Australian technology design company Lockie Safety Systems usually designs PCB layouts in-house but when the company started a new project that required radically different architecture, it decided to engage external experts. [ + ]

Trying to weave technology into our everyday lives is something that has been happening for hundreds of years, with the 16th-century abacus ring often touted as the first 'wearable computer'. Now, wearable technology is changing and becoming more mainstream. This article explores opportunities and challenges presented by wearable technology. [ + ]

Electrical engineer and quantum physicist Andrea Morello has won the 2013 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year for his intellectual leadership in developing the silicon components to make quantum computing possible. [ + ]

The brilliant and worst thing about the Internet of Things is that it is so broad. Does it include passive RFID, wireless sensors, machine to machine (M2M), big data, cloud computing and storage? Others believe the Internet of Things is not enough and the true term is the Internet of Everything because people are part of the network. This all begins to distract from what is important - providing a useful service. [ + ]

A global vendor of automotive AMS ICs contracted ASTC consulting on algorithm design and feasibility for a next-generation automotive parking assistance sensor ASIC program, a derivative of the predecessor ultrasonic sensor transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) signal conditioner system chip. [ + ]

Researchers have developed a supercapacitor out of silicon so it can be built into a silicon chip along with the microelectronic circuitry that it powers. In fact, it should be possible to construct these power cells out of the excess silicon that exists in the current generation of solar cells, sensors, mobile phones and a variety of other electromechanical devices, providing a considerable cost savings. [ + ]

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has welcomed the release of the Productivity Commission's final report on regulatory engagement with small business. [ + ]

Researchers at A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering have developed a manufacturing technique that offers precise control over the size and shape of hollow carbon nanospheres. [ + ]

KORE Wireless, the M2M wireless network provider, is part of an Australian-first initiative to use M2M technology for car insurance telematics. Insurance Box, now available through QBE, is the first Australian car insurance product to offer in-car telematics technology. It will utilise KORE’s M2M network throughout Australia. [ + ]

Researchers at the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics in Singapore have developed a device that could help computers reach light speed. The tiny mechanical system developed by A*STAR researchers can switch a light signal on or off extremely quickly, potentially enabling all-optical computing and simplifying the interface between electronic and optical networks. [ + ]

A new motion tracking technology could eliminate the lag that occurs in existing video game systems that use motion tracking. [ + ]

Australian electronics company Emotiv has developed a new system designed to reduce fatalities and improve road safety. The system communicates with the car and when the driver's level of attention drops the car safely slows down, alerting the driver to their lapse in concentration. [ + ]

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a device that can help steady the electrical currents needed to power high-end electronics and stabilise the signals of high-quality lasers. [ + ]

Automotive electronic technologies are popularly applied for use in many and varied applications in electric, hybrid-electric and conventional vehicles. Isolated DC-DC converters are mainly used in automotive electronic systems for stable sampling and control signal isolation. This article indicates where DC-DC converters are commonly used in automotive applications. [ + ]

RS Components' DesignSpark Mechanical is a free 3D solid modelling and assembly tool. The software's simplicity of use means that engineers and others involved in product development can become fully conversant with the software within minutes, rather than weeks or months. [ + ]