Trapping Vortices to Improve Superconductors
The prospect of materials being able to carry electrical currents without resistance has been of great interest to people for a long time now, but achieving it has proven very difficult. Superconductivity is a somewhat fragile state, as many things can disrupt it, so we need to find ways to either remove these disruptions, or control them. Researchers at John Hopkins University have done the latter by trapping electron vortices.
Electron vortices occur in superconductors when they are exposed to magnetic fields, and they can disrupt the resistance-free supercurrents as they move around. Along the edge of the superconductor, the vortices will be pinned in place, but in the bulk of a material it is much harder to stop them from moving. The researchers' solution to the problem was to make an aluminum nanowire, as it is mostly edges. This caused the vortices to become trapped on the edge and form a single row, which the supercurrent was able to avoid.
Besides demonstrating a way to stop these vortices from interfering, this research could also prove useful in other ways. Some day we could see the vortices used to transmit information, like how electrical charges are used today.
Source: John Hopkins University
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Another Use for Graphene: Treating Cancer
I am starting to wonder if graphene is more amazing or ridiculous as its number of applications continues to increase. Researchers at the University of Manchester have discovered that graphene oxide could be used to treat cancer. More specifically it can target cancer stem cells and prevent them from forming tumor-spheres.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are exactly what they sound like; cancer cells that can differentiate into other cancers and are what causes cancer to spread. They also have to do with cancer recurring after treatment. Graphene oxide has been investigated for use in biomedicine before, because it is able to enter or attach to cell surfaces, but this is the first time it has been shown to work as an anti-cancer drug on its own. It appears it attaches to the surfaces of the CSCs and blocks the pathways used to form tumor-spheres. The researchers also observed it triggering the differentiation of the CSCs into non-cancer stem cells. The tests were done with six different cancer types (breast, pancreatic, lung, brain, ovarian, and prostate) and it was effective against all of them, suggesting it could work with a larger number of cancers, and perhaps even all of them.
Normally CSCs are unaffected by radiation and chemotherapies, which kill bulk cancer cells, so a means to target them directly is very important. Of course a lot of work will have to be done before graphene oxide flakes could be used for treating cancer, but this is still a very significant discovery.
Source: University of Manchester
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Facebook Updates Tools for Users Struggling with Suicide
Social media services like Twitter are taking the safety of its users very seriously. Facebook is doing the same, as it has just announced updated tools that are able provide a wealth of resources, advice, and support to people who may be struggling with suicide. The updated tools come after the company partnered with a variety of mental health organizations such as Forefront, Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and Save.org, as well as people who have dealt with self-injury or suicide thoughts. Users of Facebook who see a direct threat of suicide are being urged to contact their local emergency services immediately, of course, but the social networking service is touting that it has teams that work every hour of every day to review any report that comes in. The team is able to send resources to those in distress, and Facebook now allows users who flagged the self-harm post to call or message their distressed friend in order to let them know that they care.
The updated tools are expected to roll out to Facebook users located in the United States in the coming months, and the social networking service remains committed to improving its tools for users located outside of the United States.
Source: Facebook
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Twitter Improves User Safety Features
Last December, Twitter revealed a variety of product updates that were aimed directly at user safety and protection. Now, the social networking website has announced a slew of additional improvements that go even further to protect its users. According to Tina Bhatnagar, the Vice President of User Services at Twitter, the website has made it even easier to report behaviors such as impersonation, self-harm, and the sharing of confidential and private information. Besides these improved user safety features, it has also been revealed that Twitter has overhauled how it handles abuse reported by users. The company claims that it now reviews five times the amount of user reports than it previously did, with its support team that focuses on handling these issues now triple in size.
Source: Twitter Blog
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Venturi Series Fans Announced by Fractal Design
Fractal Design, which brings consumers products that feature Scandinavian design and quality, has just introduced its Venturi series fans. The latest performance fan series from Fractal Design comes in two different configurations, high flow and high pressure, which are both available in 120mm and 140mm fan sizes. Both versions of the Venturi series fans offer true FDB-bearings, aerodynamically shaped thin stator struts that are angled perpendicular to the blades, a "trip wire" on the rear side of the blades, a powerful and reliable motor, and vibration-dampening corners. The high flow and high pressure versions differ in that the former is equipped with a counter-balancing magnet in the hub and comes with a low-speed adapter, while the latter is equipped with a counter-pull magnet and comes with a PWM signal splitter wire.
Source: TechPowerUp
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Potentially New Class of Superconductors Found
Many people want to see a future filled with superconductors, because these materials are capable of transmitting electricity without resistance. One of the reasons why we are not currently using them much is that they require being cooled to very low temperatures; some near absolute zero. Researchers at the University of Southern California however have recently discovered a potentially new class of superconductors based on superatoms.
Superatoms are homogenous clusters of normal atoms, so even though they consist of many atoms, they will act as one, though a rather large one. This made the researchers wonder if some phenomena, such as Cooper pairs, could by exhibited by the superatoms. Cooper pairs are pairs of electrons that form in superconductors and help achieve that superconductivity. To test this hypothesis the research built superatoms containing 37, 44, 66, and 68 atoms of aluminum and then shot lasers of increasing energy at them. Normally laser pulses of higher energy will cause more electrons to be ejected, but at certain energy levels the electrons resisted.
One explanation for this resistance is that the electrons had formed Cooper pairs, which is supported by fewer electrons being knocked at as the temperature dropped, with the critical point around 100 K. While that is still a pretty cold temperature, it is only the beginning so with more work, the researchers think they may be able to create superatoms with higher superconducting critical points.
Source: University of Southern California
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Google Releases New Tool to Help Find Flights
Google Flights is the latest tool from the Internet giant, taking aim at companies in the travel space and offering some interesting features. Google will highlight the cheapest flight on each day and will also offer an easy comparison across months of the year to find what season is best for travel. Flights will show users the flight prices given a time, origin, and destination, but also gives users the ability to specify a time and origin and receive suggestions on where to go. According to Google, more than half of all travelers "don’t know where they’re going to travel when they sit down to plan." Users can search by regions rather than specific cities with queries like "Flights to Europe" or "Flights to Mexico." Flights will also offer a best flights metric that factors in price along with convenience, such as direct flights rather than layovers, for users that don't necessarily need the cheapest flight.
Source: Google
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Apple Planning to Unveil Apple Watch on March 9
Apple has sent out invitations to an event being held March 9 in San Francisco, where the company is expected to finally reveal its newest device, the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch will be the first new product developed under the watch of CEO Tim Cook, a move that will help Apple branch out into new market segments. The invitation simply says "Spring forward," a reference to the occurrence of Daylight Savings Time the previous day. Cook had previously announced that the Watch will begin shipping in April at prices starting at $349 for the basic version.
Source: Bloomberg
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Net Neutrality Rules Approved by FCC
In a vote that passed by the narrowest of margins, 3-2, the FCC has approved net neutrality rules to ensure an open Internet. The passing of net neutrality effectively guarantees no single corporation will control access to the Internet, and basically means no ISP, even cellular carriers, can throttle or block traffic. So if you want to watch Netflix yet are on Comcast, Comcast cannot throttle your speed because you aren't using the Xfinity App to watch a TV show or movie. The FCC has reclassified fixed and mobile broadband as a telecommunications service, meaning it falls under the same Title II regulations as phone and cable companies (namely, it treats them as public utilities). FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said, "the Internet is the ultimate vehicle for free expression," and ISPs should not be the ones making the rules for it. Now it looks like free and open Internet will be available for everyone, and that should be a very good thing.
The net neutrality rules ban throttling or blocking Internet traffic, ban paid prioritization, and require ISPs to disclose network management practices. ISPs cannot throttle or block access to any legal content, apps, services, or non-harmful devices, and cannot pay to force traffic to favored devices/services over others. Exceptions for heart monitoring and VoIP services that do not use "public Internet" are in place, as well as for "reasonable network management." Some other Title II requirements include provisions to investigate consumer complaints, privacy rules, and protections for people with disabilities. Content providers and network operators that connect to an ISP can tell the FCC about any unjust or unreasonable interconnection rates and policies. ISPs will also have access to utility poles and other infrastructure to make it easier to enter new areas.
One thing the net neutrality rules do not impose is unbundling, where ISPs would have to provide Internet access by itself. It means competition does not see a boost, but it does mean current ISPs should not be able to harm others in the area that compete against its services.
Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon may sue the FCC to prevent the new net neutrality rules from taking place, but when Verizon won its lawsuit back in 2010, it effectively opened the door for stricter rules. Wheeler believes the FCC is in a stronger position now than it was in 2010 thanks to the Title II classification, with net neutrality equally applied to both fixed and mobile broadband. Time will tell if that helps weaken or even curtail any lawsuits, but it may. Republicans lost the FCC vote (the two dissenting votes were by Republican chairmen) and may vote to eliminate the FCC's Title II classification, so we'll see where that leads. Some ISPs both big and small oppose the ruling, as to be expected, but others are in favor of it. Even cellular companies like Sprint and T-Mobile are in favor of net neutrality, along with the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee.
The full net neutrality order is not yet available on the FCC website, as it needs to provide the Republicans' dissents in the order. It should be up before too long, however.
Sources: Ars Technica and NPR
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Gungnir Black Optical Gaming Mouse Announced by Tesoro
Tesoro, a manufacturer of high-tech gaming products, has officially announced the Gungnir Black optical gaming mouse. The Gungnir Black, which is named after the spear Odin used in Norse mythology, offers gamers with a wealth of premium features such as full color programmable LED illumination, fully independent and programmable buttons, and a 3500 DPI optical sensor. Tesoro has also incorporated Omron Switch technology and smooth Teflon feet into the Gungnir Black, which together provide gamers with enhanced precision and tactile feedback. Gamers can utilize the latest Tesoro UI to adjust the DPI, record macros, set profiles, and change the illumination color of the mouse.
The Tesoro Gungnir Black features an MSRP of $29 and is set to be available to purchase in North America sometime next month.
Source: TechPowerUp
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Simulating Materials to Hopefully Understand Superconductivity
For decades we have known about high temperature superconductors, but despite our time with them, we know little about how they work. With such understanding it may be possible to design new superconductors that work at room temperature. There is a model that may provide the explanation, and finally researchers at Rice University with an international team have taken an important step in testing the model.
The Hubbard model was developed in the 1960s to describe the magnetic and conduction properties of electrons in transition metals and their oxides. It is actually a simple model, but it becomes exponentially more difficult to process as more electrons are involved, which is why even supercomputers have been unable to test it. The solution the Rice researchers developed is to physically model the materials in question. Instead of working with electrons moving between sites in a lattice, the researchers placed ultracold atoms in an optical lattice and watched the movement of ions in the lattice. They observed antiferromagnetic order, just as the Hubbard model predicts, and by using the Quantum Monte Carlo method, the results of the experiment were confirmed to match the Hubbard model.
Even though it was not superconductivity that was observed, this is an important step towards that goal as most parent materials of high temperature superconductors are antiferromagnetic. By developing new measurement methods and finding ways to chill the atoms even more, the researchers hope to be able to model the electron pair correlations that result in superconductivity.
Source: Rice University
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BitFenix Introduces the AEGIS Computer Chassis
BitFenix, a company that is focused on combining superior design with the latest advances in technology, has just unveiled the AEGIS computer chassis. This latest performance mATX case from BitFenix includes a wealth of premium features, such as multiple dust filters, three modular and tool-free storage cages, a built-in fan controller, an aesthetically appealing power supply cover, a rubber padded pump bracket, and a reservoir bracket. The AEGIS is truly made to support as much cooling as possible, as owners can install up to eight 120mm fans or five 140mm fans, dual 280 radiators, and even a dual 360 setup as long as slim radiators are utilized. BitFenix has also included a 2.8-inch ICON color display that allows the AEGIS to display custom logos on the front of the case.
The BitFenix AEGIS is available in black, white, red, blue, and yellow.
Source: Press Release
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Thermaltake Introduces Riing 12 and 14 LED Radiator Fan Series
Thermaltake, a leader in computer chassis, thermal solutions, and power supply units, has just introduced a new radiator fan series that offers optimal performance and aesthetic appeal. The new product line, known as the Riing 12 and 14 LED radiator fan series, offers a concentrated compression blade design which allows that outer section of the fan to pressurize and compress the air. Thermaltake has also incorporated a wind blocker frame, which helps to direct airflow towards the middle section of the blade. A hydraulic bearing that self-lubricates itself ensures low operating noise and increased lifespan, and the in-mold injection anti-vibration rubber pads increase fan stability. The new Riing 12 and 14 LED radiator fan series also includes a patented LED ring that maintains brightness and color uniformity.
The Riing 12 and 14 LED radiator fan series from Thermaltake comes in red, blue, green, and white, and is slated to be available to purchase in the coming days from Newegg.
Source: Press Release
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