Blogs
Enfeebled F-35 could impede military readiness
January 31, 2013 3:15 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsPicture a Swiss Army Knife with a blunted knife, rusty screwdriver, and a broken can opener. That’s what the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has become — a jack of all trades and master of none. The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has — over the course of a highly tumultuous development period that personifies the phrase "requirements creep" — become the poster child for bloated government programs.
Boeing’s 787 battery eggs: All in one lithium basket
January 31, 2013 11:13 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsExcuse the tortured metaphor, but the old advice about not putting all your eggs in one basket applies to engineering as well as to other fields. The implication is that if the basket with all your eggs slips and falls, you’ve lost everything. Boeing hasn’t lost everything, but the battery troubles besetting its new 787 Dreamliner could not have come at a worse time.
Not so very cool
January 31, 2013 10:31 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsA recent press release at ECN, NTU research embraces laser and sparks cool affair, prompted me to go looking for the source of the report, which was an article in Nature Magazine. The article explains a lot of things. One of those things is that the cooler is not the panacea described in the press release.
A disturbance in the Force: The smartphone market is changing
January 30, 2013 2:45 pm | by Andrew Berg, Senior Editor, Wireless Week | CommentsCan you hear it? That's the sound of the device market changing. It sounds a little like the whispers that RIM just might have something with BlackBerry 10. It also sounds a little like rumors that Amazon has the right kind of content ecosystem to launch a smartphone of its own.
Engineers and analysts are paid to think
January 29, 2013 10:04 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsThere is a message that I have tried many times to convey to colleagues, associates, peers, friends, and employers. It’s challenging because it is such a large and broad idea that it’s difficult to simplify into a platitude or simple fable. I’ll start by explaining that one of the greatest failures of many improvement efforts is also the greatest failure of many failed product designs and struggling or failed businesses.
Are you interested in becoming a Brainstorm expert?
January 29, 2013 10:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWe here at ECN love to hear what you have to say, so for our April issue we’re opening up the Brainstorm discussion to our faithful readers. We want to hear your thoughts about home energy and the future of technology. Typically, the Brainstorm is an editorial section consisting of short commentary by five or six experts in a particular vertical market.
Chart of wind power generation capacity globally 2005-2012
January 28, 2013 6:39 pm | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | CommentsWind power generation capacity continues to grow faster than the increase in electricity use. The rate of growth has slowed a bit overall, though China’s growth continues to be large. From 2005-2012 globally wind power generation capacity increased 330%; lead … Continue reading →
These shoes will tell you when it’s time for a new pair
January 28, 2013 3:14 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsApple has a lot of great products: iPhones, iPads, computers, laptops, Apple TV and the potential for many more. (Note the lack of iPad mini on this list because it is a dumb product, but I digress.) It seems the company might be expanding into shoe wear with a sensor that will track your steps and tell you when it’s time for a new pair of kicks.
What’s mine should be mine: Ruling makes it illegal to unlock your phone
January 25, 2013 2:29 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThink you own your wireless handset, inside and out? Think you can do whatever you wish with your own property? Think again. Beginning Saturday, it will become illegal to unlock a phone without the express permission of the carrier who locked it.
Speaking of speakers
January 25, 2013 9:14 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsThe Consumer Electronic Show (CES) has been in the news at ECN, but boy was I surprised when my home town paper featured a CES story on its front page this past week. The story was mainly about Prescient Audio, a local company that has designed a new type of bass driver that will reduce the volume such drivers take up in cars.
Will a high-velocity, DNA-tagging police pellet gun deter protesters?
January 24, 2013 3:43 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsGun control is a hot button issue, so it makes sense that police and security firms would look towards expanding effective methods of nonviolent interaction. This becomes particularly important during riot situations with a lot of people and confusion, where police are often outnumbered and overwhelmed.
No surprise: Engineering graduates continue to reign supreme
January 24, 2013 1:44 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | CommentsIf you want a high paying job upon graduation choosing to major in engineering is a great choice, for those that enjoy it and are able to meet the challenge. This data is for the USA. My guess is that … Continue reading →
"Bring your own device" trend gaining speed -- benefits, risks and solutions
January 23, 2013 9:28 am | by Dean Wiech, Managing Director, Tools4ever | CommentsA new trend gaining speed in many industries is the concept of “bring your own device” (BYOD). Plainly put, BYOD is when employees have the ability to bring their own technical devices—like smart phones, tablets and laptops -- and use the company’s network instead of a company-provided device. BYOD has many benefits and risks, though....
Vibrating steering wheel might prevent car accidents
January 23, 2013 9:12 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsI’ve talked a lot about intelligent systems in cars that are steering the industry towards a safer overall product by allow computers to take over where human error would mean an accident.There has been talk of new seatbelts, new braking system, and sensors that communicate with traffic lights and other cars,
“Smart pills” could save firefighters from injury or death
January 22, 2013 11:27 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWhile the idea of “Smart Medication” didn’t go over very well with the ECN crowd, there is a group to which it could be the difference between life and death.Firefighters often battle in extreme environmental conditions that can be pretty tough on the body’s vitals.
