While many of us think of the magic carpet in tales such as “Aladdin” and “One Thousand and One Nights” as a flying piece to entertain the visual senses, that carpet’s properties ― being able to wave, flap, and alter its shape to serve its riders ― are fascinating scientific researchers as well. To that…
Pine Needles from Old Christmas Trees Could Be Turned into Paint and Food Sweeteners in the Future
This week, many pine needles will be seen on curbsides all over the country as people take down and throw out their Christmas trees. But researchers at the University of Sheffield in the UK are trying to keep abandoned Christmas trees out of landfills and turned into paint and food sweeteners. Christmas trees have hundreds…
Photo of the Day: A Fire-Breathing Dragon Helps Fight Ember Attacks on Thatched-Roof Buildings
Fire-breathing dragons have historically conjured up images of Lunar New Year’s celebrations, but the National Institute of Standards and Technology has taken the concept to conduct special fire tests in an effort to study the issue of protect thatched-roof structures from fire. To better understand the mechanisms by which firebrands—the airborne, glowing embers released by…
New Scheduling System Could Help Reduce Flight Delays
It’s no secret that airline delays are a major source of frustration for travelers as well as the airlines themselves, but coming up with a viable solution has been difficult. However, a new study from the State University of New York at Binghamton suggests that taking the airlines’ and passengers’ delay costs into account can actually…
TI Aims to Speed Processing in Industry 4.0 Apps
As industrial communications increasingly face the challenges of Industry 4.0, the need for processors to meet high throughput demands is growing. Texas Instruments is targeting Industry 4.0 applications with its Sitara ™ AM6x processor. The processor is designed for applications converging both Ethernet and real-time data traffic on a single network, a capability critical for…
Gillette, Formlabs Partnering to Make the Razor Handle Personal
Shaving products maker Gillette is leveraging 3D printing technology to enable users to apply a personal touch to the generic razor handle. Dubbed Razor Maker™: powered by Gillette®, this new platform leverages technology from 3D-printing powerhouse Formlabs to offer a series of customizable 3D-printed handles, matching advanced manufacturing with consumers’ desire to have completely unique and personalized…
FDA, DHS Partner to Speed Response To Medical Device Cybersecurity Threats
With the increased role of technology in health care and health care administration, concern over cybersecurity continues to increase. Cybersecurity sessions at health care conferences are often packed as industry leaders attempt to hammer out solutions that balance the need for data security and privacy of patient data. As part of the Administration’s ongoing efforts…
SOLIDWORKS 2019 Seeks to Speed Time-to-Market
Dassault Systèmes’ portfolio of 3D design and engineering applications continues to add enhancements to help design engineers speed product design, which are reflected in its newest release, SOLIDWORKS 2019. One key feature of the tool suite is greater design flexibility to quickly interrogate or rapidly make changes to a model thanks to an enhanced Large…
At Battery Show: Storage Innovations Key to Future Batteries
Developing efficient storage technologies is the key to generating adequate electricity sources to meet growing global demand, according to Donald Sadoway, professor of materials chemistry at the Masschusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Speaking at the Tuesday keynote session at the Battery Show in Novi, MI, Sadoway said the key to continued prosperity in established regions,…
At Sensors Expo: Dell CTO Calls For Changes In IoT Strategies
Much of buzz around this year’s Sensor Expo in San Jose has revolved around the role of sensors as the conduit to gathering and collecting data for the IoT, whether the application be medical, industrial, consumer, or military. At the first of two keynote sessions this past Thursday, Jason Shepherd, Senior Director and IoT Chief…
HP, Siemens Expand 3D Printing Collaboration
HP Inc. and Siemens, longtime partners in 3D printing, have expanded their collaboration in 3D printing to enable even more advanced functionality across a broader set of Siemens PLM software to change the way users can design and manufacture with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology. Siemens will enable now users of Siemens’ NX™…
Report Says Chipset Vendors Will Benefit As AI Emerges From The Cloud
Cloud implementation has been the province of Artificial Intelligence (AI), but there’s a big shift on the horizon as AI moves onto to the edge, either on-device, on the gateway, or on on-premise server, That’s the finding of a recent report titled “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning” by market research firm ABI Research. According to…
Could 3D Printing Threaten National Security?
Not a day goes by without a story on a new advance or application in 3-D printing technology. While the technology promises cost and manufacturing benefits for many consumer, industrial, and medical parts, there’s concerns the technology might also get into the hands of adversaries building weapons to use against countries. That’s the conclusion of…
Study Says Global Semiconductor Sales Up 20 Percent From 2017
The good times continue for the electronics industry, if one uses the key metric of semiconductor sales as a barometer. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), a semiconductor industry association, reported that global semiconductor sales reached $111.1 billion the first quarter of 2018, up 20 percent compared to the first quarter of 2017, though 2.5 percent less…
Next-Generation Consumer, Medical Products Drive Sensor Advances
The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), wearable electronics, advanced medical products, and other applications has triggered a demand for sensors with advanced sensing capabilities that can fit into tight spaces, have extremely high resolution and accuracy, and consume low power. At the same time, the need for higher integration and value-added electronics assemblies…
Deloitte Sees Future In Smart Military Bases
To most people, the name Deloitte conjures up the image of a financial services and business consulting firm. But at the MILCOM Show in Baltimore this week, I learned that Deloitte is leveraging its expertise to another: the military. Deloitte is advocating using more artificial intelligence in military operations, starting with smart bases, where the…