Latest research finds that the trailblazing 'perovskite' material used in solar cells can double up as a laser, strongly suggesting the astonishing efficiency levels already achieved in these cells is only part of the journey.

Commercial silicon-based solar cells - such as those seen on the roofs of houses across the country - operate at about 20% efficiency for converting the Sun's rays into electrical energy. It's taken over 20 years to achieve that rate of efficiency.

In industrial production, bonding plays an increasingly important role. Researchers have now succeeded in separating the processes of applying the adhesive and the actual joining, which opens up a new world of applications.

Adhesive bonding technology is an effective and inexpensive means of seamlessly joining two parts, even two made of different materials. Especially in lightweight construction, adhesive bonding is the preferred technique because many of the materials used can hardly be joined otherwise.

Researchers discover tin selenide is best at converting waste heat to electricity

One strategy for addressing the world's energy crisis is to stop wasting so much energy when producing and using it, which can happen in coal-fired power plants or transportation. Nearly two-thirds of energy input is lost as waste heat.

Holst Centre and imec have unveiled a prototype flexible health patch weighing just 10g – half the weight of current products. The patch uses real-time electrocardiogram (ECG), tissue-contact impedance and accelerometer information to accurately monitor physical activity. Thanks to advanced system in package (SiP) technology from SHINKO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., the electronics module measures less than two by two centimeters. The high accuracy algorithms, low power consumption, and small size and weight make it ideal for consumer applications.

A growing public interest in healthy living is driving the emergence of activity monitors, with a number of devices already available that count the steps you take or the calories you burn.

Xerox has a lot to say about education and digital technology, but instead of sending an executive to give a speech or sit on a panel, the company has decided to host the "playground" at the South by Southwest EDU (SXSWedu) conference in Austin, Texas next week.

The playground is an invite-only area at the conference where "edu-preneurs" share innovations and interact with education professionals. An estimated 10,000 people attend SXSWedu, which runs from March 3-6.

From web security to more efficient cancer therapy to state-of the-art interaction with novel interfaces, young researchers in computer science are working on a wide range of research topics on the Saarbrücken Campus. The Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science currently comprises some 375 doctoral. The Graduate School will be presenting its doctoral program from the 10th through the 14th of March at the computer trade fair Cebit in Hanover (hall 9, booth E13).

Since October 2012, Hazem Torfah has been doing his doctoral research work with Professor Finkbeiner in the reactive systems group. Torfah is one of about 375 doctoral candidates currently enrolled in the Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science.

Graphene, a sheet of carbon one atom thick, may soon have a new nanomaterial partner. In the lab and on supercomputers, chemical engineers have determined that a unique arrangement of 36 boron atoms in a flat disc with a hexagonal hole in the middle may be the preferred building blocks for "borophene." Findings are reported in Nature Communications.

Technique allows tiny sensors to monitor small changes in magnetic fields, such as when neurons transmit electrical signals.

The lithium-ion battery market has continued to evolve with emphasis on extremely long life, scalability, low cost/kWh, 100 percent safe high energy density and high efficiency. The lithium-ion battery market has shown huge potential with its use in consumer, industrial, automotive and renewable energy/grid storage applications.

LED light transmissive carpets to provide information, direction, inspiration and safety in offices, hotels and public buildings

The "Ultrawire" project aims at producing a material that conducts electricity better than any known electrical conductor

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and Saarland University have constructed a menu optimizer for a GUI builder. Based on a model of user performance, MenuOptimizer evaluates the efficiency of the current menu and suggests improvements, hence enabling the design of better menu systems with significantly less effort.