Articles
Portable defibrillators rely on reed relays in high-voltage charging circuit
June 26, 2012 10:13 am | by John Beigel, MEDER electronic, www.meder.com | CommentsPortable automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are showing up regularly in places where large groups of people congregate, like airports and sports stadiums. This huge increase in the number of portable AEDs has not been driven by governmental regulation, but by the overwhelming evidence that they save lives.
The Roundtable - Industrial
June 25, 2012 3:18 pm | CommentsThanks to rapid advances in both the software and hardware, network engineers are able to use wireless to fill in the old communications gaps. They’re extending the network’s edge to include devices of every description, and turning those devices into nodes on modern, intelligent data communications systems. Wireless makes it possible to network-enable just about any device, just about anywhere.
6 must-have apps for a stress-free summer
June 22, 2012 8:51 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsBetween the heat, the busy weekends, and the school-free kids, summer can be more stressful than stress-free. Don’t worry, like every problem these days, there’s an app for that. For the sake of sanity, we’ve compiled a list of the best apps to keep your summer from feeling like a punishment. Nothing kills a day at the beach like an unexpected, hostile Facebook message from your mom...
Why I won’t trade my iPad for a Windows tablet
June 21, 2012 9:13 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWhen Microsoft announced their not-so-secret news that they were releasing a tablet on Monday, it didn’t really take anyone by surprise. It was only a matter of time before the big-name competitor delivered a platform for Windows 8. For the sake of full disclosure, I am an Apple fan(atic). I haven’t owned a non-mac computer in years—after watching every single Dell laptop crash in college...
Coordinated circuit protection for small solar power systems
June 20, 2012 2:43 pm | by Neal Schultz, Senior Applications Engineer, TE Circuit Protection | CommentsRising energy costs and increasing support for clean, renewable energy sources has made solar power a growth industry. Solar panels directly generate power by converting sunlight to electricity with no moving parts, zero emissions, and little to no maintenance.
It's a bird...it's a plane...it's a Volkswagen!
June 19, 2012 4:39 pm | by Sara Cohen, Editorial Intern, WDD Magazine | CommentsThe ‘People’s Car Project’ debuted in China last year, as an experimental website aimed at soliciting ideas for future car models from Chinese inhabitants. The site received 119,000 concept-based ideas from its 33 million hits. The project aims to bring the Chinese public- VW’s largest market- to the forefront of its design team, and help the German automaker develop the “Volkswagen model of the future.”
Kickstarter: Helpful website or project killer?
June 18, 2012 10:46 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsIt seems innovative technology often gets stuck in the dark chasm that exists between a great idea and a final product. Between skyrocketing production costs, the difficulties of marketing on a limited budget, and unexpected hiccups, some projects never get off the ground. Kickstarter, a crowd-sourced funding website where inventors raise enough to manufacture their product, seems like the perfect solution to technological limbo.
Rugbeer: Tackling technology in advertising
June 15, 2012 8:45 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsHave you ever had a vending machine eat your dollar while you stand, helpless, as it destroys your dream of a tasty afternoon snack? Honestly, who hasn’t wanted to tackle a vending machine at least once? Here’s your chance. Following in the footsteps of Coca-Cola’s Hug Machine, Ogilvy+Mather public relations has taken creative advertising to an entirely different level.
Brainstorm: Military & Aerospace
June 14, 2012 3:47 pm | CommentsEach new generation of digital processor technology has been a principal driver in achieving better and more rugged solutions for military and aerospace applications. Using more advanced processors actually has helped engineers reduce the parts count in typical systems, leading directly to higher MTBFs and significantly improved reliability.
Efficient tuning of capacitive-sensing designs
June 14, 2012 3:14 pm | by Robert Jania, Cypress Semiconductor | CommentsA fundamental aspect of any capacitive sensing design is the calibration of the sensor. Calibration eliminates the sensor providing false actives in the system and as well as the sensor failing when it is supposed to be active. Until recently, individual sensor also had to be accompanied by discrete components comprised of resistors and capacitors in order to adjust the sensitivity of each particular sensor.
Capacitive sensing-based light control user interfaces
June 14, 2012 9:37 am | by Pushek Madaan, Cypress | CommentsSmart lighting control technology is being used in more and more consumer applications to allow control of light intensity, hue, and saturation. With the number of competing light control systems on the market, the user interface is often the major differiator between systems and determines the success or failure of a consumer product.
Does advertising kill technology?
June 13, 2012 8:48 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsIt’s something we hear a lot: “The [xyz] technology sounds amazing; too bad the advertisers are going to ruin it.” For example, Google Glass. A seemingly exciting and ambitious piece of technology -- until you realize it means having involuntary, interactive advertising experiences one inch from your eye all day.
RF memory tags: The next generation
June 13, 2012 8:41 am | by Emanuele Confalonieri, Senior Manager, Mobile System Solutions and Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Micron Technology | CommentsNFC (Near-Field Communication) is a well-established open platform RF communication technology that enables communication between devices at a distance of not more than 10 cm. It supports different data transmission rates but it is currently limited to relatively low throughput, up to 424 kbit/s for a maximum of 1 MByte.
Lessons learned at the intersection of electronics and medical molding
June 12, 2012 11:14 am | by Philip Katen, Plastikos, Inc., www.plastikoserie.com | CommentsAs the cross-pollination of molded electronic and medical components industries continues, the products of each industry are becoming much smaller and much more complex. Toolmakers, molders, suppliers and the OEMs of medical components that incorporate electronics must all have a firm understanding of the ideas, processes, expectations and standards of both industries in a collaborative effort to produce the highest quality component-level parts at the lowest viable cost.
5 reasons every subway needs Wi-Fi
June 8, 2012 9:38 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsIt’s tough to imagine in the 21st century: a musty, dimly-lit, underground tunnel — crammed full of people — that’s essentially a black hole of wireless signals. Behold the glory of the NYC subway system.
