Velcro is pretty handy stuff, but imagine if there was a soft, stretchy material with the same qualities. Well, now there is. Scientists from the University of California, San Diego have created a self-healing hydrogel that binds together in seconds, essentially copying the Velcro process at a molecular level. The new material could potentially find use in medical sutures, targeted drug delivery, industrial sealants and self-healing plastics. The secret to the jello-like polymer hydrogel is its "dangling side chain" molecules, that reach out toward one another like long, spindly fingers. When developing the gel, a team led by bioengineer Shyni Varghese ran computer simulations, in order to determine the optimal length for these molecules. The resulting substance is capable of healing cuts made to itself - or of bonding with another piece of hydrogel - almost instantly. The behavior of the material can be controlled by adjusting the pH of its environment. In lab t...
According to translated report from MK News (via TNW), Samsung is in development on the industry’s first smartphone without a bezel. Referred to in the report as the “Galaxy B,” the device will apparently have no bezel on three sides of the display with just a small bezel at the top to hold the earpiece and camera. The device will apparently pack a large AMOLED display, but there is no specific mention of Android or other specs. We most likely will not see much from Samsung at Mobile World Congress later this month, because the company confirmed it would not hold press events. However, some are speculating the “Galaxy B” codename could eventually be the Galaxy S III. The report said Samsung plans to launch the bezel-free smartphone during the second or third quarter of 2012.
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