The University of Minnesota announced today that it has received a four-year, $5.3 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, to lead an effort that could spark the next wave of U.S. semiconductor innovation and broaden the competitive field for circuit design. Integrated circuits […]
Fiber Optics
Android’s Rise to Smartphone Dominance
Ten years ago, on September 23, 2008, the T-Mobile G1 made its debut, marking the birth hour of Android. More than a year after Apple had released the first iPhone, Android’s debut wasn’t as spectacular and, as opposed to the iPhone, the first Android device still had a physical keyboard. But Google’s open approach to […]
DHS S&T Awards $200K to Sunnyvale Startup for Lidar Technology
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) awarded $200,000 to Quanergy Systems, Inc, a Sunnyvale, California-based start-up, to develop LiDAR-based technology to enhance Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) counting and measuring capabilities in airport security and customs processing queues. “CBP is in the process of transforming the way it inspects international arrivals in […]
Has the Smartphone Made Digital Cameras Obsolete?
One notable feature of the smartphone is its camera. Typically, the system consists of a camera module that has a lens and a CMOS sensor. Apple’s latest iPhone XS, for example, features a dual-camera system that, according to Apple, integrates “the ISP, the Neural Engine, and advanced algorithms to unlock new creative possibilities and help you […]
The Global Wearables Market Is All About the Wrist
In the wake of the smartphone and tablet boom, many experts predicted wearable devices to be the next big thing in consumer technology. And to a certain degree they were right: global smartwatch shipments more than tripled since 2015 and fitness tracking armbands are as popular as they are affordable. However, speaking of a wearables […]
DARPA Invests $2 Billion to Develop Next-Gen Artificial Intelligence
DARPA is seeking the next wave of artificial intelligence (AI) technology by announcing a multi-year investment of more than $2 billion toward the “AI Next” campaign. The announcement was made during the closing remarks of DARPA’s D60 Symposium at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. “With AI Next, we are making multiple […]
Infographic: Google’s 20-Year Climb Toward Tech Dominance
September 4, 1998, is a special day in history—it’s Google’s birthday, and the company recently turned 20. Known for its internet search engine prowess, the tech giant has branched into robotics, drones, smart home gadgets, and more. Specifically in the wireless space, the company has created Google WiFi, which replaces old router networks to create […]
Helping The Microchip Industry Go (Very Low) With The Flow
A new study by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has uncovered a source of error in an industry-standard calibration method that could lead microchip manufacturers to lose a million dollars or more in a single fabrication run. The problem is expected to become progressively more acute as chipmakers pack ever […]
The Importance Of Haptic Gloves In Optimizing VR For Design
Virtual reality (VR) provides designers with the ability to generate and view three dimensional (3D) digital objects like never before. Instead of relying on 2D representations, designers can walk around 3D assets, view them from underneath or above, and use handheld remotes to create or adjust orientations. These affordances operate under the goal of generating life-like (or […]
Researchers Break Through Intel SGX, Intel’s Security Wall
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology researchers and their colleagues abroad have broken through Intel’s innovative security wall, Intel Software Guard Extension (SGX). SGX is a recently introduced security feature of Intel processors for protecting the privacy and integrity of information and applications on the computer. It is available in all recent Intel processors, and is broadly […]