Rick Nelson, editor in chief of Test & Measurement World and EDN, comments on test, globalization, measurement, machine vision, economics, nanotechnology, the engineering profession, and topics of general interest. en-us http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064.html?nid=3388 Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:16:37 PST http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1610048761.html?nid=3388 St. Jude Medical has announced CE (Conformité Européenne) Mark approval for its the Brio neurostimulator, which the company calls the... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1580048758.html?nid=3388 The US Congress should promptly pass HR3458—the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009. Despite the whining of the badly misnamed Hands of... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1160048716.html?nid=3388 I've written a couple of posts on e-books, suggesting that Cushing Academy might be premature in substituting a digital learning center supplemente... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/730048673.html?nid=3388 The Boston Globe weighs in with an editorial on Cushing Academy's move to trade in its books on a $500,000 electronic learning center, complete wit... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/170048617.html?nid=3388 Real bad news in advance of the US Labor Day weekend: "Jobless Rate Soars to 9.7%" (although employers cut jobs in August at their slowes... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/140048614.html?nid=3388 Students at Cushing Academy will be heading back to class in a couple of weeks, but for the most part, they won't be headed back to the books. The ... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1640048564.html?nid=3388 WiTricity gets highlighted on CNN.com today for its truly dreadful idea of reducing the power efficiency of consumer devices—and even cars&md... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1590048559.html?nid=3388 In response to my earlier post "Germans stock up on incandescent lamps, American trashes CFLs," a commenter asked asked a question relati... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1580048558.html?nid=3388 The initialism TGIT is catching on and has gotten the recognition of the New York Times. It stands for Thank God it's Thursday* and has come to pro... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1110048511.html?nid=3388 ANSYS today highlights an interesting energy-harvesting application, developed by its customer Green Ocean Energy, which develops devices that gene... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/930048493.html?nid=3388 According to Reuters, "Germans, who sometimes see themselves as guardians of the environment, are hoarding energy-guzzling incandescent light ... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/730048473.html?nid=3388 I just got a call from a test-industry veteran who is now working as a consultant and who asked for my thoughts on the current state of analog BIST... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/30048403.html?nid=3388 Steve Brill was just on Howie Kurtz's Sunday morning show on CNN talking about his plan to save journalism. The plan is to ask devoted readers of, ... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1880048388.html?nid=3388 I've posted earlier about what I call the EPA's mythology for rating electric and multifuel vehicles. Tell us what you think using the poll below: ... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1840048384.html?nid=3388 The UK seems to be at the forefront of using technology to control children. I wrote back in 2006 about the 17-kHz-tone emitting teen-repelling Mos... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1520048352.html?nid=3388 A recent study at Stanford concluded "…that people who are HMM (heavy media multitasker in research parlance) do not pay attention, can... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1330048333.html?nid=3388 Here's a follow-up my earlier post "GM in cahoots with EPA makes up 230-mpg number." The Wall Street Journal reports that the rating does... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1160048316.html?nid=3388 Test & Measurement World is now seeking nominations for its seventh annual Test Engineer of the Year award. Sponsored by National Instruments, ... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1120048312.html?nid=3388 Farhad Manjoo picks up on a question a State Department employee asked Hillary Clinton: "Can you please let the staff use an alternative web b... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/730048273.html?nid=3388 Last March I spoke with technical marketing manager Darren McCarthy at Tektronix about the greening of communications, which, he said, is not about... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/720048272.html?nid=3388 Writing in the Washington Post, David Crane proposes for the US regional solutions to renewable energy generation. And the Wall Street Journal toda... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/200048220.html?nid=3388 The appalling Cash for Clunkers program is finally over. If you are a US citizen, it's time to call your representatives and senators and tell them... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/190048219.html?nid=3388 Last week I commented on robots, jobs, and war, and today's Wall Street Journal elaborates on the war applications of robots, noting, "Unmanne... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/1710048171.html?nid=3388 Looking for transportation solutions? Don't look to trains or electric cars, according to commentary in the Washington Post and Boston Globe. In... http://www.edn.com/blog/640000064/post/2000047800.html?nid=3388 Robotics was a focus of attention at National Instruments' NIWeek event in Austin August 3-6, when presenters discussed the technical capabilities ...