KIT scientists increase the efficiency of solar cells by replicating the structure of petals -- publication in Advanced Optical MaterialsWith a surface resembling that of plants, solar cells improve light-harvesting and thus generate more power. Scientists of KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) reproduced the epidermal cells of rose petals that have particularly good antireflection properti...

Taking inspiration from their current running styles, is designed to secure the foot with its sock-like Flyknit upper while full-length Lunarlon adds cushioning while maintaining ground feel. The Flyknit Elite Golf Shoe uses Articulated Integrated Traction technology, an all-new traction system with a series of ridges that help propel you through your swing while keeping your foot low to the gr...

For its second year, Pantone Café once again sets up shop this summer in Monaco. Though it's a stripped-down menu of coffee, drinks, sandwiches and desserts, it's a fascinating exercise in color psychology and how simple yet bold visual presentation can heighten all of the senses—and also cause an Instagram frenzy.The color-coded menu features items named after its color or specific ingredien...

China faces a choice: continuing to be an investment-led economy, or switching to one that is consumer based. Successfully becoming a productivity-led economy could generate $5.6 trillion of additional gross domestic product by 2030.Our report identifies five major opportunities to raise productivity, which would accelerate China’s evolution into an advanced economyAfter three decades of sizzl...

Boston Dynamics released a new video of another new robot, the SpotMini, which has a long, extendable claw coming off its back. And in an attempt to make SpotMini less terrifying, the company attached a set of googly eyes, making it look like a bizarre robot dinosaur.It can also keep its extra arm perfectly still as it moves around it, rather like a gimbal on a drone. As a happy byproduct, it a...

A year after opening itself up for business, messaging app shows its marketing potential. Sponsored lenses let brands pay to allow Snapchat users to superimpose products or characters on their photos. Above, filters for X-Men, Gatorade, Taco Bell and Kraft. Marisa Thalberg, chief marketing officer at Taco Bell, was fielding Cinco de Mayo-related pitches from her social media team when one idea...

comScore and YouTube recently released a study, commissioned by Google and based on a survey of 2,940 respondents, on video content engagement and discovery that identified one particularly interesting segment of highly-engaged, highly-loyal YouTube users that we called “Die Hards.” Not surprisingly, these YouTube Die-Hards skew towards the Millennial (Age 18-34) demographic.While YouTube’s...

Amazon Dash buttons have been gaining traction and Kwik thinks there is room for a competitor. The Tel Aviv-based startup has designed a similar product and is working with Domino’s, Budweiser, Huggies and other brands to make ordering a pizza as easy as pressing a button — literally.And the team is announcing that Norwest Venture Partners is leading a $3 million seed round to help Kwik fulfi...

As ubiquitous and necessary as wireless Internet access has become for households and businesses, WiFi network systems are downright frustrating and ugly affairs, one defined by esoteric settings and unsightly hardware. The catch-22 of course is Internet routers perform best when placed out in the open and in the center of a room, but many of us try out best to hide them from sight.Plume is the...