The Engineer
April 2004 Online
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BG Group exercises $620 million LNG option
30 Apr 2004
BG Group recently announced that it has exercised its options with Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries for the delivery of four new Liquefied Natural Gas ships.
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Dynamic analysis of nip width now possible
30 Apr 2004
Sensor Products, Inc has recently announced the release of F-NipR (Flying Dynamic Electronic Nip Analysis System), a real-time nip analysis tool.
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Siemens gains $30 million EDGE in Thailand
30 Apr 2004
Thai mobile operator AIS has placed an order worth $30 million with Siemens Information and Communication Mobile for EDGE technology and expansion of its GPRS network.
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KLM to fly with GE engines
30 Apr 2004
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has recently selected the General Electric CF6-80E1 engine to power its six A330-200 aircraft currently on order from Airbus.
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Suppression sensors
29 Apr 2004
A new range of background suppression sensors from Banner Engineering will only detect objects within their preset sensing range, ignoring all others.
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Minteq plans $14 million refractory plant
29 Apr 2004
Minerals Technologies announced today that its subsidiary, Minteq International, will build a $14 million plant in China for the production of refractory materials.
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Thales awarded UAV contract
29 Apr 2004
Thales announced recently that it has received a $649,000 contract to deliver an Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System to the Canadian Forces Experimentation Centre.
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40% extra power
29 Apr 2004
Lambda has introduced a 900W model in its Vega series of AC-DC power supplies that offers engineers 40% more power in a unit the exact same size as the Vega 650W model.
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Embracing EU enlargement
29 Apr 2004
A new report from the EEF warns UK's manufacturers that they should seize opportunities offered by the enlargement of the European Union.
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Muscling-in on mould
29 Apr 2004
Researchers are testing the feasibility of using radar technology to detect mould behind gypsum wallboard. A common problem, hidden mould can cause serious structural damage and health problems before homeowners discover it.
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RF capacitors leave 0201 footprint
28 Apr 2004
Vishay Intertechnology has released a new family of silicon-based RF capacitors in the 0201 footprint that will help reduce the size and improve the performance of wireless communications products.
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Fast track for hydrogen fuel reformer
28 Apr 2004
Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are developing a system to rapidly produce hydrogen from petrol in your car. "This brings fuel cell-powered cars one step closer to the mass market," said Larry Pederson, project leader at PNNL. Fuel cells use hydrogen to produce electricity, which runs the vehicle. Fuel cell-powered vehicles get about twice the fuel efficiency of today's cars and significantly reduce emissions.
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Whose fault is it anyway?
28 Apr 2004
Dave Wilson puts his own colourful spin on the new DTI Information Security Breaches Survey - a survey that examined the state of play regarding computer security at numerous UK businesses.
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Increasing OLED efficiency
28 Apr 2004
Scientists at Philips have developed two new methods to increase the efficiency of PolyLED polymer OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays. Efficiency is a major focus in current polymer OLED research, since higher efficiency opens the way to low-cost, large-scale manufacturing.
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e-commerce in the UK
27 Apr 2004
The number of UK manufacturers using the Internet for purchasing goods and services is on an upward trend, according to the latest UK Manufacturing e-commerce survey carried out by Capgemini.
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Signal conditioning for bridge sensors
27 Apr 2004
Scalar Technologies' SAT-SSC is designed to power and signal condition most strain gauge or piezoresistive devices presently on the market.
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Measuring a bend in spacetime
27 Apr 2004
Instrumentation aboard a spacecraft launched on April 20 will attempt to detect a bending of spacetime around Earth, testing an unproven aspect of Einstein's theory of relativity.
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Defence intervention
27 Apr 2004
The UK Minister for Competition has issued a European Intervention Notice to the UK Office of Fair Trading in relation to General Dynamics Corporation's proposed acquisition of Alvis.
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One step closer to the optimum solar cell
27 Apr 2004
For the second time in two years, researchers at the Berkeley Laboratory in the US have announced a new solar cell material that may be able to achieve extraordinary efficiency.
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Reclaiming contaminated land using domestic waste
27 Apr 2004
A novel technique to combat the UKs looming landfill crisis begins its first field trials in Yorkshire this week.
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Energy density
27 Apr 2004
Four Japanese companies - Omron, Mitsui, Okamura Laboratory and Power Systems - have formed a joint venture to commercialize a new type of capacitor.
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Billion dollar restructuring
26 Apr 2004
As part of a series of moves estimated at reducing its debt, TXU Corporation announced today that it is to sell TXU Australia to Singapore Power for $3.72 billion.
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Handsets move East
26 Apr 2004
French telecomms giant Alcatel is forming a joint venture company with TCL Communication Technology of China to develop and sell mobile handsets.
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Taking the temperature
26 Apr 2004
US researchers have developed a fluorescent material that could be the basis for highly sensitive optical thermometers useful in biological monitoring, medical, industrial and security applications.
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Smart standard
26 Apr 2004
The IEEE has started work on a smart transducer interface standard for sensors and actuators that addresses high-speed CANopen-based networks.
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Source improves colour calibrations
26 Apr 2004
Researchers at NIST have developed a new portable 'rainbow' source for calibrating colour measurement instruments.
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Interconnecting business
26 Apr 2004
The UK-based Smiths Group has acquired TRAK Communications, a US developer of microwave sub-systems, antennas and components, for $111.5 million from Veritas of New York.
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UK wasting billions on IT projects
23 Apr 2004
Billions of pounds are wasted every year on new IT systems, according to a report published yesterday by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the British Computer Society.
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New transient voltage suppressers
23 Apr 2004
Two new families of transient voltage suppressers, including the first bidirectional, 800-W-rated TVS in the SMB package, were released today by Vishay Intertechnology.
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TV software learns as you watch
23 Apr 2004
New software turns a standard cable or satellite TV set top box into a personalised assistant that can automatically find and even record programs of interest for each viewer in a household.
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Clamped
23 Apr 2004
Factory automation products requiring reliable electrical connections between sensors, drives and control units can save space using a new family of products from the 3M Electronic Solutions Division.
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New York takes $206 million option
23 Apr 2004
Bombardier Transportation announced today that New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Metro-North Railroad has exercised options worth $206 million for 120 M-7 electric multiple unit commuter rail cars.
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Mass fusion splicer
23 Apr 2004
The Furukawa Electric Company has launched a mass fusion splicer capable of fusing up to 24-fibres simultaneously.
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Decoding a sulphate-breathing bug
23 Apr 2004
Scientists have sequenced the genome of a sulphate-breathing bacterium that can damage oil and natural gas pipelines and corrode oilfield equipment.
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Buying Bluetooth
23 Apr 2004
RF Micro Devices has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Silicon Wave, a privately held San Diego, CA-based outfit that supplies ICs for Wireless Personal Area Networks.
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Zhone buys Sorrento
23 Apr 2004
Zhone Technologies, a developer of telecommunications equipment for the local access network, is to acquire optical networking vendor Sorrento Networks.
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Blue-violet laser diodes cross licensed
23 Apr 2004
Sony Corporation will become the second supplier of blue-violet laser diodes after signing a cross-licensing deal with Nichia Corporation.
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Waveguide delay lines
22 Apr 2004
Little Optics, a company that has invented a glass high-index optical waveguide material system for planar lightwave circuit (PLC) fabrication, has now developed 8-bit programmable delay lines.
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Integrated testing of airborne ray gun completed
22 Apr 2004
Lockheed Martin has completed testing of the optical benches for the Control/Fire Control system of the Airborne Laser, a specially configured 747 aircraft designed to destroy hostile ballistic weapons.
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Fight fires without floods
22 Apr 2004
Tyco Fire & Security has introduced the Ansul Sapphire Fire Suppression System, which fights fires without causing any damage to electronics, works of art or other critical assets.
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Software captures cell signatures
22 Apr 2004
A new, free software package developed by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard makes it easier and faster for scientists to capture the molecular signatures of cells in a particular state.
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Networking and TV
22 Apr 2004
TriQuint Semiconductor has introduced a series of products designed to meet the needs of optical networking manufacturers and the cable TV industry.
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The mercury won't rise in Wisconsin
22 Apr 2004
The US Department of Energy and We Energies have initiated a joint venture to demonstrate technology that will remove 90 percent of mercury emissions from coal-based power plants.
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Building better bridges
22 Apr 2004
BASF has signed a co-operation agreement with the British-Canadian company Intelligent Engineering Ltd for the further development of Sandwich Plate Systems for the civil engineering market.
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Better flight efficiency
21 Apr 2004
Penn State University engineers have developed a concept for shape-changing airplane wings in order to maximise a plane's efficiency over a broader range of flight speeds.
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UK's coal industry receives £19 million boost
21 Apr 2004
Energy Minister, Stephen Timms today invited bids for £19 million of Coal Investment Aid (CIA) funding to help secure a future for the UK coal industry.
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LNG for Invensys
21 Apr 2004
Invensys has formed a global centre dedicated to handle its customers in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector.
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NOx reduction
21 Apr 2004
Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire has awarded a contract to Mitsui Babcock for new technology to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides.
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Eco-friendly shampoo
21 Apr 2004
Scientists at the University of Bath are beginning research to find a new chemical based on plant oils and sugar which would make shampoos less damaging to the environment.
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Read-write heads feel benefits of green tea
21 Apr 2004
Derived in part from green tea, a new biodegradable machining compound for computer hard drive manufacturing is three to four times more effective than toxic counterparts.
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Do burglars dream of electric scooters?
21 Apr 2004
Dave Wilson is disappointed when he discovers the limitations of the technology used in battery-powered scooters.
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Alstom awarded Dutch rail contract
21 Apr 2004
HTM Personenvervoer NV, a Dutch public transport operator, has awarded Alstom 150 million Euros for the supply of 50 RegioCITADIS tram trains.
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Sony gives robots learning support
19 Apr 2004
Sony is developing robots capable of adapting and learning new skills as part of a European Union-funded research project.
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ADC files against Switchcraft
19 Apr 2004
ADC announced today that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota against Switchcraft, Inc.
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Generics plans £7m rescue bid
19 Apr 2004
UK-based Generics Group has unveiled plans to raise more than £7m in new funding to avoid running out of money as early as next month.
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Philips' profits boost gets good reception
19 Apr 2004
Electronics giant Philips this week signalled the return of better times thanks to the world's growing love affair with the flat screen TV.
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Foster Wheeler awarded SCR contract
19 Apr 2004
Foster Wheeler Power Group has today been awarded a contract by American Electric Power to supply and install a selective catalytic reduction system at its Muskingum River Generating Station.
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Albemarle to acquire Akzo Nobel's catalyst business
19 Apr 2004
Albemarle Corporation announced today that it expects to complete an agreement with Akzo Nobel to acquire its catalyst business for 625 million Euros in cash.
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Australia opts for EADS
19 Apr 2004
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Royal Australian Air Force's fleet of new air-to-air refuelling aircraft.
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Lubrizol expands with $1.84 billion acquisition
19 Apr 2004
The Lubrizol Corporation has signed an agreement to purchase Noveon International, Inc, a Cleveland-based specialty chemical company, in a transaction valued at $1.84 billion.
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Radar contract nets Lockheed $13.8 million
15 Apr 2004
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $13.8 million contract by the US Marine Corps Systems Command to provide post-production support for its tactical missile defence radar systems.
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New tool for developing advanced ceramics
15 Apr 2004
New atom-scale images from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US promise to provide researchers the ability to predict and model the properties and behaviour of advanced ceramic materials.
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Molecular breakthrough in electronic plastics
15 Apr 2004
Researchers have developed a new plastic that conducts electricity, may be simpler to manufacture than similar materials and easily accommodates chemical attachments to create new materials. Developed by TDA Research in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Oligotron polymers are said to be made of tiny bits of material that possess a conducting centre and two, non-conducting end pieces. The end pieces allow the plastic bits to dissolve in solvents and accommodate specialised molecules.
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China Airlines expands cargo fleet
15 Apr 2004
China Airlines has today responded to the strong demand for cargo carriers by announcing an order for two Boeing 747-400F freighters.
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RFID set for European breakthrough
15 Apr 2004
Key findings of a study by LogicaCMG reveal that Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is high on the agenda for European retailers, food manufacturers and logistic service providers.
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Support for RTOS
15 Apr 2004
Parvus Corporation's two PC/104 1553 boards now include device driver support for Windows 9x/2000/NT/XP and DOS 6.2, as well as source code for C and Visual C.
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Airbus and Boeing awarded regional jet contracts
14 Apr 2004
Cathay Pacific Airways announced today that it has placed firm orders for two Boeing 777-300 aircraft and six Airbus 330-300 aircraft.
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Decoding a sulphate-breathing bug
14 Apr 2004
Scientists at the Institute for Genomic Research have sequenced the genome of a sulphate-breathing bacterium that can damage oil and natural gas pipelines and corrode oilfield equipment.
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Tracing tools
14 Apr 2004
Forensic scientists in the US have developed a system that can match marks left at a scene of a crime to the exact tools that made them.
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Smiths expands with $75 million acquisition
14 Apr 2004
UK-based Smiths Group announced today that it is acquiring the business and assets of SensIR Technologies LLC, a manufacturer of infrared-based analysers, for of $75 million.
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iRobot enters the FCS matrix
14 Apr 2004
iRobot Corp has finalised a contract worth an estimated $32 million to develop a next-generation Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle for the US Army's Future Combat Systems program.
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Remain in light
13 Apr 2004
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc has announced the release of a new family of high-intensity low-current, single-digit, seven-segment displays that can be read in direct sunlight.
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Injectable agents offloaded for 453 million Euros
13 Apr 2004
GlaxoSmithKline today signed an agreement to acquire the injectable anti-thrombotic agents Fraxiparine and Arixtra, plus related assets, from Sanofi-Synthelabo for 453 million Euros.
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Plasma display panel patent spat
13 Apr 2004
Fujitsu has filed suit against Samsung in Japanese and US courts, alleging that Samsung has infringed patents for its plasma display panels.
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Providing a fix for future artificial joints
13 Apr 2004
Researchers in Canada and the US have found that self-assembling nanotubes could be ideal for creating better artificial joints and other body implants.
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Hybrids hit the high road
13 Apr 2004
According to Technical Insights, Asia is leading the electric vehicle revolution and intense development efforts in this region are likely to promote the mainstream commercialisation of hybrid vehicles.
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DuPont announces job losses
13 Apr 2004
DuPont announced today that it will shed 3,500 permanent and 450 contractor positions as part of its $900 million cost improvement program.
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Recovering enzymes for manufacturing
13 Apr 2004
Carnegie Mellon University scientists have employed biological molecules to create a microgel that could recover costly enzymes for repeated use in commercially important catalytic reactions.
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Metre-wide mean machine
8 Apr 2004
European scientists are developing a one metre-wide, three-wheeled vehicle that combines the safety of a micro-car and the manoeuvrability of a motorbike, while being more fuel-efficient than other vehicles.
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Plastic packaging purchased
8 Apr 2004
The UK-based consumer packager Rexam is to buy Plastic Omnium Medical, the French pharmaceutical packaging business, for 32.5m Euros.
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Selling fluxes
8 Apr 2004
Athens-based S&B Industrial Minerals is acquiring the German fluxmaker Stollberg for 43.8 million Euros.
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Charged for growth
8 Apr 2004
According to a pending report, the US wholesale market for battery control technology exceeded $2.2 billion in 2003 and should grow to more than $4.2 billion by 2009.
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PTC acquires Ohio Design Automation
8 Apr 2004
PTC has purchased OHIO Design Automation, a NH-based developer of electronics design collaboration software. The all-cash transaction closed yesterday and was valued at approximately $12 million, subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions. As part of the acquisition, PTC will retain all OHIO-DA employees. John Lane, President and CEO of OHIO-DA, will become a Senior Vice President for PTC and will report to James Heppelmann, PTC's Chief Product Officer.
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Alcatel awarded rail safety contract
8 Apr 2004
Alcatel has been awarded 20 million Euros to deliver control and safety train detection systems, including several thousand advanced-technology axle counters, to the Taiwan Railway Administration.
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4Gb in a flash
8 Apr 2004
Toshiba Corp has introduced what it describes as the semiconductor industry's first 4Gb single-die, multi-level cell (MLC), NAND flash memory.
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Dredging for bricks
8 Apr 2004
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have helped develop a new technology that converts material dredged from harbours into a substance that can be made into construction-grade cement.
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Crystal engineering answers structural questions
7 Apr 2004
A new technique for engineering protein crystals is helping scientists figure out the three-dimensional structures of some important biological molecules.
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Probing the link between nanotechnology and health
7 Apr 2004
A scientist at the University of Rochester, NY has warned that nanotechnology may pose a health hazard and should be investigated further.
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Boeing selects GE and Rolls to power 7E7
7 Apr 2004
Boeing has selected two engine types, the General Electric GENX and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000, for its new Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner.
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Embedded board eliminates ISA
7 Apr 2004
The PC/104 Embedded Consortium has introduced a new specification for a small form factor embedded computer board.
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Smart sensor
6 Apr 2004
Omron has introduced a series of inductive displacement sensors designed specifically to measure the thickness of metal.
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Pump in a plaster
6 Apr 2004
A plaster that contains a tiny pump and can be worn on the skin could soon improve the quality of life for insulin-dependant diabetics or those on fertility treatments.
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Fantastic in plastic
6 Apr 2004
Vishay Intertechnology has released a new +110 degrees C-rated family of optocouplers, the first devices in plastic packaging that can operate between -55 degrees C up to +110 degrees C.
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Jet fuel from coal
6 Apr 2004
Researchers developing new fuel for the next generation of military aircraft have demonstrated that jet fuel can be made from bituminous coal.
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Enhancements made to PC/104
6 Apr 2004
Parvus Corporation has announced that its PC/104 Environmental Fan Card II now comes standard with an onboard elapsed time counter and scratch memory.
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Springer set for polluted waterways
6 Apr 2004
Work has begun in the UK to build 'Springer', an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) that will operate in shallow water to track water pollution and carry out environmental surveys.
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Expanding in America
6 Apr 2004
BAE Systems North America has reached an agreement with STI Industries to purchase the assets of Honolulu-based STI Government Systems for $27 million in cash.
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Power to CDMA
5 Apr 2004
RF Micro Devices today introduced its family of linear power amplifier (PA) modules for CDMA applications, including 3V IS-95/CDMA 2000 1X handheld digital cellular equipment.
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Making minuscule measurements
5 Apr 2004
Researchers at Cornell University have created nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) that are capable of measuring masses as small as 6 attograms.
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Filtration businesses sold for $18 million
5 Apr 2004
The UK's Domnick Hunter today announced that it has acquired PTI Advanced Filtration Inc and PTI Technologies Limited from ESCO Technologies Inc for $18 million.
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Program speeds drug discovery
5 Apr 2004
Researchers in the US have announced the release of a software program capable of quickly identifying molecules that show promise for future medicines.
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Terma joins F-35 team
5 Apr 2004
Northrop Grumman has selected Denmark's Terma A/S to design and develop 3D audio algorithms and software for the communications system of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
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Foster Wheeler secures EPC contract
5 Apr 2004
Foster Wheeler Energy Limited has today been awarded a contract to proceed with the engineering, procurement and construction planning of a low-sulphur automotive diesel oil project in Saudi Arabia.
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RENFE places 188 million Euro order
5 Apr 2004
A consortium comprising Bombardier Transportation and Patentes Talgo has recently received an order worth 188 million Euros from Spanish National Railways for 44 high-speed power heads.
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Monkey business
2 Apr 2004
3Dlabs has announced that its new OpenGL Shading Language shader development environment is now available for free download at its web site.
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Amec wades into Iraq water deal
2 Apr 2004
UK engineering and technology groups have secured footholds in a fast-changing Arab world that is potentially lucrative and uncertain in equal measure.
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Nuclear infringements
1 Apr 2004
The European Commission today ruled that BNFL is in breach of the Euratom Treaty because it is unable to account for nuclear material at its Sellafield nuclear facility.
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BOC to build in Brazil
1 Apr 2004
BOC announced this week that it will build an oxygen plant for Brazil's Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão (CST), the world's biggest producer of slab steel.
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$60 million for Compass Call upgrades
1 Apr 2004
BAE Systems recently received nearly $60 million in follow-on contracts from the US Air Force for weapon-system upgrades to the EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.
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Alstom awarded Three Gorges contract
1 Apr 2004
Alstom has been awarded in excess of 163 million Euros to supply four 700 MW generating units to China's Three Gorges hydropower station project.
