| Scientists use bilayer graphene to develop extra-sensitive photodetector Jun 5th 2012, 09:02  By now it goes without saying that graphene is something of a darling in the research community, with scientists using the material to develop transistors, batteries and circuits, among other devices. In 2011, MIT researchers discovered graphene's effectiveness as a photodetector, and a team at the University of Maryland has taken that line of thought a few steps further. By using bilayer graphene (two atoms thick instead of one atom thick), the scientists developed a temperature-sensitive device more than 1,000 times faster than existing technologies. Not to mention, it's capable of recognizing a very broad range of light energies, which means it could be useful in everything from biochemical weapons detection to airport body scanners. Still, the UMD researchers have their work cut out for them: the graphene photodetector has a high electrical resistance, and it will require tweaks to absorb enough light to be useful. Still, this is graphene we're talking about -- and we don't expect its popularity to wane any time soon. Scientists use bilayer graphene to develop extra-sensitive photodetector originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  UMD Newsdesk | Email this | Comments | | Toshiba unveils Windows 8 concept devices, details stay hidden Jun 5th 2012, 08:35  If you're looking for pricing, specs, availability and all that good stuff, then you've come to the wrong place. What we have here is a gallery of photos revealing Toshiba's various concepts of what Windows 8 devices ought to look like. There's a Transformer-style tablet with detachable keyboard dock -- a form factor we're seeing plenty of at Computex right now. There's also a slider PC looks rather like the MSI Slider S20 we played with earlier. Finally, perhaps the most conservative of the bunch is a clamshell laptop design with a touchscreen. So yes, as concepts go none of these are especially pioneering -- but at least Toshiba will know it can't dally in bringing its ideas to market and hitting a competitive price point. Dana Wollman contributed to this report. Toshiba unveils Windows 8 concept devices, details stay hidden originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 04:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Toshiba outs Satellite U840W Ultrabook with 14.4-inch, 21:9 display Jun 5th 2012, 08:09  It's a shame we have to write headlines -- we would have invited you to guess what screen size you're looking at on that Ultrabook up there. Alas, though, you can read, and that funky-looking laptop is indeed the Toshiba Satellite U840W (yes, that's "W" for widescreen, and also note that American models from Toshiba tend to tack a 5 on the end, so this could well be the U845W when it reaches the States). Its display measures an unusual 14.4 inches diagonally, which translates to a severe 21:9 aspect ratio (and 1792 x 768 resolution, in this case). All told, it's the first panel of its kind to be used in a PC. But who's it for, exactly? Toshiba reps said the aspect ratio is meant to mimic a movie theater screen, despite the fact there's no Blu-ray drive onboard. They also imagine people using that real estate for multitasking and getting work done in cramped airplane quarters. It's also meant to get your attention. Everything about it seems designed to make a statement: the machined aluminum design, the soft-touch accents, the backlit keyboard, even the metal FCC plate and chrome-ringed feet. The machine's also decked out with Harman Kardon speakers, like other Toshiba laptops, along with amenities like sleep-and-charge and sleep-and-music ports. You'll also find an Ethernet jack, HDMI output and three USB 3.0 sockets. It's a bit ironic, then, that the weakest bit seems to be the display -- with a TN panel like that, we're not expecting jaw-dropping viewing angles. On the inside, it runs your choice of Ivy Bridge processor, though the storage varies wildly depending on how much money you're willing to pay: at the entry level you get an HDD starting at £899, but the top-tier configuration nets you 256GB solid-state drive. The weight is also likely to vary depending on which you choose: though these specs aren't final, Toshiba is saying a machine with a spinning hard drive should weigh "just under" four pounds, while an SSD-packing machine should come in at about 3.5. The company is also staying mum on battery life for now, though we're hearing a tentative range of eight to ten hours, at the high end. The U840W is expected to go on sale in the next couple of months, and US pricing hasn't yet been announced. Until then, we've got hands-on photos below. Sharif Sakr contributed to this report. Toshiba outs Satellite U840W Ultrabook with 14.4-inch, 21:9 display originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Toshiba Storage Products' THNSNF SSDs tap into 19nm process technology Jun 5th 2012, 07:49  32 nanometer process technology feels so... 2009. These days, Toshiba Storage Products is pushing something quite a bit smaller, as the outfit's new THNSNF solid state drives are said to be the world's first to take advantage of 19nm process NAND flash memory. 2012 just so happens to mark the 25th anniversary of Tosh's meddling in NAND, and the new series will be carrying the torch into even more bantam devices. Slates, Ultrabooks and perhaps a phablet or two may end up sporting on of these drives, replete with MLC (multi-level cell) flash. We're told that a trio of sizes will ship: there's a 9.5mm height edition, a 7mm version and an mSATA variant, all of which operate with a SATA 6Gbps interface. Power utilization is pegged at less than 0.1W, and mass production is expected to begin in August; mum's the word on partner companies implementing these into new products, but we're guessing the holiday season will be full of 'em. Continue reading Toshiba Storage Products' THNSNF SSDs tap into 19nm process technology Toshiba Storage Products' THNSNF SSDs tap into 19nm process technology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 03:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Hot Hardware | | Email this | Comments | | Any.DO expands outside of Android, brings its handy To-Do tools to iOS and Google Chrome Jun 5th 2012, 07:31  Chances are some members of Team Android won't be too pleased to share the any.DO goods with the iOS squad, but for what it's worth, you'll always be able to say you had it first. After being a success on Google's mobile OS, any.DO has decided to test out other waters, including making its way to those iPod touches / iPhones / iPads of the world, as well as Google Chrome in extension form. On the iOS front, the app -- which sports a very minimalist, but sleek design -- allows users to add, adjust and edit multiple tasks using a drag-and-drop, gesture-based UI. Meanwhile, the Chrome extension keeps the similar productivity goal, but takes it to the larger screen -- what's best, however, is any.DO allows you to sync all your To-Do's between different devices regardless of OS. Both the iOS application and Chrome extension are free of charge, and you can grab the version best suited for you at either of the source links below. Any.DO expands outside of Android, brings its handy To-Do tools to iOS and Google Chrome originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink AllThingsD | iTunes, Chrome Web Store | Email this | Comments | |
