Cutting Edge

Detecting cancer through laser-induced ultrasound

To determine if there is cancer in one's lymph nodes, a typically advanced stage requiring more aggressive treatment, pathologists are stuck performing several specific, detailed tests that may or may not target the cancerous cells. Using the needle-in-a-haystack analogy would be apt.

But thanks to the work of researchers at the University of Missouri in Columbia, a technique using photoacoustics could scan a lymph node biopsy with laser pulses, whereby the pigment of melanin reacts to the laser's beam, absorbing the light, and heating and cooling (read: expanding and contracting) rapidly. This produces a popping sound that's … Read more

Bloom box challenges: Reliability, cost

In the wake of Wednesday's star-studded, feel-good rollout of Bloom Energy's "Bloom box" server, the start-up now faces the gritty task of delivering products that are reliable and cheap.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Bloom Energy held a press event Wednesday morning detailing the Bloom box fuel cell, which is designed to be stacked into small blocks and housed in a unit about the size of a refrigerator. Luminaries in attendance included California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, legendary venture capitalist John Doerr, Google co-founder Larry Page, and top executives from heavyweight companies such as eBay, Wal-Mart, and FedEx.

The combination within the Bloom box of oxygen and fuel creates a chemical reaction, producing electricity. The box, which promises to deliver generous amounts of power in a small space and to change people's dependency on traditional power grids--all for less than $3,000 for a future home unit--is already in use at places such as Google, eBay, and Wal-Mart.

Probably the single most fundamental promise made by Bloom Energy CEO K.R. Sridhar at Wednesday's event was that by starting with a 25-watt fuel cell building block, products can be scaled up from 1kW "home" solutions to systems delivering hundreds of kilowatts for businesses or communities.

One fundamental challenge is making the ceramic tile reliable.

"It's extremely thin and operates at a wide range of temperatures. The big challenge is thermal stress," said Tobin Fisher, who co-founded mobile fuel cell company Ardica Technologies out of Stanford University. "All of these different components heat up and expand at different rates. Over time, they can crack as a result."

Generally, when a system like Bloom's is not working, it can result in a phenomenon called "gas short," quickly gaining in temperature and losing efficiency, according to Fisher.

Fisher believes companies like Bloom Energy stress-test the technology… Read more

Robots to get sensitive with artificial skin

British materials firm Peratech is developing artificial electronic skin for robots at MIT's Media Lab that will allow machines to know where they have been touched and with what degree of pressure. So you could tickle, back-slap, or caress your favorite robot, and it would know the difference.

Peratech is using its "quantum tunnelling composite" (QTC) material to create touch-sensitive skin for intelligent machines at MIT. QTC is a low-cost, flexible, and electrically conductive material that would give robots a new means of interacting with people.

Made of spiky metallic nanoparticles and silicone rubber, QTC works by … Read more

Live blog: Bloom box press conference

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Bloom Energy is holding a press event Wednesday morning where the company is expected to unveil further details on its Bloom box product. In case you're just joining us, these boxes promise to not only bring ample amounts of power in a small amount of space, but to change people's dependency on traditional power grids. All for less than $3,000 a unit.

A quick primer on the technology can be seen on this segment from CBS' "60 Minutes," which aired last week. We've also got an FAQ that explains more about what it does here.… Read more

Shorter yellow lights boost red-light camera revenue

The annals of capitalism are full of ingenious money-making ruses.

These are the kinds of things that have the potential to turn you into an ax assaulter. My favorite has always been ticket Web sites that charge you a convenience fee when the convenience is actually being delivered by something they don't own--it's called the Web.

There may, however, now be a new capitalist champion of gall. According to AlterNet, some of the more enterprising and caring cities of the United States have used their almost limitless brains to increase the revenues they accrue from red-light cameras.

Are … Read more

Intel alliance to invest $3.5 billion in U.S. tech

The head of Intel wants to see the U.S. more competitive and has proposed a $3.5 billion investment to help achieve that goal.

Intel President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Otellini has announced plans for a new alliance to invest $3.5 billion in fledgling U.S. technology companies over the next two years.

The Invest in America Alliance plans to supplement state and federal funds by investing in businesses and individuals working on innovative, new technologies. Led by Intel, other corporations, and venture capital firms, the alliance hopes to jump-start American competitiveness in the technology arena.

Otellini … Read more

Bloom's power plant in a box? (FAQ)

Start-up Bloom Energy says it can deliver a power plant in a box. What is it and how does it work?

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company, which is generating some serious buzz this week, will officially announce on Wednesday what it calls the "Bloom box." In an interview Sunday on CBS News' "60 Minutes," CEO K.R. Sridhar said the goal is to get businesses, and eventually consumers, off the transmission line grid and deliver power at a much lower cost with low emissions.

What is the Bloom box? It's a fuel cell. (See photo.) While that's nothing new--as Greentech Media editor Michael Kanellos says, fuel cells have been around since the 1800s--it's Bloom Energy's secret sauce that makes it special. Kanellos said that the solid oxide fuel cell patents point to a "yttria stabilized zirconium" material. This formula is used to fabricate an ink-coated floppy-disk-size ceramic tile (with an ink-based anode and cathode) made from 'beach sand." These are then stacked (see photo) into small blocks, and multiple stacks are housed in a unit about the size of a refrigerator.

Oxygen is fed into the fuel cell on one side and fuel on the other, according to the "60 Minutes" segment. The two combine in the cell to create a chemical reaction, which produces electricity. No burning or combustion. No power lines from an outside source. More here.… Read more

Japanese create levitating chair for elderly

Researchers at Japan's Kobe Gakuin University are developing a levitating chair that hovers on a small cushion of air.

The floating chair is being developed for elderly Japanese by Tsunesuke Furuta and others at the university's rehabilitation department.

The prototype, inspired by arcade air hockey, seems to consist of an air compressor that shoots jets of air out of many openings beneath a sports-style car seat on a platform.

The seat can be swapped for a zabuton , a Japanese floor cushion. When kneeling on it, users can move around by dragging themselves across the floor with their hands. … Read more

The Internet can make you smarter, experts say

Though it may not always feel like it, the Internet is actually making us smarter, at least according to a new survey of scientists, business leaders, and technology developers.

A collection of 900 experts interviewed for the Pew Internet report The Future of the Internet IV, released last Friday, were asked their views on how the Internet is affecting us--now and in another 10 years. Though most felt that the Internet can and would improve our reading, writing, and overall grasp of knowledge, some were reluctant to jump on that bandwagon.

"Three out of four experts said our use … Read more