Water-soluble circuit boards could have a huge impact on e-waste

It's Tuesday, August 01, 2023.

German semiconductor maker Infineon Technologies announced it’s making printed circuit boards (PCBs) that dissolve in water. Sourced from UK startup Jiva Materials, the plant-based Soluboard could provide a new way for the tech industry to reduce electronic waste.

Jiva’s biodegradable PCB is made of natural fibers and a halogen-free polymer with a much lower carbon footprint. A team at the University of Washington College of Engineering and Microsoft Research created a mouse using a Soluboard PCB as its core. The researchers found the Soluboard dissolved in hot water in under six minutes. The process also makes retrieving the valuable metals attached to it easier. “After [it dissolves], we’re left with the chips and circuit traces, which we can filter out,” said UW assistant professor Vikram Iyer, who worked on the mouse project.

It’s early days for the technology. And maybe I’m a Debby-downer (and clumsy), but it could increase the drama of me spilling coffee on my laptop.

– Mat Smith

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Amazon’s Amp tries to reinvent radio as an app

Over a year since launching invite-only, it goes mainstream.

Engadget

Last spring, Amazon launched its live audio-streaming platform, Amp. The pitch was reinventing radio with “an infinite dial of shows.” With no need to buy songs or flirt with the DMCA, users could make a playlist, go live, talk between tracks, follow the chat and even invite callers. It’s finally available on Android.

Unlike Clubhouse, which enjoyed an early surge of popularity, Amp has largely gone under the radar since launch. “The thing we're maniacally focused on every day is making sure that the product is right before stepping out in bigger and bigger fashion,” said Amp co-founder, Matt Sandler. Can it grow?

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8BitDo launches a Nintendo-inspired mechanical keyboard

The $100 device offers customizable switches and layouts.

8bitdo

8BitDo announced a new mechanical keyboard inspired by Nintendo’s NES and Famicom consoles from the 1980s. The $100 Retro Mechanical Keyboard works in wired / wireless modes, supports custom key mapping and includes two giant red buttons, because why not? Pre-orders are open now, with the accessory costing $100, and should begin shipping on August 10th.

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Elon Musk's X Corp sues anti-hate group over its research

It accused the Center for Countering Digital Hate of a ‘scare campaign.’

X Corp (aka Twitter) has filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). It claimed the anti-hate group is illegally "scraping" its servers and cherry-picking hateful posts as part of "a scare campaign to drive away advertisers," according to documents filed in San Francisco federal court. The Center published a research article in June asserting X allowed explicitly racist and homophobic posts despite policies to the contrary, even after they'd been reported. However, X responded that the CCDH used poor methodology and failed to study all 500 million posts on the service each day.

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