British scientists have developed a novel way of charging mobile phones using urine as the power source to generate electricity. [ + ]

Graphical system design is an integrated hardware and software approach to increase productivity as you develop any measurement or control system. [ + ]

Linde Electronics, the global electronics business of The Linde Group, has launched a revolutionary new carbon nanotube ink to drive innovation in the development of next-generation displays, sensors and other electronic devices. [ + ]

An unlikely material, cubic boron arsenide, could deliver an extraordinarily high thermal conductivity on par with the industry standard set by costly diamond, according to researchers from Boston College and the Naval Research Laboratory. [ + ]

Ludwig van Beethoven wrote a frenetic piece of piano music that was entitled Rage Over a Lost Penny and the composition reflected his impotence at not being able to find the coin. While not so elegantly executed, I have a similar frustration with trying to extract common objects from fiendish and devious packets that enclose many of today’s products. And many of these packets contain electric items from batteries to memory sticks. [ + ]

Dutch brewer Heineken has introduced the world’s first smart beer bottle - Ignite - that can interact with other Ignite bottles, its environment and the people around it. The interactive bottle uses microsensors and wireless networking technology to sense the moment when a bottle is being used to say ‘cheers’. [ + ]

It is now possible - even routine - to place millions of transistors on a single silicon chip. But at the rate the technology is progressing, in 10 or 20 years, transistors won’t get any smaller. [ + ]

While the initial enthusiasm for renewable energies might have receded somewhat, energy efficiency is still a major concern for manufacturers and consumers. This article outlines the contribution of specially developed mini power supplies to achieve energy savings. [ + ]

Philips Research engineers have developed audio beamforming technology that varies the TV sound levels for two people in the same room. [ + ]

A team of researchers has developed a new method for creating thin films of boron-doped diamond at temperatures low enough to coat electronic devices. [ + ]

Newly revised IEEE 1149.1 ‘JTAG’ standard intends to enable transfer of critical domain expertise from intellectual property (IP) providers to downstream customers. [ + ]

The rapid industrialisation and advancements in technology have led to the accumulation of electrical and electronic waste in Asia-Pacific, compelling governments to pass regulations mandating e-waste recycling. [ + ]

Researchers at the University of Washington have created silicon-based nanoparticles that soften the blue light emitted by LEDs, creating white light that more closely resembles sunlight. [ + ]

Scientists at Rice University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have advanced on the goal of two-dimensional electronics with a method to control the growth of uniform atomic layers of molybdenum disulfide (MDS). [ + ]

Researchers from The Ohio State University have developed technology that will pave the way for low-cost electronic devices that work in direct contact with living tissue inside the body. The first planned use of the technology is a sensor that will detect the very early stages of organ transplant rejection. [ + ]