ChasChas, your comment is funny. It also reminds me of when any business traveler carried at least half of all that stuff--at least everything but the toolbox and data acquisition hardware--and we kept hearing that real soon now it would all get merged and converged into a single handheld device. Uh, yeah, right, I don't think so. Today we may have 2 or 3 handhelds, especially those of us who need a laptop, but I'd guess it will be quite awhile before that toolbox goes away.
An engineering customer service representative, used to carry a laptop, calculator, toolbox, bagphone, data acquisition intruments, fax adaptor, pager, etc. - more.
It's getting so only the toolbox and phone is needed. Any way to get rid of the toolbox?
Yes thats a good point....i was already working on some cool mobile app tools for engineers soon to deploy on tablets when you published this . I am thrilled that i am on the right innovation wavelength...
Thank you for your article i have been inspired to rise to the challenge.
No formal stats, yet, Alex, but by most accounts (vendor interviews/analyst interviews/trolling around talking to engineers), deployment is pretty low at this stage of the game. Most of the major CAD/design tool vendors are releasing experimental offerings to see what works and what resonates with users. The thing about app development is it enourages a lot of DIYers to get out there (if they have a knowledge of iOS or Android platforms) and create their own app and get it into the Apple or Android apps stores. I think we'll see a lot of engineering apps created by engineers, in that vein. I also think that by this time next year, we'll see an even wider variety of apps and slightly more deployment. Again, remember this is not a replacement for traditional tools, but simply an adjunct capability on a device (smart phone/tablet) that is becoming as crucial to engineers as it is to others in business life.
Any idea what percentage of CAD/CAE etc. users are also using or sampling mobile apps? Is it still an early adopter phenomenon or is it moving into the mainstream?
I think the tool definitely has parentheses and a whole lot more. The strategy behind most of these mobile design tools is to pick one highly targeted piece of functionality and then leverage the unique capabilities of the mobile platform to deliver it in such a way that it drives productivity and makes life easier--especially when the engineer is on the go.
I'll be following up the slide show with a full-blown feature on mobile design tool apps, exploring what makes sense and what doesn't and how engineers are working the new platforms into their daily work routines. Keep an eye out for feature, which is slated to run in the print edition and online in May. If any one has any thoughts on how mobile design tool apps can and should be used, feel free to reach out to me. I'd love your perspective.
This slideshow really illustrates how much the engineering profession has changed in the past 30 years. In the late '70s, one calculator manufacturer rolled out a product with a little screen that allowed the user to type in equations with parentheses. In the office where I worked, the idea of owning a calulator with parentheses became the rage, and the engineers were crowding the stationary store next door to our office in downtown Chicago to buy the calculators. The owner of the stationary store was shocked and confused. He couldn't keep the calculators in stock. Now, here we have the CompCalc which is a tape roll adding machine, scientific calculator, engineering calculator, hex calculator and trigonometric calculator (and that's not even one of the more advanced apps shown here). And it's all offered on a handheld phone. I wonder if it has parentheses.
The iDVM is pretty darn cool. The manufacturer makes a comparison to the Fluke 289, trying to show theirs is better. The Fluke meter has a higher safety category and a larger voltage range, but in any case, it's just darn cool to see an app and hardware like that!
Using almost 200 light-emitting diodes in the front and back of the new 2014 CTS, Cadillac designers are showing how LEDs can change the character of a vehicle.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
