Supports are newly made, with wood for the legs or trestles selected to blend with vintage materials that are to take nothing away from the elegant designs the soul of these pieces.

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Sony, for example, uses a blend of tin and other materials for some of its lithium-ion batteries.

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These include Yuri Suzuki, a materials scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who is building stacks of metal oxides in the hopes that, when combined with carbon-based materials, they'll blend into a new kind of semiconductor that can control spin at normal temperatures.

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"The M-Series family utilizes a blend of thoughtful design detailing, minimalist construction and premium materials to create a line of HDTVs consumers will be proud to showcase in their homes, " said Scott McManigal, VIZIO VP of Design.

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They look bulky but weigh little, because he constructs them from lightweight materials such as titanium, carbon nanofiber and alusic (a blend of aluminum and silicon carbide).

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