Altair Nanotechnologies is working with the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and the University of Hawaii to supply a 2 megawatt energy storage system to maintain grid stability, all using its nano-scale processing technology that it says provides rapid charging.

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Essentially, the process forms "trillions of holes to create insulating vacuums around the miles of nano-scale wires packed next to each other inside each computer chip, " which should aid electrical current in flowing around 35-percent faster while it eats up about 15-percent less energy.

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The electronic nose is an array of nano-scale gas sensors--the maximized surface area of the nano-particles allows the most gas to pass over them--along with pattern recognition technology that can create a digital fingerprint (or noseprint, as the case may be) of specific smells.

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But at least, as a self-publisher with sales at a nano scale, I have the option of withdrawing completely from Amazon without any real loss of income.

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In nearby Greensboro, International Textile Group, a collection of rolled-fabric makers bought out of bankruptcy by financier Wilbur Ross, is coming up with new products for affiliated company Nano-Tex, which develops textile applications on the nano scale.

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