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Everyone wants smart clothes, but no one wants to wear a battery pack. But that doesn’t mean a solution can’t be found. Researchers at the University of Texas, Dallas have created  a power-generating yarn from woven carbon nanotubes , and given it an amazing name: twistron . The innovation could be used to power internet-connected devices and smart clothing, said the study's senior author Ray Baughman, a professor at The University of Texas at Dallas. “The grander dream is to make a real difference in the energy economy of nations,“ Baughman said. The device, which exploits the ability of nanotubes to transfer spring-like motion into electrical energy , has countless possible applications, according to the paper. In the lab, tests showed that a yarn weighing less than a housefly could light up a small LED light. When sewed into a t-shirt, it could also power breathing sensors -like those used to monitor babies -using the stretch caused by the chest expanding at every inhalation.

A patent has been filed for a smartphone display that can heal itself, potentially putting an end to the misery of smashed screens. Filed by smartphone maker Motorola, the patent describes a way to mend a broken screen by applying heat to the damage.The screen would need to be made of a special type of plastic known as a “shape memory polymer“, which returns to a predefined shape when it reaches a certain temperature.   Motorola explains that an application would let the user mark out the part of the screen that is damaged, before the handset heats that area using its own power. Alternatively ,   heat could be applied by placing the smartphone in a healing dock overnight, or by pressing a separate piece of material against the screen like an iron. The healing process is only intended to work on smaller scratches and cracks. The patent was published last week, but this doesn't mean   Motorola are planning to use the technology in handsets any time soon. Before it can become