Articles
Tennis Players Encouraged to Watch what they Tweet
August 31, 2009 7:56 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsEven tennis isn’t sacrosanct—competitors in the US Open are being warned to watch what they tweet. The warning is purportedly to ensure compliance with tennis’ “Anti-Corruption Program Rules.” Posted in conspicuous locations, the warning reads: "Many of you will have Twitter accounts in order for your fans to follow you and to become more engaged in you and the sport...
Try before you buy: MP3s and digital media rights
August 25, 2009 9:56 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe UK is considering a law that would force ISPs to cut off service to those accused of illegally downloading movies and/or music. This has the potential to reignite an old debate—one that’s persisted since the term “digital media” was invented. Our handling of this issue has profound ramifications for the future of the entertainment industry.
Selecting the Right Rapid Prototyping System
August 21, 2009 6:01 am | by Scot Thompson, Solid Concepts, www.solidconcepts.com | CommentsWhen I started in the rapid prototyping industry with 3D Systems in March of 1989 it was just months after the very first SLA system, the SLA-1, was introduced at the Autofact Show in Detroit in 1988. This first rapid prototyping system was invented by Chuck Hull, an engineer trained in photosensitive polymers.
Crosstalk in Multi-Channel High-Speed ADCs
August 13, 2009 10:13 am | by Chuck Sanna, Product Marketing Engineer, Texas Instruments | CommentsIn the push to increase bandwidth, range and sensitivity in wide bandwidth systems, multi-antenna and multi-sensor arrays are becoming increasingly popular. With each antenna or sensor requiring its own signal chain, many analog-to-digital converter (ADC) suppliers are integrating multiple high-speed ADCs into a single IC design.
Filter Design Tools and Wizards
August 13, 2009 9:53 am | by Hank Zumbahlen, Sr. Staff Applications Eng., Analog Devices | CommentsFilters are common in electronic equipment. From antialiasing filters used before A to D converters, to reconstruction filters after D to A converters, to intermediate frequency (IF) strips applications for filters are everywhere. The common thread is the desire to pass some frequencies, while blocking others. An ideal filter will have an amplitude response that is unity (or at a fixed gain) for the frequencies of interest
Design Talk - Circuits
August 12, 2009 6:00 am | CommentsWhen designing at the board level, there are always new things to consider. Here are some essays on design to help you in your work.
Thermal Management Strategies for Extreme 3U cPCI Embedded System Applications
August 5, 2009 6:47 am | by Barbara Schmitz, MEN Mikro Elektronik | CommentsAs the cooling challenges of 3U CompactPCI (cPCI) embedded system applications multiply due to increased processing power, reduced package sizes and more hostile environments, new thermal management options and industry standards continue to evolve. Chip and board manufacturers have already done a vast amount of work to mitigate thermal management concerns.
Modules Simplify RF Designs
August 4, 2009 10:01 am | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | CommentsReady-to-use wireless modules provide a way to quickly get a design "on the air" when engineers find RF circuits and communication protocols fall outside their areas of expertise. Even when engineers have RF experience, a module still might make sense from the perspective of saved time and money.
Government intervention may stifle tech industry
August 4, 2009 7:18 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsOn October 20, 2005 Congress passed the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005. The act mandated the cessation of analog broadcasting by February 18, 2009, and the subsequent reign of digital. The program floundered, leaving the public woefully unprepared for the February deadline. This example illustrates how badly the government can mangle an enterprise.
Brainstorm: Alternative Fuels Part 2
August 3, 2009 12:59 pm | CommentsWhat’s the best way to advance alternative energy research? With government grants, free market solutions, or something else?
Brainstorm: Alternative Fuels
July 31, 2009 4:52 am | by Edited by Jason Lomberg | CommentsWhat’s the best way to advance alternative energy research? With government grants, free market solutions, or something else?
Failed at Physics, Successful in Publishing?
July 30, 2009 8:05 am | by Allie Bochicchio, Editorial Intern | CommentsWhile a student at Susquehanna University for the past 3 years I have often had reservations regarding my decision to major in creative writing. The inevitable question ‘What am I going to do with my degree?’ has been on my mind more intensely as I approach my senior year.
Nanofilms to the Rescue
July 28, 2009 12:12 pm | by Alfred Poor | CommentsA company called Uni-Pixel Displays has developed a novel display technology that they call “Time Multiplexed Optical Shutter” or TMOS. This uses a light guide with a special film suspended above its surface. An electrical charge draws the film down into contact with the light guide...
Who owns your books?
July 27, 2009 6:29 am | by Alix Paultre, Editor-in-Chief | Comments“Do you own your books?” sounds like a stupid question, doesn’t it? It’s like asking “do you own your socks?” Yet the recent actions by Amazon to reclaim books literally from their owner’s hands have demonstrated that in the digital economy, it isn’t a stupid question at all. We are giving up our ownership of information for temporary ethereal possession, and are at the mercy of those who “rent” that content to us.
Nickel-Zinc: Recharging Battery Performance and OEM Design Opportunities
July 23, 2009 10:02 am | by Joseph Carcone, Vice President, Business Development, PowerGenix | CommentsTechnology is driven by many factors, and the reinvention of existing technology products to new higher levels of performance requires innovations in materials and science. Critical components in the design of portable electronics, batteries, in the eyes of many, have not kept pace with innovations in their electronic counterparts. Is it time for the reinvention of one of electrochemistry’s oldest technologies to fulfill the needs of a new power market
