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Element Six wins U.S. Department of Defense UWBGS program

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Element Six (E6) is leading a program under UWBGS (Ultra-Wide BandGap Semiconductors), an initiative established by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), to enable the next generation of semiconductor technologies. 

OXFORD, England, Sept. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Through the UWBGS program, DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office has stated its goal to develop high-quality ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) materials, such as substrates, device layers, and junctions. These materials are key to realizing advanced electronics, including high-power RF switches, amplifiers for radar and communications, high-voltage power switches, high-temperature electronics for extreme environments, and deep ultraviolet (UV) LEDs and lasers, underpinning a multi-billion dollar system market.

Diamond offers the potential for superlative semiconductor device performance, lowering overall size, weight and power consumption (SWaP) thanks to outstanding properties such as its chemical and radiation inertness, high carrier mobility, superlative heat conduction, and wide electronic bandgap.

E6’s contribution to the UWBGS programme will harness the company’s expertise in large area CVD polycrystalline diamond and high-quality single crystal (SC) diamond synthesis, to realize 4-inch device grade SC diamond substrates.

Prof. Daniel Twitchen, Chief Technologist at Element Six, said:

“We are proud to work alongside the other DARPA UWBGS program partners. Industrial diamond has disrupted multiple markets since its first scale synthesis in the 1950s, and I am confident that technology breakthroughs in UWBGS will help unlock another 70 years of positive disruption in the semiconductor industry.”

Element Six’s SC diamond was already a crucial enabler in the CERN Large Hadron Collider’s monitoring systems, helping lead to the discovery of the Higgs Boson Particle and, in partnership with high-power semiconductor leader ABB, E6 realized the first high-voltage bulk diamond-based Schottky diodes. Furthermore, E6 recently completed build and commission of an advanced CVD facility leveraging its core technology in Portland (OR), powered by renewable energy sources.

E6 polycrystalline diamond wafers measuring >4 inches are already enabling telecommunication infrastructures and defence applications, being used as either optical windows in EUV lithography for state-of-the-art silicon (Si) chips, or in thermal management applications for high-power density Si and gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor devices. 

For the UWBGS program, Element Six has partnered with other leaders in the field from across the globe: Orbray in Japan (with diamond heteroepitaxy expertise – full partnership announcement available here), Raytheon (leaders in GaN RF devices), Hiqute Diamond in France (with dislocation engineering expertise), and Stanford and Princeton Universities in the US (with materials bulk and surface processing characterization expertise).

Through the collaboration of this global network of technology leaders, UWBGS will push the boundaries of diamond innovation to enable a new generation of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors.

Element Six

Element Six, part of the De Beers Group, is a world-leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond advanced material solutions. The company operates worldwide with primary manufacturing facilities in US, UK, Ireland, Germany, and South Africa.

For over seventy years, Element Six has harnessed the extreme properties of synthetic diamond to open up new possibilities in areas such as photonics, acoustics, power transmission, water treatment, thermal management and sensors. The company’s advanced material solutions are used in a wide range of applications across multiple industries including manufacturing in the automotive and consumer electronics industries, cutting and drilling in the oil and gas industry, and in components for mining, road, construction and agriculture applications.

About DARPA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use in defense applications. For sixty years, DARPA has held to a singular and enduring mission: to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security. The ultimate results have included not only game-changing military capabilities such as precision weapons and stealth technology, but also such icons of modern civilian society such as the Internet, automated voice recognition and language translation, and Global Positioning System receivers small enough to embed in myriad consumer devices.

 

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SOURCE Element Six

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Laifen Expands U.S. Retail Footprint with Costco Launch of Best-Selling SE Hair Dryer

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Starting July 18, Costco Members Can Shop Laifen’s Award-Winning Hair Dryer in Select Warehouse Locations Across the U.S.

NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Laifen, ranked the world’s No.1 high-speed hair dryer brand, today announced the launch of its best-selling SE High-Speed Hair Dryer at select Costco warehouse locations, marking the brand’s largest U.S. retail expansion to date and bringing its award-winning haircare technology to Costco members across select U.S. markets.

The launch brings Laifen’s award-winning haircare technology to Costco, making it easier for consumers to experience the brand through one of the nation’s leading membership retailers. Laifen joins Costco’s growing portfolio of premium beauty and personal care brands. The initial rollout includes select Costco warehouse locations across the United States, with a strong presence across the Western U.S., including California, the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest.

Costco’s reputation for quality and its highly selective merchandising approach make this partnership especially meaningful. The Costco launch reflects Laifen’s continued expansion beyond direct-to-consumer channels as the brand accelerates its U.S. omnichannel retail strategy. “Costco represents an important milestone in our U.S. retail strategy,” said Romeo, General Manager of International Business of Laifen. “As more consumers seek salon-quality performance at an accessible price, we’re excited to make Laifen available through one of America’s most trusted retailers.”

Engineered to deliver professional-level performance in a sleek, lightweight design, the Laifen SE is powered by the brand’s proprietary high-speed brushless motor, delivering fast drying, reduced heat damage and smoother styling. An intelligent temperature control system continuously monitors airflow to help minimize frizz while protecting hair from excessive heat.

The Costco launch represents the next phase of Laifen’s U.S. retail expansion as the brand continues to grow beyond its direct-to-consumer and online channels. By expanding into one of the nation’s most trusted retailers, Laifen aims to broaden access to its category-disrupting haircare solutions while advancing its mission to bring more thoughtful design and everyday excellence into more homes.

The Laifen SE High-Speed Hair Dryer in White will be available at select Costco locations, while Costco.com shoppers will have access to additional color options including Purple and Pink, alongside the White model.

For more information on Laifen, please visit LaifenTech.com.

About Laifen: 

Founded in 2019, Laifen is a global personal care technology brand combining high-performance engineering with modern design across hair care, oral care, and grooming categories. Ranked the world’s No. 1 high-speed hair dryer brand by Euromonitor International, Laifen first gained recognition for its self-developed 110,000 RPM high-speed brushless motor, the proprietary technology behind its award-winning hair dryers.

Building on this innovation, Laifen has expanded its portfolio to include electric toothbrushes and shavers, delivering premium technology and elevated everyday experiences to consumers worldwide. Today, Laifen products and accessories are used by over 22 million households across more than 60 countries, supported by more than 600 patents and recognized with over 50 international design and innovation awards. Driven by continuous technological breakthroughs, Laifen is committed to making cutting-edge personal care technology more accessible to consumers around the world.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laifen-expands-us-retail-footprint-with-costco-launch-of-best-selling-se-hair-dryer-302828573.html

SOURCE Laifen

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Pillsbury Notice of Data Breach

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (“Pillsbury”) was among many law firms targeted by sophisticated social engineering attempts in an incident last year. While the firm quickly detected and blocked the activity, an unauthorized actor was able to access some of the firm’s documents during a short window of time. Pillsbury notified any impacted clients last year and undertook a detailed process to review the accessed documents for personal information. Pillsbury then began notifying individuals whose personal information was affected. That process is now complete, and today, Pillsbury is publishing substitute notice as a final step.

For more information, please visit the substitute notice on our website at https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/breach-notice.html

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SOURCE Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

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From Remote Racing to Embodied AI: Fibocom and Intedigo Bring 5G Bidirectional Data Transmission into Real-World Applications

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SHANGHAI, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From July 17 to 20, Fibocom and Intedigo will jointly present a cross-regional, beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) teleoperation demonstration at Booth H3-C408 during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026. Visitors will be able to enter a remote driving cockpit and control a real race car located at HURA PARK in Jiading, Shanghai, steering, accelerating, and braking in real time while experiencing how 5G connectivity enables remote operation.

More than an immersive driving experience, the demonstration provides a live validation of 5G bidirectional data transmission for embodied AI teleoperation. The vehicle continuously sends live track video, vehicle status, and operating data to the remote cockpit, while control commands are transmitted back to the vehicle, creating a closed-loop teleoperation system. Stable, low-latency, and highly reliable connectivity is essential for high-dynamic maneuvers such as high-speed cornering, precision braking, and continuous lane changes.

Developed by Intedigo, the remote driving system connects a real race car with an immersive remote driving cockpit. It supports 1080p@60Hz video transmission, glass-to-glass (G2G) video latency of less than 80 ms, and control latency of less than 10 ms. The demanding racing environment magnifies differences in video continuity and control responsiveness, making communications performance directly perceptible, measurable, and verifiable.

At the joint demonstration, Fibocom’s FM160 5G module provides cellular connectivity for the system. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ X62 5G Modem-RF System, the FM160 supports SA and NSA network architectures as well as 3GPP Release 16. On the downlink, it supports NR Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) with bandwidth of up to 120 MHz, delivering peak speeds of up to 3.5 Gbps in NSA mode and 2.5 Gbps in SA mode. On the uplink, it supports UL MIMO and delivers peak speeds of up to 900 Mbps in SA mode. These capabilities support the continuous transmission of HD video and vehicle status data, along with reliable delivery of control commands.

As embodied AI moves into factories, data centers, logistics operations, and industrial parks, robots are becoming increasingly capable of performing tasks autonomously. Yet complex environments, unexpected events, and edge cases still require Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) remote intervention to help ensure safe and reliable operation.

Daniel Liu, CEO of Intedigo, said:

“5G represents the pinnacle of human communications and the starting point of machine communications. In the past, communications connected people to people; in the future, they will connect people to robots and robots to robots. Remote racing is simply the easiest entry point for people to understand this concept. What we are truly validating is a communications system capable of supporting remote collaboration for embodied AI. HURA makes low-latency remote driving a tangible experience, while RoBOX extends this capability to robots and a broader range of intelligent terminals. Together with Fibocom, we hope to enable more machines to receive remote assistance whenever needed while remaining continuously connected and operating reliably.”

Simon Tao, VP of Wireless Solutions Business Group and General Manager of MBB BU at Fibocom, said:

“As embodied AI enters real-world industrial environments, reliable connectivity will become the foundation for telemetry feedback, remote control and operational management. Fibocom’s 5G solutions, represented by FM160, provide the cellular connectivity required for continuous on-site data transmission and reliable control command delivery. Fibocom will continue collaborating with ecosystem partners such as Intedigo to bring cellular connectivity to more robots, autonomous machines and mobile intelligent terminals, enabling embodied AI systems to stay continuously connected and respond reliably in real-world applications.”

From remote race cars to robots, unmanned equipment, and mobile intelligent terminals, 5G is evolving from connecting people to connecting machines. This joint demonstration makes the capabilities of 5G bidirectional data transmission directly perceptible, experiential, and verifiable, helping pave the way for embodied AI to scale across real-world applications.
 

About Fibocom

Fibocom, founded in 1999, is China’s first wireless communication module company listed on both the A-share and H-share markets (300638.SZ, 0638.HK). As a global leading provider of wireless communication modules and AI solutions, Fibocom leverages wireless communication and artificial intelligence as its core technologies to provide integrated hardware and software solutions that empower industry applications. These solutions accelerate the transformation from “Connect Everything” to “Intelligent Connectivity” across diverse industries.

Fibocom’s one-stop solutions encompass cellular communication, AI, automotive, and GNSS modules, as well as AI toolchains, supporting industry-side and mainstream large model integration, and providing AI Agent, global connectivity, and cloud services, driving the digital intelligence upgrades in industries such as robotics, consumer electronics, low-altitude economy, intelligent transportation, smart retail, and smart energy.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/from-remote-racing-to-embodied-ai-fibocom-and-intedigo-bring-5g-bidirectional-data-transmission-into-real-world-applications-302828996.html

SOURCE Fibocom Wireless Inc.

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