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The Lead
Welcoming grandma into our virtual future
May 16, 2013 1:27 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Blogs | Comments
A virtual reality (VR) headset by the name of Oculus Rift made a big splash on Kickstarter, raising a stellar $2.43 million to get development kits into the hands and on the noggins of game developers. And now that the units have started to ship, people in the gaming community are getting treated to video after video of people wearing the goggles and trying to explain just how floored they are....
What are the biggest LED challenges, according to engineers
May 17, 2013 10:06 am | by Editor | Blogs | Comments
With Lightfair in the rearview mirror and being dominated by LEDs, lighting has become an...
Faster FET testing with SMUs
May 16, 2013 11:12 am | by Mary Anne Tupta, Senior Staff Applications Engineer, Keithley Instruments | Articles | Comments
Field effect transistors (FETs) are important semiconductor devices because they are fundamental...
RapidFire: Human ear 3D printed with embedded electronics
May 16, 2013 9:16 am | Videos | Comments
On today's episode of RapidFire, brought to you by 3D Creation Systems, your number one source...
Nickel-based energy storage system provides long life in high temperature
May 17, 2013 4:39 pm | Varta Microbattery | Product Releases | CommentsAnnounced today by VARTA Microbatteryis the addition of HVCAP35, a Nickel (Ni) based energy storage system to the V-Cap Series. VARTA Microbattery's new Ni based energy storage system is a hybrid technology that combines the high energy density advantage of batteries, with the high power advantage of supercapacitors.
Module designed for high-speed data aquisition, generation
May 17, 2013 2:35 pm | Product Releases | CommentsTEWS TECHNOLOGIES announced the introduction of the TPMC685, a standard single-width 32 bit PMC module offering up to 128 bit of TTL I/O arranged in 16 x 8 bit ports. Designed for high-speed data acquisition and generation, the TPMC685 is ideal for applications in process control, simulation, test, transportation, and COTS.
Scientists capture first direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly effect
May 17, 2013 12:50 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsA team of researchers from several universities – including UCF –has observed a rare quantum physics effect that produces a repeating butterfly-shaped energy spectrum in a magnetic field, confirming the longstanding prediction of the quantum fractal energy structure called Hofstadter's butterfly.
New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics
May 17, 2013 12:45 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsU of T Engineering researchers, working with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices. Integrated circuits and other electronic parts have been shrinking in size and growing in complexity and power for decades.
Security risks found in sensors for heart devices, consumer electronics
May 17, 2013 12:43 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsThe type of sensors that pick up the rhythm of a beating heart in implanted cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers are vulnerable to tampering, according to a new study conducted in controlled laboratory conditions. Implantable defibrillators monitor the heart for irregular beating and, when necessary, administer an electric shock...
UT Arlington physicist's tool has potential for brain mapping
May 17, 2013 12:40 pm | by University of Texas Arlington | News | CommentsA new tool being developed by UT Arlington assistant professor of physics could help scientists map and track the interactions between neurons inside different areas of the brain. The journal Optics Letters recently published a paper by Samarendra Mohanty on the development of a fiber-optic, two-photon, optogenetic stimulator...
Add boron for better batteries
May 17, 2013 12:35 pm | by Rice University | News | CommentsFrustration led to revelation when Rice University scientists determined how graphene might be made useful for high-capacity batteries. Calculations found a graphene/boron anode should be able to hold a lot of lithium and perform at a proper voltage for use in lithium-ion batteries.
As yen falls, goods from Japan are more affordable
May 17, 2013 12:42 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapanese goods are getting more affordable. For consumers worldwide — and for Japan's economy — it's welcome news. Credit Japan's drive to pump cash into its economy to stimulate growth. The extra money flooding its financial system is helping shrink the value of the yen. A U.S. dollar now buys...
J.C. Penney posts bigger 1Q loss than expected
May 16, 2013 6:00 pm | by ANNE D'INNOCENZIO - AP Retail Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe legacy of J.C. Penney's former CEO continues to cast a dark cloud over the department-store chain. Penney on Thursday reported that it widened its loss in the first quarter on a 16 percent plunge in revenue. It marks the fifth straight quarter that the struggling company has posted massive...
Labor group says Apple making progress at Foxconn
May 16, 2013 5:34 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA labor group Apple Inc. joined to assess working conditions at three manufacturing plants in China, where its products are made, says conditions are improving. But employees are still working more hours than the country's legal limit. The Fair Labor Association said Thursday that Apple's largest...
Dell's 1Q earnings fall 79 pct as PC sales sag
May 16, 2013 5:07 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsDell's earnings plunged 79 percent in the latest quarter as the shift to smartphones and tablets reduced demand for the company's personal computers. The dismal performance announced Thursday actually might work to the advantage of Dell Inc.'s board. That's because Dell's directors are trying to...
Brocade 2Q profit up 20 pct., sales disappoint
May 16, 2013 4:49 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBrocade Communications Systems Inc., a maker of computer networking technology, said Thursday that fiscal second-quarter sales fell because of a slowdown in the storage market. Still, the company increased its profit in what it termed a "challenging" market, helped by a tax benefit. Net income...
Converter module designed for 1200 V solar inverters
May 16, 2013 4:32 pm | Product Releases | CommentsVincotech, a leading supplier of module-based solutions for power electronics, has introduced a new compact 3x MNPC converter module in a standard flow 1 housing. Designed for 1200 V solar inverters, the flow3xMNPC 1 provides all the components for three-phase applications.
Strong standards for school snacks increase lunches and revenue
May 16, 2013 4:05 pm | by Yale UniversityYale University | News | CommentsSchools that implement strong nutrition standards for snacks sold at school increase student meal participation and school revenue, according to a study by the Yale Rudd Center and the Harvard School of Public Health. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, provides support for efforts to implement strong national nutrition standards for all food sold at school while promoting student participation in the National School Lu...
The future of Google Glass
May 16, 2013 3:49 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThere has been a lot of talk about Google Glass lately, mostly due to the prototype debut, but one interesting aspect of that public viewing is that developers –outside of GoogleLand—can take a crack at coming up with interesting uses for the technology. By allowing new voices into the conversation, the world is seeing even more possibilities for Google Glass.
