Computing
Top 10 must-read posts from March
April 3, 2013 10:47 am | 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.
Industrial analog I/O server targets process control and automation markets
April 3, 2013 10:26 am | Lantronix | Product Releases | CommentsLantronix added the xSenso Controller to its xSenso analog sensor networking family, designed specifically for use in rugged and harsh environments including industrial automation, process control, manufacturing, chemicals, and oil and gas industries. The new analog and relay outputs provide the ability to
One accelerometer interrupt pin for both wakeup and non-motion detection
April 2, 2013 4:48 pm | by Jay Esfandyari, Gang Xu, Fabio Pasolini, STMicroelectronics | Stmicroelectronics | Articles | CommentsMEMS accelerometers can output different kinds of interrupt signals such as data ready, freefall, portrait/landscape, single-click/double-click, and impact detection, etc. Some accelerometers have built-in wakeup and motionless detection features to automatically switch between lower output data rate (ODR) at low power mode and higher ODR at normal mode....
BIL Gates and the BioBrick Foundation: A new paradigm for biotechnology?
April 2, 2013 11:15 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | Blogs | CommentsNo, that’s not a typo in the headline. I’m not talking about the founder of Microsoft, though he is no doubt the reason that biotechnology researcher Drew Endy decided to name his new computer-in-a-cell devices Boolean Integrase Logic gates (BIL for short). The technology, which I’ll get to in a minute, is fascinating on its own.
Looking forward on Ethernet's 40th anniversary
April 2, 2013 10:24 am | by John D’Ambrosia, Chairman and Board of Directors, Ethernet Alliance Chief Ethernet Evangelist, CTO Office, Dell | Blogs | CommentsEthernet this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and anniversaries are typically the time to celebrate the past. But with so much innovation and development percolating across the global Ethernet ecosystem, there is little time for the technology’s vast array of stakeholders to look back on its successes.
Phone app for managing heart disease created by Rutgers-Camden nursing student
April 1, 2013 2:35 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsA new smart phone app that helps patients manage heart disease and stay out of the hospital has been developed by a team led by a Rutgers–Camden nursing student. Shannon Patel, manager of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's Heart Failure Program and an RN-to-BS student at the Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden, led a team at the hospital's Heart Institute that developed the WOW ME 2000mg app to help patients, their caregivers, and their family members identify and manage symptoms of heart failure.
Apple issues apology in China over service policies, but state media attacks seen backfiring
April 1, 2013 2:30 pm | by CHRISTOPHER BODEEN Associated Press | News | CommentsApple has issued an apology to Chinese consumers after government media attacked its repair policies for two weeks in a campaign that reeked of economic nationalism. A statement posted in Chinese to Apple's website on Monday said the complaints had prompted "deep reflection" and persuaded the company of the need to revamp its repair policies, boost communication with Chinese consumers and strengthen oversight of authorized resellers.
Virtual reality, goggles and all, attempts comeback at Game Developers Conference
April 1, 2013 8:47 am | by DERRIK J. LANG AP Entertainment Writer | News | CommentsIt's back. The virtual reality headset, the gizmo that was supposed to seamlessly transport wearers to three-dimensional virtual worlds, has made a remarkable return at this year's Game Developers Conference, an annual gathering of video game makers in San Francisco.
Apple patents iPhone with wraparound display, no physical buttons
April 1, 2013 8:45 am | by PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsApple is seeking a patent for an iPhone that has a display that wraps around the edges of the device, expanding the viewable area and eliminating all physical buttons. The patent application reveals that Apple has put some thought into a device that takes advantage of a new generation of displays, which don't have to be flat and rigid like today's liquid-crystal displays, or LCDs.
Once the world's fastest supercomputer, Los Alamos lab decides to decommission Roadrunner
April 1, 2013 8:43 am | by SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press | News | CommentsIt's the end of the line for Roadrunner, a first-of-its-kind collection of processors that once reigned as the world's fastest supercomputer. The $121 million supercomputer, housed at one of the nation's premier nuclear weapons research laboratories in northern New Mexico, will be decommissioned Sunday.
New Silicon Valley headquarters offer more perks than ever to recruit, retain talent
April 1, 2013 8:41 am | by MARTHA MENDOZA AP National Writer | News | CommentsCUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) -- Apple's ring-shaped, gleaming "Spaceship Headquarters" will include a world class auditorium and an orchard for engineers to wander. Google's new Bay View campus will feature walkways angled to force accidental encounters. Facebook, while putting final touches on a Disney-inspired campus including a Main Street with a B-B-Q shack, sushi house and bike shop, is already planning an even larger, more exciting new campus.
A legitimate case for drones
March 29, 2013 3:32 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThere’s been a lot of chatter in the news (and here on ECN) about drones. These arguments usually come down to questions about ethics, military power and tangentially the military industrial complex, and the relationship of the US with various other countries. It’s rare to see drones talked about in any context outside of military.
Researchers unveil large robotic jellyfish that one day could patrol oceans
March 29, 2013 2:59 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsVirginia Tech College of Engineering researchers have unveiled a life-like, autonomous robotic jellyfish the size and weight of a grown man, 5 foot 7 inches in length and weighing 170 pounds. The prototype robot, nicknamed Cyro, is a larger model of a robotic jellyfish the same team – headed by Shashank Priya of Blacksburg, Va., and professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech – unveiled in 2012. The earlier robot, dubbed RoboJelly, is roughly the size of a man's hand, and typical of jellyfish found along beaches.
Sixteen-bit MCUs tout advanced analog integration, 5-V operation
March 27, 2013 4:57 pm | Microchip Technology Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMicrochip added the PIC24F “KM” family to its 16-bit PIC microcontroller (MCU) portfolio. This family offers up to 16 KB Flash, 2 KB RAM and 512B EEPROM, along with advanced analog integration, in low pin-count options for cost-sensitive automotive, consumer, medical and industrial applications.
Application store, user community for PIC MCU software/firmware code examples, tools and utilities provides easy access to code
March 27, 2013 3:36 pm | Microchip Technology Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMicrochip Technology Inc., announced the expansion of its Embedded Code Source application store and embedded user community for PIC® MCU software/firmware code examples, tools and utilities, which often include the source code. Community members now have a single, easy-to-use source for both free code and premium code with advanced features,
Analog input boards boast 24-bit A/D resolution and 120 kilosample/second maximum sampling rates
March 26, 2013 10:36 am | United Electronic Industries | Product Releases | CommentsUnited Electronic Industries (UEI) announces the release of four new analog input boards. All four of the boards offer 8 analog input channels, 24-bit A/D resolution and 120 kilosample/second maximum sampling rates. All four boards also offer complete, 350 Vrms channel-to-channel and channel-to-chassis isolation.
Silicon photonics chips boast 100 gigabits per second 4x25 QSFP package
March 22, 2013 4:42 pm | Product Releases | CommentsKotura announced a silicon photonics industry first. The company unveiled its Optical Engine in a Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) package. Kotura's Optical Engine uses Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), in which different signals can share the same path.
Raspberry Pi Breadboard PCB Kits are 100% compatible with Pi Cobbler
March 22, 2013 3:52 pm | Newark | Product Releases | CommentsMaking permanent connections is as easy as pie for fans of the credit-card size computer sensation known as Raspberry Pi. Available in full, half and quarter sizes at leading electronics distributor Newark element14, Adafruit’s Perma-Proto for Pi Breadboard PCB kits feature the same labelled breakouts as their Pi Cobbler, assuring a seamless transition.
Silicon photonics chips offer both 100G WDM and 100G feature WDM in QSFP package
March 21, 2013 3:01 pm | Product Releases | CommentsKotura, Inc. announced it is rolling out an optical engine in a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) package. The optical engine uses wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), in which different signals can share the same path. It is demonstrating WDM in a
AWG touts 50 GS/s sample rate for high-speed test apps, advanced research
March 20, 2013 6:24 pm | Tektronix | Product Releases | CommentsTektronix unveiled its next generation of arbitrary waveform generators that offer up to 50 GS/s sample rate performance. The new AWG70000 Series supports a range of demanding signal generation requirements in defense electronics, high-speed serial, optical networking and advanced research
Lady brains: Dumbing down technology for women
March 15, 2013 3:53 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsManufacturers are constantly trying to find ways to appeal specifically to women. The justification is often that their product—be it pens, cars, or toys—sells with men, but they’re trying to attract more women. It’s a logical thought process: figure out what a demographic wants, market those specific traits, sell more product.
Using biometrics to avoid credit fraud
March 14, 2013 2:45 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsCredit fraud is a growing problem, and new technology isn’t making it any better. With the advent of electronic wallets and fewer cash transactions, maintaining privacy and verifying identity are becoming an alarming issue.
CFP2 SR10 optical transceiver targets high-density 100G Ethernet, OTN apps
March 13, 2013 2:44 pm | Product Releases | CommentsAvago Technologies announced a new 100G CFP2 optical transceiver, the AFBR-8420Z. The device is a 10-channel pluggable, multi-mode parallel optic transceiver module designed for high-density 100G Ethernet and Optical Transport Network (OTN). The transceiver is designed to
Single board computer enables fast and reliable data transfer in extreme rugged and mobile environments
March 13, 2013 1:24 pm | Adlink Technology | Product Releases | CommentsADLINK Technology releases its newest Extreme Rugged CoreModule offering. The ADLINK CoreModule 920, with outstanding mechanical, thermal and power design, is able to support Intel Core i7 performance with low power consumption in a small PC/104 form factor....
GPIB Driver controls test instruments on Windows 8 operating systems
March 13, 2013 10:22 am | Ics Electronics | Product Releases | CommentsToday, ICS Electronics announced the release of their updated GPIB Driver for controlling test instruments on Windows 8 operating systems. Designated as 488.2V4, this updated driver fully supports 32 and 64-bit Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems.
