Science and Tech: Team improves solar-cell efficiency

 New light has been shed on solar power generation using devices made with polymers, thanks to a collaboration between scientists in the University of Chicago's chemistry department, the Institute for Molecular Engineering, and Argonne National Laboratory.

Researchers identified a new polymer—a type of large molecule that forms plastics and other familiar materials—which improved the efficiency of solar cells. The group also determined the method by which the polymer improved the cells' efficiency. The polymer allowed electrical charges to move more easily throughout the cell, boosting the production of electricity—a mechanism never before demonstrated in such devices.

"Polymer solar cells have great potential to provide low-cost, lightweight and flexible electronic devices to harvest solar energy," said Luyao Lu, graduate student in chemistry and lead author of a paper describing the result, published online last month in the journal Nature Photonics.

Solar cells made from polymers are a popular topic of research due to their appealing properties. But researchers are still struggling to efficiently generate electrical power with these materials.

"The field is rather immature—it's in the infancy stage," said Luping Yu, professor in chemistry, fellow in the Institute for Molecular Engineering, who led the UChicago group carrying out the research.

The active regions of such solar cells are composed of a mixture of polymers that give and receive electrons to generate electrical current when exposed to light. The new polymer developed by Yu's group, called PID2, improves the efficiency of electrical power generation by 15 percent when added to a standard polymer-fullerene mixture

read more at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-team-solar-cell-efficiency.html

SAREE TYPES

SAREE TYPES

Sarees are made from many different types of materials and decorated with many different styles of embroidery. The different types of materials all create different textures and styles of drapes and therefore very much shapes the overall look of the saree. The embroidery must also match the material of the saree.

Georgette Sarees

One of the most common materials used for modern sarees is georgette. This is a reasonably sheer lightweight fabric which is slightly heavier and less opaque then chiffon. This makes georgette sarees ideal for creating pleats and creates an elegant saree drape. Georgette is often made of silk or polyester and has a slightly springy quality which makes it move on it's own. This is again ideal for the saree pleats when walking and the saree drape.

On a georgette sari you can have both lighter and heavier types of embroidery and any type of print. A versatile sari and Indian suit material.

Chiffon Sarees

Chiffon is a material which gives an elegant floating appearance to any outfit and especially to the Indian sari. A chiffon sari, being so elegant is ideal for evening wear.

Chiffon is a sheer lightweight fabric which creates a lightweight sari which is suited to both light and heavier embroidery.

Chiffon can be made from silk, nylon or polyester.

Silk Sarees

Silk is a material famously associated with the Indian sari. Traditionally silk sarees have been considered a sign of wealth.

Silk sarees these days are less common although silk sarees still create a real look of elegance and are often simple and light to manage. Silk sarees have a natural shine which is great for showcasing traditional Indian prints.

Crepe sarees

Crepe is an increasingly popular material used for both sarees and in Indian fashion in general. Crepe is a woven or knitted fabric and often regarded as a luxurious material. Crepe sarees have a great drape and fall, again making crepe sarees perfect for evening wear.

Cotton Sarees

Cotton sarees are often light-weight and easy care sarees. Cotton sarees are normally associated with a more casual sari style.

Bandhani Sarees

The bandhani sari can be traced back to it's roots in Rajasthan and Gujarat in India. The bandhani print in both Indian fashion and Indian sarees has seen a recent revival.

Bandhani sarees and prints are recognisable by their distinct tie-dye print and bright colours used.

Designer Sarees & Exclusive Sarees

Designer and exclusive sarees are sarees that are not mass produced and have a more Indian haute couture feel. The sarees often have more intricate, heavier detailed embroidery and/or use more unusual cuts and designs.

Designer sari blouses often have more detailed and heavily embroidery and can be ready-made with modern cut blouses.

These types of sarees are usually regarded as high Indian fashion and reflect the latest Indian & Asian fashion.

Bollywood Sarees

Bollywood sarees are simply based on the current Bollywood styles seen in recent Bollywood movies. Bollywood movies and Bollywood fashion have a big following around the world and a Bollywood sari reflects this interest.

Wedding Sarees & Bridal Sarees

A bridal sari is worn by the Asian or Indian Bride on her wedding or engagement. Indian Bridal sarees or Asian Bridal sarees often have very intricate, heavy detailed embroidery.

Science and tech: Quick-change materials break the silicon speed limit for computers

Silicon city. Credit: Oliver Hammond via flickr

Faster, smaller, greener computers, capable of processing information up to 1,000 times faster than currently available models, could be made possible by replacing silicon with materials that can switch back and forth between different electrical states.

The present size and speed limitations of computer processors and memory could be overcome by replacing silicon with 'phase-change materials' (PCMs), which are capable of reversibly switching between two structural phases with different electrical states – one crystalline and conducting and the other glassy and insulating – in billionths of a second.

Modelling and tests of PCM-based devices have shown that logic-processing operations can be performed in non-volatile memory cells using particular combinations of ultra-short voltage pulses, which is not possible with silicon-based devices.

In these new devices, logic operations and memory are co-located, rather than separated, as they are in silicon-based computers. These materials could eventually enable processing speeds between 500 and 1,000 times faster than the current average laptop computer, while using less energy. The results are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The processors, designed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Singapore A*STAR Data-Storage Institute and the Singapore University of Technology and Design, use a type of PCM based on a chalcogenide glass, which can be melted and recrystallized in as little as half a nanosecond (billionth of a second) using appropriate voltage pulses.

The calculations performed by most computers, mobile phones and tablets are carried out by silicon-based logic devices. The solid-state memory used to store the results of such calculations is also silicon-based. "However, as demand for faster computers continues to increase, we are rapidly reaching the limits of silicon's capabilities," said Professor Stephen Elliott of Cambridge's Department of Chemistry, who led the research.

The primary method of increasing the power of computers has previously been to increase the number of logic devices which they contain by progressively reducing the size of the devices, but physical limitations for current device architectures mean that this is quickly becoming nearly impossible to continue.

Currently, the smallest logic and memory devices based on silicon are about 20 nanometres in size – approximately 4000 times thinner than a human hair - and are constructed in layers. As the devices are made ever smaller in order to increase their numbers on a chip, eventually the gaps between the layers will get so small that electrons which are stored in certain regions of flash non-volatile memory devices will be able to tunnel out of the device, resulting in data loss. PCM devices can overcome this size-scaling limit since they have been shown to function down to about two nanometres.

read more at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-quick-change-materials-silicon-limit.html

News:4.93 million Gmail passwords leaked by hackers

4.93 million Gmail passwords leaked by hackers

Russian hackers have leaked the email IDs and passwords of as many as 4.93 million Google accounts. The same Google account password is used across all Google products, such as Gmail, Drive, Plus, YouTube, Maps etc.

The account details have been posted on bitcoin forum btcsec.com by a user named Tvskit. On the forum, Tvskit has said that approximately 60% of the passwords are still active.


Google in a blog post, however, refuted the claim and said that only 2% of the passwords still work and also said that its automated anti-hijacking systems would have blocked many of the login attempts.



While acknowledging the leak, Google said that this is not due to a breach in its own systems.

It said: "Often, these credentials are obtained through a combination of other sources. For instance, if you reuse the same username and password across websites, and one of those websites gets hacked, your credentials could be used to log into the others. Or attackers can use malware or phishing schemes to capture login credentials."

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Scientists-hack-into-Gmail-with-92-accuracy/articleshow/40688726.cms

New iPhone Sizes Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5

New iPhone Sizes

Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5, the new iPhone 6 is just smaller, and the 6 Plus just larger.

Tech News:Micromax Android One smartphone launch postponed to September 15

Micromax Android One smartphone launch postponed to September 15

The new dual-SIM Android One handset will feature a 4.5-inch display and also come with a leather stitched back panel. Reports state that Micromax Android One will be powered by 1.5 GHZ Quad-core processor, coupled with 1GB of RAM.

Micromax Android One smartphone is fuelled with 1750 mAh battery and its price is estimated to be below Rs 10,000.

Tech News: first Android One smartphone could launch by Micromax today

first Android One smartphone  could launch by Micromax today

Micromax is expected to unveil a new smartphone today, which could be the first Android One device to launch in India. With Android One, we can expect low-cost smartphones that will perform better than existing low-cost Androids, since the software will be coming straight from Google.

 

The phone is expected to be priced around Rs 7,000 and will be selling exclusively on Snapdeal from 2PM onwards. Ironically, Snapdeal says the phone won't 'discriminate' in a video teasing the phone's launch.

 

India is a huge market for low-cost devices and with Firefox OS and Android One foraying into this market, the race to bringing the most cost-effective smartphones is only going to get hotter.

 

Google has been working with Indian vendors to reduce costs in smartphone development by identifying parts that go into Android One smartphones and pre-selecting suppliers for the components. What really steals the deal is the fact that these phones will get the similar privileged treatment as Nexus devices when it comes to automatic software updates, and are nearly guaranteed to get the Android L update when it becomes available.

 

Not only are Micromax and Karbonn part of Google's plans, but Android One devices will also be produced by Intex, Celkon and Spice. Google is aiming for a sub-$100 price tag for Android One, though eventually this may be stretched a little more.

Read more:http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/micromax-could-launch-first-android-one-smartphone-today-232852.html

Tech News: GM to offer connected car, automated driving technology in 2016

GM to offer connected car, automated driving technology in 2016

GM will introduce more advanced technology allowing hands-free driving in some cases, she said.

"I'm convinced customers will embrace (vehicle-to-vehicle) and automated driving technologies for one simple reason: they are the answer to everyday problems that people want solved," she said in a text of a speech delivered at a conference here.

Auto companies, academics and government agencies globally are working to develop cameras, sensors, radar and other technologies that allow vehicles and surrounding infrastructure like stoplights to alert each other about nearby driving conditions.

The industry is rolling out such features as adaptive cruise control, crash-imminent braking and semi-automated, hands-free driving like GM's 'Super Cruise' feature to make roads safer.

However, GM and other automakers have emphasized that even with hands-free driving, drivers will be responsible and need to maintain attention on the road. Meanwhile, Internet search company Google Inc (GOOGL.O) is working to develop fully autonomous vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has made developing connected car technologies a high priority, a view shared in Japan and Europe. And when cars can also talk to surrounding infrastructure, the gains will be exponential, Barra said.

However, she said commercializing a fully automated vehicle may take until the next decade.

Congestion causes urban Americans to travel 5.5 billion more hours and purchase an extra 2.9 billion gallons of fuel each year, she said, citing outside data.

In 2016, GM will sell a 2017 model Cadillac CTS sedan standardly equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle technology. However, the car can only communicate with similarly equipped vehicles and it will take time for the industry to introduce the technology broadly, GM officials said before Barra's speech.

They added that U.S. regulators still need to finalize requirements for these technologies and cyber security protections need to be developed.

Also in 2016, GM will roll out Super Cruise as an option allowing hands-free highway driving at both highway and stop-and-go speeds, as well as lane following, speed control and braking in a new, unidentified 2017 Cadillac model in a segment where the company does not currently compete.

GM did not disclose either feature's cost, or timing on offering them on the No. 1 U.S. automaker's other brands.

GM will introduce the connected CTS sedan and the unnamed Cadillac with the Super Cruise feature in the United States.

In 1956, GM showed the Pontiac Firebird II concept that included a system to work with an electrical wire embedded in the highway to guide the car. Three years later, the rocket-like Cadillac Cyclone concept boasted an autopilot system that steered the car, and radar in front nose cones that warned of a collision and automatically applied the brakes.

Barra said the U.S. Congress can help develop vehicle-to-infrastructure communication with funding in the next federal transportation bill.

She also said GM is joining the University of Michigan and the state of Michigan to develop vehicle-to-infrastructure driving corridors on 120 miles (193 km) of metro Detroit roadways. State officials said Ford Motor Co (F.N) is also part of the effort.

Read More:http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/07/us-gm-connectedcar-idUSKBN0H20TP20140907

Science and Tech: AMD FX-8370 Claims New CPU frequency World Record

At 8722.78 MHz, the FX-8370 shatters the previous CPU frequency record, also held by AMD FX

AMD on  9/2/2014 , in another record-setting performance of its AMD FX series processors, set a new world record for silicon processor speed according to the HWBOT.org ranking. Leveraging the powerful 'Piledriver' x86 core architecture, famed Finnish overclocker "The Stilt" pushed the envelope of silicon overclocking¹ to the extreme.

"World-record frequencies are just a start. The AMD FX series of processors will enable an unrivaled enthusiast PC experience – extreme multi-display gaming and HD content creation," said Bernd Lienhard, corporate vice president and general manager, Client Business Unit, AMD. "Enthusiasts can experience seamless multitasking and unleash the real capabilities of multi-threaded applications with additional enthusiast performance-tuning features unlocked as standard."

AMD also introduced new speed- and power-optimized AMD FX Series CPUs to push the boundaries of value and efficiency in high-performance desktops. The new 125W AMD FX-8370 CPU and power-optimized 95W AMD FX-8370E and FX-8320E processors all feature 8 native CPU cores for productivity at superior price points.

read more at

http://www.amd.com/en-us/press-releases/Pages/amd-fx-8370-2014sep02.aspx?sp_rid=NzQwMTUzNTM2NjMS1&sp_mid=21393923&spMailingID=21393923&spUserID=NzQwMTUzNTM2NjMS1&spJobID=400269887&spReportId=NDAwMjY5ODg3S0

Science and Tech :Algolux tackles optics challenges in smartphones

Algolux is a company aiming to tackle blurring problems through computational optics. Algolux said its efforts are presently focused on smartphones and tablets. One can appreciate how this company sees their technology attracting interest in this way. The technology allows for lens designs to be less complex, smaller, lighter and cheaper which would be especially interesting in smartphone imaging where space is at a premium, said Connect, a website on mobile photography technology. The company tells site visitors that "Our computational optics enable better pictures, thinner cameras and cheaper optics." The technology allows manufacturers' devices to capture clearer pictures with their existing equipment, including in low-light conditions. Also, the quantity and quality of optical elements needed are diminished; manufacturers can obtain desirable results at a lower cost.

Traditional optics have hit a wall, according to the company. Their size can no longer be reduced significantly for cameras inside thin devices such as smartphones and tablets."Lenses in smart devices are small and plastic (for the most part), and do not have the quality of a full-sized optical system, especially for low-light and night-time pictures. As sensors and pixels get smaller, the probability of blur and other aberrations in pictures increases."

read more at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-algolux-tackles-optics-smartphones.html

Japan's Kei Nishikori became the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam final :Federer, Djokovic both lose in US Open semifinals

Kei Nishikori, of Japan, reacts after defeating Novak Djokovic, of
Serbia, during the semifinals of the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament,
Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)


Roger Federer could not pull off another big escape at the U.S. Open,
losing 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals Saturday against Croatia's Marin
Cilic.

It was the second significant surprise of the day, coming after Novak
Djokovic was beaten 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 by Japan's Kei Nishikori, who
became the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam singles final.

Instead of the No. 1-seeded Djokovic against the No. 2-seeded Federer --
who have combined to win 24 major championships -- in Monday's final, it
will be No. 10 Nishikori against No. 14 Cilic, neither of whom has ever
appeared in a Grand Slam title match.

"It's just amazing, an amazing feeling beating the No. 1 player,"
Nishikori said during an on-court interview.

He had played five-set marathons in his last two matches totaling more
than 8½ hours, yet he looked far fresher than a player known as one of
the fittest on tour.

"He just played better in these conditions than I did," Djokovic said.

Under coach Michael Chang, the 1989 French Open champ, the 24-year-old
Nishikori has sharpened his mental game to pull out victories like these.

"We've been working super well," Nishikori said, referring to Chang and
co-coach Dante Bottini. "That's why I'm here."

The midday sun beat down on Arthur Ashe Stadium and a thermometer on
court showed the temperature nearing 100 degrees (37 Celsius), not
counting the humidity of close to 70 percent. Nishikori closed this one
out in 2 hours, 52 minutes.

Djokovic, who had reached the last four U.S. Open finals, outlasted
two-time major champ Andy Murray in four long, tough sets in the
quarters. But he never looked comfortable Saturday and spent much of the
match scrambling around the court as Nishikori dictated points.

"Just wasn't myself," Djokovic said.

In the third-set tiebreaker, Djokovic had four unforced errors and a
double-fault. Nishikori then broke to open the final set, and Djokovic
wasted three break points in the next game.

Nishikori converted 5 of 7 break points, while Djokovic was just 4 for 13.

"Other than that second set, my game today was not even close to what I
wanted it to be," Djokovic said. "A lot of unforced errors, a lot of
short balls."

Chang, the New Jersey-born son of Taiwanese immigrants, knows a thing or
two about groundbreaking victories. At age 17, he became the youngest
man to win a Grand Slam title when he upset Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg
(now Federer's coach) at Roland Garros.

A severely infected right big toe forced Nishikori to miss tuneup events
before the U.S. Open, and he feared that his lack of conditioning would
make for a short stay at Flushing Meadows. Instead, he keeps sticking
around -- on the court and in the tournament.

"I guess I love to play long matches," he said with a grin.

read more at
http://www.nbcsports.com/tennis/nishikori-stuns-djokovic-us-open-semifinals

Tech Update: Intel launches Core M family, targets 2-in-1 devices

Credit: Intel

Intel on Friday introduced its first three Core M processors. The commercial availability of Core M is big news for several reasons. Performance and battery life are its key strengths. What's more, this is the processor targeted for razor-thin, fanless designs—especially for powering up the newer two-in-one machines from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba—all of which will introduce the Core M processor, with some systems becoming available starting next month."The energy-efficient fifth-generation Core chips will enable fanless laptops that can be converted into tablets, and a handful of them are on the way," said CNET's Stephen Shankland on Friday. PCWorld explained that this positioning as regarding convertible two-in-ones that flip the screen back 180 degrees like the Lenovo Yoga; and at detachable two-in-ones, where the tablet portion undocks. The Core M is promoted as the most energy-efficient Core processor in the company's history, "at a power-sipping 4.5 watts," said Intel. The Core M processor package at 4.5 watts has 60 percent lower thermal power than the previous generation.

Digital Trends made note of the size difference. "The size of the hardware has decreased significantly too. The new Core M parts measure 30 x 16.5 x 1.05 millimeters thick. By comparison, fourth-generation Intel Core chips measure 40 x 24 x 1.5 millimeters."

The battery-life story tops previous attempts to stand out in battery improvements "The Intel Core M processor and platform power reductions raise the bar on battery life even higher," said the company. The Intel Core M processor can handle more than eight hours of video play, a 20 percent (1.7 hours) longer battery life compared with the previous-generation Intel Core processor and double the battery life of the average four-year-old PC.

read more http://phys.org/news/2014-09-intel-core-family-in-devices.html

Smartphone wars in India: Google's Android One makes Google a foe..!

Google Inc's partnership with three Indian phone makers is set to rev up
fast-growing demand for lower priced smartphones, and spell more trouble
for Samsung Electronics which is rapidly losing share in emerging markets.

Micromax Infomatics Ltd, Karbonn Mobiles and Spice Group are the first
phone manufacturers to sign up for Google's Android One initiative,
which provides specifications for key hardware parts. Some of the new
phones are due to hit the market this month.

The aim is a vast improvement in quality that would lead to a surge in
demand for low-end Android phones. Currently many cheap emerging market
smartphones run different and somewhat customised versions of the
Android operating system, which along with the many variations in
hardware make apps on those phones prone to glitches.

While Google plans to push Android One globally, India, the world's
third-biggest and fastest growing smartphone market, offers fertile
ground for immediate results. Many Indians are buying a smartphone for
the first time and a strong reception for Android One could promote
common standards and consolidation in a market where more than 80
smartphone companies operate.

But any boom for higher-quality low-cost smartphones in India and other
price conscious markets has the potential to exert intense pricing
pressure on Samsung. The South Korean firm uses a customised version of
the Android operating system but focuses on higher-margin offerings like
its Galaxy S series.

"A major threat for Samsung is that Android One will accelerate the race
to the bottom on smartphone pricing," said Neil Mawston, a UK-based
analyst at Strategy Analytics.

"Android One now makes Google a foe, not just a friend, for Samsung."

A major strategy rethink for low to mid-tier products is now in order
for the world's biggest phone maker and top seller in India, analysts
say, particularly as Samsung is also losing share to Apple Inc at the
higher-end.

read more
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/smartphone-wars-in-india-googles-android-one-adds-to-samsungs-worries/articleshow/41589548.cms