Samsung teases Galaxy S9/S9+ new camera boundaries on 3 Videos.

Samsung Mobile Korea teases on 3 new videos, the new boundaries of the camera of the upcoming GalaxyS9/S9+ that will be announced in February 25 at MWC 2018. 

Speed and Low-Motion , Low-Light and 3D Emojis as follows:

Speed and Low-Motion

Low-Light

3D Emojis

Qualcomm announced Snapdragon X24: World’s first 2 Gbps LTE modem. Video.

Gives glimpse of 5G experience, doubles speed over first generation Gigabit LTE modem, industry’s first-announced 7nm chip.

The excitement continues to build as we approach 5G launch in 2019. Qualcomm Technologies aims to put 5G smartphones in your hands by the first half of next year. In anticipation, operators are strengthening the Gigabit LTE foundation on which their future 5G networks will be built.

Gigabit LTE will provide high-speed coverage in areas where 5G signals aren't available and a consistency of experience for users of 5G devices that have Gigabit multimode capability, like those utilizing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem family. Additionally, Gigabit LTE improves network capacity and provides an enhanced mobile experience.

Gigabit LTE continues to gain momentum as more operators and mobile device OEMs jump on board. Today, 45 operators in 26 countries have embraced the technology and 17 commercially available devices are powered by Snapdragon Gigabit LTE modems, making Gigabit LTE a smashing success.

We broke several barriers since Qualcomm Technologies announced its first Gigabit LTE modem in 2016, yet we continue to push the modem performance envelope. Today, Qualcomm Technologies announced its third generation Gigabit LTE solution: The Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE modem. It represents several significant mobile industry firsts:

The first announced modem to support Category 20 LTE download speeds of up to a blistering 2 Gbps

The first announced 7nm chip, the most advanced commercially available silicon manufacturing process

The first announced LTE modem to support downloads on up to 20 independent spatial streams, including 4x4 MIMO on up to 5 aggregated carriers

The first announced LTE modem to support up to 7x carrier aggregation

What does this unprecedented feature set mean to you? It means that you are closer than ever to experiencing 5G-like speeds today.

The improved network capacity and real-world download speed that Snapdragon X24 offers will enable a new generation of applications and services, such as enjoying delay-free 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) VR videos, immersive gaming, and downloading movies in 4K resolution and higher in just a few seconds – for both single users as well as many users sharing the same cell site.

All of this is delivered by a tiny chip that’s engineered to provide fantastic power efficiency for your device, thanks to the cutting-edge 7nm process on which it is built.

But blazing-fast, real-world download speeds alone do not explain the true significance of the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem. Featuring more combinations of LTE carriers, 4x4 MIMO configurations, and a higher number of total LTE spatial streams compared to previous generations, the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem will help expand the global Gigabit LTE coverage footprint by accommodating a much wider range of configurations in both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. The true power of the Snapdragon X24 LTE lies in its ability to help mobile operators fully mobilize their spectrum assets and maximize the capacity of their Gigabit LTE networks, while extending the capabilities of Gigabit LTE as the foundation for multi-mode 5G devices and networks.

For example, let’s consider three operators with different spectrum holdings in our previous generations. The Snapdragon X24 LTE modem can help operator 1 utilize more of its spectrum assets and aggregate additional LTE carriers to achieve gigabit speeds. It can help operator 2 enjoy higher capacity and better spectral efficiency by adding more MIMO layers on their existing spectrum and achieve gigabit speeds on fewer aggregated carriers. Finally, Snapdragon X24 can allow operator 3, who may have very little licensed spectrum to use freely available unlicensed spectrum, with License Assisted Access (LAA) technology to offer its customers gigabit speeds.

Check out these three different scenarios that show the gain of X24 vs X16 and X20.

Scenario 1: High-order aggregation over carriers

Scenario 2: High-order aggregation over MIMO spatial streams

Scenario 3: Boosting the speed through unlicensed spectrum

The Snapdragon X24 LTE modem is packed with an array of other important features. It supports Category 20 LTE upload speeds of up to 316 Mbps, boosted by 3x20 MHz carrier aggregation and up to 256-QAM. Snapdragon X24 also offers additional capacity to mobile operators through support of Full Dimension Multi-Input Multi-Output (FD-MIMO), a Massive MIMO technology that is foundational to future 5G NR networks.

Additionally, Snapdragon X24 supports the concurrent multi-constellation, multi-frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS), which is optimized to provide highly accurate location positioning required in applications such as autonomous driving and V2X.

When can you get your hands on Snapdragon X24? We’ve already begun sampling it to our customers and we expect the first mobile devices powered by the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem to be available by end of 2018.

We’re very excited to show a live demonstration of the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem’s eye-popping 2 Gbps download speeds at Mobile World Congress Barcelona in conjunction with Ericsson, Telstra, and NETGEAR. If you’re attending, be sure to visit our booth (Hall 3, Stand #3E10) to witness our latest breakthrough. We also demonstrated the blazing speed of 2Gbps with our partner Nokia. Check it out here  - you don’t want to miss it.

telecoms

Q4 2017: Apple Watch sales surpassed entire Swiss Watch Industry exports. Series3 cellular, the star.

Apple shipped 8 million smartwatches in Q4 2017 taking over the Swiss Watch Industry exports that just shipped 6.8 million watch units.

However taking the full year numbers the Swiss Watch  Industry exported 24.2 million watches and Apple 18.4 million watches for calendar year 2017, meaning that still a lot of work to do.

Apple Watch shipments beat expectations, topping 18 million in 2017, up by more than 54% on 2016. The Series 3 was the key growth driver, as total shipments of the latest version of Apple’s Watch were just under 9 million, making up nearly half of all shipments in 2017. 

Apple’s Q4 performance was impressive in itself, as shipments grew by more than 32% over Q4 2016 to 8 million, the highest ever number of shipments in a single quarter, not just for Apple, but for any wearable vendor.

“The cellular version of the Apple Watch was in strong demand in the US, Japan and Australia, where all major operators stocked it in time for the holiday season,” said Vincent Thielke, Research Analyst at Canalys. The Apple Watch Series 3 is the fastest-selling LTE wearable on the market, with shipments doubling quarter on quarter to reach 1.6 million.

“But limited operator selection in the UK, Germany and France influenced consumer purchase decisions, and stifled the growth potential of the connected Apple Watch. Moving into new markets, such as Singapore and Hong Kong in Q1 2018, just in time for Chinese New Year, is a good move,” added Thielke.

9to5mac

MWC 2018: LG to introduce own smartphone AI. LG V30 2018 model.

New AI Functionalities Align Closely with Needs and Usage Behavior of Today’s Consumers.

LG Electronics (LG) will introduce the first of a suite of AI technologies for its smartphones at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The new technology will be featured in the 2018 version of the LG V30, LG’s most advanced flagship smartphone to date.

LG spent more than a year researching how AI should be implemented in smartphones, long before announcing LG ThinQ at CES 2018. This research focused primarily on making AI-based solutions with the objective to deliver a unique and more intuitive user experience, focusing on the camera and voice recognition. The result is a suite of AI technologies that is aligned closely with the needs and usage behavior of today’s users.

Vision AI: Next Generation Image Recognition

On top of an already impressive list of camera features that include dual lenses, wide-angle low-distortion lenses, and the all-glass Crystal Clear Lens, Vision AI makes the camera of the LG V30 even smarter and easier to use.

Vision AI automatically analyzes objects and recommends the best shooting mode from among eight modes: portrait, food, pet, landscape, city, flower, sunrise, and sunset. The angle of view, color, reflections, backlighting, and saturation levels are all taken into consideration as the phone analyzes images in its database to determine what the camera is focusing on in order to recommend the best setting. For example, pointing the camera at a plate of pasta will result in food mode being invoked, resulting in warmer colors and heightened sharpening for the most appetizing shot possible.

LG collaborated with a partner in image recognition to analyze over a 100 million images in order to develop the phone’s image recognition algorithms. Over one thousand unique image categories were created for more accurate image analysis, resulting in better shooting mode recommendations.

Another feature of Vision AI provides shopping advice through smart image recognition. By simply pointing the camera at an object, LG’s Vision AI can automatically scan QR codes, initiate an image search or provide shopping options including where to purchase the item for the lowest price and other similar products that the customer might find of interest.

A new low-light shooting mode automatically brightens images in dim environments by a factor of two. Instead of conventional methods of measuring external light levels, Vision AI instead measures the brightness of the actual image that will be recorded, resulting in brightness levels that are adjusted much more accurately.

Voice AI: LG-Exclusive Voice Commands

Another new feature is Voice AI that allows users to run apps and change settings through voice commands alone. Working alongside Google Assistant, the 32 LG-exclusive Voice AI commands – up from 23 commands in 2017 – Voice AI eliminates the need to search through menu options and allows for direct selection of specific functions.

LG Exclusive Voice Commands for Google Assistant

                                                                                 VOICE COMMAND
                                               FEATURE                                    (PRECEDE WITH “OK GOOGLE”)
1                                     Wide-angle photo                                Take a picture on a wide angle
2                                     Wide-angle selfie                                 Take a selfie on a wide angle
3                                     Wide-angle video                               Record a video on a wide angle
4                                Wide-angle selfie video                       Take a selfie video on a wide angle
5                                          Cine Video                                        Open camera on Cine Video
6                                   Expert Photo Mode                              Open camera on a manual mode
7                                   Expert Video Mode                              Open camera on a manual video
8                                Cine Video (Romantic)                              Take a romantic Cine Video
9                             Cine Video (Melodramatic)                     Take a melodramatic Cine Video
10                                 Cine Video (Thriller)                                 Take a thriller Cine Video
11                                Cine Video (Beauty)                                   Take a beauty Cine Video
12                            Cine Video (Blockbuster)                  Take a summer blockbuster Cine Video
13                       Cine Video (Romantic Comedy)              Take a romantic comedy Cine Video
14                           Cine Video (Documentary)                        Take a documentary Cine Video
15                              Cine Video (Landscape)                              Take a scenery Cine Video
16                                  Cine Video (Drama)                                 Take a drama Cine Video
17                               Cine Video (Historic)                                Take a historical Cine Video
18                               Cine Video (Mystery)                                  Take a mystery Cine Video
19                                  Cine Video (Noir)                                         Take a noir Cine Video
20                                Cine Video (Classic)                                    Take a classic Cine Video
21                              Cine Video (Flashback)                              Take a flashback Cine Video
22                                Cine Video (Pop Art)                                   Take a pop art Cine Video
23                              Expert Mode (Graphy)                                Open camera with Graphy

NEW FOR 2018

24                                  Panoramic Photo                                                        Pending
25                                      Food Photo                                                              Pending
26                           Time-lapse Photo (Video)                                                Pending
27                                Slow-motion Video                                                      Pending
28                                  Low-light Photo                                                         Pending
29                                    AI Cam Photo                                                           Pending
30                                     Image Search                                                           Pending
31                                QR Code Scanning                                                       Pending
32                                  Shopping Search                                                        Pending

Upgrading and Expanding Smartphone AI.

LG’s strategy for smartphones is to continue expanding its AI capabilities while also refining existing features to make them more convenient to use. Certain AI features will not be limited to new LG models only, but also to existing LG smartphones via over-the-air updates, taking into consideration various hardware specifications and stability of LG smartphone models for maximum user experience.

“As we communicated last month at CES, the future for LG lies in AI, not just hardware specs and processing speeds,” said Ha Jeung-uk, senior vice president and business unit leader for LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Creating smarter smartphones will be our focus going forward and we are confident that consumers will appreciate the advanced user experience with the enhanced V30 that many have been asking and waiting for.”

Attendees of MWC 2018 are encouraged to visit LG’s booth in Hall 3 of Fira Gran Via from February 26 until March 1 for more information.

Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ coming with 3D Emoji and 3D Facial recognition/iris scanner. Thinner than Galaxy S8.

Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ coming with 3D Emoji and 3D Facial recognition/iris scanner. Thinner than Galaxy S8.

Innovative Emoji function that creates a 3D character using a user’s face and captures even small movements will be included for the first time into Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, which will be introduced by Samsung Electronics on the 25th in Spain. They are also equipped with rear dual-cameras and dual speakers at the top and the bottom of Smartphones.

Before the presale of Galaxy S9 series that is expected to take place on the 2nd of March, three South Korean mobile network providers are testing quality of Galaxy S9 series while some accessory manufacturers and suppliers of surrounding devices obtained Galaxy S9 series (including mock-up) and are manufacturing products just for Galaxy S9 series.

Multiple representatives said that Galaxy S9 series inherit the design of Galaxy S8 series. Although they are applied with bezel-less design without a home button, they explained that edges of Galaxy S9 series seem more gradual than Galaxy S8 series. They also added that Galaxy S9 series seem thinner than Galaxy S8 series.

Galaxy S9 series are installed with ‘3D Emoji’ function, which is an improved version of iPhone X’s Animoji function. Exact name of this function will be announced on the 25th. 

This ‘3D Emoji’ function can be used while using texts or messengers instead of emoticons. One can also select animal characters that are stored.

Range of selection of biometrics has become wider for Galaxy S9 series as they have improved security by being able to implement 3D facial recognition and iris recognition at the same time. 

They also support safer financial transactions. However, location of fingerprint recognition sensors is moved below of their rear cameras.

Galaxy S9 Plus will be the first Galaxy S Smartphone to be equipped with a rear dual-camera, which enhances selfie and out-focusing functions. It also has additional functions that can create various atmospheres while filming videos. It can also take clear and bright pictures even in dark settings as it has F 1.5 aperture value.

Galaxy S9 series now have additional speakers at the top of their sides. Samsung Electronics included dual-speakers to Galaxy S9 series to enhance multimedia functions such as games, videos, and music.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) assistant called Bixby now provides differentiated services in various areas such as camera, application, shopping, and finance. Bixby 2.0 is the signal that notifies evolution of Smartphone’s UI (User Interface) on full-scale. Button for Bixby is still remained at the left of Galaxy S9 series.

Genuine plastic cases will be included as basic components of Galaxy S9 series. They were first introduced when Galaxy Note 8 was released and they protect Galaxy Smartphones from cracks and debris while emphasizing their designs.

However, because application method is different per country, there is a chance that they will not be included as a basic component for Galaxy S9 series that will be released in South Korea.

Samsung Electronics and mobile network providers are currently negotiating so that the store price of Galaxy S9 does not go over $920 (1 million KRW). Their plan is to set them lower than the price of Galaxy Note 8 ($1,007 (1,094,500 KRW)). However, it is most likely that the store price of Galaxy S9 Plus will go over $920.

Stock firms are predicting that Galaxy S9 series will enjoy sole lead for a while as Huawei and LG Electronics have decided not to introduce their next strategic Smartphones at MWC 2018 and as effect of iPhone X sales starts to diminish. 

They are estimating that 78.8 million units of Samsung Electronics’ Smartphones will be shipped during the first quarter of 2018 which corresponds to 7.8% increase from the previous quarter.

Before related post: Samsung chip Exynos 9810 supports facial recognition.

Amazon`s Alexa will respond faster, thanks to own new chip.

Amazon is designing its own artificial intelligence (A.I.) chips that would add speech recognition directly to Alexa-powered devices and allow the voice assistant to respond more quickly. The goal is for the hardware to be built into any device that features Alexa, including the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus.

As users of Alexa-powered devices may have noticed, there is a small delay between making an inquiry or request and getting a response from Alexa. That’s because the voice assistant must contact the cloud and interpret the command before it is able to formulate a response. 

By processing more data on the devices rather than in the cloud, the devices should theoretically be able to formulate a reply more speedily and operate more efficiently overall. While the device will still have to contact the cloud for more complex requests, the addition of speech recognition would eliminate the delay in simple tasks, such as reporting the time.

In 2015, Amazon acquired chip designer Annapurna Labs. The company is now producing A.I. chips that specifically suit Amazon’s own hardware needs. Amazon is also currently in the process of hiring chip engineers for Amazon Web Services, which suggests that the company may be introducing its own proprietary chips for that department as well.

The news of yet another tech giant embarking on its own A.I. chip creation poses a threat to companies like Nvidia and Intel. Both companies specialize in manufacturing chips and have shifted much of their expertise to the creation of A.I. chips. Now, many of their former customers are becoming their competition.

Amazon is not the first major company to produce its own A.I. chips in hopes of elevating its products above those of the competition. The Mountain View, California-based Google currently uses its own chips to support features like Street View, Translate, and Search. Silicon Valley tech giant Apple has also designed and deployed custom A.I. chips in its own products.

DT

Boeing new 787-10 Dreamliner debuts. Video.

Airplane scheduled to fly in the coming weeks, deliver to customers in 2018.

The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, the third member of the 787 Dreamliner family, made its debut today at Boeing South Carolina. Thousands of employees at the North Charleston, S.C. site celebrated the event, along with U.S. President Donald Trump and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.

“What’s happening here at Boeing South Carolina is a true American success story,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. “In just a few short years, our team has transformed a greenfield site into a modern aerospace production facility that is delivering 787s to airlines all over the world and supporting thousands of U.S. jobs in the process.”

The 787-10, built exclusively at Boeing South Carolina, will now be prepared for its first flight in the coming weeks.

“This airplane, the most efficient in its class, is the result of years of hard work and dedication from our Boeing teammates, suppliers and community partners in South Carolina and across the globe,” said Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. “We know our customers, including launch customer Singapore Airlines, are going to love what the 787-10 will do for their fleets, and we can’t wait to see them fly it.”

Boeing will deliver the 787-10 to airlines in 2018. The airplane has won 149 orders from nine customers across the globe.

The 787-10, the longest model of the Dreamliner family, will grow the nonstop routes opened by the 787-8 and 787-9 with unprecedented efficiency. As an 18-foot (5.5-m) stretch of the 787-9, the 787-10 will deliver the 787 family’s preferred passenger experience and long range with up to 10 percent better fuel use and emissions than the competition.

The 787 Dreamliner family is a key part of Boeing’s twin-aisle strategy, which offers a modern, optimized and efficient airplane family in every market segment. Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has flown more than 140 million people on 530 routes around the world, saving an estimated 13 billion pounds of fuel.

In 2020 the world`s tallest skyscraper will be ready.

The  images above show what will soon be known as the tallest skyscraper in the world. When the 1,000-meter high Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia opens in 2020, it will oust the iconic Burj Khalifa of Dubai as the tallest skyscraper in the world by a 72-meter difference. It is estimated that the construction of this work will cost 1,400 million dollars.

When CNN visited the site at the end of 2017, the tower was 252 meters high and already offered an extensive view of the Saudi kingdom.

Setbacks

The building will be the jewel in the crown of Jeddah Economic City, a commercial and residential project of 5.3 million square meters, which will feature homes, hotels and offices, as well as tourist attractions.

But the project has not been easy.

There have been several delays since construction began in 2013. Since November 2017, two of the project's most prominent sponsors, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, investor and entrepreneur, and Bakr Bin Laden, president of Jeddah Bin Laden Group , the company in charge of building the skyscraper, have been identified in the anti-corruption purge undertaken by the kingdom, where hundreds of people have been accused of corruption.

However, Jeddah Economic Company, the developer behind the skyscraper, has confirmed to CNN that the project will be completed in 2020, as scheduled.

The company of Al-Waleed declined to comment for CNN, and Bin Laden Group could not be contacted.

A world reference

Although the site is now surrounded by desert, when completed the tower will be the center of the Jeddah Economic City complex, the economic city of Jeddah.

"By 2020, several things will be ready: the skyscraper, the mall and many other projects," says Mounib Hammoud, CEO of Jeddah Economic Company.

With a constructed area of ​​243,866 square meters in 252 floors, the tower will also have the highest viewpoint or viewing platform in the world at 664 meters above ground, with a space of 500 square meters outdoors.

It will also house a five-star Four Seasons hotel and 97 apartments, including seven duplexes. The offices will have seven floors, where there will be four "residential levels" that will include 325 apartments.

The elevators will reach a record height of 660 meters, while the two-story elevators that take visitors directly to the lookout from Level 1 of the building can travel at 20 kilometers per hour. In other words, the guests will take 66.5 seconds to reach the viewpoint, located on floors 157 and 158.

"When you first arrive at the tower, you are already 20 meters above sea level," explains Jomah. "Therefore, each floor is a different experience in that building."

The developers believe that the Jeddah Tower will transform the area, which has traditionally served as the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

"Before the skyscraper, this was not considered a place where people would live," says Hisham Jomah, development director of Jeddah Economic Company. "We are creating an independent city ... so you do not have to leave here," he adds. "The mentality of Jeddah is changing."

"Building a building of this kind, of this grandeur, is really something I would have never imagined," says Hammoud.

"Jeddah is going to position itself in the international scene of modern cities," he adds. "They are talking about the center of Dubai, and now we are going to have the center of Jeddah."

Power on the rise

The construction of the Jeddah Tower fits into the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, a government initiative that seeks to diversify the kingdom's economy and reduce its dependence on oil.

"Vision 2030 is the development strategy of the project ... this is the instruction we have given architects and planners," explains Hammoud.

The ultimate goal is to boost the status of the city as a global power.

"The Egyptians built the pyramids, they built all those huge cathedrals and churches in medieval France, and in modern times they built New York, Chicago, so in reality it's a show of strength and ingenuity," he says. "As in all cities: after money, after power, you want strength."

"After the force, you want to found something, leave something for the world, and today, Jeddah will have a building that many generations will talk about".

cnnespañol

SONY Xperia XA2 ULTRA, XA2 AND L2 Unlocked 2018 models now available.

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra Factory Unlocked Phone - 6" Screen - 32GB in GOLD, BLUE, BLACK AND SILVER

Sony Xperia XA2 (H4133) 3GB / 32GB 5.2-inches Dual SIM Factory Unlocked  in BLACK, BLUE, PINK AND SILVER

Sony Xperia L2 Factory Unlocked Phone - 5.5" Screen - 32GB - Gold (U.S. Warranty) Pink

Sony Xperia L2 Factory Unlocked Phone - 5.5Inch Screen - 32GB - Black (U.S. Warranty) Black

Palm vein scanning is coming to Windows 10. Video.

Fujitsu has unveiled the latest unlocking method for Windows 10: palm vein recognition.

Fujitsu has been working on this kind of technology for more than a decade, but it's now partnered with Microsoft to offer palm vein scanning as part of the Windows Hello suite of security measures – that's the tech that lets you log into Windows 10 with your face or your fingerprint, if your computer has the necessary hardware.

And now, palm vein scanning joins the list, though note it's scanning veins rather than actual palms. The idea is that the underlying network of veins are so intricate and complex that they're unique to every user.

What's more, it's much more difficult to get a copy of someone's palm vein blueprint than it is to get a photo of someone's face, which might be enough to get through certain face unlock methods.

Fujitsu is promising that its laptop palm vein scanners, which are only a little larger than a postage stamp, are very fast and very accurate. All it takes is for users to hold their hands just above the scanner, and they're straight into Windows, no password required.

The technology works with a quick upward blast of infrared rays, which bounce back at different rates depending on whether veins are detected or not. The end result is a palm map where veins are shown as black lines, which the security embedded into Windows Hello can then use to verify a person's identity.

It's the deoxidized hemoglobin in the veins that makes them stand out to an infrared scan, and the blood needs to be pumping for it to work – so hackers won't be able to use a severed hand to log into someone else's Windows 10 computer.

A number of businesses are already making use of this PalmSecure technology, and it's now available in Windows 10 Pro laptops from Fujitsu as well. Or at least it is if you're the IT buyer at a company. There's no word on a consumer launch, but the technology is likely to eventually trickle down to the rest of us.

Microsoft  Newatlas

FUJITSU LAPTOP with palm vein sensor

Science: SUPER WOOD has steel strength/toughness, say scientists.

A new densification process can make "super wood" that's 12 times stronger than natural wood(Credit: University of Maryland)

Researcher Liangbing Hu, from the University of Maryland, led a team of scientists that developed a two-step process to make the wood stronger. The team first boils samples of wood in a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfate. That step partially removes lignin and hemicellulose from the wood. The next step takes that boiled wood and hot-presses it.

That step collapses the cell walls and forms highly-aligned cellulose nanofibers. The result of the two-step process is completely densified wood that is much stronger than naturally occurring wood. The team claims that the new wood treatment method made the wood 12 times stronger than natural wood and 10 times tougher.

The team believes that the new treatment method makes wood a competitor to steel or titanium allows. The team says it’s also comparable in strength and toughness to carbon fiber while being much cheaper.

The super wood was so strong when the team fired projectiles at it, they were stopped halfway through the wood. The same untreated wood allowed the projectiles to pass completely through. Potential uses for the super wood include cars, airplanes, buildings and any other place where steel is used.

newatlas slashgear