Industry News

December 2013
The 2014 International CES will spotlight the promise, power and future of technology through innovative startups and entrepreneurs. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced new areas and events at CES dedicated to the startup community, including the Indiegogo Zone and UP Global LIVE Stage. Owned an
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Date:
12/31/2013
Rochester adds QEGOO Technology as distributor for the Asia-Pacific region

Rochester Electronics semiconductors

Rochester Electronics has added QEGOO Technology (Shenzhen) as an authorized distributor for Rochester-manufactured semiconductors. As an industry-leading professional network platform service supplier, QEGOO has become the preferred platform provider in the electronics industry throughout China. In additi
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Date:
12/31/2013
MTEL Electronics, a strategic independent distributor of semiconductor, opto-electronics, passive and active components has finalized an authorized distribution agreement with America Semiconductor, a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-industry high-power semiconductors and discrete semiconductor components. Th
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Date:
12/30/2013
Texas Instruments introduced TI Designs, presented as the industry’s most extensive reference design library, spanning TI’s broad portfolio of analog, embedded processor and connectivity products for industrial, automotive, consumer, communications and computing applications, among others. TI Designs are co
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Date:
12/30/2013
Researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have developed a bio-based solar cell. They embedded the two proteins photosystem 1 and 2, which in plants are responsible of photosynthesis, into complex molecules developed in-house, thus creating an efficient electron current. Headed by Prof Dr Wolfgang Schuhmann fr
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Date:
12/27/2013
University of Exeter begins testing of revolutionary marine energy device

Whatever Input to Torsion Transfer (WITT) transmission system

The Whatever Input to Torsion Transfer (WITT) transmission system collects chaotic movement in water, wind, human, animal or vehicle motion and turns it into useable power. A&P Falmouth is leading a project with consortium of partners WITT, Supacat, University of Exeter and Plymouth University to demonstrate th
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Date:
12/27/2013
As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department announced more than $7 million for projects that will help bring cost-effective, advanced hydrogen and fuel cell technologies online faster. This investment - across four projects in Georgia, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Ten
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Date:
12/27/2013
The future of staying cool

Schematic illustration of multi-caloric coupling effects
The Electrocaloric effect is one of three principle caloric effects that describe a temperature change in a material when an external field is applied

Scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Imperial College London are working to make the inefficient method of refrigeration and air conditioning - which has been relied on for over a hundred years - a thing of the past. The project sets out to provide a more economical, energy efficient and en
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Date:
12/24/2013
At the 2014 CES Robotics TechZone, Las Vegas Convention Center and World Trade Center (LVCC), South Hall 1, there will be an array of robots using the latest technologies. These robots and other automata, addressing applications from entertainment to life-augmentation, represent the leading edge in a continuously-developing ma
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Date:
12/23/2013
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that New York State has won a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative Rooftop Solar Challenge II award to support NYSolar Smart, a project to streamline the solar installation process in the state and lower the cost of solar using innovative financing mechanisms an
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Date:
12/23/2013
ABB wins $80 million order to power Canada’s largest solar photovoltaic plant

ABB photovoltaic (PV) solar project

ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, and its consortium partner Bondfield Construction have won an order from Canadian Solar Solutions to supply a 100 megawatt (MW) turnkey photovoltaic (PV) solar project for the Grand Renewable Energy Park in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province. ABB’s or
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Date:
12/23/2013
Maxwell Technologies, a leading developer and manufacturer of ultracapacitor-based energy storage products, announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SK Innovation, a subsidiary of SK Holdings and Korea’s leading energy provider, to develop next generation energy storage solutions leveraging th
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Date:
12/20/2013
AVX , a leading manufacturer of passive components and interconnect solutions, was recognized at the recent Electronic Component Industry Association (ECIA) Executive Conference for its support of the 2014 FIRST® Robotics Competition. Founded in 1989, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is
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Date:
12/19/2013
Globally, economic and political circumstances are reshaping power systems in favor of those that operate with greater flexibility and efficiency and incorporate renewable energy and demand response. Coal, which is widely perceived to provide only baseload power generation, remains a critical component in most po
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Date:
12/19/2013
Officials from the Albany County Sewer District and New York State on Wednesday unveiled a multi-stage combined heat and power system that will save the county an estimated $400,000 per year. This $8.6 million Organic Rankine Cycle heat-to-energy technology was recently installed at the North Plant and was unve
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Date:
12/19/2013
University of Twente developed technology that is crucial to superconductivity in fusion reactors

University of Twente superconducting cable system

The superconductivity research group of the University of Twente (UT) has made a technological breakthrough crucial to the success of nuclear fusion reactors, allowing for clean, inexhaustible energy generation based on the workings of the stars in our galaxy. The crux of the new development is a highly ingenious an
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Date:
12/19/2013
ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth around $75 million from Hydro-Québec, the utility in eastern Canada, and National Grid, the utility in New England, USA, to refurbish three high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations. The multi-terminal HVDC link between Q
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Date:
12/18/2013
A company that can generate electricity using low-temperature waste heat was the big winner at the recent 26th annual Industry Growth Forum in downtown Denver, a gathering of people who have no qualms about making money while helping to build a more sustainable world. The annual gathering sponsored by the En
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Date:
12/18/2013
M/A-COM Technology Solutions, a leading supplier of high performance RF, microwave, and millimeter wave products, announced that it has successfully completed its previously announced tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock of Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSPD) (Mindspeed) for $5.
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Date:
12/18/2013
Electric unmanned aerial vehicle market predicted to reach $1Billion+ dollars by 2023

Electric unmanned aerial vehicle

The total market value for electric unmanned aerial vehicles will reach over one Billion dollars by 2023 according to findings in the new IDTechEx report, Electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) 2013-2023. This report includes hybrid and pure electric powertrains and electrics being used or considered for UAVs an
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Date:
12/17/2013
IAR Systems announced the launch of IAR Green Innovation Program, a sponsor program to support innovative development projects in eco-friendly technology. The program will award selected companies with up to $25,000 worth of IAR Embedded Workbench® or IAR visualSTATE® licenses for the duration of the project. Many of the mo
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Date:
12/17/2013
With global power demand forecast to rise from more than 19,100 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2012 to over 31,800 TWh by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4%, nuclear Plant Life Management (PLIM) and Plant Life Extension (PLEX) programs are becoming an increasingly important option for nuclear power pl
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Date:
12/16/2013
The Greater Binghamton Airport and NYSERDA announced that the airport is moving forward with an energy-saving improvement process on the strength of $350,000 awarded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority through Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Regional Council Initiative. Officials met at
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Date:
12/16/2013
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Worldwide Wearable Electronics (Smart -Textiles, Glasses, Watches) Market and Technology Analysis 2013-2018" report to their offering. The market was worth $2.7 billion in revenue in 2012 and is expected to reach $8.3 billion in 2018, growi
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Date:
12/16/2013
On November 1, the Obama Administration released Executive Order (EO) 13231 to address climate change resilience in state and local communities. Impact Executive Order (EO) 13231 directs Federal Agencies to take a series of steps to engage communities in preparing for the effects of climate change, includ
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Date:
12/16/2013
For 50 years, the global electronics industry has been meeting at electronica to show what will influence society in the future. Thanks to a new campaign, now electronica is getting its own planet. Planet e does more than just give the industry a visual home. It also takes exhibitors and visitors on a journey in
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Date:
12/16/2013
Carnegie Mellon researchers find novel biological sources for battery materials

The marine cuttlefish may be the next best source of electrode materials

The squirmy marine cuttlefish may be the next best source of electrode materials for batteries to power edible medical devices. Carnegie Mellon University's Chris Bettinger and Jay Whitacre have found that ink from the cuttlefish, a close relative of the squid, provides the perfect chemistry and nanostructure to power t
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Date:
12/13/2013
Georgia Institute of Technology effort creates triboelectric power generator

Georgia Tech professor Zhong Lin Wang

With one stomp of his foot, Zhong Lin Wang illuminates a thousand LED bulbs – with no batteries or power cord. The current comes from essentially the same source as that tiny spark that jumps from a fingertip to a doorknob when you walk across carpet on a cold, dry day. Wang and his research team have learned to
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Date:
12/13/2013
Qualcomm names Steve Mollenkopf CEO and President

Steve Mollenkopf of Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a succession plan for executive management of the Company. Effective December 12, 2013, Steve Mollenkopf was promoted to Chief Executive Officer-elect of Qualcomm, and appointed to its Board of Directors. He
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Date:
12/13/2013
Research effort to advance fully-printed transistor technology

Aerosol Jet technology for printed electronics

Optomec has announced that the company was awarded a contract by the Air Force Research Lab to advance its Aerosol Jet technology for printed electronics. Under the contract Optomec will enhance its Aerosol Jet technology to enable large area printing of high performance Carbon Nanotube based Thin Film Transistors (T
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Date:
12/12/2013
Driven by emerging countries’ extensive power plant capacity additions, economic growth and the need to improve access to electricity, the global power transformer market is expected to increase from $10.3 billion in 2013 to $19.7 billion in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.6%, forecasts re
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Date:
12/12/2013
Rechargeable Lithium/Sulfur battery promises greater energy capacity

Professor Do Kyung Kim

Professor Do Kyung Kim from the Department of Material Science and Engineering and Professor Jang Wook Choi from the Graduate School of EEWS at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have been featured in the lead story of the renowned nanoscience journal Advanced Materials for their research on t
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Date:
12/12/2013
AVX, a leading manufacturer of passive components and interconnect solutions, has signed an agreement with leading authorized master distributor, Waldom Electronics. Waldom, which caters to the unique needs of distributors, will offer an extensive portfolio of AVX's best-in-class tantalum, ceramic, film, and niobium
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Date:
12/12/2013
Vincotech appoints ECKART SEITTER as managing director

Eckart Seitter of Vincotech

Vincotech, a supplier of module-based solutions for power electronics headquartered in Unterhaching, Germany, announced that Eckart Seitter has been appointed Managing Director as of November 1, 2013, to reinforce the current Management Board of Joachim Fietz (CEO) and Ralf Meinardus (CFO). Eckart has held several le
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Date:
12/12/2013
Tauriga Sciences, a diversified company focused on the development of a proprietary technology platform in the nanorobotics space, announced that it is experiencing very strong levels of international interest for the commercialization of Pilus Energy's proprietary wastewater-to-value BactoBot. The Company w
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Date:
12/11/2013
NREL takes efficiency to the Great Outdoors

NREL's campus has seen a number of recent construction projects

Americans have become increasingly familiar with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) designation for buildings from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED gives building owners and operators a framework for implementing green building design, including energy efficient solutions. Bu
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Date:
12/11/2013
According to a recently released report by the Solar Energy Industries Association, the third quarter of 2013 was the second largest on record for the U.S. solar industry, and new solar electric capacity added this year will generate enough clean energy to power more than 850,000 average American homes. Here are a few
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Date:
12/11/2013
Isola Group, a market leader in copper-clad laminates and dielectric prepreg materials used to fabricate advanced multilayer Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), announced that its German subsidiary, Isola GmbH, has entered into a distribution agreement with Holders Technology plc to sell selected materials in the Un
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Date:
12/10/2013
Rear Admiral Pease becomes inaugural member of Energy Focus Advisory Board

Rear Admiral Kendell Pease (Ret)

Energy Focus announced the creation of an Energy Focus Advisory Board to be comprised of leading experts in government and commercial markets. The board will be to help penetrate significant market segments by bringing key industry insights and connections to critical decision-making networks t
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Date:
12/10/2013
Acal BFi, a European leader in advanced technology solutions, has been selected as an Agilent Technologies Authorised Technology Partner (ATP) in the Benelux, effective 1st January 2014. This agreement will enable customers to experience the highest level of technical expertise in addition to easier access to Ag
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Date:
12/10/2013
AVX to present on commercial vs. Hi-Rel qualification methods at MRQW 2013

AVX high-reliability capacitors

AVX Corporation, a leading manufacturer of passive components and interconnect solutions, will deliver a presentation entitled “Commercial vs. Hi-Rel Qualification Method Comparison” at the 2013 Microelectronics Reliability & Qualification Working Meeting (MRQW). A forum for the open discussion of reliability an
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Date:
12/09/2013
Stanford engineers create working prototype of novel memory chip tech ideal for mobile devices

Click image to enlarge

RRAM prototype

In an engineering first, Stanford researchers have built a working prototype for a new type of memory chip that has the potential to store more data, using less space, than the flash memory chips found in smart phones, tablets and laptops today. This new chip uses a technology called resistive random access me
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Date:
12/09/2013
A CEA-Leti and STMicroelectronics paper at IEDM 2013 in December will present an innovative back-end-of-line (BEOL), phase-change memory (PCM) technology that is positioned to become the dominant new embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) technology in future microcontroller applications. The BEOL memory solution
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Date:
12/09/2013
The Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) announced the immediate availability of an e-learning colloquium, PSMA Nano 300, which is being offered exclusively and without charge to college students worldwide. The colloquium is designed to further the education and application of nanotechnology to the po
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Date:
12/06/2013
The third edition of IDTechEx's Supercapacitors event was held in Santa Clara, California on 20-21 November. The event was co-located with other IDTechEx events such as Printed Electronics, Graphene Live and Energy Harvesting & Storage, which along with Supercapacitors USA 2013 achieved the presence of 2,200 del
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Date:
12/06/2013
Total hybrid & pure EV market will be US$334 billion by 2023
The total global gross value market for hybrid and pure electric vehicles will reach US$334 billion within the decade, from a current value of US$69 billion, forecast analysts IDTechEx. This will primarily consist of large or very heavy duty vehicles, neither of which is primarily bought on up-front price. Thes
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Date:
12/06/2013
An increase in smart meter deployments will see the global market for wireless communication modules approximately double in value over the coming years, jumping from $532m in 2012 to $1.3 billion in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12%, according to the latest report from research and consulting fi
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Date:
12/06/2013
AEG Power Solutions (AEG PS), a provider of power electronics for renewable energies, and its subsidiary skytron energy, a leader in monitoring and control solutions for utility-scale renewable energy power plants, announced the successful deployment of a 5.8 MWp commercial PV installation for PPA Partners in Yu
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Date:
12/06/2013
Energy storage is normally considered as a non-exciting subject within the energy infrastructure technologies. Alternative/renewable energy, smart grid, the Internet and the communications infrastructure development are exciting, get significant attention and research dollars from the industry and the government, but
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Date:
12/05/2013
The winners of the Innovation Awards for the Automation Industry have been announced at an awards ceremony held as part of the SPS IPC Drives conference. The top prize went to Werner Kraus of the Fraunhofer IPA and his paper on “The Energy Efficiency of Parallel Cable Robots”, followed by Michael Homann of
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Date:
12/05/2013
UBM Tech has announced that Janine Love has been promoted to Technical Director of DesignCon. Responsible for the development and integration of the two new wireless and optical conference tracks, Janine is already actively engaged with DesignCon 2014 and will continue working with the advisory board to further de
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Date:
12/05/2013
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced a variety of social media promotions at the 2014 International CES® designed to help attendees more easily navigate the show, identify the key trends and connect with business contacts, friends and colleagues. These attractions include a Social Media Command Ce
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Date:
12/05/2013
The global cumulative hydropower installed capacity is expected to increase from 1,065 Gigawatts (GW) in 2012 to 1,407 GW in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.5%, with investments reaching $75 billion in the same period, forecasts research and consulting firm GlobalData. According to the co
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Date:
12/05/2013
APEC 2014 returns to Fort Worth with enhanced attendee features

APEC PR Chair

The Applied Power Electronics Conference, which will convene March 16-20, 2014 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, continues the longstanding tradition of addressing issues of immediate and long-term interest to the practicing power electronics engineer. APEC 2014 will provide: The best power electron
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Date:
12/04/2013
Fujitsu, Fujitsu Semiconductor, and Transphorm, a leader in GaN power devices for power supplies, announced that they have reached an agreement whereby Fujitsu Semiconductor and Transphorm will integrate their gallium-nitride (GaN) power devices for power supplies businesses. This integration will dramatically im
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Date:
12/04/2013
Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, a business region of Avnet, is hosting the fourth annual Power Forum, with on-demand, in-depth, free webinars for designers of all levels. The industry’s leading power technology suppliers have come together to address challenging design topics, look at top market trends an
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Date:
12/03/2013
Coventor, a leading supplier of virtual fabrication software to accelerate the development of manufacturing processes, will host an expert roundtable discussion at the 2013 edition of IEDM (December 7-11, 2013. Washington, DC). The discussion will provide an in-depth and comprehensive view of the current and ne
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Date:
12/03/2013
Thirty clean energy companies, including seven Colorado companies, will gather in Denver Dec. 3-4 to present their clean energy business cases to a panel of national venture capitalists and other experts from the clean energy finance community at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NRE
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Date:
12/03/2013
This year's SPS IPC Drives had 1,622 exhibitors (+11 %) from 42 countries presenting in 13 exhibition halls products, solutions, innovations, and trends in the field of electric automation. The exhibition reflects the market this year more comprehensively than ever before. With 485 companies coming from outsi
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Date:
12/03/2013
In this episode of PSDtv Founder & CEO Jason Hardi of Muzik describes the functionality of their latest product for Power Systems Design. Presented as the world's first smart on-ear headphone, the foldable set has wireless and wired connectivity, with capacitive touch gesture controls allowing you to do
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Date:
12/03/2013
The combined hardware and manufacturing cost of Microsoft Corp.’s new Xbox One amounts to $471, suggesting that Microsoft is subsidizing the cost of the video game console at the time of launch. The Xbox One carries a bill of materials (BOM) of $457, according to preliminary results from the Teardown Analy
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Date:
12/02/2013
Mouser Electronics, Inc., a leading design engineering resource and global distributor of semiconductors and electronic components, today announced thatit will be a sponsor and participant at the International Wireless Power Summit 2013. This exciting and informative event is set for December 4-6 at the Do
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Date:
12/02/2013
Printed electronics process could support wafer-thin $10 Bluetooth low-energy paper keyboards
Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor announced that UK startup, Novalia, has developed a low-cost, patented manufacturing technology using standard print processes - such as screen print, flexography, and offset lithography - combined with capacitive touch technology, that would allow Bluetooth lo
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Date:
12/02/2013
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