In brief: Optical mice and company names
Optical mice
Logitech has launched a new optical mouse that uses a laser - rather than an LED - to track its position.
Made by Agilent Technologies, the infrared laser sensor used in the mouse is said to improve the "trackability" of surfaces that typically cause LED-based optical mice to falter.
According to Logitech, the greater precision of the laser tracking system means that it can track mouse movement on painted metal, polished wood and glossy paper - all surfaces that cause problems for LED-based mice.
Logitech believes that the new design will render LED-based mice obsolete. Agilent, which developed the LED-based sensors and supplies them to all the major mouse manufacturers, agrees. Jason Hartlove, general manager of Agilent s sensor solutions division, said: "We expect this technology to replace the LED-based optical mouse sensor."
Name changes
APA Optics, which makes GaN-based materials for UV photodetector applications, has changed its name to APA Enterprises.
After radically shifting its focus in recent years through the acquisition of various non-optical businesses, as well as ceasing optics manufacturing at its own site, the name change better reflects the company s activities.
Another company to have recently changed its moniker is Nanosemiconductor, the Germany-based company that is pioneering volume manufacturing techniques for III-V devices based on quantum dot structures.
Now known as "NL Nanosemiconductor", the initials representing the influence of chief technology officer Nikolai Ledentsov, the company had been troubled by the attention of the Nippon Steel Corporation when it had used the same three-letter abbreviation as the giant Japanese conglomerate.