Batteries clean up their act By Dan Strassberg, Senior Technical Editor
We've made batteries much more environmentally friendly. Most of the harmful mercury is gone, and recycling programs are in full swing. But there's still much work to be done.
Design Features
Squeeze watts from your embedded design By Warren Webb, Technical Editor
An efficient, low-power design not only slashes the energy your embedded system consumes, but also reduces the energy drain on the environment. As a bonus, you get a superior product at a lower cost.
Drop by drop, "green" design saves buckets of ac power By Bill Schweber, Technical Editor
Losing even a few watts of ac-line power here and there adds up. By using new techniques in lighting, motor control, and standby/charger circuits, you can dramatically cut this aggregate waste.
Harness solar power with smart power-conversion techniques Allan Petersen, Maxim Integrated Products
Thanks to cost and efficiency improvements, the solar cell is becoming a viable alternative to traditional power sources for some applications. But devising a reliable sun-based power system gives new meaning to the phrase "saving for a rainy day." With knowledge of solar power's unique challenges, plus help from highly integrated dc/dc converters, you can make your application shine.
Green challenger takes on gas guzzlers By Brian Dipert, Technical Editor
Go from 0 to 60 in less than 9 sec-without the fumes-in this lightweight, speedy electric car.
