Consumer
More than just a mother, now she's your 'friend'
May 10, 2013 9:48 am | by MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer | News | CommentsJosh Knoller, a young professional in New York City, spent years refusing his mother's "Friend Request" on Facebook before, eventually, "caving in." Today they have an agreement: she'll try not to make embarrassing comments, and he can delete them if she does.
Hit a 90 mph baseball? Scientists pinpoint how we see it coming
May 9, 2013 3:47 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsHow does San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval swat a 95 mph fastball, or tennis icon Venus Williams see the oncoming ball, let alone return her sister Serena's 120 mph serves? For the first time, vision scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have pinpointed how the brain tracks fast-moving objects.
Mid-power LEDs achieve up to 140 lm/W efficacy
May 9, 2013 11:51 am | Philips Lumileds | Product Releases | CommentsPhilips Lumileds introduced the LUXEON 3535 2D, which combines two LED chips in a package to enable reduction in LED count and cost of designing retrofit lamps, consumer downlights and diffuse industrial lamps. Its efficacy of 140 lm/W is achieved for cool white light at 4000K and minimum 80 CRI. The new
Engineering Update #10: Smart home robots & the printable bionic ear
May 9, 2013 11:20 am | Videos | CommentsThis episode of Engineering Update from ECN is brought to you by Mouser Electronics. In this week's headlines: Honda has recently announced that it is teaming up with Japan's Sekisui to design model households using smart technologies. So far, the robotics program has created humanoid robots and a personal mobility vehicle.
Illuminated pushbutton switches offer RGB color options
May 8, 2013 11:51 am | E-Switch | Product Releases | CommentsE-Switch announced its LP6 Series LED illuminated pushbutton switch includes a color option. The switch is available with either SPST or DPST circuit options, and it is a momentary switch. It offers a 15-mm square sculptured cap with LED color options that now include
Engineering Newswire 36: Electric car charge time cut in half
May 8, 2013 9:54 am | Videos | CommentsThe new fast-charging system from Volvo and Siemens is cutting recharge times in electric vehicles down to 90 minutes. The new 22 kilowatt fast-charger system is an on-board charger that operates on a 3-phase supply, and uses a 3-phase outlet to provide enough charge for a range of 102 miles in 90 minutes.
SMT limiter diode targets receiver protection applications
May 6, 2013 12:13 pm | Skyworks Solutions, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsSkyworks Solutions introduced a surface mount limiter diode for receiver protection applications. The CLA4608-085LF is a low capacitance silicon PIN limiter diode designed for high power applications ranging from 10 MHz to over 6 GHz. The maximum resistance at
Portable device provides rapid, accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis, other bacterial infections
May 6, 2013 12:11 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsA handheld diagnostic device that investigators first developed to diagnose cancer has been adapted to rapidly diagnose tuberculosis and other important infectious bacteria. The portable devices combine microfluidic technology with nuclear magnetic resonance to not only diagnose but also determine the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.
Nintendo turns to smartphone apps for its consoles
May 6, 2013 11:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNintendo Co. is trying to enable users of its game consoles to enjoy popular smartphone applications on their devices in a bid to boost sales and return to profitability on an operating basis in the current business year, company sources said Saturday.
Are you a tax cheat if you shop online tax-free?
May 6, 2013 11:11 am | by STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press | News | CommentsBuy anything on the Internet lately without paying sales tax? In all but a few states, you're probably a tax cheat. That's right, even if Internet retailers don't collect sales tax at the time of the purchase, you're required by law to pay it in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
Super-Junction MOSFETs add dedicated control input for increased switching efficiency
May 6, 2013 10:58 am | Stmicroelectronics | Product Releases | CommentsSTMicroelectronics introduced the first MDmesh V Super-Junction MOSFET featuring a new package technology that increases the efficiency of power circuitry in equipment such as white goods, televisions, PCs, telecom, and server switched-mode power supplies. The new TO247-4 4-lead package
Pentagon clears use of Samsung's devices
May 6, 2013 10:41 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSamsung Electronics Co. says the U.S. Department of Defense has approved using Samsung smartphones for its networks. The South Korean company said Friday the Galaxy S4 smartphone has become the first Android device to meet the security requirements set out by the U.S. government...
More than a game: Exploring new digital frontiers
May 3, 2013 2:03 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsA groundbreaking new initiative led by the University of York, with partners at Cass Business School, part of City University London and Durham University Business School, aims to unlock the potential for scientific and social benefits in digital games.
The most technologically-advanced toilet in the world
May 3, 2013 9:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsThough people often refer to the toilet as “the throne,” the euphemism has never been taken quite this literally before. Kohler, the family-owned bath and kitchen company and inventor of all around fancy bathroom fixtures, has really gone all out with their newest creation, Numi.
Given tablets but no teachers, kids teach themselves – having never seen advanced technology before
May 3, 2013 6:28 am | by Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog | Blogs | CommentsIn a repetition of an experiment I have posted about here on the Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog before (Letting Children Learn – Hole in the Wall Computers): Given Tablets but No Teachers, Ethiopian Children Teach Themselves The experiment … Continue reading →
Bonding with your virtual self may alter your actual perceptions
May 2, 2013 2:28 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsWhen people create and modify their virtual reality avatars, the hardships faced by their alter egos can influence how they perceive virtual environments, according to researchers.A group of students who saw that a backpack was attached to an avatar that they had created overestimated the heights of virtual hills...
Tele-what? YouTube touts itself not as a TV alternative, but a new-generation video platform
May 2, 2013 9:35 am | by JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer | News | CommentsYouTube vs. TV? YouTube says the battle - if there ever was one - is over. In a flashy presentation to advertisers Wednesday night, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt declined to forecast that Internet video will displace television watching. Instead he declared: "That's already happened."
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.
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.
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
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...
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.
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.
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....
