- A NIST report on safe shipping of thin silicon wafers for 3-D stacked ICs was shared, highlighting packaging challenges for advanced semiconductor fabrication.  
- An electron-beam lithography resist comparison (PMMA vs. ZEP520A) was circulated, providing practical data for nanofabrication process selection.  
- Ion Torrent’s single-nucleotide-flow sequencing chemistry was discussed, emphasizing its ability to detect individual base incorporations via electrical current changes.  
- Stratos Genomics’ “Xpandomer” technology—expandable nucleoside triphosphates (X-NTPs) and engineered polymerases—was introduced as a Seattle-based approach to boost nanopore read lengths.  
- Helium-ion-beam FIB was noted for growing two-atom-wide nanowires at Oak Ridge, with live imaging feedback enabling real-time process control.  
- A Portland State paper on neutral-atom microscopy was linked, showing improved resolution techniques relevant to open-source nanoscale imaging.  
- The open-hardware “oh” Verilog library—silicon-proven IP blocks for IC and FPGA designers—was shared as a resource for community chip development.  
- Sci-Hub’s temporary Russia-wide IP block by founder Alexandra Elbakyan, triggered by the naming of a parasitic wasp (Idiogramma elbakyanae) after her, was recounted as a case study in open-access politics.  
- The Foresight Institute’s Vision Weekend 2017 in San Francisco was announced, focusing on nanotechnology, longevity, and AI futures.  
- A GitHub repository detailing Subaru key-fob hijacking (subarufobrob) was circulated, illustrating real-world wireless security exploits relevant to hardware hackers.