New cooler

A couple of studies, published in the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer by the mechanical engineers at the Purdue University, offers promise for modifying household refrigeration technology with small devices that cool weapons systems and computer chips. The devices, called "micro-channel heat sinks", circulate a coolant through numerous channels about three times the width of a human hair. This will one day replace conventional evaporators - components in household refrigerators that contain a labyrinth of tubes. New devices may be attached directly to electronic gadgets in military lasers, microwave radar and weapons systems, as well as in future computers that will generate more heat than the present ones.

Faster transistor

Two researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US, have developed the world's fastest transistor. It can match the efficiency of the new generation of faster and super-charged electronic chips. It was manufactured by blending different semiconducting materials within individual layers of the microscopic device. Transistors, components within electronic circuits, are used as tiny electronic switches, current amplifiers or boosters.