MIT researchers suggest graphene could be used to build a better camera sensor

As you may have noticed from the pace of research over the past few years, graphene is promising to make a whole lot of things a whole lot better. Now, it seems, you can also add camera sensors to the list. A team of MIT researchers recently discovered that graphene can serve as a photodetector over a "very wide energy range," and that it works particularly well in infrared light, where other types of detectors often come up short. That, the researchers say, could open to the door to everything from better nightvision systems to more advanced detectors for astronomical telescopes -- not to mention more inexpensive camera sensors in general, since graphene is cheap to work with. What's more, the researchers also suggest that those same light-detecting abilities could make graphene a good material for collecting solar energy, although they note that there's still much more research needed to determine if it's truly an efficient means of generating energy.

MIT researchers suggest graphene could be used to build a better camera sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Wired Gadget Lab  |  sourceMIT News  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/B_lcgiDi4yk/

other resources other resources

AMD FX processor brings eight cores to battle, we go eyes-on (video)

AMD fans have endured a long wait for this, while being reduced to spectators as Intel spews out an ever-increasing horde of Sandy Bridge variants and builds up the hype around its next-gen Ivy Bridge architecture. But the new FX series of processors is finally here and will be available to buy in the next few days, with the top-end FX-8150 priced at $245 in exchange for eight cores, a 3.6GHz base clock speed and easy over-clocking to 4.8GHz using the packaged Overdrive software. Your AM3+ motherboard is crying out for the upgrade, but don't succumb until you've clicked past the break -- we've got details of the full range and pricing, our initial impressions and an eyes-on video that includes a detailed chat with the guys from AMD.

Continue reading AMD FX processor brings eight cores to battle, we go eyes-on (video)

AMD FX processor brings eight cores to battle, we go eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/amd-fx-processor-brings-eight-cores-to-battle-we-go-eyes-on-vi/

other resources other resources

Microsoft files antitrust complaint against Google in Europe, showdown imminent

Bill Gates and Paul AllenMicrosoft, citing Google's tyrannical 95% share of the European search market, has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission. It's not like Microsoft is breaking any ground here -- the European Commission has been investigating Google's alleged violation of European competition law since November 2010 -- but there's no doubt that the addition of Microsoft's gravitas will affect the proceedings.

Microsoft's complaint reads like a sincere and plaintive cry for help against the Google Overlord. Microsoft lists no less than six damning reasons why Google's behavior is anti-competitive -- from Windows Phone 7's incompatibility with YouTube, to its nefarious handling of Google Books -- and finishes with a wide-eyed plea to the European Commission to please find Google guilty.

For those of you that have been following Microsoft's own antitrust troubles over the last decade, don't worry: MS is quick to point out the irony in the situation. "There of course will be some who will point out the irony in today's filing. Having spent more than a decade wearing the shoe on the other foot with the European Commission, the filing of a formal antitrust complaint is not something we take lightly. This is the first time Microsoft Corporation has ever taken this step. More so than most, we recognize the importance of ensuring that competition laws remain balanced and that technology innovation moves forward."

It sounds like Microsoft, having well and truly gone through the wringer, wants Google to be held similarly accountable. That's fair enough, right?

Microsoft files antitrust complaint against Google in Europe, showdown imminent originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/microsoft-files-antitrust-complaint-against-google-in-europe-sh/

other resources other resources

Raytheon shows off TransTalk speech translator for Android, hopes to find a home in the Army's app store

We've already heard about some of the smartphone apps that may or may not eventually find their way into the Army's own app store, and Raytheon is now hoping that it'll be tapped it to provide a key one. As Wired's Danger Room reports, the company has developed a new version of its TransTalk app for Android phones, which is able to translate speech from English to Arabic, Dari and Pashto (and vice versa). Since it's designed specifically for the Army, the app is geared towards translating phrases commonly used by soldiers on patrol, and it's also able to display and store the conversation as text. Just don't count on it hitting the Android Market anytime soon -- while the app runs on off-the-shelf Android hardware (a Motorola Atrix, in this case), there's no plans for it to be made available to the general public.

Raytheon shows off TransTalk speech translator for Android, hopes to find a home in the Army's app store originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWired Danger Room  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/11/raytheon-shows-off-transtalk-speech-translator-for-android-hope/

other resources other resources

Spotify Was Forcing Users to Stay Logged into Facebook Forever [Privacy]

Sharing your Spotify music on Facebook can be a little embarrassing. No biggie, just go private or deactivate Facebook from Spotify, right? Not quite! A bug in Spotify's client was logging users back into Facebook, even after they'd deactivated the service. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4JP7JlimtRc/spotify-was-forcing-users-to-stay-logged-into-facebook-forever

other resources other resources