Apple reigns supreme in Silicon Valley

Guess who's the king of Silicon Valley? It's Apple of course. Apple has managed to wrest the title from another giant Google. Following the success of the iPhone, share prices of Apple have increased while a drop in online advertising has resulted in a fall in Google's share prices. How is Google going to weather the storm? And how is Apple going to build on its success? Innovation is key to not just success - but even survival.

According to the Guardian, success of the iPhone has resulted in a huge surge in share price for Apple and a fall in online advertising has resulted in a fall in Google's profits. Apple's share price has increased 44% in the past 12 months and is valued in the market at $158.8bn which is a tad bit higher than Google's $157.2bn. Apple has been at the helm of innovation for the past 2 years but we haven't seen anything from Google. Will Google be able to re-invent itself?

Tags: Apple,Google

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New technology for better fuel cells

While we're all talking about rising energy costs and crude oil prices, there are many researchers burning the midnight oil to better alternate energy technology. In the automobile industry, fuel cell technology is not something new. But the efficiency has always been an issue.

Current fuel cell technology is based on solid-oxide fuel cells. Spanish researchers have claimed that fuel cell efficiency can be boosted by superlattice electrolyte technology and can lower costs as well. It is expected to achieve almost 100 million times (yes you read that right) greater ionic conductivity than conventional fuel cells.

Delphi Automotive Systems, BMW and Rolls-Royce have all announced development programs for solid-oxide fuel cells. However, fuel cells based on the new superlattice electrolyte are being touted as far more efficient and cheaper for use in automobiles.

"The Spanish researchers could measure the ionic conductivity of their superlattice material, but they couldn't explain it," said Maria Varela of Oak Ridge's materials science and technology division. "Our direct images show the crystal structure that accounts for the material's conductivity. We can actually see the strained, yet ordered, interface structure and how it opens up much wider pathway for the ions.

Let's hope that these advances in fuel cell technology will usher in a new motoring era for a cleaner and greener environment.

[Via eetimesasia]

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