Braille device opens new area for storage

A team of European scientists is experimenting with a molecular-scale storage device that can be read like Braille and could lead to systems that hold nearly 100Gb of data per square inch.

The researchers from the chemistry departments at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the University of Bologna in Italy say they have discovered a class of materials that when gently nudged, form bumps in a predictable pattern that could be used to encode data.

"A number can be written as a string of bumps or dots," says Francesco Zerbetto, a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Bologna and one of the authors of the findings published in the online edition of Science Magazine.

The scientists focused on thin films of molecules called rotaxanes, which are shaped like a barbell with smaller rings around its handle. Their architecture, according to the work, is "analogous to that of an abacus", which suggests they could be used as switchable components to store information. [ZDNet]

UnitedLinux has launched programs to spur developer support amid signs that the open source operating system is gaining backing from computing industry partners.

The consortium of four Linux sellers - SuSE, SCO Group, Turbolinux and Conectiva - introduced a developer site on Wednesday, where programmers can find tools to create and test software for UnitedLinux`s version of the open source operating system. The site, called the Developer`s Zone, was announced at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in New York.

UnitedLinux, formed in 2002 to counter the dominance of top Linux seller Red Hat, pools much of the four partners` developer resources around SuSE`s version of Linux. The joint effort makes it less complicated for software and hardware makers to certify that their products work with the UnitedLinux version. [ZDNet]

Cisco Systems said yesterday it had filed a lawsuit against Huawei Technologies, one of the biggest telecom equipment providers in China, alleging that the growing company has copied, misappropriated and infringed on Cisco`s intellectual property in its rival line of low-cost networking routers.

This is the first intellectual property lawsuit the San Jose networking giant has filed. It sparked a rally in Cisco`s shares as investors cheered the company`s tough stance.

"Litigation is a last resort for Cisco," said Mark Chandler, general counsel. He says the company tried repeatedly to negotiate with Huawei executives, even going to their headquarters in Shenzhen. "This is the first time in the history of Cisco that we have initiated an action related to intellectual property. We don`t go around suing people.`" [Silicon Valley]

This week on TechNiche:
Swiss town votes online
Makeover for IBM iSeries
Microsoft rolls out SQL Server SP3
Sun expands Linux offerings