Articles
Top 10 must-see posts for November
December 6, 2012 3:38 pm | by The ECN Editors | 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.
Should schools use RFID chips to track students?
December 6, 2012 2:53 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsA few weeks ago, I came across an article on Slate talking about a school in Texas that had put RFID tags in the student ID cards that everyone has to wear. The article—available at the link--was a discussion on whether the tags were an invasion of privacy.
Robotcolypse: When the robots take over
December 6, 2012 2:08 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWell friends, it appears the end is almost upon us. I’m not even referring to the end of the world a la the Mayan Calendar but rather an entirely different kind of a not-so-hostile takeover: robots. We’ve touched on robots taking over before, but this time, it’s getting serious. This robot was designed to actually replace humans.
Saudi Arabia's new "tracking" system for women
December 6, 2012 12:33 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWhen you work in the tech world, your days are usually full of creative people doing incredible things; on the darker days, you occasionally stumble on people (or governments) using technology in ways that make your skin crawl. Reports out of Saudi Arabia are saying when
Retailers employ crony capitalism in push for online sales tax
December 5, 2012 5:11 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has written a letter to Congress urging them to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act by the end of the year. This "e-fairness legislation" would allegedly "close the decades-old loophole enjoyed by online-only retailers" and "restore free market principles."
LCD TVs get dimmer to lower backlight costs
December 3, 2012 1:59 pm | by Jimmy Kim, NPD DisplaySearch | CommentsHistorically, TVs have had brightness higher than 400 nits, as they are often placed in the center of a large, bright, room and viewed from large distances and viewing angles. In some cases, however it is placed in sunlight, close to a window. On the other hand, display brightness of less than 300 nits is typically sufficient for an IT device....
Thinking inside the box: Getting heat out of sealed enclosures
December 3, 2012 11:59 am | by XP Power | CommentsIn harsh environments where a sealed enclosure is necessary, baseplate cooling is a simple and inexpensive solution to thermal management of power supplies, says Peter Blyth, XP Power. A new approach using discrete components can make baseplate cooled power supplies smaller, more efficient and more flexible.
Tomorrow’s LCDs: Porsche performance, Vespa mileage
November 30, 2012 5:24 pm | by Dave Lamb, PHD, and Shannon Siefken, 3M | 3M Electronics Solutions Division | CommentsModern LCDs are like imported sports cars. They are sleek. Radiant.Richly colorful. And they aren’t just pleasing to the eye: they’re also fast and responsive. Powerful.They ruin you for older, lesser models. Given that superb performance, does it seem a little defensive to add that your monitor or television also gets good mileage? Shouldn’t we just shut up and enjoy the ride?
Why Android is beating Apple
November 29, 2012 3:26 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsIt wasn’t so long ago the Apple was the phone to have. Yes, there were the holdouts who took a dislike to the brand’s smartphone monopoly, but for the most part, if you wanted a phone that worked, you took a trip to Steve Jobs land. It seems, however, that the tide is now changing....
Roundtable: Predictions for 2013
November 29, 2012 3:20 pm | CommentsExperts in the industry weight in on the question: What trends and technologies have impacted the industry in 2012 and what does that mean for 2013? In their responses the industry experts talk about LEDs, chips and what will be coming up in the next year.
The cause of engineering project delays – multitasking
November 29, 2012 12:21 pm | by Sanjeev Gupta, CEO of Realization | CommentsEngineers have come to expect that most projects will be delivered late, out of scope and over budget even though to all appearances everyone is working long hours and putting their noses to the grindstone. It’s just become an accepted fact of the industry, and it’s a shame, because it doesn’t have to be that way.
Brainstorm: Holiday wish lists
November 28, 2012 3:56 pm | CommentsLike many engineers, all of my best ideas happen in the shower ... along with bad singing. So, for my Christmas this year, I’m hoping for a waterproof, wireless headset. There appear to be one or two on the market, but I need one coupled with an app that can cancel out background noise (say from a shower head)....
7 things I am thankful for...
November 20, 2012 3:21 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsWhen I was little, at some point during the Thanksgiving season we would write down things we were thankful for. It was usually at school, written on a turkey that I’d made by outlining my hand, and it was usually things like candy, puppies, family, food, and probably whatever else was in my direct line of sight while I was writing.
Top 5 free apps for the holiday season
November 20, 2012 9:22 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsBack in the dog days of summer, we offered up a list of the 6 must-have apps for a stress-free summer. It was all about keeping kids distracted, watching your spending, and utilizing apps that got you to the relaxation phase faster.Now we’ve entered a season that can feel entirely the opposite of relaxing: holiday season
Protecting cables from oil damage
November 19, 2012 4:35 pm | by LAPP | CommentsOf all the chemical exposures that can affect the life and performance of electrical cables, oil is one of the most damaging. Used as a coolant and lubricant in many industrial and infrastructure settings, oil can inflict molecular damage on the polymers used for cable insulation and jacketing.
