Our inevitable incorporation into the gray goo inches ever closer today, as researchers in Japan have developed a chemical brain that can control up to eight nanomachines -- and one day could control thousands. The "brain" is actually a ring of 17 duroquinone molecules, which together measure just two nanometers across. Each molecule can be rotated to four different positions, controlled by the state of the center molecule. In tests, researchers were able to simultaneously control eight nanomachines using the brain, compelling them to dock and undock from the brain. The structure of the brain also means up to 4 billion possible configurations can be switched simply by manipulating one molecule, which may eventually give rise to computing applications -- but those are limited for now, since issuing instructions involves the use of scanning tunnel microscopy. That's a relief -- gray was never really our color anyway.

Why is Nokia always trying to outdo everyone with its fancy-schmancy concepts and designs? Why can't they just get in line and keep it simple? We may never know the answer to those questions, but what we do know is that the company is presenting a new concept device called the Morph that would be right at home... in the year 3000. The unit is included in the MoMA's "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition catalog, and boasts the ability to stretch and flex to almost any shape a user could think of. The nanotechnology-based device would deliver transparent electronics, self-cleaning surfaces, and the malleability to transform into any number of configurations. Of course, the actual technology required to put this together is years or even decades away, though Nokia expects to see some of these innovations making their way into high-end products within seven years. See the device doing its thing in some photos after the break.

Update: Tipster Pdexter pointed us to a video of the Morph in "action" -- check it out after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

It's really too bad nanotechnology is so gosh darn morally unacceptable, it could do so much good for humanity! Take this new wiperless windshield, for instance. Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina, the Hidra features an aerodynamic design, and a bit of a nanotech sandwich (mmm, sandwich) to keep the front glass clear of water and debris. The first layer protects from sun and repels water, the second layer features "nano-dust" to push dirt to the edges of the windshield and is activated by the third layer which senses the dirt, while the whole kit is powered by the fourth layer which conducts electricity to keep it going. The tech could be ready for mass production within 5 years, but there's already a working prototype in the Hidra concept car.

[Via Sparking Tech, thanks Nicole]

Given the fact that most of the nanotech developments we've seen have to do with making smaller transistors or generating electricity, we're not exactly sure why a recent study conducted by the researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that two-thirds of American think nanotechnology is "morally unacceptable" -- perhaps they didn't hear about that team that used nanotech to inscribe the Bible on the head of a pin? Overall, Americans were far less accepting of pint-size technology than other countries -- 72 percent of French respondents thought nanotech was morally okay, as did 54 percent of the UK residents polled and 62 percent of the Germans. Still, we're left wondering why anyone would find a reason to object to nanotechnology -- unlike biotech, we just don't see a lot of moral dilemmas posed by the research. Well, apart from that whole gray goo thing -- but if that's the risk we have to take to finally score a pair of electric pants, you can sign us right up.

Stanford claims its latest advances in silicon nanowires have it building batteries with 10 times the capacity of existing Li-ion cells. Apparently people have been trying to stuff silicon -- which has a much higher capacity than existing materials -- into a battery for decades, but since it swells when charged with positively charged lithium and shrinks during use, the silicon has a tendency to "pulverize." Who knew batteries could be so dramatic? Oh, right. The advancement at Stanford, led by Yi Cui, builds the battery in the form of silicon nanowires, giving the silicon room to grow and shrink without damage. A patent is being filed, and Yi Cui is already considering forming a company or licensing the tech to a manufacturer.

We've seen some interesting nanotech power concepts in the past, but researchers at UCLA have gone back to basics and developed a printable nanotech version of a traditional battery they say could power other printed, flexible nanotech devices. The batteries, which are less than a millimeter thin, feature the same zinc-carbon makeup as traditional rechargeables, but are made by depositing thin layers of zinc and manganese oxide over a layer of nanotubes. Sadly, tech isn't producing usable amounts of power yet, but lead scientist George Gruner says the simplicity of the underlying tech should make it easy to solve that problem. Damn straight -- we're not giving up till we get a pair of electric underpants to call our own.

[Image courtesy of CNano]

Wired has a write-up of a new storage technology developed at Arizona State University that could produce flash thumb drives capable of storing terabytes of data in the near future, that also happens to be cheaper and more energy efficient than flash memory. The new technology has been branded programmable metallization cell, and differs from present storage technologies in that it "creates nanowires from copper atoms the size of a virus to record binary ones and zeros." It all sounds very interesting -- if slightly too optimistic -- to us, and we'll get to find out relatively soon just how effective the new chips are: Arizona State's business arm has licensed the technology to three companies, which may be ready to sell a product containing the chips within 18 months. Watch this space.

MIT researchers have begun using bio-engineered viruses to build nanomaterials with wide-ranging applications, like thin battery fibers that may one day be woven directly into clothing. The process, which is being developed by Professor Angela Belcher and her team, has gained the interest of the US military for its potential in creating new types of sensors, solar cells, and batteries, as part of future combat gear. There's still a way to go, however -- right now all the virus-built fibers really do is glow red under ultraviolet, but Belcher is confident her "directed evolution" development technique will allow her viral construction crew to build more sophisticated fibers soon. Here's hoping -- we'd kill to recharge our devices with some stylin' battery-pants.

We're not going to front like we understand exactly how it works, but two IBM researchers in California have announced that they've gotten closer to controlling the orientation and magnetic spin of individual iron atoms on a copper surface, which would have huge implications for nanotech storage -- imagine the basic tech in your hard drive shrunk down the molecular level. At the same time, a different set of IBM researchers in Switzerland have discovered a way to make individual molecules act like "switches" without altering the framework of the molecule, which could lead to molecular logic circuits. IBM is reluctant to even hypothesize ways these discoveries could be applied -- Andreas Heinrich, one of the California scientists, compared such speculation to asking the same question to "people in the '70s, where they had a roomful of computing equipment that could basically do what you can do nowadays on your cell phone" -- but we're not so shy: this obviously means we're closer to a 1TB flash iPhone. You heard it here first.

[Via Yahoo!]

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology are in the process of developing a nanogenerator, a tiny device which produces energy from flowing blood, constricting blood vessels, or beating hearts. Researchers say that the devices could be used to power implantable biomedical electronics, or might be employed in biosensing, environmental monitoring, and personal electronics. The nanodevices generate power while warm-chillin' in bodily fluids or "other liquids," using ultrasonic waves as their energy source. Now if we can just combine this with the bloodstream bot, our self-powered swarm of robotic terror will be complete.

[Via Physorg]

We've already seen molecular elevators, keypad locks, and even spiders, but a team of scientists at the University of Tokyo have now further expanded our pint-sized toolkit, crafting a pair of molecular scissors for those hard to reach places. Apparently, the scientists used rings of carbon and hydrogen for the blades, with a "chiral ferrocene" molecule supplying the pivot point, and couple of "phenylene groups" acting as handles -- all of which adds up to to a mere three nanometers in length. To manipulate the scissors, the scientists simply alternate between shining visible light and UV rays to open and close 'em. According to LiveScience, the team's now working on a slightly larger pair of clippers that can be operated remotely, potentially for use inside the human body -- which is only a somewhat less scary prospect than a swarm of nanobots being let loose for a little autonomous repair work.

Though we're guessing ink-jet cartridges are foremost on its mind, HP's new flexible circuits could make adaptable microchips possible at the consumer level, opening up whole new worlds of computer use and weird new hacker exploitations. Just like everything else new and hip these days, the new chips involve a few "nano" buzzwords, but instead of going for a full-on molecular computer like many current researchers are doing, HP is taking a bit of a hybrid approach. The new HP design uses a traditional silicon-based chip, with a mesh of nanowire switches on top. The nanowires provide flexibility to the chip, allowing it to adapt to tasks or be upgraded to a new wireless spec, but the silicon still does all the heavy lifting. Plus, the molecular switches don't draw any power except when switching from one state to another, so overall power consumption is reduced. The design is pretty much finished, so right now the HP researchers are building the first prototype, and should be finished by the end of the year. As far off as that may seem -- and there's no telling how long it will take to commercialize this once the prototype is finished -- it sounds like these guys are well ahead of other molecular computing projects, and should provide a nice stopgap for expanding computer performance while we wait for full-on molecular processors to start bumping our FPS frame rates.

Israel thinks that the best way to think big is to think small. Reuters reports that the country will be researching the use of nanotechnology to fight militants within its borders over the next few years. Among the proposed projects are a set of "super gloves" that would give the wearer the power of a "bionic man," as well as tiny sensors to find suicide bombers. However, our favorite is a "bionic hornet" -- no bigger than a real hornet -- which would have the ability to "chase, photograph and kill its targets." While the bionic hornet hasn't actually been built yet, Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said that prototypes for the new weapons could be expected by 2010. Americans, don't worry, we've already got our own insect cyborgs, attack dolphins, spy turtles and remote-controlled sharks underway, which should be ready within three years to counter any sissy hornets, bionic or otherwise.

It's not often we see the latest in nanotech coming out of French fashion houses, but Avelana and Roudière have gone and thrown expectations for a loop, announcing the Klimeo thermo-regulating fabric. Supposedly, the nano-enhanced fabric will automatically adjust to suit your environs, keeping you warm when its chilly and cool when the temperature rises. Just as importantly, it also won't cramp your style, seamlessly blending into a variety of different fabrics suitable for everyday wear. The magic ingredient is, of course, nanotechnology -- specifically, microcapsules grafted onto the fabric that change from a solid state when it's cold to a liquid state when it's warm. We somehow doubt that'll be enough to keep us nice and toasty in nothing but jeans and a tee come February, but that won't stop us from trying.

[Via Gizmag]

You know how your mother told you to wipe your mouth after you eat? Well, if you're afraid that your eating area is infested with biohazards, you may find yourself wiping a lot more in the near future. Researchers at Cornell University announced last week that a "biodegradable absorbent wipe" is in the works, which would signal -- possibly through a color change -- if the surface it touches is infested with bacteria, viruses, or other "dangerous substances" by employing embedded nanofibers. Prof. Margaret Frey of Cornell says that this napkin is still "a few years away" from being available to the public -- so in the meantime, you may still want to use that e-nose to detect bugs that infect your bagged spinach food supply.

[Via Sci Fi Tech]