October 12, 2006

Worldwide, more than 14 million metric tons of polystyrene are produced annually. But the material is tough to dispose of because it takes thousands of years to decompose.

Autotelematic Spider Bots, showcased at an electronics arts festival in the U.K., wowed the audience by self-modify their behaviors based on interactions with viewers, each other, their environment, and a "food" source.

A novel organic semiconductor device from Cornell University researchers uses ionic junctions that electroluminesce and act as a photovoltaic cell. The idea could lead to displays on cloth or paper, and cheap solar cells.

TriStar Placstics Corp. has been working for a number of years with a government contractor on custom-built military transportation systems.

Despite escalating vehicle costs and gas prices, consumers still see the auto industry in a positive light, according to the recent Quarterly Quality Report of the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Consumers also think better of the personal computer industry, primarily because of better service levels.

TriStar Plastics Corp. has been working for a number of years with a goverment contractor on custom-built military transportation systems.

Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine program just finished 6,000 hours of System Development and Demonstration (SDD) ground testing and is on schedule to support the first flight of the F-35 Lightning II this fall.

Special hydraulic software lets a company making custom hydraulic components get work out while cutting back on physical prototypes

Eighteen-wheelers and passenger vehicles may be a bit more fuel efficient, thanks to three recent developments from Gates Corp., Denver.

A team of scientist at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering has demonstrated the first working "invisibility cloak."

Breakthroughs in materials science and plasma chemistry could boost the output of thin, flexible solar cells by 50%, says Iowa State University researcher Vikram Dalal. Dalal is working with PowerFilm Inc., Ames, Iowa, a maker of the devices.

Just how small is the smallest machined hole?

The upper composite of ESA's new small launcher, that houses the navigation, communications, and control equipment, recently passed its vibration test at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC).

Medical Design & Manufacturing Minneapolis will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center on October 25 and 26, 2006. The show includes the PrecisionTec pavilion and MidPak Expo.

Don't expect to see nanoelectronics have an impact on commercial products anytime in the near future.

From Cobra and Ferrari kit cars to its own street-legal supercar kit, Factory Five Racing designs racing-car kits that make hobbyists' dreams come true.

The search for CAD jobs is about to get easier. The reinvented www.CADtalent.com consolidates CAD-related job postings from many Web sources by using an industryfirst filtration system.

Using a positive floatation foam approved by the United States Coast Guard for amphibious vehicles, the Hydra Spyder can travel on both land and water.

Using a positive floatation foam approved by the United States Coast Guard for amphibious vehicles, the Hydra Spyder can travel on both land and water and, unlike it's military predecessors, this car is sporty.

The BMW Group invites college students from all over the world to submit entries for a chance to win the 2007 Scientific Award.

A Texas group in the Midland/ Odessa area is revving up plans to build the Orenda 600, an aircraft engine based on an eightcylinder big-block Chevy racing engine.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in Korea says it has completed the industry's first working prototype of a 512-Mbit phase-change randomaccess memory (PRAM).

Very-low-frequency (VLF) radio is being combined with digital audio compression to carry voice and text for several miles through the Earth, as well as through steel and concrete.

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have test flown an unmanned aerial vehicle powered by a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell using compressed hydrogen.