Category Physics

Computer Scientists discover Gap in the Latest Security Mechanisms used by some Chips

computer chips
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Over the past few years, hardware manufacturers have developed technologies that ought to make it possible for companies and governmental organizations to process sensitive data securely using shared cloud computing resources. Known as confidential computing, this approach protects sensitive data while it is being processed by isolating it in an area that is impenetrable to other users and even to the cloud provider. But computer scientists at ETH Zurich have now proven that it is possible for hackers to gain access to these systems and to the data stored in them.

The researchers ran two attack scenarios, both using what’s known as the interrupt mechanism, which temporarily disrupts regular processing—for instance to prioritize a different computing task...

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Universal Brain-Computer Interface lets People Play Games with just their Thoughts

Texas Engineering student wearing electrode cap at computer desk
Hussein Alawieh, a graduate student in Dr. José del R. Millán’s lab, wears a cap packed with electrodes that is hooked up to a computer. The electrodes gather data by measuring electrical signals from the brain, and the decoder interprets that information and translates it into game action.

Engineers have created a brain-computer interface that doesn’t require calibration for each user, paving the way for widespread clinical applicability.

Imagine playing a racing game like Mario Kart, using only your brain to execute the complex series of turns in a lap.

This is not a video game fantasy, but a real program that engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have created as part of research into brain-computer interfaces to help improve the lives of people with motor disabiliti...

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Study Unveils a New Family of Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulators

Study unveils a new family of quantum anomalous Hall insulators
Left: Atomic structure of monolayer V2MX4. Right: Electron structure with topological chiral edge state of monolayer V2WS4 (by Yadong Jiang). Credit: Adapted from Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.106602

In recent years, physicists and material scientists have identified various new materials marked by interesting properties and quantum effects. These materials could prove highly valuable both as platforms to study quantum effects and for the development of new quantum computing devices.

One class of materials that has attracted particular attention is quantum anomalous Hall insulators...

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Powering the future: Advanced Energy Harvesting for loT Devices

Researchers have developed a high-performance energy management unit (EMU) that significantly boosts the efficiency of electrostatic generators for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. This breakthrough addresses the challenge of high impedance mismatch between electrostatic generators and electronic devices, unlocking new possibilities for ambient energy harvesting.

Electrostatic generators have emerged as a promising solution for powering low-power devices in Internet of Things (IoT) networks, utilizing energy from environmental sources such as wind and human motion. Despite their potential, the effectiveness of these generators has been hampered by an impedance mismatch when connected to electronic devices, leading to low energy utilization efficiency.

A study published in ...

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