Imperfect Silicon, Near-Perfect Security


Some chipmakers, under pressure to add security to rapidly growing numbers of IoT devices, have rediscovered a "fingerprinting" technique used primarily as an anti-counterfeiting measure. [getkc id="227" kc_name="Physically unclonable functions"] (PUFs) are used to assign a unique identification number based on inconsistencies in the speed with which current causes a series of logic gates to... » read more

The Week in Review: IoT


Anniversaries The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and it kicked off the commemoration at CES 2018. The group now has more than 33,000 corporate members. Products/Services Samsung Electronics used the CES 2018 event to report on its progress in Internet of Things products and services. The company’s SmartThings technology now connects 370 ce... » read more

The Week In Review: IoT


Deals The $47 billion merger of Qualcomm and NXP Semiconductors will not only affect the automotive chip market; it should also have a significant impact in the Internet of Things business. The companies note they are together strong in microcontrollers, secure identification, mobile transactions, payment cards, transit, application processors, and connectivity systems. Meanwhile, NXP reported... » read more

Qualcomm + NXP = IoT Powerhouse


Coverage of the merger agreement between Qualcomm and NXP Semiconductors often focused on how the combination would yield the world’s largest supplier of chips for automotive electronics. Somewhat overlooked was its significance for the Internet of Things market. NXP CEO Rick Clemmer said in a statement, "The combination of Qualcomm and NXP will bring together all technologies required to... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Tesla Motors plans to build a new 35-GWh, lithium-ion cell production facility for its electric vehicles. It sounds like a good idea. But the factory will bring about only a modest reduction in battery costs, and could create significant overcapacity in the arena, according to Lux Research. “The Gigafactory will only reduce the Tesla Model 3’s cost by $2,800, not enough to sway the success ... » read more

Malicious Code In The IoT


Fundamentally, malicious code families are initially comprised of one or more distinct malicious code samples. For clarity, malicious code is, globally used as an umbrella term for all types of malevolent program code. However, for this article, the term is being applied to static code and not morphing codes, which were discussed in a previous article. This discussion focuses on the type of mal... » read more

How To Lower LED Costs


The LED market remains hot, particularly in the solid-state lighting segment. In fact, solid-state lighting continues to expand amid a precipitous drop in LED prices. And LEDs are expanding into new fronts, such as automotive and intelligent lighting. The LED boom hasn’t been fun for all parties, however. Amid pressure to reduce their tool costs, LED equipment makers are still in the mids... » read more

Are LEDs Cool?


The high-brightness LED market is moving in several directions at once. On one front, LEDs are moving into automotive and solid-state lighting. Within solid-state lighting, there are different markets, such as industrial and residential. And in the supply chain, there are LED chips, equipment and fabs. And then, there is intelligent lighting, where the smartphone or tablet controls the lig... » read more

How To Make A Brain-On-A-Chip


By Mark LaPedus In October, Draper Laboratory and the University of South Florida (USF) disclosed an ambitious plan to develop a brain-on-a-chip. The idea is to devise a “micro-environment’’ that mimics the human brain. Researchers hope to study neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, strokes and concussions. The eventual goal is to study the effects of drugs and v... » read more

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