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iPhone nano fake available in China
Apple may never introduce an iPhone nano, but that's not keeping the knockoff manufacturers in China from creating them. The phone was discovered by a writer for Giz-China.com, who was checking out a Lenovo tablet when he spied the mini-iPhone 4 clone. While unable to get exact dimensions of the device, the writer said that it "easily fits in to the palm of my hand," and the photos show this iPhone nano fake to be about 2/3 the size of a true iPhone 4. Called the iPhone 4 Nano, this Shenzen-made product doesn't run iOS -- instead, it sports a Java-based OS that looks and acts remarkably like Apple's mobile operating system. It comes complete with a 1.3 Megapixel back camera and a front-facing camera, has a resistive touchscreen, and won't (of course) work with the App Store. While this phone retails for about US$58 without a contract, chances are slim that it will make it out of the Chinese market. Still, it would be fun to have a mini-me iPhone 4 to accompany your full-sized Apple smartphone. [via Ubergizmo]
Kenneth Cobonpue's biodegradable car: time to ditch the Gremlin rusting in your yard
Is there any sadder sight than a 1958 Plymouth Fury rotting in the woods, Christine-style, its dead headlights staring into the gloaming? We don't think so. That's why we're downright giddy over Kenneth Cobonpue's Phoenix roadster, a biodegradable concept car made from bamboo, rattan, steel and nylon. Style wise, it's propped somewhere between Tata's Nano and Tesla's Roadster, and there's no word yet on what might go under the hood -- presumably a smallish electric engine... or a stardust-powered unicorn, perhaps. That funky-looking body should last the average length of ownership; after five years (or even longer, depending on the composition), it can be replaced or naturally returned to the Ma Earth. One potential downside of biodegradable vehicles? No more "dead car" Flickr albums. Also, no warranties.
IBM shows off 155GHz graphene transistor in the name of DARPA research
IBM might be cautious about touting graphene as a a silicon killer, but that hasn't stopped it from pushing the production of ever faster graphene transistors. With the recent demonstration of a 155GHz graphene transistor, the firm successfully outdid its previous record-setting efforts, which produced a cut-off frequency of 100GHz. What's more, the thing is also IBM's smallest to date, with a gate length of 40 nanometers; that's 200 nanometers less than the 100GHz iteration. This smaller, faster transistor was produced as part of a DARPA research project that aims to develop high-performance RF (radio frequency) transistors. So, no, we probably won't be seeing the things in our PCs anytime soon, but it looks like they could be right at home in war machines of the future.
iPod nano rumored to get a camera
The latest rumor out of Asia suggests the iPod nano may keep its boxy shape and get its camera back. Those who keep track of the history of Apple's popular MP3 player will remember the player got an integrated camera in 2009. These modifications were quickly removed in 2010 when the player dropped the camera and shrunk down to its current boxy, small size. The latest leaked photo from Taiwanese Mac Blog, Apple.pro, supposedly shows the casing for the seventh generation iPod nano. Merging the best of both worlds, this next iPod nano may keep the boxy shape of its predecessor and make room for a rear-facing camera. If history is any indication, we will get official confirmation of this rumor at Apple's iPod and iTunes-themed event held in the fall. [Via Cnet]
Logitech ratchets up the competition with M325 wireless mouse
You know that pseudo-tactile feeling you get when you fondle your mouse's clicky scroll wheel, the one that satisfies your obsessive need to touch everything? Logitech wants to give you more clicks, and smoother scrolling to boot. This M325 wireless mouse's new "micro-precise" scroll wheel features 72 tiny ratchets, making our self-counted 22-ratchet mouse wheel seem downright barbaric by comparison -- not that we ever really considered the number of teeth our mice had before now. The rodent's 18-month battery life won't quite live up to your 2-year Couch Mouse, but at least they can share a Logitech Unifying Receiver. Your scroll wheel of tomorrow can be had for $40 later this month, or £30 right now for lucky folks in the UK.
Nanogenerators produce electricity by squeezing your fingers together, while you dance
It's been a while since we last heard about nanogenerators -- you know, those insanely tiny fibers that could potentially be woven into your hoodie to juice up your smartphone. Dr. Zhong Lin Wang of the Georgia Institute of Technology has reported that he and his team of Einsteins constructed nanogenerators with enough energy to potentially power LCDs, LEDs and laser diodes by moving your various limbs. These micro-powerhouses -- strands of piezoelectric zinc oxide, 1 / 500 the width of a single hair strand -- can generate electrical charges when flexed or strained. Wang and his team of researchers shoved a collection of their nanogenerators into a chip 1 / 4 the size of a stamp, stacked five of them on top of one another and can pinch the stack between their fingers to generate the output of two standard AA batteries -- around 3 volts. Although it's not much, we're super excited at this point in development -- imagine how convenient to charge your phone in your pocket sans the bulky battery add-ons. And that's only one application of this technology. Yea, we know.
Carbon nanotubes used to more easily detect cancer cells, HIV
Cancer's not slowing its march to ruining as many lives as it possibly can, so it's always pleasing to hear of any new developments that act as hurdles. The latest in the world of disease-prevention comes from Harvard University, where researches have created a dime-sized carbon nanotube forest (read: lots of nanotubes, like those shown above) that can be used to trap cancer cells when blood passes through. A few years back, Mehmet Toner, a biomedical engineering professor at Harvard, created a device similar to the nano-forest that was less effective because silicon was used instead of carbon tubes. Today, Toner has teamed up with Brian Wardle, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, who together have redesigned the original microfluid device to work eight times more efficiently than its predecessor. The carbon nanotubes make diagnosis a fair bit simpler, largely because of the antibodies attached to them that help trap cancer cells as they pass through -- something that's being tailored to work with HIV as well. Things are starting to look moderately promising for cancer-stricken individuals, as hospitals have already began using the original device to detect malignant cells and ultimately prevent them from spreading -- here's hoping it's qualified for mass adoption sooner rather than later.
Silicine might be the new graphene, now that it's been physically constructed
Surely you've heard of graphene, the one-atom-thick layer of pencil lead that has the potential to change the world of computers, batteries and screens? You might want to familiarize yourself with the term "silicine," too. It's basically a version of graphene constructed out of silicon, which doesn't naturally align itself into the same eminently useful honeycomb shape -- but, given a little prod here and a layer of silver or ceramic compound there, can do much the same thing, and with better computing compatibility. First proposed around 2007, it's reportedly been produced twice now by two different teams, which gives physicists hope that it could actually be useful some day. For now, researchers need to figure out a way to easily produce it so detailed experiments can be performed -- from what we understand, the good ol' scotch tape method just won't do the job.
Researchers produce cheaper, 'cooler' semiconductor nanowires
Advances in nanowires may occur on a pretty regular basis these days, but this new development out of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems could have a particularly big impact on one all-important area: cost. As PhysOrg reports, manufacturing semiconducter nanowires at an industrial scale is currently very expensive because they need to be produced at extremely high temperatures (600 to 900 degrees Celsius), and the process used to manufacture them generally uses pure gold as a catalyst, which obviously adds to the cost. This new process, however, can use inexpensive materials like aluminum as a catalyst, and it can produce crystalline semiconductor nanowires at temperatures of just 150 degrees Celsius. Of course, that's all still only being done in the lab at the moment, and there's no indication as to when it might actually be more widely used.
University of Twente's new lens reveals the sub-100nm level with visible light
Small is beautiful, but only when you can see it. Specifically, we're talking about nanostructures -- including cellular organelles and nanoelectronic circuits -- around the order of 100nm. The problem is with a microscope, visible light only takes us down to a resolution of 200nm at best, and it's not always ideal to use conventional methods to boost the resolution -- you'd either have to dope the subject with fluorescent dye or use highly delicate equipment. Thankfully, the University of Twente has come up with a new type of lens that would solve this problem: in a nutshell, a nanoparticle is placed on one side of the gallium phosphide lens, while the other side -- disorderedly etched with acid -- takes in a precisely modulated laser beam and scatters it into a focal point of your choice. Sure, this sounds bizarre and ironic, but apparently the modulation is controlled in such a way that the scattered beam focuses much tighter than an ordinary beam would using an ordinary lens. Have a look at the comparison shots of some gold nanoparticles after the break -- that's some sweet 97nm resolution right there for ya.
Scientists separate plasma from blood with working biochip
Disposable biotech sensors won't let you diagnose your own diseases quite yet, but we've taken the first step -- a research team spanning three universities has successfully prototyped a lab-on-a-chip. Called the Self-powered Integrated Microfluidic Blood Analysis System (or SIMBAS for short, thankfully), the device takes a single drop of blood and separates the cells from the plasma. There's no electricity, mechanics or chemical reactions needed here, just the work of gravity to pull the fluid through the tiny trenches and grooves, and it can take as little as ten minutes to produce a useful result. It's just the first of a projected series of devices to make malady detection fast, affordable and portable. Diagram after the break!
GE's new phase-change based thermal conductor could mean cooler laptops -- literally
It's no secret: if your laptop sits atop your lap for an extended period of time, you're going to get burned -- okay, so maybe not burned, but you're definitely going to feel the heat. Luckily GE has been working (under contract for DARPA) on a new phase-change based thermal conductor that promises to cool electronics twice as well as copper, at one-fourth the weight. The breakthrough means big things for those of us who'd like to make babies one day, but we doubt that's why DARPA's shelling out the big bucks -- the new material functions at 10 times normal gravity, making it a shoo-in for on-board computing systems in jetliners. Using "unique surface engineered coatings" that simultaneously attract and repel water, the new nanotechnology could mean not only lighter, cooler electronics, but also an increase in computing speeds. Goodbye scrotal hyperthermia, hello cool computing! Full PR after the break.
iPod nano updated, control music using Sleep/Wake button
The iPod nano software has been updated to allow users to control their music with the Sleep/Wake button. Specifically, there are two options: you can set the Sleep/Wake button to either skip to the next track or pause/play the current track with a double-click. Once the update is installed, you'll find the option by tapping Settings, then Music and finally Sleep/Wake button. Additionally, this update will let you turn the nano off completely. To do so, simply hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds. Note that if you turn the nano back on within 5 minutes, it will remember the most recent playlist and what was playing. What a smart little device. You'll find the the update by connecting your iPod nano to iTunes. Have fun!
Apple pushes software update for new iPod nano, still makes an iffy wristwatch
If you bought the new iPod nano to wear as a watch, well, more power to you. However, if you're a music junkie and purchased the PMP to actually consume media, you might be interested to know that Apple isn't only updating the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The company has just put out the first software update for the 6th generation nano, 1.1, which allows you to actually turn off the device -- nope, before this update there was no way of actually powering the thing down. In addition, you can now pause or play your music with the sleep/wake button. Sadly, that's about all this new software does. When will Apple make the nano cool for your wrist? The future looks bleak, friends.
Kickstarter-sponsored WALdok is a speaker dock that plugs into your wall
It takes quite a bit for me to be impressed with yet another speaker dock. I run my music through some pretty good PC speakers, so I don't really have a need for a separate speaker to play music directly from my iPhone. But something about the WALdok appeals to me. It's a tiny dock that plugs into the wall and gives you what sounds like a surprisingly powerful speaker anywhere you have an outlet. Combine it with the nano, as you can see above, and I think I might be sold on a tiny and simple solution for something like a workspace or a hobby room. The whole project is being funded through Kickstarter, which means it's just an idea that someone had and ran with. For pledging US$59 or more, you get access to one of the first units off the assembly line, and you get to read about the product as it's made and designed on the process blog. This definitely doesn't seem like just another dock. The project is aiming for $30,000; it's nailed down just over half of that so far, but I don't think they'll have a problem getting a few units out there to start.
Scientists grow nanolasers on silicon chips, prove microscopic blinkenlights are the future
What you see above may look like a nanoscale Obelisk of Light, ready to protect the tiny forces of Nod, but that's not it at all. It's a nanolaser, grown directly on a field of silicon by scientists at Berkeley. The idea is to rely on light to transmit data inside of computers, rather than physical connections, but until now finding a way to generate that light on a small enough scale to work inside circuitry without damaging it has been impossible. These indium gallium arsenide nanopillars could solve that, grown on and integrated within silicon without doing harm. Once embedded they emit light at a wavelength of 950nm, as shown in the video below. [Thanks, Paul]
HEX debuts iPod nano watch band compatible with Nike+
Sure, you can get a Nike+ SportsWatch, or a simply pair an iPod nano with Nike+, but those looking to use their iPod nano as a watch with Nike+ have so far been left with few options beyond the DIY route. Watch band-maker HEX now looks set to change that, however, with its new Sports Watch Band that's set to debut in April. As you can see above, there's not a whole lot too it -- just a reasonably stylish wristband with a "port" that's able to accommodate the Nike+ attachment. No word on a price just yet, nor is there any indication that it will come in colors other than white -- though that seems a safe bet if the company's previous watch band is any indication.
Nanoscale ropes braid themselves, tiny sailors still needed to tie tiny knots
While perhaps not being quite as useful as towels, ropes are might handy things to have. With them you can attach things to other things and, well, that's really their primary use. But what if those things are small? Really small. You need nanoropes of the sort created at the Molecular Foundry, braids that measure just 600 nanometers in diameter. A sheet of paper? About 100,000 nanometers thick. Perhaps even more interesting than their scale is how they were constructed, formed of polypeptoids that self-assemble into the coiling double helix you see above. Possible uses? Right now this is a part of experiments to create more complex nanoscale structures, but we could totally see them being used to, you know, tie tiny things together.
World's first room-temperature semiconductor plasmon nanolaser created by Berkeley scientists
We're big proponents of the idea that everything is better with lasers, and a team of researchers at UC Berkeley has created a new type of semiconductor plasmon nanolaser, or spaser, that could eventually find a home in many of your favorite devices. The big breakthrough is that Berkeley's spaser operates at room temperature -- previous spasers could only sustain lasing at temperatures below -250° C -- enabling its use in commercial products. Plasmon lasers work by amplifying surface plasmons, which can be confined to a much smaller area than the light particles amplified by conventional lasers. This allows for extreme miniaturization of optical devices for ultra-high-resolution imaging, high sensitivity biological sensors, and optical circuits 100 times faster than the electronic variety. There's no word on how soon the technology will be commercially available, so you'll have to wait a bit longer for your first laser computer.
Seen at CES: iDevices through the years
We saw these displays over in the actual iLounge booth (they also have a deal to sponsor some of the iPhone-related displays here at CES), and thought you readers would enjoy a look. Basically iLounge went back and obtained a version of every single iDevice out there (with the exception of the two iPad models currently out), and mounted them all on the wall lined up from oldest to newest. It's a pretty cool look at Apple's most recent history. Above, you can see the iPod line from the original device in 2001 up through the iPod classic, as well as the iPod shuffle from introduction shrunk down into the current square form. And after the break, you can see the various iPod nanos, and all of the iPod touch and iPhone models so far. It was definitely a cool little look at Apple's history in between all of the other CES chaos going on this week.
