
Microwave signals turned into power
A small electrical current has been created from microwave signals.
A team from Duke University said that the technique they used to generate the power ad been as efficient as using solar panels.
The device they created used metamaterials, which capture various forms of wave energy and convert them for other applications.
In the future, satellite, sound or wi-fi signals could be "harvested", according to the US researchers.
"We’re showing… these materials can be useful for consumer applications," said engineering student Alexander Katko.
Using fibreglass and copper conductors on a circuit board, the researchers converted microwaves into 7.3 volts of electricity. A USB charger, which is often used to recharge mobile phone batteries and cameras, provides about five volts.
"We were aiming for the highest energy efficiency we could achieve," said team member Allen Hawkes.
"We had been getting energy efficiency around 6-10%, but with this design we were able to dramatically improve energy conversion to 37%, which is comparable to what is achieved in solar cells."
In future, the two students who built the device and their colleague Steven Cummer hope that the technology can be built in to mobile phones. This would allow the handsets to recharge wirelessly when not being used.
Motorola flagship leak
Motorola’s new flagship smartphone has been accidentally leaked on Amazon just days before its official release, revealing the 16GB black model will cost £159.99.
The listing on the site said the phone will be released in the UK on November 14, a day after its Wednesday unveiling.
Motorola, now owned by Google, have not officially confirmed whether the Moto G will come to the UK but this latest leak suggests it will.
The Amazon listing also says the phone will have a 4.5-inch HD screen, quad-core processor and personalised coloured backs, akin to the Apple iPhone 5C.
It also says it will come with "advanced Android with guaranteed upgrade", most likely to be the Android 4.4 KitKat.
Wikileaks, Bitcoin and Raspberry Pi named by UK trust for promoting ‘inspiring social change’
A list celebrating "the people and organisations who are using digital technology to change the world for the better" includes a number of technological projects including Wikileaks, Bitcoin and Raspberry Pi.
The inaugural addition of the Nominet Trust 100 admitted that whilst Wikileaks "may not be everyone’s cup of tea", the site has created a "new model to combine investigative journalism and whistle blowing for the digital age, in the name of transparency, free speech and better government."
Raspberry Pi, the customizable, credit-card sized computer that has sold more than 1.2 million units, was recognized in the list for "opening up basic programming to new generations as well as providing an ultra low cost computer in the developing world" whilst Bitcoin was the subject of modest praise: "in time, Bitcoin might be seen as the innovation which opened up new approaches to money."
These were only three of the projects recognised by the Nominet Trust, who noted that the UK was making its presence felt on the global stage, accounting for 20 per cent of the list’s socially responsible technologies.