Blogs
The Lead
The future of Google Glass
May 16, 2013 | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Comments
There 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 | Comments
Counterfeiters are adaptable and constantly incorporating solutions that can void the latest...
Welcoming grandma into our virtual future
May 16, 2013 1:27 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Comments
A virtual reality (VR) headset by the name of Oculus Rift made a big splash on Kickstarter,...
Much ado about nothing: The impact of the medical device excise tax
May 15, 2013 1:32 pm | by Michael Lewis, Writer, Money Crashers Personal Finance | Comments
Students of military strategy learn quickly the advantages of choosing when and where to fight,...
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...
Canada's Singing Astronaut
May 15, 2013 10:04 am | by Screaming Circuits | CommentsIf you're going to exit, you may as well exit in style and I can't think of a better example than Commander Chris Hadfield's "good by" from the International Space Station on Monday (May 13). Thank you, Astronaut Hadfield. Since...
Open innovation spurs ultimate American success
May 14, 2013 4:35 pm | by Louise Rainone, Vice President of Marketing, PCDworks | CommentsUnder Armour is always a great example of innovation as a whole. The company began with an idea, a need and pure hunger to be the best, and it has become the ultimate American success story. UA has a candid approach to roundtable conversations. They sit down and talk about a technology’s strengths and weaknesses; ponder the potential length of time-to-market; and have heart-to-heart conversations to explain the contract.
Syria’s Internet silence could happen to us
May 14, 2013 10:08 am | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | CommentsOn Tuesday, May 7, Syria disappeared from the Internet. It went offline in a targeted act of censorship, yet the blanket of silence fell over the entire country. While severe government crackdowns often happen halfway across the globe, the ripple effect is spreading farther all the time.
Unsolicited
May 13, 2013 4:35 pm | by Screaming Circuits | CommentsI have a question for you. When is the last time that you responded to an unsolicited email? It's been a very long time for me. However, I just did open up and read an unsolicited email that actually seems...
Respect for trial & error, & success
May 13, 2013 9:14 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsThere are many ways we transform questions and uncertainty into confidence, new products, or innovative solutions. Experimentation and trial is one that many seem compelled to avoid. Give respect to the power of trial and experimentation, and to its risks. Right now I’m working on a project with a friend of mine and it strikes me how differently we approach the development of our vision.
Nowhere to run
May 13, 2013 9:04 am | by David Mantey, Executive Editor, PD&D | CommentsKarma certainly is a swift vixen, isn't she? I was a few hours removed from editing Meaghan Ziemba’s column, Smartphone Shakes, for the latest issue of Wireless Design & Development magazine (PD&D’s sister) when I was retelling the story of her troubles following an incident involving a barroom toilet and her smartphone — nothing pairs well with such sleazy settings, particularly electronics.
Low noise power
May 9, 2013 3:28 pm | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsI recently designed a low power, low noise, power supply for digital work. The nominal output voltages as designed are +5 volts and +3.3 volts. One hundred and fifty milliamps each. With a lightly regulated five volt supply for powering LED back lights.
Europe Bans Certain Pesticides, USA Just Keeps Looking, Bees Keep Dying
May 9, 2013 4:06 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | CommentsFor years the bee colony collapse disorder has been showing the difficulty of the scientific inquiry process. And that difficulty often becomes more difficult if interests with lots of money at stake want to block certain conclusions. One-Third of U.S. … Continue reading →
Should engineers be licensed: A process improvement perspective
May 8, 2013 9:29 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsIn his article, “Should Engineers Be Licensed,” posted on www.pddnet.com Monday, April 22, Karl Stephen presented an interesting question that generated a great many comments and some debate among readers. Perhaps a way to answer the question is to answer the question phrased differently.
The web after 20 years: It’s not so different
May 6, 2013 4:23 pm | by Stephanie Carmichael, Contributor | CommentsOn April 30, the World Wide Web turned 20. Oh, how the years pass us by. When we think about how people use the Internet today, some of us cringe. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pervade every virtual inch, enticing thousands to waste countless hours of their lives....
