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Category: mobile phones

Good vibrations: Scientists use imaging technology to visualize heat

Most people envision vibration on a large scale, like the buzz of a cell phone notification or the oscillation of an electric toothbrush. But scientists think about vibration on a smaller scale—atomic, even.

In a first for the field, researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have used advanced imaging technology to directly observe a previously hidden branch of vibrational physics in 2D materials. Their findings, published in Science, confirm the existence of a previously unseen class of vibrational modes and present the highest resolution images ever taken of a single atom.

Two-dimensional materials are a promising candidate for next-generation electronics because they can be scaled down in size to thicknesses of just a few atoms while maintaining desirable electronic properties. A route to these new electronic devices lies at the , by creating so-called Moiré systems—stacks of 2D materials whose lattices do not match, for reasons such as the twisting of atomic layers.

Meta’s wristband breakthrough lets you use digital devices without touching them

Could Meta be on the verge of transforming how we interact with our digital devices? If the company’s latest innovation takes off, we might soon be controlling our computers, cell phones and tablets with a simple flick of the wrist.

Researchers at Meta’s Reality Labs division have unveiled an experimental wristband that translates and subtle finger movements into commands that interact with a computer. This allows a user to push a cursor around a screen or open an app without needing a mouse, touchscreen or keyboard. The technology can even transcribe handwriting in the air into text (currently at a speed of 20.9 words per minute).

In a paper published in Nature, the team describes how its sEMG-RD (surface electromyography research) works. The wristband uses a technique called electromyography to pick up when the brain tells the hand to perform an action. It then converts those signals into commands that control a connected device, such as your phone.

Physicists identify antiferromagnet with high heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency

RIKEN physicists have found a magnetic material that converts heat into electricity with high efficiency, making it promising for use in energy-harvesting devices. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Photos you take on your smartphone are saved as a series of zeros and ones in a —magnetic materials that resemble iron in that their magnetic moments all point in the same direction.

Ferromagnets are easy to manipulate, making it easy to save data. However, because their magnetic moments are all aligned, they generate , and so it is not possible to cram a lot of them into a small space.

What If WW3 Starts Tomorrow? | The 5 Things You Must Do in the First 24 Hours

It’s 3:43 AM. Sirens are howling. Your phone lights up: DEFCON 1. Multiple ICBMs inbound.

World War 3 has just begun.

Would you know what to do in the first minutes? Most people freeze. This guide is for those who act.

In this video, we walk you through the real first steps to take if global war breaks out — not theory, not panic, but practical survival strategy for the first 24 hours: from identifying if you’re in a high-risk zone, to securing water and food, to communicating with loved ones when the grid is down.

💥 Whether it’s a nuclear attack, an EMP, or a cyber blitz — this is what you need to know before it’s too late.

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Breakthrough method purifies rare earths element with just water

A rare earth breakthrough could rewrite the rules of recycling.

Scientists at IOCB Prague have developed a cleaner, smarter way to recover these critical elements, crucial to technologies from smartphones to wind turbines.

The technique can efficiently extract metals like neodymium and dysprosium from discarded magnets, bypassing the toxic solvents and waste generated by conventional processes.

With global demand for rare earths soaring, the need for sustainable recovery methods has never been greater.

ICOB Prague’s chelator tech separates rare earths cleanly—and just revealed holmium’s surprise EV comeback.

How Google’s Android earthquake detection system can save lives

If you’re in an earthquake-prone area and own an Android phone, it could save your life. It may even have already done so. The Android Earthquake Alert (AEA) system, which began in the U.S. in 2020 and has since expanded globally, sends an automatic alert approximately one minute before the ground starts shaking. That can be enough time to take cover or warn others nearby.

In a new paper published in Science, Google explains how its , which is built into most Android phones, works. They also share insights from its first years of operation and the improvements they’ve made.

Between 2021 and 2024, the AEA system sent warnings to millions of people in 98 countries. This included more than half a million people in Turkey and Syria who received an alert on February 6, 2023, just before a magnitude 7.8 struck. Overall, Google’s researchers report that alerts were issued for 1,279 events, with only three of them being , two of which were triggered by thunderstorms.

OLEDs light the way to faster longer-distance wireless communication

In the race to develop faster and more flexible wireless communication technologies, researchers are turning to an unexpected source: the same organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) found in smartphone screens and TVs.

A recent study by scientists at the University of St Andrews and the University of Cambridge, published in Advanced Photonics, shows that OLEDs can be engineered to transmit data at record-breaking speeds over surprisingly long distances—potentially transforming how we connect devices in the future.

The paper is titled “High-speed based on dinaphthylperylene achieving 4-Gbps communication.”

ReElement Technologies uses Purdue tech in rare earth elements production critical to semiconductor manufacturing, other new-age technologies

Many essential products, from smartphones and magnets to electric vehicles, semiconductors and wind turbines, need rare earth metals to perform.

The rapidly growing demand for these critical products has led to increased need for domestic production of rare earth elements (REEs). However, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the nation is still lagging globally behind countries such as China, with just over 14% of the world’s REE raw ore production and none of the world’s refining capacity. Purdue University is changing this harsh reality by using its patented rare earth technology in a partnership with Indiana-based ReElement Technologies in an effort to narrow the gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world in this critical industry.

Indy-area company builds on cutting-edge Purdue technology to help narrow the international gap in essential area.