The United States unveiled a sweeping new regulatory framework for the unexpectedly rapid rise of self-driving automobile technology, just days after Uber broke ground with its first driverless taxis. US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the federal government intends to set the safety standards for cars of the future where no human is involved in […]
Researchers Resolve A Problem That Has Been Holding Back A Technological Revolution
Imagine an electronic newspaper that you could roll up and spill your coffee on, even as it updated itself before your eyes. It’s an example of the technological revolution that has been waiting to happen, except for one major problem that, until now, scientists have not been able to resolve. Researchers at McMaster University have cleared that […]
X-Ray Optics On A Chip
Waveguides are widely used for filtering, confining, guiding, coupling or splitting beams of visible light. However, creating waveguides that could do the same for X-rays has posed tremendous challenges in fabrication, so they are still only in an early stage of development. In the latest issue of Acta Crystallographica Section A: Foundations and Advances , Sarah Hoffmann-Urlaub […]
Interconnect Resistivity Model To Enable Early Screening Of Interconnect Technology Options At Advanced Nodes
Nano-electronics research center imec and Synopsys, Inc. announced an interconnect resistivity model to support the screening and selection of alternative interconnect metals and liner-barrier materials at the 7nm node and beyond. With the continued scaling of advanced process nodes, the impact of parasitic interconnect resistance on the switching delay of standard cells rises considerably. The […]
Amazon Launches Upgraded Kindle E-Reader
Amazon on Wednesday unveiled an upgraded Kindle, aiming to boost its e-reader sales with a thinner, lighter device at a low price. The new Kindle will be sold in the US market as low as $80, which is the same price as the version it replaces, but with more memory and added features. Amazon remains […]
New ‘Smart’ Bottle Helps Uncorked Wine Keep Longer
A US startup says it has created the world’s first “smart” bottle which can keep wine as fresh as the day it was uncorked for up to a month. The Boston-based Kuvee company said in a statement that the industry “has been slow to innovate beyond the glass bottle and cork.” Kuvee’s specially designed bottle […]
Sri Lanka Takes Stake In Google Balloon Internet Venture
Sri Lanka’s government announced Monday it would take a 25 percent stake in a joint venture with Google designed to deliver a high-speed Internet service powered by balloons and that tests would begin this month. Telecommunications Minister Harin Fernando said Google has taken delivery in Sri Lanka of the giant helium-filled balloons and other equipment needed to […]
Tesla Bulks Up On IT Talent For ‘Car Of The Future’ Fight
Tesla’s swift rise to both create and dominate the luxury all-electric car market has stunned Detroit. To hold that lead to the next plateau—the self-driving, mass-market electric car widely seen as the future of the auto industry—founder Elon Musk is rapidly staffing up with the best talent he can find: computer programmers. Rather than look to Detroit […]
Solar Energy From Discarded Car Batteries
MIT researchers have developed a simple procedure for making a promising type of solar cell using lead recovered from discarded lead-acid car batteries—a practice that could benefit both the environment and human health. As new lead-free car batteries come into use, old batteries would be sent to the solar industry rather than to landfills. And […]
Cambridge Holographic Technology Adopted by Jaguar Land Rover
A ‘head-up’ display for passenger vehicles developed at Cambridge, the first to incorporate holographic techniques, has been incorporated into Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. Cambridge researchers have developed a new type of head-up display for vehicles which is the first to use laser holographic techniques to project information such as speed, direction and navigation onto the […]