Serving the Electronic Design Community Since 1956
Should we let wunderkinds drop out of high school?
May 21, 2013 12:37 pm | by BETH J. HARPAZ, Associated Press | News | CommentsThomas Sohmers, 17, of Hudson, Mass., has been working at a research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since he was 13, developing projects ranging from augmented reality eyewear to laser communications systems. This spring, his mom, Penny Mills, let him drop out of 11th grade.
Apple's Cook to face Senate questions on taxes
May 21, 2013 12:32 pm | by MARCY GORDON, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsApple's CEO is disputing assertions by a Senate panel that the company avoids billions of dollars in U.S. taxes by shifting profits to foreign affiliates. Tim Cook testified at a hearing Tuesday by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which released a damning report Monday on Apple's tax practices.
Playing games in space
May 21, 2013 12:02 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsChris Hadfield might just be the coolest guy on the internet (or in this solar system.) The astronaut—who just recently returned to earth—made it part of his mission to share different things happening on the international space station since he took command—the first Canadian to do so—on December 19, 2012.
Opening the door to smart battery design
May 21, 2013 12:02 pm | by Robert Rozario, Application Engineering Manager, Infineon Technologies | Articles | CommentsThe worldwide transition to ever smarter mobile devices, including phones or connected tablets, has obliterated the line that once existed between phones and computing devices. Today’s multitasking devices enable work, finance, entertainment and social interaction on the go like never before.
Catalog presents detailed specifications on magnetic components for a wide range of applications
May 21, 2013 11:32 am | Coilcraft Critical Products & Services | Product Releases | CommentsThe Coilcraft CPS Short Form Catalog is a comprehensive reference to the company’s four lines of RF and power magnetics for critical applications. This 24-page catalog presents detailed specifications on magnetic components for a wide range of applications, including signal generation and processing, RF, power, impedance matching, LED drivers, timing and much more.
Penn engineers’ nanoantennas improve infrared sensing
May 21, 2013 11:10 am | by The University of Pennsylvania | News | CommentsA team of University of Pennsylvania engineers has used a pattern of nanoantennas to develop a new way of turning infrared light into mechanical action, opening the door to more sensitive infrared cameras and more compact chemical-analysis techniques.
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.
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...
iCampus Student Competition yields online tools for improved on campus experiences
May 21, 2013 9:57 am | by Massachusetts Institute of Technology | News | CommentsThe MIT Council on Educational Technology (MITCET) and the Office of Educational Innovation and Technology (OEIT) announced the winner and runners-up for the 2013 iCampus Student Prize competition at the Office of Digital Learning retreat held on May 17. The annual competition is offered each year to all current MIT undergraduates and graduate students (both individuals and groups) to encourage development of technology to improve aspects of MIT’...
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.
S&P downgrades Dell debt rating to 'BBB'
May 20, 2013 6:53 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsStandard & Poor's Ratings Service lowered its credit rating on Dell Inc. by two notches, reflecting the computer marker's worsening operating performance. Last week, the Round Rock, Texas, company issued a dismal first-quarter report, as it slashed its personal computer prices in response to...
