German researchers have developed a random number generator that uses a computer memory element, a flip-flop, to create an extra layer of randomness. The flip-flop switches randomly between two states of either one or zero. Just before the switch, the flip-flop is in a “metastable state” where its behavior cannot be predicted. After the metastable [...]

University of California, Berkeley researchers have created energy-scavenging nanofibers that can be woven into clothing and textiles. The nano-sized generators have piezoelectric properties, which enables them to use mechanical stress, stretches, and twists to create electricity. “This technology could eventually lead to wearable smart clothes that can power handheld electronics through ordinary body movements,” says [...]