Electronics News and Comment

The latest news and information on analog/digital control, components/hardware, embedded systems, power/thermal management, and sensors for design engineers.

Saturn Demise Might Be Saddest Of All

Posted by Charles Murray on April 30, 2009

The demise of Pontiac has grabbed auto industry headlines over the past few days, but little has been said about GM’s abrupt change in plans for its Saturn Corp. Yesterday, the giant automaker said it no longer plans to build Saturns through the end of 2011. Instead, it will phase out Saturn at the end of the 2009 model year. That’s sad. Those who recall the history of Saturn know th ...... Read More

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Dishwashers Down, Flat-Screen TVs Up

Posted by Charles Murray on April 24, 2009

A study by Pew’s Social & Demographic Trends Project reveals that when it comes to technology, Americans are changing their definition of necessity. The study asked 1,000 U.S. adults to name their necessities among such products as cars, clothes dryers, air conditioners, television sets, home computers, cell phones, microwaves and high-speed Internet, among others. The results: Clothes ...... Read More

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NI to Present Green Engineering Virtual Event Series During Earth Week

Posted by Charles Murray on April 16, 2009

Next week National Instruments is presenting a Green Engineering Virtual Event Series exploring topics around green engineering. Design News is the official media sponsor of this event. This series of five live webcasts will provide engineers and scientists information on how to use the most current measurement and control tools and techniques to design, develop and improve technologies that resul ...... Read More

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Tesla Promises To Roll Out EV With 300-Mile Range

Posted by Charles Murray on March 27, 2009

Tesla Motors says it has begun taking orders for the Model S, an all-electric sedan that carries seven people and travels an extraordinary 300 miles between charges. A press release posted on the company’s website yesterday declares that the new model, expected to cost about $50,000, will be rechargeable from 120V, 240V, and 480V outlets. Using the 480V outlet, the company says the Model S ...... Read More

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Asian Cars Dominate Ratings...Again

Posted by Charles Murray on March 17, 2009

Consumer Reports has published its annual vehicle reliability ratings in its April issue, and the results are predictable. Just as they do every year, Asian cars dominate the list of the best. Twenty-nine of the 30 top vehicles stretching from 1999 to 2008 are Asian. Most are Toyotas. North American and European vehicles, meanwhile, dominate the “worst” list. Of the worst thirty, 14 ...... Read More

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Apple Rolls Out Talking iPod

Posted by Charles Murray on March 11, 2009

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple Inc. has introduced an iPod Shuffle that announces songs and playlists in 14 different languages. Apple reportedly says that it has moved the device’s controls to the earphone cord, rather than putting them on the device itself. The new $79 four-gigabyte product will play as many as 1,000 songs, as many as the first iPod, which sold for $399 in 200 ...... Read More

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Relay Failure Spurs Giant Referigerator Recall

Posted by Charles Murray on March 10, 2009

An electrical failure in a relay has caused Maytag Corp. to recall 1.6 million refrigerators. The faulty relay, which turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, can cause overheating and is considered a potential fire hazard. A Maytag web site says that it has received 41 reports of “refrigerator relay ignition,” including 16 reports of property damage. Affected brands include Ma ...... Read More

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Rocketeers Aim For The Sky

Posted by Charles Murray on March 10, 2009

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reports that a San Jose-based company called Thunderbolt Aerosystems hopes to popularize jetpacks. The jetpacks sell for $90,000, and the newspaper reports that the company’s founder admits that the packs - which emit a 1,300° exhaust stream - “can be dangerous for self-taught pilots.” Still, the firm says it has collected deposits f ...... Read More

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Americans Continue To Lose Faith In Detroit

Posted by Charles Murray on February 24, 2009

It sounds ridiculous to say that Americans are losing faith in Detroit. Most Americans, after all, would argue that their faith in Detroit disappeared a long time ago. But according to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, Americans really are losing faith in the American auto industry. The report, released last week, said that “64% of U.S. voters are opposed to providing any addit ...... Read More

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Is Engineering Education Too 'Science-Centric?'

Posted by Charles Murray on February 13, 2009

A recent publication from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching raises questions about whether engineering curricula are sufficiently focused on professional concerns. The study’s authors hint at the idea that engineering programs have too often put professional issues on the backburner while emphasizing a very “science-centric” approach to education. To be s ...... Read More

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Layoffs Continue For Engineers

Posted by Charles Murray on February 11, 2009

Following on the heels of yesterday’s announcement that Nissan will lay off 20,000, General Motors today said it will cut its salaried workforce by 14%, which amounts to about 10,000 jobs. A list of other major product manufacturers that have recently cut workforce in a big way, according to The Wall Street Journal: Boeing &#x ...... Read More

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Obama, Pope Show Tech Savvy

Posted by Charles Murray on January 29, 2009

It’s official: Those who haven’t yet embraced YouTube, Facebook and BlackBerries are out of touch. In the past week, the Chicago Tribune and numerous other news outlets have reported that President Barack Obama is still using his Blackberry, having worked out an arrangement that lets him keep the device despite the concerns of security advisors. Thus, Obama reportedly becomes the fir ...... Read More

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