Peter J Lennartsson | Sighenz

Docomo show double-sided transparent touchscreen prototype

NTT Docomo Transparant Dual Touch Display. Credit: DigInfo.tv video

NTT Docomo have together with Fujitsu developed a new prototype smartphone running Android, using a transparent display. No only is it using a see-through display, but it also has dual touchscreens, one on the front, and the other on the back. Through newly developed gestures this makes it possible to manipulate and navigate the phone UI in a way never seen before.

“You could hold down an icon on the front, and slide on the back to move an icon, or use the message bar, or create a new application”, explained Masashi Tagaya, Advanced Technology Group, Communication Device Development Dept., NTT DOCOMO R&D.

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HP unveils Net-Zero Energy Data Center architecture

HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center architecture

Today Hewlett Packard unveiled research from HP Labs on how to build the first Net Zero Energy Data Center. HP Labs architecture significantly reduces the data centers power costs and energy requirements. The end goal is to create an architecture for a data center that requires no net energy from traditional power grids.

The research shows how the architecture, combined with holistic energy-management techniques, enables a company or organization to cut total power usage by 30 percent. It also reduces dependence on the power grid, and costs by more than 80 percent. With HP Labs Net-Zero Energy Data Center research, the company wants to provide a solution for businesses and societies around the world, making it possible to run a data center more sustainable and more economic. By using local renewable resources, removing dependencies such as location, energy supply and costs, it opens up the possibility of introducing IT services to organizations of all sizes.

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New York City adopts energy efficient LED lights citywide

LED Lamp Post, Central Park, Manhattan. Credit: New York City, Street Design Manual

New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, recently announced the installation of light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures across New York City. Effected areas include Central Park, the East River Bridges, Eastern Parkway and the under-deck of Manhattan’s FDR Drive. The new LED based lighting installations is intended to provide substantial energy- and cost-savings, while also providing good, and in some cases improved illumination levels to these public spaces.

“Energy-efficient LEDs light up our parks, bridges and streets and also bring years of cost savings to our city”, said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. “From recycled asphalt to low-emission fuel on the Staten Island Ferry to energy-saving necklace lights on the Brooklyn Bridge, we are engineering a greener, greater city for generations to come.” The LED program is expected to save nearly $300,000 in annual energy and maintenance costs fiscal year 2013, and additional savings is expected to follow.

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World’s largest radio telescope to spread two continents

A global science and engineering project named The Square Kilometre Array, has been in intense political negotiations since the project was first introduced. The project intends to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with it’s main objective set to answer big questions about the universe, such as how the first elements heavier than helium was formed and how the first galaxies coalesced. The project is led by the SKA Organisation, a not-for-profit company with its headquarters in Manchester, UK.

At first a scientific panel recommended South Africa over Australia as the best site for the proposed Square Kilometre Array (SKA). However in the latest plans announced on May 25, South Africa and Australia will share the Square Kilometre Array. The project is made up of 3,000 dishes, 15 meters in diameter, and an even larger number of simple antennas and will cost approximately $1,9 billion ( €1,5 billion). Under the deal, South Africa will host the dishes, and Australia will get the antennas.

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Nokia and X-Prize to improve health sensors with a challenge

Nokia Sensing X Challenge (Concept image)

Thursday this week Nokia and the X PRIZE Foundation announced the launch of a new global $2.25 million competition to stimulate the development of a new generation of health sensors and sensing technologies they call the Nokia Sensing X Challenge. The intent is to drastically improve the quality, accuracy and ease of monitoring a person’s health.

The competitions goal is to create a new level of personalized, digital health sensors, never seen before. The aim is also to improve health sensors and sensing technologies so that they can both help empower individuals to effortlessly monitor and collect their own real-time health data, and at the same time give healthcare providers convenient access to critical information whenever and wherever they need it.

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Samsung launches Mobile PIN’s to introduce the Galaxy S III

This Friday, Samsung announced that they will introduce new Samsung Mobile PIN stores in London to celebrate the launch of their new flagship smartphone, the GALAXY S III. The mobile stores are intended to encourage consumers to interact with the latest technology’s from Samsung, and try out the solutions with the help of fully trained members of staff.

The Samsung Mobile PIN’s have a unique glass-housed structure that has been specially engineered to capture the customers imagination with it’s futuristic design, but it’s still mobile enough to easily change location if needed. The wall of the Mobile PIN is made up of a two-way customized mirrored glass, making it the most dominate and eye catching feature. Even the furniture within the store has been specially designed to showcase the Samsung products design, and the user experience they offer.

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Liquid-to-Solid material gives new environmental solar cells

Dyesol Cells, using Grätzel cell technology. © Dyesol

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a way to make solar cells that are inexpensive, got good operating efficiency, and also lasts longer than traditional dye-sensitized solar cells. Based on Grätzel cells, that use a molecular dye to absorb sunlight and convert it to electricity, it doesn’t rely on toxic or scarce materials during manufacturing making it very environmentally friendly.

The problem with Grätzel cells is that they typically don’t last more than 18 months. Grätzel cells use dye-sensitized cell’s electrolyte, made of an organic liquid and intended to mimic how chlorophyll work in plants. This organic liquid can leak and corrode the solar cell itself, making it’s life expectancy very short. Researchers have been searching for an alternative for two decades, and a team at Northwestern University have now found a possible solution using a liquid, that after applied ends up as a solid, preventing leaks and greatly improving the life of the solar cells.

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NEC introduce Image Recognition Service for Mobile Terminals

NEC Image Recognition Service for mobile terminals. Image: © NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation announced on May 22, a new image recognition service for smartphones and mobile terminals that will become available in Japan at the beginning of June. The new service can provide detailed information on a wide range of subjects that appear in photos taken with mobile devices, including everything from food to automobiles.

According to NEC, the system provides high speed, highly accurate image recognition services. It utilizes NEC‘s internally developed image recognition technologies, and original NEC technologies that compress image data and reduce the amount of calculations required for an application. This makes it possible for the system to effectively operate on even the limited computing resources of mobile terminals.

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SpaceX successfully launched it’s Falcon 9 rocket

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Image © SpaceX

Early this morning, at 3:44 a.m. Eastern, SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. On-board was the Dragon capsule heading for the International Space Station. During the journey the capsule will be subjected to a series of tests to determine, and prove to NASA, that the vehicle is ready to dock with the space station.

The mission makes Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) the first commercial company in history to attempt to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station. The launch today was flawless, and the vehicle’s first stage performed nominally before separating from the second stage. Shorty there after the second stage successfully delivered the Dragon spacecraft into it’s intended orbit. If required tests are successful, and NASA decides that the Dragon capsule is allowed to approach it’s target, SpaceX will attempt to dock the capsule with the space station on May 25.

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Samsung presents new Graphene transistor structure

New Graphene structure — Samsung Electronics presents a new Graphene structure. Image: © samsungtomorrow.com

Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), the core R&D incubator for Samsung Electronics, has developed a new transistor structure utilizing graphene. Current semiconductors consist of billions of silicon transistors. To increase the performance of a semiconductor used today, you need to either reduce the size of individual transistors to shorten the traveling distance of electrons, or use a material with higher electron mobility which allows for faster electron velocity.

Graphene possesses electron mobility about 200 times higher then silicon, and a switch to this material could be an alternative path for making faster and more energy efficent devices as it allows faster electron velocity. An issue with using graphene is however that unlike the conventional semiconducting materials, current cannot be switched off because the material is semi-metallic. This has long been a key issue, preventing graphene transistors to be realized.

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