Blogs
SWUGN Year in Review - August 2009
January 3, 2010 6:54 am | by Richard Doyle's Community Blog | CommentsTop StoryMy busiest travel month of 2009 takes me to Iowa, Minnesota, and Vancouver. I logged nearly 700 driving miles during the Iowa trip, flew "internationally" for Vancouver, and finally, after ten years, got to meet SolidWorks user Jay Guthrie in Minnesota. Nothing makes me happier...
What Do-It-Yourself Projects Have Saved You Energy and Money?
December 31, 2009 5:52 am | by Energy Savers Blog | CommentsThis week, you read about Chris' experience with frozen pipes, and how he saved money with a si
Will You Be Purchasing New Appliances for a Rebate from Your State?
December 30, 2009 7:54 am | by Energy Savers Blog | CommentsThis week, you read about Amy's war with her dishwasher and how she plans to take advantage of her
Four Days Left to Buy Energy-Efficient Products for a 2009 Tax Credit!
December 30, 2009 7:54 am | by Energy Savers Blog | CommentsBlack Friday sales have never been enough to entice me to brave the crowds after Thanksgiving. I'm just not that dedicated to shopping. After-Christmas sales, however, are another story. Sometimes those sales are just too good to pass up. If you're p
Insulation Saves Energy and Money at Home...and HOA from Disaster
December 30, 2009 7:54 am | by Energy Savers Blog | CommentsEarlier this month, just one day after Denver's first cold snap of the season, I woke up and saw a new text message from my downstairs neighbor. She was writing to let me know no one in our small, six-unit condo building had water. Immediately I fear
Russian Space Agency considers Armageddon-like mission
December 30, 2009 6:50 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe Russian Space Agency is considering a plan that evokes the 1998 disaster flick, Armageddon. The head of the agency, Anatoly Perminov, mentioned that Russia is assessing a mission to Apophis, a 270-meter (885-foot) asteroid. The difference between Hollywood and real life is that Apophis stands minimal chance of hitting Earth...
Researchers Develop Anti-Counterfeiting Tech for RFID
December 30, 2009 3:43 am | CommentsEngineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a unique and robust method to prevent cloning of passive radio frequency identification tags. The technology, based on one or more unique physical attributes of individual tags rather than information stored on them, will prevent the production of counterfeit tags...
Fusion: the power source of the future
December 29, 2009 12:09 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsFusion is the power source of the future, goes the old saw. And for fifty years, it has always been "fifty years in the future." That may be changing with a number of new small fusion projects in the works or doing actual experiments.
Engines of Prosperity
December 29, 2009 12:07 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsIn my last post I discussed Forth as a language. A language that is based on a virtual machine. What if that virtual machine was turned into a real machine? Good things. For one operations can be done in parallel. Returns can be automatically initiated at the end of an instruction cycle.
Neighborhood Development Package Revisited
December 29, 2009 12:03 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsSince I wrote Neighborhood Development Package on November 11, 2006, I have been thinking about the pieces needed to make the system work 24/7. The full article is below but let me give you a short review. My idea was to electrify a neighborhood in order to educate, communicate, and pump water.
Go Forth!
December 29, 2009 12:01 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsLevis (the jeans people) have been suggesting that people Go Forth. http://goforth.levi.com/fortune I'd like to make a similar suggestion. Not about jeans, but about software. Go Forth.
Bug or Windshield?
December 29, 2009 11:58 am | by Alan Amling, Global Logistics and Distribution Marketing, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, www.ups.com | CommentsAs I write this blog in early December the Dow is reaching 14 month highs, indicating a belief that the worst is behind us. While many believe there will be more bumps in the road and the unemployment picture hasn’t improved much, the tide is changing.
“Wingsuits” developed for airborne troops
December 29, 2009 11:51 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsHere’s another example of life imitating art—SPELCO (Special Parachute Equipment and Logistics Consortium) is working on a personal glider that looks straight outta Science Fiction. With its glide ratio of 5:1 and self-propulsion system, the “Gryphon” could become an invaluable tool in the future warfighter’s arsenal.
Motion Control Device Adds Pizzazz to Web Surfing
December 29, 2009 11:42 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsBack at CES ’09, I had the chance to preview Hillcrest Labs’ MEMs Accelerometer-based motion-control technology. They’ve since marketed it as a consumer device, the Loop Pointer. Essentially an air mouse on steroids, the Loop Pointer is one of the coolest gadgets I’ve seen in a while.
40 years later, ''The Final Frontier'' ain't what it used to be
December 29, 2009 11:01 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Comments40 years ago, Neil Armstrong emerged from the Lunar Module Eagle, and stepped into history. He became the first human being to step foot on the moon, forever changing the scientific and engineering communities. And yet, 40 years later, the space program is a shell of its former self. Public enthusiasm is at an all-time low. How did we get to this point?
