Serving the Electronic Design Community Since 1956
Sensors Feature QMEMS Technology
June 25, 2009 7:43 am | Product Releases | CommentsQuartz pressure sensors in Epson Toyocom’s XP-7000 Series use a frequency-stable QMEMS tuning fork crystal unit with a design that allows fluid pressure to be transmitted to the pressure-sensing element.
Microsoft to Give Vista Buyers Free Windows 7
June 25, 2009 7:12 am | by JESSICA MINTZ | News | CommentsMicrosoft Corp. said Thursday that prices for the Windows 7 computer operating system are largely in line with those for Vista, and that people who buy PCs before the new system goes on sale in October will get free upgrades. To drum up demand among people who aren't in the market for a new PC, Microsoft also said it is taking limited pre-orders for Windows 7, selling some for as little as $50.
Eighth-Brick Converters Target Telecom Apps
June 25, 2009 7:02 am | Product Releases | CommentsAddressing the telecom market need for single-output power solutions delivering up to 50 W, the PowerQor EKA Series of isolated dc/dc converters accept an input voltage from 35 V to 75 V and are available in versions providing an output of 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V, or 15 V.
Fitness Videogaming Bulking Up
June 25, 2009 6:45 am | by John Gaudiosi and Belinda Goldsmith | News | CommentsVideogames were once blamed for rising obesity rates but are now being championed by the medical industry and for use by government departments for their health benefits. Games like Electronic Arts' "EA Sports Active" and Nintendo's "Wii Fit" have got players of all ages moving -- and game developers and investors looking for hot new titles to cash in on this booming segment of the market.
ZigBee and Homeplug Alliances to Explore Smart Energy Market
June 25, 2009 4:44 am | News | CommentsThe ZigBee and HomePlug Powerline Alliances today announced public availability of the next generation market requirements for Smart Energy, and supporting use cases. Smart Energy enables both wired and wireless communication between utility companies and everyday household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances.
Cap and Trade Looms on the Horizon
June 24, 2009 8:25 pm | by by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe AP reports that “climate bill” proponents had agreed to concessions in an attempt to sway wary Democrats. In this case, “climate bill” refers to the “Cap and Trade” proposal sought by Barack Obama and activists for years. Along with universal healthcare, Cap and Trade has been a major priority of the Obama administration. Will these concessions finally enable passage of Cap and Trade legislation?
Motor Provides High Torque in a Small Package
June 24, 2009 8:19 am | Product Releases | CommentsMeasuring Ø10 x 12.5 mm, a flat motor from Maxon provides a nominal torque of up to 0.83 mNm and a stall torque of up to 1.29 mNm.
Software Offers Full Control
June 24, 2009 7:44 am | Product Releases | CommentsDesigned to communicate with CellMite or CellMite LVDT digitalizing signal conditioners, CellView graphical user interface software allows users to monitor, visualize, and refine data from sensors and set up tests automatically.
Connectors Can Handle High Currents
June 24, 2009 7:20 am | Product Releases | CommentsRated for operation at up to 600 V and 15 A of power, the IP67-rated A-Size 3- and 4-pin 7/8 16UN connectors from Turck feature cordsets with tray-rated, exposed-run PVC cable and are offered with or without an STO OW rating. .
Socket Supports 500K Insertions
June 24, 2009 7:10 am | Ironwood Electronics, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsIronwood Electronics’ socket SS-QFE128SD-01 for the Exposed-TQFP128 IC has a spring-pin contactor with a 20-g actuation force per ball, cycle life of 500,000 insertions, and a self-inductance of 1.1 nH. The socket has an insertion loss of less than 1 dB at 11.5 GHz and a capacitance of 0.58 pF.
Online Life After Death?
June 24, 2009 6:56 am | by Mallory Simon | News | CommentsYour husband, an avid gamer and techie, dies of a heart attack, leaving his vast online life -- one you don't know much about -- in limbo. His accounts, to which you don't know the passwords, go idle. His e-mails go unanswered, his online multiplayer games go on without him and bidders on his eBay items don't know why they can't get an answer from the seller. Web site domains that he has purchased, some of which are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, will expire, and you may never know.
Has the US Recession Hit Bottom Yet?
June 24, 2009 6:42 am | News | CommentsA severe U.S. recession will bottom out this year, but any recovery will be weak due to anemic markets and shrunken consumer wealth, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Wednesday. "In this environment, a considerable degree of economic slack, especially in the labor market, is likely to persist bringing inflation to very low rates," the Paris-based OECD said in a twice-yearly report on global economic conditions.
CANbus Controller Runs Cool
June 24, 2009 6:33 am | 3M Electronics Solutions Division | Product Releases | CommentsWeighing less than a pound, the CANminiBOX compact CANbus embedded controller from Saelig has a power consumption of less than 6 W, enabling the unit to operate with passive cooling. Based on an AMD Élan 133MHz SC520 processor, the controller has front-panel availability for 10/100MBit/s Ethernet, status LED’s, an RS232 serial port, a CAN port, and one USB1.1 port.
Time for a Change in US Patent Law?
June 24, 2009 6:00 am | by Michael Orey | News | CommentsCritics of the U.S. patent system have high hopes that 2009 might be the year Congress acts to amend it. But their lobbying has failed for years, so John F. Duffy sees another path to change: litigation. "I've thought a lot about reform of the patent system through the courts," says the George Washington University Law School professor. "It's not like the courts can't adjust in this area."
Steve Jobs May Soon Return To Work After Liver Transplant
June 24, 2009 5:07 am | by JANET BLAKE | News | CommentsApple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs appears to be a step closer to returning to work, as a doctor gave him an "excellent prognosis" after receiving a liver transplant at a Tennessee hospital.
