One of the most recent samples we got was a Deluxe Selfie Stick from Xshot. It retails for around $29.9 and can be bought from XShot’s website. It is obviously useful for taking selfies, no prizes for guessing that. Basically for those of you who have never used or seen a selfie stick before (those people do exist, seriously), it is essentially a pole on which you can lodge your camera or smartphone, and this pole raises it to the desired level, without dropping it, irrespective of the weight dimensions and size of the device mounted on it.
The Deluxe Selfie Stick with Bluetooth Remote Shutter, in Golden. Packed again for the giveaway!
When someone takes a ‘selfie’ picture alone or along with friends, they need some distance between themselves and the camera, otherwise some friends will have their faces cut in half, or others may end up not being included in the picture at all. Another common problem that the selfie stick can help you overcome is that your faces are not far too large as you are too near to your camera, often blocking the view behind you. With a selfie stick, one could easily take a picture from a distance or from a height with the person looking upwards.
The reason we decided to include this selfie stick in our review is that we thought it stood out from the crowd. It is incredibly light and is very compact (only 8 inches when closed) making it easy to be carried anywhere. The length of this pole can be adjusted up to 31 inches (some models extend up to 40 inches); and unlike the cheap Chinese selfie sticks we experimented with, this one stays in position. The extended part of the shaft stays firmly in place with a twist locking arrangement. It also extends easily, just like folding umbrellas.
We played with the golden coloured Deluxe Selfie stick, but it is available in 5 other colours as well, including black, yellow and red. The stick includes the phone holder, as well as a tripod adapter, apart from the paracord lanyard. Cameras can be fastened on the top of the pole with different types of mounts.
For operating the photographic device at a distance, we would naturally need a remote, and so X-shot has included a small bluetooth remote as well, which can also be attached to the stick or kept separately, and it pairs with your smartphone so that pictures and videos can be made from a distance of up to 10m. Apart from the silicone handle, which is perfect for holding the pole, the stick is made from aluminum which has been anodized and colored. The fact that it is made from aluminum and is painted makes it safe even inside water. It is also supposed to be safe from salt and corrosion, though we yet to check it in those conditions. On the whole, an interesting and desirable product.
The winner of the Selfie Stick Giveaway was Linda Carlos, USA. Congrats!
Conveniences such as credit cards, debit cards, emails, and smartphones come with an inherent risk of identity theft. If the credit or debit card is lost or stolen, the person who finds it or steals it, can easily make use of it till they it gets reported and blocked. Similarly, emails can be hacked or compromised. Crucial information can be extracted from emails and used in a way that is detrimental to the interests of the person whose email it is or was. Some even go so far as impersonating the person whose identity is stolen. Such crimes require new ways to prevent them. Safedome is one such effective tool that can help prevent identity theft.
What is Safedome?
We were given a sample of Safedome to test out for this review [We are giving it away, and you can win it!Update: Safedome just told us they would like to give a brand new device to the winner! See the end of this article for details]. Basically it is a well thought out gadget, a device, the size of a credit card and it has some cool technology integrated in it. The thing that surprised us most was the thickness of the card. It is as thick as a normal credit card! The battery, LEDs, microcontroller, antenna and button have all been packed inside a water resistant casing in this thin card.
It connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth. If the wallet (or bag) containing this card is lost or stolen, then the card issues a warning to the smartphone so that appropriate measures can be taken immediately. It also tells you the last known location of the card. Quite often people do not realize when they lose their purse or wallet, and it is only after a considerable amount of time has passed that they become aware of this. The card and cell phone are integrated using Safedome software. When the distance between the two exceeds a specified distance, then the alert is given on the cell phone. The built in battery may last a couple of years!
Another security feature possible with Safedome app is the Safedome Identity feature. It regularly scans a database containing thousands of breached credentials, monitoring any email addresses you have entered in the app. If the email is found on the breached database, Identity informs you and requests you to take action. Emails can also be scanned manually by tapping the ‘Manual Scan’ button in the app. One of editors did find her email in the database. Upon further investigation, we found that one of the forum that the particular editor visits had been hacked and all the passwords were leaked in another forum! Hence the app saved her some frustration (she says the passwords were only used on some forums, and no other data was at risk. This is the reason we suggest to use good password managers and/or use different passwords for all your logins).
The card can currently be bought from the Safedome website and it retails for $49. Currently it is only available for customers in the US and Australia. It comes with 12 months of customer support, available 24/7. According to their website
We’ll help you if you become a victim of fraud, but we’ll also help if you lose your passport, your driver’s license, or anything else you need to keep moving.
The people behind Safedome specialize in remediation, restoration and recovery – things you’ll need help with if your identity or accounts are ever compromised – and can help you with everything from paperwork to contacting your bank.
We did not get a chance to get any actual support, but we did call a couple of times at different hours and always got connected to a real human within seconds.
Get a chance to win the Safedome card using the gleam widget below. Competition will end on 17th Feb, 2016. Winner will be emailed.
Competition has ended and the winner has been announced 🙂
Actuators are parts or things that enable your robot to move. Without actuators, your robot would remain to be just a collection of pipes or boxes. There are two varieties of actuators, rotational and linear actuators. Rotational actuators convert electricity into rotational motion hence enabling your robot to roll or move its arms in a clockwise or anticlockwise manner. Linear actuators enable your robot to move objects in a straight line, lift things, pull or push objects among others. They are reliable and long lasting. This article seeks to explicate five types of linear actuators which you can help your robot to move.
Motorized Threaded Rods
A threaded rod, a drill operated using a battery and some matching nuts can be used to make a powerful linear actuator. A stepper motor, like the one used 3D printers could be used if a precise linear actuator is needed. To make a simple version of the linear actuator, recycle a glue stick cylinder and use a potentiometer and a modified servo used.
Figure 1: Threaded rod. Source: https://smg.photobucket.com/user/Weston/media/DSCN3925.jpg.html
Pneumatic Cylinders
Pneumatics uses pressurized gasses. They control fluid using these gasses. The end result is that pneumatic cylinders produce a force from the pressurized gas or any other fluid, especially air. They have an advantage over motorized threaded rods in that once they have been pressurized, they can retain their position without demanding for any extra power. They have many applications because of their durability and strength. Pneumatic cylinders allow the gripper of the fork to close and open as the motor lifts. The motor that uses such cylinders can lift and stack items.
This actuator works by converting rotational motion into a linear motion. It is mostly used in reciprocating robots. It has a rod that has a slot at the middle. The slot cut is rectangular in shape. A pin, which is contained in a wheel which is rotating, is inserted in the rectangular slot. Once the wheel turns, the pin, which is inserted in the rod, makes the rod to move back and forth. Scotch yokes have many robotics applications, most of which are advanced. For instance, they are used in propulsion by mimicking the dorsal movements of the fish, particularly the dorsal. This occurs in dolphin- like robots.
This is a coil which is used to pull or push heavy plungers once energized. The coil is electric in nature. The plungers that it pushes or pulls are mostly made up of steel or iron. Once pulled or pushed, the plungers return to their original status since they are spring-loaded. Some of the applications of solenoids include valves that are electrically controlled, door bells, and in electric locks in security doors and cars.
Pneumatic muscles are mostly used in soft robots. A braided mesh tube which contains a skinny balloon and whose ends have been clamped can be used to create a pneumatic muscle. Once the balloon is inflated, the clamping prevents it from expanding lengthwise. It therefore expands radially. This radial expansion of the balloon causes the braid to connect.
Pneumatic muscle is mostly used in personal robots or robots which are meant to work in a close relationship with human beings. A set of such actuators can be used to bend an arm.
If you have gone to school or are going to school, you must remember the dreaded cold morning when you are made to get up and get ready for school. Going to school in itself is a very tedious task, you have work like a robot ever morning and go through the entire grilling routine to wake up, brush your teeth, shower, change clothes, wear shoes, and travel to school and study. This entire grill for 5 to 6 days of the week can be really taxing. On top of that a student has homework to do, and classes to attend, during all this the mind really needs some refreshment, so when you have some idle time between classes, you can look forward to playing unblocked games at school for that little dose of entertainment. These games have brilliant graphics and challenge your learning abilities and skills. Since the games are designed keeping in mind the age groups of kids, you can very easily find one which interest you. Plus, you get a huge variety, which is always an advantage. Be smart and use your time in school to the best of your abilities and play these unblocked games to refresh your mind.
Why can you access these games at school?
Since these games do not contain any violence and are appropriate for children of all ages, these games are allowed by the proxy settings of your school’s computer. There is an element of education in most of these games which makes it such a hit at school. If you are not allowed to play games at home with your folks, or you do not have a computer at home, you can make the most of your leisure hours at school to play unblocked games. Since these games test your logic and strategizing skills, the schools do not mind, allowing it because of the many advantages it has on the mind.
You do not require partners to play
If you are a loner at school or of your gang of friends are absent, you could play the unblocked games at school. These games do not require partners so you can play them all by yourself. The games will definitely facilitate your organization skills so it is definitely a very big advantage.
Good graphics
In case you are of the opinion that such games will have very poor quality graphics, it is time you think again. The unblocked games also come with 3D graphics, so that you can enjoy the gaming experience to perfection. The quality of the graphics will definitely impress you and there are many games to cater to.
Conclusion
One of the best websites to access such games is unblockedgamesonline.co. Most of the games available on the website are educational yet entertaining in nature, plus, there is a huge variety which will definitely entertain you and you won’t get bored of playing a single game over and over again. Use your time at school to your advantage and play away.
When I received a sample of Ditto (Sold by Dittowearable.com/ – Now also available at Amazon for $39.95) to test it for a day from my editor at GadgTecs, I must say that I was only looking at its popularity, and did not realize that the small device would offer me much more than what I expected of it. I knew the idea of the gadget was a very simple one, and wonder why no one else thought of it before. I knew that the concept of this device was to offer a life that was free from the constant nagging of having to check your cellphone screen every few minutes so as to see what message, email or call has come in. Unfortunately many people are literally glued to their smartphones, and this is something that also has so many drawbacks. With Ditto this can be avoided very simply.
Ditto is available in 3 colors, transparent, black and white. Source: Simplematters.com
So what exactly is Ditto?
Basically Ditto is a beautiful small and cute ovalish device that will alert you by vibrating only when truly important calls or messages come through. It comes in a variety of colors including a transparent one! I got to try the black one and I loved it. It is as small as two coins put together and can be worn like a watch (a strap is also included in the package) or around your neck like a locket, or using the built in clip, can be attached anywhere you find convenient. If you want to keep it discreet, you can keep it in your pocket. It is also water proof, so you don’t have to take it off while showering or swimming. It is a convenient way to stay connected without being constantly checking your cellphone’s screen.
The best part? It does not require daily recharging! Unlike our battery hungry smart phones, Ditto runs on a tiny watch battery which can many many months and is easily replaceable. How we wish all our gadgets were like that!
What can Ditto do
It can also be used as an alarm clock. The nice ‘buzzz’ is difficult to miss, even if you are a heavy sleeper. Though this is not its main purpose. Ditto will vibrate when there are emails, text messages, or phone calls on your cell phone, and it has the ability to filter the emails, messages, or phone calls according to the specific preferences or selection of the person. Therefore, you can set it up so that you are only alerted when you get an email from office or work etc The device would only vibrate when the condition is met, and will ignore other emails. You can set the number of times it will vibrate to notify you of each event individually, for e.g. for calls, 3 times and for emails, once. It will also warn you if your cellphone is left behind somewhere. For a careless person like me, this is a very convenient feature, as I have the habit of leaving my phone behind.
A Ditto with the included strap on our reviewer’s wrist
Ever since smartphones have arrived, people including me have constantly kept one of their palms engaged in holding the phone, or at least kept it in your pockets. But such advanced technology has actually increased anxiety as we have come to expect communication to be at a much faster level. Waiting for a call can be very distracting, stressful, and prevent a person from doing anything positive at all, within that waiting period. This is because cellphones not only use palms but also keep the eyes and brain engaged. Ditto can help you to overcome those anxious moments and allow you to enjoy life and socialize much more – something which cellphones have taken away from most of us. Have you heard of the bet at the restaurant, when you are with your friends and the first one to look at their screen loses and has to pay? Thanks to Ditto, yesterday night was the first time I actually won, because I knew no one had messaged me. That is good, right? The only drawback is the price. I think it should have been cheaper than $40.
Win Ditto
We at GadgTecs review many samples that we get, and select the best ones we think our readers will like. After the review, we give out the sample as a gift to one of our lucky readers. But recently, we got not 1, but 2 samples of Ditto from Simple Matters so that we could give our readers a brand new unopened case! Our editor decided that instead of giving one, we will give out both the samples! One (the transparent one) is completely packed and unopened, and the other one (the black one) has been opened and used for a day for the purpose of this review. It has been repacked and will be given away so that 2 lucky readers can enjoy! There are many ways in how you can increase your chances of winning. Check out the Gleam’s app below.
A brand new compact, light-weight weapon will cease a target in their tracks from a 100 meters away with out lethally harming them. Nicknamed the Pogojet, it is a radical less-than-lethal design from a senior research scientist, Jeffrey Widder, from Battelle Memorial Institute in Ohio.
The Pogojet — whose official title is the Caseless Telescoping Less-lethal System — is unique in that the propellant burns inside the round, pushing on a piston that propels it ahead. The motion resembles a pogo stick, therefore the name. As soon as the piston reaches its full extent, the exhaust gases could be vented sideways, so the round continues ahead at the same pace, or directed via holes in the base of the round like a rocket exhaust to provide as much extra boost as required. That is the ‘jet’ aspect of the Pogojet, which Widder compares to the old 1960s Gyrojet rocket pistol.
Smart Bullets
The Pogojet’s base
It is an intelligent design meant to get around an annoying problem. Conventional wisdom says that the non-deadly rounds used to stun suspects have to be big, soft, and sluggish. Consider the bean bag rounds fired from police shotguns, the 40mm sponge grenades utilized by the military, and conventional “rubber bullets.” Their low speed gives them a much shorter range than a rock which is thrown by a strong hand—a critical drawback when dealing with rioters.
The other problem with less-lethal impact weapons is balancing effectiveness with safety. A round that travels slowly enough to be safe at point-blank range will be ineffective at greater distance. Enhance the muzzle velocity to knock down a threat further away and the weapon turns into a potentially lethal one when used from a closer range.
Widder’s challenge was to discover a method of varying the muzzle velocity depending on the distance to the threat so that the bullet always hits at the sweet spot of between 77 and 87 meters per second. His ultimate design uses a small .50 caliber weapon firing a hard projectile that utilizes that gas venting technique to hit the goal at optimum velocity. This variable velocity makes the Pogojet safe at short distances and efficient at longer distances. Widder says it is going to be effective at 100 meters, much more than any existing kinetic round.
“When the gas comes out, it can be throttled,” says Widder. “The technical issue turned out to be remarkably simple. Once I figured it out I did not know why I thought it so tough.”
The Pogojet will use a laser rangefinder—technology that already exists for small arms, however is principally used with military grenade launchers. The Pogojet will interface with a rangefinder to make sure that the proper muzzle velocity is automatically chosen with out any manual control. Constructing the interface is one of the next steps in the challenge. However the key aspect, the variable velocity system, has already proven extremely dependable.
The bullet before being firedThe bullet after being fired
Widder’s design has another benefit in that it produces sufficient pressure to work as a semi-automatic, in contrast to the pump-action bean-bag shotguns. In contrast to other less-lethals, the Pogojet may be fired as rapidly as wanted, so the shooter can get off another shot if they miss the threat the first time.
Pogojet pistol on a rifle
The piston arrangement also means even a really short barrel is sufficient for high velocity and accuracy, making the Pogojet compacter than the alternate options. Widder imagines the weapon fitted as an under-barrel extra to an M4 carbine, giving troopers an easy, long-range, multi-shot alternative to deadly bullets. The Pogojet may also be used individually as a pistol, with out the rangefinder and set to the lowest velocity. It may still be efficient up to 50 meters, in comparison with 20 meters maximum for a bean bag gun and even less for a Taser, giving cops an easily transportable alternative.
PogoJet Stings
Most non-deadly kinetic rounds are designed to flatten on impact and spread the blow over a big area. This improves safety by minimizing the danger of a penetrating injury. This also explains why such rounds tend to be large caliber: small caliber ones can go through an eye socket with serious consequences.
Widder takes a special approach. His round is spin-stabilized and has a flat trajectory so it can be aimed precisely. Shooters are trained to aim the deadly rounds on the target’s center of mass, and the Pogojet is fired in the identical manner. Other non-deadly rounds are supposed to be aimed on the thighs or buttocks. The Pogojet bullet doesn’t deform on impact but delivers all its power over a small area. Widder says that it produces a high degree of pain with less kinetic energy than the standard method.
“It is like a bee’s sting. It is only over a small area, however it’s intense enough to be effective.”
In action
The small rounds may appear dangerous compared to more conventional, bigger-diameter non-deadly weapons, however Widder argues that a high degree of fire self-discipline is always wanted. And unlike different kinetic weapons, the accuracy of the Pogojet means it will hit the place it’s aimed.
“The greatest threat of severe injury or death happens from impacts to the face, the head or neck of the supposed target or a bystander, ” Widder says. “The usage of more accurate weapons with disciplined fire can considerably scale back the probability of this unintended consequence.”
The next stage of Pogojet’s development will be to build the semi-automatic mechanism and the rangefinder interface, in addition to replacing most of the metallic components with plastic. So it will be ready for Human Effects Testing to ensure the Pogojet actually is effective and safe. If it is as great as Widder says, then the weapon may someday provide a new option for police and members of the military faced with situations where regular firearms would constitute excessive force.
French scientists have developed a self-setting injectable macroporous foam for repairing bones and aiding its development. It may assist regenerate bone quicker than other materials whereas providing a fast and minimally invasive method for surgeons to carry out bone repair procedures, and possibly treat osteoporosis.
The new study is published in Acta Biomaterialia. Before, scientists had difficulty making calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) macroporous, or having pores larger than 50 micrometers. While studies have found conflicting evidence regarding how porous bones should be to facilitate regrowth, the range seems to be between 100 and 300 micrometers — in people with osteoporosis, bones are far more porous.
With 70% of bone consisting of a calcium phosphate mineral known as hydroxyapatite, CPCs are extensively utilized in surgical procedures as bone substitutes. CPCs have wonderful properties for the job – they’re injectable, self-setting, biocompatible and microporous permitting nutrients to flow through the implant site, which assists bone regeneration.
Nonetheless, it’s been a problem introducing macroporosity into such injectable CPCs, which is desirable to facilitate faster bone regeneration and reinforce cancellous bone; the flexible and spongy tissue that degenerates with osteoporosis. Macroporous CPCs do exist however those which are injectable have poor mechanical properties.
Now Pierre Weiss and colleagues at the University of Nantes have created a macroporous self-setting CPC in the type of an injectable foam by utilizing a silanised-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (Si-HPMC) hydrogel as a foaming agent. ‘Our method is straightforward and offers us really good outcomes in terms of mechanical properties and macroporous structures,’ says Weiss.
Advantages of bubbles
Previously, the researchers had tried to enhance the mechanical properties of CPC by including a Si-HPMC hydrogel. However in the course of the process of preparing the Si-HPMC hydrogel with an acidic buffer utilizing syringes – which lowers the pH of the solution causing it to self-cross link and gel – air bubbles appeared within the mixture and they had been laborious to remove. However Weiss’ postdocs Jingtao Zhang and Weizhen Liu wondered if this downside may be useful for giving macroporosity to CPC and so they set out to develop a CPC foam.
The group made the foam by placing Si-HPMC and CPC solutions in separate syringes, and then pumping air into the CPC syringe. Both syringes were then joined by a connector and plunged to quickly combine the solutions and air, which formed a homogenous foam.
‘We knew that both biomaterials are biocompatible individually however we did not understand how the body would react with a mixture of both,’ explains Weiss. To seek out an answer, and also to check the biofunctionality of the foam, they carried out preliminary in vivo tests by making tiny defects within the thigh bones of two live rabbits and injected the foam into the cavities.
After about a week, the researchers found the foamed CPC had completely filled the defect as well as maintained the macroporous structure they were looking for. After 6 weeks, they found it had acted as a scaffold to facilitate new bone growth; there were newly formed bones within the CPC itself, fitting together uniformly. Analyses revealed no toxic effects, suggesting that the CPC foam might be a feasible and efficient material for treating certain bone defects and ailments. ‘We think this might be an excellent biomaterial, perhaps with active molecules, to act against osteoporosis locally. We have to determine the proof of concept in animal models,’ said Weiss.
‘There are quite a number of teams working on this problem and different solutions proposed. This may very well be one, the preliminary outcomes are very fascinating.’ says Eduardo Saiz, who investigates biomaterials for bone repair at Imperial College, London, UK. ‘If the research progresses well it might give surgeons a simple to use material for minimally invasive procedures, which can benefit clinical practice.’
More research is needed to show just how effective this paste can be, but the team believes it will one day help to prevent some 8 million osteoporosis-related fractures each year across the globe.
Researchers from the Qatar University and North Carolina State University have developed a new “high-entropy” metallic alloy that has a much higher strength-to-weight ratio than any other present metallic material known to man.
High-entropy alloys are materials that consist of 5 or more metals in roughly equal quantities. These alloys are at present the focus of serious consideration in materials science and engineering because they can have fascinating properties.
The NC State research team mixed magnesium, lithium, aluminum, titanium and scandium to make a nano-crystalline high-entropy alloy that has lower density, but it is very strong.
“The density is similar to aluminum, however it’s stronger than titanium alloys,” said Dr. Carl Koch, Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at NC State and lead author of a paper on the work. “It has a mix of high strength and low density that’s, so far as we can tell, unmatched by any other metallic material. The strength-to-weight ratio is akin to some ceramics, however we think it is tougher – and much less brittle – than ceramics.”
There are a variety of uses for light weight and robust materials, such as in prosthetics, aircraft or in automobiles.
“We still have a lot of analysis to do to completely characterize this material and discover the best processing strategies for it,” Koch told us.
(a) Bright field TEM image and diffraction pattern, (b) dark field image, and (c) grain size distribution of as-milled uncontaminated material.
At this point, the first downside with the alloy is that it’s manufactured from 20% scandium, which is very costly.
“One thing we will be looking at is whether or not scandium might be replaceable or eliminated from the alloy,” Koch said.
For more info: See the paper “A Novel Low Density, High Hardness, High-Entropy Alloy with Close-packed Single-phase Nanocrystalline Structures,” which is published on-line in the open-access journal Materials Research Letters. DOI: 10.1080/21663831.2014.985855
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California Berkeley along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have developed a groundbreaking microprocessor chip that uses light, as an alternative to electricity, to transfer data at very high speeds while consuming relatively very minute amounts of energy.
Conventional microprocessor chips—the ones present in every thing from digital watches, laptops, microwave ovens to supercomputers etc use electrical circuits to communicate with each other and transfer data. In recent times, however, the sheer amount of electricity wanted to power the ever-growing pace and volume of this data transfers has proven to be a limiting factor.
To overcome this impediment, the researchers turned to photonics, or light-based, technology. Sending data using light rather than electrical energy reduces a microchip’s power burden because light could be sent across longer distances utilizing the same amount of energy.
The light-enabled microprocessor, a 6 x 3 mm chip, installed on a circuit board. Picture by Glenn Asakawa – Source: CU-Boulder
This cutting-edge processor is far more superior than standard electrical chips, having the ability to process three hundred gigabits per second per square millimeter (300 Gbps/mm2). In comparison with a typical processor, that is 10 to 50 times more data.
The new chip measures 6 by 3 millimeters, It retains state-of-the-art traditional electronic circuitry. It features 2 processor cores with 70 million transistors. Along with that, is has 850 optical input/output components, that are used to send and receive light.
There are numerous advantages of a chip that uses light as an alternate to electricity.
First, they can send data in multiple parallel data streams encoded on different colours of light over one and the same medium.
The second benefit is that these chips can use infrared light, whose physical wavelength is shorter than one micron. To place that into perspective, that’s about one hundredth (1/100th) of the width of a human hair, which implies that much more components could be fitted onto a single chip.
Another advantage of these light-based chips is that they’re much more energy-efficient, thus they are more environment friendly and can result in huge cost savings for data centers in their power bills.
“This is a milestone. It is the first processor that can use light to communicate with the external world,” stated Vladimir Stojanović, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at UC-Berkeley who led the collaborative workforce in this research. “No other processor has photonic I/O in the chip.”
By combining the optical and the electrical circuitry on a single chip, the researchers anticipate that the new technology could be integrated into present manufacturing processes easily and scaled up for industrial production with minimal disruption.
“We discovered the way to reuse the same materials and processing steps that comprise the electronic circuits to construct high-performance optical devices in the same chip,” stated Mark Wade, a Ph.D. candidate at CU-Boulder and a co-lead author of the research study. “This enables us to design complex electronic-photonic systems that can solve the communication bottlenecks in computing.”
The new processor is much more superior than most electric processors that are presently available, however its potential has not been fully realized yet.
OptiBits (now Ayar Labs) won the $200,000 MIT Clean Energy prize in 2015 – Image Source: Eversource
The research has resulted in two startups, one of which is the Ayar Labs (formerly known as OptiBit) which focuses on energy-efficient, excessive-volume data transfers. The firm was founded by researchers from CU-Boulder, the UC Berkeley, and MIT. Under its former name, they won the ‘MIT Clean Energy Prize’ sponsored by the US Department of Energy, in May, 2015.
Details of the new technology, which may pave the way for faster, extra powerful computing systems and network infrastructure, were published on 24th December in the journal Nature.
The card can currently be bought from the 
