Plasma

Cold plasma has received a further boost as a potential alternative to antibiotics in the fight against multi-drug resistant bacteria. A study published by a Russian-German research team found that just ten minutes of treatment with a low temperature (35-40°C/95-104°F) plasma torch killed drug-resistant bacteria in wound infections in rats and also increased the rate at which wounds healed.  Read More

Protecting aircraft from lightning strikes probably isn't the first use of nanotechnology that springs to mind, but that's exactly what Fraunhofer researchers hope to achieve by combining carbon nanotubes with carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs).  Read More

Amongst the plethora of displays out to tempt our eyeballs at IFA 2010 in Berlin were some nice looking new release plasmas from Panasonic. There was the 42-inch TX-P42GT20 that marks the addition of yet another series to the company’s 3D VIERA line-up, along with two new 3D plasmas to join its high-end VT20 series. The new 42-inch and 46-inch models, the TX-P46VT20 and TX-P42VT20, sees the VT20 line-up expand to cover the gamut of 42- to 65-inch screen sizes. The new 42-inch models also mark a world first for 3D plasmas.  Read More

Samsung, the manufacturer with its fingers in just about every consumer electronics pie known to man, has announced a flood of new 3D-enabled products. There’s Blu-ray players – both standalone and as part of a home theater, as well as the world’s first portable 3D Blu-ray player. There’s also new 3D TVs, including a 65-inch model the company says is the world’s largest Full HD 3D LED TV, along with three new 3D enabled plasmas. Kind of gives the impression that Samsung thinks this 3D thing will be a little more than a flash in the pan.  Read More

When it comes to TVs, size really does matter. Panasonic is taking this theory to extremes by announcing the release of the world’s biggest Full HD 3D plasma display. The Japanese manufacturer showed a prototype of the 152-inch behemoth at CES this year where it was understandably drawing quite a crowd. Back in January Panasonic wasn’t confirming whether the TV would ever be commercially available, but it has now announced that it will start taking orders from July, with shipments starting in Japanese and American markets later this year.  Read More

Ever wanted to feel like you live on the moon? Or imagined your house at the bottom of the sea? The Winscape application from Rational Craft will turn two plasma TVs into virtual windows and give you a realistic interactive view of Earth from space, an underwater aquarium, or simply footage of the Golden Gate Bridge as you move around the room.  Read More

The roll-out of 3D TV has begun in earnest and Samsung is hoping to capitalize on consumer interest by being first to market in several territories. The company’s 3D sets have been available in Korea for over a month, have recently appeared for sale in the U.S. and European markets, and yesterday Australian availability was announced for next week. So with consumers now actually able to grab the new tech off store shelves, we thought it was time to give a brief summary of what Samsung has on offer.  Read More

The same process that illuminates big-screen plasma TV’s can now create ultra-clean fuels, according to a scientific report presented earlier this week. According to Prof. Albin Czernichowski from France’s University of Orleans, a device called a GlidArc reactor has successfully been used to create clean fuels from waste materials, utilizing electrically-charged clouds of gas called “plasmas.” One of the fuels is a form of diesel that reportedly releases ten times less air pollution than conventional diesel.  Read More

If you’re a fan of movies like Poltergeist or Videodrome, in which people get really “immersed” in their television-viewing experiences, then you’ll probably like the latest news from Panasonic - it’s developed the world’s largest full-HD 3D plasma display TV. As presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the one-off behemoth sports a 152-inch, 4K x 2K (8.84 million pixel) screen, plus a host of other complicated-sounding technical marvels.  Read More