Tag: silicon

Twelve South Matching Apple Watch Band & iPhone 17Pro case review

The Twelve South Matching Watch Ultra Band and iPhone 17Pro case are a duo all owners of both devices should have and I have been a long time fan of such making my own matching cases and straps over the years now Twelve South are doing it for me and also comes in several colours.

The Strap is Crafted from premium liquid silicone with tonal hardware and dual-color accents, this band balances all-day comfort with everyday durability. Lightweight, soft, and easy to clean, it transitions seamlessly from workouts to weekends and also has a nic texture to it like the case, the strap seems like it will last unlike others have done from other brands I have tested over the years.

Features of strap

  • Soft-touch comfort
  • Durable, water- and sweat-resistant
  • Subtle dual-tone accents
  • One size fits most wrists

The Matching case again is made from premium soft-touch silicone, this slim case blends a soft, elevated feel with durable protection. Reinforced edges, MagSafe compatibility, and Camera Control delivers polish and performance and feels good to hold and most mportantly will protect your expensive phone.

Features of case

  • Silky-soft shell with microfiber lining
  • Matte finish provides secure grip
  • Slim profile with reinforced edges
  • MagSafe compatible
  • Pairs with our Watch Bands

Check the video review down below for more and let us know what you think

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ugee FreSound Inspiration Open-Earbuds Review

The Ugee FreSound Inspiration Open-Earbuds  provide comfortable, all-day audio that keeps you connected to your environment. These earbuds have no ANC like any Open-Ear earbuds but thes look great and come in a really nice case and looks like a premium product out of the box.

These are comfortable, Utilizing an open-ear, air-conduction design, the FreSound rests lightly on the outside of your ear, delivering sound without blocking the ear canal. This eliminates the pressure, discomfort, and ‘stuffed-up’ feeling associated with traditional in-ear models.

At just 8.7 grams per earbud, they are exceptionally lightweight. The key to their stability is the flexible, full-wrap liquid silicone ear hook, which feels soft and skin-friendly. They stay securely in place during vigorous activities like running and gym workouts (assisted by an IPX5 sweat-resistant rating), making them a fantastic option for athletes who prioritize situational awareness.

The audio experience is dictated by the open-ear design, which delivers unique benefits and expected trade-offs.

  • Clarity and Detail: The FreSound has a 12mm high-amplitude driver and a custom-tuned frequency curve. It delivers excellent mid-range clarity and crisp highs. These earbuds particularly excel with podcasts, no tinny sound when maxed out on volume
  • Bass and Volume: As is typical for open-ear models, the bass is present—it’s tight and rhythmic enough to motivate a workout—but it lacks the deep, chest-thumping sub-bass found in sealed earbuds. This is normal for this style of earbud
  • Calling: Call quality is strong thanks to AI Call Noise Cancellation, which helps your voice cut through moderate background noise effectively.

The lack of a companion app or customizable EQ means you are reliant on the factory tuning, which some users find a bit too bright or sharp with certain amplified genres like rock and pop but overall they deliver decent audio and for me could use anytime.

The FreSound offers reliable, all-day power:

  • Single Charge: Up to 8 hours of continuous listening.
  • Total Playback: Up to 30 hours using the charging case.
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 ensures fast pairing, stable connection, and minimal latency, which is appreciated when watching videos. The added multipoint connection feature for dual-device pairing is a convenient bonus.

The Ugee FreSound Inspiration Open-Earbuds are a compelling choice for a specific audience. They successfully deliver a perfect balance between audio enjoyment and environmental awareness, making them an ideal daily driver for safety-conscious users, fitness enthusiasts, and professionals who need to hear colleagues or surroundings while they work.

They trade deep bass and noise isolation for unparalleled comfort and safety. While the sound tuning might be divisive for heavy rock listeners, their secure fit, great battery life, and clear mid-range make them a strong, budget-friendly contender in the growing open-ear category.

These are ideal forRunners, cyclists, commuters, and people who find traditional in-ear buds uncomfortable and want the best of both worlds hearing what is going on around them and they deliver here with this and adio in general. Check the video below for a detailed look.

 

Features

  • Seamless Comfort: Our Inspiration Open Earbuds use full-wrap liquid silicone for a soft, ergonomic fit all day.
  • Open-Ear Design: OWS open-ear headphones deliver great audio while keeping you aware outdoors or on the go.
  • Pure Sound: Expertly tuned custom frequency curve ensures crisp, balanced wireless earbuds performance.
  • All-Day Power: Up to 8 hours of continuous playback per charge and 30 hours of standby time with the case.
  • IPX5 Waterproof: Sweat, rain, and splash resistant for active lifestyles.

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American Investors Set For Dublin TechFoundHer Summit

International investor and star of the critically acclaimed Show Her The Money documentary Wendy Ryan is set to take to the stage at the forthcoming TechFoundHer Summit 2025 in Dublin next month.

Wendy, CEO of Kadabra based in Silicon Valley, will join fellow US investor Lata Shetty for an exclusive panel discussion that will include leading voices from Ireland and beyond including innovators such as Kelly Vero, Lesley Sackey, Dr Patricia Scanlon, Barbara McCarthy, and Áine Kerr.

The summit, which returns to the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin on Tuesday May 14, will host the second Dublin screening of the film, followed by an exclusive panel discussion featuring Ryan and a line-up of high-profile investors and innovation leaders.

Wendy Ryan, a powerhouse investor is committed to using her generational wealth to invest and support early-stage companies led by women, while Lata is a globally recognised tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist who is an inaugural investor and on advisory board of Silicon Valley Women’s Founder Funds. They will be joined on the panel by Mary Rodgers of PorterShed, Suzanne Mills, and Eshna Gogia from Republic of Work, who each play a significant role in championing startups in Ireland.

TechFoundHer founder Máirín Murray, who will host the event and panel, said it is expected to be a “powerful global gathering that’s flipping the script on who gets to lead in tech.”

She added: “This isn’t just another tech event, it’s a high-energy, purpose-driven gathering for women building and scaling tech solutions to solve real-world problems.

“This year, the message is clear – the future of tech must be diverse, daring, and include women.

“This summit is about unleashing vision and imagination.

“It’s for women who want to tackle real-world problems with powerful tech tools – and have some fun doing it.”

Catherine Gray is the producer and driving force behind the Show Her the Money movie which is directed by Ky Dickens. The movie explores the significant underrepresentation of women in venture capital funding, with women receiving less than 2% globally.

The film follows the journey of four women founders as they overcome systemic barriers in their pursuit of venture capital, highlighting the critical role of women investors who support them. It also shines a light on businesses that challenge conventional norms, from inclusive fashion to Ayurveda-inspired beauty, illustrating how access to funding can drive meaningful change.

Wendy, an executive producer of the Show Me The Money film, which also premiered in Belfast at The MAC this time last year, said: “If I write a woman a $10,000 cheque she is going to go much further with it than a similarly situated male would – returns are actually better when you invest in women.”

As the author of Learn Lead Lift, Wendy focuses on empowering women and BIPOC entrepreneurs through her investments and advisory roles.

Speaking of the film Máirín explained: “Show Her The Money is more than a documentary – it’s a catalyst for change.

“We’re bringing it back to Dublin because the conversation is far from over. If we want a future where innovation is truly inclusive, we need to see, hear, and fund women entrepreneurs. This film opens eyes – and doors.”

The screening is part of the TechFoundHer Summit 2025, which will also feature keynote speakers such as Kelly Vero, known for her work on Tomb Raider and Halo 3.

The event will also explore a range of themes including diversity in tech, startup growth, funding pathways, and real-world product innovation strategies. Attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with graduates of TechFoundHer’s Innovation Labs, a programme aimed at making tech accessible, impactful, and inclusive.

This year’s summit is supported by Dublin City Council as Headline Sponsor with U.S. Bank Europe and Enterprise Ireland acting as Network Sponsors. Additional support comes from WITS (Women in Technology & Science Ireland), BlockW and Nigma MVP Development Specialists as Catalyst Sponsors.

TechFoundHer’s Innovation Labs Programme has been funded through InterTradeIreland, in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland, under the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme with KPMG Ireland also supporting.

Tickets for the TechFoundHer Summit 2025 are now available, for more information go to www.techfoundher.com

WiSAR Lab Selected by Silicon Austria Labs for ESA-Funded CubeSat Communications Project

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) has appointed ATU’s WiSAR Lab to a new ESA-funded project, ‘Enhancing CubeSat Communication: Beam Steering Antenna Systems.” The project is focused on advancing CubeSat communication with cutting-edge beam-steering solutions.

Dr. Nick Timmons, Director of the WiSAR Lab, highlighted the significance of the project, stating:
“This project represents a significant step forward in CubeSat communication technology. By leveraging advanced beam-steering solutions, we aim to overcome key challenges in space-based communication, enhancing data transmission efficiency and reliability. Our collaboration with Silicon Austria Labs and the European Space Agency underscores the importance of innovation in satellite communications, and we are excited to contribute to the future of space technology.”

Project Objectives

The primary goal is to enhance CubeSat communication circuitry by leveraging beam-steering technologies to overcome size and power limitations. The project will focus on identifying and implementing the most effective beam-steering solutions tailored to various CubeSat applications.

Background

CubeSats have gained popularity due to their compact size, low weight, and modular design, making them valuable tools for Earth observation, telecommunications, scientific research, and education. The increasing demand from governmental and private sectors has driven significant growth in the CubeSat market.

Despite their advantages, CubeSats face challenges in communication due to limited power supply and constrained coverage areas. To address these issues, beam-steering technologies offer a viable solution by dynamically adjusting signal directionality, thereby improving transmission and reception efficiency.

By integrating these technologies, the project aims to enhance data transmission rates, extend communication range, and improve reliability, unlocking new potential for CubeSat missions.

Significance and Impact

The successful integration of beam-steering technologies into CubeSat systems will revolutionize small-satellite communications, making them more capable and efficient for scientific, commercial, and educational applications.

Project Scope

This research will conduct a comprehensive analysis of state-of-the-art CubeSat communication, focusing on advancements in beam-steering antennas. Key aspects include:

  • Assessing power constraints, miniaturization, and CubeSat integration challenges.
  • Investigating cutting-edge technologies such as phased array systems, metasurface-based designs, and reconfigurable antennas.
  • Proposing a hybrid beam-steering system by designing a passive antenna to optimize CubeSat communication.

By advancing CubeSat communication capabilities, this project will contribute to the broader development of space technologies, paving the way for more efficient and adaptable small-satellite missions.

World’s first silicon chip design breakthrough in Limerick

The world’s first fabrication and design of a silicon chip without direct human input has been completed by researchers at Lero, the University of Limerick-based Research Centre for Software, heralding the possibility of creating a new high-tech export-based industry in Ireland.

Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Limerick Conor Ryan led the research team which has just filed a patent for the totally Irish-designed process that came from a project entitled “Automatic Design of Digital Circuits’ (ADDC) funded by Research Ireland.

“This is the first time ever anywhere in the world that machine learning has been used to design and fabricate a silicon chip entirely from scratch. This could pave the way for a new era of automated digital circuit design with Ireland at its centre, creating a new export industry with many well-paying jobs.

“The patent secures the proprietary methods and novel approach to automating silicon chip design’s traditionally manual, complex, and error-prone process. The techniques created by Lero replace traditional methods with an entirely automated flow, reducing the need for human intervention and minimising the risks of design errors,” said Prof Ryan, a lead researcher at Lero.

The Limerick-based team plans to work with selected global chip design and fabrication companies following the successful manufacture of a Lero-designed chip by world-leading chip foundry TSMC, paving the way for a new era of automated digital circuit design.

Prof Ryan said their patent covers the use of a grammar-based optimisation engine that ensures all generated designs are manufacturable and ready for production and opens the door to smarter, faster, and more sustainable hardware design, with potential applications in consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, and more.

“The system combines cutting-edge machine learning with industry-standard tools and workflows, ensuring the results are compatible with modern manufacturing processes.

“It radically reduces the time and financial resources required to produce integrated circuits, democratising access to advanced hardware innovation. Our process also eliminates an entire step in the traditional verification process,” he added.

Prof. Ryan acknowledged that the project was made possible through partnerships with leading experts and organisations, utilising TSMC’s world-class fabrication facilities.

The process is protected under European Patent Application No. 24213734.7 held by the University of Limerick and the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, and covers Digital Circuit Creation Tool and Method.

Sound from Ultrasound: Audio Pioneer xMEMS’ New Silicon Speaker Reinvents How Humans Experience Sound

xMEMS Labs, pioneers in solid-state, all-silicon micro speakers, today announced a revolutionary breakthrough in sound reproduction, changing the way mass-market, true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds create ultra high-quality, high-resolution sound experiences across all audio frequencies.

With the introduction of its groundbreaking new Cypress solid-state MEMS speaker, xMEMS engineers have replaced legacy push-air sound reproduction with the company’s ultrasonic amplitude modulation transduction principle. Ultrasonic modulation turns ultrasonic air pulses into rich, detailed, bass-heavy, high-fidelity sound, representing the first no-compromise alternative to the moving-coil concept for high-volume consumer active noise canceling (ANC) earbud micro speakers.

“By shifting to a sound from ultrasound principle, the xMEMS Cypress micro speaker can now officially replace traditional coil-and-magnet speakers in active noise canceling earbuds,” said Mike Housholder, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development for xMEMS. “Cypress maintains all of the benefits of xMEMS’ existing speakers, while being 40x louder in low frequencies, achieving a key requirement for ANC earbuds.”

How Cypress Creates the World’s Best Audio Experience 

Legacy coil speakers generate sound in the audible band, which is intrinsically inefficient. Cypress takes advantage of the characteristics unique to MEMS—speed, precision, and uniformity—to produce high-resolution audio more efficiently.

Sound from ultrasound has been a research topic since the 1960s but has never achieved the acoustic performance required for broad commercial appeal, until xMEMS’ Cypress.

As an air pulse generator, Cypress comprises: a modulator to generate an amplitude-modulated ultrasonic wave (carrier) that faithfully follows the amplitude of the intended audio signal; and a demodulator to synchronously demodulate the ultrasonic wave, transferring the acoustic energy down to the baseband, producing the intended audible sound as a result.

The sound envelope of ultrasonic pulses is an exact acoustic copy of the source signal, meaning across all frequencies, Cypress is more faithful to the original recording than current speaker technologies. As a result of its superior resolution in the time domain, Cypress can more accurately reproduce today’s advanced sound formats, including high-resolution and spatial audio.

“Cypress not only revolutionizes how sound can be reproduced from an electric signal, but it also redefines how it should be reproduced,” said Jemm Liang, xMEMS CTO.

 

Based on Proven Innovation in MEMS Design

Cypress leverages the same production-proven MEMS platform used for all existing xMEMS products and exploits all the benefits of xMEMS’ established solid-state speaker designs when compared to legacy coil architectures, including:

  • Faster mechanical response for unrivaled detail, clarity, and separation
  • Near-zero phase shift for the most accurate, unaltered sound reproduction
  • Superior part-to-part phase consistency for unparalleled spatial imaging accuracy
  • Rigid silicon diaphragms eliminate speaker breakup for unmatched mid/treble clarity
  • Non-magnetic, for lower weight and reduced electromagnetic interference
  • Superior quality, reliability and part-to-part uniformity from the solid-state semiconductor process

Now Cypress, in a 6.3 x 6.5 x 1.65mm package (9mm-diagonal), brings the added and significant benefit of being 40x louder in low frequencies compared to xMEMS’ prior generation speakers, providing stronger, deeper bass that is consistent with the best 10-12mm legacy coil speakers, including sound pressure levels (SPL) greater than 140dB as low as 20Hz.

MEMS and Ultrasonic Modulation Ideal for ANC Performance

This additional low frequency SPL is most critical for ANC earbuds. With Cypress, xMEMS brings unique advantages over legacy coil to further improve ANC applications. Cypress’ faster electrical-to-acoustic conversion can contribute to wider ANC bandwidth (i.e., extension of ANC to cancel higher frequency noise sources, like a crying baby). Plus, Cypress’ near-constant electrical-to-acoustic conversion time (group delay), can reduce DSP filter complexity which, in turn, leads to shorter DSP latency, rounding errors, and power consumption when processing ANC.

Availability

Full-function Cypress prototype silicon is now sampling to select early customers. Production-candidate samples of Cypress and the companion Alta controller/amplifier ASIC will sample in June 2024. Mass production is planned for late-2024.

xMEMS will demonstrate Cypress by appointment only January 9-12 at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, NV.

For more information about xMEMS and its solid-state fidelity solutions, visit xmems.com.