Articles
Augmented reality helps retailers get personal
December 14, 2012 12:16 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | CommentsWe’ve all been there. You’re shopping at your favorite store, perhaps running an errand for someone else. But in order to make the purchase, you need to know if it’s right for you. The sales associate is busy helping someone else, or they may be missing in action. You just need the details about the product so you can get it right the first time without having to return it later....
Will the Blackberry 10 save RIM?
December 13, 2012 10:55 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsThough Research in Motion (RIM) is banking on the Blackberry 10 release in early 2013 to save the company, Karl Volkman, the Chief Technology Officer of SRV Network, isn’t convinced.“I think it might be too little too late,” Volkman says of the Canadian communications company.
Pressure sensor safety requirements in hazardous environments
December 12, 2012 1:40 pm | by Karmjit S. Sidhu, VP Business Development, American Sensor Technologies, www.astsensors.com | CommentsMany of us associated hazardous environments with the oil and gas industries where it is common to see mandatory safety requirements for “intrinsically safe” and “explosion proof” (flame proof) equipment. Other industries including nuclear power generation, chemicals, sub-sea, mining, dusty and high temperature environments also fall within the hazardous environment category.
MCU tools help estimate and minimize power use
December 12, 2012 9:58 am | by Jon Titus, Technical Contributor | Silicon Laboratories Inc. | CommentsJosh Norem, an application engineer at Silicon Laboratories, gave me a demonstration of the company's Power Estimator tool available within the larger, free AppBuilder software. The Power Estimator tool now covers the SIM3L1XX Device, although Silicon Labs plans to add sleep-mode power conditions and other MCUs soon.
Disintegration provides the energy-efficient answer for today’s feature-packed handsets
December 11, 2012 1:09 pm | by Charles Limonard, Dialog Semiconductor | CommentsThe path towards higher silicon integration seems inexorable. Already, the suppliers of baseband and applications processors into the mobile-phone and tablet markets are looking at the move to 14nm and 16nm finFET-based processes as they seek further cost savings and performance improvements.
Undersea defense applications demand robust battery technology
December 10, 2012 4:43 pm | by Mike Sink, Saft, www.saftbatteries.com | CommentsUnmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and sonobuoys continue to occupy a critical role in undersea warfare, and the design of such technologies – especially with regard to their power systems – is acutely important due to their growing indispensability to a variety of tactical defense operations.
The smartphone, the cloud, and the automobile
December 10, 2012 10:58 am | by Andy Gryc, QNX Software Systems | CommentsCES has become an important event for automakers to showcase their cars and, especially, the electronics in these cars. Automotive was a top line item in 2012, and 2013 will be no different. This trend is not surprising, considering that since the 1930s, when the Galvin brothers and Blaupunkt introduced the radio into the automobile....
Next big thing: Electric buses
December 10, 2012 9:06 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsElectric cars are a very hot topic, particularly with Motor Trend picking the Tesla S as its Car of the Year, but rarely do you hear anyone talk about electric buses. America is not a country of public transportation. We lack the infrastructure—mostly due to the logistical complications of trying to accommodate for such a large geographical area
Laser-structured, high-performance polymers are ideal combination for miniaturization
December 6, 2012 4:15 pm | by Anthony Verrocchi, Technical Marketing Engineer, Ticona Engineering Polymers | CommentsAs the requirements for medical devices become more demanding, accessing new technologies and materials to miniaturize components is essential. Miniaturization of medical devices is dependent upon the reliability of their assembled components, which is crucial for proper functioning devices.
Top 10 must-see posts for November
December 6, 2012 3:38 pm | by The ECN Editors | CommentsHere’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles on the web. Take a look at what you missed the first time around or check up on an old favorite to see the conversation in the comments. Keep checking out the Lead at www.ecnmag.com and follow us on Twitter @ecnonline for our most up-to-date articles.
Should schools use RFID chips to track students?
December 6, 2012 2:53 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsA few weeks ago, I came across an article on Slate talking about a school in Texas that had put RFID tags in the student ID cards that everyone has to wear. The article—available at the link--was a discussion on whether the tags were an invasion of privacy.
Robotcolypse: When the robots take over
December 6, 2012 2:08 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWell friends, it appears the end is almost upon us. I’m not even referring to the end of the world a la the Mayan Calendar but rather an entirely different kind of a not-so-hostile takeover: robots. We’ve touched on robots taking over before, but this time, it’s getting serious. This robot was designed to actually replace humans.
Saudi Arabia's new "tracking" system for women
December 6, 2012 12:33 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWhen you work in the tech world, your days are usually full of creative people doing incredible things; on the darker days, you occasionally stumble on people (or governments) using technology in ways that make your skin crawl. Reports out of Saudi Arabia are saying when
Retailers employ crony capitalism in push for online sales tax
December 5, 2012 5:11 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has written a letter to Congress urging them to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act by the end of the year. This "e-fairness legislation" would allegedly "close the decades-old loophole enjoyed by online-only retailers" and "restore free market principles."
LCD TVs get dimmer to lower backlight costs
December 3, 2012 1:59 pm | by Jimmy Kim, NPD DisplaySearch | CommentsHistorically, TVs have had brightness higher than 400 nits, as they are often placed in the center of a large, bright, room and viewed from large distances and viewing angles. In some cases, however it is placed in sunlight, close to a window. On the other hand, display brightness of less than 300 nits is typically sufficient for an IT device....
