The huge popularity of ultra-mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has driven demand for miniaturized electronics, and this has encouraged the use of relatively tiny MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) microphones.

Boston-based Vesper is pioneering a new type of MEMS microphone, a piezoelectric MEMS microphone, as opposed to the more conventional capacitive MEMS microphone. Vesper claims this enables a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), for greatly improved audio quality and sensitivity.

Carbon fiber consists of crystalline filaments, merely a few microns in width. But while the filaments are thin, they can impart high strength and rigidity to plastics, and the resulting composites, generically known as carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), are in increasing demand across a variety of industries. In aerospace and automotive, for example, fuel-efficiency favors replacing metal parts and components with lighter CFRP counterparts. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a well known case in point, where the goal was an aircraft 20% more fuel-efficient than the 767 it was replacing.

Forecasting the fortunes of the chip industry has always been tricky, but everyone’s agreed that MEMS sensors are poised for major growth

Growth of the LED industry in China is in line with the industry globally. What are the prospects for China in this key technology sector?

Current market research claims that one or two corners towards mainstream adoption of fuel cells will soon be turned.

A look (pardon the pun) at what Google Glass is, and what it isn’t.