laser

A new open-source tool called DEDA (Tracking Dots Extraction, Decoding and Anonymisation Toolkit) has been released, allowing users to extract, decode and remove the yellow tracking dots that many colour laser printers secretly print on documents. The dots can identify the printer's serial number and print timestamp, raising privacy concerns. The toolkit's release has drawn attention from people interested in document forensics and anonymity.

Researchers have developed a new X-ray technique that allows them to observe, in real time, how quantum materials respond when hit by laser pulses. The method offers a direct window into ultrafast changes in these materials, which could advance research into next-generation electronics and quantum technologies. Details of the advance were announced by the research team behind the technique.

A snake-shaped robot is now patrolling 10-kilovolt power lines in Kunming, in southwest China. Developed by the Kunming Power Supply Bureau of China Southern Power Grid, the robot navigates obstacles autonomously and uses infrared, thermal imaging, and laser sensors to detect potential faults on the lines, reducing the need for workers to inspect high-voltage equipment manually.

DEDA, an open-source toolkit for extracting, decoding and anonymising yellow tracking dots that colour laser printers secretly print on documents, has been released on GitHub by researchers at TU Dresden. The tool lets anyone read the hidden identifying information embedded in printed pages and remove it, raising fresh concerns about printer surveillance and document privacy.

A physicist has proposed that laser light could transfer energy to a gravitational wave, a concept that would open a new way of interacting with ripples in spacetime. The idea, outlined in recent reporting, suggests beams of light might add energy to gravitational waves as they pass, though it remains a theoretical proposal rather than a demonstrated result. Physicists are weighing whether such an exchange could ever be tested experimentally.

The Department of War has funded a project to beam solar power from space, according to a news report. Space-based solar power involves collecting energy in orbit and transmitting it to Earth, typically via microwave or laser beams. Interest in the technology has grown as militaries and energy companies look for reliable, continuous renewable power, since orbiting collectors avoid clouds and nighttime losses. Details about the specific contractor, funding amount and timeline were not provided.

Startup CScale is arguing that AI data centers at gigawatt scale can keep operating even when optical lasers fail, a claim about resilience in the interconnects linking massive AI computing fleets. The bet targets one of the practical engineering worries facing companies building enormous AI factories, where component failures multiply as campuses grow. Details on funding, partners or deployments remain unclear.

A startup is planning an orbital demonstration of technology that uses lasers to transmit sunlight as power to satellites. The concept aims to let spacecraft draw energy from lasers rather than relying only on solar panels or onboard batteries, potentially extending mission life and reducing mass. Details about the company, timeline and funding remain limited, but the announcement has drawn interest as space-based power transmission moves closer to real-world testing.

Hackaday has published a feature on upgrading a benchtop laser for megawatt power, exploring how hobbyist-grade equipment can be pushed far beyond its original design limits. The piece walks through the engineering challenges involved, and hardware and science enthusiasts are sharing it among themselves as an example of ambitious amateur laser work.