Applications
The Lead
Mourning the death of Google Reader (and finding a suitable replacement)
March 18, 2013 3:40 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | Comments
Like many of you, I was shocked, dismayed, and several other adjectives upon learning that Google Reader will soon go kaput. As a journalist, I sift through copious amounts of content daily, and it would be no exaggeration to say that Google Reader makes my job exponentially simpler, so I took its demise rather hard.
My wish list for the next iPhone
April 4, 2013 10:32 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | Comments
A new iPhone is imminent! Man the ramparts! Sound the trumpets! A new coronation is upon us! OK...
Technology forces your teen to stop texting and driving
March 19, 2013 12:19 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | Comments
Everyone knows texting (or Redditing or Facebooking or Tweeting) while driving is a bad idea,...
Why your car is a better driver than you
February 7, 2013 2:06 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | Comments
It came to my attention while working on an article about intelligent systems in cars that...
Recently returned Expedition 35 crew participates in Google+ Hangout
May 24, 2013 11:44 am | Videos | CommentsNASA hosted a Google+ Hangout from the Johnson Space Center with three recently returned International Space Station Astronauts. NASA Astronauts Kevin Ford, Tom Marshburn and Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Chris Hadfield answered wide ranging questions about daily living in a weightless environment, conducting cutting edge scientific research, and doing spacewalks while orbiting the earth every ninety minutes.
First launch of X-47B unmanned drone from aircraft carrier
May 24, 2013 11:27 am | Videos | CommentsAn X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) taxies and launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is the first aircraft carrier to successfully catapult launch an unmanned aircraft from its flight deck.
The long road to the 2000-watt society: How sustainable is Switzerland?
May 24, 2013 10:02 am | by EMPA | News | CommentsThe vision of a society in which each inhabitant of the earth manages to consume only 2000 watts has already been around for 15 years. During this time, there has been a steady increase in environmental awareness in the West. Technology has become more efficient and there appears to be very little standing in the way of a sustainable lifestyle.
NASA head views progress on asteroid lasso mission
May 24, 2013 9:56 am | by ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsSurrounded by engineers, NASA chief Charles Bolden inspected a prototype spacecraft engine that could power an audacious mission to lasso an asteroid and tow it closer to Earth for astronauts to explore. Bolden checked on the progress Thursday a month after the Obama administration unveiled its 2014 budget...
Sanyo may sell stake in Chinese joint venture
May 24, 2013 9:37 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSanyo Electric a group company of Panasonic, is considering selling a stake of about 30 percent in its joint venture in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday. U.S. home appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. is one of the companies interested in buying the stake...
PCI Express board provides two optically isolated serial ports
May 23, 2013 3:40 pm | Sealevel Systems, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsSealevel’s 7203e PCI Express serial interface provides two optically isolated serial ports, each individually configurable for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485. Each serial port utilizes a high-performance UART with 128-byte Tx/Rx FIFOs that enables data rates to 460.8K bps for reliable high-speed communications in data intensive applications.
Over-the-air test system enables industry’s first 802.11n WLAN over-the-air measurements
May 23, 2013 3:28 pm | Rohde & Schwarz | Product Releases | CommentsCETECOM has selected Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) to enhance their over-the-air (OTA) testing capabilities with a new test system that includes LTE multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) and 802.11n functionality. The TS8991 test system can perform OTA measurements for LTE MIMO in addition to all cellular 2G, 3G, and 4G technology standards.
Cradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor
May 23, 2013 3:26 pm | by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | News | CommentsResearchers and physicians in the field could soon run on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, medical diagnostics, food safety and more with their smartphones. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed a cradle and app for the iPhone that uses the phone’s built-in camera and processing power as a biosensor...
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 | Blogs | 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
ESO's Very Large Telescope celebrates 15 years of success
May 23, 2013 2:48 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsWith this new view of a spectacular stellar nursery ESO is celebrating 15 years of the Very Large Telescope — the world's most advanced optical instrument. This picture reveals thick clumps of dust silhouetted against the pink glowing gas cloud known to astronomers as IC 2944.
Doctors save Ohio boy by 'printing' an airway tube
May 23, 2013 2:01 pm | by MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Chief Medical Writer | News | CommentsIn a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day. It's the latest advance from the booming field of regenerative medicine, making body parts in the lab.
NYU researchers took bribes from Chinese group
May 23, 2013 12:52 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThree New York University researchers from China divulged results from a U.S.-funded study to Chinese competitors in exchange for tuition, rent and other expenses, federal prosecutors said Monday. Zhu Yudong, a U.S.-educated NYU professor, and Yang Xing, a lab engineer, were released on bail after appearing in court...
Amplifier operates from 10 kHz to 400 MHz and has a rated power of 260 W
May 23, 2013 12:36 pm | Teseq, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsTeseq expanded its broadband amplifier line to include a Class A linear and low distortion model that operates from 10 kHz to 400 MHz with a rated power level of 260 W. For use in commercial or in-house EMC test laboratories, the CBA 400M-260 is appropriate for automotive, military and aerospace BCI
Pressure sensors ensure optimal operations of safety trailers used on remote sites
May 23, 2013 12:31 pm | Product Releases | CommentsAmerican Sensor Technologies (AST) pressure sensors are serving as components in a remote monitoring system that ensures optimal operations of safety trailers used on remote sites as emergency first aid stations. Mining, construction, oil fields and other industrial sites are often located miles away from medical facilities.
Data acquisition module ideal for high-power applications
May 23, 2013 12:17 pm | Product Releases | CommentsICP DAS USA has introduced M-7069D, a Modbus RTU based data acquisition module with 8 LED indicators that can be used to monitor the relay output status. Options are provided that allow power-on and safe digital output values to be configured. 4 kV ESD, 4 kV EFT and 3 kV surge protection are provided to enhance noise protection capabilities in industrial environments.
Unipolar and bipolar high-voltage amplifiers are available to 20 kV
May 23, 2013 12:05 pm | UltraVolt, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsUltraVolt expanded its line of precision high-voltage amplifiers - the HVA Series - capable of operating in DC, reversible, and amplifier modes. The new line of precision high-voltage amplifiers, the 10 HVA-20 HVA Series, is available with unipolar or bipolar output at 0 to 10 kV, 15 kV and 20 kV. Together with
End-to-end test solution analyzes IP-based applications
May 23, 2013 11:05 am | Rohde & Schwarz | Product Releases | CommentsRohde & Schwarz has developed the world's first integrated end-to-end test solution that examines the impact applications have on smartphones and the network using IP and protocol statistical analysis. Equipped with the new R&S CMW-KM051 option, the R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester can comprehensively analyze and test IP-based applications....
Tesla uses stock, note sale to repay government
May 23, 2013 10:56 am | by TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsTesla Motors, which makes a highly acclaimed $70,000 electric car, has paid off a startup loan from the U.S. government nine years early. The Palo Alto, Calif., company said it wired in a $451.8 million payment to the government on Wednesday.
Solar plane completes 2nd leg of trip in Texas
May 23, 2013 10:54 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA solar-powered plane has landed in Texas, completing the second leg of a trip across the United States. The Solar Impulse is making the first attempt by a solar airplane capable of flying day and night without fuel to fly across the U.S.
DC-DC converters feature a typical efficiency of 95.5%
May 23, 2013 10:53 am | Murata Power Solutions Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMurata announced the UDQ series of isolated digitally controlled DC-DC converters developed by Murata Power Solutions. Incorporating a 32-bit ARM7 processor, the 420 Watt regulated UDQ2204/001 model is the first in a series of DC-DC converters from Murata Power Solutions to include a PMBus compatible digital interface.
Engineering Update #11: Navy launches drone from aircraft carrier
May 23, 2013 10:42 am | Videos | CommentsIn this week's headlines: For the first time ever, the Navy has launched a drone the size of a fighter jet from the USS George H.W. Bush warship. Scientists at Germany's Max Planck Institute have created polymer-based flexible circuits, able to withstand high temperatures. These flexible paper circuits are so efficient, low cost, and versatile that they promise to open doors into new possible electronic applications.
Engineering Newswire 38: Lockheed laser shoots down drones
May 23, 2013 8:39 am | Videos | CommentsLockheed Martin has developed the ADAM system, which stands for Area Defense Anti-Munitions. This system is designed to destroy close-in improvised rocket and unmanned aerial threats with a laser. The markets between consumer and professional 3D printing are quickly beginning to blur. Even the unique electronics distributor, Saelig, has taken to selling 3D printers, like the new Afinia.
Knee brace puts 'a spring in your step'
May 23, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | News | CommentsWeight, hinge design, and assistive power of a quasi-passive exoskeleton were studied at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center here to see how these factors affect the way an individual walks. The study, done in conjunction with Yale University, also measured how much energy a person used walking with the knee brace.
UAV pilots maintain situational awareness above battlefield
May 23, 2013 12:00 am | by U.S. Army | News | CommentsUnmanned aerial vehicle pilots maintain an "eye-in-the-sky" view providing real-time surveillance high above the battlefield in order to keep Soldiers safe from unexpected "enemy" attacks, at the U.S. Army National Training Center, here. Before putting Soldiers in harm's way, military unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, perform aerial reconnaissance, be it night or day.
SPI digital potentiometers operate at 10, 12, 18, 24, 36 volts
May 22, 2013 4:26 pm | Microchip Technology Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMicrochip Technology Inc. announced two new volatile, SPI digital potentiometers (digipots)—the MCP41HV31 and MCP41HV51 (MCP41HVXX)—its first to operate at 10, 12, 18, 24 and particularly 36 volts, for systems requiring wide signal swing or high power-supply voltages.
