| 3D printing gets more flexible with Nylon extrusion May 22nd 2012, 21:11  3D printing with ABS and other plastics that have a low-melting point are old hat. And, with the price of entry dropping below the $500 mark, soon enough anyone will be able print their own pirated 45s. Instructables user [taulman] has has taken it upon himself to push the DIY polymer extruder scene in a new direction -- Nylon. The slick and bendable Nylon 6 melts at 320 degrees celsius, roughly 100 degrees higher than the more common and brittle ABS. The flexible nature of nylon has some obvious advantages, particularly when printing tubing or even an iPhone case. What's more, gears and bearings created from the synthetic don't need to be lubricated. But, this isn't the end game for [taulman]. The resourceful DIYer plans to keep working on his high-temperature system until he can build custom creations from Delrin and Polycarbonate. The obvious downside here, is that higher temperatures require more power and more rugged components that could drive up cost. But, we'd say it's a small price to pay for being able to print your own Otterbox. Check out the video demos after the break. Continue reading 3D printing gets more flexible with Nylon extrusion 3D printing gets more flexible with Nylon extrusion originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Instructables | Email this | Comments | | Scientists develop rewritable digital storage built into DNA; biological binary exists May 22nd 2012, 20:43  We've seen DNA flirt with computing and storage before, but a biological system that can record digital data? That's something different. Stanford researchers used natural enzymes to create rewritable data storage built directly into living cells' DNA. The enzymes can flip DNA sequences back and forth, enabling a programmable, binary-like system where the DNA section is a zero if it points in a particular direction and a one if it points the other way. (Color coding indicates which way a section of genetic code is facing.) The so-called recombinase addressable data (RAD) module can store one bit of information without consuming any power, and in addition to letting scientists switch DNA sequences, it allows them to count how many times a given cell has doubled. That capability could come in handy for studying how cancer spreads, and could even give scientists the ability to "turn off" affected cells. The next step for the scientists will be upping the storage capacity to a byte, which will reportedly take a good ten years. That gives you plenty of time to study up on that science -- for a start, check out a more detailed account of the research in the source link. Scientists develop rewritable digital storage built into DNA; biological binary exists originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  TG Daily | Stanford University School of Engineering | Email this | Comments | | Samsung Chromebox gets a premature outing, $330 price tag (video) May 22nd 2012, 20:32  Samsung has been almost completely silent regarding its Chromebox since its CES outing, so we were taken aback when we were tipped off that it was hiding in plain sight on TigerDirect's web store. Sure enough, a product listing provides a lot more detail about the tiny Chrome OS desktop than Samsung gave us in January, including its use of a 1.9GHz, dual-core Celeron B840, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 16GB solid-state drive and six (not five) USB ports. We haven't seen mention of the promised wireless keyboard and mouse bundle, although the retailer's configuration might reflect a stripped-down trim level: at $330, it's a lot less than the $400 we were quoted at the start of the year. We wouldn't count on the store listing staying up -- at least, not until Google I/O -- but you can get a whirlwind tour of the Chromebox's core features through the hilariously awkward video below, which strips out the price if you're not watching from TigerDirect itself.
[Thanks, Pete] Continue reading Samsung Chromebox gets a premature outing, $330 price tag (video) Samsung Chromebox gets a premature outing, $330 price tag (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 16:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | TigerDirect | Email this | Comments | | Scientists use metal and silicon to create invisibility cloak (no, you can't wear it) May 22nd 2012, 19:44  In the quest to achieve that much-desired invisibility cloak, scientists have redirected light, used heat monitoring and even gone underwater -- with varying degrees of success. The latest attempt at this optical illusion is from engineers at Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania, who have developed a device that can detect light without being seen itself. When the ratio of metal to silicon is just right, the light reflected from the two materials is completely canceled out. The process, called plasmonic cloaking, controls the flow of light to create optical and electronic functions while leaving nothing for the eye to see. Scientists envision this tech being used in cameras -- plasmonic cloaking could reduce blur by minimizing the cross-talk between pixels. Other applications include solar cells, sensors and solid-state lighting -- human usage is conspicuously absent on that list. Scientists use metal and silicon to create invisibility cloak (no, you can't wear it) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Nanotechnology Today, TG Daily | | Email this | Comments | | HTC refreshes Android update timeline, details which devices won't get Ice Cream Sandwich May 22nd 2012, 19:30  Normally we rejoice when we see a manufacturer share updates with us on when Ice Cream Sandwich will be coming to its legacy devices, but HTC's latest blog post leaves us with mixed emotions. First, the decent news: we now have a slightly more specific timeline for each phone, with the targeted deadlines now updated to show specific months rather than quarters. And yes, there's bad news to go along with it: it's also added a list of devices that won't make the cut to receive Ice Cream Sandwich. That's right, HTC laid down the law for several phones and tablets, stating that "in general, devices with 512MB ROM or less will not be upgraded to Android 4.0." Unfortunately, this means that owners of the ChaCha, Salsa, Wildfire S, Explorer "and others" will remain hopelessly stuck on Gingerbread -- without the help of unofficial builds and custom ROMs, at least. But that's not all: HTC also mentioned that the Flyer, EVO View 4G and the Jetstream won't be jumping up to Ice Cream Sandwich either. This has to be rather disappointing to anyone who shelled out $700 for the Jetstream on a two-year contract in September. One consolation to the heartbreaking news is that at least you no longer have to hold your breath and wait to hear it -- and HTC pledges to continue offering maintenance updates to the shunned devices -- but it's still a hard pill to swallow no matter which way you look at it.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] HTC refreshes Android update timeline, details which devices won't get Ice Cream Sandwich originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Android Police | HTC | Email this | Comments | |
