The heat your computer generates could help increase battery life by a fifth with a nanostructured thin film technology that turns that waste warmth into electricity. The thin film converts heat into electricity using what is called pyroelectrics and it cou...

By Rob Coppinger | 24-05-2018

If I suggested to a cycling-mad pal of mine that he should switch to electrically powered bicycles his verbal response would most definitely not be printable here. Why is that? Well in his case, even as a gentleman of mature age, he has sufficient pedal-pow...

By Paul Whytock | 23-05-2018

High-power electronics could work at higher temperatures for longer with water flowing over a heat exchanger’s surface that is designed to repel the liquid, the exact opposite of what is used today. Water is typically boiled off hydrophilic heat exchanger...

By Rob Coppinger | 21-05-2018

Rapidly falling component and installation costs are encouraging the growth of solar power in key locations across the globe. And solar inverters, which play an important role in the operation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, are expected to witness a solid...

By Nnamdi Anyadike | 18-05-2018

Originally published 16-05-2018 | Revised June 2025 Key Takeaways: AR market surge: IDC values AR at US $83.6 bn (2024) and forecasts 38 % CAGR through 2030. Mainstream hardware: LiDAR-equipped phones plus Vision Pro, Quest 3 and s...

Insights | By Mark Patrick | 16-05-2018

If there is anyone in the developed world for whom the word ‘building’ still conjures up an image of a structure comprising just four walls, a roof, a couple of doors and a few windows then the latest ‘smart building’ developments are likely to come as quite a...

By Nnamdi Anyadike | 11-05-2018

Iceberg monitoring robot marine vessels that work together to overcome extreme weather and damage are one vision of scientists developing biologically inspired swarming machines. The behaviour of ants and bees and other swarming animals and how they adapt t...

By Rob Coppinger | 10-05-2018

Originally published 08-05-2018 · Revised June 2025 Key Takeaways: Market boom: AR software & services soared from US $471 million (2017) to US $83.6 billion (2024), with IDC forecasting 38 % CAGR through 2030. Every–device acc...

Insights | By Mark Patrick | 08-05-2018

Originally published 16-05-2018 | Revised June 2025 Key Takeaways: Data explosion fuels innovation: Big data growth from telemetry, distributed file systems, and generative AI training sets is reshaping how storage systems are architected...

Insights | By Nnamdi Anyadike | 04-05-2018

Optical computing where circuits are replaced by light beams is a step closer with nanoantennaes that can be tuned to emit and receive particular wavelengths and manufactured without complex methods. Optical computing could be faster than today’s computers,...

By Rob Coppinger | 02-05-2018

Wireless charging is becoming increasingly popular as a smartphone feature, but the technology has wider implications that will one day have a massive impact on industry at all levels. You spot the battery indicator on your phone is low, so you place the d...

By Christian Cawley | 30-04-2018

The clothes people wear will one day identify them to retailers as potential loyal shoppers with the help of video camera feeds, machine vision and biometric identification. The detection of clothing styles, the colour and type of jacket or blouse or trousers,...

By Rob Coppinger | 27-04-2018