Power/Performance Bits: Oct. 1


Nighttime power Researchers at UCLA and Stanford University created a low-cost device that harnesses radiative cooling to provide a small amount of renewable energy at night. While the device only provides a small amount of power, it could be useful for areas without reliable electricity or access to batteries. Radiative cooling happens when a surface that faces the sky emits heat as therma... » read more

Week in Review – IoT, Security, Autos


Products/Services Achronix Semiconductor joined Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s IP Alliance Program, part of the foundry’s Open Innovation Platform. Achronix’s Speedcore eFPGA IP is available today on TSMC 16nm FinFET Plus (16FF+) and N7 process technologies, and it will be soon available on TSMC 12nm FinFET Compact Technology (12FFC). Cadence Design Systems announced that its di... » read more

System Bits: Sept. 3


Microprocessor built with carbon nanotubes Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were able to design a microprocessor with carbon nanotubes and fabricate the chip with traditional processes, an advance that could be used in next-generation computers. Work on producing carbon nanotube field-effect transistors has gone on for some time. Fabricated at scale, those CNFETs oft... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Aug. 27


Holographic lithography Switzerland’s Nanotech SWHL GmbH has come out of stealth mode and disclosed its initial technology—a holographic lithography system. Founded in 2015, Nanotech SWHL has developed a sub-wavelength holographic lithography system that generates and prints 3D images on surfaces with one mask at one exposure. Still in R&D, the system is initially targeted for advanced ... » read more

System Bits: Aug. 27


A ring of 18 carbon atoms Scientists at IBM Research – Zurich and Oxford University write about allotropes of carbon – the many versions of atomic carbon formations, such as diamonds and graphite. “Carbon, one of the most abundant elements in the universe, can exist in different forms - called allotropes - giving it completely different properties from color to shape to hardness. For... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Autos


Products/Services Huawei Technologies is again delaying the public introduction of its Mate X foldable smartphone. It is unlikely the product will be marketed in the U.S., given the ongoing trade war. The official rollout now seems likely to come in November, in time for the holiday shopping season. Samsung Electronics has had its problems with foldable phones, yet those were due to manufactur... » read more

System Bits: Aug. 20


Blockchain integrated into energy systems Researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo integrated blockchain technology into energy systems, a development that may expand charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. In a study that outlines the new blockchain-oriented charging system, the researchers found that there is a lack of trust among charging service providers, property owners... » read more

The Next New Memories


Several next-generation memory types are ramping up after years of R&D, but there are still more new memories in the research pipeline. Today, several next-generation memories, such as MRAM, phase-change memory (PCM) and ReRAM, are shipping to one degree or another. Some of the next new memories are extensions of these technologies. Others are based on entirely new technologies or involve ar... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Products/Services Rambus agreed to acquire Hillsboro, Ore.-based Northwest Logic, a purveyor of memory, PCIe, and MIPI digital controllers. The transaction is expected to close in the current quarter. Financial terms weren’t disclosed; Rambus said in a statement, “Although this transaction will not materially impact 2019 results due to the expected timing of close and acquisition accountin... » read more

System Bits: July 30


A camera that sees around corners Researchers at Stanford University developed a camera system that can detect moving objects around a corner, looking at single particles of light reflected on a wall. “People talk about building a camera that can see as well as humans for applications such as autonomous cars and robots, but we want to build systems that go well beyond that,” said Gordon... » read more

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