A nanowire battery can hold up to ten times more charge than traditional units, say Stanford University researchers. The battery anode consists of silicon nanowires grown on a stainless steel substrate. Silicon offers higher efficiencies than the more commonly used carbon anodes, but can suffer catastrophic damage caused by expansion/contraction during the charge/discharge cycle. The nanowire anode offers a solution to that problem, promising laptop batteries than can last as long as 20 hours.

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A BBC News story notes that European scientists are at work developing so-called "intelligent textiles." Such materials would contain embedded sensors able to monitor the health of those wearing clothing made from them. The Biotex Program, partially funded by the European Union, is the work of eight research institutions. First result of the work is a sensor patch designed to monitor perspiration rate, acidity, and salinity. Researchers hope to eventually monitor the wearer's vital signs, and "spot illnesses and infections at a very early stage by pinpointing abnormalities in metabolism."

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Government regulations on product design keep piling up, but when is the right time to address them? Smart companies, reports Design News, confront compliance issues at the very start of projects. Control4, a home automation company, harnessed Arena PLM software as its central platform for tracking design changes, including those involving compliance directives on environment and safety. The company's engineering director warns that waiting until the end of a project to "duct tape" regulatory problems only results in costly redesigns and project delays.

Portable digital information is never completely secure. Follow the Onion Approach — a multi-layered strategy, with tiers of protection — and you may be OK. This itbusiness.ca article says pay attention to the basics and add sophisticated weapons to your arsenal. These include drive encryption, theft prevention, and recovery tools. How do you safeguard mobile data?

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A new solar-powered cellphone, which has the ability to operate from a single solar cell, can charge from either solar or ambient light. The mobile device's DC-DC voltage boost converter eliminates the need for multiple solar cells in series. It also eliminates the required protection circuitry associated with series connection.

A recent Nikkei Electronics Asia article discusses the development of a zinc oxide (ZnO)-based thin film transistor (TFT) fabricated on polymer substrates. The new flexible, low-voltage transistors can be used for applications such as twisted handsets or wearable computers, electronic paper, 3D imaging, logic circuits, and microchips.

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Without using earphones or headsets, audiophiles and others can enjoy their music and not annoy others nearby. This "personal sound system" focuses sound waves from multiple loudspeakers to a finite zone. Anyone outside the target zone experiences a sound intensity 20 dB lower. Potential applications include televisions, laptops, and ultimately mobile phones and PDAs.

We're used to headsets for listening to music on MP3 players. But what about a headset for viewing video? An EE Times reviewer takes a look at the tiny heads-up display for viewing video on an iPod while wearing what appears to be Devo-inspired sunglasses. Priced at $199, they offer on-wafer manufacturing. Would you buy them?

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Will This Robot Be Your Co-Worker Soon?

Honda's ASIMO robot may not be quite as sophisticated as Star Trek's Commander Data, at least not yet, but it is almost more android than robot. The bipedal ASIMO can walk, run, and climb stairs — all while sensing and avoiding humans. Multiple ASIMOs communicate wirelessly with each other as well as a PC, so they can determine which unit is best-suited to perform a required task. When the units run low on battery power, they walk over to the nearest charging station and hook themselves up. See more of ASIMO at Honda's photo gallery.

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Analog = No Respect?

We live in a digital world — or do we? Discuss your views on whether analog design skills are being overshadowed by the glamour of digital design.