Editor's View
The 10-letter keyboard that will make your head hurt
October 11, 2012 4:50 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsThe ASETNIOP keyboard is one of those things that may be great for future generations but will have a tough time integrating itself into the current workforce. The keyboard works on the premise that the traditional setup for typing is structurally inefficient, and you really only need 10 buttons to type
What equipment do you need to skydive from 120,000 feet?
October 11, 2012 8:54 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsBy this point, you’ve probably heard that Felix Baumgartner is planning to skydive from 120,000 feet above the earth. For the record, that’s about 23 miles from solid ground. The jump was originally supposed to happen on October 9, but because of 14 mph wind speeds—they needed speeds of less than 2 mph to jump safely
Prevent accidents by making your backseat disappear
October 9, 2012 11:16 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsCrunch. That’s the last sound you want to hear when you’re backing up your car. It is scary. It is alarming. It is NOT a good sound.It’s the reason dashboard cams were invented. Unfortunately, the embedded cameras only show a small portion of what’s behind the car, and accidents still happen.
Making moves and harvesting energy
October 3, 2012 2:49 pm | by Janine E. Mooney, Editor | News | CommentsEngineers are tossing the batteries and making advances to save wasted energy in more effective and realistic ways. Today’s technology offers the OEM more cultivated and feasible power options for wireless networks and devices. Also known as “power harvesting” or “energy scavenging”, energy harvesting is when energy originates elsewhere, from an external source.
Why you should support improvements in electric car chargers
October 3, 2012 8:55 am | Articles | CommentsPeople simply don’t think of electric cars as long-distance vehicles. It’s a car to run down the street and grab some groceries, make the 15 miles commute to work or—like one of my friends—if you live in Hawaii and can’t really drive that far. It’s not an option most people think about for a regular car.
10 must-see posts from September
October 1, 2012 12:28 pm | by The ECN Editors | Articles | CommentsHere’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles for September. They all come with a witty, engaging summary just in case you missed them the first time or want to check up on an old favorite. Keep checking out the Lead and follow us on twitter @ecnmagazine for our most up-to-date articles.
Would you use a dissolvable medical implant?
September 28, 2012 2:08 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsPart of the problem with implanted medical devices -- for example a birth control, drug delivery device like Implanon and Nexplanon -- is that eventually, they must be removed. This is proving particularly difficult with the Implanon and Nexplanon, as occasionally fibrous sheath
How a space hater becomes a space junkie
September 26, 2012 8:55 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor, Space Nerd | Articles | CommentsSpace has never really interested me. When I was forced to go to a Star Trek museum at age 10 and a man dressed as a Klingon--the fictional warrior race--chased me around the gift shop, I was pretty much done with how “fun” space could be.
Incandescent ban evokes nanny state
September 18, 2012 8:50 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsI've never thought of incandescents as dangerous contraband, but beginning September 30th, the Edison light bulb will be analogous with moonshine liquor and mind-altering drugs. Absent legislative action (which caused this mess in first place), this quintessential lighting technology faces mandatory retirement.
When smart cars get street smart
September 13, 2012 8:47 am | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsIn recent years, there’s been a lot of buzz about automotive infotainment systems — features that are built into recent model cars that can offer anything from satellite navigation, DVD players, internet access and more. This has led to concern from regulators about driver inattention and its impact on safety.
Twitter politics: How social media impacts presidential elections
September 10, 2012 5:28 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsThe news that President Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention was the "biggest political moment ever" on Twitter isn’t exactly surprising, but it’s worth taking a look at how social media influences political contests.
10 must-see posts from August
September 6, 2012 4:23 pm | by Editors | Blogs | CommentsHere’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles for August. They all come with a witty, engaging summary just in case you missed them the first time or want to check up on an old favorite. Keep checking out the Lead and follow us on twitter @ecnmagazine for our most up-to-date articles.
End your parking woes with this foldable car
September 5, 2012 3:12 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsAnyone who has ever lived in a city knows what it feels like to drive around attempting to find street parking before giving up and dumping the car in an expensive garage. If you frequently suffer from No Parking Spaces Syndrome (or NPSS)...
A guide to enjoying the (inevitable) robot takeover
August 30, 2012 11:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsLet's face it: Robots are better than people.They’re more dependable than humans (i.e. no sick days), they’re usually cheaper, and they don’t complain. The downside is pretty obvious as well, at least with the primitive robots we have today:
Pieces from classic sci-fi dystopias are falling into place
August 29, 2012 12:52 pm | Articles | CommentsOn June 5, the literary world lost a true legend with the passing of Ray Bradbury. His death – along with some recent events here in local news – got me thinking back to my teenage years where his masterpiece Fahrenheit 451 was required reading at my high school along with George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (and I’d be remiss if I didn’t italicize titles of literary works when thinking about my high school English-Lit teacher).
Why Nikola Tesla deserves a museum
August 27, 2012 9:52 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsNikola Tesla is arguably one of the most underappreciated scientists in history. He was a very cool, brilliant guy, but money wasn’t really his strong suit. He built a laboratory called the Wardenclyffe Tower in Shoreham, New York, which he lost due to his financial problems. The tower that Wardenclyffe was named for was destroyed in 1917, 15 years after it was built.
Would you eat printed meat?
August 21, 2012 1:56 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | Comments3D printing is a hot topic issue in the tech world with everything from printed guns to printed arms making headlines around the world.The newest 3D item to hit the scene? Printed meat. Modern Meadows,a firm looking to develop “high value, food grade animal protein”
Would you trust brakes that think for you?
August 14, 2012 11:34 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsIn keeping with the vehicle safety theme I’ve self-cultivated with Signal and the inflatable seatbelt, let’s take a look at the world of brakes, specifically Automatic Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS). The idea behind AEBS is that in the event that you, the driver, are unable or incapable of braking in order to avoid a collision with a car, pedestrian, object, your garage door, etc. the car will take (complete or partial) control...
Internet sales tax could foster anti-business climate
August 14, 2012 10:44 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsThe prospect of an Internet sales tax has hung over the head of e-commerce like the Sword of Damocles. It’s the boogeyman that threatens to pull the World Wide Web into the stone age of brick-and-mortar. But the ugly rumors may finally be true. A bill under consideration in the Senate would impose an Internet sales tax and amend any “competitive” disparity. Prepare to spend a lot more for your online purchases.
NI deploys LabVIEW and CompactRIO in wake of Fukushima nuclear disaster
August 8, 2012 10:19 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsOne of the more unique applications of National Instruments’ LabVIEW design platform was its recent deployment during the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In conjunction with Kyoto University, NI created the Kyoto University RAdiation MApping (KURAMA) system, which measured gamma rays in the Fukushima Prefecture. At NI Week 2012, I learned more about this intriguing development.
Enough with the Twitter Olympics
July 31, 2012 3:38 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsIt’s official, people: Twitter has taken over the Olympics. Yes, we all know about Ryan Loche and Michael Phelps. Even the Queen’s granddaughter (a silver medalist) is popping up in the Olympic news, but let’s focus on what’s important during this competition: Twitter. It seems for every story you read about the craziness of antiquated gymnastic rules and disappointing defeats, there is a story about Twitter.
Full steam ahead for the Navy’s controversial “Great Green Fleet”
July 30, 2012 4:43 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsThe Navy has embarked on an ambitious green energy program, which could cost upwards of $2 billion per year. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus must convince a skeptical Congress, Senate, and public that investing in pricey alternative fuels — in the midst of the worst recession in decades — will reap dividends.
Why YouTube should remain anonymous
July 27, 2012 9:45 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsAnyone who has ever spent any time on YouTube reading the comments is familiar with—as Slate calls it-- the “abandon all hope ye who enter here” atmosphere of the community. When you dare scroll down past the episode of Hogan’s Heroes you’ve been watching, you’ll find all manner of misogynistic, racist, homophobic, anti-liberal, anti-conservative, anti-religion...
What’s the deal with Apple’s environmental policy?
July 16, 2012 8:44 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsYou may have heard that Apple recently asked environmental watchdog EPEAT to remove 39 of its products from its registry and informed the organization it will no longer submit its computers for testing. It seems like an odd request, considering Apple helped create EPEAT in 2006 along with the government and several other big computer players.
Who is minding the Fourth Amendment gate?
July 13, 2012 9:33 am | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsFor all the cool and exciting features that our smart phones provide, it’s easy to forget that these pocket-sized computers/entertainment centers aren’t always as liberating as they seem – and I’m not just talking about the burdens that come with the data plans. Recently, Rep. Edward J. Markey, co-chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, requested the 2011 surveillance records from the nation’s cellular carriers.
