| UCLA researchers develop nanoscale microwave oscillators, promise better and cheaper mobile devices Jun 27th 2012, 09:06  At a size of just 100 nanometers, it may not be much to look at, but a new type of microwave oscillator developed by researchers at UCLA could open the door to mobile communication devices that are smaller, cheaper and more efficient. As PhysOrg reports, unlike traditional silicon-based oscillators (the bit of a device that produces radio-frequency signals), these new oscillators rely on the spin of an electron rather than its charge to create microwaves -- a change that apparently bring with it a host of benefits. That includes a boost in signal quality, and a dramatic reduction in size. The new nanoscale system is fully 10,000 times smaller than current silicon-based oscillators, and can even be incorporated into existing chips without a big change in manufacturing processes. As with most such developments, however, it remains to be seen when we'll actually see it put into practice. UCLA researchers develop nanoscale microwave oscillators, promise better and cheaper mobile devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 05:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  PhysOrg | Email this | Comments | | CCNY, UC Berkeley develop lasers that could rewrite quantum chips, spin those atoms right round Jun 27th 2012, 08:26  Computers are normally limited by the fixed nature of their chipsets: once the silicon is out of the factory, its capabilities are forever locked in. The City College of New York and University of California Berkeley have jointly developed a technique that could break chips free of these prisons and speed along quantum computing. They found that hitting gallium arsenide with a laser light pattern aligns the spins of the atoms under the rays, creating a spintronic circuit that can re-map at a moment's notice. The laser could be vital to quantum computers, which can depend heavily or exclusively on spintronics to work: a simple shine could get electrons storing a much wider range of numbers and consequently handling many more calculations at once. Research is only just now becoming public, however; even though gallium arsenide is common in modern technology, we'll need to be patient before we find quantum PCs at the local big-box retail chain. Despite this, we could still be looking at an early step in a shift from computers with many single-purpose components to the abstracted, all-powerful quantum machines we've held in our science fiction dreams. CCNY, UC Berkeley develop lasers that could rewrite quantum chips, spin those atoms right round originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | CCNY, Nature | Email this | Comments | | Cablevision launches iOS app to track down Optimum WiFi hotspots, keep you off the 3G sauce Jun 27th 2012, 08:03  Some internet purveyors make a big fuss over having public WiFi. It's not often that they go out of their way to help you find that WiFi, however, and that's where CableVision's recently posted (but just now official) Optimum WiFi Hotspot Finder comes in. If you're one of the cable company's Optimum Online subscribers, the currently iOS-only app will pinpoint the 35,000 access points that you can call a home away from home. As we'd hope, the app both finds hotspots nearby for an immediate fix or drills down to specific hotspots if you're just that determined to find a restaurant with a data pipe. The app and WiFi access are both free -- apart from that small matter of the cable account, of course -- and will no doubt help iPad and iPhone owners for whom Optimum WiFi's 15Mbps speed is an oasis in a sea of pokey 3G. Cablevision launches iOS app to track down Optimum WiFi hotspots, keep you off the 3G sauce originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | App Store | Email this | Comments | | FishPi sets course for the open sea, captained by a Raspberry Pi Jun 27th 2012, 07:27  Raspberry Pi's journey to reach owners has been a lengthy one, but Greg Holloway is preparing to send his board on a longer voyage -- one across the Atlantic. Nestled inside a tupperware tub, the RaspberryPi is the brains of FishPi, an autonomous vessel guided by GPS and a compass that measures 20 inches from bow to stern. Currently in proof-of-concept form, the craft uses a 40 mm rotating propeller and draws juice from batteries powered by a 130 watt solar panel. Producing kits for students, enthusiasts and professionals is the goal of the project, but testing and development are still on the docket. While the Linux-laden launch isn't ready for the high seas quite yet, you can sail to the source for the technical breakdown or check it out at the Nottingham Hackspace Raspberry Jam next month. FishPi sets course for the open sea, captained by a Raspberry Pi originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 03:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  The Verge | RaspberryPi | Email this | Comments | |
