The European Investment Bank Is to provide £500 million to reinforce electrical connections between wind, wave and tidal renewable energy schemes and the national power network. The transmission link will supply equivalent electricity to meet the needs of around 2 million Scots. The new investment is the largest investment in the electricity network in the …
IBM TrueNorth synaptic processor anticipates exascale computing
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is to use IBM’s TrueNorth neurosynaptic chip in a system for evaluating machine learning. The system can process the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses using 2.5W. It can infer complex cognitive tasks such as pattern recognition and integrated sensory processing far more efficiently than conventional chips. …
IBM TrueNorth synaptic processor anticipates exascale computing
Poor Bloody Beetle
One wonders what the RSPCA might think of this one – radio-controlled beetles. Technologists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the University of California at Berkeley are using electronics to control beetles in flight. Electrodes are put on beetles’ legs, optic lobes and flight muscles and controlled by radio signals which make the beetles …
High-temperature superconductivity yields another secret
Researchers have determined that quantum rather than classical physical behaviour is responsible for superconductivity in high-pressure hydrogen sulphide, a result which could benefit the design of high-temperature superconductors, said the University of Cambridge. Last year, German researchers identified superconductivity in H2S at -70°C, said to be the highest temperature yet. To get it working, the …
Mouser brings Imagination’s IoT design boards to market
Imagination Technologies has created a number of IoT development boards under the Creator brand which are now being sold by Mouser Electronics. Imagination used Kickstarter to fund the initial supply of the Creator products which are now available from Mouser Electronics. These include the Creator Ci40 IoT hub and Ci40 kit (now available for pre-order) …
Patient Foxconn Finally Bags Up Sharp
Both Foxconn and Sharp now say the deal is done and there will be a signing ceremony on Saturday. It’s been a marathon. When, in 2012, Foxconn started negotiating for a stake in Sharp, Sharp’s shares stood at 550 yen. The deal has now been done at 88 yen per share. Foxconn is to get …
Raspberry Pi 3 has extendable case for add-on boards
Raspberry Pi 3 has got its own ABS plastic case. Although the Raspberry Pi 3 LED indicators are now on the opposite side of the board, the case from supplier Cyntech Components uses a light-pipe so that the LEDs can be viewed when the case is closed. Security is a key requirement when the Raspberry …
Why motorsport likes piezoceramic sensors
Ultrasonic piezoceramic sensors are used in the field of motorsport, where teams risk disqualification if they cannot efficiently balance performance and fuel consumption, writes Charlie Dowling Sensors are vital in a wide variety of level and metering applications as they allow the measurement of key attributes such as distance, flow, liquid level and volume. This is …
SSL industry progresses toward new color quality metrics
A two-metric system under development in an IES subcommittee would separately address the issues of color fidelity and gamut and address the long-understood shortcoming of CRI.
Cree develops light-guide based LED fixtures for offices and garages (UPDATED)
WaveMax edge-lit optics deliver lighting in two directions and enable sleek LED-based luminaire designs for high-end office space and optimized parking-garage applications.