A Bavarian consortium is developing aluminium nitride LEDs for disinfection – aiming for mass-production to replace mercury-containing lamps.

Read full article: Germans aim for aluminium nitride deep-UV leds

Oxfordshire-based P2i, which develops liquid repellent materials used in smartphones, has received a £10m in venture funding from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank’s Growth Finance team. Liquid damage is the second most common type of phone damage, behind smashed screens. P2i develops water resistant nano-coating which are used to protect the electronic components in smartphones. The firm said it will use the investment to …

Read full article: Smartphone protector P2i gets £10m funding

Capacitor specialists in the UK have contributed to an EU research project to develop a lead-free ceramic dielectric, with high energy density and reduced losses, for high temperature applications such as electric vehicles. Norwich-based researchers at Knowles Capacitors together with the UK’s National Physical Laboratory worked on the project with Euro Support Advanced Materials of …

Read full article: UK researchers help in high temperature capacitor breakthrough

Harwin has increased investment in its high-relibility cable assembly facility in the US. Harwin’s cabling facility at Salem, New Hampshire addresses the space and avionics markets with prototyping, and electrical and mechanical testing of both cable and wire harnesses and coaxial cable assemblies. These markets are a big focus for Harwin with hi-rel connector ranges, in particular, the …

Read full article: Harwin invests in US cabling facility for space work

200 years ago there lived a pair of poets who would sit around talking about artificial intelligence. They wondered whether “the component parts of a creature could be put together and endued with vital warmth.” The wife of one of the poets was intrigued by the concept which inspired her to write a novel on …

Read full article: Fable: AI, The Poets and The Poet’s Wife

Fraunhofer IAF has developed an integrated monolithic multi-level converter in high-volt AlGaN/GaN-on-Si technology. The integrated inverter circuit is designed for +/-400V and 5A operation. Made from comprises four 350mΩ transistors and six diodes, it fits into 2x3mm and has been demonstrated converting US AC mains to DC. “The circuit exhibits minimal dynamic losses at very …

Read full article: 2kW AlGaN-on-silicon converter is tiny

The IEEE’s 63rd annual IEDM has issued a call for papers seeking the world’s best original work in all areas of microelectronics research and development. The paper submission deadline this year is Wednesday, August 2, 2017. IEDM will take place at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel from December 2-6, 2017. For the second …

Read full article: IEDM call for papers

The NMI has re-launched itself under the name  TechWorks aimed at building ‘a better and stronger tech ecosystem in the UK, helping to connect brilliant ideas with partnerships and investments that accelerate speed and enhance routes to market and profitability.’ TechWorks will develop as an umbrella over self-directing bodies like the IoT Security Foundation (IoTSF), …

Read full article: NMI morphs into TechWorks

The advocate-general at the European Court of Justice has ruled that Uber is a transport company not a tech platform. The ECJ took the view that its drivers are not, as Uber had argued, independent contractors because Uber tells them the terms on which they do business. “Uber cannot be regarded as a mere intermediary …

Read full article: Uber must treat drivers as employees, says ECJ

Toshiba, which had been planning the second round of its auction for next week (May 19th)  may now be looking at a postponement. This could be because of delays attendant on Western Digital’s legal claims that it has sole negotiating rights. Or it could be because one of the five bidders – the KKR/INCJ collaboration …

Read full article: Toshiba may delay auction