Blogs
Portable battery charger harnesses the power of the sun
May 29, 2013 11:03 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsWith the mass proliferation of handheld consumer devices – smartphones, iPods, video games, and every conceivable combination – power has become a ubiquitous requirement. And solar power is, and always has been, the next frontier. The promise of an unlimited, self-sustaining power source is tempting for anyone.
Rubber trees
May 26, 2013 3:54 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | CommentsLatex is collected from trees which is then treated to make rubber. Hevea brasiliensis (originally found the Amazon basin in Brazil), the Pará rubber tree, sharinga tree, or, most commonly, the rubber tree, is a tree belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. Gutta-percha (Palaquium) is a genus of tropical trees native to Southeast Asia.
“Cloud” signals dark days for software buyers
May 23, 2013 4:06 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | CommentsThe software industry is now making its predictable push toward fully cloud-based business models and leaving customer preference in the dustbin. Earlier this month, Adobe decided it will discontinue its Creative Suite product line and replace it with its Adobe Creative Cloud, which is
Handheld digital microscopes bring versatility, affordability to video inspection
May 23, 2013 3:11 pm | by Jim Norton, Custom Products & Services, Inc., www.custom-products.com | CommentsIn recent years, many electronics manufacturers have been adopting the use of video inspection systems utilizing digital cameras to perform many of the visual inspection functions formerly performed with optical microscopes. Digital camera technology has improved to the point where their image quality now rivals
Intergalactic Geek Pride Day quiz
May 23, 2013 2:13 pm | by Screaming Circuits | CommentsThere was a time when "Geek" was far from a badge of honor. Jr. High School (AKA middle school) was developed specifically for the purpose of making geeks miserable. We were told that lockers were designed for holding books, lunches, and jackets, but in reality, the secret anti-geek coalition had lockers installed so geeks could be stuffed inside of them, or could have the doors slammed in their faces.
The future of food: NASA's printed pizza
May 22, 2013 1:50 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsIn the great world of 3D printing, nothing is more fascinating to me than the idea of printed food. There has been some rumblings about printed meat, but it’s been mostly outliers in the industry. However, NASA just made it a little more legitimate with by offering a $125,000 grant to Systems and Materials Research Corp to develop a 3D printed version of an American (and worldwide) favorite: Pizza.
Playing games in space
May 21, 2013 12:02 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsChris Hadfield might just be the coolest guy on the internet (or in this solar system.) The astronaut—who just recently returned to earth—made it part of his mission to share different things happening on the international space station since he took command—the first Canadian to do so—on December 19, 2012.
Charge your phone in 20 seconds
May 20, 2013 4:19 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsWhat’s the key to charging your phone (and other small electronics) in the blink of an eye? Invent a better supercapacitor, according to Eesha Khare, an 18-year-old, from California who was just awarded Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award and $50,000 at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for her project...
Lower healthcare costs could mean less human interaction
May 20, 2013 3:23 pm | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | CommentsFor those who live alone, good medical care is all the more important. The machine-to-machine (M2M) communications business is growing, and the prevalence of wireless connectivity could push down the price of healthcare for the elderly, especially — but at the greater cost of human interaction.
Fire human resources
May 20, 2013 10:31 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsManagement Consultant Dave Logan at CBS Moneywatch is warning companies to avoid falling in love with company policy. He talks about a company that wanted to hire a very disruptive genius. But HR said it wasn't possible because they had no job description for the function envisioned. And besides the guy was obviously a poor fit and a possible cause for resentment by the rest of the employees.
This is what a 1950s robot looks like
May 20, 2013 10:11 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsIt’s pretty crazy when you think about how far technology has come in the past five years, let alone the past 50 years. Recently, we talked about different humanoid robots, including DARPA’s PETMAN and the Alphadog Proto, a humanoid robot used to test protective clothing and a 4-legged battlefield companion, respectively.
What are the biggest LED challenges, according to engineers
May 17, 2013 10:06 am | by Editor | CommentsWith Lightfair in the rearview mirror and being dominated by LEDs, lighting has become an intense debate in the industry. What we want to know is what you think about the future of LEDs. We know our readers have varied opinions and valuable experiences – now here’s a great opportunity to showcase them. Send us an answer to the question below and if we think yours is great...
The future of Google Glass
May 16, 2013 3:49 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | CommentsThere has been a lot of talk about Google Glass lately, mostly due to the prototype debut, but one interesting aspect of that public viewing is that developers –outside of GoogleLand—can take a crack at coming up with interesting uses for the technology. By allowing new voices into the conversation, the world is seeing even more possibilities for Google Glass.
Dealing with counterfeits in the market
May 16, 2013 2:53 pm | by George Karalias, Director of Marketing & Communications, Rochester Electronics | CommentsCounterfeiters are adaptable and constantly incorporating solutions that can void the latest countermeasures adopted by the electronics manufacturers and their supply chain. In some cases, the counterfeits are very hard to differentiate from the original component.
Welcoming grandma into our virtual future
May 16, 2013 1:27 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | CommentsA virtual reality (VR) headset by the name of Oculus Rift made a big splash on Kickstarter, raising a stellar $2.43 million to get development kits into the hands and on the noggins of game developers. And now that the units have started to ship, people in the gaming community are getting treated to video after video of people wearing the goggles and trying to explain just how floored they are....
