Tiny iron oxide particles promise big benefits for display technology

Tiny iron oxide particles promise big benefits for display technology: "Chemists at the University of California, Riverside, are developing a future display technology using nanoscale-sized iron oxide rods that shine when exposed to an external magnetic field."

New Russell Hobbs washing machine cleans up in world record time

New Russell Hobbs washing machine cleans up in world record time: "Doing the laundry probably isn't high on anyone's list of fun things to do, so anything that speeds up the chore, while also cutting down on the amount of water and energy used, is going to be welcome. A new washing machine from Russell Hobbs looks to accomplish all these goals with its 'super rapid wash' cycle rinsing and spinning a load of lightly soiled clothes in a world record time of just 12 minutes as opposed to an average 90-minute wash cycle."

MESSENGER becomes first spacecraft to orbit Mercury

MESSENGER becomes first spacecraft to orbit Mercury: "NASA has reported that its MESSENGER spacecraft is now in orbit around the planet Mercury – the first ever mission to achieve this feat. More than 40 years on from the first moon landing in the age of the Mars rovers and space tourism, it's easy to overlook just what a remarkable a feat this is."

'First-ever' permanent anti-fog coating developed

'First-ever' permanent anti-fog coating developed: "Tired of your glasses fogging up on cold days, or of having to spit in your dive mask before putting it on? Those hassles may become a thing of the past, as researchers from Quebec City's Université Laval have developed what they claim is the world's first permanent anti-fog coating. Just one application is said to work indefinitely on eyeglasses, windshields, camera lenses, or any other transparent glass or plastic surface."

Researchers demonstrate self-repairing chip

Researchers demonstrate self-repairing chip: "As chips continue to get smaller, the technological possibilities just get larger. One of the trade-offs of miniaturization, however, is that smaller things are also often more fragile and less dependable."

U.S. Army trials tactical smartphones

U.S. Army trials tactical smartphones: "U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division recently took part in a field exercise at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in which they experimented with a tool not normally used by the armed forces – a smartphone. And no, they weren't playing Farmville."

The jukebox gets a 21st Century overhaul

The jukebox gets a 21st Century overhaul: "Perhaps I'm of a certain age, but when someone says the word 'Jukebox' I immediately think of a Wurlitzer 1015 bubbler, although I've only ever seen one actually working."

PepsiCo develops first PET plastic bottle made completely from plant-based material

PepsiCo develops first PET plastic bottle made completely from plant-based material: "Mountain Dew's green bottles could become even 'greener' with an announcement from PepsiCo claiming it has developed the world's first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks."

Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi gets a US release date

Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi gets a US release date: "As promised at this year's CES, Motorola has announced that the Wi-Fi version of its Xoom Android tablet will be available this month. The 10.1-inch device is the first tablet to benefit from all the widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization capabilities of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor supported by a gigabyte of RAM."

CryoEnergy System uses liquid air to store energy

CryoEnergy System uses liquid air to store energy: "Balancing demand for energy with timely production is a juggling act that is particularly relevant to renewable sources such as wind and solar. Because the wind isn't always blowing and the sun isn't always shining, the energy produced by these systems needs to be stored efficiently so it can be used when it's needed."

Individual Gunshot Detectors to help give U.S. soldiers a bead on enemy fire

Individual Gunshot Detectors to help give U.S. soldiers a bead on enemy fire: "In the heat of battle I imagine things can get pretty hectic and pinpointing just where the shooting is coming from, as quickly as possible, could mean the difference between life and death. To give its soldiers an edge in this regard the U.S. Army will begin providing its forces in Afghanistan with the first of 13,000 gunshot detection systems later this month."

'The Pearl' dome house - passive solar design with a touch of high-tech

'The Pearl' dome house - passive solar design with a touch of high-tech: "Like its stablemate the Domespace house, David Fanchon's eco-friendly design is aimed at maximizing passive solar energy – though unlike the Domespace there's no rotating option."