Wireless charging: An interview with the Alliance for Wireless Power
May 1, 2013 4:38 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsWireless power is slowly evolving to help make charging second-nature to the consumer. In Japan, for instance, several portable devices are available that support wireless charging.As more portable devices that offer wireless charging capabilities enter the market, the need for standards naturally will follow.
Rugged four-port mini USB hub from B&B Electronics mounts anywhere
May 1, 2013 4:10 pm | B & B Electronics | Product Releases | CommentsB&B Electronics Manufacturing expanded its family of industrial-grade USB 2.0 hubs with the UH104, an affordable, four-port mini USB hub used to connect multiple peripheral devices to a single USB port. Powered exclusively by the host USB port, it provides downstream devices with 100 mA of power and High Speed USB connectivity at 480 Mbps.
Vector signal generator creates complex multichannel scenarios for highest demands
May 1, 2013 3:09 pm | Rohde & Schwarz | Product Releases | CommentsThe R&S SMW200A high-performance vector signal generator from Rohde & Schwarz enables faster time-to-market, improves end-device quality, and exceeds important 2G, 3G and 4G digital standards and applications. Featuring versatile configuration options...
Roboteq backs Raspberry PI-based Robot Navigation Computer project on Kickstarter
May 1, 2013 2:53 pm | Roboteq, Inc | Product Releases | CommentsRoboteq is collaborating on a kickstarter project named RIO (for Raspberry IO) and aimed at creating an intelligent I/O card that stacks over the $35 Raspberry PI Linux Single Board computer. The RIO card includes a rich set of I/O and connectivity features.
10 MUST READ posts from April
May 1, 2013 2:44 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | 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.
Dual bayonet locking connector designed for industrial Ethernet applications
May 1, 2013 2:17 pm | Conec | Product Releases | CommentsCONEC has advanced its IP67-rated RJ45 family of connectors to include Ethernet I/O ports with a dual bayonet in-line coupler that can be used as a true in-line extension. The dual bayonet coupling mechanism is in compliance with IEC 61076-3-106 and provides increased protection for the connector system against contamination and moisture.
Cutting the fat: The case for a microcontroller-less capacitive touch screen controller
May 1, 2013 12:13 pm | by Eric Siegel, Touch Screen Control Business Development Manager, Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Articles | CommentsTouchscreens are everywhere! While the means by which they detect a touch has evolved over the years, more recently you might say they have revolved as old technologies are reopened and rechristened anew. (I’m looking at you, optical touch.) Touchscreens are finding their way into our homes and our everyday consumer devices.
Single-stage LED driver promises highest levels of dimmer compatibility
May 1, 2013 11:55 am | Cirrus Logic -- Apex Precision Power | Product Releases | CommentsCirrus Logic, Inc. has introduced a first family of single-stage LED drivers, the CS1615/16, targeting the incandescent lamp replacement market. Through patented technology, the CS1615/16 consistently outperforms competing single-stage LED drivers in dimmer compatibility while offering
Smart protocol converter translates avionics messages in real-time
May 1, 2013 11:47 am | Product Releases | CommentsData Device Corporation (DDC) introduced the AceXtreme Bridge Device to translate avionics messages in real-time between MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, and Ethernet in any direction, without a host computer. With an onboard Intel Atom processor, two Ethernet channels, two
A Text Message A Day Keeps the Asthma Attack Away
May 1, 2013 11:14 am | by Georgia Tech | News | CommentsSimply sending children with asthma a text message each day asking about their symptoms and providing knowledge about their condition can lead to improved health outcomes. In a study by the Georgia Institute of Technology, pediatric patients who were asked questions about their symptoms and provided information...
Carnegie Mellon develops zooming technique for entering text into smartwatches
May 1, 2013 11:07 am | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsTechnology blogs have been abuzz that smartwatches may soon be on their way from companies such as Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft. But as capable as these ultra-small computers may be, how will users enter an address, a name, or a search term into them?
China automaker to open electric bus plant in CA
May 1, 2013 10:42 am | by JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Chinese company whose mantra is Build Your Dreams plans to build all-electric buses in California's Mojave Desert. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris and officials of BYD Automotive scheduled a news conference Wednesday to announce plans to open the first Chinese-owned vehicle manufacturing plant in the United States.
Russia charging NASA $70 million per rocket seat
May 1, 2013 10:01 am | by Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer | News | CommentsNASA is paying $424 million more to Russia to get U.S. astronauts into space, and the agency's leader is blaming Congress for the extra expense. NASA announced its latest contract with the Russian Space Agency on Tuesday. The $424 million represents flights to and from the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft....
Slim, 2.5-inch, 5-mm hard drives and solid state hybrid drives tout solid state hybrid drive technology
April 30, 2013 5:26 pm | Western Digital | Product Releases | CommentsWD, a Western Digital company is shipping what it asserts are the world's first ultra-slim 2.5-inch, 5 mm hard drives and solid state hybrid drives (SSHD), which are designed for integration into the slimmest devices and space-constrained computing environments. With 500 GB of storage capacity and
Varistors offer higher surge current ratings in smaller disc sizespplications
April 30, 2013 5:05 pm | Littelfuse, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsLittelfuse has introduced the LV UltraMOV Series of low voltage, high surge current, radial leaded varistors. They provide an ideal circuit protection solution for lower DC voltage applications by offering higher surge ratings than ever before available in such small disc sizes.
DC/DC converters fully approved to both EN 60950 and EN 60601
April 30, 2013 4:50 pm | MicroPower Direct, LLC | Product Releases | CommentsAvailable immediately from MicroPower Direct, the MA600MHI series is a family of compact, 6W DC/DC converters fully approved to both EN 60950 and EN 60601. They are specifically designed to meet the stringent isolation, reinforced insulation and low leakage requirements of medical grade equipment.
NVision helps honor a fallen hero
April 30, 2013 4:40 pm | News | CommentsNVision recently volunteered its 3D laser-scanning services to help Sarasota sculptor Greg Marra create an exact replica of the rifle that former Navy Seal Chris Kyle used while in the military. Christopher Scott “Chris” Kyle is widely considered to have been the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with over 150 confirmed kills.
A tale of two lamps
April 30, 2013 4:19 pm | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | Blogs | CommentsA few months ago, my wife bought a lamp at an office-supply place to light up the table where my father-in-law plays dominoes with us. He’s 87 and his eyesight isn’t what it used to be, so having lots of light in the right place is important. The ceiling light doesn’t quite do the job.
One step closer to a quantum computer
April 30, 2013 11:52 am | by Linköping University | News | CommentsProfessor Weimin Chen and his colleagues at Linköping University, in cooperation with German and American researchers, have succeeded in both initializing and reading nuclear spins, relevant to qubits for quantum computers, at room temperature. The results have just been published in the renowned journal Nature Communications.
Energy-saving smartphone sensor registers the ambient brightness
April 30, 2013 10:57 am | Osram Opto Semiconductors | Product Releases | CommentsOsram Opto Semiconductors has expanded its portfolio of proximity and ambient light sensors with a new, extremely powerful version with low power consumption. The compact SFH 7776 digital sensor registers the ambient brightness – even behind dark smartphone covers....
A revolutionary shape changing smartphone that curls upon a call
April 30, 2013 10:22 am | by Queen's University | News | CommentsResearchers at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab have developed a new smartphone – called MorePhone – which can morph its shape to give users a silent yet visual cue of an incoming phone call, text message or email. “This is another step in the direction of radically new interaction techniques afforded by smartphones based on thin film..."
Cleveland Clinic research shows Internet-based program effective in reducing stress
April 30, 2013 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe use of Internet-based stress management programs (ISM) effectively reduce stress for a sustainable period, according to a Cleveland Clinic study published recently in Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Online stress management programs aim to increase accessibility for individuals affected by chronic stress at a lesser cost than traditional methods.
Smart TV: Will Moore’s Law define TV architecture?
April 30, 2013 9:57 am | by Paul Gray, Director of European TV Research, DisplaySearch | Blogs | CommentsThe TV until now has evolved at a pace largely detached from Moore’s Law, an observation that the number of transistors on a unit area of integrated circuit doubles every two years. Its consequence is that computing power doubles per unit of cost in the same time.
TriggerSmart Childproof RFID Smart Gun
April 30, 2013 9:12 am | Videos | CommentsTriggerSmart has developed and patented a user-unique Childproof RFID Smart Gun. Basically, only the authorized user can fire the weapon, and the gun is harmless in the hands of a child or an intruder in the home. This video demonstrates their technology.
LED fixture features 10,000 lumen output while drawing only 150 watts
April 29, 2013 4:59 pm | Larson Electronics Llc | Product Releases | CommentsLarson Electronics has announced the release of an explosion proof LED area light designed to provide durable and reliable illumination with versatile mounting capabilities. The HBLP-1MLED-TRN Trunnion Mount Light Fixture features 10,000 lumen output while drawing only 150 watts....


