News

Researchers discovered that the ions inside a battery should flow back and forth from one electrode to another, but it turns out that they often get stuck, causing “traffic jams” that reduce capacity. Now that the problem has been identified, several possible solutions could improve batteries in the near future.

A new technique uses lasers to create plasma that can detect chemicals in the air. This new method could be used for environmental monitoring, since the colors of the plasma filaments can indicate the presence a wide range of molecules, including biohazards and pollutants.

PACCAR Incorporated is recalling 355 model year 2016 Kenworth W900 trucks because they pose a crash hazard. When the truck’s headlamps are switched from low beam to high beam, the low beams are deactivated and there is a chance that the high beams could also be delayed in activation, leaving the headlamps off.

India’s space agency just put 20 satellites into orbit on a single launch—a record number for the agency. Only Russia and the United States have ever launched more satellites in a single mission. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is quickly proving to be an inexpensive option for space travel that could possibly rival emerging commercial aerospace companies.

A new technique from researchers at Penn State University demonstrates that atoms could one day become the building blocks of circuits in quantum computers. The team used a combination of lasers and microwaves to squeeze more quantum computing power into a smaller space and with greater control than ever before.

Scientists have developed a new simple design that could lower costs and improve the performance of solar cells. They used alternative, transparent materials that can be deposited at room temperature, which is a huge advantage over traditional chemical doping techniques. Today’s commercially available silicon solar cells are built using doping, a process that increases the cell’s electrical conductivity.

Magnetic materials could help expand the capabilities of traditional electronic components. A new $26 million DARPA program called Magnetic, Miniaturized, and Monolithically Integrated Components aims to integrate miniaturized magnetic components with chip-based RF systems to help meeting growing military and civilian demands for new tools as the electromagnetic spectrum becomes crowded.

Engineering students recently competed in a unique competition where they saw their designs in action. Solar Splash is a solar electric boating competition that is sponsored by the IEEE’s Power Electronics Society. This year’s event was held June 15-19 in Dayton, Ohio, hosted by reigning champion Cedarville University.

A new patented MIMO antenna system that fits inside a laptop’s hinge cavity and can replace as many as 5 separate antennas found in a standard laptop. It was developed by Smart Antenna Technology (SAT), a spin-off company that was started by scientists at the University of Birmingham.

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has released a new standard, ANSI/TIA-470.210-F. This standard covers “Telecommunications - Telephone Terminal Equipment - Resistance and Impedance Performance Requirements for Analog Telephones.”