Technology in the news – Current Articles

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Engineers Develop New Lightweight Metal from Carbide Nanoparticles
Sciitechdaily.com, 24 December, 2015
Using magnesium infused with dense silicon carbide nanoparticles, engineers from UCLA have developed an exceptionally strong and lightweight metal that could be used for airplanes, cars, mobile electronics and more.
Discussion starters:
- Technological Modelling: new material development
- Manufacturing Technology: scalable manufacturing
Madeline the robot tamer
Laughingsquid.com, 23 December, 2015
A short film that documents the wonderful work of researcher Madeline Gannon. During her residency at Autodesk Pier 9, Gannon developed Quipt, amazing gesture-based software that uses wearable markers to “teach” industrial robots to follow, mirror and avoid its human partner in a shared space.
Discussion starter:
- Digital Technologies: software development - Quipt ; robotics and control - pushing the boundaries
Mercury Rising: America's first steps into space
Laughingsquid.com, 23 December, 2015
"Mercury Rising: America’s First Steps Into Space” is a short documentary (8.44) by The Royal Institution that looks back on the NASA Mercury missions that first sent Americans to space. The video was written by Royal Institution producer Ed Prosser as part of the Institution’s annual Advent calendar.
Discussion starter:
- Space Technology: The beginnings of the space race
Video launch of ORBCOMM-2 and the targetted return of its first stage to earth again
Spacex.com, 23 December, 2015
A live video(44.30) of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket delivery of 11 satellites to low-Earth orbit for ORBCOMM, a leading global provider of Machine-to-Machine communication and Internet of Things solutions. The ORBCOMM launch was targeted for an evening launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The 11 satellites were deployed approximately 20 minutes after liftoff, completing a 17-satellite, low Earth orbit constellation for ORBCOMM. This mission also marked SpaceX’s return-to-flight and its first attempt to land a first stage back on land.
Discussion starter:
- Space Technology: commercialising space - lowering the costs
Nanodevices at One-Hundredth the Current Cost
SciTechDaily.com, 22 December, 2015
Researchers from MIT have developed new techniques for building microelectromechanical systems at one-hundredth of the current cost
Discussion starter:
- Manufacturing Technology: microelectromechanical systems — a $12 billion business in 2014
How does Star wars BB-8 work?
Engineering.com, 14 December, 2015
One of the most impressive engineering feats from the new film Star Wars: The Force Awakens is R2-D2’s spiritual successor: BB-8. Unlike the droids from the previous films, BB-8 is portrayed by a remote-controlled robot rather than an actor wearing a costume or device.
Discussion starter:
- Digital Technologies: automation and control
Nelson entrepreneur's travel bag a hit on Kickstarter
Stuff.co.nz, 4 December, 2015
A Nelson entrepreneur's custom-designed carry-on bag has raised more than $560,000 in a crowdfunding campaign - about 56 times more than it set out to raise. It is the second time travel company Minaal - which was co-founded by Nelsonian Jimmy Hayes, 29 - has used the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to raise cash to fund its designer travel bags.
Discussion starter:
- Travel Technology: new product development
The Incredible World of Nanotechnology
Ipenz.website., 3 December, 2015
2015 Pickering Lecture series “Nanogirl and the Incredible World of Nanotechnology” ended in style, drawing huge crowds to the final events in Wellington and Timaru. If you didn’t make it to one of the lectures, a video of the full lecture is now available.
Discussion starter:
- Nanotechnology:what's the science behind it?
Auckland-developed drone wins Callaghan’s $50,000 film-technology challenge
Idealog Daily Blog, 2 December, 2015
The award-winning team, VorTech, has won $50,000 and an expenses-paid trip to exhibit at the 2016 National Association of Broadcasters trade show in Las Vegas, the largest international trade show for media content and technology.
Discussion starter:
- Digital Technologies: robotics and control - drone technology
A wireless device to stop snoring
Stuff.co.nz - Technology article, 4 November, 2015
Snoring - hundreds of millions suffer from it and countless millions more won't even admit they do it. A startup technology company say they have developed a wireless solution to keep the annoying and often loud noise in check.
Discussion starter:
- Technological Knowledge: prototype testing
Clyde Dam getting a refit 25 years after it was built
TVNZ News report, 27 October, 2015
The Clyde Dam, one of New Zealand's biggest ever engineering projects when it was built in the 1980s, is getting a refit. The dam in Central Otago diverted and blocked the mighty Clutha River to generate electricity, and 25 years on, one of the dam's giant generator units is being refurbished, providing another massive engineering feat.
Discussion starter:
- Construction Engineering: generator refurbishment
2015 National Innovation Award winners
Idealog Daily Blog, 22 October, 2015
Kode Biotech and their game-changing anti-cancer treatment has been crowned New Zealand’s most innovative organisation at the New Zealand Innovators Awards 2015. Kode has developed a base platform that can cure cancer using the human bodies auto immune responses.
Discussion starter:
- Technology Promotion: national innovation awards
NASA is awarding NZ company, Rocket Lab, a $6.9 million contract.
SpaceNews.com, 14 October, 2015
NASA announced that it is awarding more than $17 million in contracts for dedicated launches of cubesats to three companies, none of which has placed a single satellite into orbit. As part of its Venture Class Launch Services program, NASA awarded contracts for one launch each to Firefly Space Systems of Cedar Park, Texas; Rocket Lab USA, headquartered in Los Angeles but with most of its engineering staff based in New Zealand; and Virgin Galactic of Long Beach, California. The combined value of the contracts was $17.1 million.
Discussion starter:
- Space Technology: cubesat launches
Apple faces damages bill after jury finds iPhone and iPad chip violates processor patent
TheGuardian.com, 14 October, 2015
Apple Inc could face up to $862m in damages after a US jury on Tuesday found the company used without permission technology owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm in chips found in devices including the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and several versions of the iPad.
Discussion starter:
- Intellectual Property Rights: patent wars
Canterbury University creates new humanitarian engineering diploma
Stuff,co.nz, 8 October, 2015
Canterbury University is aiming to humanise engineering with a new diploma specialising in disaster and third world infrastructure recovery. A proposal is before the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP) to introduce a diploma in global humanitarian engineering, which the 2200 Canterbury engineering students could complete alongside their four-year bachelor of engineering with honours.
Discussion starter:
- Nature of Technology: teaching the human side of disaster relief

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