Design News Search Engineer

Introducing the world's smallest 100mW fuel cell, Microsoft under your skin, more

2004-06-25T08:06:00.000-05:00

Toshiba today announced a prototype fuel cell that can be used to operate devices such as MP3 players -- in fact the 8.5g cell generates 100mW of power - enough, Toshiba said, to run a MP3 player for 20 hours.

As if Microsoft isn't everywhere already, they've now received a patent to use the human body as a power source...Of course, no mention if we have to have the MS window tattooed somewhere on our bodies if we become a walking wireless network...and would that mean someone sitting next to me on the bus can use my body to transmit his hip hop?

Is GM outsourcing all it's engineering and design to GM Daewoo in Korea? Well, they have hired 200 new engineers in Seoul to run with this...

Finally, National University's School of Engineering and Technology is going to offer a MS degree in homeland security and safety engineering.

They did it, now what?

2004-06-21T12:49:00.000-05:00

SpaceShipOne flew 62 miles just breaking free of the atmosphere and then coming back to earth.This CNN link also features a 3d movable model of the Burt Rutan design. The pilot became the first privately-sponsored astronaut in history during his historic two-hour flight.

So what's next? Now they have to put together 3 folks to duplicate the trip in order to win the $10 million X Prize. But there are 24 other private entities world-wide also in the running.

Space Travel for all

2004-06-14T07:56:00.000-05:00

Burt Rutan, 1988 Design News Engineer of the Year, will be testing his SpaceShipOne next week in the Mojave Desert. He's backed by Microsoft's Paul Allen and the hope is if this flight is successful it's a major step to winning the $10 million Ansari X Prize, a competition begun by a group of entrepreneurs to encourage a private space race.

Rutan is famous for the Voyager, which circled the globe in '86 without refueling.(Scaled Composites)

Flashbacks

2004-05-20T07:32:00.000-05:00

Remember the Moog Synthesizer? Believe it or not fellow boomers and music lovers, it's 40 years old. Invented by engineer Bob Moog, they had a concert this week in NYC. There's even a Moog archive site with drawings of the first Moog. Wanna do your own Moog? Then check the University of California page on the Moog.
Celebrate this great invention and listen to some of the old LPs featuring the Moog, including Abby Road, Pet Sounds, Swtiched-on Bach, and one of my personal favorites, the classic Popcorn!

The Dentist's chair

2004-05-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

Man, if you hate having dental work as much as I do, you are going to love this article from Wired today. How about growing teeth back well into adulthood? Using ozone to painlessly zap cavities? No more novacaine!

Mileage lies?

2004-05-13T06:52:00.000-05:00

Have a hybrid car? If not, maybe you'll want to hold off buying one for a while. In an article from Wiredhybrid cars get less than 60% on the average of advertised mileage. Of course, there are new diesel hybrid cars that show a promise. Final car story on Wired today, cars that learn...

Gadgets of the future

2004-05-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

One site I check nearly every day is www.wired.com...there is just so much great news/info on the site...for instance, today is a fascinating story of "The shape of things to come". There are ideas for the not so far future on electronic trinkets, on medicine, on transportation, on space.

A wireless world

2004-05-04T07:26:00.000-05:00

Or so it seems if you read through the special in today's NY Times.

Also in the Times, is the U.S. losing its dominance in science and technology? If you look at the trend of dropping, patents, the U.S. has been steadily falling.

2004-05-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

No latch recall for Ford...even after engineers said it needed to be done due to a faulty latch. The recall is said to have cost the automaker more than $525 million, but it's now dealing with at least 16 lawsuits.

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) released some bad news...a large percentage of EE jobs are being outsourced overseas, with a 50% jobless rate in this area alone since 2002.

For some historical reading, The Scotman has an interesting article on when Rolls met Royce.

And keep an eye out on Weds. for a Congressional hearing on the future of the Space Shuttle.

This 'n' that

2004-04-30T07:37:00.000-05:00

Gibson Guitar (which won an engineering quality award in 2003 from Design News magazine) is launching a new digital guitar, which uses computer chips to clean up the signal. But the good news for guitar players is that it looks and feels like a "traditional" Gibson.

A new trend in NASCAR? Hiring engineers...Roger Penske's Alltel Dodge team has two -- a driver and crew chief both with mechanical engineering degrees. The Chip Ganassi team has an engineer who used to work for TRW Space Systems Group.

Driving for the rest of us, especially during road construction season (March - November) is a always difficult. But how about highway barrels and cones that can move out of the way from computer commands made miles away. The innovative cones came from the University of Nebraska.

Long promised, Walmart will begin using RFID tags to track 21 products distributed in Texas, using HP technology.

End of the road for Olds

2004-04-28T08:01:00.000-05:00

It will be a sad day for motor heads tomorrow when the last Oldsmobile rolls off the line in Lansing, MI. An Alero, the only model still in production, is the last one to roll off the line. The final Olds is destined for a museum.

For a nostalgic look back, the Lansing (MI) State Journal has a great place on its website. There's also a photogallery on the site with some great Olds...

Supersize that!

2004-04-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

GM is now building a new computer...no, they aren't diversifying per se, but are networking parallel processors as a way to shorten design time.

And now for something completely different to quote my friend Monty Python, have you ever thought of just chucking everything and having a second life? Now you can, if you don't mind a virtual second life. Create your own avatar to look like you in first life or totally different in second life. Buy, sell, work, meet people, do everything online that you don't do offline, or vice versa. Everything is created online -- animals, homes, cities, government, etc. There is a subscription fee of under $10 a month. Maybe I'll see you there!

Fuel cells on the water

2004-04-23T08:49:00.000-05:00

Been a lot in the press about hydrogen fuel cells in future autos, but there are a couple of companies, Hydrogenics and HaveBlue, that are getting the technology on the high seas. The two are putting together a 42-foot prototype scheduled to hit the high seas this summer. Read a story on Wired about other ocean-going fuel cell technology.

One other interesting story we found on Wired today involves the NHL playoffs...One enterprising team is using digital video recording and a tablet PC to monitor plays and tweak the game plan on the fly...

Lord of the LED wins Lemelson-MIT Prize

2004-04-22T07:21:00.000-05:00

You may have never heard of Nick Holonyak Jr., but you probably see his invention in action all day long and into the night. Holonyak worked for Bell Labs and General Electric in the '50s and '60s and is credited with inventing the LED and the dimmer switch. On Friday, he gets a cool half mil for his work.

The second news item that caught our interest was a credit card that only works when you talk to it...Sister publication of Design News, New Scientist, notes that a prototype built by engineers at Beepcard in Santa Monica, California, represents one of the first known attempts to implant a microphone, a loudspeaker, a battery and a voice-recognition chip into a standard VISA/MasterCard.

Finally, a way to prove the space-time continum and all those weird Star Trek shows where the crew mysteriously goes back in time...NASA has launched aDelta 2 rocket carrying the Gravity Probe-B spacecraft to test =Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. Francis Everitt has worked on this project for 40 years - talk about a life-long mission!

Robotic cat herders

2004-04-21T09:12:00.000-05:00

There's an old saying, "It's as easy as herding cats." Well, that may really come true. Researchers from 3 universities - University of Minnesota, University of Pennsylvania, and the California Institute of Technology -- are working on software that will allow multiple robots to work as a team. Funded by a Information Technology Research award from the National Science Foundation, this project, while not really herding cats, could be used as search robots, each with a different function.

Are disposable cars on the horizon? They are if you consider the extremely high costs of repair as noted in this article in the Christian Science Monitor. Airbags are the number one expense after an accident. Before the advent of airbags only 8% of cars in an accident were totaled. Now it's 20%. Sounds like a design problem waiting for a solution!

Back again

2004-04-20T08:38:00.000-05:00

We're not too consistent right now...could it be spring fever (or in this neck of New England, Sox Fever after a great series where the boys from Bauston beat the Yanks 3 out of 4 games!??? Dreams of Cubs-Red Sox series???)

Anyway, some findings lately on my web browsing...Read about new robots coming online to help emergency responders on sciencedaily.com. Also in today's stories, a new plastic developed that are made of tiny bits of material that possess a conducting center and two, non-conducting end pieces.

Since the Bruins are out of Stanley Cup running, we have one less sport to keep track of ... which could mean more time to surf engineering sites...Of course, the Celts may be done in a week or so, leaving us even more time...they are a young team and were darn lucky to make the playoffs.

Long time no blog

2004-03-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

Been a busy month, but we're back...and trying to play catch-up with all the news hitting the web...

NY Times today had an interesting article about Rules to strengthen vehicle roofsdue to the large number of SUVs involved in roll-overs. Problem is, just like the federal fuel efficiency rules, SUVs seem to be exempt. Consumer groups are pushing for the regulations, and of course, automaker lobbyists don't want the rules to even see the light of day.

Speaking of the auto industry, if you don't have the Detroit News Auto Insiders bookmarked, here's the link. Recent columns include one on DaimlerChrysler CEO Juergen Schrempp's contract to 2008, in which the company's supervisory board reaffirmed its support for his grand plan to create a global automotive group; Consumer Reports used surveys covering 675,000 vehicles to proclaim that Detroit metal now is more reliable than the Europeans; and a piece about fuel economy and one of the first steps in the transformation of the automotive industry and ultimately of the world's economy.

Hang in there, spring is coming this weekend, and I'll be out washing the darn salt off of my Little Lucy...

MMMMM...chocolate

2004-02-18T09:06:00.000-05:00

M&M that candy famous for melt in your hand, not in your mouth, have led some Princeton physicists to a sweet discovery. Seems like these little flattened circles pack more tightly into perfect spheres.

It's alive!

2004-02-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

Or so it would seem...a robotic nearly human face -- I get flashes of Data from Star Trek TNG...known as Social Robots. But what I find very interesting is the high-tech polymer designed by the inventor called "f'rubber," which resembles human skin. The face is embedded with tiny electronic motors, so the robotic face can smile, frown or wrinkle its forehead.

Also in the robotic news is Dr. Robin Murphy's search robots that now have a sensor to determine if a victim is dead or alive.

Finally in today's robotic news, check out this article on a direct comparison of robot-assisted and traditional surgery for children's heart defects by University of Michigan surgeons.

So what's new for NASA

2004-02-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

The space agency today released its budget for 2005. In it is things like $1.9 billion for ISS - a 24% increase; $4.3 billion for Shuttle a 9% increase (includes Return to Flight Investments, and $10 million to demonstrate emerging launch system concepts and $691 million for Mars exploration (16% increase over FY 2004. Of course, this all has to get by Congress...

Also in the news about the space agency is an interview with a former pilot of the shuttle, Col. Richard Searfoss who said faulty engineering, flawed communication and a failure of leadership led to the loss of the Columbia and its crew of seven.

WAY TO GO PATS!

Homebuilds

2004-01-27T08:28:00.000-05:00

Found some interesting sites of guys building a railgun and some putting together home made jet engines.
Junkyard jet Bill's Turbojet
Jason Rollette's Rail Gun
Dan's jet turbine
Mike's home built jet turbine
Nye Themodynamics

Nice hobbies!

Worst cars of all time

2004-01-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

I admit it, I drove two of the worst cars of all times, according to Forbes. Okay, at least I didn't buy them, but I did work for a government agency that had me driving both a Ford Pinto (for at least a year after the truth came out about the thing exploding on rear-end collisions!) and the Ford Bronco...It rolled over pretty easy, but I did like the way it handled. There's 14 on the list and the Yugo was by far voted the worse!

But the best car I ever had? The 66 Chevy Impala Super Sport ... even with the rotted floor boards in the back because the windows leaked (and grew a nice crop of mushrooms!)

Future State of Fuel Cells

2004-01-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

At least that's what Ohio is trying to become...Gov. Bob Taft has pledged $103 million in state money to develop fuel cells and bring more high-tech jobs to the Buckeye State. At least seven state universities as well as NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are all involved in some form of fuel cell research.

Other states are jumping on the fuel cell bandwagon.

Are fuel cells the future? Here's an interesting article on diesel vs. fuel cells from the pages of Design News magazine.

Want to read what geeks think? Then head on over to Geek.com and read the on-going comments.

Love-Hate Relationship

2004-01-21T08:12:00.000-05:00

Seems that MIT research - Lemelson-MIT Invention Index to be exact - has determined that most of us can't live without our cell phones, but hate them for it. Multiple news sites have articles on this research, including USA Today, Miami Herald, and tons of others.

In other news du jour, The University of Utah is trying to double it's engineering graduates by 2007. So far, they have increased its engineering majors 32%. And they've got lots of donations coming in from industry. But they seem to have a jump on the Bush administration. With the President's plan to push to the moon and Mars, there is one really big obstacle - not enough people at NASA that have ths skills and know-how to kick it up a notch. Most of the engineers who worked on the first moon launches are now retired and there haven't been any new engineers to take their place. So he wants to add $12 million to R&D as noted in today's Boston Globe.

Chicken or the egg...

2004-01-16T08:28:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to hire more women and minorities in university positions as role models when there aren't that many quality candidates? Across the science disciplines, including engineering, women hold from 3 percent to 15 percent of full professorships in the U.S. For example, according to a report, "A National Analysis of Diversity in Science and Engineering Faculties at Research Universities" by Donna Nelson and Diana Rogers, women earned nearly 45% of doctorates in the biological sciences between 1993 and 2002 but held only 30% percent of entry-level assistant professor’s jobs. So if there are plenty of women and minorities in the programs, why aren't they being hired? Read about the research here.

Another study about women in engineering in the southern California area can be found here.

This kind of gender lag is also appearing on technical companies board of directors as reported this week in the Kansas City Star.

So why all these discrepancies in technical fields? Is it because women make less money than men? Is it because many may take time off to raise a family? Or is it just fighting the old boy network? Maybe a combination of all of the above. Drop me a note at dnonline@reedbusiness.com and dish.

First outsourcing overseas, now robots

2004-01-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

Taking over our jobs? Scientific American and Nature today both have stories about a British-created robotic scientist. This system can form theories, come up with experiments to then prove those theories, and carry out the experiments. No humans needed.

And a big Happy Birthday to SSN 571 Nautilus, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. Say what? It's the world's first nuclear-powered sub.

Cutting the cheese

2004-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry, couldn't help it, but a story in Tuesday's Chicago Trib just lends itself to this intro! A mechanical engineering prof at University of Wisconsin-Madison has found a way to cut cheese with a laser. Channel 4000 , a site out of Minnesota, has pictures of precisely cut cheese and a little more detail on the story.

Avoid EPA fuel limits

2004-01-13T10:02:00.000-05:00

When is an Suburu Outback not an Outback? When Suburu decides to do a little redesignning to make it a light truck. Light trucks will have to average only 21.2 miles a gallon in the 2005 model year, but passenger cars must average 27.5 miles a gallon. Check out the article in today's NY Times.

Also in today's auto news is GM's recall of nearly 800,000 vehicles with power steering problems.

And Windows are now more than what you see out of in your car. Check out what Microsoft has planned for your car with their new Tbox concept. Engineers did a prototype for around $100 and it hooks right up to your car's on-board computers.

A better way to search

2004-01-08T15:47:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, I use Google and Dogpile, but I've found a new search tool that may replace them both -- check out Visimo Document Clustering. I typed in Linear Motors and got several hundred links...but the beauty of this search tool is on the left...up pops a clustered results bar that lists Linear Motors with 189 results, Motion Control with 30, Servo Motors with 19, Machine with 20, Electric Motors with 20, Engineering with 13, Linear Synchronous Motors with 11, Electronics with 11, Drives and Motors with 9 and Ballscrews with 7, plus a link fo rmore. You can also search in clusters. such as adding a keyword such as DC and up pops a window with DC highlighted...

Technology to watch in 2004

2004-01-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

CNN did a pretty good job of technologies to watch for in 2004. Among them OLEDs, Gecko Tape, and MRAM...but of course the really big things for 2004 will all be on display starting tomorrow with the beginning of CES. If you can't make it, like myself, you may want to check in on the new products being introduced...I will.

Hot wheels on and off planet

2004-01-06T08:02:00.000-05:00

Two things Americans love -- their cars and outer space...and the news was big yesterday with both with the rollout at the Detroit Auto Show of some of the 2005 models and prototypes and the Spirit getting set to roll around the Mars landscape.

After several years of trucks and SUVs taking control of the show, this is definitely the year of the hot looking car. Maybe because the baby boomers are becoming empty nesters and are trying to relive their youth with a hot little two-seater? Anyway, the best site to check out news of the auto show is the Detroit News. You gotta check out their concept gallery and look at all the dream cars (23 in the gallery). Dodge's Sling Shot would look great in my garage; Land Rover introduced their first concept with the Stormer; Mitsubishi introduced a Sport Truck Concept that looks like a sports car with a truck bed in back; the new Shelby Cobra is going to be another classic; Jeep has a new Rescue that looks like a baby Hummer...I could go on, but if you are into wheels this is the place to go.

And of course, our friends at NASA did what their European partners did not -- land successfully on the Red Planet and start sending back 3D pics. Check out the latest (color pics are said to be available sometime today) at http://marsrovers.nasa.gov.

New year, new growth?

2004-01-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! And of course with the new year, many analysts are trying to predict a better economy...The research group IDC is predicting a banner year for semiconductors -- 18% in fact. So what's the big push? Mobile phones and PCs -- read about it here.

How about this for a trend -- wireless transmitters for livestock? Mad cow and all, the RFID industry may be "stocking" up...

For a little fun, how about the top 10 searches for 2003?

Looks like this is going to be another fun year!

Big brother behind the wheel?

2003-12-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Interesting article in today's NY Times on OnStar and other communications and tracking systems for autos...They can open a locked car door, alert police about an accident or car theft, and what else? How about a stalker getting info on where your car is located? Or the car reporting to police that you are speeding? Are the black boxes going to be more than a view of a potential accident? Keep an eye out for more privacy issues with sensor use in autos...

Science TV

2003-12-19T12:11:00.000-05:00

According to Wired News this a.m. former astronaut Sally Ride, Carl Sagan's widow Ann Druyan, and tons of other science stars are introducing the Cable Science Network...It's starting off airing conferences, etc ala C-Span, but methinks the potential for programming is also being considered. Anything that keeps science in the minds of Americans is a wonderful thing!

New air/space museum open

2003-12-16T08:34:00.000-05:00

The Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center opened this week at Dulles International Airport. There are more than 80 aircraft and space artifacts, including the space shuttle Enterprise, the Enola Gay. Check out their site .

The year in ideas

2003-12-15T11:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, while watching the unfolding details of Hussein's capture, I curled up with the NY Times Magazine and devoured the Year in Ideas...You can find the same thing online (though it's not as much fun to curl up with a laptop yet!).

One particularly fascinating technology was on the Mobiltrack DSP billboards that determine which radio station cars driving by a sign may be tuned to. They can then change the message. Country western -- you may see an ad for the Ford F150...adult contempory, then look for the Taurus ad...So does that mean your radio is leaving cookies, much like your computer when you browse?

Or how about the food simulator designed in Japan...it's supposed to replicate the taste, feel and sound of biting into various foodstuffs...but who would use this?

There's also the grey goo problem with nanotechnology and the pod car or Personal Mobility Device, and don't forget the real man's wiffle ball...all this and more!

Perhaps the most compelling idea is the part that claims that Microsoft's Powerpoint may have had something to do with the crash of the Shuttle Columbia.

A better mold on the way?

2003-12-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

According to University of Missouri - Rolla researchers, they may have a new a new breed of metals - what they are calling gradient materials - that can handle the high temps of die casting at the same time allowing heat to escape the molding. Researchers are now looking at these materials to use in making die-cast molds for engine blocks. Check it out at http://visions.umr.edu/index.php?
research

And speaking of cars, the NY Times has a great article today on legend Carroll Shelby - Mr. American Muscle Car. Shelby is being honored at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA featuring the first Cobra to be built...

Hey, it's Friday, and I'm actually thinking about shopping...which got me to remembering the best gift I can remember ever getting - Pong. Remember that game? So being the Search Engineer, I found a site honoring that brave engineer who introduced a new technology to the world - Ralph Baer...check it out at Pong Story. You can even download schematics and a pong game for your computer. Hey, there's another weekend before the holidays, think I'll play a game or two for old times' sake!

Were the Wrights wrong about being first in flight?

2003-12-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

CNN today has an article that notes a Brazillian had the first "real" flight, nearly 3 years after the Wright brothers...interesting reading.

And speaking of flight, Time Magazine has a great series on the first 100 years since the Wrights flew at http://www.time.com/time/2003/flight/

Whither the Hubble

2003-12-09T15:56:00.000-05:00

For over 13 years, it's been cruising in orbit taking snapshots of the universe long since past. Now scientists are talking about the Hubble's remaining life in this article found on the Chicago Trib site today - http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0312080149dec08,1,7103115.story.

Speaking of NASA our great Congress did it again -- axed out $300 million, including $200 millino in the International Space Station alone - replacing with special little porks of their own states, like a new science center at St. Bonaventure University or $3 million for ocean and weather research at the University of Alaska. Check out the story at the Orlando Sentinel.

SUV safety to the forefront

2003-12-05T09:15:00.000-05:00

An alliance of auto manufacturers and the insurance industry has come to an agreement to make pickups and SUVs safer in accidents with autos by making the SUV's a little lower and padding the interiors with air bags. Read more in the Boston Globe and other papers...

Quieter cars on the way?

2003-12-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

Gotta admit, I like the rumble of the engine of a muscle car and the distinct, patented sound of a Harley as it roars down the street. But not everyone appreciates motor music. And now Ohio State University researchers have come up with a new muffler design using glass fiber -- not that it muffles better, but it's lighter and less prone to corrosion. Check out the prototype..

Speaking of muscle cars, who wouldn't love to work on a NASCAR team? Well, Stock Car Racing mag offers some hints on how to get in and on a team. Vavavaroom

Baseball season starts in 3 months

2003-12-03T09:12:00.000-05:00

Meanwhile, a mechanical engineering grad student and a couple of profs have published a new study of the science behind hitting a homer. Every ball player from Little League up knows you can hit a fastball further than a curve...and it's all about the spin.

And from Georgia's Institute of Technology, comes a new technology to remove heat from laptops and PDM via synthetic jets that rely on turbulent air puffs and a system that uses vibration to atomize cooling liquids. Check it out at http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/process_engineering/report-23810.html. By the way, Innovations Reports is a pretty good site to check out the latest information from more than 5,500 publication from companies and scientific institutions.

Engineering students giving

2003-12-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year when most of us think about giving, but University of Wisconsin (Madison) engineering student help others all year long. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal offers a pretty good article how the students focus on 3 areas - Habitat for Humanity; rehabilitation engineering and medicine; and "Moo-v-ability," which works on assisting people with mobility projects.

And for some news on the shuttle, the Washington Post has an article this a.m. about some of the new maneuvers and devices being tested for future shuttle launches. In fact when the next two shuttles launch, the main objective will be to test the new devices, etc. One of the primary objectives -- crew replacement or repair of the tiles covering the shuttles -- has not even come close to a resolution.

Popular Science picks worse jobs in science and engineering

2003-11-26T09:43:00.000-05:00

Want to know some of the worst jobs in science/engineering? Popular Science magazine did just that and came up with the 18 ickiest jobs -- one of which is astronaut -- as well as talked to several folks who "fondly" remember some of their worse jobs.

Check it out at http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/article/0,12543,484153-1,00.html

Those crazy engineering kids at Berkeley...

2003-11-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

...are keeping busy with some interesting life style inventions. Think about having a little device in your card that alerts you when a parking space is open (think the day after Thanksgiving shopping nightmare!), as well as lets you know where your car is when you head back loaded with packages. (How many silver Camrys can there be in one parking lot!!!!!). Or how about a credit-card device that can help firefighters find you in a burning building, an exercise machine giving you up-to-the second feedback (1 calorie burned, 2 calories burned, etc.). They also came up with smart bike lock like a little Lo-Jack or an electronic bulletin board that senses who you are and gives you personal messages -- like your wife called or your lunch with the boss has been cancelled.

Each semester, grad students in mechanical engineering design prototyping classes hold this little hallway show. One product demonstrated two years ago has already hit the streets. Check it out at the Oakland Trib website -

http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10671~1791608,00.html

Breaking down $280 million

2003-11-25T14:01:00.000-05:00

That's what NASA is asking for to keep the shuttle program up and running...and that may not be all, as other areas are still under investigation by the space agency. Of that $280 million, $65 million is going to replace the external fuel tanks that have been blamed for the Columbia accident. Another $57 million is going to develop tools to inspect and patch up holes while the shuttle is in orbit, and $45 million will upgrade ground-based imagery systems so future launch defects can be detected sooner. NASA also anticipates another $45 million to set up a news safety and engineering organization at Langley Research Center. Space.com has more on the story...

Job blogs

2003-11-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

Not a job site or even a place where jobs are posted, but Jason let us know about the following blogs of interest...check them out!
Recruiting 101 www.recruiting101.blogspot.com
Semiconductor Jobs www.semiconductorjobs.com

So how is the job market for engineering jobs? According to a study done by Phil Gardner, a Michigan State University researcher, in his 33rd annual Recruitment Trends study, engineering grads can expect to start their careers at the Gap or Home Depot.

The high tech and engineering communities lost a ton of jobs in 2002 -- losing 15,000 jobs in 2002...

Number 300 million

2003-11-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

A hot little red 'Stang was the 300 millionth vehicle coming off the Ford assembly line yesterday. According to the Detroit Free Press - "That's more than one vehicle for every man, woman and child in the United States. It means that the company has cranked out 5.7 vehicles per minute, 24/7 for more than a hundred years." ( The math is there to prove it!)

Not only was it the 300 millionth car, but it came where automakers have been putting together autos for 74 years, another milestone...

Plastics son

2003-11-18T08:23:00.000-05:00

Can you go an entire 24 hours without any contact with plastics? I think not...from a toothbrush to your keyboard to the steering wheel, it's part of our lives. Now some research from UMass Lowell is coming up with new ways to keep plastics at the forefront
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/321/business/Pushing_Plastics+.shtml (Boston Globe, 11-17-03).

UMass-Lowell a center for plastics technology, and has the only plastics engineering program in the U.S. is working with private companies to rethink how plastic materials are used, produced and processed. Things like bacteria-made plastics used in food utensils, plastic capsules to deliver insulin without injections, a plastic film as an automotive finish.

How's your AI

2003-11-14T08:14:00.000-05:00

If you think you're up to the challenge, check out National Instuments LavVIEW 6.1 online contest - Vibots. ViBOTS is a robot tournament where LabVIEW programmed virtual machines, in this first generation tanks battling each other.
Entrants must write LabVIEW code which will control their ViTANK, hunting enemy tanks, avoiding enemy missiles and ultimately destroying the opposition before it destroys you. So how does it work? Two robot tanks battle in an arena. Each tank can move around the arena, has missiles to attack the other tank and a scanner to detect objects within the arena. All control of the tanks is via LabVIEW.

Fun and Functional

2003-11-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

That's today's theme kids -- the fun site -- www.ducktapeclub.com. There are duck-tivities, such as make your own ducktape wallet, a ducktape art gallery, clothes made of the sticky stuff, tales of the tape and lots of nifty contests...

For functional, we have www.onlineconversion.com -- where you can
convert just about anything to anything else promising more than 5,000 units, and 50,000 conversions. Just put in a number, click one unit and click on the second unit, both in menus, and the answer appears immediately. For instance -- 46 parsec = 150.0315954 light-year...or the personal favorite of the always rennovating Search Engineer family -- dimensions in feet and meters so you can order just the right amount of paint or carpeting or whatever.

Baby you can float my car...

2003-11-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

Remember those cars in the '50s that rambled down the highway, then dove into the water and putted around? Well, those crazy folks across the pond have tried it again...check out the Gibbs Aquada. It's a 175 HP V6 four speed with 3 independent bilge pumps. Designers claim 100 mph on land and 30 on water and it goes from one surface to another with the push of a button. And the best thing is, it looks like a hot little convertible...

Here's a story about the car from Autothing.com - http://www.autothing.com/funthings/Auto%20News/ATNews%2010-14-03/ATnews-10-14-03-Aquacar.htm. And here's what the BBC had to say about the little car that could...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3077508.stm

If water isn't your thing, how about taking to the air? Mollar International claims to have developed the first and only "affordable" personal vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, the Sky car. Powered by 8 rotary engines, it's supposed to fly about 900 miles at 350 mph on one tank of low-octane gas. On the street, it hits about 30 mph with an electric engine. The bad news is that you need to have a pilot's license to fly/drive it.

Here's another site about the aerocar -- past and present. The present aerocar has a removable aircraft chasis that fits over a sports car -- the Lotus Elise.

If you want to see a retro flying car of the ConvAIRCAR, go to http://www.retrofuture.com/flyingcar.html.

Authentic Tactical Flight Simulation

2003-11-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

Pretty nifty site http://www.etctacticalflight.com/ that shows first hand just what G-Force is, as well as demonstrations of the human centrifuges used by pilots and astronauts in training. On November 12 at 10 a.m. EST they have a live streaming event to watch the introduction of a new simulator in operation. This tactical flight simulation offers a learning environment in which th epilot experiences the same stress experienced in actual flight. If the pilot makes a mistakes in the simulator, he doesn't crash and die, but learns from the experience and tries to correct it.

You auto check this out...

2003-11-06T11:47:00.000-05:00

Reading this a.m.'s NY Times, saw where GM is putting off its hybrids until 2007, while Ford plans to introduce its hybrid Escape SUV next year...and of course Toyota and Honda have models on the streets already. Anyway, that led me to doing a little more looking and checking out the Detroit News...If you've never visited this site, do it now, especially their Auto Insider Section. Nice executive reading list with links to other papers, joyrides where readers write about their favorite cars, concept cars and new models.

Outsourcing fears

2003-11-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

We all have read about software programming jobs moving overseas -- in fact the Boston Globe this week is doing a series about white collar job migration -- http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2003/11/02/as_economy_gains_outsourcing_surges/ and http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2003/11/03/us_workers_see_hard_times/. Probably, the reason most work is being farmed out overseas is salary...In the U.S. a programmer makes upwards of $150/hour, while overseas, it's a few bucks. Estimates are that 10 percent of the high-tech jobs in the U.S. are moving off-shore.

So what's that mean to engineering? I think we're already seeing some design jobs moving overseas...with more to come. Here's an article from MSN - http://www.msnbc.com/news/947478.asp.

Check this white paper out, too -- as far as outsourcing engineering jobs in testimony before Congress http://www.cspo.org/products/lectures/061803.pdf. Be sure to check out the table of companies who are already doing some major outsourcing of engineering work -- like GE -- scary stuff...

Hear engineering

2003-11-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

Voices of Innovation offers a two minute sound bite of what it is to be an engineer broadcast on public and some commercial radio stations. But their website at http://voicesofinnovation.org/ has all the past programs, as well as a place to share your story of engineering...and they are timely - several in the last month have dealt with fire engineering. Read the script or listen in MP3. The site is sponsored by the America Association of Engineering Societies.

2003 Ig Nobel Prizes

2003-10-29T09:21:00.000-05:00

Every year the Annuals of Improbable Research presents awards in research areas that first make one laugh, then, make one think. The hopes of the award are to reward the imaginative. Each is presented by a Real Life Nobel Laurette. This year's awards (the 13th annual!) were recently presented a few weeks ago in Cambridge, MA (check out the site at http://www.improbable.com.

Winners included: The engineers who came up with Murphy's Law, several Aussie physicists who study the forces required to drag sheep over various surfaces, London researchers who found that cab drivers have bigger brains, a Japanese chemist who studied a bronze statue that had no pidgeon poop, and several folks from Stockholm University who found that chickens prefer beautiful people.

There are links to the valid research, as well a downloadable copy of the magazine HotAIR (Annuals of Improbable Research) to check out. Marc Abrahams, a former columnist with Design News, is the founder of the Ig Nobel awards.

Still here, barely

2003-10-23T13:26:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's been almost a month and I've been too busy with a couple of big projects to even take a minute or two to write...but that's what happens when you loose several folks over the last year or so and the economy's so tight we can't replace them. But as a friend who's regularly surfing Monster.com because he's unemployed, I got nothin' to complain about when I have a job. Touche dude!

Speaking of jobs, how cool is it that Scott Adams of Dilbert fame has other cartoonists doing his work for the week -- check it out at www.dilbert.com. Not only does he get paid but ala old Tom Sawyer, he gets someone else to happily do all the work!

What would happen, if I could just get some one to do my work for a week? Would I have more work to do cleaning up their mistakes? Or would this someone show me a thing or two about my own job? This may not be a bad idea, especially when you go thru that period when the old gray cells are just churning out pablum...

Hey, ya got any ideas about this? If so, drop me a note asktheexpert@reedbusiness.com ...maybe we can work something out....hmmm, a trade for the day?

Segway recall and what not to do

2003-09-30T10:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, by now everyone's heard of the recall of the Segway...except maybe Segway. If you check their site at www.segway.com, you'll find nothing but the normal marketing spiel, except for this one link. Basic marketing and PR classes tell you to 'fess up, right up front. Especially when only 6,000 of the units have sold since the first of the year and with all the hype in the media, folks will be coming to your website. The company had originally predicted 50,000-100,000. (http://news.com.com/2009-1040-994541.html?tag=nl). And yes, even though the units have been recalled, the U.S. Postal Service, National Parks Service and several law enforcement agencies are still evaluating the Segway's usefulness. (http://news.com.com/2100-1041-5083316.html)Perhaps the biggest fan of the Segway has a blogand you can get more information on this site than you can from Segway itself.

Engineers job sites

2003-09-25T12:28:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know all about Monster.com and Career Builder and those general job listing sites...But what about just for engineers! Guess what, one exists -- Engineering Central . Ah, but not only do they have a multitude of job listings, but some pretty good links to engineer software companies, publications, and resources such as associations, advice from engineering recruiters, training links, and tons of places to check out.

For technology news junkies

2003-09-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Search Engineer and yes, I'm a techie-news addict. I can't get enough of what's happening in the world of science and technology. And to help get me through the day, I hit Science Daily at least once a day. This site is updated with the latest science and technical news from around the world 3 times a day. You can review articles by topic or by the date, too. Having access to all this data can't be a bad thing, right?

New tools

2003-09-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love opening the box of a new power tool? I just got a new orbital sander and couldn't wait to find a piece of wood to try it out. And since I got it to redo several antique dining room chairs, it didn't take long to break it in!

But hey, you gotta love tools, no matter what...and I found a pretty darn good toolbox for engineers right online -- The Engineering ToolBox. There are the standard tools one would expect to find in a toolbox -- unit converters, definitions, equations, etc. -- but there are some pretty nifty tools that you don't know you need -- formulas on hydraulic and equivalent diameter, pump affinity laws, specific gravities for different materials. even ISA instrumentation coding used in process control systems.

Bookmark this puppy, you're going to use it!

Long time no write

2003-09-17T11:02:00.000-05:00

I admit it, things have been nuts in Search Engineerville...yes, deadlines have been driving me crazy!

Any way, I have been spending a few minutes here and there surfing and found some interesting sites, especially for the younger set or for those of us who can't fill our brains with enough and want more trivia!

National Inventors Hall of Fame has games as well as a pretty good list and biographies of folks who have invented "stuff." Each inventors page has major accomplishments and some even have audio clips.

The Smithsonian Institute has a great site for the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Personally, I liked the Invention Playhouse, which tells stories on how inventors played as children, as well as an electronic inventor's sketchbook (yes, you can draw!) and some other games...like Tinker Ball.

Along the lines of Lemelson, MIT has a site promoting inventing as well http://web.mit.edu/invent/invent-main.html. Each week a different inventor and inventor are profiles, plus the site features an Inventor's Handbook, not to mention, of course, a games area.

Freaky future

2003-09-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

Our friends in the land downunder have come up with some interesting concepts about the home of the future....check it out at www.experimenta.org. Take a look at the couch you can pet and it purrs (or growls if you sit on it) or try one of the multiple games...I wasn't a very good boss to my meta pet, but I'll try to do better the next time.

The lonely end to a galant spacecraft

2003-09-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

Since its launch in 1989, the Galileo spacecraft has carried on its mission, flying thru the galaxy to Jupiter. In 1995, the spacecraft began its orbit and study of Jupiter. But all good things must come to an end, and the Galileo will plunge into the Jovian atmosphere on Sunday, September 21.

Read about one of Galileo's "fathers" and Design News Engineer of the Year, Bernard Dagarin, at
http://www.manufacturing.net/dn/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA150394

Or check out these other sites about the little spacecraft that could...

JPL's site on Galileohttp://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/
NASA site on Galileohttp://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/galileo.html
Other sites of interest
http://grs.lpl.arizona.edu/~loretta/solarsystem/
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/galileo/galileo.html http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/missions/Galileo/
Scientific American Article from February 2000 on the mission
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00019D42-ACFE-1C75-9B81809EC588EF21
Galileo images
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/images.html

Bossa Nova

2003-09-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

Found a new site today for the space, science and technology crowd -- rednova. com. There's a spot for you to check out what the sky is going to look like tonight in your location. There's a great photo and some debate on the site about a cloud that appears just before a sonic boom. Tech news and daily updates are abundant...you can also sign up for email updates and forum, even for your own email account...(like we all need another email account!).

I be learnin' and havin' fun

2003-08-27T12:40:00.000-05:00

If you like trivia and just plain stuffing the brain with lotsa facts... It's on the Mental Floss magazine site and is a library of cool stuff. Just stumbled across the site in my efforts to come up with something fun for this blog, and now I'm hooked! For instance did you know William Lear, who of course came up with the Learjet, also invented the 8-track? Or how about during WWII when inventive soldiers were able to make radios out of a razor blade, a pencil and a paper tube (you gotta read this one for yourself -- American ingeniuity in action!). Or did you know that James Doohan (Scotty in THE Star Trek) was missing a finger after being injured in WWII? Okay, so there is tons more stuff there so browse away!

Columbia accident report released

2003-08-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

And you can download the entire report (248 pages in pdf format) on CNN and other sites...

The number reason for the accident (outside of the physical reason of the chunk of foam breaking off and hitting the left wing)- not enough checks and balances and no independent safety program. Recommendations include adding a safety program and pump up building a new orbiter that can take off and land independently.

Ideas in the air

2003-08-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

Glow in the dark bubbles? Pretty cool idea...check out how it came about at Inventor's Digest. Great stories and I've got a couple ideas I need to take to the CAD program, so just a short note today!

SpongeBob Glass Pants and other things catching our fancy today

2003-08-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

Scientists have found sponge that builds something resembling our optic fibers...check it out on MSNBC

Segway thefts?

Can fuel cells power the grid?

Finally, want a really good site to browse? Then check out one of our favs -- which only proves people are stranger in real life than on reality TV -- The Smoking Gun.

20 years and 300,00 hours

2003-08-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

And the Enola Gay, the aircraft credited with ending WWII, has been rebuilt by the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Check out the press release here. The plane will be on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the museum's new companion facility in Northern Virginia, which opens to the public Dec. 15.
Tthe Enola Gay is too large and too heavy to be housed intact in the museum's building on the National Mall in Washington. It will be displayed at the new center raised off the floor on 8-foot-high stands to accommodate other aircraft under its 141 foot wingspan.

While I'm on the subject, you won't want to miss the Air and Space Museum site at http://www.nasm.si.edu/features/qtvr/uhc/index.htm And be sure to check out the more than 200 aircraft and 135 space craft being photographed and uploaded at this URL - http://www.nasm.si.edu/features/qtvr/uhc/index.htm

Power grid

2003-08-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I admit, I've got some rudimentary knowledge of how a power grid works. And like the electricity that keeps my computer on, I don't give it a second thought...Until Thursday that is. Well, those really smart folks at howstuffworks.com have got a pretty good explanation, and the graphics to go with it...check it out at http://science.howstuffworks.com/blackout.htm. Hey and while you're on the site, check out the other engineering stuff...

A computer that relates to you?

2003-08-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

Those inventive folks at the Sandia National Lab have come up with cognitive computers. But will it work? According to the folks working on the machine, it could be incorporated into most computer systems in 10 years. Hmm...something else in the house I can ignore when it talks to me?

Fly me to the moon...

2003-08-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

Don't look now friends, but it looks like the European Space Agency is headed to the moon --
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMQ6OYO4HD_Expanding_0.html. Here's the deal in a nutshell, hit the link to get more info:
The European Space Agency’s SMART-1 spacecraft is blasting from French Guina on August 28-29th. They are piggy-backing this with two commerical satellites -- talk about making your payload pay for itself! The ship is going to orbit the moon with a new ion-powered engine. It should be orbiting the moon sometime next fall.

The ESA site is pretty cool (though not up to NASA sites!)

Name game

2003-08-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

Not the song, but as in name tags. (Personally, hate 'em!) But this new technology/gadget sounds like something that just may make an impact in the techie circles. A company called nTag has come up with a mini computer in one of those plastic badges we wear at conferences and trade shows. Like the infrared technology used in Palms, when two attendees come within 3-5 feet with their tags facing each other, info can be shared between the tags.

Developed by a couple of guys from MIT's Media Lab, nTag looks like a plastic name bade but has 128 KB of memory, a 2-line LCD display and wireless communication technology. It stores general info like the name, job title and company of the wearer, but can be customized to include things like company goals for wearing at the annual meeting or hobbies or interests if you're trying to meet people at a social event.

The tags also have ID chips that use radio waves to communicate with the central nTag computer at the event and can broadcast polls or announcements with upcoming seminars. Users can also flip the display so they can view the window and scroll through the schedule of events or view messages or beam contact information to an exhibitor.

While the technology isn't cheap now, in a few years, who knows? We may be wearing these badges, complete with those awful photos from the year book, at the 25 year high school class reunion.

Flash Mobs

2003-08-05T13:13:00.000-05:00

A new phenomenon is taking place around the world thanks to email and the web - flash mobs. If you haven't heard, an organizer sends out an email to a group of contacts and asks them to send out the email, etc., with a date, time and place to meet. The first one was held in NYC at a Macy's rug department, where the group said they were looking to buy a love rug for the commune. They all show up at the same time, do a stunt for a few minutes, then disappear. Here's aninvitation. Notice it was called an inexplicable mob. There's even a new site devoted to flash mob events around the world -- Cheesebikini.com. (And no I don't know if it's swiss cheese!)

So what has flash mobs to do with engineering? Think about it...how about using the idea to get all the project leaders in one place at one time? Why not do a company-wide flash mob to make an announcement? If nothing else, you'll get people there just out of plain curosity. I'm open to any other ideas...drop me a note at asktheexpert@reedbusiness.com.

Mining your contacts

2003-08-04T15:05:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, then you have personal stuff on your work computer and work stuff on your home computer. You work at home on weekends just to get caught up and can access your network remotely. And you've got the bowling team and golfing buddies in your Outlook list on the job.

Well, according to an article in today's Wall Street Journal, you may want to consider changing your ways. A couple of business-oriented software programs are now available to "mine" your lists for potential clients. The programs scan Outlook, your instant-message buddy lists, electronic calendars, etc. The goal is to itake this information and us it to identify people within the company who have useful contacts and could make a personal introduction. So if your golfing buddy is a purchasing manager with mega big company and your sales staff wants to try to get his company online, they may use you to initiate the conversation.

Companies that will soon be offering this software include Visible Path,(which has a password protected website), Spoke Software and Zero Degrees.

If you have a subscription to the WSJ, you can read the full article here

20,000 leagues 2003 style

2003-08-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

Jules Verne would be proud of what the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is doing to evaluate the health of deep sea coral reefs in the Carribean (yeah, I thought they were only in shallow waters, too!). Their site has some pretty interesting drawings and vehicle charateristics of the autonomous underwater vehicle and imaging platform they designed. The Woods Hole site itself is not bad either...Check it out before you head to the beach this weekend!

Brain drain?

2003-07-31T08:54:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Trib has an excellent article this a.m. on Boeing's brain drain affecting the shuttle Columbia disaster. According to the article, about 80% of Boeing's engineers refused to move when the company moved from CA to TX.

Workin' for a livin'...

2003-07-30T14:57:00.000-05:00

May get harder to do in the U.S. if you buy into Time Magazine's latest story on where the U.S. jobs are going (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030804-471198,00.html?cnn=yes) They've got a chart in there that notes that an average mechanical engineer in the U.S. makes $55,600 where his/her counterpart in India pulls in $5,900. (Numbers come from Payscale Inc.)

Search for Nessie over?

2003-07-29T14:22:00.000-05:00

Okay, so if you believe CNN, the Loch Ness monster is now officially a myth. A team of researchers using satellite and sonar technology have found a big, fat, nothing in the lake. They claim that all the sightings of a monster are just our imaginations at play...The BBC is planning a documentary on the search for the fall.

On other neat news found during the "surf hour" (aka lunch), check out MSN's Tech and Gadget site. Pretty cool news stories...my favorite today was on the DARPA Grand Challenge, a contest to test out potential new combat vehicles -- this is kind of a Battle Bots sponsored by the U.S. government. Check out their home page and get all the info on the race from LA to LV (Las Vegas) to be held next March. Oh, did I forget to mention the grand prize? $1 million smackeroos...

The race is on...

2003-07-16T13:18:00.000-05:00

And I'm not talking about the Tour de France, but another big race -- the American Solar Challenge cruising along Old Route 66. Check out all the tour stats, teams (go Iowa State!), and some great links about solar vehicles. The race goes from July 13th thru 23...starting out at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and ending up in Claremont, CA and there are daily reports of the race.

BTW, 'Clones Rule!

Engineering jobs being exported?

2003-07-15T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hey, we all admit the economy sucks swamp water right now...but in that little corner reserved for optimism way in that back corner of our minds, we gotta think things are going to get better...soon?

Here's someone who might disagree -- Ronil Hira, Ph.D., P.E. from The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in recent testimony to the U.S. Congress on global outsourcing of engineering jobs...
http://www.ieeeusa.org/forum/POLICY/2003/061803.html.

He's talking about big companies like GE and Intel sending jobs to China and India in the next two years...

Check it out, we need to be informed.

The games engineers play

2003-07-14T14:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, every now and then, we all need a break...and I found just the spot to relax and play a couple games - http://www.engineering.com/engineering.htm?vert=e&bhcp=1. There are close to a dozen different games to test your skills of concentration (try Simon for this!) Some need java and some are flash...have fun!

Back to the cube

2003-07-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

Miss me? Took a few days off to celebrate the 4th and hit the beach...now tan and rested up a bit, I'm just itching to surf the web after the waves...

Found this little site in a recent email (yes, it did take almost a day to go thru the thousands of emails!) and thought I'd share it with you...

It's called Patent Cafe and can be found at www.patentcafe.com. Not only do they have a darn good patent search engine, but you can get product evaluations, prototype quotes, and sign up for a pretty good monthly newsletter...it's well worth it.

Got stacks of stuff to look thru...catch ya later.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

2003-07-01T14:33:00.000-05:00

Most newspapers are talking about the economy's upturn...don't know about you, but there are still lots of engineers out pounding the streets, looking for a job. (And along those lines, be sure to log onto www.designnews.com on Monday morning for the results of our latest salary survey!)

There may be something to a better economy, if you read the Wall Street Journal online -- TI plans to break ground on a new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Richardson, TX in 2005. Of course, we're still talking several years after that before the jobs come online.

Hey, here's the fun site of the day...In case you haven't heard, Honda has a pretty nifty two-minute commercial ala Rube Goldberg. It's the real thing -- no computer animation at all. Check it out here...be sure to click on the star to see the commercial...It's a great way to kill two minutes!

More on NASA

2003-06-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

As you may guess, we do a lot of scanning looking for stories of interest to engineers...Today's Baltimore Sun had a great article by Frank D. Roylance about the crossroad where our space agency sits idling...Are we willing to ante up the bucks to keep space in our sights?

Maybe they should check out the new micro fuel cells powering NEC's prototype notebook introduced today. Supposedly you get 5 computing hours on a tank of methanol.

Speaking of the future...Business Week's has a great article on their annual design awards...take a look at the future concepts.

On a more humorous note...if you're into cars, especially those muscle cars of the 50s-60s-70s, Dave Barry has a great column on the real cars of yesteryear...http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/6190468.htm

Made me think of the old '66 Impala SS, may she rest in peace.

$15 mil down the toilet...

2003-06-27T10:19:00.000-05:00

I find it ironic that on the same day that NASA Administer Sean O'Keefe says that NASA will "meet and even exceed the safety recommendations of the Columbia shuttle accident investigation", the one of a kind NASA solar-fuel cell, propeller-driven Helios prototype crashed off Hawaii. The prototype, which cost $15 mil, had a wingspan of 247 feet and could fly up to 100,000 feet. They were flying at 8,000 feet when the ship just broke up, according to the reports from AP Online. And guess what, NASA is forming another accident investigation team.

Hey, promise no more NASA bashing today!

But on a different note, the National Plastics Expo closes today, and there is tons of news coming from the show floor...Just about 60% of the exhibitors were suppliers in the automotive industry...(the expo URL is www.npe.org and the Society of Plastics Industry Inc. can be found at www.plasticsindustry.org). Couple things worth mentioning, GE Plastics introduced ULTEM (R) XHT resin -- a new extremem high heat resistance, high performance polymer which they expect to replace metal in automotive, electronic, food service, etc. applications. Exatec, a joint venture between Bayer Polymers and GE Plastics introduced a polycarbonate glazing system , the EXATEC 500. Both companies see this as a starting poijnt and have built a tech dev center in Michigan to use this in auto glass glazing possibly leading to some new funky 3-D shapped windows. Wowzer dude!

Extreme!

2003-06-26T14:51:00.000-05:00

Extreme sports and extreme games are all the rage on the tube...but here's a pretty good site if you're into extreme - www.extremetech.com . It's a pretty nifty site of users and possibly a few expers who try to help each other figure out technology...sounds impossible! But they do a pretty good job ...brought to you by the folks from "PC Magazine, our tree-killing sister product"...there are original articles, how to build its, and tons of discussion strings about our most useful tool in the whole wide world -- our computers. They've got a great article http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1132049,00.asp on the lack of innovation in keyboard and mouse design -- plus some pretty lively discussion.

Time to head to the watering hole -- too hot for the beach today! Have a good one.

Heat wave is on

2003-06-25T14:41:00.000-05:00

And I think it went to my head...for the first time all year, those of us on the East Coast have had a couple of warm days and all I think about is what beach?

But hey, I'm not shirking my duties...I found a groovy website, just kinda got a case of summer fever yesterday. But here's the scoop - www.techonline.com .
Yeh, it focuses on electrical engineer, but what good engineer hasn't had to cross over now and then?They've got some darn good webcasts and I have to admit I love their virtual labs. And in the last couple days, they've had a review about Bluetooth -- "Where forth art thou, Bluetooth?"

Catch you later, gotta get me some rays...

Hangin' with the guys

2003-06-23T14:17:00.000-05:00

If you're like me and sick of all the Harry Potter media frenzy of the past weekend, then you're lookin' for a place to just hang out and be an engineer, dammit. And believe it or not, we found a place online where engineers of all ilk can get as technical as they want without the blank stares - www.eng-tips.com. There are forums for all kinds of engineering -- mechanical, automotive, chemical, structural. Plus a "things" forum with stuff from real engineers on standards and software. Heck, there's even a Corporate Survival Forum with Personal and Political strategies -- something mighty important in these economic times!

Yeah, ya gotta register...that's the way of the online world nowadays. But you can talk to other members, post questions and get an email when someone replies and a pretty darn good rate the products and services. The site claims, "160,000 helpful members it's no wonder Eng-Tips is the largest Engineering community on the Internet today! Members contribute over 16,000 technical posts per month making Eng-Tips Forums the best source of 'peer-reviewed' engineering information on the Internet!"

Check it out, decide for yourself.

Free is good

2003-06-20T08:19:00.000-05:00

Probably my favorite word in the whole English language, especially when followed by other words like donuts, beer, and software! Well, I haven't found free donuts or beer today, but I did find a site to share for free software...www.freecad.com. There are CAD, CAE and EDA programs, other good software like file management (one look at my desk and you know I need lots of help here!), software to get you instant quotes on build-to-order items, even Macintosh CAD software for those of you who just can't give up your Macs!

Hey pal, let's keep the lines of communication open here...got some sites ya wanna share? Then drop me a quick note at asktheexpert@reedbusiness.com. Can't promise I'll reply, but like all famous people, I do read all my mail.

Just for engineers

2003-06-19T08:48:00.000-05:00

I've been googling the Internet looking for blogs for design and mechanical engineers. My findings? EL ZILCHO! So what the hey, I decided to start my own. So here it is...I'm going to be sharing what I've found online, maybe some fun sites that have come my way, and do a little shameless self promotion (like check out my game -- the Ultimate Engineer Challenge at www.designnews.com!)

Hey, gotta get back to work, but I'll try to drop a note to this site everyday!