Blogs
Air Force taps Space Micro to develop software defined radio for satellites
February 19, 2010 4:06 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsSpace Micro Inc. has been awarded $100,000 by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop a software-defined radio system for military satellites. The Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract is to develop space communications hardware that is resistant to radiation.
The Power of Collective Intelligence
February 19, 2010 3:47 am | by Alisha Mowbray, Senior VP, innovation marketing, element14 | Blogs | CommentsElectronic design engineers are facing greater pressure than ever before to rapidly create new solutions, and manufacturers are continually developing new technologies to help them to do so.
Outsourcing the ''final frontier''
February 18, 2010 12:31 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe proposed 2011 NASA Budget takes human spaceflight in a bold new direction. Along with scuttling the Constellation Program, and investing in heavy-lift rocket systems, the proposal leans heavily on the private sector. The International Space Station received clemency through at least 2020, and with the Space Shuttle retiring in 2010, the US will need reliable means of orbital transportation.
Military lifts ban on flash media
February 18, 2010 11:24 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsTwo years ago, DOD banned all “flash media” devices in an effort to contain the “Agent.btz” computer virus. In 2009, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, “I do not see the thumb drives going back here in the immediate future.” Yet a year later (nearly to the day), the ban has been lifted.
Fed CIO Agenda Focus Will Be on 'Troubled' Projects
February 12, 2010 4:24 am | Blogs | CommentsFederal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra outlined for reporters this week where his IT agenda will take the federal government and how it will get there.
New Applications and the Myth of the Killer App
February 12, 2010 4:05 am | by Rupert Baines, picoChip, www.picochip.com | Blogs | CommentsThe most exciting and perhaps most anticipated telecoms for new revenues is applications. We are starting to see these, the iPhone Apps for example, or Nokia’s “Comes with Music”.
Postponement, Funny Name, Big Value
February 10, 2010 9:06 am | by Jason Vaughn, UPS | Blogs | CommentsIf you casually mention postponement to your spouse, you will probably be accused of trying to get out of your “honey do” list. If you mention postponement to an inventory planner, you might see a nervous breakdown.
Tinker's Toolbox - Design Tools Discussion
February 9, 2010 6:30 am | Podcasts | CommentsModerated by Editorial Director Alix Paultre, participants in this conversation included Richard Levin from National Semiconductor, Richard McDonell from National Instruments, and Thierry Goossens and Bob Marshall from FCI.
Pack mule robot could aid soldiers, marines
February 9, 2010 5:19 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe military is constantly seeking the right balance between preparedness and maneuverability. Theoretically, we could turn foot soldiers into walking arsenals with nearly-impenetrable armor, but they wouldn’t be very mobile. Boston Dynamics may have a solution...
Speeding Things Along
February 9, 2010 3:59 am | by M Simon | Blogs | CommentsIBM has announced a really fast power transistor. Of course power is a relative thing. At the frequencies involved power is a relative thing. I'd say they would be doing good if they could get between 1 and 10 watts out of the device.
IBM to provide cloud computing solution for Air Force
February 5, 2010 6:21 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe Air Force has enlisted “Big Blue” itself, IBM, to develop a worldwide cloud computing infrastructure. The architecture would encompass nine major commands, nearly 100 bases, and 700,000 active military personnel around the world. Essentially, “cloud computing” refers to software applications and other functions that are “rented” online rather than hosted on company servers.
Army considers operating “Sky Warrior” remotely
February 4, 2010 8:38 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe Army is mulling the possibility of operating its largest UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) remotely. They’re considering “split-based” operations--part of the company would deploy in-theater, while the other would communicate remotely via satellite. The situation exposes a cultural rift between the Air Force and the Army.
Enhancing Operational Efficiencies While Reducing Costs in an Economic Downturn
February 3, 2010 9:57 am | by Naaman Shibi, Pervidi, www.pervidi.com.au | Blogs | CommentsHow can you provide more services per staff member, reduce administrative costs while at the same time providing quality work and delivering excellent customer service? This article is intended to help the reader start the process of evaluation to explore where inefficiencies may exist in your business environment.
“ChemBot” takes cue from The Terminator
February 2, 2010 4:13 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsIt can morph from a liquid to a solid state, but can’t form “knives and stabbing weapons.” It can squeeze through tight spaces, join with others, and expand in size. No, it’s not the T-1000, but a new “chemical robot” created by the Pentagon. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Association (DARPA) sought to create a “ChemBot” that could perform the following functions...
Are Fossil-Fuel CO2 Emissions a Problem?
February 1, 2010 6:06 am | by Ken Johnson | Blogs | CommentsThe Oct. 2007 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons contained a comprehensive 12 page report analyzing the factual data of over 100 studies concerning effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) on the environment.
Bomb-detecting “divining rod” banned for export
January 29, 2010 8:57 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThey say truth is stranger than fiction. Since 2008, Iraq’s military and police have utilized a divining rod (err, a “bomb detection device”) known as the ADE 651 to detect explosives. The ADE 651 has undoubtedly cost countless lives. Thus, justice was served when its creator, Jim McCormick, was arrested on suspicion of fraud.
“Smartgun” locks out unauthorized users
January 29, 2010 8:00 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsA gun owner’s worst nightmare is his own weapon being turned against him. The Armatix “Smartgun” concept presents a novel solution—fingerprint identification, combined with biometric authentication (paired with a wristwatch) makes the weapon useless in the wrong hands.
Air Force museum unveils Reaper exhibit
January 28, 2010 10:47 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsSince 2007, the MQ-9 Reaper RPV (Remotely Piloted Vehicle) has been on the front lines of the war on terror. It scored its first kill in October ’07, and has served a crucial role ever since. On Monday, the National Museum of the Air Force officially unveiled its new MQ-9 Reaper exhibit.
Cooling with multilayer capacitors
January 28, 2010 8:31 am | by M. Simon | Blogs | CommentsCooling with multilayer capacitors (MLC) is reported [pdf} by some Russian scientists. Here is an abstract from their paper.
One Laptop Per Child In Haiti
January 27, 2010 9:38 am | by M. Simon | Blogs | CommentsOne Laptop Per Child is working in Haiti to help mitigate the disaster. Here is part of their press release.
Help the Haitian innocents
January 26, 2010 5:00 am | Articles | CommentsHaiti is full of hard-working and industrious people just looking for a chance to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty and nonfunctional social systems that keep it the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. They only need a hand up, not a hand out, to "jump over their own shadows" and build a nation that functions for all of its people.
Next-Gen Touch Screen Inspired by Coffee Rings
January 26, 2010 3:50 am | by Eric Bland | Blogs | CommentsTaking advantage of ink's natural tendency to create "coffee rings," a group of Israeli scientists has developed a type of ink jet dye that could one day create a range of devices.
'Avatar' Coming to Life at Keesler AFB
January 22, 2010 8:31 am | Blogs | CommentsThe new blockbuster movie "Avatar" seems total fantasy, yet Keesler Air Force Base already is using avatar technology in a pilot cyberspace program.
Is the RCA Airnergy WiFi Hotspot Energy Harvesting Device for Real?
January 19, 2010 4:46 am | Videos | CommentsDave can smell marketing nonsense a mile away, so he checks out the new RCA WiFi Energy Harvesting "Airnergy" device with some back of the envelope calculations. Marketing BS or can it actually work?
The Internet entitlement mentality
January 19, 2010 4:24 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsThe Internet has connected the world as never before. But it’s also given rise to a pernicious entitlement mentality. A whole generation has been conditioned to expect everything for free (and quickly). Coupled with the practice of file-sharing, this entitlement mentality is destroying two industries—print media and the recording industry.
