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4k2k: Are we underestimating its value?

January 14, 2013 11:31 am | by Paul Gray, Director of European TV Research, DisplaySearch | Display Search | Comments

With the predictable run of 4k2k announcements this CES, most comments have sensibly focused on content availability. This was undoubtedly the single greatest factor in the failure of 3D to create a revival in the TV market.

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Delving into superconductors

January 14, 2013 8:29 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | Comments

Ever since Polywell Fusion caught my attention, superconducting magnets have been a large side interest of mine. I keep track of papers published in the field through IOP Science - Superconductor Science and Technology. They post a list of papers every month which are freely available for personal use for the first month after publication.

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Could this circuit board prevent 2,000 infant deaths per year?

January 11, 2013 9:23 am | by Editor | Comments

SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants between the ages of one month to one year. The most recent statistics put the number of deaths at about 2,226 per year, nearly seven infants per day.In hopes of lowering the number of infants who succumb to SIDS,

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This flashlight can operate on any battery

January 10, 2013 9:23 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Comments

Picture this: You’re sitting in front of the television one night watching Ax Men when suddenly the power goes out. Stumbling over to the hall closet, you rummage around on the shelves for a flashlight. Finally, after nearly strangling yourself with a scarf, you locate the light only to discover it needs batteries.

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2012 Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education

January 10, 2013 7:02 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | Comments

I have posted on the Olin College of Engineering several times. I really like what they are doing. Innovation in engineering education will pay high dividends, especially providing a focus on the nexus of engineering and entrepreneurship. Olin College of … Continue reading →

How NOT to mark a diode

January 9, 2013 10:00 am | by Screaming Circuits | Comments

A while back, I wrote about ambiguity in the markings on electrolytic capacitors. In doing that, I cobbled together a little image to illustrate how surface mount electrolytics are marked. Take a look at the image below: Note how I...

RFID Technology – Taking Notes from Orwell

January 8, 2013 3:01 pm | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Comments

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology has been a controversial issue for quite some time, but for one reason or another, nobody seems to be talking about it – at least not very loudly. Consider this my mountain-top proclamation.

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Quick Webcast With a Few Interesting Science Facts

January 7, 2013 9:19 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | Comments

Interesting facts: I didn’t know that we require 13 minerals or that alcoholic beverages contain amounts of all the minerals we need. An amazing fact: the average person walks the equivalent of 3 times around the earth in a lifetime. … Continue reading →

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It's BAAACK: Ready or not, here comes RoHS 2

January 3, 2013 10:42 am | by Ken Manchen, Director of Safety & Environmental Affairs, Newark element14 | Newark | Comments

Every North American electronics company that trades in the EU should make at least one New Year’s Resolution: to learn how RoHS 2 will impact them, because ready or not, this regulation takes effect January 2, 2013.

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How corn syrup might be making us fat

January 3, 2013 3:38 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | Comments

How Corn Syrup Might Be Making Us Hungry–and Fat by Katherine Harmon …Glucose lowered the activity of the hypothalamus but fructose actually prompted a small spike to this area. As might be expected from these results, the glucose drink alone … Continue reading →

Would you like to contribute to our Brainstorm section?

January 2, 2013 4:50 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Comments

We here at ECN love to hear what you have to say, so for our February issue we’re opening up the Brainstorm discussion to our faithful readers. We want to hear your thoughts about consumer electronics and the future of technology. Typically, the Brainstorm is an editorial section consisting of short commentary....

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The chicken-and-egg challenge of innovation

January 2, 2013 11:06 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Comments

Innovation is a very popular topic right now, and has been for several years. The inventive spirit and a long history of innovative prowess has kept United States industry on top of the global pile for, arguably, nearly a century. It’s hard to argue that it has been so for the last half-century.

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Semiconductor testing: Going back to the future

January 2, 2013 10:19 am | by Dirk de Vries, co-founder of Qualtera | Comments

The integrated circuit semiconductor testing process produces oceans of data. This data is used to control product quality, performance and yield, and to resolve issues in those areas. Paradoxically, while the semiconductor industry has been one of the key enablers in the development of the technology responsible for dramatically changing our daily lives, it is conservative in its ways of working.

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What is wrong with programming?

January 2, 2013 8:32 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | Comments

Poul-Henning Kamp, "one of the primary developers of the FreeBSD operating system", has written a long screed about the current state of programming. He discusses Eric Raymond's The Cathedral and the Bazaar (Eric chimes in with a comment) and has this critique of the Bazaar....

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Transcipt for Engineering Newswire 8: Glasses-free 3D and a near replacement for Knight Rider

January 1, 2013 12:00 am | by Editor | Comments

This is the full transcript for Engineering Newswire 8: Glasses-free 3D and a near replacement for Knight Rider Welcome to Engineering Update, brought to you by Mouser Electronics, the electronic components distributor with the widest selection of the newest products. With this week’s headlines, here’s Executive Editor David Mantey  

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