It is with sadness that we report on the passing of the former chief executive and board member of South African technology group Altron, Robert (Robbie) Venter. Robbie was not just a visionary leader for Altron from 2001 to 2017, he was a cherished member of the Altron family. He was just 64 years old.
Robbie took over the reins from his father, the company’s founder, Bill Venter, in 2011, a role he held until 2017. While there, he led a restructuring of the group, helping to place it on a firmer footing. He was also pivotal in Altron's acquisition strategy in Europe and the UK.
Even after stepping down as chief executive, Robbie remained a valued non-executive director, contributing his wisdom and insights to the board. His outstanding contributions and leadership made a lasting impact on the technology sector and the broader business community.
Low profile SMD antenna Altron Arrow
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The Havok PCS.06.A antenna, from Taoglas, is a low profile SMD LTE/cellular 4G/3G/2G embedded antenna designed for direct SMD mount on a device PCB.
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DSP, Micros & Memory
With Avocado OS now available on the HummingBoard RZ-V2N-
AIoT and SolidSense AIoT V2N from SolidRun, teams can move from prototype to deployed fleet in weeks.
Read more...Universal NFC device Altron Arrow
DSP, Micros & Memory
Delivering high-end performance in a compact 4 x 4 mm package, the multipurpose NFC reader from ST Microelectronics, enables the convenience of contactless interaction and features for various end applications.
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A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...Compact direct Time-of-Flight 3D LiDAR module Altron Arrow
AI & ML DSP, Micros & Memory
The VL53L9 from STMicroelectronics is the first direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR all-in-one module in ST’s portfolio, offering a resolution of 2,3K zones, wide field of view, on-chip processing, 100 frames per second, and sensing range from 5 centimeters to 9 meters.
Read more...SoC brings scalable edge AI to life Altron Arrow
AI & ML
The NXP i.MX 937 applications processor is optimised for performance without excessive power draw and bridges the gap between entry-level chips and high-end processors.
Read more...From the editor's desk: Local can be international Technews Publishing
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Welcome to the July 2026 issue of Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction, Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
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EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.
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