90374349
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Who said pen and paper was dead? German scientists have developed a new type of ink that allows fully-functioning electronic circuits to be 'written' directly onto a surface from a pen. The technology could provide an inexpensive means of manufacturing printed circuits suitable for flexible smartphones, tablets and other radical gadget designs.
The circuits are ready to be used as soon as the ink dries and requires no additional processing, claim researchers from the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM).
Printed electronics are usually created through a process called 'sintering', whereby powdered metals are heated to form conductive electric circuits. Sintering is used to remove organic materials and fuse metal components in electronic inks, but because of the heat involved it can damage materials that are sensitive to high temperatures – for example paper and certain types of plastic.
The new hybrid inks remove the need for sintering altogether, allowing the electronics to quite literally be drawn on to the material.
90290275
submission
drunkdrone writes:
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) has completed test flights of its prototype vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) X-Plane, an experimental, high-speed electric aircraft that can be deployed on missions without needing a runway.
The X-Plane, which is now officially recognised by the US military as the XV-24A, is powered by 24 fan propellers distributed across the wings and tail of the unmanned aircraft, which are driven by a 4,000 horsepower hybrid turboshaft engine.
The tests, which began in March 2016, involved a scaled-down version of the craft. Over the course of six flights, the demonstrator was used to test the X-Plane's flight systems, navigation, manoeuvrability, hovering, navigation and the craft's automatic take-off and landing capabilities.
90240999
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Scientists have developed a new type of "spray-on" digital memory that could be used to turn everyday items into programmable electronics. The device, which is roughly the size of a postage stamp, was created using 3D printing by researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
The technology is comparable to a four-bit flash storage drive and is flexible, meaning it could be used to add low-cost digital storage to paper, plastic and items of clothing. While it isn't enough to store films or music, it could be used for environmental sensors, trackable RFID tags and "in applications where low cost and flexibility are key," the researchers said.
This includes sensors that could be applied to groceries or medicine bottles to ensure they were being stored at the right temperature.
90239261
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Researchers say they have developed a new material that could pave the way for self-repairing smartphones, robots and other electronic devices. Scientists from the American Chemical Society claim that the material, which can stretch up to 50 times its usual size, is able to heal itself "like nothing has happened" even when cut in two.
The material is flexible, transparent and shares similar properties to human skin. When exposed to electrical signals, a current is generated that creates a chemical bonding reaction between molecules.
The most obvious applications for electronics devices seems to be self-healing displays, although lead researcher Dr Chao Wang is also exploring the possibility of a self-healing lithium-ion battery.
90012621
submission
drunkdrone writes:
A formidable remote-controlled anti-riot vehicle called the Bozena Riot has been designed to make light work of angry mobs with a giant expanding shield and packing an arsenal of crowd dispersal tools.
Built by Slovakian company Bozena, the high-tech security system keeps law enforcement units safe with its shock-absorbing barrier, which can be expanded out to 7.5 metres to protect 36 officers and features a rising platform to give riot police an elevated view of their surroundings and provide tactical advantage against aggressors.
The shield has ports for firing non-lethal projectiles and is equipped with tear gas guns to "guarantee control of crowds" when things get dicey. Mounted loudspeakers can be used either to issue instructions to officers or to appeal to crowds, and the vehicle can optionally be equipped with smoke grenade launchers and a radio jammer for blocking mobile communications.
89841777
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Police in China are being equipped with new high-tech weaponry to help them fight back against illegal drone use. Officers in the central Chinese city of Wuhan have been issued rifles that emit radio-jamming signals to knock quadcopters and similar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) out of the sky.
Rather than disabling the drones completely — which would cause them to fall out of the sky and potentially injure people on the ground — the scoped rifles put the drones into a controlled decent so they can land without being damaged.
It does this by emitting radio frequencies that are the same as the ones drones use to communicate with the operator's control unit, commonly in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz ranges.
89734105
submission
drunkdrone writes:
The US Military has a new firearm in its itinerary: Meet RAMBO, the 3D printed grenade launcher that could revolutionise the way soldiers are equipped for battle.
RAMBO, or the Rapid Additively Manufactured Ballistics Ordnance to give it its proper name, is based on the US Army's M203 underslung grenade launcher for firearms including the M16 and M4A1 carbine. But RAMBO is unique in that all of its parts save for the springs and fasteners have been produced by 3D printing â" and that includes the grenades themselves.
The breech-loaded grenade launcher consists of 50 individual parts, the majority of which were developed through the additive manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing is a form of 3D printing whereby layers of material, commonly photopolymer resin, are printed on top of each other to create a 3D object.
89403271
submission
drunkdrone writes:
A piece of rare meta poised to revolutionise modern technology and take humans into deep space has been lost in a laboratory mishap. The first and only sample of metallic hydrogen ever created on earth was the rarest material on the planet when it was developed by Harvard scientists in January this year, and had been dubbed "the holy grail of high pressure physics".
The metal was created by subjecting liquid hydrogen to pressures greater that those at the centre of the Earth. At this point, the molecular hydrogen breaks down and becomes an atomic solid.
Scientists theorised that metallic hydrogen – when used as a superconductor – could have a transformative effect on modern electronics and revolutionise medicine, energy and transportation, as well as herald in a new age of consumer gadgets.
Sadly, an attempt to study the properties of metallic hydrogen appears to have ended in catastrophe after one of the two diamonds being used like a vice to hold the tiny sample was obliterated.
89128259
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Self-destructing gadgets favoured by the likes of James Bond and Mission: Impossible's Ethan Hunt have taken one step closer to reality. Researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed a mechanism that, when triggered, can destroy a smartphone or other electronic device in as little as 10 seconds.
The self-destruct mechanism has been created by electrical engineers at the King Abdulla University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and consists of a polymer layer that rapidly expands when subjected to temperatures above 80 degrees Celsius, effectively bursting the phone open from the inside. The mechanism can be adapted to be triggered in various ways, including remotely through a smartphone app or when it's subjected to pressure.
Once triggered, power from the device's battery is directed to electrodes that rapidly heat, causing the polymer layer to expand to around seven times its original size within 10-15 seconds. This crushes the vital components inside the device, destroying any information stored on board.
88763723
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Spanish scientists say they have developed a prototype 3D printer that is capable of printing 'functional' human skin that can be used for transplant patients, as well as an ethical alternative to animal testing.
The so-called bioprinter uses special 'ink' consisting of human cells and other biological components to reproduce the natural structure of the skin, including the external epidermis and the deeper dermis layer.
These 'bio inks' are deposited from special injectors onto a print bed to produce skin that is bioactive and capable of producing its own human collagen, the researchers claim.
88680659
submission
drunkdrone writes:
A Canadian man took matters into his own hands after his laptop was stolen when he logged into it remotely and posted the thief's misdeeds online. Stu Gale, from Cochrane, Alberta, had his computer swiped after leaving it in an unlocked car and days later received a notification informing him that someone had logged onto the device.
The 51-year-old computer security expert tried to access his computer by beginning a remote connection, which allows someone to connect to and take control of a device from another location. To begin with the thief kept closing the pop-up window, but she eventually left the room, unwisely while still logged into her Facebook account.
88616249
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Scientists say they have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) programme that is capable of predicting when patients with a serious heart disorder will die with an 80% accuracy rate.
Researchers from the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS) believe the software will allow doctors to better treat patients with pulmonary hypertension by determining how aggressive their treatment needs to be.
88537569
submission
drunkdrone writes:
French authorities investigating the EgyptAir crash that killed 66 people last year believe that the plane may have been brought down by an overheating phone battery.
Investigators say the fire that broke out on the Airbus A320 in May 2016 started in the spot where the co-pilot had stowed his iPad and iPhone 6S, which he placed on top of the instrument panel in the plane's cockpit.
88450133
submission
drunkdrone writes:
Given the emissions scandal that rocked Volkswagen in 2015, we reckon Scooby Doo and the gang would opt for something a little more environmentally-sound were they to be reinvented for the 21st Century. VW's new ID Buzz electric concept car, unveiled at the International Auto Show in Detroit on 8 January, is exactly the sort of thing we can imagine the overbearing talking dog and four meddlesome kids driving around in today.
87954989
submission
drunkdrone writes:
A Christmas tipple is hard to beat, but battling your way to the bar among the crowds of festive drinkers can leave us less far from merry. Barclaycard has resolved to fix this problem with a genius solution which, frankly, should have been brewed up years ago: a tap-to-pay beer pump.
Pay @ Pump has been designed to help pubs and bars speed up service, in response to research from Barclaycard that found a quarter of Brits say queuing for drinks is the worst part of a night out. Customers select their ale of choice from the built-in touch screen and, with a touch from their contactless payment card, can have it dispensed into the waiting receptacle. It accepts mobile payments too, meaning you can also pay for your drink with a tap of your smartphone or smartwatch.
