| NPL, Imperial College create room-temperature maser, promise more sensitive beams Aug 17th 2012, 03:23  Masers, or microwave lasers, have rarely been as viable as their regular counterparts; they need temperatures near absolute zero, exotic vacuum chambers or strong magnets just to run at all, which safely rules out carrying a maser as a pocket pointer. The National Physical Laboratory and Imperial College London might put that gap in practicality to bed after developing a maser that can run at room temperatures. Instead of using ruby to boost the microwave strength, the scientists rely on a less pronounceable p-terphenyl crystal treated with pentacene that can handle ordinary amounts of heat. There's still much work left in refining the technology: it has yet to stay active for sustained periods, only works in a narrow bandwidth and chews through an ample amount of power. Once it's given the appropriate polish, however, the extra sensitivity of the improved maser could be a boon for medical scanning, bomb disposal or even future space communication that could punch through the atmosphere. Filed under: Science NPL, Imperial College create room-temperature maser, promise more sensitive beams originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 23:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  CBC |  Nature | Email this | Comments | | Tritton's Pro+ 5.1 headset goes up for pre-order, promises gamers 'true 5.1' for $200 Aug 17th 2012, 02:39  Thought Tritton was satisfied with only pumping out Xbox-licensed gaming headsets in the last year? Fret not ye' PS3 and PC gamers, instead, say hello to its latest cross-platform unit, the AX Pro+. Although its color scheme is similar to the Dolby Headphone-enabled AX 720 virtual surround sound headset, the moniker pits it as a follow up to the AX Pro. Like its predecessor, the Pro+ sports a trio of drivers and one subwoofer in each of its earcups, aiming to offer "true 5.1 surround sound." Among other design tweaks, its cups can rotate flat for added comfort (a sorely missed feature on the original), and the drivers have been repositioned for "superior surround sound separation and improved bass response." An included Dolby decoder box handles its connections, while the headset's inline remote allows you to adjust each driver's individual volume level, the balance of game / voice audio, and enable voice monitoring through its detachable mic. Better yet, the whole setup is powered by one wall plug, rather than two as was the annoyance with the older model. Discrete 5.1 headsets haven't impressed us in the past, but you can pre-order the Pro+ for $200 from Tritton if you're willing to give its cramped surround sound setup a try during Call of Duty fragging sessions come this September. Continue reading Tritton's Pro+ 5.1 headset goes up for pre-order, promises gamers 'true 5.1' for $200 Filed under: Gaming, Wearables Tritton's Pro+ 5.1 headset goes up for pre-order, promises gamers 'true 5.1' for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Tritton | Email this | Comments | |
