovacs' Winbot 7, which was on display at CES, uses a pair of concentric suction rings to adhere to the glass, so is claimed to work on any thickness of window... Continue Reading Ecovacs Winbot 7 robot cleans windows with sticktoitiveness

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Sunday 13 January 2013

NASA awards contract to Bigelow Aerospace for inflatable ISS module

NASA awards contract to Bigelow Aerospace for inflatable ISS module:
Cutaway view of the Bigelow BA 2100 Expandable Space Module (Image: Bigelow Aerospace)
NASA has announced that it has awarded a US$17.8 million contract to Bigelow Aerospace to provide the International Space Station with an inflatable module. Details of the award will be discussed by NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and Bigelow Aerospace President Robert Bigelow at a press conference on January 16 at the Bigelow Aerospace facilities in North Las Vegas. However, based on previous talks, it’s likely that the module in question could be the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM)... Continue Reading NASA awards contract to Bigelow Aerospace for inflatable ISS module

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Friday 11 January 2013

Olive oil may save York Minster cathedral

Olive oil may save York Minster cathedral:
York Minster (Image: Andy Barrett/Wikipedia)
York Minster is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe and one of the great monuments of medieval architecture. Built in the city of York, UK between 1220 and 1472, it has suffered looting, vandalism, arson and a devastating fire after a lightning strike in 1984. Despite decades of restoration costing millions of pounds, the Minster still faces an implacable enemy, the air itself. In hopes of protecting the Minster from rotting away due to air pollution, Dr. Karen Wilson and Prof. Adam Lee of the Cardiff School of Chemistry, Cardiff University along with researchers at the University of Iowa have discovered that the key to saving the church may lie in olive oil... Continue Reading Olive oil may save York Minster cathedral

Section: Architecture

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Gigantic C SEED 201 outdoor LED TV descends into the ground when not in use

Gigantic C SEED 201 outdoor LED TV descends into the ground when not in use:
The C SEED 201 outdoor LED television
For those who go in for outdoor television viewing with a big dash of ostentation, Porsche Design Studio of Zell am See, Austria offers the C SEED 201 LED television. This 201-inch (5.11 m) 16:9 LED behemoth isn't just enormous, it also rises out of the ground like something out of a Bond film and unfolds itself in less than 30 seconds... Continue Reading Gigantic C SEED 201 outdoor LED TV descends into the ground when not in use

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Wednesday 9 January 2013

Sisma Calce seismic fabric helps hold buildings together during ...

Sisma Calce seismic fabric helps hold buildings together during <b>...</b>: David Szondy is a freelance writer based in Monroe, Washington. An award-winning playwright, he has contributed to Charged and iQ magazine and is the author of the website Tales of Future Past. All articles by David Szondy. Tags ...
Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

Corning introduces laser fiber optic USB cable

Corning introduces laser fiber optic USB cable:
Corning's Thunderbolt optical cable
Digital systems are notorious for bottlenecks. It’s no good having a blazing, overclocked PC and an internet connection like a firehose if the USB cable between them is like a straw. It’s even worse when the distance between PC and modem is more than a few feet away, so the cable can’t reach. With the aim of eliminating these bottlenecks, Corning Cable Systems LLC is unveiling its Optical Cable by Corning at CES in Las Vegas. These cables replace copper wires with fiber optics to produce cables up to 100 meters (328 ft) long, that are much more durable and achieve speeds of 10 gigabytes per second, which is enough to load a full-length HD video in 30 seconds... Continue Reading Corning introduces laser fiber optic USB cable

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Wednesday 2 January 2013

Stanford team developing spiky robot "hedgehogs" to explore Phobos

Stanford team developing spiky <b>robot</b> "hedgehogs" to explore Phobos: Stanford University is developing spiky spherical robots called “hedgehogs” to better cope with the very low gravity of the Martian moon Phobos.
Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Stanford team developing spiky robot "hedgehogs" to explore Phobos

Stanford team developing spiky robot "hedgehogs" to explore Phobos:
The robot 'hedgehogs' would be launched from the mother spacecraft Phobos Surveyor
Robot hedgehogs on the moons of Mars may sound like the title of a B-grade sci-fi movie, but that is what Stanford University is working on. Marco Pavone, an assistant professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and his team are developing spherical robots called “hedgehogs” that are about half a meter (1.6 ft) wide and covered in spikes to better cope with rolling and hopping across the surface of the Martian moon Phobos with its very low gravity... Continue Reading Stanford team developing spiky robot "hedgehogs" to explore Phobos

Section: Robotics

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