SciFinder Scholar 2006 now available

CAS has announced the launch of SciFinder Scholar 2006 for Windows.

Announcement from CAS (includes description of new features)

Download SciFinder Scholar 2006 for Windows (UMass users only)

Good news for Mac users: CAS is planning to release an OS X compatible version of SciFinder before the end of 2005. Watch this space!

New open-access chemistry journal

The Beilstein-Institut and BioMed Central have announced the launch of the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, a new open-access chemistry journal.

From the BioMed Central homepage: "The launch of this open access journal marks two important developments for BioMed Central: close publishing collaboration with an important scientific institution, and the broadening of our publishing activity to include chemistry."

Like most BioMed Central journals, this one offers an RSS feed which provides abstracts of new articles.

Wired News: Drier Laundry Through Chemistry

Yet another instantiation of "better living through chemistry":

Wired News: Drier Laundry Through Chemistry: "A 'chemical wringer' developed by researchers in Florida leaves clothes 20 percent drier than a normal wash, and could save consumers millions in electricity bills.

A novel mix of common detergent ingredients that lowers the surface tension in liquids could force extra water from clothes during the final spin cycle, the researchers found."