Researchers in Japan have developed an incredibly thin wire—just half a micrometer in diameter—made from a new composite material composed of traditional copper and those new fangled carbon nanotubes. But what makes this creation particularly awesome is that the new wire allows over 100 times more current to flow than a traditional copper thread.
     |
If you’ve ever lamented the fact that putting your sofa right next to a warm crackling fireplace was dangerous, carbon nanotubes
| |
Garrison Bespoke is a luxury suit tailor in Toronto, but its latest product might as well come from the research labs of a secret intelligence agency in the UK. It’s a three-piece suit that’s strong enough to withstand attacks from a hunting knife and even 9mm bullets fired at close range, thanks to several layers of carbon nanotubes hidden inside the vest and suit jacket.
According to The Globe and Mail, Garrison Bespoke co-founder Michael Nguyen started development of the stylish life-saving device when one of their clients was assassinated. But because they are suit makers – and because bulletproof vests already exist – Garrison Bespoke ensures that its clients will enjoy protection without sacrificing style or comfort.
The company outlined its goals in developing the suit as follows: “First, to be modern and stylish. Second, to be light and comfortable. And, third, to be reliable and safe.” The video below is from CityNews’ report on the custom suit:
So how much will this ballin’ bullet-stopper cost you? The Globe and Mail says that a custom three-piece suit will set you back at least $20,000. I’m not sure if that’s in Canadian or US Dollars, but there’s not much of a difference between their values anyway. Garrison Bespoke also has a bulletproof polo shirt for $800, for casual yet life-threatening Fridays.
[via Garrison Bespoke, The Globe and Mail & CityNews via Laughing Squid]
There are huge number of headphones available on the market today running the gamut from dirt cheap to incredibly expensive. There are headphones aimed at everyone from users who don’t really care what the music sounds like all the way up to audiophiles who will pay huge money to hear every little nuance in their favorite tracks. One thing all of those headphones have in common is that the speaker drivers use moving parts.
A group of researchers have created a new type of headphone that uses a driver with no moving parts, based on carbon nanotubes. The headphones are able to create sound using thermoacoustic effect. That means that sound is created relying on the expansion and contraction of air.
It’s unclear at this point how high the quality of music these carbon nanotube speakers will be able to create. We don’t know if it will be an everyman headset or capable of creating audiophile grade sound.
We also don’t know how much headphones using carbon nanotubes will cost or when they might be available. However, early indications are that headphones using this technology could be reasonably priced, since they could be produced using techniques similar to those used to create computer chips.
[via Chemical and Engineering News via HotHardware]
Coming just a year after the creation of the first carbon nanotube computer chip
| |
Have you ever had a roommate who saves plastic grocery bags just in case they ever have the need to reuse the dang things? Like, hundreds of plastic grocery bags? Well, thanks to some Australian engineers, those extra bags can not only have a purpose, they can become technology of the future.
| |
You know all that sawdust you’re left with when hacking through a piece of lumber? It’s a minor inconvenience for carpenters, but a huge problem for electronics manufacturers cutting expensive materials like silicon wafers on the microscopic scale. So researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have found a way to make incredibly precise ultra-thin saws from carbon nanotubes covered with an outer layer of lab-grown diamonds.
| |
The expansion and contraction of muscles keeps us alive every second of every day. Even though it’s such a basic part of our existance, creating artificial muscles has proven to be a bit more complicated. That is, until now. Scientists have recently found what could be a good solution: yarn full of wax. More »
Harnessing the awesome power of the Sun isn’t just dependent on the efficiency of solar cells, but also on making them affordable. Current techniques aren’t exactly cheap, but researchers from
The carbon amalgam can be applied from solution using simple methods, meaning the flexible cells could be used to coat surfaces, although you won’t be seeing it smeared over anything too soon. The prototype only touts a “laboratory efficiency of less than 1 percent,” so it can’t compete with traditional solar cells just yet. Also, it only absorbs a sliver of the light spectrum, but the researchers are looking to other forms of the wonder element which could increase that range. They are hoping that improving the structure of the cells will help to boost their efficiency, too. They might never generate the most energy, but the all-carbon cells can remain stable under extreme conditions, meaning they could find their calling in harsh environments where brawn is a little more important than status, or looks.
Stanford researchers create ‘world’s first’ all-carbon solar cell, do it on the cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Scientists have developed a way to manufacture a new breed of computer chips that use carbon nanotubes in the place of silicon. More »
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
