New month, new start-up. InnovaLight announces advances in solution-treating of silicon nanocrystals, which means they should be able to make ultra thin photovoltaic devices, even on the surface of flexible materials. [NanotechWeb]

I have a fascination with inventions that, by their very existence, change the way things are done. Unfortunately, most of these innovations occur in the field of weaponry, and what they change is how we wage war. In that vein, I think that in nearly eliminating the collateral damage associated with bombs and missiles, the Advanced Tactical Laser is going to change again the way we fight war.

I’ve only ever been diving once, and I couldn’t help but think at the time how impractical it was to bottle and carry my air down with me. It’s all part of the scuba experience, I know, but I’m apparently not the only person to feel this way. Hell, something like this might make even an ole lan’ lubber like me give diving another shot.

It’s been more than a year since we fed Futurismic to the design-o-mat and this time it did a doozy of a job on the old bits. Not only did we give the site a visual overhaul, we’ve also introduced advertisements and a new blogging engine. We’ve already got a long list of deferred features we’ll be getting to in the next couple of weeks, but if you see any bugs please drop me a line and let me know what happened and what browser you’re using. Changes to Futurismic won’t stop with a visual overhaul, however. Look to this space in the near future for more on columns and updates to our fiction publishing policies.

Two teams of scientists have both achieved breakthroughs in quantum entanglement over (comparatively) long distances and long particle-lifespans. Good news for the future of instant communications over vast tracts of space. [PhysicsWeb]