Scientists at the Vienna University of Technology have now managed to combine a graphene photodetector with a standard silicon chip. It can transform light of all important frequencies used in telecommunications into electrical signals. [ + ]

The combined total minutes spent on activities requiring data connectivity on smartphones now far outpaces talking on these devices, according to the latest research released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). [ + ]

The world market for PCBs reached nearly $60bn in 2012, with 1.7% real growth over 2011, according to IPC's World PCB Production Report for the Year 2012. [ + ]

The pure-play foundry sales growth in 2013 is expected to be driven by ≤28 nm feature size device sales, according to research firm IC Insights. [ + ]

MathWorks has announced Release 2013b (R2013b) of its MATLAB and Simulink product families, focusing on increased systems integration and compatibility with its latest range of updates. [ + ]

Wearable technology will become popular in mainstream markets within the next two to three years, according to a recent SSI survey. The study showed one out of three people were "very" or "somewhat" likely to buy a wearable device. [ + ]

Australia-based researchers are in Ireland this week to team up with European collaborators who have helped drive the exciting developments in graphene, medical bionics, artificial muscles and next-generation solar cells at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES). [ + ]

The Republic of Korea has awarded a $51m contract to the LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, for providing LONGBOW Fire Control Radars (FCRs) for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. [ + ]

Rohde & Schwarz UK has been down-selected after a 12-month competition process run by BAE Systems to be the preferred partner for the design phase of the integrated communications system for the Royal Navy's Future Type 26 Global Combat Ship. [ + ]

University of Waikato electronics lecturer and researcher Nihal Kularatna has been nominated in the 2013 KuDos Science Excellence Awards in the Hill Laboratories Science Entrepreneur category. [ + ]

Mouser Electronics has partnered with Maxim Integrated in the creation of a comprehensive control and automation solution repository featuring the latest product selection for four major areas of industrial system design: sensors, motor control, PLC and HVAC. [ + ]

Resaearchers have developed a new compound that can be integrated into silicon chips and is a dilute magnetic semiconductor - meaning that it could be used to make 'spintronic' devices, which rely on magnetic force to operate, rather than electrical currents. [ + ]

Privately held Koch Industries has acquired Molex Incorporated, a global electronic components company, for $7.2bn. [ + ]

A groundbreaking technique in manufacturing nanostructures is claimed to have the potential to make electrical and optical devices smaller and better than ever before. [ + ]

Mouser Electronics has opened a new customer service centre situated in Penang, Malaysia. This new office now makes 20 locations worldwide and seven locations in the APAC region for the global design-fulfilment distributor. [ + ]