Serving the Electronic Design Community Since 1956
The Lead
My 90 year old grandmother tries the Oculus Rift
May 20, 2013 9:11 am | Videos | Comments
From the author's YouTube description: "My 90 year old grandmother tries the Oculus Rift. We were using the Tuscany demo." 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.
This is what a 1950s robot looks like
May 20, 2013 10:11 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | Comments
It’s pretty crazy when you think about how far technology has come in the past five years, let...
Planes, trains, and automobiles: Faster, stronger, lighter
May 20, 2013 12:00 am | by Massachusetts Institute of Technology | News | Comments
These days, aerospace engineering is all about the light stuff: building airplanes with lighter...
Idaho spud giant bets on biotech potatoes
May 16, 2013 9:52 am | by JOHN MILLER, Associated Press | News | Comments
A dozen years after a customer revolt forced Monsanto to ditch its...
Researchers perform fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins
May 21, 2013 11:00 am | by Columbia University | News | CommentsThe miniaturization of electronics continues to create unprecedented capabilities in computer and communications applications, enabling handheld wireless devices with tremendous computing performance operating on battery power. This same miniaturization of electronic systems is also creating new opportunities in biotechnology and biophysics.
Evolution of light sensor integration
May 21, 2013 10:59 am | by Darrell Benke, Sr. Marketing Manager, Opto Sensors and Lighting, ams AG | Articles | CommentsLight sensing technology, in the form of photodiodes and phototransistors, was invented around the 1950s. Since the inception of the first optosensors, the devices have gradually found their place in commercial and industrial applications, but their adoption was limited due to the size, cost and overall performance.
Certifying industrial systems using IEC 61508
May 21, 2013 10:52 am | by Shrikant Satyanarayan, LDRA, Inc., www.ldra.com | Ldra Technology, Inc | Articles | CommentsThe IEC 61508 standard is a risk-based approach for determining the SIL (Safety Integrity Level) of safety instrumented functions. If computer system technology is to be effectively and safely exploited, it is essential that the available guidance on these safety-related aspects is adequate to make correct decisions.
Opening doors to foldable electronics with inkjet-printed graphene
May 21, 2013 10:45 am | by Northwestern University | News | CommentsNorthwestern University researchers have recently developed a graphene-based ink that is highly conductive and tolerant to bending, and they have used it to inkjet-print graphene patterns that could be used for extremely detailed, conductive electrodes.
Iron-platinum alloys could be new-generation hard drives
May 21, 2013 10:26 am | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsMeeting the demand for more data storage in smaller volumes means using materials made up of ever-smaller magnets, or nanomagnets. One promising material for a potential new generation of recording media is an alloy of iron and platinum with an ordered crystal structure.
NASA builds unusual testbed for analyzing X-ray navigation technologies
May 21, 2013 10:20 am | by NASA | News | CommentsPulsars have a number of unusual qualities. Like zombies, they shine even though they’re technically dead, and they rotate rapidly, emitting powerful and regular beams of radiation that are seen as flashes of light, blinking on and off at intervals from seconds to milliseconds.
Softbank to revise or cancel Hokkaido megasolar power plant
May 21, 2013 10:04 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSoftbank Corp. may revise or cancel its plan to build three megasolar power plants in Hokkaido as Hokkaido Electric Power Co. has rejected its electricity sales application, industry sources said Tuesday. The local utility in April vowed to limit its electricity purchases from solar power plants to 400,000 kilowatts...
Designing for heat
May 21, 2013 9:53 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | Articles | CommentsI want to start off with a look at the four methods of cooling: conduction, convection, radiation, and pumping. What? They don't teach the four methods of cooling in physics class? Only the first three? The fourth method is a combination of the first three with the addition of pumps.
Fan-guard/filter assemblies designed to protect sensitive PCs
May 20, 2013 4:53 pm | Keystone Electronics Corp. | Product Releases | CommentsA new series of superior air-flow, Fan-Guard/Filter Assemblies designed to protect sensitive PCs, and a host of electronic apparatus, switching equipment, telecom panels and other devices is now available from Keystone Electronics. These durable, sturdy multi-element assemblies deliver a consistent, 24 CPM air flow, greater particle security and minimized fan noise.
Wireless networks balance military’s defense-in-depth, custom requirements
May 20, 2013 4:44 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Ultra Electronics Ems Development Corp. | Articles | CommentsWireless and wired technologies have advanced to the point where automated control systems are routinely networked together. Information can be shared and tasks performed across long distances, via the Internet, linking systems in large industrial spaces, or across remote or rugged areas. Networked control systems (NCS) offer many benefits such as far greater efficiency than manual controls....
Charge your phone in 20 seconds
May 20, 2013 4:19 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsWhat’s the key to charging your phone (and other small electronics) in the blink of an eye? Invent a better supercapacitor, according to Eesha Khare, an 18-year-old, from California who was just awarded Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award and $50,000 at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for her project...
Lower healthcare costs could mean less human interaction
May 20, 2013 3:23 pm | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | Blogs | CommentsFor those who live alone, good medical care is all the more important. The machine-to-machine (M2M) communications business is growing, and the prevalence of wireless connectivity could push down the price of healthcare for the elderly, especially — but at the greater cost of human interaction.
LEDs deliver high flux density & efficacy
May 20, 2013 3:05 pm | Mouser Electronics | Product Releases | CommentsMouser Electronics announced it is stocking the new LUXEON M LEDs from Philips Lumileds, delivering high flux density and high efficacy with Freedom From Binning. Philips Lumileds LUXEON M is an illumination grade LED designed to enable indoor, outdoor, and industrial applications and is optimized either for high efficiency or low cost, where exceptional flux density and uniformity are critical.
Flip-chip Schottky diode features high cutoff frequency
May 20, 2013 2:57 pm | M/A-Com Technology Solutions, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsM/A-COM Technology Solutions announced a new broadband Flip Chip Schottky Diode for multi-market applications. The MADS-001317-1500 is designed for customers who need a versatile, low cost, ultra-small Schottky solution for Police Radar, Point to Point, Electronic Warfare, and Aerospace and Defense applications.
Explosion-proof pressure transducer designed for oil and gas well-site applications
May 20, 2013 1:54 pm | Product Releases | CommentsAmerican Sensor Technologies has released the AST46DS Explosion-Proof Pressure Transducer with Display with pressures from 1 to 20,000 PSI available. The AST46DS is a price-competitive transducer with zero function capability, voltage or 4-20mA output signals, and all 316L stainless steel sensor materials.
