Scientists capture images of molecules forming atomic bonds Alt

For most of us, molecular bonding only really exists as a classroom concept. Some scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory can now claim more tangible knowledge, however: they're the first to have taken truly clear snapshots of bonding in progress. While trying to create graphene nanostructures and observe them with an atomic force microscope, a lab team spotted molecules forming their individual, atom-level links during a chemical reaction. The resulting shots were nearly textbook material, too -- as the molecules were neatly placed on a flat surface, the researchers identified the order and nature of each bond. While the images will only be immediately useful for the nanostructure research at hand, they may add a welcome dash of reality to future chemistry lessons.

Samsung's next Galaxy Tab will have Intel inside, says Reuters Mobile

This particular rumor has been swirling for a while already, but Reuters says its own sources are now backing it up: Samsung will switch from an ARM-based design and use Intel as the supplier of the processor inside at least one version of its next 10-inch slate, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. Word is that Samsung will run Android off Intel's latest x86 Atom architecture, Clover Trail+, which we've so far seen in just a handful of Android smartphones including the Lenovo K900 and ZTE Geek.

By way of corroboration, Korea Times is reporting the exact same Galaxy Tab 3 rumor and has also quoted an anonymous Intel employee who claimed that the number of Atom engineers based in Korea has ballooned from six last year to as many as 50 personnel today. They're said to be working on "Samsung-related projects with a mission to customize circuits for adaptation in Samsung products" -- which certainly doesn't sound like typical Intel behavior. Korea Times specifically says that Samsung is looking to reduce its reliance on the tricky supply of its own ARM-based Exynos processors, while Intel is offering the Korean giant good prices and cooperation in order to build its mobile market share. This all tallies with the idea of Atom coming to some high volume Android products -- and it's very possible that we'll see proof of that at Computex next week.

CNET: Acer will release a $400 Android AiO PC running Intel's Haswell CPU

Acer will soon release an Intel Haswell 3GHz, Core-i5-powered all-in-one that cuts Windows out of the PC picture altogether by running Android, according to an un-sourced rumor from CNET. The PC maker has already dipped its toes into the Android AiO waters with the 21.5-inch ARM-powered Smart Display DA220HQL(shown above), but if the rumor pans out, it would mark the first Intel powered AiO we've seen from anyone packing Google's mobile OS. The lack of a license fee to Microsoft means the unit would cost around $400, and thanks to Android's lower hardware needs, would come with a mere 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM at a minimum. If true -- and that's a huge "if" -- it makes some sense considering Acer's desire to avoid Microsoft's Windows RT OS at all costs, but we're not sure how an Android-based tablet with pricier Intel underpinnings would go down with the public.

Curiosity rover discovers dangerous levels of radiation during Mars transit Alt

While we've learned that radiation levels on Mars are safe for humans, actually getting there in the first place remains a problem. Recent results from Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) reveal that exposure even while safely ensconced inside a protected spacecraft is dangerously high. Explorers would be bombarded with 466 milliSieverts of high-energy galactic cosmic rays and solar particles during the 253-day transit and the same coming back, with total levels that could exceed NASA's career radiation limit for astronauts. "In terms of accumulated dose, it's like getting a whole-body CT scan once every five or six days," said Cary Zeitlin, a principal scientist from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) who's the lead author of the findings. A manned Mars voyage isn't completely out of the question, but it does mean better shielding is necessary before such a trip -- much less a future colony -- becomes a reality.