EV tech expanding into race cars

As noted at the auto blog TopSpeed, Swiss-based automaker Green GT is in the process of developing an FIA-spec electric race car. Built with a carbon chassis and a fiberglass body shell, the Green GT will be powered by two-phase synchronous motors each capable of 210 horsepower, producing a total output of 402 hp.

Green GT recently presented the car under a Le Mans prototype with a Sprint body at the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne -- with no less a luminary than FIA president Jean Todt on hand to determine the performance and validity of the concept electric racer in a competitive setting.

Just goes to show how far the gamut of emerging, pure-EV technology spans, and is going to span. The track at LeMans is long way from your typical country road.

Draka takeover battle turning political

The unfolding takeover battle for Dutch cable maker Draka Holding NV is turning political amid fears that China's ambitions and Europe's tough stance on cartels could undermine European cable makers' competitiveness, as reported in the business pages of The Wall Street Journal.

Worries stem from Chinese company Tianjin Xinmao Science & Technology Investment Group's €1 billion ($1.31 billion) offer to acquire Dutch cable maker Draka. The privately held Xinmao swooped unexpectedly, after Draka had already agreed to be acquired by Italy's Prysmian Spa. The bid also trumped an offer from France's Nexans SA.

Reuters has provided a useful chronology of developments in attempts to acquire the Dutch company.

Here's a round-up of related news links:

Prysmian CFO Facchini Confident of Draka Deal (Bloomberg)

Prysmian would need investor cash to up Draka bid (Reuters)

Prysmian, Draka Defend Deal Against Chinese Counterbid (Wall Street Journal)

Prysmian Won't Raise Draka Bid After Higher Offer From Xinmao (BusinessWeek)

Where old meets new: Cracker Barrel serves up EV charging stations

Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores Inc. -- a restaurant chain modeled on veneration for older, simpler times --has launched a pilot project whereby it will install ECOtality's Blink electric vehicle (EV) chargers at 24 restaurants across Tennessee.

The pilot is part of a broader effort ("The EV Project") by ECOtality to get charging stations in more places across the country. Cracker Barrel restaurants are usually located near major highways where travelers can get on and off the road easily; ECOtality says this makes the venues an ideal choice for the charging stations.

Cracker Barrel is working with The EV Project to install Blink electric vehicle chargers at select locations in "The Tennessee Triangle," a 425-mile stretch of interstate highway that connects Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Interested guests will be able to get a full EV charge in about a half hour. Installation of the chargers is set for the spring of 2011, to be completed within a few months.

Fun stuff, great story. But, here's the thing: do folks even care?

Will unproven technology and reliability concerns diminish consumer appetite for electric vehicles?

The first highway-capable plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) for the mass market will be available for sale by the end of 2010. But according to a survey from Pike Research, key objections among some skeptical consumers include concerns that PEV technology has not yet been proven, and that PEVs may not be as reliable as traditional gasoline vehicles.

“The electric vehicle industry has been very focused on addressing so-called driving 'range anxiety', the term used to describe consumers’ qualms about the effective range of a PEV on a single charge,” says Pike senior analyst John Gartner. “But the fact is that a 'wait-and-see' approach about the technology itself was a greater issue for consumers in our survey. It could easily take several years for mainstream car shoppers to get comfortable with the idea of electric vehicles.”

Link to Full Story: Unproven Technology and Reliability Concerns May Hinder Consumer Demand for Electric Vehicles, According to New Survey

Voltaire raises stakes in Infiniband vs. Ethernet showdown

While most Ethernet backbones use 10-Gigabit Ethernet, some large organizations and carriers are eyeing 100-Gigabit Ethernet backbone gear, which the new InfiniBand standard, dubbed FDR (Fourteen Data Rate) InfiniBand, should provide the basis for at 168 Gbps switch-to-switch throughput. So says Voltaire's vice president of marketing Asaf Somekh in an article by IDG News's Joab Jackson at PC World.

Voltaire plans to offer switches that use FDR in the second half of 2011. In June, the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) updated the InfiniBand Roadmap, introducing FDR as a higher-throughput replacement for its current standard, QDR (Quad Data Rate). QDR can provide 40G bps (bits per second) throughput to a server, or 32Gb/s of actual payload. FDR can provide 56Gb/s of payload, Somekh said.

RELATED NEWS:

Ethernet Alliance releases white papers on 40/100G interoperability testing

UNH-IOL launches IEEE 802.3ba consortium for 40G/100G Ethernet standard

The report continues:

Somekh would not reveal what the total throughput will be, though IBTA asserts that FDR's new rate of encoding can deliver 64 bits of information using only 2 bits of overhead, which is superior to the QDR encoding that delivers 8 bits using 2 bits of overhead. This suggests that total throughput, including overhead, might be around 57.75 Gb/s.

Somekh did not give any details on Voltaire's plans for FDR server adapters, but he did say the company plans to introduce a set of switches that would have three 56 Gb/s channels, for an aggregate throughput of 168 Gb/s, in the second half of next year.

The IBTA has positioned FDR as a cost-effective InfiniBand for midsized data centers. In addition to FDR, the association also introduced EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), which will have approximately twice the throughput of FDR and is expected to become available next year. Voltaire did not say whether it plans to support EDR.

Both standards are the latest salvos in the ongoing competition between InfiniBand and Gigabit Ethernet as the choice for low-latency, high-throughput communications. Last June, the IEEE approved the 802.3ba standard for 40-Gigabit and 100-Gigabit Ethernet, and vendors are now producing gear to meet these specs.

We'll continue to follow this story closely here at Interconnection World.

LINK:

Voltaire Ups Ante in InfiniBand Ethernet Duel (PC World)

TEARDOWN: Microsoft Kinect motion sensing gaming controller

As reported yesterday at Reuters, Microsoft announced that it has sold more than 1 million of its new hands-free Kinect gaming systems in the first 10 days since launch, putting it on track to beat its target of 5 million sales by the end of the year.

The Kinect is a sensing device that plugs into the Xbox gaming console which allows the player to play games just by moving his or her body and speaking commands. The device is available as a standalone unit or bundled with a 4 gigabyte Xbox console.

Microsoft is hoping the new technology will help extend the role of its Xbox 360, which has sold 45 million units, and introduce a concept that is expected to feature in forms of electronics and computers in the next few years, while countering competing motion-based gaming systems from Nintendo Co, which makes the Wii, and Sony Corp, which introduced its Move product two months ago.

I said to myself, there has to be more to this story than the gaming system companies' rush up to Black Friday...there has to be a tech teardown of this master gadget's hardware and technology out there on the Web. And so there is.

As briefly summarized at ubergizmo, the device incorporates a strong albeit small fan amongst a plethora of sensors, a quartet of microphones, a couple of autofocus cameras that have been specially optimized for depth detection, an IR transmitting diode, 64 MB of Hynix DDR2 SDRAM, a motor and a three-axis accelerometer. The device is essentially a sophisticated sensor suite that detects a body's position and movements in 3D space.

The teardown motherlode for this thing, however, is to be found at ifixit.com ("the free repair manual anyone can edit"): Microsoft Kinect Teardown (ifixit.com).

As meticulously detailed in the teardown, most of the Xbox's processing power is dedicated to gaming, so Kinect preprocesses the image prior to sending it on to the Xbox. Two CMOS cameras and an IR projector make up the Kinect's eyes; from there, the device condenses all the information it collects about your living room into two fields: a color image and a depth map.

The device's slim form factor has forced Microsoft to split up the main board, stacking three boards vertically ('like a small apartment building," notes ifixit.) Microsoft is using a USB-like device connector for the Kinect, which uses 12 watts. (Quite a bit more than 2.5 watts of power provided by a standard USB port, by the way.)

The teardown further determined that the device board features a TI TAS1020B USB audio controller front and center. All four microphones connect to the motherboard with a single cable connector. A Kionix MEMS KXSD9 accelerometer is speculated to be used for inclination and tilt sensing, and possibly image stabilization.

RELATED: Kinect disconnected: Video tears down Microsoft's motion sensing gaming device

The microelectronic brains of the device pull together a roster of the electronics industry's usual suspects including Wolfson Microelectronics, Fairchild Semiconductor, NEC, Marvell, Analog Devices, Allegro Microsystems, and ST Microelectronics.

As ifixit amusingly notes, without a service manual, repairing the device will be quite a challenge. Microsoft has not made a service manual available, and used four kinds of screws in locking down the console design -- including some "hated security bits": T6, T10, T10 security, and Phillips #0.

As indicated in other reports, including this one from Wired.com, the Kinect is the result of hundreds of millions of dollars of research Microsoft has invested in speech and motion recognition technology.

SOURCES:

Microsoft says sells 1 million Kinect devices (Reuters)

Microsoft Kinect teardown (ubergizmo)

Microsoft Kinect Teardown (ifixit)

How Motion Detection Works in Xbox Kinect (Wired)

IPC charges Greenpeace with shuffling 'bad science'

IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries has again come forward with a charge of "faulty science," this time contained in the latest revision of the Greenpeace electronics scorecard. IPC is contending that certain steps that Greenpeace is demanding of electronics companies are not necessary according to scientific research with particular regard to brominated flame retardents (BFRs) in general and the BFR Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) in particular. Peter Clarke reporting at EE Times has the full story with analysis.

NEC's Android-based tablet PC doubles down on USB

As reported at PCWorld, Japan's NEC has developed an Android-based tablet PC that will begin shipping in Japan this month. Unveiled at NEC's iExpo event in Tokyo, the LifeTouch features a 7-inch touchscreen and is intended for use as an access device for cloud-based services.

Based on an ARM Cortex processor, the unit incorporates Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional 3G networking, a 3-megapixel camera and GPS sensor, as well as both micro USB and standard USB connectors with host-mode support and a SD card reader.

RELATED STORIES:

Industry associations endorse Micro-USB for mobile handsets

JAE unveils Micro USB connector line

Initially available only to corporate clients, the LifeTouch is being billed as a terminal for electronic book, online shopping and health-care services. NEC also anticipates use of the tablet inside companies as an input device for sales or logistics work.

And so, there you have it: the latest skirmish in the Android vs. iPad wars, characterized by some as the great contest of 2010. Gadget guilt? Get over it!

iPhone hacked with serial connector makes perfect IT troubleshooter

With most of the iPhone's "easter egg" secrets having already been discovered and parsed to the Nth degree by geeks everywhere, the smartphone continues to harbor one little-known but incredibly useful capability: a hidden serial port.

And so a "jailbroken" iPhone armed with a serial port connector becomes a thing of beauty for one IT worker: an entire computer that can be whipped out of pocket to do mainframe troubleshooting in a pinch. I can see most network engineers perking up at the notion of being able to rely on just their phones in the server room, rather than being chained to a laptop or remote terminal...

Cribbed images reveal spartan state of Foxconn's Shenzhen dorms

Roughly half of Foxconn's 420,000 workers are based in Shenzhen. The facility is where electronics for many Western companies are assembled, including Apple products like the iPhone. Captured as part of a joint project by Wired and Gizmodo, the photos reveal spartan worker dormitories, with only modest luxuries. Halls are described as "institutionally" empty, and dimly lit.

Foxconn has reportedly outsourced the management of its employee living quarters, a response to complaints about potential conflicts of interest in doing it itself.

Read more: Photos show state of Foxconn's Shenzhen campus (electronista.com)

HyperMac rebranding as HyperJuice in Apple patent battle

The Sanho-HyperMac vs. Apple-Magsafe wars just took a turn for The Marketing. HyperMac, the company that recently goaded Apple into litigious action over its use of the MagSafe magnetic connectors, announced on Monday that it will be changing its name to HyperJuice. The HyperMac product line included several portable chargers for Apple’s MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, as well as the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and iPod. Sanho and HyperMac said the planned name change is part of their “ongoing comprehensive licensing negotiations” with Apple.

Here are the links:

AppleInsider: HyperMac to be rebranded HyperJuice after Apple legal action

MacObserver: HyperMac Rebranding as HyperJuice in Apple Patent Battle

Gearlog: HyperMac to Rebrand to HyperJuice, Stop Selling Batteries Today

Asian investors give Tijuana a thumbs up for business?

An official with a Japanese manufacturing trade group gave a ringing endorsement to doing business in the Mexican border city of Tijuana last week. Joji Hiraiwa, secretary of the San Diego-based Japanese Maquiladora Association, thanked local authorities for supporting his industry during tough times, when deteriorating infrastructure and public insecurity proved challenging obstacles.

"It was a headache for the maquiladora industry to travel on deteriorated streets, but things are good with the hydraulic concrete program, and we will remember this public work in the coming years," Hiraiwa said. The Japanese business leader added that investors will seek to sink more money into Tijuana.

That, from a report by Frontera NorteSur (FNS - Center for Latin American and Border Studies;

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM), posted this month at Mexidata.info. The report continues:

Pleased with the recognition, Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos pledged to give greater support to foreign investors. Although property taxes for foreign-owned maquiladora plants have increased 200 percent, plant owners now have access to much better roads, green areas and monuments in the Otay Industrial Zone, Ramos said. According to the mayor, the maquiladora industry will be offered new properties in the Las Palmas Valley as an incentive to expand.

Investors from other Pacific Rim nations are also showing greater interest in Tijuana. A government delegation from the People's Republic of China visited Tijuana in recent days, greasing the wheels for a tour of Chinese businessmen who are expected to arrive in the border city [this] week.

Chinese attention on Tijuana is another example of the Asian giant's growing business in Mexico and Latin America. China's bilateral trade with Latin America exploded from $200 million in 1975 to $47 billion by 2005.

Given the high level of criminal violence and subsequent negative publicity which have swirled around Tijuana in the past few years, the enthusiasm of foreign investors in expanding their business dealings in the city is noteworthy.

While Tijuana is far less violent than another important border maquiladora center, Ciudad Juarez, it nonetheless continues to suffer significant spates of bloodletting — despite repeated claims from security forces that government crackdowns have largely neutralized organized criminal gangs in the city.

At least 15 men were reported slain in gangland-style incidents between Sunday, October 10, and Tuesday evening, October 12. In one incident, two headless bodies were discovered hanging from a bridge on the Tijuana-Rosarito Highway. On another road, the shaved head of a young man was found stuffed into a plastic bag. In both instances, written threats typical of narco bands were left at the scenes.

Fermin Gomez Gomez, deputy state prosecutor for organized crime, blamed the outbreak of violence on a gang conflict for control of Tijuana's retail illegal drug market.

We've covered the turbulent Maquiladora space on this blog before. Always a fascinating -- and frightening -- subject.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner: Still dreaming

The Wall Street Journal reports that Boeing has again halted factory deliveries of components for the much anticipated 787 Dreamliner owing to workmanship issues with a major Italian supplier. The problem involves delivery of the jet's horizontal stabilizers (small wings at the rear of the aircraft that help control the up-and-down pitch of the aircraft). The parts are built by Alenia Aeronautica in Foggia, Italy, and have been a source of consternation for Boeing much of this year. The Seattle Times says that as a result Boeing is considering building 787-9 horizontal tails in-house. Meanwhile, the planes are stacking up!

Guest Blog: Converging, colliding and collapsing IO standards and interconnect

By ED CADY, Strategic Marketing Director, Siemon Interconnect Solutions --

As with organic life forms, the nodes and links of the worldwide web seem to have a varying rhythmic process of differentiation and then integration. At certain inflection points in the process, one can see an intended integration of effort cause some differential effects, which in turn meld together after another natural cycle. More than any other IO interface, Ethernet has expanded well beyond the original LAN section of the web that it has dominated for many years since it overcame the rival Token Ring and VG AnyLAN interfaces.

Responding to Ethernet's expansion and absorption of rivals, champions and evangelists of other IO interfaces like Fibre Channel have created newer standard interface versions using a convergent tunneling method that preserves the native protocol but uses Ethernet physical transport system. Think of protocols tunneling through any other faster physical transport layer as a packet spaceship traveling through wormholes in space, from one data center galaxy to another.

Recently the Ethernet community has evolved its technology to converge LAN with SAN into one physical network. This was partially accomplished with the implementation of the recent Ethernet standard 10GBaseCR. This two-pair, serial single-lane link was expedited without a detailed connector IEEE standard specification clause, but achieved compliance and interoperability through an Ethernet Alliance Plugfest process.

This has caused the Fibre Channel community to create a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) specification that helps to preserve the native protocol and its installed base. The InfiniBand community has similarly created its RoCE, or RDMA over Converged Ethernet, standard specification. RDMA is Remote Direct Memory Access, a low-latency and low-power technology used with InfiniBand architecture. So now these four interface, 10GBaseCR, 10GFCoE, 10GFC and 10GRoCE are implemented using the same SFP+ single-lane passive copper cabling. 10G SFP+ usage has grown dramatically because active copper and active optical SFP+ have enabled increased market segments and longer-length applications like digital signage and AV systems.

Besides Fibre Channel, other storage interfaces like NAS, iSCSI, iSATA and ATAoE are tunneled over Ethernet 10GBaseCR. These other storage interfaces are also tunneled over Ethernet 10GBaseT using Category 6a and Category 7a cabling. There are open and closed Consortia de facto standards using these multi-protocols on so-called collapsed architectural fabrics like the Unified Computing System, which also use the SFP+ cabling.

Besides UCS, there are several other de facto standard unified style networks, which also use the SFP+ but with different encryption in memory mapping of the embedded plug EPROMs. One wonders if all of these IO interfaces will expand and use the newly developing 25/26/28Gbit/sec QSFP++ module and cabling system, which is being standardized through the SFF-8661/2/3 specification. See www.sffcommittee.org, www.t11.org and www.fibrechannel.org to learn more, or contact me.

Ethernet 40GBaseCR4, 40GFCoE and InfiniBand 40G QDR standards are using the same four-lane QSFP+ SFF-8436 connector, module and cabling. the SAS storage interface uses QSFP+ AOC (active optical cables) for longer-reach applications as does the CameraLink-2 video networking standard. Will these various interface communities stay converged using the new SFF-8661 QSFP++ connector system for next-generation 100GBaseCR4, 100GFCoE, 100GFC SAN and InfiniBand 100G EDR?

There are many other convergent IO interfaces like FCoIB Fibre Channel over InfiniBand, UAS USB attached SCSI, UoSATA USB over SATA, and of course SoU SATA over USB, which is 3G SATA over 4.8G USB implementation. Watching Ethernet, the other very high volume IO standard, HDMI, has recently released its new revision-1.4 spec. This spec has 1G Ethernet running through the new microHDMI cabling system. However HDMI and DVI video IO signaling is run through Ethernet category cabling systems, as does the HDBaseT signaling and HomePlug Alliance's cabling adapters. So one could say that the shielded Cat 6a, Cat 7a, SFP+and QSFP+ are the three primary multi-protocol interconnects for now and several years.

Lo, looming ahead is a potential round of interface collisions, convergence and collapsed interconnect. It is starting at the desktop level with DisplayPort, USB, SATA, HDMI and PCI-E converged and transformed to the new multi-protocol LightPeak optical-only single fiber interface. It is rumored that LightPeak would replace short-reach SAS as well. It seems that there is a 10G and 28G version of LightPeak.

At the 25/26/28/40G-per-lane data rate, electrical signaling has very limited copper-cable length reach, like 1 to 3 meters. Active optical cabling seems at this range to have an equal portion of the forecasted TAM volume versus copper. So it is no wonder that there is also looming another generation beyond, a new optical interface that can be supported by developing chips that currently work in labs at 50G per lane and supporting up to 2-km distances. Its next generation of 100G per lane is being co-developed. This optical technology interface is beyond the LightPeak interface and could supplant even Ethernet, InfiniBand, Fibre Channel and other IO interfaces within new data centers within five years.

Coinciding with this new optical interface's emergence is a very new generation of internal active optical cables that connect from either printed circuit boards or nascent fiber circuit boards to other boards/modules and to optical backplanes. These internal AOCs also are being driven by the continual port densification evolution as the internal AOCs connect to the bulkhead with MPO-type connectors and achieved double port density versus either SFP+ or QSFP+ AOCconnector/cabling ports. But there will be a large part of the market and systems that stay longer using the various small form-factor pluggable media types, causing the use of many different hybrid cables like QSFP+ SFF-8436 to QSFP++ SFF-8661, and hydra cables like three SFP++ SFF-xxxx (number to be assigned) cable legs going into one QSFP++ SFF-8661. Seewww.sffcommittee.org.

These internal AOCs and other new CMOS photonic chips may evolve beyond using the QuickPath, HyperTransport and other chip-to-chip IO interfaces. As the highest performance and largest size data center system end-users look at using many thousands of mobile phone processor chips like Intel's Atom, the ARM chip or SmoothStone's new chip to save on power consumption and cooling needs, they are considering a further collapsed optical interface and interconnect that absorbs the LightPeak interface.

You can have fun trying to overlay all these IO roadmaps into one chart. In a parallel universe, voice communication interfaces are melding into Ethernet. Consider that telephony IO interfaces like SS7, TDMS, Utopia, Frame Relay, ATM, PBT and MPLS are merging into a VoIP and Ethernet network. Even IB-WAN, EoS Ethernet over SONET, SONET and SDN are being replaced by enhanced Carrier Ethernet. The same is true for all the old 6-8 Industrial IO interfaces converging into Industrial Ethernet cabling. Within commercial infrastructures various IO interfaces are also quickly melding into a ConvergeIT interconnect network.

Just think if these dozens of interfaces converged into one optical interface in the fuzzy future, we will have many fewer acronyms to keep track of! But will this nascent Camelot interface be called something cryptic like the existing IPoDWDM (Internet Protocol over Dense Wave Division Multilexing) interface?

In the past ten years, the SFF-8470, a primarily dedicated twinaxial copper cabling system was selected and/or implemented in many industry and de facto standards like InfiniBand, Ethernet, SAS, RapidIO, Myrinet and in the very many separate NICs and homogenous switch boxes. Then heterogeneous switches and NICs appeared with the common SFF-8470 cabling handling the different interfaces in one box or rack. Then there were high-port-count multi-protocol chips. Now the protocols run through one slimmer QSFP+ or SFP+ cable assembly using one transport layer. In some SSD (solid state drive) devices the FC and SAS or SATA and USB interfaces are integrated into one chip. I have heard the many wireless interface people are working on their Camelot next-generation convergent interface as well.

How fast will the new data center power and cooling requirements as well as disruptive CMOS photonic technologies impact further convergence and wide market acceptance? So what is your convergence view or vision of interfaces and interconnects over this coming decade?

Ed Cady is senior marketing director with Siemon Interconnect Solutions (Siemon, Siemon Interconnect Solutions). You can reach him at Ed_Cady@siemon.com or 503-359-4556.

Is EMF-induced 'electropollution' from cell phones, Wi-Fi a serious public health hazard?

Author Ann Louise Gittleman has thrown down the proverbial glove when it comes to a form of environmental pollution that industry, government and wireless consumers alike may be loath to acknowledge. Gittleman contends, "You may not be able to see electropollution, but your body responds to it as though it were a cloud of toxic chemicals. Electropollution is continually disturbing your sympathetic nervous system."

The quote is from Gittleman's recent book, Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. The risk from electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by widespread deployment and usage of celluar phone and Wi-Fi technolgies may be, it appears, a matter of more than just passing concern. And medical professionals from both the M.D. and integrative medicine communities are standing up and taking note.

At least, that's the tack taken by Hyla Cass, M.D., writing in Huffington Post, when she reveals:

"A few years ago, I was so concerned that I took a certification course in the detection and harmful effects of EMFs. What it taught me, above all, was how much what the scientific community is learning daily, and how little we in the medical profession knew. This area was both frightening and daunting in its scope."

How frightening? How daunting? Hess goes on to report:

The UK's BioInitiative Report of July, 2007 (updated in 2009) describes hundreds of studies that link EMF exposure to Alzheimer's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), brain fog, cardiovascular disease, birth defects, infertility, insomnia, learning impairment, as well as anxiety and depression. Wireless technologies--like cell and cordless phones--produce microwaves that increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, leading to changes in brain chemistry. Even low-level EMFs can cause brain cells to leak...

...Most disturbing of all, the Swedish National Institute for Working Life found that people using cell phones for 2,000 hours--a total most of us could easily rack up over the years--had a 240 percent increased risk for malignant brain tumors on the side of the head where they usually held their phone...

...Some of this radiation -- extremely low frequency (ELF) radiation in power lines, the radio frequency (RF)/microwave range where all things wireless live, intermediate frequencies ("dirty electricity" or freaky frequencies linked to sick building syndrome), and the highest frequencies (gamma and X-rays) -- is more damaging than natural frequencies to which humans (and animals) have adapted over millennia. Today, most Americans are constantly exposed to artificial frequencies, given the rapidly escalating pace of microwave and wireless expansion...

...The bottom line is that electropollution--from cell towers, computers, cordless and mobile phones, PDAs, WiFi, even the electrical appliances and wiring in our homes, offices and public buildings--continually disturbs the sympathetic nervous system...

Yikes.

Full disclosure alert: Hess states in her article that author Gittleman is a friend of hers, so the reporting -- which enumerates a list of helpful tips for avoiding electropollution zappage (as it were) conveniently drawn from Gittleman's book -- could be written off as nothing more than a glorified book review -- or, worse, advertorial.

Still...use of mobile and wireless electronic devices their effects on our health is a topic we've all wondered about, and one that the World Health Organization has acknowledged. Do you really think it's all myths?

The feelings herewith inspired may indeed be (ahem) warm...but probably not too fuzzy...

iPad, iPhone may soon sprout magnetic connectors for fast disengage

Patently Apple is reporting that a recent -- and apparently rather hastily published -- continuation patent application seems to tip the company's intention to integrate its MagSafe power connector into future versions of portables such as the iPhone and iPad.

The MagSafe connector is held in place magnetically so that if tugged on, it disengages from the socket easily and safely, without damaging it or the computer. Thus alleviating the dreaded laptop-hits-floor scenario when someone accidentally pulls or trips on the power cord!

Wikipedia notes that the MagSafe is similar to the magnetic power connectors that many deep fryers and Japanese countertop cooking appliances have in order to avoid spilling their dangerously hot contents.

I like what Darius Chang commenting at CNET Asia has to say on all this:

The MagSafe connector is one of those features which makes so much sense that one wonders why it has not become a universal standard...Still, not all patents actually take on physical form, take this with a pinch of salt for now.

It would be interesting to know what factors might serve to preclude Apple's moving the MagSafe connector into these portable designs. Might it have something to do with concerns surrounding physical footprint and size, in light of recent reports of these rapidly-becoming-ubiquitous devices already being on deck to sprout additional interfaces?

DARPA Neurophotonics project specifies nerve-sensitive optical fiber connections between brain and robotic prosthetics

A flurry of news activity this week, surrounding DARPA's Neurophotonics project, which specifies optical fiber connections between the human brain and robotics-based prosthetic limbs. Southern Methodist University (SMU) announced that DARPA will be funding its new Neurophotonics Research Center to the tune of $5.6 million.

The stated goal of the government's Neurophotonics Research Center is:

To develop a link compatible with living tissue that will connect powerful computer technologies to the human nervous system through hundreds or even thousands of sensors embedded in a single fiber.

Unlike experimental electronic nerve interfaces made of metal, fiber optic technology would not be rejected or destroyed by the body's immune system.

Just think: Artificial limbs that feel! Realistic robotic arms! Fiber-optic links between warfighters' minds and bodies! Star Wars analogies abound.

Here's a round up of the headlines:

DARPA Funding Development of Fiber Optics for Communication Between Prosthetics and Nervous System (medGadget)

DARPA Working on Neurophotonics - optical fiber connections between the brain and robotics (Next Big Future)

Artificial limbs to get feeling soon, courtesy DARPA and SMU's neurophotonics (Digit)

SMU engineers lead new DARPA research center (smudailycampus.com)

Fiber Optics Could ‘Humanize’ Future Prosthetic Limbs (TechNewsDaily)

DARPA aims for fiber-optic link between warfighters' minds, bodies (FCW.com)

Realistic Robotic Arm Within Reach (photonics.com)

Artificial limbs that feel: How a fiber optic connection will hook up prosthetics to the brain (SmartPlanet.com)

Certifying real-world know-how in wireless communications

Guest Blog by Celia Desmond, IEEE WCET Program Director -- Wireless communications professionals the world over are now able to demonstrate their thorough understanding of different key technologies in the wireless arena. Individuals earning the IEEE Wireless Communications Professional (IEEE WCP) credential are accredited as having received a thorough understanding of how new technology and recent standards developments impact their work in the wireless communications field, as well as a firm grasp of local market and business implications.

Today, the IEEE Wireless Communication Engineering technologies (IEEE WCET) program is recognized internationally as a useful tool for not only certifying the wireless communications expertise of professionals, but also helping employers, corporations and global organizations assess the real-world problem solving skills of present employees and potential job candidates.

To assist practitioners in advancing those skills, IEEE ComSoc, under the guidance of wireless industry professionals and experienced academics, has made it their business to introduce training programs designed to provide continuing education opportunities for communications professionals worldwide.

“In the coming months, ComSoc Training will announce additional intensive virtual and in-person training courses,” says Rolf Frantz, the WCET industry relations manager and a communications industry veteran. “Simultaneously, the WCET examination is being updated with questions that specifically address developments in the industry since the program’s inception. ComSoc’s goal is to keep both the training and the exam up to date and relevant to practitioners working in the field."

Frantz adds, “Through outreach to leading corporations and learning institutions worldwide, we’ve found that many graduates enter the job market with a lack of practical knowledge. ComSoc’s educational offerings aim to help recent graduates bridge that gap between theory and practice, while helping experienced practitioners expand their skills and knowledge across the broad field of wireless communications. The objective of the WCET certification exam has always been to provide knowledgeable wireless professionals with a way to demonstrate their mastery of critical and constantly evolving wireless technology.”

The IEEE Wireless Communication Engineering technologies (IEEE WCET) examination was originally developed by the IEEE Communications Society (IEEE ComSoc) to provide professionals with a vendor-neutral, standards-oriented method for demonstrating their practical skills in the wireless field as well as to offer employers a quantifiable way for selecting qualified individuals for wireless engineering positions and projects worldwide.

ComSoc Training offers a variety of online and in-person training options specifically designed to help wireless professionals enhance their overall knowledge of the field. These training sessions can also aid in preparation for the IEEE WCET exam, while offering customized training options to companies and organizations interested in providing on-site instruction to employees. Students who complete a ComSoc Training course are eligible to receive IEEE Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which can also help them meet company training requirements or maintain a P.E. license.

As an example, a one-day course will be held 20 October 2010 at 4G World in Chicago, IL. Practical Wireless Communications Engineering will provide a broad audience of technology professionals with the latest details on current engineering, architectural, operational, standards, and management practices. It also addresses numerous network layers including different facets of wireless design.

A five-day intensive online course on wireless communications engineering is also being offered from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT on 20 – 24 September 2010. Particularly suited for persons working in a specialized aspect of wireless communications, this course focuses on the implementation, design and operation of wireless networks. Course participants will gain a more advanced understanding of current technology practices and a better perspective on future wireless communications developments.

For more information about ComSoc Training and IEEE CEUs visit www.comsoc.org/training. From the ComSoc Training website you can learn more about specific course objectives, read instructor biographies, and review course material and registration information. Specifics about the 20 October course at 4G World can also be found at http://4gworld.com/2010/06/ieee-training-course/.

To earn the IEEE WCP credential, individuals must pass the IEEE WCET exam. Made up of 150 multiple choice questions, the test is offered via computer at testing centers worldwide. IEEE ComSoc recommends that candidates have a degree from an accredited college or university and three or more years of graduate-level education or professional wireless communications engineering experience in order to be adequately prepared for the exam.

Visit www.ieee-wcet.org to learn more about WECT certification. From the website you can also subscribe to the bi-monthly IEEE Wireless Communications Professional electronic newsletter. Free PDF and print copies of the Candidate’s Handbook, which contains everything you need to know about the WCET program and exam, can also be requested. Email questions to cert@comsoc.org or call +1 732 699 5477.

Electric vehicles = Hot news item

The above headline may qualify as the "No duh" understatement of the year, if not the decade. One has to wonder where we'll be with electric vehicle (EV) technology in ten years' time, but one thing seems certain: EV is and will continue to be a huge factor/market for connector and wiring harness designers and manufacturers. It's all over the daily electronics industry news.

And so, with no further adieu, a round-up of breaking EV news stories, for your perusal:

Toyota announces 6 new hybrids, electric cars (CNNMoney.com)

Toyota and Tesla's first electric car: a RAV4 EV (USA Today)

First U.S. EV battery plant opens in Michigan (ConsumerReports.org)

Tennessee: America's electric car mecca? (Mother Nature Network)

Ford, CenterPoint Energy team up to prepare Houston for electric vehicles (PennEnergy.com)

NASA, Harwin brace for humanoid robot's space debut

IEEE Spectrum is reporting that NASA will send the world’s first humanoid robot to space later this year. The humanoid, dubbed Robonaut 2 or R2, is set to launch on Space Shuttle Discovery on November 1, 2010, and will travel to the International Space Station, where it will become a permanent resident and work alongside humans as a robotic helper.

The Robonaut features dexterous arms and hands that can manipulate objects and tools exactly as humans do. Astronauts will mount the robot on a fixed pedestal inside one of the space station labs and use it to perform tasks such as flipping switches, cleaning air filters, and holding tools.

Connector industry angle? Harwin’s Mix-Tek Datamate connectors are used all over the Robonaut, specifically in the head and arms.

Harwin says that the Robonaut design team was looking for a board-to-board connector family that could handle fairly high currents of between 10 and 15A, while also handling signal and power, and all in the same, small package.

According to the company, the deciding factor for using the Datamate was the versatility of the connector – Robonaut requires several different configurations - plus an assurance that Harwin could turn out the connectors exactly to the configuration required quickly, without having to consider a long tooling leadtime. Harwin says it committed to a five week leadtime, rather than the industry standard of eight to 10 weeks.

When asked for comment, Robonaut 2 said that it was completely operational, with all circuits functioning perfectly, and that it plans to put itself to fullest possible use.

Guest Blog: Lean Manufacturing delivers healthier processes, better components

By JP Lambiase, design engineer, Custom Electronics, Inc. (CEI) -- When a person slims down, he gets rid of the unnecessary parts – the love handles, the beer belly, the double chin. Going lean does not mean dropping vital organs, but rather, shedding the excess weight that can negatively affect one’s health and productivity. The process is similar in manufacturing. Lean manufacturing is a practice that reduces waste without compromising value, and it’s being embraced by companies around the world.

Traditional processes are not always preferable

Traditional manufacturing counts on a great number of people and processes for the completion of singular tasks. This breeds defects, overproduction and obsolescence. However, these obstacles can be easily avoided with the use of lean design implementations and components, which serve to eliminate unnecessary steps. In many manufacturing processes, waste goes unnoticed. Simple issues – including unnecessary shipments, unused equipment and tools, time-consuming assemblies and inconsistencies – can rapidly add up to significant depletion of resources, time and money.

Manufacturers who recognize these issues can alleviate them by implementing lean manufacturing processes. By using lean components from the beginning of the design process, companies will see immediate ROI through financial savings, improved safety, quicker delivery and increased product and process quality. Lean components, therefore, present a huge opportunity for manufacturers seeking to improve their overall businesses.

The benefits of a leaner lifestyle (in manufacturing)

A person dropping unnecessary pounds will see the benefits in the way his clothes fit and the ease with which he walks up a flight of stairs. A manufacturer shedding waste will see the benefits in the bottom line and throughout nearly every department of the business. This includes:

Shorter design process: Companies can save time and money in the design process’ by condensing multiple assembly components into one larger component. Bus bars, which are thick strips of copper or aluminum that conduct electricity within an electrical apparatus, carry large currents or distribute current to multiple devices within switchgear or equipment. These components are particularly good examples of lean elements that can be used for a vast number of electrical applications. Their quality, reproducibility, consistency and relatively simple design make bus bars highly efficient, which has been shown through their reliability in the reduction of human error, the lowering of inductance and the increasing of electrical efficiencies. Bus bars transform a complex mess of cables into one strong, simple assembly, and can fulfill almost any power distribution requirement.

Performance efficiency: In terms of reducing necessary wires, bus bars mitigate installation and set-up times while reducing the risk of human error. Minimizing the handling of materials leads to reduction of unnecessary operations, and since lean components cost and weigh much less than wires and cables, the use of bus bars leads to complete performance efficiency. Additionally, bus bars’ larger surface areas enable them to remain cooler than wires and cables, allowing heat dissipation to be more efficient and safe.

Reduction of human error: Bus bars undergo a variety of manufacturing stages in a single condensed form, rather than in multiple parts. This prevents missing parts and the need for guesswork and accelerates design-verification by requiring fewer steps. In addition to shortening process development through the vendor’s assembly of the block, it eliminates the possibility of incorrectly connecting or wiring the assembly. A simplified installation translates to fewer manufacturers completing fewer steps, therefore lessening the odds of human error.

Simplified procurement and receiving: “Block” products refer to components such as bus bars and integrated electronic assemblies to become one larger assembly in order to simplify and improve fit and functionality. Block design benefits procurement by incorporating multiple vendors together for one assembly, as opposed to a long list. This way, manufacturers are able to order single rather than multiple materials, eliminating the use of multiple part files that can hinder communication. The block design technique also applies to receiving, removing the need to travel to multiple vendors to inspect components individually in a customer source inspection. In the event that follow-up is necessary, it will require significantly less effort than it would if numerous components were in question. Additionally, customers are able to conduct source inspections at one vendor facility rather than traveling to many locations for different answers.

Tighter inventory control: The block approach leads to simplified inventory control, allowing the creation of a single, rather than multiple inventory part numbers. If the block design was separated into its individual components and assembled in-house, more separate components would need to be inventoried to compensate for expected manufacturing loss, usually estimated at 20 percent. Furthermore, the average block assemblies are subjected to pre-tests before delivery and then sealed, therefore not requiring the same careful handling and storage as disconnected, sensitive components.

Lower process engineering: Because prior steps towards the assembly of the block have already been completed by the vendor, the manufacturing of components like bus bar blocks require much less process. Bus bar manufacturing reduces the risk of improper wiring and increases efficiency in the installation process due to its static geometry and definable terminations, which result in the reduced need for manufacturing personnel and process instructions. Engineers can enjoy the reassurance of fit and function due to designers’ lean techniques. Through various inspections in the beginning stages of design, block assemblies guarantee precision and cut many steps in the manufacturing process.

Lean manufacturing: Tastier than diet drinks

The benefits to going lean in manufacturing are extensive, and slimming down wasteful practices is a straightforward matter. Manufacturers eager to cut the fat adopt block design and see the results in improved safety, time-to-market, cost savings and resource allocation. By replacing cables and multiple, unassembled components, manufacturers gain a competitive advantage in every aspect of the industry. And they don’t even have to stomach chalky diet drinks or long hours in the gym to get lean.

JP Lambiase is a design engineer at Custom Electronics, Inc. (CEI). His work entails design and assembly for bus bar components, incorporating lean practices throughout its processes.

GM's driverless podcar portends age of autonomous vehicles

At this month's World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, in anticipation of an impending age of global megacities, GM unveiled its EN-V concept vehicles, with an autonomous driving demonstration for spectators at the event's outdoor pavilion. Incorporating a 3.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack, an 18kW electric motor, the latest in GPS and vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity and an array of sensors and cameras, the EN-V vehicles "showcased their ability to react quickly to unforeseen obstacles and changes in driving conditions, as well as their great maneuverability and agility empowered by dynamic stabilization technology," according to GM.

"EN-V represents another major step forward in GM's leadership in the development of advanced vehicle technology," said GM China Group President and Managing Director Kevin Wale. "By creating a new automobile DNA through the convergence of electrification and connectivity, EN-V offers the promise of eliminating traffic congestion, crashes and vehicle emissions in tomorrow's urban communities."

Well, I hate to say it, but I feel like I've heard this one before. But who knows? GM has been on a roll lately, so I guess we'll see where this thing goes -- no pun!

Kudos to Molex for Connector.com

As one of the undeniable 800-lb. gorillas of the connector industry, Molex has now come up with a great portal aimed squarely at connector suppliers and engineers and others involved in the field of connector assembly. The social media website Connector.com is billed right up front as The place to connect with the connector experts. Well OK, Molex! And indeed, the site launches with a trio of insightful articles housed in topic areas for Power, Environmental and Connectors 101.

On the topic of Power, Molex product development manager Ken Stead talks about the time-honored practice of derating power connectors -- and why it has always been absolutely critical to do so, nothwithstanding the industry's present flash ahead to the 21st century where space and cost are king. Stead notes that if a backplane or I/O connector blows up, you're looking at a call to the Help Desk...but that power connectors can literally go up in flames, resulting in a different kind of call...like to 911.

On the Environmental front, Molex product compliance expert Joe Stainbrook asks the questions: So what's the big deal about halogens, and what is Molex doing in terms of raw materials choices?

Finally, in Connectors 101, Molex director of technology marketing Herbert Endres tackles questions of applied cost and design. I won't try to paraphrase too much now, but will say that it is fascinating to read an in-depth take on this subject matter from a true industry veteran.

I spent a significant portion of my morning today reading all three of these articles. So, kudos to Molex for coming forth with a great conduit for getting their people's connector expertise out there in a big way. From an audience standpoint, you can bet that other connector manufacturers and distributors will be following suit with similar sites.

Case in point, Farnell-Newark's element14. Another great resource...and subject for a forthcoming blog post!

'Interesting times' for connector manufacturing industry

Longtime industry analyst firm Bishop Associates has said it best: for the period spanning 2009 and 2010, there has been nothing approximating the definition of “normal business conditions” for the global connector manufacturing industry.

According to recent analysis from the firm:

In the first half of 2009, bookings were down 36.6 percent, and sales were down 33.9 percent. In June 2010, bookings are up 50.2 percent, and sales are up 37.5 percent. Both years set a historical low and a historical high for the halfway point.

The rest of Bishop's 2010 industry forecast assumptions reflect the firm's that opinion substantial orders and sales will continue in the second half of 2010, but demand will soften.

We shall see. But hey...interesting times!

Data center space: Build, or buy? Former Google honcho weighs in

In an economic climate that's been tough and maybe is going to stay tough, IT managers are hard pressed to know whether the better option now is to build afresh, or simply buy into existing data center facilities. In an effort to illuminate this conundrum, Simon Tusha, former Google data center exec and CTO of Overland Park, Kansas-based colocation firm Quality Technology Services (QTS), and QTS COO Brian Johnston, both weigh in on data center outsourcing trends in this very informative Q&A session, posted by Ryan Arsenault at IT Knowledge Exchange.

Guest Blog: Could Foxconn Fail?

By Jennifer Read, Charlie Barnhart and Associates (CBA), LLC --

Having spent time at O’Hare airport in Chicago recently, I noticed several billboards advertising Accenture consulting services. One is a photo of an elephant skillfully maneuvering a wicked wave on a surfboard. I think it might be digitally enhanced.

The tagline is, “Who says you can’t be big and nimble?”

This was a replacement for the Tiger Woods campaign, after Accenture dropped him due to his difficulties, so it might have been thrown together, but I don’t think it’s very effective. Consultants have been accused of not having a good handle on the basic laws of nature, and this seems to me a very good example of that weakness. Elephants can’t surf.

I think there are some lessons to be learned here.

In choosing to outsource manufacturing to companies in countries with cheap labor, electronics industry decision-makers have, sometimes unwittingly, added substantial risk to their business. Now, calculating the cost and responding to the consequences of that risk is part of the job description of every OEM operations manager, even those that have no substantial operations in China.

In recent years the EMS Tier structure has changed dramatically. A few companies, with Foxconn way out in front, have gobbled up the majority of the EMS pie. Seven companies with operations in China – CBA calls them the China Syndrome Seven – have engaged in predatory pricing and thereby now dominate the majority of global outsourcing. This dominance, in turn, has enabled them to exert a stranglehold on the supply chain, which has created severe parts shortages during recent months for everyone else.

Anyone having trouble getting tantalum capacitors? The China Syndrome Seven have the supply chain locked up. This stark reality is an example of how this situation impacts all electronics manufacturing in every industry.

The size and scale of these China Syndrome enterprises, especially Foxconn, is beyond the industry’s experience curve. While top line growth is seemingly unstoppable due to the global demand for electronic wizardry, the health of these companies’ bottom lines is completely dependent on artificially low labor rates and on the complex and opaque supply chain contracts they negotiate through dominance.

The resulting global interconnectedness of the electronics manufacturing industry, along with the sheer size of these operations and their lack of transparency, is what creates the risk.

The conventional wisdom has always held that the supply of cheap labor in China is a bottomless reservoir, but there are signs that managing it may be far more difficult and unpredictable than most electronics manufacturers anticipated.

For example, Foxconn has announced it is moving its Shenzhen factory inland in response to the global outrage over worker suicides. Imagine the logistics of completing that task on a human level, while continuing to satisfy Steve Jobs’ iPhone marketing juggernaut. It could take a few months to move or replace 300,000 workers, don’t you think? That's like a refugee situation. Is it really possible to do that and still build millions of iPads and iPhone 4’s?

The recent hardware issues in Apple products seem to indicate not. Will demand fluctuate substantially when Apple fans become dissatisfied? Will there be panic in Cupertino? Foxconn’s success surely results from military-like control over all aspects of its employees and operations. Is that sustainable in the Internet age?

So we have to ask ourselves, could Foxconn collapse? If it does, how would that impact your business?

Foxconn represents nearly US$90 billion of electronics manufacturing capacity. What if a portion of that goes completely offline, even if for only a few months? Like a sudden shortage in any part of the global marketplace, there will be some ‘scrambling’ and panic to capture capacity – both from Foxconn and its competitors.

What does that mean to your product’s manufacturing schedule? There isn’t enough capacity left in the world to replace $90 billion quickly. Many industries are dependent on Foxconn’s customers’ products. With the global economy so fragile, what kind of ripple effect would its unraveling create?

Failure tends to happen because of small inconsequential events that cascade into catastrophe. Seldom is it one single cause, and the situation is typically fine – until it suddenly just isn’t. Industry ‘experts’ and pundits may continue to tell us that elephants can surf, but perhaps we should spend time figuring out what to do in case they can’t. An elephant falling off a surfboard can create quite a big splash. Knowledge, as always, is power.

Recruiter sees difficult job market for engineers

EE Times has a good piece on current job prospects for high tech design engineering positions, and the news is not too encouraging.

An industry recruiter reveals that, as engineering positions are getting more specialized, and with a glut of qualified candidates already out there, companies are becoming less willing to cross individuals into industries. Those fluent in embedded software, the C programming language, and core processors are said to be likely to have better luck in finding a job, as these skills are highly transferable and in demand.

Other suggested "marketability boosters" for job seekers include transitioning into non-design engineering positions and adding more educational certifications.

Full Story: Employers getting more picky in hiring of engineers

Everything you need to know about LightSquared

This Associated Press (AP) summary really has everything you need to know, re: the just-announced LightSquared national 4G wireless broadband network, set to launch next year in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver and Baltimore. Private-equity firm Harbinger Capital Partners is setting the whole thing up with the help of recent Motorola wireless infrastructure assets aquiree Nokia Siemens. The $7 billion deal reprents huge inroads into the U.S. for 4G and, particulary, LTE.

We'll, it's not like we weren't warned. It's no secret that 4G wireless is going to be huge, at least until 5G rolls around. Think it couldn't happen? Well...maybe it couldn't? So is that why this whole LightSquared deal is feeling so disruptive? Because, 4G really is going to permanently reside at that level of "key"?

One thing's for sure: it sure does now look to be the summer of the great 4G - LTE versus WiMax conflagration (ed note: perhaps in keeping with the blistering, freakish heat wave we've been experiencing -- I mean, if this is the deal, then why not solar energy?) And never mind just this year -- the wireless broadband explosion has long looked like it has potential to be one of the hugest technology stories of the entire decade. Might even say you could bet on it.

Or, maybe not.

Sands' data center short on Vegas glitz

Forget Oceans Eleven. The Venetian Sands' IP hub is "just another data center," according to reporting in Computerworld by Patrick Thibodeau.

Like many businesses, the Sands is moving its worldwide operations to IP for everything connected to a network -- from VoIP, to HDTV (...HDBaseT in da hizzouse...), not to mention fancy schmancy indoor wireless systems, definitely IP Security, one would think...and especially slot machines.

What's the advantage of having slots on IP? The transaction speed, said Steve Vollmer, chief technology officer and vice president of IT at Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Every action on a slot machine is recorded, producing a small amount of data that is sent to the central server. "We know exactly what's in that slot machine [at any given moment]," noted Vollmer.

Winners and losers are determined by algorithms generated by each individual machine [ed. note: IP gambling console?] which generates millions of random numeric combinations.

"A slot machine is essentially a PC running a very hardened Unix-type code," added Vollmer.

Actually, the whole deal doesn't sound so surprising to anyone having observed the seen-it-all expressions on the faces of that enormously hectic city's casino dealers and resort service personnel. Ho hum, another day in Hell's data center. Too bad it ain't solar powered.

One thing about working in a data center located in the middle of the desert: I bet the air-conditioning is awesome.

HDBaseT = HDMI endgame? Time will tell

The hype around the Web since the just-launched HDBaseT standard is that "HDMI is dead." Oh, and also DisplayPort. Well, the hype notwitstanding (because the Ethernet crowd is obviously real bullish on HDBaseT), my feeling is, wait and see. After all, wasn't the advent of Light Peak not too long ago supposed to harbinger the death of USB? Does that really seem to be happening?

Re: the HDBaseT hype (and, admittedly, the technology does sound like it could be a game changer), I like some of the comments here on the UK website PC Pro in their article about the subject. Port concerns are a real question (i.e., so will every TV now come standard with an RJ-45 connector? Seems very plausible & even feasible I guess...but that's a lot of TVs) as do power concerns (is the most robust PoE Plus standard really 100% guaranteed to handle the load? I mean, I know what the spec says, and I have no reason to believe things won't work out. But has it been done before? The best laid plans...)

Someone suggested that what HDBaseT really means right now is that the HDMI standards committee will just have to do better. Time will tell.

Foxconn: Suicide nets? Really?

I've been following Foxconn a lot recently since that spate of "worker suicides" and my earlier blogs trying to pull together some coverage from around the Web re: what's been going on and what it all means vis a vis how it'll change the global outsourcing game for electronics manufacturers of all shapes and sizes.

Beginning of the week, the standout news was some pretty dopey speculation, by all apparent accounts, that Foxconn had installed "anti-suicide nets" to catch any would be jumpers. Holy moly (I thought), they may've been grinding the souls of their workforce into blood and gristle, but somebody in Hon Hai's HR department must have a wicked sense of humor. I mean...come on.

Well, maybe not. First of all, it turns out there is a much more serious side to what the manufacturer is actually doing to prevent suicides. Apparently Foxconn is standing up and taking some responsibility. (Ed. Note: Yeah...RIGHT.) At any rate, the week's news on a serious note points to a much larger story about how the EMS game is changing in Asia, and what it'll mean for the industry.

So, in light of that, and not that anyone has asked, but here's my take on that "suicide net" flap: it should probably be written off as the work of wags in cubicles. That safety net picture IS stupid. Great responsible journalism there, guys. Grab a picture, any picture, of a big net strung between some nondescript buildings. And say it's Foxconn. "According to a tipster?" Really, Gizmodo? In the words of the late Senator Robert Byrd: Shame. Shame. SHAME. But I digress.

Well, now it's the end of the week, and the news out of Foxconn is a little less dopey. There's actually been a spate of real news activity for serious people to ponder. I'll leave it for you to peruse, and perhaps to comment on, should you be able to muster any additional insight. I assure you, it would be welcomed!

Thumbs up for 3D wiring harness design

For your consideration: A good blog over at Design News, illustrating the pros and cons of 2D vs. 3D workflows in electrical system mock-ups, while pointing out the numerous advantages working in 3D has for connectivity designs such as wiring harnesses.

The author, an engineer, ultimately comes down on the side of blending both 2D and 3D approaches in the manufacturing workflow.

I should call someone at Mentor Graphics and ask for their expert take on this topic...

The human cost of counterfeiting

Significant addendum to last week's blog re: the scourge of counterfeit electronics. This chilling paragraph comes from the website of American Electronics Resource, in the same article cited last week that alluded to bogus airplane parts:

The counterfeiting process also affects the lives of men, women, and children living in the more impoverished areas of the world. Half of all of the computers disposed of globally are illegally sent to countries like China, India and Nigeria to remove the valuable parts and materials. It is estimated that 50% of children 12 years or older in the so called “e-waste” cities have dangerous levels of lead in their blood. This will lead to devastating health problems and severely decreased IQs for these already disadvantaged children. Many of the affected children are actually used in the process of counterfeiting. Even those that are not part of the trade are surrounded by the environmental hazards such as the constant burning of the final scrap which leaves a haze of chemical smoke in the air.

I think those words speak for themselves. Those RoHS laws aren't just about business. It's about people, and our responsibilities as inhabitants of this planet, to this planet. Do I even have to bother linking to something about the horrifying ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico?

Last week's blog also pulled in some great, head-spinning comments from industry members at the front lines of the counterfeiting problem who've seen firsthand some of the malfeasance and deception that goes on. I urge you to check those comments out, and leave one of your own should the mood take you...

DSM ramps Stanyl ForTii production

The Netherlands' DSM Engineering Plastics announced on June 22 the opening of its full-scale Stanyl ForTii facility, which will quadruple production of the halogen-free, flame-retarded, high-temperature polyamide, which was introduced last year and heralded as the first new polymer of the decade.

According to DSM, Stanyl ForTii supports market trends that call for miniaturization and the convergence of electronic devices. The material's unique properties include dimensional stability, full compatibility with lead-free reflow soldering, high stiffness and mechanical strength at elevated temperatures, and high melting and glass transition points.

Potential electronics applications include memory card connectors, CPU sockets, and notebook computer memory module connectors. The new nylon is also suited for automotive electrical systems, as well as air/fuel and powertrain components. Also, lighting industry trials suggest the material might also be used for light-emitting diode packages and modules, due to its high reflectivity and high temperature stability.

Design News provides a good synopsis of the current "wonk" surrounding Stanyl ForTii. (That it supports lead-free reflow soldering means that Stanyl ForTii is the first RAST connector platform, widely used in home appliances, that can be reflow soldered.)

Among the major connector industry players, FCI has taken the lead in application development, approving the halogen-free V-0 Stanyl ForTii for its FPC connector line for optical disk drives.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head over to Google and create a new News Alert for "Stanyl ForTii"...