A company called Osram Opto Semiconductors has created a new infrared LED that can be used in conjunction with detectors to create ultra-thin touch screens. We’ve seen infrared used in touchscreens before, most notably in Microsoft’s Surface and recent e-readers from Barnes & Noble and Kobo. But, Osram’s solution is complex enough to work in [...]

Tapping your forearm or hand with a finger could soon be the way you interact with gadgets. US researchers have found a way to work out where the tap touches and use that to control phones and music players. Coupled with a tiny projector the system can use the skin as a surface on which [...]

What’s an easier green power source to acquire than sun or wind? Random ambient vibrations, that’s what. And that’s exactly how some new generators juice up. The devices, created by researchers at the University of Michigan, aren’t going to be powering your cars anytime soon, but they’ll be able to gather enough energy to power [...]