When I started writing this blog, I promised to flush out bad design. Well, the Maxtor Network Attached Storage back-up drive (model H01R300) I lambasted a few months ago still confounds me. Why? I can't shut it off w/o pulling the power cord which makes me very nervous with a 300GB drive. That's could have been what killed the first unit that I returned.
I press the alleged power switch, hold it in for five seconds like the instructions say and it powers down. But when I release the power button, it comes back on. I am on a rampage to get the kilwatt hours at my home below a grand and have replaced incandescents light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and shut down the hot tub for a month. For sure, the drive is not the worst electricity guzzler in the house, but the noisy hard drive motor is a constant reminder something is switched on when it needn't be.
Safety networks have become more complex, and have actually become simpler and easier to deploy for plant operators. This slideshow highlights developments in plant safety with an emphasis on integrated safety networks.
As the MEMS industry spans a myriad of industries and markets, the future of MEMS in consumer electronics will enable a myriad of functionality, applications, and personalization.
The Nest is a sleek-looking digital thermostat which can actually "learn" its owners' schedule and then continue to regulate temperature to suit the user's preferences and patterns.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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