Nanotechnology, in guitar form

You would think that nanotechnology and nanoengineering borders on the realms of science fiction, but news has broken of Cornell University creating a guitar the size of a human blood cell. The tiny guitar features six tiny strings, each measuring 50 nanometers wide - about the size of 100 medium-sized atoms side by side. The guitar's body is made out of crystalline silicon rather than wood and was carved by a high-voltage beam of electrons. ...more

Gates memo: security is the new priority

Has Bill Gates finally been woken by recent security alarms? In what resembles a wake-up call over security issues, Bill Gates has urged his company to give greater priority to the security of the software it produces. In a memo sent to all Microsoft employees - which was released to the media yesterday - he urged them to 'choose security' when considering adding new features or resolving security issues. With the subject title of 'Trustworthy Computing', Gates says that 'it has become clear that ensuring . ...more

Acer's unveils new Ferrari and own-brand notebooks

Based on surging demand, Acer has launched the second version of its Ferrari-branded notebooks, alongside other mobile products. David White, Acer's notebook manager said demand had outstripped supply three to one in some periods for the company's first laptop featuring the prancing horse badge. And it's amazing how many people are prepared to pay that bit extra to demonstrate their devotion or at least stand out from crowd of silver and black sandwiches. ...more

Office for National Statistics reveals deepening digital divide

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has marked five years of gathering ICT data, for both the home and business, by producing the report Focus on the Digital Age. It collates data from a broad set of official sources than the last report, although much of it is based on 2005 data. Headline findings are that Britain is increasingly adopting Internet technologies - both as a means to conduct business and also for leisure. ...more

CES: Kodak leads era of email-equipped cameras

Kodak claims to have made a 'quantum leap in the fulfillment of its EasyShare' vision by launching a digital camera that allows users to email pictures directly from the device. It's another example of digital camera makers cutting out the middle man - the PC - so users can distribute pictures quickly and easily. The EasyShare One, described as the first product of its kind, also allows people to view and organise online albums in the Kodak EasyShare gallery, formerly known as Ofoto, and print wirelessly to a Kodak photo printer. ...more