Hasta La Gadget!

A group of scientists have created a new synthesized particle in the laboratory that is able to act in a lifelike way. The researchers are quick to say that particles aren’t truly alive, but they are able to behave in lifelike ways when exposed to light and fed by chemicals. When exposed to light and fed by chemicals the crystals are able to move, clump together, break apart, and reform.

Biophysicist Jérémie Palacci of New York University says that the line between active and alive is very blurry. Palacci and another New York University physicist Paul Chaikin are leading a group of researchers to develop the particles described as “living crystals” under the right conditions. The research being conducted by the team is in self-organizing collective behaviors.

The researchers say that studying these collective behaviors is easier in a controlled particle form than trying to study living creature such as schooling fish or flocking birds. Each of the tiny crystals is made from a cube of hematite, which is a compound made of iron and oxygen, covered in a spherical polymer coat. One corner of the hematite is left exposed.

When the particle is exposed to certain wavelengths of blue light, the hematite is able to conduct electricity. When those particles are placed in a hydrogen peroxide bath and the correct wavelength of blue light is shined on them, chemical reactions catalyze around the single exposed tip. Then as the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, the scientists say concentration gradients form. Random forces then pull the crystals apart, but the crystals eventually merge again. This process doesn’t stop until the blue light is turned off.

[via Wired]

Scientists create particles that are “nearly” alive is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Most of us carry at least a single device that has a built-in capability to play back audio files, which is why those of us who tend to commute a whole lot to and from work daily tend to tune in to our favorite songs, being oblivious to whatever’s going on around the world, at least, until we see where the train has stopped in order to get off. Well, that is just fine and dandy, but some of us do hope that we are able to share the next best musical act (in our books, at least) with the rest of the crowd, and one of the ways to do so is to have a decent portable speaker – preferably wireless. This is where the Switch wireless portable speaker would come into play.

Basically, Switch allows you to enjoy your music, movies and games with powerful sound and active bass. Apart from keeping folks entertained, it also doubles up as a professional conference call solution that will play nice with the rest of all Bluetooth enabled devices. Oh, the pros of the Switch do not just end there, as it can also function as a power bank and juice up whatever tired USB mobile devices that are in your possession on the go. Just like the Sony PS2, it does not matter if you want to place the Switch wireless portable speaker in a vertical or horizontal manner, the decision ultimately lies with you without causing any degradation in sound quality.

The Switch wireless portable speaker was launched at CES earlier this year, and it will retail for $149.99 a pop. Your ears will definitely be able to appreciate all the technology parked underneath the hood, as it is powered by a trio of high performance drivers, aided by an active sub-woofer which ensures your tunes will sound amazing regardless of the musical genres of your choice.

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[ Switch wireless portable speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

We mentioned a few days ago that Dell Inc. was looking for a way to take the company private. One of the avenues that sources said was being pursued in taking Dell Inc. private again was a significant investment of between $1 billion and $3 billion from Microsoft. Over the last few days, new details have surfaced including a source who claims that Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell would combine his current ownership stake and as much as $1 billion of his own money to become the majority owner.

Reuters reports today that Dell is near making a deal that would see the company sold to a buyout consortium led by Michael Dell and a private equity firm called Silver Lake Partners. The deal would take the company private where some analysts believe it would be easier for the company to operate and make acquisitions away from the public eye. According to sources cited by Reuters, a deal could be completed as early as Monday.

According to the sources, Michael Dell is expected to become the majority owner. Silver Lake and Microsoft would be minority investors according to another source. It remains unclear what the final buyout price paid to Dell shareholders will be. Reuters says that if the buyout is successful, it would be the largest leveraged buyout since the global financial crisis hit.

According to the sources, the buyout deal will be finalized over the weekend with the consortium working on last-minute details. However, the sources do note that the timeframe for closing the deal could change. Sources claim that the buyout consortium has secured up to $15 billion of debt financing. Michael Dell contributed is existing stake of almost 16% in his effort to become the majority owner of Dell Inc.

[via Reuters]

Dell buyout could come as early as Monday tips source is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’re not a fan of bulky iPhone cases, Twelve South has unveiled the Surface Pad iPhone case which is sort of like a much thinner version of its BookBook case. Made from Napa leather, the company claims that it is credit card thin which means that it should fit into most pockets (unless you’re wearing exceptionally tight pants!) and we expect that it will be sufficient at protecting your shiny iOS device from scratches as well. The interesting thing is that unlike cases which kind of snaps onto your iPhone, the Surface Pad will instead stick to your iPhone via an adhesive substance and will basically wrap itself around your device, thus protecting both the front and the back. We have to admit that we like the way it looks – it looks sleek, elegant and to a certain degree, even professional. The case itself can even be bent in a way that allows it to prop your iPhone up in landscape, letting you watch movies at a comfortable angle. Available in three colors, it is priced at $34.99 and is available via Twelve South’s website.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple Overtakes Samsung As Number One Mobile Phone Vendor In US (Q4/2012), iOS 6.1 Downloaded By Over 21 Percent Of iOS Users In 3 Days,

Every year, the International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge seeks to find the most visually striking scientific art and design. It’s just announced the 2012 winners—and there are some amazing sights to be seen. More »