Logic Bolt: The US's First Projecting Cellphone
We've seen plenty of units from overseas manufacturers, but the Logic Bolt will be the first US cellphone on the market with a tiny projector squeezed inside. Scheduled for release next month at a pre-contract price between $400 and $500 (or $100 w/contract), the Logic Bolt is a GSM handset wi![ATI's Latest Radeon Graphics Card (HD 4850) Benchmarked: Mid-Range, As Expected [Ati]](http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/06/radeon4850.jpg)
ATI's Latest Radeon Graphics Card (HD 4850) Benchmarked: Mid-Range, As Expected [Ati]
ATI's next line of Radeon graphics cards—the RV770-based 4800 series—doesn't officially launch until June 25, but Hot Hardware's got benchmarks already on the first shot, the mid-range $199 Radeon HD 4850. It's prompted a response from Nvidia in the form of the $229 GeForce 9800 GTX+, a speedier
Intel's Insanely Tiny Processor Roadmap: Clear Path to 10nm Chips
Think Intel's breakthrough 45-nanometer chips are impressive stuff? Intel thought at one time dipping below 100nm would be miraculous, but Intel exec Pat Gelsinger says that "today we see a clear way to get to under 10 nanometers," and it'll be within the next 10 years. The next die shrink is the
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.00 (Full)
K Lite Codec Pack is a collection of VFW ACM codecs DirectShow filters and tools Codecs and DirectShow filters are needed for encoding and decoding playing audio and video formats The K Lite Codec Pack is designed as a user friendly solution for playing all your audio and movie files With the K Lit
Nokia C6 and C7 Touchscreen Phones Have 8MP Camera and New ClearBlack Displays
Describing the C6 as a "premium touchscreen," it has a new ClearBlack Display which they're trying to position as the Pioneer KURO of the phone world—blacker blacks, but also brighter colors. The C7 is an even skinnier version. Both Symbian^3 phones have 8MP cameras and shoot video at 720p reso
LEDs Could Save Your Wrinkled, Pimpled Face
Forget botox—if you want better-looking skin, start looking closer to home. At your LED-backlit LCD, for example. The Light Masque, pictured, is the secret to eternal beauty according to specialists, using red LEDs to diminish lines and spots. Near-Infrared light might not sound like it can![Intel 80GB Solid-State Drives Get Official (and High) Price Tag, Are Blazing Fast [Ssds]](http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/09/intel-ssd.jpg)
Intel 80GB Solid-State Drives Get Official (and High) Price Tag, Are Blazing Fast [Ssds]
Intel's slightly delayed leap into the SSD game is now official, with the company announcing a $595 pricetag for an 80GB SSD, which comes in 1.8-inch (X18-M) or 2.5-inch (X25-M) sizes for the same price, with 160GB versions coming later this year. While that's a considerably higher price-per-gi
GPS Signals Will Improve Thanks To Massive $8bn Overhaul
Despite fears last year that the Air Force wouldn't be able to afford many more GPS satellites, a massive $8bn upgrade is being planned for overhauling the satellites, replacing each of the 24 satellites over the next decade. The Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo will be working on the![Blazing Samsung 256GB SSD Is the One We've Been Waiting For [Ssd]](http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/05/256ssd.jpg)
Blazing Samsung 256GB SSD Is the One We've Been Waiting For [Ssd]
This is the solid-state drive that we've been waiting for: a full 256GB, which Samsung says is "the world's fastest and largest capacity 2.5-inch, MLC-based SSD with SATA II Interface." Sick sequential read and sequential write speeds of 200 and 160 MBps, respectively, put it in the same speed rangeMIT’s Self-Assembling Solar Cells Recycle Themselves Repeatedly, Just Like Plant Cells
Posted by AceNik on Sep 6, 2010•
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Plants are extremely efficient converters of light into energy, setting the bar for researchers creating photovoltaic cells. A team of MIT scientists believe they’ve created a synthetic chloroplast that can be broken down and reassembled repeatedly, restoring sun-damaged solar cells.
While the leaves on a tree appear to be as static as the PV cells on a solar panel, they’re not; sunlight is actually quite destructive, and to counter this effect leaves rapidly recycle their proteins as often as every 45 minutes when in direct summer sunlight. This rapid repair mechanism allows plants to take full advantage of the sun’s bountiful energy without losing efficiency over time.
To recreate this unique regenerative ability, the MIT team devised a novel set of self-assembling molecules that use photons to shake electrons loose in the form of electricity. The system contains seven different compounds, including carbon nanotubes that provide structure and a means to conduct the electricity away from the cells, synthetic phospholipids that form discs that also provide structural support, and other molecules that self-assemble into “reaction centers” that actually interact with the incoming photons to release electrons.
Under certain conditions, the compounds assemble themselves into uniform structures suitable for harvesting solar energy. But in the presence of a surfactant (similar to the stuff used to disperse oil during oil spills) the structures break down into a solution of nanotubes, phospholipids, and other constituent molecules. By pushing the solution through a membrane to remove the surfactant, the elements once again assemble into working, rejuvenated solar cells undamaged by their prior exposure to the sun.
The cells are work at 40 percent efficiency, and researchers think with some tweaks they could push that efficiency much higher. And because they don’t degrade over time – just give ‘em a quick shake with the surfactant and they’re essentially brand new – the tech could be the next big step forward for solar technology.
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