Physical AI Robotic Ships on Patrol!

by Max Maxfield - April 30, 2026

I recently received an email that essentially said something like, “Interested in physical AI, agentic AI, robotic ships, autonomy, maritime, offshore, subsea, security, ocean science… [the list went on]? If so, get in touch!”

Let’s take a step back before we race forward. Someone recently asked me how my “triage process” works for people pitching potential articles to me. I’d never really thought about this … Read More → "Physical AI Robotic Ships on Patrol!"

Should We Terraform Mars (“Yay” or “Nay”)?

by Max Maxfield - April 28, 2026

When I was a kid growing up in the 1960s, I fully believed that humans could live on both Mars and Venus without requiring special suits or survival gear. This was because I had discovered the wonderful world of science fiction. Many of the books I devoured (figuratively speaking) described Mars as a dusty frontier world with a thin, dry atmosphere. By comparison, Venus was portrayed as a foggy, … Read More → "Should We Terraform Mars (“Yay” or “Nay”)?"

Reshaping the Future of Data: How NTT and IOWN will Change How the World Communicates

by Amelia Dalton - April 24, 2026

Today, we’re diving deep into the future of connectivity, networking, and computing with a look at a revolutionary concept: the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network, or IOWN. My podcast guest is Marco Provolo, Head of IOWN and NTT R&D Global Promotion Office. Marco and I discuss what IOWN is, why the shift from silicon to photonics is so crucial, how NTT is working … Read More → "Reshaping the Future of Data: How NTT and IOWN will Change How the World Communicates"

Want to Build Chips 10X faster and at 50% Lower Cost (Without Changing Existing Tools or Workflows)?

by Max Maxfield - April 23, 2026

I have some news that will make chip and chiplet designers (we’re talking ASIC, ASSP, SoC, and multi-die systems) squeal in delight. However, before we leap headfirst into the fray with gusto and abandon (and, it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, aplomb), I just got off a call with my old chum, Adam Taylor.

As you may recall from an Read More → "Want to Build Chips 10X faster and at 50% Lower Cost (Without Changing Existing Tools or Workflows)?"

TrustInSoft Analyzer Turbocharged with AI and RUST

by Max Maxfield - April 21, 2026

As is often the case these days, my poor old noggin is jam-packed with myriad meandering musings pertaining to AI. For example, I just started reading Road Kill by Dennis E. Taylor (you may remember Dennis as the author of We Are Legion (We Are Bob)).

< … Read More →

Scaling Advanced Materials for the Future of Battery Manufacturing: An Interview with Joe Adiletta of Volexion

by Amelia Dalton - April 17, 2026

In this week’s podcast, we’re stepping onto the frontier of battery innovation! My guest is Volexion CEO Joe Adiletta. Joe and I discuss why some battery materials perform great in a lab but fail in real world production, what “designing backward from the factory” means in terms of battery design and the role that manufacturing plays … Read More → "Scaling Advanced Materials for the Future of Battery Manufacturing: An Interview with Joe Adiletta of Volexion"

Articles Archive →

industry news

April 30, 2026

Hudson InterXchange Expands 60 Hudson Capacity With New 1MW Data Hall, Roadmap Beyond 10MW

Ambiq compressionKIT Cuts Edge AI Memory and Power by Up to 20x

ROHM Launches an Ultra-Compact Wireless Power Chipset for Wearables

Saelig Launches Economical Harogic SGA-60 6GHz Vector Signal Generator

April 29, 2026

Syensqo enables next-generation high-voltage smartphone batteries

TANAKA to Showcase Advanced Semiconductor Materials and Circular Economy Initiatives at SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026

Northrop Grumman Relies on INTEGRITY-178 tuMP RTOS for the First Production Delivery of EGI-M Resilient Airborne Navigation System

Overland AI Demonstrates Autonomous Ground Capability for USMC ROGUE Fires

Teledyne FLIR Defense Grows Third-Party Payload Integration Program, Adds Emesent Hovermap LiDAR for Unmanned Air, Ground, and Detection Platforms

April 28, 2026

Infineon provides MEMS technology for Valeo’s ground projection module based on laser beam scanning presented at 2026 Auto Beijing

SECO demonstrates its end-to-end smart vending ecosystem at VendItalia 2026

Anglia adds UK-manufactured opto isolators from Isocom Components

KYOCERA AVX is Showcasing High-Reliability Passive Component Technologies at CMSE 2026

April 27, 2026

QCraft Unveils Physical AI Model and 500+ TOPS Intelligent Driving Solution at Auto China 2026 in Beijing

Primech Holdings Accelerates U.S. Expansion for Primech AI’s Hytron, Selected for SelectUSA Tech Amid Growing Institutional Deployment Pipeline

Himax to Showcase Industry-Leading High-Contrast Dual-Edge Front-lit LCoS Microdisplay at SID Display Week 2026

April 24, 2026

IK Multimedia Introduces ARC X Immersive for Professional Multichannel Calibration

A new system to track material design processes

STMicroelectronics reveals high-precision op amps for 4V-36V range

Arm and Google Cloud redefine agentic AI infrastructure with Axion processors

Synopsys Partners with TSMC to Power Next-Generation AI Systems with Silicon Proven IP and Certified EDA Flows

April 23, 2026

Introspect Technology Adds New ATE-on-Bench Solution for LPDDR6, DDR6, and HBM Interfaces

ROHM Develops 5th Generation SiC MOSFETs with Approximately 30% Lower On-Resistance at High Temperatures

Posifa Technologies Introduces PGS5100 Series Hydrogen Sensors for EV Battery Safety and Leak Monitoring

Quantum chips: Infineon contributes industrialization know-how to European quantum pilot lines

Essent Reduces Contact Centre Technology Costs by 50%

April 22, 2026

GigaDevice GD32F5HC Series MCU Grand Launch, Advancing High‑Performance Innovation for HMI and IoT Edge Solutions

SEGGER Adds Support for OnMicro OM662X Series to J-Link and Flasher

Introspect Technology Adds New ATE-on-Bench Solution for LPDDR6, DDR6, and HBM Interfaces

Quinas Technology advances ULTRARAM development with atomic-scale processing at KAUST Core Labs

MobileDemand Launches High-Precision Mobile Dimensioning Solution Powered by Orbbec Stereo 3D Camera

Wind River Joins the CHERIAlliance and Collaborates with Innovate UK to Accelerate Cybersecurity Innovation

Siemens and OnLogic Partner to Bring Industrial Edge to the Harshest Environments

April 21, 2026

EMI Filter for high-field MRI systems and sensitive imaging processes from EMIS

KYOCERA AVX Launches new Traction-Grade DC Filtering Capacitors

RS and Festo make smart electric motion accessible

STMicroelectronics reveals high-precision op amps for 4V-36V range

April 20, 2026

SECO USA Achieves AS9100D Certification for Aerospace Quality Management

AutoFlight Completes First 2-Ton-Class eVTOL Tea Delivery in China

Doble Engineering and Megger Unite to Shape the Future of Electrical Asset Management

Altech 60A IEC 60309-II Pin and Sleeve Devices Combine Security and Safety

Reelables Launches Anywhere, First Printable Smart Label for Bluetooth and Cellular Networks That Can Track Cargo and Parcels Anywhere in the World

April 17, 2026

IDS: Digital precision transforms aircraft construction with Ensenso 3D vision

ZincFive Surpasses 2 GW Milestone Underscoring Commercial Adoption of Nickel-Zinc in Data Centers

Synopsys Solutions Support NASA’s Artemis Program with Spacesuit Analysis and Communication System Development

News Archive →

featured chalk talk

GaN for Humanoid Robots

Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Infineon

In this episode of Chalk Talk, Eric Persson and Amelia Dalton explore why power is the key driver for efficient and reliable robot movements and how GaN technologies can help motor control solutions be more compact, integrated and efficient. They also investigate the role of field-oriented control in humanoid robotic applications and why the choice of a GaN power transistor can make all the difference in your next humanoid robot project!

Click here for more information about Infineon Technologies Motor Control Solutions for Humanoid Robots

Apr 20, 2026

9,005 views

featured paper

Quickly and accurately identify inter-domain leakage issues in IC designs

Sponsored by Siemens Digital Industries Software

Power domain leakage is a major IC reliability issue, often missed by traditional tools. This white paper describes challenges of identifying leakage, types of false results, and presents Siemens EDA’s Insight Analyzer. The tool proactively finds true leakage paths, filters out false positives, and helps circuit designers quickly fix risks—enabling more robust, reliable chip designs. With detailed, context-aware analysis, designers save time and improve silicon quality.

Click to read more

discussion

Should We Terraform Mars (“Yay” or “Nay”)?

Posted on Apr 29 at 8:04am by Max Maxfield

You offer a compelling argument. I think this is something we could actually achieve within the next 100 years or so. Still and all, assuming we ever evolve into a Type 1-ish civilization, I would love to see terraformed versions of Venus and Mars (using our hyperspace transport gates to move ...

Should We Terraform Mars (“Yay” or “Nay”)?

Posted on Apr 29 at 7:53am by Max Maxfield

I just went to Amazon to order this book (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1560916095), but it looks like it's out of print, and a secondhand copy costs $499 -- dang, now I REALLY want to read it!!!

Should We Terraform Mars (“Yay” or “Nay”)?

Posted on Apr 28 at 5:04pm by Keith Lofstrom

Mars is cold, poisonous, and difficult to leave after arrival. No breathable atmosphere. No radiation shielding. Gravity is 38% of Earth's; healthwise, like living in spacesuit a recliner chair. No. NO! Pulp your pulp sci-fi and think different. The Martian moon Phobos is almost a "launch to the Moon and back" ...

Should We Terraform Mars (“Yay” or “Nay”)?

Posted on Apr 28 at 12:13pm by Doug

When do we start? Ever since I read "Terraforming--Engineering Planetary Environments," Martyn J. Fogg, 1995, I've been chumping at the bit to see a bit'o Civil Engineering in our planetary neighbor. Neglecting the obvious appeal of the word "engineering" in the aforementioned book title, I wonder if terraforming wouldn't do for ...

Want to Build Chips 10X faster and at 50% Lower Cost (Without Changing Existing Tools or Workflows)?

Posted on Apr 23 at 8:01am by Max Maxfield

If I were in charge of the universe (I still don't understand why this hasn't happened yet), I'd tell those who don the undergarments of authority and stride the corridors of power at Breker and Moores Lab AI that they should strongly consider merging together, but no one asked me (...

In Memoriam: Tracy Kidder, author of Pulitzer Prize-Winning “The Soul of a New Machine”

Posted on Apr 15 at 8:48am by Steven Leibson

Thanks for the PALs, John. They were truly a contribution to the electronics world.

In Memoriam: Tracy Kidder, author of Pulitzer Prize-Winning “The Soul of a New Machine”

Posted on Apr 14 at 1:46pm by John Birkner

Hi Steve, it was truly remarkable that Tracy Kidder, a non-technical writer, could produce a work so insightful it inspired even veteran engineers like yourself to embrace new paradigms like programmable logic and PALs. At MMI, we were absolutely delighted by the book's release. Thanks for the memories.

In Memoriam: Tracy Kidder, author of Pulitzer Prize-Winning “The Soul of a New Machine”

Posted on Apr 14 at 6:49am by Max Maxfield

Hi Steve -- thanks for this remembrance. I remember how engrossed I was when reading “The Soul of a New Machine” back in the mists of time when I wore a much younger man's clothes -- Tracy brought the entire design process alive in a way few people have before ...

Artemis II Moon Mission’s FPGA-Based Space Toilet Poops Out Shortly After Reaching Earth Orbit, Repaired by Space Plumber

Posted on Apr 7 at 8:04am by Max Maxfield

Plumbing is one of those things you don't really think about... until it stops working. There's one thing about being a plumber... you'll never be short of "friends" who call you in the early hours of the morning :-)

Moore’s Law and the Seven Devices

Posted on Apr 6 at 4:05pm by Steven Pietrobon

Thanks! I'm glad you found the information useful. A small update. I found a schematic for the 958 RTL decade counter [11]. This shows only 12 components per register (two clock input resistors were deleted), 7 components for the clock buffer and 3 components for the AND gate, giving a total of 58 components, agreeing with ...

featured blogs

Human Artifacts Discovered on Mars!

Apr 24, 2026

A thought experiment in curiosity, confusion, and cosmic consequences....