Tech Advances #1

1     “Smartphones Could Generate Own Power with New Coating”

This article discusses power-generating smartphones. By applying a clear screen that can be attached to the smartphone’s screen, the smartphone could generate electricity whenever someone touches the screen and therefore sustain a longer battery life. Scientists in China believe that the energy created by the movement of the user’s fingers across the screen can be converted into energy. The material that would be placed on the screen is made of a clear silicone rubber called PDMS. Scientists embedded nanowires in the rubber and when they are bent, someone touches the screen, they generate electricity. In addition, the cover of the smartphone creates a blurry image when the phone is viewed from an angle. This will help protect the user’s privacy in public.

http://www.livescience.com/53565-touch-screen-coating-generates-electricity.html