The American consumer electronics giant Apple has been granted a patent for foldable and flexible mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones. The new technology is reported to protect the devices from damages caused by dropping and offers new input options. For example, certain video games could be controlled by bending or folding the device, claim the developers. In more general terms, bending could be used to switch the hardware on or off.
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore has successfully printed complex electronic circuits using a common t-shirt printer. The electronic circuits are printed using unique materials in layers on top of everyday flexible materials such as plastic, aluminium foil and even paper. Resistors, transistors and capacitors, the key components of a complex electronic circuit, are printed using non-toxic organic materials like silver nanoparticles, carbon and plastics.
On 4 December, cynora GmbH, a producer and developer of singlet harvesting technology for use in OLEDs, was awarded the German Raw Material Efficiency Award 2014. The firm, which is based in Bruchsal, Germany, won the competition against seven other finalists in the category “companies” and received the prize that is worth €10 000.
