RFID is booming - it now accounts for the largest number of silicon integrated circuits made of one particular type. But in addition to over 20% growth, there is much more to come. RFID is moving beyond wireless identification alone to wireless sensing of parameters such as temperature, humidity and much more.

In this article, we will briefly outline the progress in multiple emerging sectors whilst also identifying the latest trendy nascent application areas.

Every year at CES you are guaranteed to see the latest TVs and gadgets for your home. The 2017 edition was no exception, with the expected emphasis on virtual reality, high dynamic range displays, and voice controlled assistants.

The scenario that shopping without checkout lines has been described multiple times since the introduction of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and many people believed if that could come true, it must be RFID that enables it. However, Amazon Go will demonstrate to us that other emerging technologies are going to realize it first, due to the significant improvement of deep learning, computer vision and sensor fusion, as announced on 5th December 2016. This leads us to consider which technology will be the future in the retail industry: computer vision, or RFID?

Alternatives to silica aerogel panel and blanket composites are beginning to gain traction. Silica aerogel granule and powder products are becoming more pronounced as progressively more companies emerge. Meanwhile polymer aerogels are a different class of the material, which can have the potential to act as interesting alternatives to traditional plastic and composite products.

These past 12 months have seen numerous celebrity deaths, athlete drug scandals and the end of Brangelina however, it was also the year Tesla announced fully automated cars, Alexa became part of the family and Leicester City won the Premier League. As we plan ahead for 2017, IDTechEx analysts have taken a look back over the past 12 months and picked out the most impactful technology launches, acquisitions and products from 2016. Happy New Year from all at IDTechEx!

IDTechEx research analysis has shown that this industry, which is almost a century in the making, is finally coming of age. Major players are finding more nascent applications and new entries are progressing out of semi-commercial prototypes and into full market launches.

While in Santa Clara for the IDTechEx Show, technology analyst Dr David Pugh met with staff at Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. The 68,500 capacity stadium was opened in 2014 and is one of the most technologically enabled entertainment venues in the world.

From the Exhibition Hall at the IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara last week came a wide variety of new product announcements and press releases. Here we summarize some of the announcements.

Researched in late 2016 with ongoing updates, the new IDTechEx report on the Internet of Things is intended to assist investors, participants and intending participants and users.

Debuts in North America; Event Also Features Presentations from Major Car Companies Including Ford, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota

Watch our preview of the IDTechEx Show! coming up in Santa Clara on Nov. 16-17 (www.idtechex.com/usa).

Cornerstone presentations at North America's largest event on emerging technologies cover how new technologies are addressing world's biggest needs

IDTechEx has released a newly researched report, "Internet of Things 2017-2027".

IDTechEx Research analysis showed that the conductive ink business was on the cusp of rapid and comprehensive change. Changing business dynamics has forced many suppliers to change strategy, focusing on many emerging and nascent applications in the hope that some will grow in the future to compensate for the commoditization and/or decline in core markets. In this article, we bring you an update on some of the latest trends and developments.

Senior executives from Unilever, Kellogg, Toyota, Google, Boeing, Coca-Cola and Bayer will be providing industry insights at next month's IDTechEx Printed Electronics USA conference and exhibition , to be held Nov.16-17 in Santa Clara, CA. 

Major focus is batteries with new form factors.

IDTechEx Research has been closely following the ITO alternative market for the past five years. It forecasts that ITO alternative solutions will reach more than $250m by 2026. In this article, IDTechEx Research brings you an update on conductive ink-based metal mesh films.

The South Korean giant Samsung just got itself into dire straits as the story behind the reported battery fires related to the Galaxy Note 7 unfolds even further. As of September, 92 accidents have been reported in the US alone.

IDTechEx Research has been following and analysing the conductive inks and pastes market for many years. It finds that this $1.3bn* market is subject to major change with long-lasting consequences on the business models of many large incumbent suppliers.