TechBlog

Sanyo has just rolled out its Xacti G9 MPEG-4 digital camcorder that targets beginners and newcomers to the digital video recording world. This pocket-size design is small enough for you to carry it virtually everywhere you want, and it is a snap to upload high quality video as well as high resolution still photographs to the Web in various formats, including optimized ones for instant sharing on social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace among others. Sounds like the perfect tool to carry around if you want to record precious memories there and then.

According to Tom Van Voy, Vice President and General Manager of Sanyo’s Audio Video Division, “The SANYO Xacti CG9 is a high-performance digital video and still camera in one sleek, compact package. It offers great performance and exceptional value to those buying a camcorder for the first time and everyone who wants to easily capture their special memories and share them in a whole new way.”

Continue reading ‘Sanyo releases Xacti G9’ »

A new strategic plan for the work of the National Nanotechnology Initiative has just been released by the interagency Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Technology with support from the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO). The 2007 NNI Strategic Plan describes the vision, goals, and priorities of the NNI to ensure that the United States derives growing economic benefits and improved quality of life for its citizens and remains a global leader in nanotechnology R&D in the years to come.

According to NNCO Director Clayton Teague, periodic reexamination of the NNI Strategic Plan is essential, given the dynamic nature of the field. The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 calls for the NNI Strategic Plan to be updated every third year; the plan just released updates and replaces the December 2004 plan.

“This strategic plan presents an overview of the NNI for the public and will facilitate achievement of the NNI vision by offering guidance for agency leaders, program managers, and the research community in their nanotechnology R&D investments and activities,” said Dr. Teague. He noted that the new plan reflects the consensus of the 25 NNI participating agencies as to the goals and priorities of the NNI and provides a framework within which each agency will carry out its own mission-related nanotechnology programs, as well as a path that will sustain coordination of interagency activities. In addition to specifying high-level goals, the plan identifies activities aimed at accomplishing those goals. The plan also identifies major subject areas, or program component areas (PCAs), in which investments are needed to ensure the success of the initiative. Finally, the plan identifies a number of representative high-impact application opportunities that cut across the NNI program component areas and that align with the competencies and missions of participating agencies.

Continue reading ‘National Nanotechnology Initiative Releases New Strategic Plan’ »