Ania Jayich and the Quantum Sensing and Imaging Group at UC Santa Barbara have developed new sensor technology capable of nanometer-scale spatial resolution and exquisite sensitivity. “This is the first tool of its kind. It operates from room temperature down to low temperatures where a lot of interesting physics happens,” Jayich, UCSB’s Bruker Endowed Chair in Science and Engineering and associate director of the campus’s Materials Research Lab, told PhysOrg. “When thermal energy is low enough, the effects of electron interactions, for instance, become observable, leading to new phases of matter. And we can now probe these with unprecedented spatial resolution.”
Apple Pay supports Interac in Canada
Apple Pay – which facilitates easy, secure and private contactless transactions – is now available to Canadians with Interac debit cards. This means consumers can add Interac debit cards to their Apple Wallet and shop at the hundreds of thousands of merchant locations where contactless payments are already accepted in Canada. Apple Pay is currently supported by a range of devices, including the iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch.
From bots to artificial intelligence
Truphone co-founder James Tagg recently addressed the critical role artificial intelligence (AI) will play in helping smartphones and other technology platforms evolve. Tagg, who authored ‘Are The Androids Dreaming Yet,’ kicked off his presentation in Mountain View, California, by exploring some of the basic differences between humans and machines. “Human brains are fundamentally ‘broken’ in certain ways, especially when it comes to accurately remembering a specific event a few weeks after it occurred. Yet, we can recall more than 1,000 faces – in less than 370ms (each),” he explained. “We also understand hierarchy quite well, although we have difficulty with recalling names. Plus, humans adhere to strong rules of etiquette around face-to-face communication.”
IoT security spending to hit $348 million in 2016
Gartner analysts have confirmed that global spending on Internet of Things (IoT) security will reach $348 million in 2016 – marking a 23.7 percent increase from $281.5 million in 2015. Although overall spending is expected to be moderate, at least initially, Gartner analysts say IoT security market spending will increase at a faster rate after 2020, as improved skills, organizational change and more scalable service options improve execution.
Rambus’ K. Krishna Moorthy appointed IESA Chairman
K. Krishna Moorthy, Corporate VP and Managing Director at the Rambus India Design Center, has been appointed chairman of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA).
Exploring 2.5D packaging and beyond
Frank Ferro, a Senior Director of Product Marketing at Rambus, recently participated in a Semiconductor Engineering roundtable discussion about 2.5D and advanced packaging. According to Ferro, 2.5D can succeed if customer demand overcomes the additional engineering costs associated with the packaging process.
