The idea of a microwave oven or a washing machine running Android might seem like a bit much, but the company behind these two concepts, Touch Revolution, actually has a pretty clever product.

Their Android-powered NIM1000 Touch Module can be integrated by an OEM into a wide range of products (hence the proof of concept microwave and washing machine on display) adding gesture-based touch controls to almost any device.

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Material scientists at the Nano/Bio Interface Center of the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated the transduction of optical radiation to electrical current in a molecular circuit.

The system, an array of nano-sized molecules of gold, respond to electromagnetic waves by creating surface plasmons that induce and project electrical current across molecules, similar to that of photovoltaic solar cells.

The results may provide a technological approach for higher efficiency energy harvesting with a nano-sized circuit that can power itself, potentially through sunlight. Recently, surface plasmons have been engineered into a variety of light-activated devices such as biosensors.

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Beginning in April, eight television stations in Washington, D.C., will broadcast a signal for a new class of devices that can show programming, even in a car at high speed. In all, 30 stations in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington have installed the necessary equipment, at a cost of $75,000 to $150,000.

“Younger generations want programming on the go,” said Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters. “To access TV on a cellphone, on a laptop or in the car is a game changer for local broadcasters. It will provide a renaissance for over-the-air broadcast TV.”

Full Report – The New York Times

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For the first time the U.S. military has shot down a ballistic missile with an airbourne laser beam.

The experiment, conducted off the California coast, was to demonstrate the future of defence technology.

From the moment the missile was launched, it took the jumbo-jet mounted laser, just two minutes to destroy.

The revolutionary use of laser beams is seen as extremely attractive in missile defense, as it has the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, and is far cheaper than current systems.

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Many people use the same password for everything – from their private work accounts, containing a plethora of confidential details, through to their own personal Facebook or social networking account.

Analysis of the 32 million passwords exposed last month in the breach of social media application developer RockYou – who’s applications can be used on Facebook and Myspace – provides further proof that consumers routinely use easy-to-guess login credentials.

After the security breach, database security firm Imperva analysed the passwords used, publishing a report entitled Consumer Password Worst Practices.

The data found that the most common passwords were:

1. 123456
2. 12345
3. 123456789
4. Password
5. iloveyou
6. princess
7. rockyou
8. 1234567
9. 12345678
10. abc123

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