Many of us have seen the YouTube video where a woman, innocently walking and texting, falls into a large fountain at a mall, completely unaware. The video was very popular a while back, and while some found it humorous in a Three Stooges sort of way, it actually highlights a growing trend of accidents that are occurring due to people texting while walking. Today, people rely on GPS to get anywhere (who reads a map anymore?), instant message their significant other from the other side of the couch, check Facebook first thing in the morning – and even fall into fountains for the love of texting.
To a similar — yet less dangerous — point, a friend of mine who works in marketing told me that many retail outlets today are purposely not stocking their wares higher than eye level because people simply do not look up much anymore. Wow!
This led me to wonder: Has technology affected us so much that almost every aspect of our behavior has changed? Is that what was intended? Have we outthought ourselves?
Consider that technology is most successful when it engages our senses (witness touchscreens and download devices for movies and music), and according to the IDTechEx Touch Screen Modules, Technologies, Markets, Forecasts 2012-2022, the touchscreen market alone is set to reach a staggering $14 billion in 2012 (see related story, http://tiny.cc/qipqdw).
So, I ask again, are we directing technology or is technology now dictating what we need and how we use it?
Take Tesco, whose South Korean network of shops, called Home Plus, now features an LCD supermarket set on a train platform so that busy commuters can do their entire grocery shopping while waiting. Gives new meaning to the term “subway” sandwiches, eh?
While certainly an innovative idea, I can’t help but wonder what kind of impact — intended or unintended — this type of technology will have on human behavior. Will commuters buy more since they do not have to carry grocery bags around? Will people buy less as their grocery list will be seen for all other commuters on the platform to see? That is one way to view technology as the great equalizer.
Another more positive way is to consider that it is more and more common to hear stories of entrepreneurs running million-dollar businesses while being too young to drive, or a tribute band singer scoring a gig with his idols because they saw him sing on YouTube.
This is technology. It appeals to our senses, our sense of convenience, our sense of vanity, and our sense of connection. However, I would argue that our behavior has not so much evolved with, but rather adapted to, technology. We might get things done quicker, but we also might end up getting wet at the same time. – John Filippelli
By Christina Nickolas
A new report from Yole Développement predicts that the number of wafer processed with DRIE will see 5x growth over 2011 – 2017, see figure below. Originally used for MEMS, the Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) is a structuration process which enables achieving etch depths of 100s of micrometers with almost vertical sidewalls with very high aspect ratio (> 50:1 in some cases). Developed by Robert Bosch (also called the “BOSCH process”) it is used whenever high aspect ratios are targeted.
SPP, the equipment manufacturer, obtained a license from Bosch to exploit the technology. This agreement has led to incredible growth of the DRIE market. Initially used for production of accelerometers, the process is used today for production of ink jet heads, pressure sensors, gyroscopes, micro phones and micro actuators. But the use of the process has become popular outside of the MEMS world, for Advanced Packaging applications.
- Yole Développement
The following are described in the report:
- DRIE applications: MEMS, Advanced Packaging, Power Devices, new innovative applications (micro gears, auto-focus, microfluidics, resonators…)
- 2011-2017 DRIE equipment forecast by application, wafer size in chambers, US$M value
- Chemistry forecast
- DRIE vendor’s profiles
- Market shares
Catalogue price: Euros 3,990.00 (single user license) – Publication date: May 2012.
For special offers and the price in dollars, please contact David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr or +33 472 83 01 90).
More info can be found at www.yole.fr
by Jim Harrison
GE (http://defense.ge-ip.com/hpec) has established a high performance embedded computing (HPEC) center of excellence that will provide a focus for the future development of a range of products for military/aerospace embedded computing.
GE Intelligent Platforms already has an extensive range of HPEC solutions designed for the harsh, demanding environments that are typical of military deployments. These include focused board level solutions, complete sub-systems, and an expanding software development environment that takes advantage of GE’s AXIS – Advanced Multiprocessor Integrated Software.
The primary goal of the new Center will be to support customer demand for high technology readiness level COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) solutions that can shorten time-to-market, minimize cost and help to eliminate program risk, allowing prime contractors, system integrators and OEMs to focus on value-add and create competitive advantage. The Center will take advantage of GE’s COTS Rugged Systems (CRS) capability to support the rapid deployment of systems to the field.
The Center will also support the development of custom systems that are configured, tested and, integrated with software to meet specific customer needs. Consulting services will be available through the HPEC CoE that can help customers with architecture definition, application development and performance optimization. It will also create application-focused algorithms for use in performance and capability demonstrations which can be provided to customers to assist in their development process
Just so we all know, PCIM stands for power conversion intelligent motion. It is one of the hot trade shows in electronics and offers engineers the chance to catch up on power electronics, intelligent motion, renewable energy, and energy management. The show has shown steady progress over the past few years. For example, last year PCIM had 298 exhibitors and 6,653 visitors and they already passed those numbers with pre-event sign-ups of both exhibitors and visitors.
PCIM offers the latest developments of power semiconductors, passive components, thermal management products, new materials, sensors, servo-technology, and power supplies, power quality and energy-management. The show has a focus area for energy storage for demonstrating the interaction between power electronics and energy storage technologies. Another exciting area is the electric vehicle (EV) pavilion that has a charging station, and an electric sports car. I will be sure to get photos and maybe even a video of these events. Later in the week (Wednesday), there will be a panel discussion “Efficiency in dc/dc conversion”, and then a round table on Thursday on “Conversion into assembly.”
The keynote topics include “Electrical Power Subsystem on Satellites”, “Solar Power” and “Grid Integration of Renewables”, and there will be 18 seminars and tutorials before the conference. You can find detailed information at www.pcim-europe.com
Filed in ICs & Discrete Semis, Industry News, Motors & Controls, Opinion, Power Sources, Product News, Technology News, Trade Shows, Uncategorized
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Tagged dc converters, electric vehicles, energy management, MOSFETS, PCIM, power conversion intelligent motion, power electronics, power supplies, Renewable Energy, solar, thermal management
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Infinite Power Solutions, Inc. (IPS) has successfully completed a $10M Series D financing to expand its manufacturing capacity, to complete the build-out of its global sales channels, and to further support advanced research and development of its eco-friendly THINERGY solid-state rechargeable Micro-Energy Cell (MEC) products.
What makes this interesting is the number of partners who think that this technology is worth investing in – it’s not the usual one of two, but many who think this technology (http://www.infinitepowersolutions.com/products/thinergy ) is going to be a big deal. The existing financial investors are Generation Investment Management, D. E. Shaw Ventures, Polaris Venture Partners and Core Capital Partners co-led the financing, which also included participation by Applied Ventures, LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, Inc., In-Q-Tel and two additional strategic investors.
This solid-state, rechargeable micro-battery technology and its capability to fuel low-energy applications — in both new and existing markets for wireless sensor nodes, Bluetooth low energy accessories and powered cards – could be a game changing device. The THINERGY MECs, according to the company, are exciting because they power wireless devices and enable thinner form factors, are permanently installed, provide high-power, high cycle life, and longer service life than conventional batteries. I expect we will be hearing more from this company, and possibly others who can shrink the form-factor of the battery.
Visit the company at www.InfinitePowerSolutions.com
Filed in Industry News, Power Sources, Product News, Technology News
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Tagged Bluetooth, form factor, Infinite Power Solutions, IPS, MEC, micro-energy cell, nodes, Paul O'Shea, Series D, solid-state rechargeable, Thinergy, wireless sensor
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By Jim Harrison
Microchip Technology Incorporated has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Standard Microsystems Corporation (“SMSC”) for $37.00 per share in cash, which represents a total equity value of about $939 million, and a total enterprise value of about $766 million, after excluding SMSC’s cash and investments on its balance sheet of approximately $173 million. The acquisition has been approved by the Boards of Directors of each company and is expected to close in the third quarter of calendar 2012, subject to approval by SMSC stockholders, etc.
This seems like a good fit – product wise – we’ll have to wait and see about personality wise. SMSC has a lot of interface ICs USB, RS-232, etc. and some wireless technology that Microchip may have a big interest in. They also have Ethernet interface devices. Seems like a lot of money, but then what do I know.
Like nodes of many kinds, people have a tendency to cluster together. Why? Jobs, food, shelter, safety, and the comfort of human companionship.
But what about technology? We think technology makes the world a small place, and it does on some level because it allows us to connect to anyone in the world, right? Yes, you can make calls to remote places or share ideas on the Internet with people in other countries. Yes, yes, yes. But overall you cannot reach everyone everywhere by far. I call BS on the whole thing.
Did you ever look at a light pollution map? More than half the land mass of the world is blacked out. If you fly over east of the Mississippi, the place it lit up like a Christmas tree. I can even see from the air the major roadways that lead to my house while coming in at JFK. Fly over China and it’s dark in so many places.
But light pollution is not the only map that looks like this. So does cell phone coverage. Now stack those maps on top of a population density and you start getting a really good picture of how the world is “wired” to say the least. And where the technology, including communication, really spans. We tend to even forget about the power we need to run everything.
So why do we try to kid ourselves the world is such a small place? Yes, James Cameron can tweet he saw some shrimp at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, but that doesn’t really apply to people in some of the remote parts of Africa or Latin America, does it? Personally, this traveler has been in a few places in the last few years where Internet access or cell service was nonexistent to limited, at best. But I think we fool ourselves into believing the hype the world is such a small place. Maybe I should just blame Disney and the “It’s a Small World After All” stuff for my childhood misconception.
Bryan DeLuca
Original Article: http://www2.electronicproducts.com/It_s_not_a_small_world_after_all-article-vpbd_Lighting_Pollution_May2012-html.aspx
