Blogs
The Tinker's Toolbox - Ioxus Hybrid Capacitor Technology
January 5, 2011 9:14 am | Podcasts | CommentsIn this episode of the Tinker's Toolbox we talk with Chad Hall of Ioxus about his company's new hybrid capacitor technology, which enables an energy density 115 percent higher than standard electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs).
Printed Electronics - Predictions for 2011
January 5, 2011 5:01 am | by Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx (www.IDTechEx.com) | Blogs | CommentsTo examine what to expect for 2011, we must understand the spectacular successes of the recent past as well as the failures. Printed electronics has often been an industry with poor business planning and marketing.
Scientists Squeeze Over 1,000 Cores onto One Chip
January 4, 2011 4:19 am | News | CommentsDr Wim Vanderbauwhede of the University of Glasgow and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Lowell have created a processor which effectively contains more than a thousand cores on a single chip.
ECN Roundtable - Designing with Multicore Devices
December 31, 2010 5:12 am | by Edited by Alix Paultre | Blogs | CommentsThis month's Roundtable question is, "What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of incorporating a multicore processor into a design for the engineer?”
Navy launches first aircraft using electromagnetic system
December 23, 2010 5:57 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe Navy made history on December 18 when it launched its first rollercoaster, er, aircraft, using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) technology. The F/A-18 Super Hornet, piloted by Lt. Daniel Radocaj, was launched from Naval Air Systems Command, Lakehurst, N.J.
Why Are Your Lights on All Day Long?
December 21, 2010 4:59 am | by Ron Flores, WECC (www.worldenergycontrol.com) | Blogs | CommentsWhy do you turn on all your facility’s lights, at full brightness, every day? Actually, why do you turn your lights off in the first place?
Will Feature Phones Become an Endangered Species?
December 20, 2010 5:14 am | Product Releases | CommentsThere is no doubt that there will always be a set of consumers that only want their mobile phone to be, well, a phone
Energy 111: Magneto Hydrodynamics and Total Energy Systems
December 20, 2010 4:22 am | by Ken Johnson | Blogs | CommentsDon’t let the title scare you into excluding this from your reading schedule. An attempt will be made to simplify the concept and its uses. Let’s start by calling them MHD and TES respectively for short. Many practical applications of TES were evolved from its age-old principles over a half century ago...
Silicon Valley culture ripe for insider trading
December 17, 2010 8:44 am | by Gabriel Madway and Dan Levine, Reuters | News | CommentsInsider trading charges buffeting the technology industry have laid bare what people who work in Silicon Valley already know: leaks happen, and a morsel of information can turn into treasured commodity. Even a company like Apple Inc, renowned for its obsession with secrecy, was not safe from well placed leakers looking to peddle their information.
CES Survival Guide
December 16, 2010 6:58 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsEvery year, there’s one convention that unites geeks, technophiles, engineers, and techies of all stripes—the Consumer Electronics Show. Quite simply, it’s the geek mecca. Each year, over 100,000 attendees make the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas for 3-6 days of flashy lights, spiffy new tech, and booth babes. Yet for the newbie, CES can be overwhelming...
CES, Prepare for Success
December 16, 2010 3:50 am | by Anonymous | Blogs | CommentsIt doesn’t seem possible, but it’s time for the consumer electronics industry’s annual classic – CES (Consumer Electronics Show). Depending on how you approach them, events like CES can be a tremendous opportunity, a waste of time, a challenge, disaster, torture or the most profitable time you've spent all year.
The “all-digital future”: Surrendering our property rights
December 13, 2010 7:46 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsWe keep hearing about it—the “all-digital future”: easier, more convenient, no need to drive to the store. Download all the content you want instantly. Thus, iTunes, OnLive, Steam, and various other services were born. But this convenience bears a steep price. In our rush to embrace the all-digital future, we’ve sacrificed fundamental property rights.
Smart Grid Drives Smart Appliance Development
December 10, 2010 8:11 am | by Elizabeth Cruz, Appliance Analyst at IMS Research (www.imsresearch.com) | Blogs | CommentsWith the ongoing development of the Smart Grid, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding smart appliances; devices that can modify their operation following signals from an electricity company.
Security in Smartphones
December 10, 2010 7:48 am | by Martin Bakal, IBM Rational (www.IBM.com/Rational) | Blogs | CommentsThe smartphone market is expected to increase 24.5% in 2011, as projected by IDC. Managing security will be a big concern and key area of focus for most mobile companies going forward. Companies who address this concern successfully will most likely capture the market share.
ECN in 2011
December 9, 2010 7:21 am | by Alix L. Paultre, Editor-in-Chief | Articles | CommentsAs most of you know, ECN made some significant changes to itself over the last few years. We don’t intend to stop developing ourselves anytime soon. As part of our migration to our new print format and our expanded presence online, we have created many new editorial sections and expanded our footprint to encompass more of what you want to see and discover.
Domestic 'Fourslide' Parts Fabrication Slashes Inventory Costs
December 9, 2010 4:50 am | by Ed Sullivan | Blogs | CommentsIf you're sourcing stamped metal parts from overseas, you may be required to order far more than you really need. Using fourslide fabrication can eliminate that requirement. If you're sourcing metal stampings from overseas locations such as China, you're most likely buying in large volumes, perhaps containerloads.
Tinker's Toolbox - Atmel's Touchscreen and Microcontroller Technology
December 6, 2010 8:12 am | Podcasts | CommentsThis episode of the Tinker's Toolbox has an interview with Binay Bajaj of Atmel, who discusses their latest touchscreen and microcontroller technology. Right-click to download the podcast
Ultra-Low-Power IP Smart Grid Communications Solutions Uses TI Microcontroller
December 2, 2010 3:40 am | News | CommentsWatteco announced it is collaborating with Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) on an ultra-low-power, intelligent communications solution that will enable the next generation of connected appliances.
Gifts for geeks
December 1, 2010 7:25 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsIt’s that time of year again! No, I’m not talking about Jolly ‘Ol Saint Nick, mistletoe, or trees with stars on top. ‘Tis the season for giving, but also for spoiling ourselves with the latest gadgets, gizmos, toys, and entertainment. We’re never too old to experience the joy of opening presents!
CHiL Semiconductor Expands Worldwide
November 30, 2010 8:32 am | by Larry Spaziani, CHiL Semiconductor (www.chilsemi.com) | Blogs | CommentsWe're proud to announce that CHiL Semiconductor is expanding its worldwide sales and support channels by opening sales offices in Japan and in Europe. High electricity costs have made CHiL’s energy efficient solutions, which result in increased efficiency across the entire load line, particularly attractive in these markets.
Energy 110: Fuel Cells
November 30, 2010 3:54 am | by Prof. Ken Johnson | Blogs | CommentsThis episode will continue looking at various so-called “green” energy sources with regard to how ‘green’ they are, the state of their technology, and possible economic impact on their users as well as on the non-user taxpayers.
Tinker's Toolbox - The New Year
November 29, 2010 9:53 am | Podcasts | CommentsIn this episode, Alix Paultre and Kevin Parmenter discuss the coming year and some of the technical and industry issues that will be influencing it and the design community. From ubiquitous computing to the smart grid, this episode of the Tinker’s Toolbox covers many of the things that will be dominating the news next year. Right-click to download the podcast
Google TV for the Rest of Us
November 29, 2010 5:55 am | by by Eric Broockman, Alereon (www.alereon.com) | Blogs | CommentsGoogle TV may say more about the power of search and Android than it does about a new paradigm for using your HDTV.
ARM Cortex-M3 Flash MCU Targets General-Purpose Apps
November 23, 2010 5:09 am | Atmel Corporation | Product Releases | CommentsAtmel, a leader in microcontroller and touch solutions, announced the new Atmel SAM3N series to expand their ARM Cortex-M3 Flash Family.
electronica 2010 - impressions of the show
November 22, 2010 10:00 am | by Forrest Sass, Theorem Services (www.theoremservices.com) | Blogs | CommentsAfter four years of attending Messe München shows (productronica and electronica), I came away with special impressions of this year’s electronica 2010.
