Blogs
The creepiest robot yet
April 9, 2013 2:28 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsThere is an interesting inverse phenomenon involved in creating humanoid robots: The more lifelike they are, the creepier they become. It’s not something that makes complete sense if you think about it. Theoretically, as robots become more human-like, they should begin to blend more into society and become less weird.
Should a computer grade your essay?
April 8, 2013 10:09 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsOne should never swap quality for instant gratification. Yet that’s exactly what EdX, a nonprofit educational organization founded by Harvard and MIT, is doing with their automated grading software that promises “instant feedback” on students’ essays. Creativity need not apply.
An engineer's wishlist for car infotainment systems
April 5, 2013 2:51 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsWith Google's self-driving car hitting the road and all sorts of driver-assistance features hitting the showroom, it's a crazy time for drivers and designers alike. Cars are practically overflowing with (good and bad) attempts to integrate outside technology (smartphones, weather apps, virtual assistants) into vehicles interfaces.
The Earth is eating people
April 5, 2013 1:19 pm | by David Mantey, Executive Editor, PD&D | CommentsI’m not sure if it was the first photos of the “freak geological incident” to surface or news of the golfer who plummeted deep into an 18-foot cavern that has made it impossible for me to make it through a full night without living through vivid nightmares in which a sinkhole opens up beneath me and the earth pulls me into oblivion.
Data pirates
April 5, 2013 9:23 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsAs if we didn't have enough to worry about with government tracking and collecting information on our every move, we also have to be on the lookout for data pirates. Although, if the pirates get their hands on the government databases, the problem begins to look like a single problem with diverse parts.
My wish list for the next iPhone
April 4, 2013 10:32 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsA new iPhone is imminent! Man the ramparts! Sound the trumpets! A new coronation is upon us! OK, that’s a tad hyperbolic, but the prospect of a new iPhone has me a little giddy — especially since the iPhone 5 was a huge disappointment and reinforced my decision to snag an early 4S (and not hold out for the inevitable sequel).
Television's next big thing: Smell-O-Vision (again)
April 3, 2013 3:44 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsNow that 3D television has failed to take off the way designers were hoping, companies have moved on to a newer, better, greater, bound-for-failure idea: Smell-O-Vision. Haruka Matsukura and a team from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have designed an olfactory display system that can work in conjunction with a 2D display.
Top 10 must-read posts from March
April 3, 2013 10:47 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | 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.
More thought required: The simplest designs aren’t so simple
April 3, 2013 9:29 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsI'm in the process of designing an I2C system that uses telephone cable to route the signals around. It uses standard four-conductor cables with RJ-11 type plugs on the ends. For my system, it is important that there be no twists in the cable. Getting the signals reversed (clock and data) is not too bad. It will just prevent the system from working.
BIL Gates and the BioBrick Foundation: A new paradigm for biotechnology?
April 2, 2013 11:15 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsNo, that’s not a typo in the headline. I’m not talking about the founder of Microsoft, though he is no doubt the reason that biotechnology researcher Drew Endy decided to name his new computer-in-a-cell devices Boolean Integrase Logic gates (BIL for short). The technology, which I’ll get to in a minute, is fascinating on its own.
Looking forward on Ethernet's 40th anniversary
April 2, 2013 10:24 am | by John D’Ambrosia, Chairman and Board of Directors, Ethernet Alliance Chief Ethernet Evangelist, CTO Office, Dell | CommentsEthernet this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and anniversaries are typically the time to celebrate the past. But with so much innovation and development percolating across the global Ethernet ecosystem, there is little time for the technology’s vast array of stakeholders to look back on its successes.
George Box 1919 to 2013 – A Great Friend, Scientist and Statistician
March 30, 2013 11:21 pm | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | CommentsReposted from my management blog. I would most likely not exist if it were not for George Box. My father took a course from George while my father was a student at Princeton. George agreed to start the Statistics Department … Continue reading →
A legitimate case for drones
March 29, 2013 3:32 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsThere’s been a lot of chatter in the news (and here on ECN) about drones. These arguments usually come down to questions about ethics, military power and tangentially the military industrial complex, and the relationship of the US with various other countries. It’s rare to see drones talked about in any context outside of military.
Post-Sandy legislation: Backup generators would prevent long gas lines
March 28, 2013 4:12 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | CommentsFive months have passed since Superstorm Sandy, and legislators are nipping around the edges of bolstering the fuel distribution system so more gas can get to the consumer in the case of a widespread power outage or other state of emergency.
Is re-industrialization the key?
March 28, 2013 2:27 pm | by Tom McNamara, Assistant Professor of Operations Management, Rennes School of Business | CommentsMost economists agree that the “Great Recession” of 2008 ended sometime around August 2009, and while the economy has been slowly recovering, unemployment still appears to be a stubborn problem. The headline rate is just a shade under 8 percent, which translates into a little over 12 million Americans out of work.
