Scientists have unveiled a computational design for a terahertz metasurface biosensor that combines five distinct materials—graphene, MXene, tungsten disulfide, gold, and copper—into a single multilayer architecture capable of detecting refractive-index changes associated with chikungunya virus infection. The study, published in Results in Optics by G. Arunachalam, A.R. Kalaiarasi, Giri.G. Hallur, and V. Parthasarathy, reports a numerically predicted sensitivity of 907 GHz per refractive-index unit, among the highest values reported for hybrid-material terahertz biosensors, and couples the electromagnetic design to an XGBoost machine-learning surrogate model that predicts sensor behavior with accuracies exceeding 99.8 percent.

Chikungunya virus is an enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA alphavirus transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. While mortality remains low, generally below 0.1 percent, the broader public health burden arises from severe polyarthralgia that can persist for months or even years in a substantial fraction of patients across tropical and subtropical regions. With no approved antiviral therapy or licensed vaccine currently available, diagnostic accuracy sits at the center of clinical management and transmission control. Yet existing diagnostic tools face significant practical constraints, particularly in point-of-care and field settings.

Serological methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay suffer from cross-reactivity with related alphaviruses, including Ross River and O’nyong-nyong viruses, reducing diagnostic specificity. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction offers high sensitivity during the acute phase but depends on laboratory infrastructure, trained personnel, and controlled sample handling. Virus isolation in cell culture provides confirmatory results but requires biosafety level-3 facilities and extended processing time. These limitations have motivated the search for rapid, label-free sensing approaches capable of operating at clinically relevant concentrations in decentralized environments.

The new work turns to the terahertz band, spanning roughly 0.1 to 10 THz, which lies between microwave and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Terahertz radiation is non-ionising, with photon energies in the millielectronvolt range, allowing interaction with biological samples without causing ionising damage. Crucially, terahertz waves couple to low-frequency vibrational and rotational modes of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides, producing measurable spectral features that support label-free detection. Because biological media including blood plasma and viral suspensions exhibit refractive-index variations in this domain, differences on the order of 0.01 to 0.02 refractive-index units can shift resonance frequency and field distribution when coupled to resonant sensing structures.

The proposed sensor is built around a periodically repeated square unit cell containing two identical square resonators, 2000 nanometers on a side, coated with tungsten disulfide—a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide with strong light–matter interaction, high carrier mobility, and excellent dielectric confinement. This layer localizes the electric field in the sensing region and increases the interaction volume between the resonant field and the surrounding analyte. A pair of concentric circular rings, 3200 and 3800 nanometers in diameter and functionalized with MXene, surrounds the resonators, enhancing electromagnetic coupling, promoting efficient charge transport, and strengthening plasmonic interactions between resonator elements. An outer gold ring, 6000 nanometers in diameter, serves as the main plasmonic resonator supporting strong localized surface plasmon resonances with low optical loss. The entire multi-resonant assembly is embedded within a monolayer graphene sheet measuring 14,000 by 14,000 nanometers, which acts as a broadband absorber and a high-mobility charge transport medium whose electrically tunable chemical potential allows dynamic, active control of the resonance characteristics. Copper elements woven into the architecture provide supplementary conductive pathways that reinforce current distribution and coupling among the hybrid resonators. The structure rests on a silicon dioxide substrate, chosen for its low dielectric loss and mechanical robustness, which preserves the resonance quality factor.

The authors stress that the multilayer design is compatible with established microfabrication techniques. Fabrication would begin with a cleaned silicon dioxide substrate, followed by polymer-assisted transfer of monolayer graphene and thermal annealing. Gold and copper resonators can be deposited through electron-beam evaporation or magnetron sputtering with lift-off patterning, MXene rings through solution-based deposition, and the tungsten disulfide layer through chemical vapor deposition or thin-film transfer. With a unit-cell dimension of approximately 14 micrometers, the required feature sizes fall comfortably within conventional photolithography capabilities, and because fabrication imperfections remain far smaller than the operating terahertz wavelength, moderate tolerances are expected to have only limited influence on the electromagnetic response. For biosensing, the graphene surface could subsequently be functionalized with chikungunya-specific antibodies or aptamers using EDC/NHS or pyrene-based linker chemistries.

The electromagnetic modeling, performed in COMSOL Multiphysics, reveals a pronounced resonance at 0.355 THz, where electric-field simulations show the strongest and most spatially extensive enhancement. Varying the graphene chemical potential from 0.1 to 0.9 electronvolts produced dramatic modulation of the transmission contrast, which increased roughly 36-fold at the highest bias, from less than one percentage point to more than 27 percentage points, while peak transmission remained essentially unchanged above 98.6 percent. This asymmetric response—stable maxima paired with strongly modulated minima—arises because increasing chemical potential enhances graphene’s intraband conductivity, deepening resonant absorption through stronger light–matter interaction. The sensor also demonstrated remarkable angular robustness, maintaining peak transmittance above 97.8 percent across incident angles from 0 to 80 degrees, an important tolerance for realistic deployment where normal incidence cannot always be guaranteed.

Geometric optimization identified an outer circular resonator radius of 2500 nanometers and a square resonator side length of 2500 nanometers as the dimensions that maximize resonance strength, driving minimum transmittance down to approximately 65 to 67 percent and signifying optimal electromagnetic confinement within the active sensing region. When evaluated across refractive indices from 1.33 to 1.39, a range encompassing reported values for healthy plasma (approximately 1.35 RIU), healthy platelets (1.39 RIU), chikungunya-infected plasma (1.33 RIU), and infected platelets (1.38 RIU), the optimized configuration achieved a maximum sensitivity of 907 GHz/RIU, a figure of merit of 18.519 RIU⁻¹, a minimum detection limit of 0.061 RIU, a sensor resolution of 55.178, and a refractive-index resolution of 0.001 RIU. In comparative benchmarks against recently reported graphene- and hybrid-material-based terahertz biosensors—including graphene/copper/aluminum, graphene/silicon dioxide, MXene–graphene–black phosphorus, and graphene-integrated copper–silver designs—the proposed architecture’s sensitivity exceeded most published values, reflecting the synergistic field confinement produced by the five-material stack.

The machine-learning component addresses one of the central bottlenecks in metasurface development: the computational cost of repeated full-wave finite-element simulations during structural optimization. The team trained an XGBoost regressor, an ensemble method based on gradient-boosted decision trees, on simulation data covering incidence-angle variation and circular-ring dimension variation, using stratified sampling with 80 percent of data for training and 20 percent held out for independent testing, alongside five-fold cross-validation and grid-search hyperparameter optimization. The model captured more than 99.7 percent of response variance on unseen data, with mean absolute percentage errors below 0.162 percent and prediction accuracies from 99.838 to 99.959 percent. Acting as a computational surrogate, the trained model enables rapid interpolation across the design space without sacrificing the fidelity of the underlying electromagnetic model.

The authors are careful to frame the work as a computational proof-of-concept rather than an experimentally validated diagnostic. The sensor detects changes in the local dielectric environment surrounding the resonators, not viral particles or nucleic acids directly, and refractive-index sensing alone cannot intrinsically distinguish chikungunya from other viruses with similar dielectric properties. Analytical specificity in practice will depend on surface biofunctionalization with chikungunya-specific recognition molecules immobilized on the graphene or gold sensing surface. Future work will focus on device fabrication, biofunctionalization, calibration with reference refractive-index standards, experimental validation with clinically relevant plasma and platelet samples, and systematic evaluation of selectivity against related arboviruses—steps that would transform this numerically validated platform into a practical tool for rapid, label-free infectious disease diagnostics in the field.

A home security camera does not always need an advanced multi-camera system to be useful. For many households, the bigger challenge is simply being able to check a room remotely, see what is happening when nobody is home, and respond quickly when something changes. For households building a connected home, an indoor security camera can provide a simple way to check rooms, pets, children, or other areas remotely.

The K12 Smart Indoor WiFi PTZ Camera takes that approach with a compact indoor design, 1080P video, remote pan-and-tilt control, color night vision, motion alerts, and two-way communication. Instead of leaving a fixed camera pointed at one section of a room, its motorized movement allows users to look around a much wider area from a phone.

That makes the K12 particularly interesting for everyday indoor monitoring, including keeping an eye on pets, checking an empty room, or staying connected with family members.

A Wider View Without Installing Multiple Cameras

The K12 uses a 100° wide-angle lens and a motorized PTZ mechanism capable of 355° horizontal pan and 110° vertical tilt. This combination is more important than the raw resolution because it determines how much of a room the camera can actually cover.

A fixed indoor camera can leave areas outside its viewing direction unchecked. With the K12, users can remotely change the camera’s position when they want to inspect another part of the room.

For a living room, bedroom, workspace, or pet area, this can make a single camera more practical than simply buying a higher-resolution fixed model.

The camera’s 1080P Full HD output is also aimed at everyday monitoring rather than professional surveillance. It provides enough detail for checking people, pets, furniture areas, and general activity without turning the product into an unnecessarily complicated security system.

Night Monitoring Is More Than Just Black-and-White Video

Indoor monitoring becomes much less useful if the camera produces poor images after sunset. Combined with other smart home monitoring devices, the K12 can become part of a broader setup for checking what is happening inside the home.

The K12 supports color night vision as well as a conventional infrared night-vision mode. In situations where there is still some available light, color imaging can provide additional visual information compared with a standard monochrome infrared feed.

When the room becomes completely dark, infrared mode provides another option for maintaining visibility.

This dual approach makes sense for a camera designed to stay active around the clock. Rather than treating daytime and nighttime as completely separate use cases, the K12 is designed to adapt its imaging method to the available light.

Motion Alerts Turn the Camera Into an Active Monitor

Remote viewing is useful, but constantly opening a camera app to check an empty room is not practical.

The K12 includes motion detection and real-time notifications, allowing the camera to alert a smartphone when movement is detected. This changes the role of the device from a camera that simply records to a monitoring tool that can draw attention to an event.

For example, a pet moving around the house, someone entering a room, or unexpected activity while the home is empty can trigger an alert.

Of course, motion detection should not be treated as a professional alarm system. Its real advantage is convenience: users can receive a prompt to check the live feed instead of repeatedly checking the camera manually.

Two-Way Audio Makes Remote Monitoring More Interactive

The built-in microphone and speaker add another useful layer to the K12.

Through the mobile application, users can listen to the camera’s surroundings and communicate through the device. That can be useful when checking on a pet, talking to someone at home, or responding to a visitor.

This feature also illustrates why an indoor camera can be more useful than a basic recording device. The camera is not only sending information back to the user; it can also provide a simple way to communicate with the room.

2.4GHz Wi-Fi Keeps the Setup Straightforward

The K12 connects through 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and supports mobile devices running iOS or Android. For an indoor camera, this is a practical connectivity choice because 2.4GHz networks generally offer better range through walls than higher-frequency Wi-Fi bands.

The trade-off is that users should make sure their home network has adequate coverage where the camera will be installed.

The K12 is therefore best viewed as a camera designed to work within an existing home Wi-Fi environment rather than as a completely independent cellular surveillance device.

Local or Cloud Storage Gives Users More Flexibility

The camera supports two recording approaches: microSD storage and cloud storage through a subscription-based service.

Local microSD storage can be attractive for users who prefer keeping recordings on physical media and want to avoid depending entirely on a cloud service. Cloud storage, meanwhile, can make recordings easier to access remotely and may provide a convenient backup option.

The important point for buyers is to check the exact storage plans, supported card capacity, and subscription requirements before relying on either option for long-term surveillance.

Where the K12 Makes the Most Sense

The K12 is not trying to replace a complete outdoor security system. Its strengths are more closely connected to everyday indoor use.

It can make sense for:

• Pet monitoring: Check what a dog or cat is doing while you are away.
• Room monitoring: Keep an eye on a living room, bedroom, office, or other indoor space.
• Family communication: Use two-way audio to speak with someone at home.
• Movement awareness: Receive an alert when activity is detected.
• Night monitoring: Switch between color and infrared night-vision modes depending on lighting conditions.

Its PTZ movement is particularly useful when the camera needs to cover more than one part of a room.

What Buyers Should Check Before Buying

The K12’s feature list looks impressive for an indoor camera, but buyers should consider a few practical limitations.

First, 1080P is Full HD rather than 2K or 4K. It is suitable for general room monitoring, but users looking for highly detailed footage for identification may want a higher-resolution camera.

Second, the K12 uses 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, so network coverage should be considered before installation.

Third, cloud storage is subscription-based according to the listing. Buyers who want a completely local setup should therefore pay attention to the microSD recording options.

Finally, PTZ coverage does not mean the camera literally records every direction simultaneously. The motorized mechanism allows the viewing angle to be changed, but users should still position the camera carefully to maximize the useful area.

K12: A Practical Approach to Indoor Monitoring

The K12 Smart Indoor WiFi PTZ Camera is most interesting because it combines several everyday features without requiring a complicated surveillance setup.

Its 1080P video, 355° pan, 110° tilt, color night vision, motion alerts, two-way audio, and mobile connectivity give it a broader role than a basic fixed indoor camera.

Rather than focusing on a single headline specification, the K12’s appeal comes from how these features work together. A homeowner can position the camera in one room, remotely change its viewing direction, receive an alert when movement occurs, check the live feed, and communicate through the built-in speaker and microphone.

For users who need a straightforward indoor Wi-Fi camera for pets, family monitoring, or general room awareness, the K12 offers a practical feature set without turning home monitoring into a complicated project.

The post K12 Smart Indoor WiFi PTZ Camera Brings 360° Room Monitoring to a Simple Home Setup appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

Ceiling lights are usually one of those home products that disappear into the background once they are installed. BlitzWill BW-CLT2, however, takes a different approach by combining a conventional main ceiling light with a separate RGB ambient-lighting effect.

The result is a fixture designed to handle two different jobs: providing practical illumination for everyday activities while also giving a room a more customizable atmosphere when bright white lighting is not what you want. The BlitzWill BW-CLT2 is designed to replace a conventional ceiling fixture with a more flexible smart home lighting setup.

The 40cm BlitzWill BW-CLT2 supports adjustable color temperature from 2700K to 6500K and can be controlled through an app, voice commands, or a remote control. It also supports DIY scene settings, giving users more control than a basic on/off ceiling lamp.

One Ceiling Light, Two Different Lighting Roles

The combination of adjustable white light and RGB effects also makes the BW-CLT2 more versatile than a basic smart LED ceiling light.

For normal use, the primary light can provide the room’s everyday illumination. The adjustable 2700K–6500K range gives users the flexibility to move between warmer and cooler-looking white light depending on the time of day or the atmosphere they want.

The RGB section serves a different purpose. Instead of replacing the main light, it can be used to add color around the room and create a softer background effect.

That separation makes the design more practical than an RGB-only lamp. You can keep the main light focused on visibility while using the colored lighting to change the mood.

2700K to 6500K Gives More Control Over the Room

A fixed-color ceiling lamp can work perfectly well, but it gives you little flexibility once the fixture is installed.

The BW-CLT2 takes a more adaptable approach with a 2700K–6500K adjustable color-temperature range. Warmer settings can suit relaxed evening use, while cooler white light can be more appropriate when you need a brighter, more functional environment.

This makes the light suitable for spaces that serve multiple purposes. A bedroom, study, living room, or gaming area can all require different lighting at different times.

Rather than buying separate lights for different situations, the BW-CLT2 puts those adjustments into one ceiling fixture.

Smart Controls Make Daily Adjustments Easier

Another advantage is that the BW-CLT2 is not limited to a physical wall switch.

The product supports app control, voice control and a dedicated remote, giving users several ways to change the lighting.

App-based control is particularly useful for people who prefer adjusting lighting from a phone, while the remote provides a more traditional option for quick changes.

The combination also means the light does not have to be treated as a purely decorative smart-home gadget. It can still be operated in a straightforward way when you simply want to change the lighting without opening an app.

DIY Scenes Are More Useful Than They Sound

The BW-CLT2 also includes a DIY scene mode, which is one of the features that separates it from a basic adjustable LED ceiling lamp.

Instead of repeatedly changing brightness, color temperature, or RGB effects manually, users can create lighting combinations suited to particular situations.

For example, one setup could prioritize a brighter white light for working, while another could use warmer illumination with RGB ambience for watching movies or relaxing.

The important point is not simply that the lamp has RGB lighting. It is that the different lighting elements can be used as part of a more personalized room setup.

Is the 40cm Size a Good Fit?

At 40cm, the BW-CLT2 occupies a middle ground between small decorative fixtures and larger ceiling panels.

That makes it potentially suitable for bedrooms, smaller living spaces, studies, gaming rooms, and other areas where a large ceiling fixture may look excessive.

However, buyers should consider the dimensions of their room before choosing it. A 40cm fixture may be a sensible fit for a compact or medium-sized space, while a much larger room could require additional lighting.

What Buyers Should Consider

The BW-CLT2 makes the most sense for people who want more than basic ceiling illumination.

Its strongest feature is arguably the combination of practical white lighting and RGB ambience. The adjustable 2700K–6500K range handles everyday lighting needs, while the RGB system and DIY scenes add a more decorative element.

It is also worth remembering that smart-lighting features are most valuable when you actually plan to use them. If you only need a simple ceiling lamp that stays at one brightness and color, a conventional LED fixture may be enough.

For users who want to experiment with room lighting, however, the BW-CLT2 offers considerably more flexibility in a single fixture.

BlitzWill BW-CLT2: A Flexible Upgrade for a Smart Home

BlitzWill BW-CLT2 Smart Ceiling Light is less about adding another colorful gadget to a room and more about combining several lighting functions into one ceiling fixture.

Its 40cm form factor, adjustable 2700K–6500K white lighting, RGB ambience, multiple control methods, and DIY scene support give it a broader role than a standard ceiling lamp.

Banggood’s EU-direct listing currently shows the BW-CLT2 at around $52.99, although the final price can change with promotions, region, taxes, and availability.

For shoppers looking to make a room more adaptable without filling the ceiling with multiple lighting fixtures, the BW-CLT2 is an interesting option worth considering.

The post BlitzWill BW-CLT2 Smart Ceiling Light Combines Everyday Illumination With RGB Ambience appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

A single gram of crushed oyster shell pulled in up to around 1.5 grams of rare earth metal, more than the shell’s own weight, out of water spiked with the kind of contamination you would expect from severe industrial pollution. A throwaway material, the sort of thing you might crunch underfoot on a beach, holding more than its mass in metals that the electronics and clean-energy industries fight over.

That’s the finding a Trinity College Dublin team reported in early 2026. Below, we walk through what they actually did, why oysters won and mussels and cockles fell short, and how much of this holds up once you leave the lab bench.

What the researchers actually did

The setup was low-tech at the front end. As reported in The University Times, the team collected oyster, mussel and cockle shells from beaches around Dublin, cleaned them, dried them, and crushed them into small grains. Then they dropped those grains into solutions carrying three rare earth elements and watched what happened over time. The three metals were lanthanum, neodymium and dysprosium, at concentrations chosen to mimic badly polluted water.

The chemistry underneath is where it gets interesting. Shells are mostly calcium carbonate, and in the rare-earth-rich water that calcium carbonate dissolves and is replaced, more or less on the spot, by new solid minerals built around the rare earth metals. In the peer-reviewed paper, published in Science of the Total Environment, the crushed shells were reacted with the metal-rich solutions across a wide range of temperatures, 25 to 205 degrees Celsius for up to three months. What you end up with is not the original shell soaking up metal like a sponge, but the shell being rebuilt, mineral by mineral, into something new.

As principal investigator Juan Diego Rodriguez-Blanco put it, “the process is entirely mineral-driven – the shells naturally transform dissolved rare earth elements into new solid minerals, so this isn’t a process that is difficult to drive, or one that requires much financial outlay or technical equipment.” That last part is a lab-based expectation rather than a proven cost sheet, but the appeal is easy to see: no exotic reagents, no elaborate rig, just waste shell and time.

Why oysters won and the others didn’t

All three shells are made of the same basic stuff, so why did oysters run away with it? The answer is structure. Oyster shell has a porous, layered microstructure, and that lets the dissolve-and-replace reaction work its way right through the grain rather than stalling at the surface. That’s how oyster grains reached uptake of up to roughly 1.5 grams per gram.

Mussels and cockles behaved differently, and the reason is more physical than chemical. A crust of new mineral formed quickly on the outside and then sealed the grain off, so the reaction couldn’t reach the inside. In those shells, the study reports that more than half of the original shell was left unchanged once that crust became impermeable. Same starting material, very different outcome, decided by how the shell is put together.

Why pull rare earths out of water at all

Rare earth elements are the unglamorous ingredients in a lot of modern hardware, from the magnets in wind turbines and electric motors to phone components. Mining them is expensive and messy, and industrial processing can leave behind runoff carrying dissolved metals. Two problems are tangled together here: recovering a valuable resource, and cleaning up water that carries it.

The shell angle is attractive partly because the raw material is a nuisance to begin with. As first author Rémi Rateau described it, “every year, the global aquaculture industry generates millions of tonnes of shell waste, much of which is discarded or sent to landfill.”  Rateau also noted that “relatively small amounts of shell waste could remove substantial quantities of rare earth metals from contaminated water.” 

What this is, and what it isn’t

This is one study, and it is a lab result. The concentrations were high by design, the conditions were controlled, and real industrial wastewater is a far messier soup of competing ions, organics and pH swings than a prepared solution in a flask. The team is upfront that the work still needs pilot-scale testing under genuine conditions before anyone talks about a deployable cleanup system. A promising lead is not a finished product, and this sits firmly in the former category.

Our read lands roughly where the team’s does. The measured uptake is striking, the input material is cheap and otherwise wasted, and the driving chemistry looks simple. Rodriguez-Blanco frames the ambition plainly: “we can start designing” low-cost strategies to remove critical metals from contaminated waters while giving new value to a major waste product. Start designing is the honest verb. On the strength of these numbers, it’s a lead worth taking out of the beaker and testing against the real, dirty water it was built to handle.

The post Researchers picked oyster, mussel and cockle shells off Irish beaches, crushed the 3 kinds of shell into grains, and dropped them into water carrying rare earth metals at concentrations similar to badly polluted industrial runoff. The oyster grains took up as much as roughly 1.5 grams of metal for every gram of shell. appeared first on Space Daily.

Attractive interactions between particles do not necessarily lead to these particles aggregating. This is the new finding from researchers at the Tokyo University of Science in Japan who say this behaviour comes from non-reciprocal interactions amongst particles of different sizes that exert unequal forces on each other. These interactions could serve as a general design principle for creating active matter with a structure that continuously reorganizes rather than simply relaxing towards a static state.

Nature abounds with examples of active matter, with some well-known examples being flocks of birds, fish and insects, sheets of biological cells and swarms of bacteria. Researchers have been trying to copy this collective behaviour and make synthetic active materials – such as self-propelled colloids and dense phases of mechanically driven biopolymers – in the laboratory. Before such applications see the light of day, however, they need to first understand the fundamental physics of these systems.

In their new study, a team led by Yutaka Sumino and Kiwamu Yoshii of Tokyo University of Science’s department of applied physics, came across a system in which colloidal particles interact through electrohydrodynamic flow. “We found that mixing particles of two different sizes in such a system completely changed the collective behaviour of these particles,” explains Sumino. “Instead of forming increasingly large crystal-like aggregates, as is the case for particles with the same size, the system remained highly dynamic.”

The physicists’ experiment involved suspending polystyrene colloidal particles with radii of 1 and 1.5 µm in water and confining them between transparent indium tin oxide-coated electrodes. This set up allowed them track more than 10,000 particles and quantitatively analyse their dynamics for more than an hour, as opposed to just a few minutes in previous such studies.

Newton’s third law holds

When the researchers applied an alternating electric field to the system, they observed electrohydrodynamic flows around the particles, the strength of which increased strongly as the size of the particles became bigger. The electrohydrodynamic-mediated attractive interactions therefore became asymmetric, they explain, something that causes larger particles to attract smaller ones more strongly. This imbalance leads to non-reciprocal interactions, meaning that a larger particle pushes a smaller one, but a smaller one doesn’t push back.

While the effective interaction between the particles appears to break Newton’s third law, it doesn’t because there is no violation of momentum conservation, explains Sumino: momentum is transferred to the surrounding fluid through the induced flows and is ultimately dissipated through friction with the substrate.

The researchers also observed that particles of different sizes spontaneously pair together to form asymmetric structures with a distinct front and tail. These pairs behave as self-propelled units and move through the suspension – even though individual particles cannot propel themselves. As more self-propelled pairs form, they assemble into larger clusters, but these clusters do not continue growing into large aggregates and instead repeatedly fragment, rearrange themselves and reform. Importantly, they note: “the larger particle tends to be at the front of these moving pairs. This head-heavy size asymmetry, together with excluded-volume interactions, promotes the fragmentation of larger clusters and thereby prevents continuous coarsening”.

Sumino and Yoshii combined their experiments with numerical simulations, thereby identifying non-reciprocal pair motion as the microscopic origin of this behaviour.

The results, they say, suggest that non-reciprocal interactions can serve as a general design principle for creating active materials with structures that continuously reorganize rather than simply relaxing toward a static state. “An interesting aspect,” explains Sumino, “is that self-propulsion does not need to be built into each individual particle: it can emerge collectively from non-reciprocal interactions between particles that do not self-propel on their own.”

If such interactions can be controlled externally, they could provide a way to design microscopic systems that collectively gather, transport, fragment or mix materials, he tells Physics World. “Possible directions include programmable active materials and microrobotic systems, although these applications are still some way off.”

Reporting their findings in Physical Review Letters, the researchers say they would now like to understand how general this non-reciprocal mechanism is and whether the same principle – collective activity emerging from non-reciprocal interactions – can be transferred to other experimental systems. In the system studied in this work, the strength of the non-reciprocity depends on parameters such as particle size, composition and the applied electric field. By systematically tuning these parameters, they aim to explore what other types of collective states can be generated and whether transitions between them can be controlled.

“A more detailed hydrodynamic analysis of the system is also needed to develop a quantitative understanding of the interactions and ultimately predict the collective motion of the colloids,” says Sumino.

The post Non-reciprocal interactions keep particles in collective motion appeared first on Physics World.

Concrete is the second most-used substance on Earth after water, and the cement that holds it together is one of the biggest headaches in climate policy.

Making cement means heating limestone until it breaks down, a process that accounts for around 8 percent of global CO2 emissions. And we are not slowing down. Concrete production is projected to climb from roughly 14 billion cubic metres a year toward 20 billion by mid-century. So anything that lets you use less cement per wall, without the wall getting weaker, is worth a close look.

That is the claim in a new paper out of India, and it comes with an unusual ingredient: human waste. A team turned treated sewage sludge into a fine black powder, swapped it in for a tenth of the cement, and got concrete that ended up harder to crush, not softer.

It’s one study, and an early-access version still subject to edits, so treat what follows as a promising result, not a settled fact.

Why cement is the part worth fixing

The problem with concrete is not the gravel or the sand or the water. It is the cement paste that binds them together. Estimates of cement’s climate footprint vary a bit depending on how you count, landing somewhere between 5 and 8 percent of global human-caused CO2 emissions each year. Most of that comes from the chemistry of making cement, not the fuel in the furnace. That is why switching to cleaner energy alone will not fix it.

One line of research has spent years asking whether you can replace some of that cement with biochar. Biochar is a carbon-rich char made by heating organic matter with very little oxygen. The appeal is twofold: you use less cement, and the carbon in the char, which the original plant or waste pulled out of the air, gets locked inside the building instead of released. The open question has always been whether the concrete survives the swap.

What the Warangal team actually did

The material here started at a sewage-sludge treatment plant in Warangal, in the Indian state of Telangana, a facility set up as a public-private partnership to tackle the city’s sewage problem. Human solid waste that would otherwise be dumped or burned gets processed there.

V Srinivas Chary, whose institution is a partner on the project, praised the operation, saying that “From the toilet to the final conversion of the biochar, the process is scientific and comprehensive.” 

The research team, led by civil engineer Raghuvesh Tiwari of Manipal University Jaipur with colleagues at Louisiana Tech University, took that sludge, dried it, and heated it to between 350 and 450 degrees Celsius with very little oxygen. That heating step drives off gases and leaves char behind. They ground the char into a powder, then replaced 5, 10, and 15 percent of the cement in test concrete with it and ran the usual checks: how well it resisted crushing and bending, how much it shrank, how much water it soaked up, how many gaps it had inside.

Dumped waste versus a carbon sink in the wall

The study sets up a pointed contrast. Normally a city’s sewage sludge is a liability to be disposed of, and a builder’s cement is a material whose production loads the atmosphere. Both are problems flowing toward waste and emissions. The first is bigger than you might think: a single person produces up to around 400 grams of faeces a day, which across a city becomes a constant stream that has to go somewhere.

The idea here is to route that stream into the wall. The waste replaces some of the cement, and the carbon in the char stays put instead of being burned off. It is a tidy story on paper: two problems that might cancel out a slice of each other. The caveat is that this study did not actually measure the carbon side of that ledger, so the climate benefit is still an argument rather than a number the paper delivered.

Why it got stronger, not weaker

The surprise is that adding a char to concrete made it tougher. The study reports this clearly for the middle dose. As the authors put it, “After a 91-day curing period, concrete with a 10% biochar substitution demonstrated a 21% increase in compressive strength and a 42% increase in flexural strength.” The 5 percent mix was close behind, gaining about 20 percent in crushing strength and 36 percent in bending strength over the same period. Those gains are measured against this study’s own plain concrete, not a universal benchmark.

There is a limit, though, and the study found it. The 15 percent mix did worse. Past a certain point, the char stops helping and simply dilutes the cement, a useful reminder that the good result here depends on getting the dose right. The authors’ own summary is careful: the results indicate that biochar at the 5 and 10 percent levels “yields significant improvements in concrete properties.”

The catch, and what still has to be proven

A strong lab result is not a paving slab. Several things stand between this and a real building site, and the paper is upfront about the biggest one. Sewage sludge can carry heavy metals, and whether those slowly leak out of the finished concrete over time is an open question. That is not something you can wave away when the material might end up in a school foundation or a water channel.

How long it lasts is the other unknown. The tests ran to 91 days in controlled conditions. Real structures face decades of freezing and thawing, wetting and drying, weight and vibration, and nobody has shown yet how this concrete holds up over that span. The researchers say themselves that more work is needed to assess how it performs under real-world conditions such as freeze-thaw cycles and extreme temperatures. 

What the study earns, we think, is attention rather than adoption. The explanation is plausible, the numbers are real for the mix that was tested, and the idea that a waste stream and a carbon-heavy material might each solve part of the other’s problem is worth chasing. 

The post Researchers took biochar made from human waste at a treatment plant in Warangal, India, ground it into a fine black powder and mixed it into concrete in place of a tenth of the cement. After 91 days the concrete was 21 percent harder to crush. appeared first on Space Daily.

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Nothing in Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro accessory line has a deadline attached to it. All six items carry fixed published prices, Apple has published no promotion on any of them, and none of them changes on Saturday, on September 18, or afterwards. Three other parts of the order do have clocks running. Those three are […]

The post What Expires on an iPhone 18 Pro Order: Cases Can Wait, Three Other Choices Cannot appeared first on The Mac Observer.

There is no carrier-by-carrier comparison to make for the iPhone 18 Pro in the UK yet, because the terms do not exist in published form. No EE, Vodafone, O2 or Three offer appears on any Apple page, and every carrier credit figure Apple does publish is attached to an American network. What is published for […]

The post iPhone 18 Pro Deals on EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three: What Has Actually Been Published appeared first on The Mac Observer.

As wireless earbuds continue to get smaller, comfort and awareness of your surroundings can become just as important as compact size. The Zombies Cat B22 takes a different route with an open-ear earclip design that rests around the ear instead of blocking the ear canal. Combined with Bluetooth 6.0 and large 14mm drivers, the B22 is designed for users who want wireless audio while staying more connected to their surroundings during everyday activities and workouts.

That design is paired with Bluetooth 6.0, 14mm dynamic drivers, claimed 720° panoramic sound, a built-in microphone, and a small warm-colored safety light. Instead of trying to compete purely on conventional earbuds specifications, the B22 is designed around the idea of keeping music available while maintaining a more open connection with the surrounding environment.

According to the Banggood listing, the B22 supports Bluetooth 6.0, uses 14mm speakers, offers up to 4.5 hours of playback from the earbuds themselves and up to 20 hours when combined with the charging case.

The B22’s biggest idea is its open-ear design

The most interesting part of the Zombies Cat B22 is not actually Bluetooth 6.0. It is the way the earphones are worn.

Rather than pushing an earbud into the ear canal, the B22 uses an earclip-style open-ear structure. This can be appealing to people who dislike the plugged-in sensation of traditional in-ear headphones or want to remain more aware of their surroundings while listening.

That makes the B22 sports headphones particularly relevant to walking, commuting, cycling and other situations where completely isolating yourself from environmental sound may not be desirable.

It also changes the way the headphones should be evaluated. The goal is not simply maximum isolation. Instead, the B22 is built around a balance between personal audio and environmental awareness.

14mm drivers give the B22 a larger audio foundation

Inside the compact earphones are 14mm dynamic drivers.

A larger driver does not automatically guarantee better sound, but it gives the B22 a substantial hardware foundation for producing bass, vocals and higher-frequency details. For an open-ear design, that can be particularly important because there is no sealed ear canal to create the same acoustic conditions as conventional in-ear headphones.

The product listing describes the 14mm drivers as being designed for a broad soundstage with stronger bass and clear treble.

The stated frequency response is 20Hz–20kHz, covering the commonly specified range for consumer headphones.

What does “720° surround sound” mean here?

The B22 also promotes 720° panoramic sound, which is one of its more unusual specifications.

This should be understood as a spatial-audio presentation rather than literally having sound physically travel in every direction around the listener. The idea is to create a wider and more immersive sense of positioning than conventional stereo playback.

That could make movies, games and music feel more spacious, although the real-world effect will depend on the recording, device and listening environment.

For buyers, the more meaningful takeaway is that Zombies Cat is positioning the B22 as an immersive open-ear headphone, rather than a basic wireless sports earbud.

Bluetooth 6.0 focuses on connection and responsiveness

The B22 uses Bluetooth 6.0 and supports HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP profiles. The listed transmission distance is up to 10 meters.

For everyday users, the important part is less about the Bluetooth version number itself and more about how the headphones fit into daily use.

Bluetooth 6.0 is intended to provide a modern wireless connection, while the supported profiles cover common functions such as music playback, hands-free communication and remote media control.

The listing also highlights low latency for gaming and video. That makes the B22 potentially more versatile than headphones designed exclusively for music listening, although actual latency can vary depending on the connected phone, computer or game system.

The built-in warm light is more than decoration

One of the B22’s most distinctive physical features is its integrated warm safety light.

The light is positioned as a visibility feature for activities such as night running and cycling. Rather than functioning purely as an RGB-style visual effect, the concept is to make the wearer easier to notice in darker surroundings.

This is a clever addition because open-ear headphones are already aimed at active users. A small visibility feature gives the design another practical purpose.

However, the light should be considered an additional visibility aid rather than a replacement for proper cycling or running safety equipment.

Battery life is designed around shorter daily sessions

The B22 uses a 40mAh battery in each earphone and a 300mAh charging case.

Banggood lists approximately 4.5 hours of playback from the earbuds alone and up to 20 hours with the charging case. Charging the case and earbuds is listed at around one hour.

That makes the B22 better suited to several shorter listening sessions than extremely long continuous use.

For example, a commute, workout, walk or evening gaming session can fit comfortably within the stated earbud runtime. Once the earbuds are returned to the case, the additional battery capacity extends the overall listening time.

As always, actual runtime can vary with volume, connection conditions and other usage factors.

The earclip format makes the B22 a sports-oriented headphone

The B22 weighs approximately 43 grams as listed for the product, with dimensions of 60 × 28 × 52mm.

Its physical design is clearly aimed at people who want something different from conventional TWS earbuds.

The earclip structure avoids the need for a traditional silicone ear tip, while the open-ear configuration can make the headphones more suitable for users who prefer a less enclosed listening experience.

That said, fit is highly personal. An earclip that feels secure for one person may not feel identical for another, so the B22’s design should be viewed as an alternative to conventional earbuds rather than a universal replacement.

A microphone makes it useful beyond music

The B22 includes a built-in microphone and supports the standard Bluetooth calling profiles listed by Banggood.

This means the headphones can also be used for calls and voice communication rather than functioning only as a music player.

For people who frequently switch between podcasts, music, phone calls and video content, that makes the B22 a more practical everyday accessory.

Who should consider the Zombies Cat B22?

The B22 makes the most sense for users who specifically want an open-ear Bluetooth headphone rather than a conventional sealed earbud.

It could be particularly interesting for:

• Runners and walkers who prefer an open listening style
• Cyclists looking for headphones with an additional visibility feature
• Commuters who dislike the pressure of in-ear tips
• Users who want larger drivers in an open-ear design
• People interested in Bluetooth 6.0 headphones
• Gamers and video viewers looking for a more spacious audio presentation

It may be less suitable for someone whose first priority is strong passive isolation or deep noise blocking, because the open-ear concept is fundamentally designed around a different listening experience.

Zombies Cat B22 specifications

Feature	Zombies Cat B22
Wearing style	Open-ear earclip
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 6.0
Driver	14mm dynamic driver
Frequency response	20Hz–20kHz
Claimed audio feature	720° panoramic sound
Bluetooth profiles	HSP / HFP / A2DP / AVRCP
Transmission distance	Up to 10m
Earbud battery	40mAh
Charging case	300mAh
Earbud playback	Up to 4.5 hours
Total playback with case	Up to 20 hours
Charging time	About 1 hour
Microphone	Yes
Product weight	About 43g
Product dimensions	60 × 28 × 52mm
Colors	Black, Red, Beige

The specifications above are based on the product information currently published by Banggood.

Final thoughts

Zombies Cat B22 earphone is interesting because it does not try to be another ordinary pair of TWS earbuds.

Its combination of an open-ear earclip structure, 14mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 6.0 and built-in warm safety lighting gives it a clearly defined identity. The claimed 720° panoramic sound is another attempt to make the listening experience more immersive without returning to a conventional closed-in design.

The real appeal of the Zombies Cat B22 is not simply its specifications, but the way its open-ear design fits into everyday listening. By leaving the ear canal open, the B22 can be a useful alternative for running, commuting, walking or casual listening when staying aware of nearby sounds is important. For users who prefer a less isolated listening experience than traditional in-ear earbuds provide, the B22 offers a distinctive combination of comfort, situational awareness and wireless convenience.

The post Open-Ear Earphones With Bluetooth 6.0: 14mm Drivers, Battery Life and Everyday Use appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

Affordable smartwatch are no longer limited to step counting and basic notifications. The S2 Smartwatch takes a broader approach, combining a 1.50-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth calling, activity tracking, sleep monitoring and several everyday phone-control features in one wearable.

Its specifications are clearly aimed at users who want a smartwatch that can handle common daily tasks without moving into the price range of premium models. Instead of competing with advanced sports watches, the S2 focuses on convenience: seeing notifications, answering calls, checking activity data and keeping basic wellness information on the wrist.

That positioning makes the S2 more interesting to evaluate as an everyday wearable than as a high-end fitness device.

The S2’s 1.50-Inch Screen Is Designed for Everyday Interaction

The S2 uses a 1.50-inch smartwatch display with a 360 × 360 resolution.

Screen size matters more on a smartwatch than the numbers alone suggest. A larger panel gives notifications, menus and activity information more room, which can make the interface easier to read without immediately reaching for a smartphone.

The S2 uses an IPS display rather than AMOLED. That distinction is important for buyers comparing it with more expensive smartwatches. An AMOLED panel generally offers stronger contrast and deeper blacks, while the S2 takes a more cost-conscious approach.

For its intended market, however, the 1.50-inch screen is one of the more practical aspects of the design. Users who mainly want to read notifications, navigate menus and check fitness information may benefit more from the larger viewing area than from having premium display technology.

Bluetooth Calling Makes the S2 More Than a Fitness Tracker

One of the S2’s most useful features is Bluetooth calling.

After connecting the watch to a compatible smartphone, users can handle calls from the wrist instead of taking the phone out every time a call arrives. The watch also supports call reminders and notifications, giving it a more active role in everyday communication.

Bluetooth 5.3 provides the wireless connection, while compatibility with Android and iOS makes the S2 suitable for users across the two major mobile platforms.

The calling function is particularly useful in situations where pulling out a phone is inconvenient. At the same time, buyers should remember that this is Bluetooth-based calling rather than a fully independent cellular smartwatch. The phone remains an important part of the experience.

Health Features Are Better Viewed as Daily Wellness Tools

The S2 includes several health-oriented functions, including heart-rate monitoring, blood-oxygen readings, blood-pressure readings and sleep tracking.

These features give the watch a broader role than a simple activity tracker. Instead of checking only steps and exercise, users can use the watch to observe different aspects of their daily routine.

There is an important limitation, however.

The health measurements should be treated as general wellness information rather than medical results. The product information states that these functions are intended for reference and are not a substitute for professional medical equipment.

That makes the S2 more suitable for users who want to observe general trends over time. Someone who needs clinically accurate measurements should continue to rely on appropriate medical devices and professional advice.

Sleep Tracking Gives the Watch a 24-Hour Role

The S2 also tracks sleep, which changes how the watch can be used outside exercise.

A smartwatch that only records workouts has limited value for people who want to wear it throughout the day. Sleep monitoring, step counting, calorie information and sedentary reminders allow the S2 to collect a wider range of everyday activity data.

The benefit is not necessarily advanced sleep analysis. Instead, the S2 provides a simple way to build a longer-term picture of daily habits.

For casual users, that can be more useful than having a large collection of specialist sports measurements they may never use.

Multiple Sports Modes Focus on General Fitness

The S2 supports multiple sports modes as well as step, distance and calorie tracking.

This gives the watch enough flexibility for common activities and casual workouts. Users can switch between different exercise categories while keeping their activity information connected to the rest of the watch’s health data.

However, the number of sports modes should not be confused with professional sports tracking.

The S2 does not appear to be designed as a replacement for a dedicated training watch with advanced GPS, recovery analysis, detailed performance metrics and specialist workout tools. Its advantage is simplicity.

If the goal is to record basic exercise and stay aware of daily movement, the S2 covers the essentials without adding unnecessary complexity.

FitCloudPro Is an Important Part of the Experience

The S2 works with the FitCloudPro companion application.

The app provides the connection between the watch and smartphone and supports functions such as notifications, watch-face management and related settings.

This is worth considering before buying the watch because some of its smart functions depend on the phone connection. The S2 is not intended to operate as a completely independent device.

For users who are comfortable pairing a smartwatch with a phone, this is a relatively straightforward setup. The connected approach also allows the watch to provide features such as smartphone camera control and music controls.

IP67 Protection Is Useful, But It Does Not Make the S2 a Swimming Watch

The S2 has an IP67 rating.

For everyday use, that provides useful protection against dust and limited water exposure. It can therefore be more reassuring during normal activities where the watch may encounter sweat or occasional splashes.

But IP67 should not be interpreted as a license to use the watch for swimming.

The product information specifically advises against swimming with the S2. Buyers who regularly participate in water sports should therefore look for a smartwatch designed and rated specifically for those conditions.

This is an example of where understanding the actual use case is more important than simply looking at the IP rating.

280mAh Battery: Enough for Several Days of Typical Use

The S2 uses a 280mAh battery and is rated for approximately 3–5 days of use, depending on usage conditions.

That estimate should be viewed as a general guideline rather than a guarantee. Bluetooth calling, frequent notifications, screen brightness and continuous health monitoring can all increase power consumption.

The watch also supports magnetic charging, which avoids having to insert a conventional charging connector directly into the watch.

For someone who wants a smartwatch that can remain on the wrist for several days between charges, the S2’s battery capacity is reasonable for its feature set.

The Design Favors Everyday Wear

The S2 uses a zinc-alloy case with a silicone strap.

Its listed dimensions are approximately 54.2 × 47.3 × 12.8mm, while the strap is around 210mm long with a 22mm band width.

This is not an ultra-thin fitness band. The relatively substantial case gives it a more traditional smartwatch presence, while the silicone strap keeps the design practical for casual exercise and everyday wear.

The result is a watch aimed more at versatility than at minimalist styling.

Where the S2 Makes Sense

The most interesting aspect of the S2 is not any single specification.

Its value comes from how several basic features work together.

A user can receive notifications during the day, answer a Bluetooth call, check steps, review sleep information, record a workout, control music and use the watch as a remote camera controller.

None of those functions is particularly unusual by itself. The appeal is having them combined in one relatively affordable wearable.

This also explains why the S2 should not be judged against premium smartwatches solely on specifications. It does not offer the same level of display technology, sports analysis or ecosystem integration. Instead, it targets people who want a broad set of useful functions without paying for advanced features they may never use.

Who Should Buy the S2 Smartwatch?

The S2 is a reasonable choice for users who prioritize practical everyday functions.

It makes the most sense for someone looking for:

• A large 1.50-inch smartwatch display
• Bluetooth calling
• Smartphone notifications
• Basic activity tracking
• Sleep monitoring
• Heart-rate and SpO2 information
• General blood-pressure readings
• Multiple sports modes
• Music and camera controls
• Several days of typical battery life
• Basic protection against dust and everyday water exposure

On the other hand, users who specifically need advanced GPS tracking, professional training analytics, medical-grade measurements, swimming-focused protection or a premium AMOLED display should consider a more specialized smartwatch.

S2 Smartwatch vs. a Typical Budget Fitness Band

The S2’s biggest advantage over a simple fitness band is the communication layer.

A fitness band can be excellent for steps, sleep and basic activity monitoring, but the S2 adds Bluetooth calling, broader notification support, music control and camera control.

That makes it closer to a general-purpose smartwatch than a dedicated fitness tracker.

The trade-off is size. The S2 is a more substantial wearable, so buyers who prefer a lightweight band that disappears on the wrist may prefer a smaller fitness tracker.

Final Verdict

The S2 Smartwatch is best understood as an affordable all-round wearable rather than a specialist sports watch.

Its 1.50-inch display gives everyday interactions plenty of room, while Bluetooth calling adds a feature that can genuinely reduce the need to reach for a smartphone. Health and activity functions cover the basics, and the 280mAh battery is designed to provide several days of typical use.

Its limitations are equally clear. The IPS display is not aimed at competing with premium AMOLED watches, the fitness functions are primarily for everyday tracking, and the health measurements should not be treated as medical results.

For buyers who want a straightforward smartwatch that combines communication, activity tracking and everyday convenience, the S2’s broad feature set is its main selling point. It is less about having the most advanced technology and more about putting a useful collection of smartwatch functions on the wrist at an accessible price.

The post Budget Smartwatch with Bluetooth Calling and 1.50-Inch Display: What to Know appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

UK gardens took a battering this summer as a heat dome settled over western Europe, and much of the green and pleasant land turned a dusty beige.

Scientists led by the Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona and the ESRF, the European Synchrotron, have revealed the chemical reactions in nanoparticles that created a unique, shimmering effect in the painting on ninth-century Islamic ceramics. The results are published in Science Advances.

Scientists led by the Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona and the ESRF, the European Synchrotron, have revealed the chemical reactions in nanoparticles that created a unique, shimmering effect in the painting on ninth-century Islamic ceramics. The results are published in Science Advances.

Allowing females to mate with multiple males, rather than just one, could help make species more resistant to extinction, University of East Anglia research shows. A new study reveals that when females have multiple males to mate with, their offspring inherit significantly fewer harmful genetic mutations. This, in turn, makes the entire population healthier and less likely to die out.

Allowing females to mate with multiple males, rather than just one, could help make species more resistant to extinction, University of East Anglia research shows. A new study reveals that when females have multiple males to mate with, their offspring inherit significantly fewer harmful genetic mutations. This, in turn, makes the entire population healthier and less likely to die out.