Friday, 22 July 2011
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Researchers use graphene to draw energy from flowing water, self-powered micro-robots to follow?
What can't graphene do? The wonder material's been at the heart of a stunning number of technological breakthroughs of late, and now it's adding oil exploration to its long list of achievements. A team of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that the flow of good old H2O over a sheet of graphene can generate enough electricity to power "tiny sensors" used in tracking down oil deposits. The gang, led by professor Nikhil Koratkar, was able to suck 85 nanowatts of power out of a slab of graphene measuring .03 by .015 millimeters. The little sensors the researchers speak of are pumped into potential oil wells via a stream of water, and are then put to work sniffing out hydrocarbons indicative of hidden pockets of oil and natural gas. Of course, that doesn't have a whole lot of practical application for your average gadget consumer, but Koraktar sees a future filled with tiny water-powered robots and micro-submarines -- we can dig it.Researchers use graphene to draw energy from flowing water, self-powered micro-robots to follow? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/21/researchers-use-graphene-to-draw-energy-from-flowing-water-self/
Thursday, 21 July 2011
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Fake Chinese Apple Store Clerk: We're Fake and Proud [Apple]
So that hoax of an Apple Store in Kunming, China is under no illusions as to its legitimacy—it's unauthorized and lovin' it. Have a problem with the counterfeit operation? They couldn't care less, the WSJ reports. More »
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Altaro Hyper-V Backup beta launched, only 250 places available
This one's for the sysadmins in the audience: Altaro, makers of our favorite "time machine for Windows" back solution, OopsBackup, have just announced a new product entering beta called Hyper-V Backup.
It's a backup solution for virtual machines running on Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization solution. If that sentence just seemed like a bunch of buzzwords crammed together, Hyper-V backup is not for you. But, if you actually use Hyper-V and are hankering for a good backup solution, Altaro might be worth checking out.
The beta run is limited - Altaro are looking for just 250 testers. All participants will get a free license key to the final, production version. So if you're interested in helping test Hyper-V Backup, get yourself over to Altaro now and join the beta.Altaro Hyper-V Backup beta launched, only 250 places available originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS
Here's one for our knowledgeable commenters: I recently bought my girlfriend an iPad. I, on the other hand, own an Android device. And now we're looking for games we can play using both devices.
There's no dearth of multiplayer games either for Android or for iOS. But finding multiplayer games that can cross the platform boundary is an entirely different matter.
Jay recently posted Words with Friends which is one such game. It's actually an ideal example, because it's turn-based so you don't necessarily both have to be next to your device at the same time (great for long-distance gaming).
But what other examples are there? What multiplayer games are there that let iOS users play with Android users?
[Why am I now humming 'Ebony and Ivory'? -Ed]Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video)
Corel seems to be on a roll lately; after releasing WinZip System Utilities just last week, this morning the company announced VideoStudio Pro X4.
VideoStudio Pro is aimed at home users and small business professionals who want to create professional-looking videos, but without the hassle, steep learning curve and price of Adobe Premiere Pro and the likes.
This new version introduces several features:
- Stop motion animation: You can now capture still frames using a webcam, camcorder or DSLR and use them to produce an animation. Tools such as "onion skin view" let you compare the previous image in the sequence with the current one and make the animation as smooth as possible.
- Processor optimization: Corel says the app is optimized for Intel's new Sandy Bridge systems, and have shown us some graphs with very impressive numbers. We've been unable to test this particular point, but if you have a recent-generation Intel or AMD Fusion system, VideoStudio performance should be blazing. Even on our older test system performance was quite impressive.
- Customizable workspace: You can drag the video preview window to your secondary monitor (if you have one) and tweak just about any other element in the window layout. Once done, you can save your ideal workspace in one of three slots.
- Share-to-Web: VideoStudio Pro X4 hooks directly into YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Flickr, so you don't even have to launch a browser to upload your final product. Edit, produce and share from within the app itself.
- Smart Package: Video projects typically consist of many files; Smart Package lets you bundle all video assets for a given project into one ZIP file which you can password-protect and keep in a safe place once you're done editing.
Note: We'll be running a give-away of ten VideoStudio Pro X4 licenses later today, each worth $100 USD. Keep your eyes peeled for the giveaway post!Continue reading Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video)
Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video) originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/22/corel-releases-videostudio-pro-x4-we-go-hands-on/
