Medical
Would these “smart” ice cubes change how you drink?
January 17, 2013 2:24 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsSometimes great technology comes out of bad life experiences. Like the time Dhairya Dand from MIT Media Lab was so intoxicated he blacked out, and came up with an idea for a technology that would prevent people from drinking too much.By placing a smart LED inside molds of waterproof, edible jelly...
Designing a smart TV remote using a 2.4GHz RF radio
January 15, 2013 10:13 am | by RamaSai Krishna Vakkantula, Cypress | Cypress | Articles | CommentsToday’s television manufacturers are designing televisions that are smart and have the ability to connect to the Internet so that users can browse web content and socialize. Usually these smart TVs are mounted on the wall and all other entertainment equipment islocated behind the closed doors of an entertainment center.
Could this circuit board prevent 2,000 infant deaths per year?
January 11, 2013 9:23 am | by Editor | Blogs | CommentsSIDS is the leading cause of death among infants between the ages of one month to one year. The most recent statistics put the number of deaths at about 2,226 per year, nearly seven infants per day.In hopes of lowering the number of infants who succumb to SIDS,
Remote module provides fast, easy solution for adding PROFIBUS Master and Slave connectivity to Rockwell Logix controllers
January 9, 2013 11:09 am | Molex | Product Releases | CommentsMolex Incorporated introduces the SST™ IP67 PB3 Remote Module for PROFIBUS*. A linking device with on-board PROFIBUS and Ethernet communication ports, the SST IP67 PB3 remote module provides a fast and easy solution for adding PROFIBUS Master and Slave connectivity to Rockwell Logix controllers (CompactLogix, ControlLogix, SoftLogix†, etc).
Why the computer mouse will soon be obsolete
January 8, 2013 9:04 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsIf you thought being able to “pinch” your iPad screen to zoom was cool, hold on to your hats, because there is something even better coming: a way to use your computer without even touching it.To fully understand why this technology is so awesome, you have to ask yourself about the actual reason the computer mouse is designed the way is it.
Integrated analog front end targets photometry market
January 7, 2013 2:33 pm | Texas Instruments | Product Releases | CommentsTexas Instruments Incorporated (TI) unveiled what is said to be the industry’s first family of fully integrated analog front ends (AFEs) for photometry. According to the company, the AFE44xx family integrates all the front end components and associated timing control circuitry of a typical photometry
Would you like to contribute to our Brainstorm section?
January 2, 2013 4:50 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe here at ECN love to hear what you have to say, so for our February issue we’re opening up the Brainstorm discussion to our faithful readers. We want to hear your thoughts about consumer electronics and the future of technology. Typically, the Brainstorm is an editorial section consisting of short commentary....
The challenges of miniaturization
December 20, 2012 1:16 pm | by Bruno Fauvel, Segment Manager, Portescap | Portescap | Articles | CommentsWith miniaturization often comes the challenge to produce the same amount of work as in large design, thus creating more power in a smaller envelope. Engineers should look at the different impact of dimension on motor performance criteria (efficiency, power, thermal dissipation, inertia, etc.).
Mind-controlled robotic arm gets closer than ever to human limb
December 17, 2012 10:03 am | by Chris Wickham, Reuters | News | CommentsResearchers in the United States have developed a robotic arm controlled directly by thought with a level of agility closer than ever to a normal human limb. Jan Scheuermann, a 52 year-old woman who was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder 13 years ago and is paralyzed from the neck down,
Significant challenges remain for miniaturization of devices
December 14, 2012 4:20 pm | by AJ Smith, Honeywell Sensing and Control | Honeywell Sensing And Control | Articles | CommentsDevice miniaturization is integral to the design and development of a wide range of medical devices, including analytical test equipment, ventilators, and infusion pumps. Making devices smaller and lighter helps conserve valuable real estate in patient rooms, enabling equipment to be placed closer to the patient as well as allowing more space for medical professionals to work.
Got food allergies? Thanks to UCLA, you can test your meal on the spot using a cell phone
December 13, 2012 9:07 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsAre you allergic to peanuts and worried there might be some in that cookie? Now you can find out using a rather unlikely source: your cell phone. A team of researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed a lightweight device called the iTube, which attaches to a common cell phone to detect allergens in food samples.
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed host controller IC provides providing 480 Mbit/s capability
December 10, 2012 2:29 pm | Product Releases | CommentsFuture Technology Devices International Limited (FTDI) has strengthened its portfolio of USB semiconductor solutions, with the release of the FT313H host controller IC. This feature-rich device supports USB 2.0 hi-speed (480 Mbits/s), as well as full-speed (12 Mbit/s) and low-speed (1.5 M bit/s) implementations.
Laser-structured, high-performance polymers are ideal combination for miniaturization
December 6, 2012 4:15 pm | by Anthony Verrocchi, Technical Marketing Engineer, Ticona Engineering Polymers | Articles | CommentsAs the requirements for medical devices become more demanding, accessing new technologies and materials to miniaturize components is essential. Miniaturization of medical devices is dependent upon the reliability of their assembled components, which is crucial for proper functioning devices.
Top 10 must-see posts for November
December 6, 2012 3:38 pm | by The ECN Editors | Articles | 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.
Neuroscientists prove ultrasound can be tweaked to stimulate different sensations
December 6, 2012 2:26 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsA century after the world's first ultrasonic detection device – invented in response to the sinking of the Titanic – Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists have provided the first neurophysiological evidence for something that researchers have long suspected: ultrasound applied to the periphery,
TWIE 125: Non-Lethal Missile Knocks Out Electronics
November 28, 2012 4:25 pm | by Engineering.com | Videos | CommentsTWIE 125: Non-Lethal Missile Knocks Out Electronics: This Week in Engineering - Seismologists convicted of manslaughter; finding damaged nuclear cores; power outage missile; robot tightrope-walker; testing bridges with rain; and bricks from cow blood.
Type 6 module includes three independent display interfaces
November 27, 2012 1:09 pm | Product Releases | CommentsADLINK Technology presents its latest COM Express offering, the Express-IB. The Express-IB is a high performance COM.0 R2.0 Type 6 module featuring an Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processor supporting Intel HD Graphics integrated on the CPU with three independent displays.
This watch could save your kid’s life
November 19, 2012 11:35 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsIf you’ve ever felt that heart-in-throat, hyperventilating, out-of-body feeling of not being able to find your kid in a park or after school, only to have her reappear after a few seconds of mind-numbing panic, you can understand why someone would want to invent a Lojack for children.
This “smart” traffic light could cut commutes by 60 percent
November 14, 2012 11:08 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsWere you aware of the fact that you waste one week per year sitting in traffic? One week per year. That is 7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, stuck in traffic. Not only is it a huge waste of time, breathing in the exhaust fumes while you sit and mentally-fume can actually be dangerous to your health
Ultra-low noise mixed-signal chip improves performance in Siemens X-ray computed tomography scanner
November 14, 2012 10:13 am | Product Releases | Commentsams announced that it is supplying a highly integrated ASIC which enables a new Siemens photo-detector module for computer tomography (CT) to deliver higher resolution images at lower X-ray dosages. The ams ASIC, which is part of Siemens’ new Stellar CT photo-detector module, captures and digitizes images of a patient’s body.
Power supply series adds 310-W and 1500-W models with industrial and medical safety approvals
November 13, 2012 12:15 pm | Product Releases | CommentsEmerson Network Power launched two new models in the LCM Series of AC-DC power supplies. With the addition of the LCM300 and LCM1500, rated for 310 W and 1,500 W loads, alongside the existing 600 W LCM600 unit, the series can now provide
Donating in the wake of Sandy gets social with apps
November 12, 2012 2:18 pm | by Natasha Baker, Reuters | News | CommentsPeople eager to support relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy can use apps that provide creative ways of donating to charity and nudge friends to do the same.Budge, an iPhone app released last week, aims to make donating to charity social. Friends can challenge each other in games and activities such as chess or
Pedometers play up every step you take
November 12, 2012 9:04 am | by Dorene Internicola, Reuters | News | CommentsPedometers have ticked off many miles since Leonardo da Vinci sketched his version, essentially a pendulum for walkers, in the 15th century.While step counting will never be a magic fitness pill, experts say this most pedestrian of gadgets can put extra spring in an ambulatory routine. "Just as a watch can't make a person be on time,
Medical devices powered by the ear itself
November 9, 2012 9:24 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsDeep in the inner ear of mammals is a natural battery — a chamber filled with ions that produces an electrical potential to drive neural signals. In today's issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology, a team of researchers from MIT, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and the Harvard-MIT
Do you have what it takes to be a Roundtable expert?
November 8, 2012 11:11 am | Articles | CommentsIn October, we asked you for your words of wisdom for a brand-new design engineer and boy, did you guys have advice in spades. The responses we received were so good in fact, we’ve decided to open up our December Roundtable to our faithful readers in hopes that you can offer more words of wisdom.
