Many wearables have decent enough battery life, but you know what’ll make them even better? If we never have to recharge them at all. That’s why researchers have been developing small power sources that can generate electricity using body heat , including a team from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. This particular group has designed a new light and flexible generator made out of thermoelectric (TE) substances printed on glass fabric. It’s far from being the first TE generator out there, but it’s a huge departure from the usual bulky and rigid ones. As team leader Byung Jin Cho said: This is quite a revolutionary approach to design a generator. In so doing, we were able to significantly reduce the weight of our generator, which is an essential element for wearable electronics. Body heat-absorbing generators made from inorganic materials like this have higher power output than ones made from organic substances, making them the better choice. Problem is, they’re also typically larger and more rigid. This creation addresses both issues, and the glass fabric even minimizes heat loss and maximizes output, as discussed in the paper the institute published recently. Obviously, it’ll take a long time before we see this design in real world devices, if we even see it at all. The team believes, however, that this generator doesn’t only have a future in wearables, it could also be used in cars, factories, airplanes and other vehicles. Comments Via: Physorg Source: The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

See more here:
This tiny generator can power wearable devices using your body heat

In 2008 Japanese scientists decided to take a handful of cherry tree seeds (and by “handful” we mean over 250) to space. The embryonic plants spent eight months aboard the International Space Station as part of an educational project aimed at children. When the stones returned, 14 of them were selected and planted around Japan. The saplings were expected to bloom after 10 years of maturation. Instead, four of them sprouted flowers this year — a full six years ahead of schedule. The sudden and extremely early blossoming of the trees has scientists quite confused and desperately seeking answers. Kaori Tomita-Yokotani, from the University of Tsukuba, told AFP she was stumped. “There is the possibility that exposure to stronger cosmic rays accelerated the process of sprouting and overall growth, ” she said, but also suggested that cross pollination could be the culprit. Since the project involving the seeds was not a true experiment, and more a stunt to pique the interest of children, there is no control group to compare against. In fact, there’s very little data at all for the scientists to work with. We’re betting on the cosmic rays, though. We all know what happens when humans are bombarded by them . Filed under: Science Comments Via: The Verge Source: AFP

See the article here:
Cherry trees blossom six years early after a trip to space

Even Microsoft knows that Windows Live Tiles have so much potential to be a lot better, especially on touchscreen devices . In fact, a group of the company’s researchers in Asia have apparently been working on making Live Tiles interactive. As you can see in the videos after the break, the experimental tiles expand when touched, showing you its contents right on the Start screen instead of launching the app. For instance, touching the mail app automatically shows a list of your emails in an expanded view, which looks very similar to an Android widget. That’s not all, though: the team has also designed a feature called Desktop Interactive Tile, which lists the programs open on desktop mode, making them easily accessible from the modern UI. This tile can be accessed from the sidebar on desktop mode, as well, providing an easy way to launch programs or attach files to emails. Alas, Microsoft took down the project’s page after briefly showcasing it on its website, but not before ZDNet managed to grab a copy of its official description: This project features an Interactive-Tile UI system that enables users to access and manipulate Live Tiles in an interactive way with touch gestures. Interactive Tile’s UI is responsive and flexible to an app’s content and function. Users can provide quick input to the Interactive Tile on the Start screen. With a perception of Start as an entrance page, Interactive Tiles were introduced to empower the start screen with an intermediate access level to applications. As one of the company’s experimental ventures, this might not make it to production at all. But if it does, we’d love to see how it’ll play with Windows 8.1’s upcoming classic Start menu . Filed under: Cellphones , Tablets , Mobile , Microsoft Comments Source: ZDNet

See the article here:
Microsoft tests Live Tiles you can use without leaving the Start screen