Two weeks ago I released my new book - The Graphene Handbook. This is a comprehensive guide to graphene technology, industry and market.

Reading this book, you'll learn all about:

• The properties of graphene
• Different production methods
• Possible graphene applications
• The latest graphene research
• The current market for graphene materials and products
• The main graphene challenges
• Other promising 2D materials

The book also provides:

• A history of graphene developments
• A graphene investment guide
• A comprehensive list of graphene companies
• A guide to other carbon allotropes

The Graphene Handbook costs $97 for the digital (PDF) edition or $149.99 for the printed edition. We also offer site and enterprise licenses, and academic discounts. If you're interested, click here for more information (including a table of contents).

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania developed a new sensitive DNA sensor (sequencer) made from graphene drilled with nanopores which improves sequencing speed dramatically compared to the older graphene sensor developed at UPenn in 2010.

Thew new method measure current directly from the graphene, whereas before they measured ionic current in the solution as it goes through the pore. The researchers use graphene nanoribbons (fabricated on a silicon nitride membrane), and when they pass a DNA base through the material, it modules the electrical current - in a different way for each base. The current in this method is a thousand times higher than in the previous method, which means measurements can be done a thousand times faster.

Researchers from the University of Manchester are developing a new graphene-latex composite for use in condoms. The researchers hope that graphene will enable thinner, stronger and safer condoms - which makes sense as graphene is very thin and light but yet strong, transparent and flexible. The researchers have been awarded £62,000 ($100,000) by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The researchers say that the new composite material will be "tailored to enhance the natural sensation during intercourse while using a condom, which should encourage and promote condom use".

Applied Graphene Materials (previously Durham Graphene Science) raised £10 million by going public in the UK's AIM stock exchange today. The IPO was very successful as the shares leaped over 17% in the first day, and continued to more than double in the next few days. The current market value of the company is £75 (over $122 million).

AGM was established in 2010 as a spin-off from Durham University to develop a new graphene synthesis method and produce graphene materials. AGM's technology is a unique patented scalable 'bottom-up' CVD approach to produce graphene. The company was founded by Dr. Karl Coleman from Durham University.

Researchers from Nokia's Research Center in Cambridge developed a new humidity sensor based on graphene oxide. The researchers say that the new sensor is ultra fast (the fastest humidity sensor ever reported, in fact), thanks to the graphene 2D structure and its superpermeability to water molecules. The sensor Nokia developed is thin (15 nm), transparent and flexible.

The sensor's response and recovery time (the time to go from 10% to 90% of the high humidity value and vice versa) is less than 100 ms. The response rate is a function of the thickness of the GO, the thicker the film, the slower the sensor. Nokia has filed several patent applications regarding this work.

While still offering advertisement banner campaigns, Graphene-Info launched company sponsorships options. This will be an affordable (starting at $250 per year) way to promote your business and services in Graphene-Info.

Sponsorship promotions at a glance:

• Enhanced company listing in our directory
• Better company listing placements, more category available
• Your company name or logo listed in our sponsor page and all monthly newsletters
• PR promotion on Graphene-Info's site, social profiles and newsletter list
• Affordable - starts at only $250 per year!
• Get your graphene product or service in front of the entire graphene industry!
• More information available here

Special launch offer

I'm offering a special launch offer, If you opt to become a sponsor now for 2014, you will get the rest of 2013 free. Act quickly and you can get over one month of free sponsorship advantages! There are three sponsorship levels, you can find more info here .