A very small Christmas greeting!

The University of Leeds has put nanotechnology to seasonal use with this very small Christmas card - to be precise, the main image (an engraving onto a tiny piece of platinum) is no larger than a red blood cell. Sarah Pearman's design, which won a University competition, was turned into the nano version by John Harrington from Leeds's Institute for Materials Research using a state-of-the-art focused ion beam (FIB) machine.

Material Resources wishes all readers a very BIG merry Christmas and best wishes for 2008.

The DUMP useless packaging awards 2007

IOM3 and the Institute of Packaging prides itself on hosting Starpack, the industry's most prestigious awards for innovative and stylish packaging, but on the other side of the world Environment Victoria's DUMP (Dangerous and Useless Materials in Packaging) awards have just been announced. Topping the list with a double win for both the 'Golden DUMP Award' and 'Excessive Use of Packaging' title is Proctor & Gamble for its Gillette Fusion Razor, which uses 'gratuitous amounts' of plastic, cardboard and composite paper products, while Woolworths Apple Snacks was given the 'Going Backwards Award' for its 'ludicrous packaging "innovation" that turns an apple into a grossly over-packaged fast food'. Full details and winners can be found here.

Proposed 'quality protocol for non-packaging plastics'

letsrecycle.com reports on proposals by the Environment Agency and WRAP to secure a Quality Protocol for plastics from waste streams such as toys, electrical goods and end-of-life vehicles. If the proposals are realised, the plastics, once fully recovered, would no longer be considered 'waste' under UK law but instead be legally classed as a 'product', which would help reduce red tape and thus aid the marketing of plastics. The consultation closes in March 2008 and is likely to see a specification required for the finished plastic product before it is sold on to markets such as the construction and automotive industries.

Green Alliance calls for packaging compostability legislation

Retail Bulletin reports that Green Alliance has launched a guide to compostable packaging for food products, and is pressuring manufacturers, retailers, local authorities and waste companies to put in place the measures necessary for all food packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2013.

Devon mine to reopen

The BBC reports that Australian-based Wolf Minerals plans to start mining reserves at Hemerdon mine, Plympton to meet growing UK demand and exports of tungsten and tin. Some 500 jobs will be created by the move, but the impact on the local town will be considerable, with increased traffic and some homes 'engulfed' by the mine.

New Materials World out now

The December issue of Materials World focuses on new materials. Drs Robin Rogers and Gabriela Gurau from Queens University in Belfast explore the development of ionic liquids, while Jerome Ville of Fibroline, Ecully, France, discusses a new dry powder impregnation technique to treat materials. Related articles focus on the thermal properties of diamond-based materials, and the use of auxetic materials. In other feature stories, Michael Forrest takes a look at minerals exploration, and talks to John Menzies, CEO of Euromax Resources Ltd, Canada, about mining in Eastern Europe.

In the news section meanwhile, the team investigates the development of electroluminescent garments to improve personal safety and developments in medical laser manufacturing.

The robotic self-tuning guitar

As a longtime axe-noodler I took some interest in this story in today's Guardian reporting that legendary guitar manufacturer Gibson has developed the world's first self-tuning instrument: "Using robotic technology, the £1,400 Les Paul can detect when a string has fallen out of pitch and correct it immediately. The guitar uses a device in the bridge that monitors the pitch of the strings. Motorised tuners automatically adjust the strings. Gibson says it will reduce tuning problems for novices and professional performers." Gibson's excellent website goes on to explain how ceramics are used for insulation to isolate each individual string signal. All fascinating stuff, but to be fair it's a bit of a gimmick - professional players such as Jimmy Page (pictured in his heyday with an unroboticised Les Paul) won't really need the feature (unless they're rubbish in the first place) and amateurs who can't keep their guitar in tune are either doing it deliberately or need to learn how. A guitar that replaces its own broken strings, now, on the other hand...