A research team is developing EarEcho, a biometric tool that uses modified wireless earbuds to authenticate smartphone users via the unique geometry of their ear canal. A prototype of the system proved roughly 95% effective.
Read moreTo process information, photons must interact. However, these tiny packets of light want nothing to do with each other, each passing by without altering the other. Now, researchers have coaxed photons into interacting with one another with unprecedented efficiency — a key advance toward realizing long-awaited quantum optics technologies for computing, communication and remote sensing.
Read moreFilms of platinum only two atoms thick supported by graphene could enable fuel cell catalysts with unprecedented catalytic activity and longevity, according to a new study.
Read moreResearchers have built and demonstrated the first hardware for a probabilistic computer, a possible way to bridge the gap between classical and quantum computing.
Read moreIt sounds like science fiction: controlling electronic devices with brain waves. But researchers have developed a new type of electroencephalogram (EEG) electrode that can do just that, without the sticky gel required for conventional electrodes. Even better, the devices work through a full head of hair. The researchers now report on the flexible electrodes, which could someday be used in brain-computer interfaces to drive cars or move artificial limbs.
Read moreData centers are processing data and dispensing the results at astonishing rates and such robust systems require a significant amount of energy — so much energy, in fact, that information communication technology is projected to account for 20% of total energy consumption in the United States by 2020. To answer this demand, a team of researchers have developed a framework to reduce energy consumption while improving efficiency.
Read moreResearchers have made an important design discovery that could dramatically improve the performance of a key material used to coat touch screens and other devices.
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Researchers have developed soft robotic devices driven by neuromuscular tissue that triggers when stimulated by light — bringing mechanical engineering one step closer to developing autonomous biobots.
Physicists have identified how to distinguish between true and 'fake' Majorana states in one of the most commonly used experimental setups, by means of supercurrent measurements. This theoretical study is a crucial step for advancing the field of topological superconductors and applications of Majorana states for robust quantum computers. New experiments testing this approach are expected next.
Read moreSemiconductors — and our mastery of them — have enabled us to develop the technology that underpins our modern society. These devices are responsible for a wide range of electronics, including circuit boards, computer chips and sensors.
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