London, Nov 11 : Scientists at UCLA''s California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) have come up with a new method for the large-scale production of graphene sheets, which are used as nanomaterial.

Graphene is created when graphite is reduced down to a one-atom-thick sheet, which can be used as electrodes for solar cells, for use in sensors, as the anode electrode material in lithium batteries and as efficient zero-band-gap semiconductors.

London, Nov 11 : A coroner has declared three 700-year-old coins, which were found in a field in Flintshire, north-east Wales, as treasure.

John Gittins, Deputy Coroner for North East Wales, declared the coins treasure under the Treasure Act 1996.

According to a report by BBC News, the silver pennies date back to between 1307 and 1314, to the reigns of both Edward I and his son Edward II.

Washington, Nov 10 : Researchers have developed a new type of small-scale electric power generator able to produce alternating current by the stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires.

These zinc oxide wires are encapsulated in a flexible plastic substrate with two ends bonded.

The new "flexible charge pump" generator is the fourth generation of devices designed to produce electrical current by using the piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide structures to harvest mechanical energy from the environment.

The new generator can produce an oscillating output voltage of up to 45 millivolts, converting nearly seven percent of the mechanical energy applied directly to the zinc oxide wires into electricity.

London, Nov 10 : With plans underway for passenger space travel becoming a reality by the middle of next decade, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has started developing safety rules for civilian space flight.

According to a report in New Scientist, EASA has decided to develop the new rules after Sweden built a spaceport from which Virgin Galactic may offer flights into the aurora borealis, a major attraction for people.

“Both (Virgin’s) carrier aircraft and the rocket-powered aeroplane/glider would meet the definition of an aircraft, and therefore fall under EASA’s scope,” said a spokesman.

Darmstadt - Hackers are always refining their methods of sniffing out other people's passwords. That's why experts advise that you always select tough-to-crack passwords. That means using different passwords for different web sites. Luckily, special programs are available to help you remember them all.

"There are two prime ways to steal users' passwords," explains Ruben Wolf from the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT) in Darmstadt, Germany.

Berlin  - Multi-functional devices are the Swiss army knives of the peripherals world. They can print, copy and scan all in one package. There are downsides, though. If one function breaks, the whole device has to be brought in for repairs. The devices won't win prizes based on their prowess in the individual disciplines, either -their value is as a package.

Potential buyers should decide beforehand how they intend using the device.