Ultrathin and Flexible Photovoltaic Cells

MIT researchers are showing solar cells so thin that they can be placed on clothing or paper. Although not fully developed, it could be the way we power portable electronics in the future. Vladimir Bulovic, an associate Dean at MIT, believes that it is now possible to grow substrate alongside the growth of the device. A combination of the cell substrate and coating will revolutionise solar cells.

Parylene is used as the substrate and covering then the light absorbing layer is DBP. A vacuum chamber needs to be at room temperature and surprisingly, solvents are not used. Here, vapour deposition techniques allow the solar cells to grow.

There could be different materials used in the future, although as the product is so thin at present, there would be a need to be a good reason to do this. The product is so light it could not burst a soap bubble and concerns are that a breath could blow it away.

Years of effort have gone into getting to where the researchers are now. It is possible to use fabric as a base for solar cell and substrate. The low weight is important as it means it could be used for things such as spacecraft and, more importantly, it can have a higher output than conventional panels.

Bulovic points out that it would be easy to forget it was placed on a product you were wearing or carrying. There needs to be time was taken and more research is done, and while there is work to be done they will get there in the end.

Story via; MIT News / Feature Photo: Joel Jean and Anna Osherov

Carry your own Movie Theater in Your Backpack

Startups

Mehmet Hatipoglu

A portable JmGO provides an 180” screen allowing you to view cinema style viewing wherever you have a suitable surface. Surround sound is built in and since the debut in January, sales have been amazing. It is a solid metal projector and contains Android OS as well as Texas Instruments optical hardware.

It can be used for small events such as films with friends but also work related presentations and camping entertainment. Weighing just 1 kg, it is ideal for use when on the go, and this is enhanced as it can be connected to many things, including an Android smartphone. USB ports and HDMI are available, and the wireless connection is provided via Miracast. In Indiegogo, the selling price of the projector is just US$385. This price is unlikely to be sustained so a swift purchase will lead to saving.

Carry your own Movie Theater in Your Backpack

A smartphone can also control the JmGO View, and it is possible to use the device as a speaker if there is nothing you want to watch. There is no need to have the device permanently plugged in as it has a good battery life. If used as a theatre it will last for 3 hours, and when it is just being used for audio, it will allow 8 hours of entertainment.

Images remain clear even if there is another light source as it produces 250 Lumens so viewing can be carried out this way when other devices would not allow it. Finding any faults with this system is hard.

Zika Virus Attacks Cells That Would Have Become The Brain’s Cortex

News

Wendy Cunningham

Zika Virus Attacks Cells That Would Have Become The Brain’s Cortex

The Zika virus occurs at any stage during pregnancy and attacks cells that would have become the brain’s cortex. Research has shown that the foetuses would die, be born blind, have small heads and undersized placentas according to The New England Journal of Medicine.

88 women were tested in Rio de Janiero and results were described as chilling by the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr Anthony S. Fauci. He found it disturbing that even when caught late in pregnancy, death was still a possibility.

Neural progenitor cells exposed to Zika virus. The virus is shown in green, and cells that have died are shown in red. Credit Sarah C. Ogden/Johns Hopkins Medicine

Links are being made to the rubella outbreak of 1964 in the USA. More than 2,000 children died and 20,000 were born deaf, blind or with a disability. A repeat is unlikely as it is a mosquito that carries the disease. There is, however, likely to be some cases as it is spread by sex as well. Colombia via the World Health Organisation is carrying out a larger trial – 5,000 women.

In Brazil, 42 women who were infected undertook scans as well as 16 uninfected. Only eight babies were born healthy and there are concerns as 80% of victims do not show symptoms. The others have headaches and rashes.

John Hopkins have also carried out a study. Cells seen in early foetal development were infected with the virus and within days most progenitor cells were damaged, other types less so. Neurologist Dr Guo-li Ming is confident that the studies carried out will lead to the production of medication that will stop brain damage occurring in foetuses in the future.

Story Via; NYTimes

These Tiny Homes are Perfect for Your Weekend Getaways

Startups

Mehmet Hatipoglu

For many of the people, vacation is somewhere near the seaside, laying under the sun and getting tanned. But some prefer somewhere quiet and get closer to nature itself. And if you this kind of person, this tiny houses will be what you are looking for. These little homes designed by a team from Harvard Innovation Lab. You can take day trips for having a relaxing time in the forest and get away from the city life for a while.

For now, these houses only rentable in Boston area but the near future, this startup wants to expand to other cities as well. Guest can rent this little houses for $99 per night. They are good for two people but also, large group stays are possible. Houses already got very popular, and it is hard to find available rooms, but you can check their website for see options. If you are planning to go, be ready to disconnect yourself from the world and instead of charging your phone or laptop, charge yourself, have and relax. Company’s Website

These Tiny Homes are Perfect for Your Weekend Getaways

Clean-Energy Economy is Getting Stronger in America

News

Mehmet Hatipoglu

The Advanced Research Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), an agency of the Department of Energy, has an innovative summit this week. ARPA-E’s 475 specialized clean energy technologies have so far received more than one-point-two-five billion dollars funding from the private investors.

So far it has achieved these milestones: thirty times of solar power, three times wind power and almost sixty percent of oil imports. According to 2nd February 2016 Whitehouse statement, these milestones’ achievements were made achievable about seven years back.

This was after President Obama endorsed the Recovery Act (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). This did more than just growing the economy and raising the GDP by an estimated rate of two to three percent after the Great Recession. Tax incentives that paved a way for employment creation calculated clean energy ventures and production and use of low-carbon methods were also realized from the introduction of the Recovery Act.

It is no wonder that President Obama’s FY2017 Budget plan suggests a two-fold funding for clean energy R&D in the next five years. It proposes a raise from six-point-four billion dollars in the fiscal year 2016 to twelve-point-eight billion dollars in Fiscal Year 2021.

In addition to government funding, more funds from the private investment sector will be needed. Last year, during the ARPA-E summit, the Clean Energy Investment Initiative was announced by Brian Deese. It was meant to stir up and grow private-sector investment in solutions that would solve climate change by reducing carbon pollution.

Twelve months later, the Clean Energy Investment has done so much in the private sector, including getting complementary support from the Clean Energy Investment Center (CEIC), which was opened for business. Now it has created the Lab Partnering Service that will allow the public to access the clean-energy technologies made by the National Laboratories.

Original Article; whitehouse.gov

Log In to Your SmartPhone with a Finger-Drawn Doodle Instead of a Password

Mobile

Mehmet Hatipoglu

Numerical security may soon be a thing of the past when swiping shapes take over the safety of your mobile phone.

Finland’s Aalto University along with Rutgers University are researching the possibility of the use of a finger to draw a shape that will ascertain the identity and they call the process “free-form gesture authentication.” Following tests, it was discovered that a doodle was as fast and easy to remember as a passcode.

Rutgers assistant professor Janne Lindqvist states that they are quick to set up and use. The paper co-written by him will be presented at the ACM-CHI conference in San Jose, California. The research has taken two years in a lab and now it is time to try it in every-day life. In all 92 students participated in the two-week long trial, where they logged into a total of 8 fake accounts. It took 22% less time to log in and 42% to set up. Users chose hearts, stars and squares for their shapes.

It was not all good news however as there were 50% more mistakes made when inputting. This was early on, and it was noticed that things improved and it was a matter of adapting to the new process.

It is yet to be determined as to whether or not a hacker would manage to break into a phone using gesture-based security over time. The way the shape is swiped could be the answer to hacking, but users must be accurate.

Research File PDF

HTC is bringing 3D Touch-like Features to the Next Nexus Model

Mobile

Mehmet Hatipoglu

Many improvements have been made surrounding display technologies ranging from basic resolution issues up to the process that allows colour reproduction to improve and panel lamination being nearer to the glass. Xiaomi and Samsung are working on screens that are curved at the edges – known as “2.5D.”

Apple has decided that they will use the technology found in their watches for the iPhone 6 and call it the 3D Touch. Here, the Z-axis will seemingly be a part of the UX and it is an idea that Chinese manufacturers are looking at with interest and working on themselves.

An insider has claimed that Vivo, OPPO, HTC, Meizu and Xiaomi are in the process of bringing panels sensitive to pressure to the fore. ZTE and Huawei are already items in use, so it seems that Force Touch type screens may be in wider use than at first thought.

HTC is bringing 3D Touch-like Features to the Next Nexus Model

Google is now working on a system that will be universally used, and it will prevent the reliance on a single form of technology. HTC are believed to be in the process of developing a Nexus phone and for this are working towards producing a similar display, and it would seem strange that there would be such distinctive hardware and no software to support it. It is accepted that APIs supporting Android would allow developers and manufacturers to use a standard platform.

Although there has not yet been widespread use, further availability via Androids large circulation will allow developers the chance to check out all of the capabilities.

Photos: HUAWEI Mate S

Protect Yourself With A Dash Cam

Gadgets

Mehmet Hatipoglu

We are all used to watching videos from dashboard cameras and while many come from Russia they originated in Asia to help drivers deal with other road users and ensuring they were covered if they were involved in an accident. To help drivers in the States, they are being used to ensure they don’t lose their income if they work on the road.

No longer are cameras only used for racing cars, but the general public. Motorbike riders wear them on their helmet. The Police are using them to prove driving violations. There are several hours of footage recorded through the windscreen and then overwritten by the next incidents.

Older models show date and time while new ones have GPS tagging. Speed is recorded and then can connect via Wi-Fi. According to Paul Veillon – an attorney working with insurance companies – believes that they will prevent insurers deflecting fault away from their client. The camera can show speed, who was at fault in lane changes and can even show impact times when multiple vehicles are involved. Force of impact can be shown, and again this prevents insurance companies claiming a large crash is just a bump.

The cameras became popularity as a result of on road cameras proving liability. There are few problems with dash cams although in some cases in car audio has to be switched off. It is also frowned upon to film the Police. Little space is needed to install the camera, so windscreens are not obscured. Cadillac offers a system that saves incidents to an SD card.

This Digital Art Artist Combines Portraits of Celebrities to Create Flawless Superhumans

Internet

Mehmet Hatipoglu

A Digital Art artist from Norway got the attention of the internet with his composites of celebrity portraits. His nickname is ” ThatNordicGuy”, you can check more of these portraits from his page on DeviantArt. The artist say; it can take several hours to combine the photos, to make this new photos, he uses the program Sqirlz Morph – which is also free – and Photoshop to do the last alterations. We just put someone these potraits you can visit his profile for more photos.

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Megan Fox / Angelina Jolie

A Digital Art Artist Combines Portraits of Celebrities to Create Flawless Superhumans Natalie Dormer / Emma Watson

A Digital Art Artist Combines Portraits of Celebrities to Create Flawless Superhumans Emma Watson / Kristen Stewart

A Digital Art Artist Combines Portraits of Celebrities to Create Flawless Superhumans Taylor Swift / Emma Watson

A Digital Art Artist Combines Portraits of Celebrities to Create Flawless Superhumans

MadMAX – Mel Gibson / Tom Hardy

A Digital Art Artist Combines Portraits of Celebrities to Create Flawless Superhumans Stark Girls, Game Of Thrones – Maisie Williams / Sophie Turner

Why Samsung’s Victory Against Apple is a Victory For Innovation

Mobile

Mehmet Hatipoglu

Did you know that Samsung won a lawsuit against Apple? It was a court case about patents. This was not a surprise, though, as many technology brands are wasting a lot of resources suing each other over patents rather than being more innovative.

This is was not the first time that Apple and Samsung fought over patents in court, though. The last time they had done this was in 2014 when the latter was ordered to pay the first 119.6 million dollars in the form of damages. It was found that Samsung had violated Apple’s three smartphone patents.

Then when the case was appealed, a panel of three judges sided with Samsung saying that it had a significant contribution to the creation of the first two patents. Ultimately, they also said that Samsung did not violate the third auto-correct patent for checking spellings automatically.

This ruling might stop wars over smartphone patents and open a door to an environment where companies can thrive together, build on each other creativity and re-invent their systems. Then they will stop suing each other and wasting resources.

According to Mark Lemley, a Stanford Law School professor, patents lawsuits such as the ones Apple have done are too costly and bad for the world. Despite spending more than 1 billion dollars in legal fees, they just got back $158, 400. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Samsung, this money will become its money.

According to a new newspaper story titled ‘Patent Licensing, Technology Transfer and Innovation’, written by Mark and Robin Feldman (works at the University of California Hastings), patents are meant to bring value to customers in the form of innovation. So if a patent is not doing its work, it is of no use to the whole society.

Court Document (PDF)

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