Blogs
Dealing with counterfeits in the market
May 16, 2013 2:53 pm | by George Karalias, Director of Marketing & Communications, Rochester Electronics | CommentsCounterfeiters are adaptable and constantly incorporating solutions that can void the latest countermeasures adopted by the electronics manufacturers and their supply chain. In some cases, the counterfeits are very hard to differentiate from the original component.
Welcoming grandma into our virtual future
May 16, 2013 1:27 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | CommentsA 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. And now that the units have started to ship, people in the gaming community are getting treated to video after video of people wearing the goggles and trying to explain just how floored they are....
Much ado about nothing: The impact of the medical device excise tax
May 15, 2013 1:32 pm | by Michael Lewis, Writer, Money Crashers Personal Finance | CommentsStudents of military strategy learn quickly the advantages of choosing when and where to fight, rather than wasting resources on trivial issues. An impartial observer would wonder about the wisdom of the excessive rhetoric, over-the-top hyperbole, and political posturing surrounding the medical device excess tax.
Canada's Singing Astronaut
May 15, 2013 10:04 am | by Screaming Circuits | CommentsIf you're going to exit, you may as well exit in style and I can't think of a better example than Commander Chris Hadfield's "good by" from the International Space Station on Monday (May 13). Thank you, Astronaut Hadfield. Since...
Open innovation spurs ultimate American success
May 14, 2013 4:35 pm | by Louise Rainone, Vice President of Marketing, PCDworks | CommentsUnder Armour is always a great example of innovation as a whole. The company began with an idea, a need and pure hunger to be the best, and it has become the ultimate American success story. UA has a candid approach to roundtable conversations. They sit down and talk about a technology’s strengths and weaknesses; ponder the potential length of time-to-market; and have heart-to-heart conversations to explain the contract.
Syria’s Internet silence could happen to us
May 14, 2013 10:08 am | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | CommentsOn Tuesday, May 7, Syria disappeared from the Internet. It went offline in a targeted act of censorship, yet the blanket of silence fell over the entire country. While severe government crackdowns often happen halfway across the globe, the ripple effect is spreading farther all the time.
Unsolicited
May 13, 2013 4:35 pm | by Screaming Circuits | CommentsI have a question for you. When is the last time that you responded to an unsolicited email? It's been a very long time for me. However, I just did open up and read an unsolicited email that actually seems...
Respect for trial & error, & success
May 13, 2013 9:14 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsThere are many ways we transform questions and uncertainty into confidence, new products, or innovative solutions. Experimentation and trial is one that many seem compelled to avoid. Give respect to the power of trial and experimentation, and to its risks. Right now I’m working on a project with a friend of mine and it strikes me how differently we approach the development of our vision.
Nowhere to run
May 13, 2013 9:04 am | by David Mantey, Executive Editor, PD&D | CommentsKarma certainly is a swift vixen, isn't she? I was a few hours removed from editing Meaghan Ziemba’s column, Smartphone Shakes, for the latest issue of Wireless Design & Development magazine (PD&D’s sister) when I was retelling the story of her troubles following an incident involving a barroom toilet and her smartphone — nothing pairs well with such sleazy settings, particularly electronics.
Low noise power
May 9, 2013 3:28 pm | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsI recently designed a low power, low noise, power supply for digital work. The nominal output voltages as designed are +5 volts and +3.3 volts. One hundred and fifty milliamps each. With a lightly regulated five volt supply for powering LED back lights.
Europe Bans Certain Pesticides, USA Just Keeps Looking, Bees Keep Dying
May 9, 2013 4:06 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | CommentsFor years the bee colony collapse disorder has been showing the difficulty of the scientific inquiry process. And that difficulty often becomes more difficult if interests with lots of money at stake want to block certain conclusions. One-Third of U.S. … Continue reading →
Should engineers be licensed: A process improvement perspective
May 8, 2013 9:29 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsIn his article, “Should Engineers Be Licensed,” posted on www.pddnet.com Monday, April 22, Karl Stephen presented an interesting question that generated a great many comments and some debate among readers. Perhaps a way to answer the question is to answer the question phrased differently.
The web after 20 years: It’s not so different
May 6, 2013 4:23 pm | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | CommentsOn April 30, the World Wide Web turned 20. Oh, how the years pass us by. When we think about how people use the Internet today, some of us cringe. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pervade every virtual inch, enticing thousands to waste countless hours of their lives....
What?
May 3, 2013 9:53 am | by Screaming Circuits | CommentsUsually, these days, I seem to hear the word "what" as a part of a "Wait... What?" statement, as in a short-cut for: "That sounds good" - pause - "No, it doesn't. It doesn't even make sense." It can be...
The most technologically-advanced toilet in the world
May 3, 2013 9:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsThough people often refer to the toilet as “the throne,” the euphemism has never been taken quite this literally before. Kohler, the family-owned bath and kitchen company and inventor of all around fancy bathroom fixtures, has really gone all out with their newest creation, Numi.
