A team of Yale researchers has taken a fundamental cell biology concept and introduced it to the world of microchips and electronic nanotechnology.

Aiming to mimic the function of ion channels embedded within cell membranes, Yale electrical engineering professor Mark Reed and Weihua Guan GRD ’14 have designed a microscopic semiconductor whose potential applications include small-scale power generation and portable desalination of ocean water. Reed and Guan most recently published their work in the January 2013 issue of Nano Letters.

“The important result is that we mimic the ionic and electrostatic function of certain … Read More → "Engineers fabricate ion channels for commercial use"

We already knew the Tesla Model S was fast, but not this fast. After dropping a 12.371 quarter mile this past weekend at the Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida (@ 110.84 MPH), the National Electric Drag Racing Association awarded the Tesla Model S its stamp of officiation for being “the quickest production vehicle” in quarter mile tests. That’s not just on a single pass, mind you, but several quarter mile … Read More → "Tesla Model S dubbed ‘world’s quickest production electronic vehicle’ by NEDRA, runs 1/4 mile in 12 seconds"

Intel came to rule the PC market by making the world’s most advanced chips, beating competitors down the curve of Moore’s Law and producing higher-performing processors at a lower unit cost.

But today’s smartphones and tablets don’t necessarily require cutting-edge computing performance, and investors are worried that Intel’s long-winning strategy won’t translate to profits as these devices cut into PC sales. Indeed, in the mobile market, Intel remains far behind its competitors.
via Read More → "Intel’s mobile chips advance, but are still a tough sell"

Passwords are something of a hot topic around here at DVICE, and password generators are nothing new. Though, most times they give us nothing more than more of the gibberish we already choose for our passwords. Web comic xkcd pointed this out in this pretty popular strip.

Joel Walters was among those who saw the comic. But while most folks saw it, chuckled and moved on, Walters decided to go ahead … Read More → "XKCD comic inspires an entire password generator"

Extreme storms such as Hurricane Sandy have pushed the U.S. electrical grid to its breaking point. The technology exists to keep the lights on—we just need to implement it.

The explosion lit up the Manhattan skyline. A sudden boom, a one-two punch of yellow light—then everything went black. After Hurricane Sandy shoved water into Con Edison’s 14th Street substation in October, causing electricity to arc between capacitors, about a quarter million customers were left in the dark. Video of the high-voltage spectacle quickly went viral: … Read More → "How to save the electrical grid"

An exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York is showcasing the recently-announced winning entry from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s adAPT micro-apartment design competition launched last July. “Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers” – organized by the Citizens Housing & Planning Council and the Museum of the City of New York – opened on January 23rd and gives New Yorkers the opportunity to test drive … Read More → "Winning micro-housing design on display in NYC"

… Read More → "Five massive cooling towers collapsing in slow motion"

PBS has been exploring a fair bit technology history with its digital shorts lately — examining the likes of animated GIFs, indie games and coding as art in its Off Book series — and it’s now tackled one issue that’s making more headlines than ever: software patents.
via Engadget

Continue reading</ … Read More → "PBS profiles Martin Goetz, recipient of the first software patent"

Tech journalists spent Thursday playing with, writing about, and reviewing Twitter’s clever and simple new system for video posts, Vine. But academics are keenly interested in Vine too, saying the extreme constraints it imposes on video could produce an explosion in video sharing.

There’s big potential in Vine, say the two experts in online socialization we spoke to, but it’s unclear how, and how often, people … Read More → "Why experts think Twitter’s 6-second videos could be huge"