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Refinancing with Home Equity Loans

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:20:00 +0000

If you have lived in your home for a reasonable amount of time, you may be considering refinancing.

Refinancing can be done in a few different ways. One of the most popular recently has been the home equity loan.

A home equity loan is a loan used to pay off your existing mortgage at a lower rate.

Also, when refinancing with a home equity loan, you have the option of liquidating some of the equity you have established in your home through monthly mortgage payments and appreciation.

Lets suppose you owe $125,000.00 on the mortgage to your home, but your home is worth $200,000.00. This means you have $75,000.00 worth of equity that you can liquidate.

Realistically, you could get a home equity loan for $150,000.00, pay off your existing mortgage, and have $25,000.00 left for home improvement, a new car, college tuition, etc.

Home equity loans also come in the form of a line of credit, better known as a home equity line of credit.

The difference between a home equity loan and line is that the line comes with a variable rate, which means it will adjust with the prime rate, so be careful when deciding.

The home equity credit line can also be re-tapped once it has been partially paid off, or paid off in full, which makes for much convenience.

Before deciding on how you want to go about doing your refinancing, be sure to educate yourself as much as possible about the mortgage industry.

Also, shop around for the best rate and program that fits your needs and budget. The mortgage industry is a competitive one, so let them fight for your business

Refinancing Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:19:00 +0000

If you are a home owner, you may have at one time or another considered refinancing your house.

One purpose refinancing your house may serve would be obtaining a lower rate which would lower the amount of fees' you pay on the money you borrowed over the course of the loan.

Another purpose refinancing your house may serve is that if you have lived in your home for some time, at least long enough to establish some equity through appreciation and principal payments, you may be considering refinancing and getting some cash out.

It is not at all uncommon to liquidate some of the equity in your home to put toward home repairs, buying a car, college tuition, etc.

The mortgage industry is a very competitive one, so obtaining a lender to help you refinance your house should not be at all that hard.

For starters you may want to check out the internet to find a lender. The internet is a very valuable resource when it comes to locating lenders and loan officers so that you may shop around for the best deal.

Once you have located a few lenders to work with, allow them to assess your situation to see what rate and product they come back at you with.

Once you have received a few quotes and explanations of programs available to you, base your decision on what rate and program best fits your needs and budget.

Obviously, you will want to go with the program that offers you the best rate. This is the wisest choice. However, make sure you get the loan officer's proposal in writing. Anything but a written agreement is useless.

Remember, before you go jumping in to refinancing your house, do your homework, and research the mortgage industry, it will make the process a lot less painless.

Home Equity Credit Lines Provide Quick Access to Cash

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:19:00 +0000

If you need to borrow money, home equity credit lines can be one of the options available to you. This line of credit home equity is a loan granted to the borrower with his home as collateral. Home equity per say is the difference between the worth of your property and the amount you owe on your mortgage.

Of late many people are opting for home equity lines of credit because of its ease of acquisition and flexibility. If you use the equity of your home as collateral in a loan, you have access to a large pool of funds which you can use to expand existing business or undertake a new one whilst still owing your home. If you negotiate well, you can obtain line of credit home equity far exceeding the current price of your home. Again, you have the advantage over other kinds of borrowed funds because you enjoy low interest here. The biggest advantage for home equity for small businesses owners especially is that the interest on home equity credit lines is treated as tax deductible. This simply means you can take out the interest payments as an expense before you declare profits, thus leaving you with more money as net income.

Line of credit home equity is the best option for a business with homes which needs long term capital. As the homes increase in value, the loan interest decreases in value with the effect that businesses gain over the long term.

Home equity loans need to be contracted with great care. Look around for the best plan or terms so you don't risk defaulting on the loan. If you default on the loan, your home may be foreclosed. Foreclosure is the process of offsetting a debt with the sale of a borrower's home. The forced sale comes about because you have irreversibly used the home as collateral in the agreement and have authorized the lender to take over the house in the event you are unable to pay up on the interests.

When it comes to using your home as collateral for a loan, there are two major options: home equity line of credit and a home equity loan.

Home Equity lines of credit are used for any kind of expense at all such as home improvements, educational and medical expenses and small business expenses. You make monthly payments at varied interest rates. If you are not the type that worries about changing payments and interest rates, then you may go for this option.

On the contrary, home equity loans gives you access to funds which need to be expended in a lump sum such as the expenses in connection with buying a new car or starting a new business. In this type of loan, interest payments are fixed. If you want a predictable payment, then this is the option for you.

Home equity credit lines have helped many businesses and individuals get access to large pools of funds for business expansion or acquisition of another home. This ease of access must be balanced with the fact that persistent default in payments can result in the loss of your home.

Understand Credit Report's Relevance In Mortgage

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:18:00 +0000

One might be wondering why some lenders turn down a mortgage application while some others might consider it fit for approval. The answer may well lie in the credit report and the credit score to be precise which plays a crucial role in loan sanctioning.

Credit history is an important factor affecting loan granting decisions by the lender or mortgagee. As part of the pre-approval process a detailed investigation is carried out into your financial history whereby the lender assesses your finances, your credit history and your investments. Your debt ratios are compared with the lender's standard while deciding on the loan approval. Your level of debt or credit history is taken as a parameter for judging your ability to make the monthly repayments. The credit history as represented by your credit report plays a very crucial role since some lending institutions may even turn you down because of incompatibility with their lending standards. Too much debt and poor credit rating is a common reason cited for turning down a mortgage application.

At times your application may not be rejected altogether but you may have to settle for a loan amount lower than what you desired or expected. The other terms and conditions of the loan might also not have proved worthwhile for you. All these could have been avoided had you been a little more careful and vigilant while placing your documents about your personal finances as reflected by records of your earnings, monthly expenses and debts. Among these documents the credit report is of prime importance which reveals your credit score.

While considering your application the lender will also get to analyze your credit report. This provides all details about your financial history, payment records, total debts and bankruptcies (if any). This information is used to work out your credit score or FICO score (a rating of Fair Isaac and Company). This is a composite number-a numerical rating of your credit worthiness. These scores may range from 300-900. However, most people's score fall between 600 and 700. Higher credit scores make you more appealing to the lender. Thus, you will be more likely to be offered better rates and loan terms.

A number of factors can affect the credit score. They can be broadly classified as:

a) The length of time you have had credit, outstanding credit, methods to repay this and how close you are to your credit limits.

b) Problems with credit which you may be having like late payments and bankruptcies. The number and frequencies of your delinquencies is to be considered.

It may be noted that almost 80% of credit reports contain errors. Getting for yourself a copy of the report beforehand will enable you to take steps for improving your score.You will be availed of the opportunity to review the report and rectify the score to quite an extent.

Some steps which can be taken in this regard are:

a) Finding out credit cards which are not needed anymore and closing the corresponding credit accounts.

b) Settling outstanding accounts, if any.

c) Paying out your bills, debt payments on time and in full and reduce your outstanding credit.

d) Verifying all listed account numbers and getting assured that they are yours.

It may be noted that minor credit problems or problems cropping up due to illnesses or temporary loss of income due to some unpredictable occurrence will restrict your chances of getting the aspired loan only from some high-cost lenders. Other lenders will hopefully be considerate enough to overlook such minor problems.

In spite of the best efforts there may still be certain negative indications in the report which could not be done away with. In such case you need to explain the situation to the lender. If at all it cannot be explained then, perhaps, you have to make greater down payments.

Getting to know how credit record affects loan prospects, proceed towards making improvements in your credit report.Your loan prospects will improve, no doubt. It will take you a long way towards securing your desired mortgage loan.

Forex Traders Need To Be Objective

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:18:00 +0000

Because new traders spend a considerable amount of time learning the mechanics of the market and focusing their attention on finding a method for predicting movements in the market, it is only natural that they also come to believe that there are rules which govern the movement of the market. This is not the case and this catches many traders out.

Forex traders use a number of tools to judge when the time is right to open or to close a position, but the majority of traders will also have one particular tool which is their favorite and which they will rely on more than any other. So, once they have opened a position, they will watch their favorite indicator and base their trading decisions to a large extent on what this single indicator tells them.

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This is fine until this indicator begins to tell them one thing while the other indicators are telling them something else. They are now in an open position and their favorite tool is telling them for example to hold that position while everything else is indicating that they should close their position and get out of the market. More often than not the trader will hold his ground and will end up in a losing trade.

The problem is quite simply that the trader has created an expectation in his own mind about the market and is not looking at the market objectively. He is using his favorite tool to reinforce this expectation rather than stepping back and looking at the wider picture. He is also probably being encouraged in this view by the thought that he must be right and by the profit in this trade which is being forecast by his favorite indicator. He is in effect seeing the money rather than the market.

The foreign currency market is, by its very nature, unpredictable and, were it not so, the market would soon collapse as we all made a profit on every trade we opened. Of course there are numerous tools to help us to predict the direction of the market and thankfully they do a pretty good job most of the time. Occasionally however even the best of tools in the hands of the best traders come up against an unexpected turn in the market.

Getting it wrong is a feature of Forex trading and traders need to learn to accept losses as an inevitable part of foreign currency trading. More importantly traders need to learn how to avoid getting into a position where they can be proved right or wrong. To do this you need to understand and accept that the market has a will of its own and have to remain objective and follow market movements, rather than try to get the market to go in the direction you want it to, if you are going to succeed.

The Advantages Of Automated Forex Day Trading

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:17:00 +0000

The Forex market is the largest trading market in the world with a steadily growing trading volume which has risen from some $500 billion dollars to $2 trillion in the last twenty years. It is also an incredibly liquid market which is not tied to any particular trading floor and operates around the clock across the world making it effectively a permanently open market. As one market closes another is opening and you can effectively follow the markets around the world as you trade and even all but eliminate the fact that the market in your home country will close for the weekend.

It is no wonder therefore that Forex trading attracts a wide and growing variety of both big and small traders each of whom enjoys a wide choice of trading strategies based upon the myriad of factors which affect foreign exchange rates. For many traders coming into the market it is the fact that there are so many different things that affect currency exchange rates which they find most attractive as it allows them to use a huge range of different tools when working in this extraordinarily exciting market.

Perhaps the greatest influence today however on the future growth of the market and its popularity lies in automation which has never been easier to accomplish and which brings with it many more advantages than disadvantages.

Automated Forex trading allows trades to be conducted in real time anywhere in the world and virtually eliminates the losses so often seen in manual systems which are trying to operate in such a fast moving and volatile environment. Anyone who has traded using a manual system will know only too well the frustration of a row of losses caused by nothing more than a simple time delay in buying and selling and will appreciate the value of automated currency trading.

Automatic Forex trading also brings with it the ability to operate in a wide range of different currency markets at the same time without any regard for the time zones of the markets concerned. If you are sitting in the United States at 2 o'clock in the morning then automatic trading allows you to conduct business with traders on the other side of the globe in several different countries all at the same time with ease.

One problem for many traders is that of risk management and this too is reduced as we move to automatic Forex trading. Manual systems often leave traders nervous about whether or not payment will be made after the completion of a trade but as payments can now be synchronized in real time this is far less likely. Indeed, as the automated trading system continues to develop it is clear that the settlement system will also be updated and such risks are likely to be all but eliminated in the near future.

Computer technology has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past few years and will continue to do so for many years to come. More importantly, access to that technology easily and cheaply from the comfort of our own homes and now the ability to access the best mini Forex fully automated trading means that we can all now manage our own investments with ease. For those in the currency trading world automated Forex day trading will certainly come as a welcome addition to an already great investment vehicle.

How To Make Money In Foreign Exchange

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:16:00 +0000

The foreign exchange market has no 'home' and trading can be carried out from just about anywhere on the globe, including from your own home computer. The market is effectively open 24 hours a day because as trading is closing in one country trading in another country on the opposite side of the world is opening. This means that you can trade at whatever time suits you whether that is during the morning or during the night. You will find that there is always someone somewhere who is happy to take your business.

The key when it comes to making money in foreign exchange trading is to start by learning the ropes of currency trading and this means locating a high quality forex training course. It is not all that difficult to make money with foreign exchange, but you will certainly lose your shirt if you do not know precisely what you are doing. So, you need to take the time to learn the business before you start and then need to make sure that you spend a little of time trading through a dummy trading account before you start trading with your own money.

Once you do start live trading start slowly and stay away from day trading until you have found your feet as this section of the trading market can be very volatile and is influenced by a large number of external factors. Also, set yourself firm trading limits and do not go outside them. In other words, never trade with money that you cannot afford to lose because, although you will surely make money, you will also encounter your fair share of losing trades while you get the hang of things

Expert flipper's secrets for getting rich in real estate

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:13:00 +0000

(ARA) - Tired of hearing how bad the real estate market continues to be? Maybe that's because no one has pointed out the silver lining. Low home values add up to big opportunities - for those who know the secrets of successful real estate investing.

If you think the housing crash has wiped out the house-flipping industry, think again. A handful of savvy flippers continued to make money throughout the recession, and they're poised to make even more now that the recovery has begun. Armando Montelongo, star of A&E's hit show "Flip This House," is one of the most successful and well-known real estate investors out there.

When Montelongo entered real estate investing, he was $50,000 in debt with no job, no health insurance and a credit score of about 500. In less than 5 years, he became America's leading residential real estate investor. He now flips more than 300 properties per year.

Montelongo's life is a true American success story, and the hard road he traveled to achieve wealth inspired him to make the journey easier for others.

"The truth is that we all have access to the money for real estate deals and the availability to get great deals, no matter what market you live in," he says. "All you need is someone to teach you how to get the money and where to find the deals."

Montelongo reveals how to do exactly that in his new book "Flip and Grow Rich." You can receive a free copy of this treasure trove of information, and get started today on not only eliminating your debt, but creating real wealth for you and your family.

Debt Consolidation

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:12:00 +0000

Bad credit debt consolidation help comes to your rescue when the poor credit score comes in your path to get a debt consolidation. Innumerable online any purpose loan options will convince a borrower that hisher prolonged wishes will be fulfilled sooner than they had imagined with any purpose loans. It is important to realize that while bad credit loans are available, and they can help you, you must remember a few things. The huge student loan debt consolidation assists you take up one loan which curtails all your botherations for paying high interests to the debtors, and that too at low rates of interest. While the thought of a bankrupt individual having credit cards soon after filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy may seem like a bad idea to some people, the opposite is true. Due to Americas increasing credit card debt, many people today are looking for a way to subsidize their income by working online at home.

Real Estate and Mortgage Insights

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:11:00 +0000

Mortgage Modifications - Round Two

There may be some room for argument, but essentially the Obama administration's initial foreclosure prevention plan has failed. The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was designed to help three million homeowners and so far only about 170,000 borrowers have received permanent loan modifications. So, enter phase two of the plan.

Now the government is ready to help unemployed homeowners and those who are seriously underwater on their mortgages. Lenders will now be required to allow payment reductions for unemployed borrowers for at least three months and as long as six months. If these homeowners do not have a loan of more than $729,750 and are currently receiving unemployment benefits, they can have their payments reduced to 31 percent or less of their monthly income for that time period. The normal payments will resume when the borrower gets a new job or the grace term is up, whichever comes first.

The plan to help those who owe more than the value of their homes includes trying again to encourage lenders to reduce principal balances. In order to qualify, borrowers must owe more than 115 percent of the home value, use their home as their private residence and have a monthly mortgage payment that exceeds 31 percent of their gross monthly income. This program is strictly voluntary though, and while banks will be given $2,000 in federal money for every principal reduction modification that they make, they are not required to cooperate with borrowers.

Refinancing into FHA loans will be another possibility for struggling homeowners. As long as borrowers are current on their mortgages, have a credit score above 500, and can get their mortgage holders to write down at least ten percent of their loan principal, homeowners can refinance their current loans into safe FHA mortgages.

All together, the new plan could help as many as 1.5 million borrowers avoid foreclosure, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com.

The real question is whether these new programs work better than their predecessors. While the incentive for lenders to reduce loan balance principal has doubled, it may not be enough to entice banks to lower profits for their shareholders. Even if the program does generate a lot of principal reductions, it might spur some intense anger across the country among those who have been making their mortgage payments on time and have struggled to keep their financial obligations. Principal reductions are often highly controversial because they are seen as rewarding mostly those who took out exotic or risky loans during the housing boom.

The mandatory payment reductions for unemployed homeowners will have a direct impact on the housing market, though. It will delay foreclosure for many, many borrowers. While some say that this process simply drags out the inevitable and delays true recovery, others say that the delays on some foreclosures will help the decline in home prices take place at a slower, easier pace.

Eventually the housing market will have to come back to equilibrium of price and demand. These new programs seem to be both delaying and forcing a return to that equilibrium at the same time. Hopefully the results of these initiatives will not cancel each other out.

Existing Home Sales - May Report

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:10:00 +0000

Home Sales Pace

Sales of existing U.S. homes rose in March, according to the National Association of Realtors, as part of an expected 'spring surge' from the federal tax credit. Total sales gained 6.8 percent over February's 5.02 million unit pace, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.35 million units. The new figure also represents a 16.1 percent increase over March 2009 levels.

"Sales have been above year-ago levels for nine straight months, and inventory has trended down from year-ago levels for 20 months running," Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist said. "The home buyer tax credit has been a resounding success as these underlying trends point to a broad stabilization in home prices. This is preserving perhaps $1 trillion in largely middle class housing wealth that may have been wiped out without the housing stimulus measure."

The national median home price rose on both a monthly and yearly basis as well, climbing to $170,700 in March from $165,100 in February, and up 0.4 percent from $169,900 one year earlier.

"With home values stabilizing, a revival in home buying confidence will likely help the housing market get back on its feet even as the tax credit impact disappears," Yun added.

The NAR defines existing homes as all previously-owned single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, and co-ops. The group "seasonally adjusts" the sales numbers to factor in things like inclement weather, school sessions, winter holidays, etc to smooth out the trends. The NAR also describes its sales data based on an annual pace. The monthly figure represents the total number of housing units that would be sold in one year if the current rate were to continue unchanged.

Sales Pace by Region

Sales of existing homes rose across the nation, with each of the four regions seeing significant increases. In the Northeast, sales jumped up 6.0 percent from February to an annual pace of 890,000, and are up 25.4 percent over year-ago numbers.

Sales in the Midwest climbed up 7.2 percent in March to 1.19 million homes on an annual basis. That is also a 15.5 percent increase over March 2009.

In the South, sales rose 7.1 percent from February to an annual pace of 1.97 million units, a 43.9 percent increase in a year-over-year comparison.

And in the West, sales of existing-homes gained 6.6 percent to 1.30 million homes. Sales are up 14.0 percent from the previous year.

Home Prices

The median home price, the point at which half of all homes are sold for more and half are sold for less, rose on a monthly basis in all regions.

In the Northeast, the median price rose to $249,800 from $245,700 in February, and that represents an 8.9 percent increase over March 2009.

The Midwest experienced a price increase to $139,300 from $128,000 and the new price was up 0.2 percent from one year earlier.

In the South, the median jumped to $154,800 from $139,600. The new median is up 5.2 percent in a year-over-year comparison.

The median price in the West rose to $209,400 from $207,900 in February, yet it is down 7.9 percent from March 2009.

The loan process

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:06:00 +0000

Retail lending

Borrowers visit a payday lending store and secure a small cash loan, with payment due in full at the borrower's next paycheck (usually a two week term). In the United States, finance charges on payday loans are typically in the range of 15 to 30 percent of the amount for the two-week period, which translates to rates ranging from 390 percent to 780 percent when expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR)^[1] The borrower writes a postdated check to the lender in the full amount of the loan plus fees. On the maturity date, the borrower is expected to return to the store to repay the loan in person. If the borrower doesn't repay the loan in person, the lender may process the check traditionally or through electronic withdrawal from the borrower's checking account.

If the account is short on funds to cover the check, the borrower may now face a bounced check fee from their bank in addition to the costs of the loan, and the loan may incur additional fees and/or an increased interest rate as a result of the failure to pay. For customers who cannot pay back the loan when due, members of the national trade association are required to offer an extended payment plan at no additional cost. In states like Washington, extended payment plans are required by state law.

Payday lenders require the borrower to bring one or more recent pay stubs to prove that they have a steady source of income. The borrower is also required to provide recent bank statements.^{[citation needed]} Individual companies and franchises have their own underwriting criteria.

[edit]Internet lending

Online payday loans are marketed through e-mail, online search, paid ads, and referrals. Typically, a consumer fills out an online application form or faxes a completed application that requests personal information, bank account numbers, Social Security number and employer information. Borrowers fax copies of a check, a recent bank statement, and signed paperwork. The loan is direct-deposited into the consumer's checking account and loan payment or the finance charge is electronically withdrawn on the borrower's next payday.

[edit]Examples

For example, a borrower seeking a payday loan may write a post-dated personal check for $460 to borrow $400 for up to 14 days. The payday lender agrees to hold the check until the borrower's next payday. At that time, the borrower has the option to redeem the check by paying $460 in cash, or renew the loan (a.k.a. "flip the loan") by paying off the $460 and then immediately taking an additional loan of $400, in effect extending the loan for another two weeks. In many states, "flipping" or "rolling over" the loan is not allowed. In states where there is an extended payment plan, the borrower could choose to opt into a payment plan. If the borrower does not pay off or refinance the loan, the lender deposits the check.^[1] In this example, the cost of the initial loan is a $60 finance charge, or 390%APR.

When the Consumer Federation of America conducted a survey of 100 internet payday loan sites, it found loans from $200 to $2,500 were available, with $500 the most frequently offered. Finance charges ranged from $10 per $100 up to $30 per $100 borrowed. The most frequent rate was $25 per $100, or 650% annual interest rate (APR) if the loan is repaid in two weeks. ^[2]

The Monetary Policy Committee

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:48:00 +0000

Equivalent to the Governing Council of the ECB, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England is governed by a Monetary Policy committee of nine members, including the Governor, two Deputy Governors, the chief Economist, the Executive Director for Markets, in addition to four external members appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. One distinguishing feature of the MPC over its equivalents in Europe and the U.S. is the absence of regional governors: there is no Scottish, Irish or Welsh representative in the Monetary Policy Committee.
The MPC makes decisions on a simple majority basis, and the dissenting votes are regularly publicized along with the minutes of successive meetings. Each member has one vote, and the Governor has the deciding vote in case of tie between committee members.
The MPC meets every month, and on the Friday before the interest setting date, its members receive an extensive briefing on latest economic developments from Bank of England Research Staff. The Treasury is also represented by a non-voting member of the committee who is invited to present opinions, but is not allowed to vote. Although the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Treasury closely communicate on most issues, the Bank of England is unique in requiring the presence of a Treasury (government) representative at its meetings.
MPC meetings last for two days, at the end of which a formal vote is taken by the Governor, and the interest rate decision is announced to the public at 12 noon on the same day. The meeting usually takes place on the Wednesday and Thursday.after the first Monday of each month.

The Monetary Policy Committee

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:46:00 +0000

Scientists use nanotechnology to try building computers modeled after the brain

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Scientists have great expectations that nanotechnologies will bring them closer to the goal of creating computer systems that can simulate and emulate the brain's abilities for sensation, perception, action, interaction and cognition while rivaling its low power consumption and compact size. DARPA for instance, the U.S. military's research outfit known for projects that are pushing the envelope on what is technologically possible, has a program called SyNAPSE that is trying to develop electronic neuromorphic machine technology that scales to biological levels. Started in late 2008 and funded with $4.9 million, the goal of the initial phase of the SyNAPSE project is to "develop nanometer scale electronic synaptic components capable of adapting the connection strength between two neurons in a manner analogous to that seen in biological systems, as well as, simulate the utility of these synaptic components in core microcircuits that support the overall system architecture."
Independent from this military-inspired research, nanotechnology researchers in France have developed a hybrid nanoparticle-organic transistor that can mimic the main functionalities of a synapse. This organic transistor, based on pentacene and gold nanoparticles and termed NOMFET (Nanoparticle Organic Memory Field-Effect Transistor), has opened the way to new generations of neuro-inspired computers, capable of responding in a manner similar to the nervous system.
"Basically, we have demonstrated that electric charges flowing through a mixture of an organic semiconductor and metallic nanoparticles can behave the same way as neurotransmitters through a synaptic connection in the brain," Dominique Vuillaume, a research director at CNRS and head of the Molecular Nanostructures & Devices group at the Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN) tells Nanowerk.
In the development of tomorrow's computing systems, one approach consists in mimicking the way biological systems such as neuron networks operate to produce electronic circuits with new features. In the nervous system, a synapse is the junction between two neurons, enabling the transmission of electric messages from one neuron to another and the adaptation of the message as a function of the nature of the incoming signal.

Vuillaume explains the underlying biological working principle of their transistor: In a spiking biological synapse, the synapse transforms a spike of action potential arriving from the presynaptic neuron into a chemical discharge of neurotransmitters detected by the post-synaptic neuron and transformed into a new spike. Each spike at the synapse input activates a fraction of these neurotransmitters and the amplitude of the transmitted spike is a function of this fraction. Then this fraction of neurotransmitters is inhibited – and not available to transmit a second spike – and is then recovered with a characteristic time constant (typically in the range of seconds).
As a consequence, the response of a synapse to a train of pulses depends on the time interval between successive pulses that determines the amount of available neurotransmitters. Depending on the nature of the synapse, the response to a constant frequency train of pulses can be either depressing (amplitude of the successive output spikes decreasing) or facilitating (amplitude increasing).
"This is a fundamental property of the synapse behavior called STP (short-term plasticity)" explains Vuillaume. "In our NOMFET, the presynaptic signal is the pulse voltage applied on the NOMFET and the output signal is the drain current. The holes – the charge carriers in the p-type organic semiconductor used here – trapped in the metallic nanoparticles play the role of the inhibited neurotransmitters. The number of trapped holes in the nanoparticles depends on the input spike voltage and the output signal, the current, is a decreasing function of the number of holes stored in these nanoparticles – because less holes are available to transmit the current through the NOMFET."
At each spike, a certain amount of holes are trapped in the nanoparticles. Between pulses the system relaxes: the holes escape with a characteristic time that we have adjusted to few seconds (same as in the biological synapse) by optimizing the nanoparticles and device geometries. Thus, depending on the frequency of the input voltage spikes, the output of the NOMFET is able to reproduce the depressing or facilitating behavior of the synapse.
For example, if the synapse receives very closely packed pulses of incoming signals, it will transmit a more intense action potential. Conversely, if the pulses are spaced farther apart, the action potential will be weaker. It is this plasticity that the researchers have succeeding in mimicking with the NOMFET.
In other words, the encapsulated gold nanoparticles, fixed in the channel of the transistor and coated with pentacene, have a memory effect that allows them to mimic the way a synapse works during the transmission of action potentials between two neurons. This property therefore makes the electronic component capable of evolving as a function of the system in which it is placed.
According to Vuillaume, this appears to be the first demonstration that a single electronic device can mimic the STP property of the biological spiking synapse.
The researchers have reported their findings in the December 16, 2009 online issue of Advanced Functional Materials ("An Organic Nanoparticle Transistor Behaving as a Biological Spiking Synapse").
"In our group" says Vuillaume, "the main motivations are the design and characterization of molecular and nanoscale electronic devices, the elucidation of the fundamental electronic properties of these molecular and nanoscale devices, the study of functional molecular devices and integrated molecular systems and the exploration of new computing paradigms using molecules and nanostructures. This work relates to this last point and more specifically, the main motivation was to build nanoscale devices that can be used in neuron-inspired computers."
He notes that the human brain contain more synapses than neurons (by a factor of about 10,000), and therefore it is necessary to develop a nanoscale, low power, synapse-like device if scientists want to scale neuromorphic circuits towards the human brain level.
"This feature has recently prompted the research for nanoscale synaptic devices" says Vuillaume. "In fact, neural networks have been already developed and used in some applications. However, even if silicon CMOS chips have been designed and fabricated to emulate the brain behaviors, this approach is limited because it takes several – at least seven – silicon transistors to build an electronic synapse. Here, we did the same job with a single device."
The potential application of this work is to increase the performances of neural-network computing circuits. Moreover, nanoparticles and molecules are nanosize objects suitable for nanodevice fabrication; they can be manipulated and assembled by low-cost, bottom-up, techniques (e.g., self-assembly); and they are prone to work on flexible, plastic, substrates.
Vuillaume points out that this later feature might be advantageous if we envision connecting artificial neuromorphic devices and circuits (based on the NOMEFT) with soft biological materials. However, he also notes that, even if this work reduces the number of electronic devices required to mimic a biological synapse, the high level of synapse-neuron connectivity in the brain requires the development of artificial neural networks computing circuits in 3D.
"We believe that this challenge is probably more attainable using molecules, nanoparticles, self-assembly and bottom-up approaches than by conventional silicon nanotechnologies" Vuillaume concludes.

Nanotechnology artificial leaves for hydrogen production

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:12:00 +0000

(Nanowerk Spotlight) Artificial photosynthesis, using solar energy to split water generating hydrogen and oxygen, can offer a clean and portable source of energy supply as durable as the sunlight. Natural photosynthesis uses chlorophyll to absorb visible light and many solar hydrogen cells are imitating this process by using light-sensitive organic dye molecules as light absorbers and then transfer the absorbed energy to a catalyst that reduces protons to hydrogen (read: "Another step towards inexpensive hydrogen production from sunlight").
Today, over 130 materials and derivatives are known to facilitate photocatalytic splitting of water to produce hydrogen. Many efforts have been made to design new photocatalysts of different materials such as transition-metal oxides or metal oxynitrides or in nanotechnology research to design photocatalysts with various nanoscale morphologies such as nanoparticles, nanosheets, nanowires, etc for enhanced light-harvesting and catalytic efficiency.
"Using sunlight to split water molecules and form hydrogen fuel is one of the most promising tactics for kicking our carbon habit," Di Zhang tells Nanowerk. "Of the possible methods, nature provides the blueprint for converting solar energy in the form of chemical fuels. A natural leaf is a synergy of the elaborated structures and functional components to produce a highly complex machinery for photosynthesis in which light harvesting, photoinduced charge separation, and catalysis modules combined to capture solar energy and split water into oxygen and hydrogen efficiently."
Zhang, a professor at Shanghai Jiao-Tong University in China and director of the university's State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, points out that the design of efficient, cost-effective artificial systems by coupling of leaf-like hierarchical structures and analogous functional modules under the guidance of the key steps of natural photosynthesis into hydrogen would be a major advance in energy conversion.
Many efforts have been made to develop such systems by constructing a variety of analogous molecular systems consisting of electron donors and acceptors to mimic light driven charge separation or by assembling semiconductor photocatalysts into various nanostructures. However, most of them only focused on the functional imitation of photosynthesis, and neglected the structural effect.
A leaf and its hierarchical structures
A leaf and its hierarchical structures. (Image: Dr. Di Zhang, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University)
"Actually" says Zhang, "the whole structures of natural leaves are greatly favorable for light harvesting: the focusing of light by the lens-like epidermal cells; the multiple scattering and absorbing of light within the veins porous architectures; the propagating of light in the columnar cells in palisade parenchyma acting like light guides; the enhanced effective light path length and light scattering by the less regularly arranged spongy mesophyll cells; the efficient light-harvesting and fast charge separation in the high surface are of a three-dimensional constructions of interconnected nano-layered thylakoid cylindrical stacks (granum) in chloroplast."
Consequently, Zhang's team and a group of collaborators from the University of California, Davis and Saga University in Japan, adopted an entirely different concept to mimic photosynthesis by copying the elaborate architectures of green leaves, replacing the natural photosynthetic pigments with man-made catalysts and further realizing water splitting.
The result demonstrates a new strategy for mimicking Mother Nature's elaborate creations in making materials for renewable energy. Reporting their findings in a recent issue of Advanced Materials ("Artificial Inorganic Leafs for Efficient Photochemical Hydrogen Production Inspired by Natural Photosynthesis"), the team developed an artificial inorganic leaf by organizing light harvesting, photoinduced charge separation, and catalysis modules into leaf-shaped hierarchical structures using natural leaves as biotemplates.
Based on the prototype of the hierarchical structures of a natural leaf, the researchers obtained nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide replicas via a two-step infiltration process with natural leaves as templates.
"The replicas inherit the hierarchical structures of the natural leaf at macro-, micro-, and nanoscales including convexly shaped epidermal leaf cells, tubelike parallel bundle sheath extensions, a porous framework of veins, the differentiation of columnar palisade mesophyll cells, and irregularly arranged spongy cells, and nanolayered lamellar structures of granums in chloroplast" explains Zhang. "By reproducing a natural leaf's elaborated structures and self-doping of nitrogen during synthesis we were able to realize enhanced light-harvesting and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activities."
artificial leaves
Scanning electron microscope image of a cross-section of AIL-TiO2 derived from A.vitifolia Buch leaf. (Image: Dr. Di Zhang, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University)
The absorbance intensities within the visible-light range of the replicas increase by 200–234% and the bandgap-absorption onsets at the edge of the UV and visible-light range show a red-shift of 25–100nm compared to those in titanium dioxide without the template. The photocatalytic water splitting activity of the artificial leave structures is 8 times higher than titanium dioxide synthesized without templates.
This research may represent an important first step towards the design of novel artificial solar energy transduction systems based on natural paradigms, particularly on mimicking the structural design. The work could be a real breakthrough suggesting an important (and uncommon) preparation strategy to obtain an active photocatalyst for water-splitting and opening new perspectives in this strategic area of 'green' energy research.
"Our artificial leave is a man-made material that has similar functions than the natural original – light-harvesting, charge separation and redox reactions" says Zhang. "Actually, all biomass, such as agricultural wastes, algae wastes, etc could also be used as a resource for the fabrication of functional materials with photocatalytic water splitting and photocatalytic degradation activities like our artificial leaves."
Going forward, the research team plans to explore using single chloroplasts – the organelles found in plant cells – as biotemplates.
"Chloroplasts are the photosynthetic sites combining photosynthetic pigments and elaborate three-dimensional constructions of interconnected nanolayered thylakoid cylindrical stacks (granum) for efficient light-harvesting and photosynthesis" explains Zhang. "Therefore the synthesis of artificial chloroplasts with similar structures and analogous functions would be very attractive and interesting."
Another area that the researchers are planning to investigate is the fabrication of artificial leaves using titanates, niobates, tantalates, metal nitrides and phosphides, metal sulfides and other transition metal oxides in order to increase the photocatalytic efficiency. Zhang also believes that the construction of multicomponents systems such as TiO2-CdS, MoS2/CdSe, etc for overall water splitting would be very interesting as well.
Finally, the method could be extended to artificial polymeric or supermolecular leaves which could respond to visible light and are much closer to natural systems.
"The study of such artificial systems not only contributes to our understanding of natural photosynthesis, but also aids in the design of novel artificial solar energy harvesting and conversion systems and would provide a blue-print to harness nature's optimization of this process for the development of complex man-made energy devices" concludes Zhang.

Wireless Internet Without Wi-Fi

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:10:00 +0000

Since being introduced to mainstream audiences, the internet has done nothing but grow. Everywhere you look nowadays there's an advertisement for a new, or even not so new, internet website for you to visit. The internet has become a major driving force in the world of small, handheld electronics and has completely changed the way we look at our computers. With so much to offer in the way of entertainment, convenience, and enrichment, it's no wonder more and more people are searching for new ways to obtain faster, more reliable internet connections everyday. Luckily, with the latest in wireless internet technology, people are getting just that.

4G represents the latest in consumer options for internet connections. Using new WiMax technology, 4G connections offer better service, faster connections, and wider wireless ranges than other internet technologies currently available. And it's now available for both home and mobile use.

As the internet has changed greatly over the last few years, more and more users have discovered the convenience of wireless connections. Whether it's a wireless connection in the comfort of your own home, or a wi-fi connection you are able to pick up at a local coffee shop or library, people everywhere are taking full advantage of what wireless convenience has to offer.

But what happens when you are no longer in range of a wi-fi signal? Unfortunately, with ordinary wi-fi signals, there are still some limitations to the services they can provide their users. Anyone who uses wi-fi at home knows that the signal is only so strong for so long. As users move further and further away from their wireless routers, their service starts to drop considerably. Luckily, with 4G wireless internet service, this is now a problem of the past.

For use at home, 4G offers service at speeds faster than those of ordinary wi-fi, with ranges that are much wider. Imagine taking your laptop anywhere in your home, or even outside into your backyard or onto your front porch, and being able to stay connected with a strong, high-speed connection. Easily stream videos, download music, upload photos and still be able to surf the net without having to connect with any hard lines. With WiMax home based technology, now it's all possible.

For those who are always on the go, there's also mobile wimax service. With the mobile service, users enjoy the same great benefits of the home-based service outside their home. By simply purchasing a mobile air card for your laptop and subscribing to a 4G internet provider, you can easily enjoy a high-speed wireless connection anywhere your provider offers service. Connecting to a mobile broadband network has never been so easy.

With new advances in hardware, it seems obvious that the internet is only going to become more and more mobile in the future. Why not start enjoying it now? Connecting without wires at home, or outside of home, with a 4G connection is just the beginning of what we should all be expecting in the future for internet use.

4G Mobile Internet Work

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:08:00 +0000

The dissemination of information is paramount to the world's economy and really human evolution. The distribution of information stared with books, eventually moved to computers and then came the internet. The internet allowed people worldwide to communicate and send information or files across oceans within seconds. As we have moved further and further into the 21st century, the internet has gotten faster and also more mobile. Internet mobility started with advent of wireless broadband internet. Wireless broadband internet sent broadband signals through a router rather than a LAN cable. This allowed consumers to travel around their house or office freely without cords and still remain connected to the internet. However, wireless broadband has its limitations, most noticeably, in the realm of range. Even the best routers can only send a signal that can travel 300 to 350 feet. But now there is mobile broadband internet that allows you to receive an internet signal no matter where you are. In addition, with the advent of 4G mobile broadband networks, you can remain mobile and still receive speeds comparable to those received through DSL or cable land line connections.

Although you may be intrigued by this kind of technology, you may not understand how it works. While it may sound complicated, it is actually quite simple. Mobile wireless internet works a lot like a wireless router. A wireless router receives broadband signals from your local internet provider via a DSL or cable modem. It then transmits the broadband signal out into the world through signals that travel through the air. Your computer, if it has a wireless card, will receive this signal and allow you to surf the internet at broadband speeds without a land line connection. Similarly, mobile broadband networks use a "wireless" tower as a router. The tower receives a broadband signal from your mobile internet provider and then transmits that signal out into the air. If you have a desktop or laptop with a built-in modem capable of receiving this signal, you will be able to receive this signal and connect to the internet. If you don't have a built-in modem with this type of capacity, a USB modem can be purchased through your mobile internet provider. While they are an added expense, they are normally quite affordable; especially when the convenience factor of mobile internet is taken into account.

Currently, 4G networks provide the fastest mobile internet on the market. However, the added speed comes at a price. 3G networks are also widely available for the consumer who needs mobile internet but does not want to pay the steep price that 4G networks charge. Both networks operate in a similar fashion; however 3G networks were created primarily for use via cell phone, while 4G networks were created with laptop users in mind. Mobile wireless networks allow you to take your notebook on a road trip and maintain an internet connection throughout the trip. The benefits of mobile and especially 4G mobile internet are numerous. Along with being easy to use it can keep you in touch with the world no matter where you are.

How To Save Energy By Transportation

noreply@blogger.com (Muthu) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:06:00 +0000

It is no doubt that every family owns some electric appliance, such as TV、 PC、lighting、heating、car etc. And many of us are worrying about the power supply. If you want to reduce power burden, you'd better stop what you are doing to set up a Green DIY Energy System.

Green DIY Energy System is a fabulous operating procedure which can direct you how to build your own energy system, for instance, solar panel and wind turbine, in your backyard.

The main benefits of this system are as follows. Firstly, you can pay less electricity bill or even eliminate it. Secondly, it costs less than other renewable systems. Thirdly, you can complete it within a weekend and enjoy yourself in the process of making it by yourself or with your family members. The next is that it is portable; you can take it with you conveniently if you move your house. The last but not least is that it can last more than 20 years if it is properly cared for.

With only $49.97, you can get a gorgeous energy system and lead a much better life from now on. After purchasing the system, you will receive two solar panel construction manuals, two wind turbine construction manuals, 7 tutorial videos which contain tools and material preparation, frame construction soldering the solar cells, wire connection, final panel assembly and the whole system testing, collection of 50 online renewable energy videos and 7 bonus e-books about renewable energy. Furthermore, customers can get support from e-mail or forum. In the end, if you find the system is not good enough, you can get a money-back immediately.