http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. When electronic devices refuse to work, you rarely find the solution in the manual. Technicians often face similar problems with industrial machines, and companies end up flying in experts from the manufacturer to get things running again. A new system aims to help manufacturers lend a hand regardless of how far away they are located. http://phys.org/news229607041.html Technology Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:44:09 EST news229607041 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Hewlett Packard and the University of California, Santa Barbara, have analysed in unprecedented detail the physical and chemical properties of an electronic device that computer engineers hope will transform computing. http://phys.org/news224741172.html Nanotechnology Mon, 16 May 2011 05:11:14 EST news224741172 In the future every home will have one: electronic devices that you can control just by pointing a finger. To turn this vision into reality the 3Plast research consortium is developing special sensors that can be printed onto plastic film and affixed to objects. http://phys.org/news188481537.html Technology Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:40:01 EST news188481537 (PhysOrg.com) -- These boots are made for walking... and for powering up your cell phone? It could happen, say a team of Princeton and Caltech scientists. In a recent paper in the journal Nano Letters, they report that they have developed an innovative rubber chip that has the ability to harvest energy from motions such as walking, running, and breathing and convert it into a power source. http://phys.org/news188130827.html Nanotechnology Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:34:38 EST news188130827 (PhysOrg.com) -- Part of the headache of having to constantly recharge batteries is not just how often they need to be charged, but also the time it takes to charge them. In a new study, researchers have proposed a charging method that could greatly reduce the charging time of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in everything from electronic devices to electric vehicles. The new method uses an additional oscillating electric field (besides the charging field) that should be capable of charging a lithium-ion battery in a fraction of the time compared with traditional methods. http://phys.org/news187554124.html Physics Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:22:58 EST news187554124 A standard test of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is linked to significant thought-processing problems that improve for most patients within a year after the device is inserted, according to research reported in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology. http://phys.org/news186771336.html Medicine & Health Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:50:04 EST news186771336 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has developed a new approach for creating powerful nanodevices, and their discoveries could pave the way for other researchers to begin more widespread development of these devices. http://phys.org/news186670513.html Nanotechnology Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:30:03 EST news186670513 Scientists are reporting an advance toward scavenging energy from walking, breathing, and other natural body movements to power electronic devices like cell phones and heart pacemakers. In a study in ACS' Nano Letters, they describe development of flexible, biocompatible rubber films for use in implantable or wearable energy harvesting systems. The material could be used, for instance, to harvest energy from the motion of the lungs during breathing and use it to run pacemakers without the need for batteries that must be surgically replaced every few years. http://phys.org/news186246669.html Nanotechnology Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:12:00 EST news186246669 (PhysOrg.com) -- "Graphene has been the subject of intense focus and research for a few years now," Philip Kim tells PhysOrg.com. "There are researchers that feel that it is possible that graphene could replace silicon as a semiconductor in electronics." http://phys.org/news185701353.html Nanotechnology Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:30:01 EST news185701353 (PhysOrg.com) -- While electronic devices have greatly improved in many regards, such as in storage capacity, graphics, and overall performance, etc., they still have a weight hanging around their neck: they’re huge energy hogs. When it comes to energy efficiency, today’s computers, cell phones, and other gadgets are little better off than those from a decade ago, or more. The problem of power goes beyond being green and saving money. For electrical engineers, power has become the primary design constraint for future electronic devices. Without lowering power consumption, improvements made in other areas of electronic devices could be useless, simply because there isn’t enough power to support them. http://phys.org/news185621560.html Technology Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:50:01 EST news185621560 The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which traverses hundreds of miles of some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth, must be monitored almost constantly for potential problems like corrosion or cracking. Humans do some of this work -- surveying the pipeline from the air and inspecting it more closely in the areas that can be easily accessed by roads -- but the bulk of it is done by mechanical “pigs,” sensor-laden robots that travel inside the pipeline looking for flaws. http://phys.org/news185534900.html Technology Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:28:42 EST news185534900 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team including Oxford University scientists has been investigating what happens to the top layer of atoms on the surface of a material that splits water and has potential uses in nanoelectronics. http://phys.org/news185444486.html Nanotechnology Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:22:31 EST news185444486 Fujitsu Laboratories and the University of Toronto today announced that they have jointly developed the world's first high-reliability read-method for use with spin-torque-transfer (STT) MRAM that is insusceptible to erroneous writes. http://phys.org/news185206522.html Technology Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:30:01 EST news185206522 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team of MIT physicists has developed a system that can wirelessly transfer power to multiple electronic devices simultaneously with high efficiency. The system takes advantage of electromagnetic resonance coupling, and could be implemented by embedding a large copper coil in the wall or ceiling of a room. Somewhat surprisingly, the physicists found that the overall efficiency of powering multiple devices can be significantly higher than the efficiency of powering each device by itself, as long as the system is properly tuned. http://phys.org/news185187102.html Physics Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:20:01 EST news185187102 (PhysOrg.com) -- Just as the heartbeats of today's electronic devices depend on the ability to switch the flow of electricity in semiconductors on and off with lightning speed, the viability of the "spintronic" devices of the future -- technologies that manipulate both the flow and magnetic "spin" of electrons -- will require similarly precise control over semiconductor magnetism. http://phys.org/news184602542.html Physics Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:29:44 EST news184602542 NXP Semiconductors today announced a new HDMI 1.4 transmitter solution, TDA19989, which enables consumers to transfer HD multimedia content from their mobile phones directly to a television via the TV remote control. The TDA19989 features ultra-low power consumption, a small form factor, and support of full HD (1080i/p). The device supports the newly introduced HDMI 1.4 Type D micro-connector and provides an additional embedded Consumer Electronic Control feature, which enables users to control their mobile phones through their TV remotes. http://phys.org/news184350391.html Electronics Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:40:01 EST news184350391 (PhysOrg.com) -- The ultimate goal of engineering professor Brian Willis' research is to improve the functionality of future electronic devices. http://phys.org/news183649515.html Technology Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:00:01 EST news183649515 (PhysOrg.com) -- To make thin films for semiconductors in electronic devices, layers of atoms must be grown in neat, crystalline sheets. But while some materials grow smooth crystals, others tend to develop bumps and defects - a serious problem for thin-film manufacturing. http://phys.org/news183304231.html Physics Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:00:09 EST news183304231 Researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB, Germany) and the French research facility CNRS, south of Paris, are using electric fields to manipulate the property of electrons known as "spin" to store data permanently. This principle could not only improve random access memory in computers, it could also revolutionize the next generation of electronic devices. http://phys.org/news183136065.html Physics Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:20:02 EST news183136065 (AP) -- God bless this BlackBerry. A venerable British church has done what e-mail addicts and workaholics have been doing for years - invoking the Almighty's blessing on their high-tech gadgets. http://phys.org/news182432052.html Technology Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:34:32 EST news182432052 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the University of Glasgow have imaged the self-assembly of nano-particles, unveiling the blueprint for building designer molecular machines atom-by-atom. http://phys.org/news181849583.html Nanotechnology Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:46:54 EST news181849583 (PhysOrg.com) -- Lan Nguyen Chaplin, an assistant professor in the Eller College of Management, says children and teenagers, in finding happiness, do not always place material things before personal relationships. http://phys.org/news180631712.html Medicine & Health Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:30:59 EST news180631712 NEC Corporation, in collaboration with the National Institute of Materials Science, today announced the successful integration of NanoBridge, a solid electrolyte non-volatile crossbar switch, in Cu interconnects placed on CMOS logic. This development enables the realization of high performance non-volatile programmable logic at a low cost. http://phys.org/news180038763.html Technology Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:00:01 EST news180038763 (PhysOrg.com) -- Philips Research has developed a novel color e-paper technology that opens up new design opportunities for personalizing electronic devices. This means that the color and appearance, of the device’s surface, for example an MP3 player or mobile phone can easily be changed to match your outfit, mood or environment simply at the touch of a button. http://phys.org/news179602254.html Technology Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:31:31 EST news179602254 (PhysOrg.com) -- Microchip manufacturers have long faced challenges miniaturizing transistors, the key active components in nearly every modern electronic device, which are used to amplify or switch electronic signals. http://phys.org/news179590555.html Nanotechnology Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:16:53 EST news179590555 (PhysOrg.com) -- A Cornell researcher has created an extremely efficient transistor made from gallium nitride, which may soon replace silicon as king of semiconductors for power applications. http://phys.org/news179518616.html Physics Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:17:33 EST news179518616 (PhysOrg.com) -- Is it possible to make even more compact digital memories for portable electronic devices and which consume even less energy? A team of French researchers has recently demonstrated that it is feasible, thanks to a new class of materials known as multiferroics, which combine unusual electric and magnetic properties. http://phys.org/news178546236.html Physics Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:15:20 EST news178546236 (PhysOrg.com) -- Electronic devices could create significant environmental and health problems after they are thrown away. UC Irvine researchers are working with engineers, manufacturers and public health officials to find solutions. http://phys.org/news178305162.html Space & Earth Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:30:01 EST news178305162 (PhysOrg.com) -- By taking advantage of the vagaries of the natural world, Duke University engineers have developed a novel approach that they believe can more efficiently harvest electricity from the motions of everyday life. http://phys.org/news175966447.html Physics Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:35:22 EST news175966447 (PhysOrg.com) -- The ability to store and retrieve data is an important component of today's computers, as well as other modern electronic devices such as cell phones, video game consoles, and camcorders. Since their invention in the 1950s, magnetic-based hard disk drives (HDDs) have been the primary method of nonvolatile storage. However, researchers are currently developing several new and promising nonvolatile memory (NVM) technologies, but for one of them to replace HDDs within the next decade, it will be a challenge. http://phys.org/news175505861.html Electronics Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:40:03 EST news175505861