31 July 2010

Passives Logic Embedded Microprocessor/controllers Hardware Displays Power management Signal Processors Software Test & measurement Wireless

Tim's World

Having been trained as an engineer, first in mining and then electronics, I decided to pursue a future in technical journalism, leaving the electronics industry in Central Scotland for the publishing world in London.

The company I joined in 1986 is the one I am with now, The IML Group. Although my first magazine was with the now defunct Electronics Showcase, I shortly moved onto Electronics Product Design as Assistant Editor. My company had other ideas about my immediate future however and I was soon to be made Editor on a number of other engineering titles within the company before returning to electronics in 1994 as Editor of Electronics Manufacture & Test, the sister magazine to EPD.

The opportunity to expand my role by taking on the editorship of EPD in 2008 was an exciting one, given that the magazine had established itself as the only quality monthly publication in the electronics design field, and the successful launches over the last two years of this web site, the associated newsletter and the much acclaimed e-Legacy awards.

Recent articles;

Flying visit to ‘World’s biggest show’ (27 July 2010)
An astonishing 835 commercial aircraft were estimated to be sold at Farnborough Air Show, giving a clear indication of the health of both industry and event. More..

Hands-on skills give graduates the edge (20 July 2010)
The higher education system is once again in the spotlight. Schoolchildren with the right qualifications seem unable to get onto the courses they want due to over-subscription. More..

Creating a legacy is in your hands (12 July 2010)
The second and most important phase of the e-Legacy awards is now underway. This is where our readers join in - it's time to have your say on the best projects in our industry. More..

In search of the online community (06 July 2010)
Magazines (whether electronic or print), exhibitions, trade associations and many companies have tried it, but no one has yet created a true technical online community. More..

Wireless broadband Britain – and VOTE! (22 June 2010)
At last – broadband Britain for all of the UK! A new device now makes it possible. More..

Solar flight in space (15 June 2010)
Last week I wrote about the Government’s commitment to the space industry, hoping that it knew why it was being committed (in a manner of speaking). More..

Space sector gets lift-off (07 June 2010)
The incoming government has pledged its support for the UK space industry, having identified it as a ‘sector with potential’. More..

Last minute legacies (01 June 2010)
Everyone has their own ways of managing their email overload and it doesn’t usually involve reading every message as it arrives. But I’ll make an unusual request – please read this today. More..

I’ve seen the future! (25 May 2010)
And I didn’t have to travel at 88mph and rely upon a flux capacitor. More..

Countering the counterfeiters (18 May 2010)
A new initiative, backed by a working product, aims to cut counterfeits and increase security by using its electronic fingerprint. More..

Old politics won’t spoil NEW show (11 May 2010)
While I can’t help myself commenting on our political situation, the big news in the UK electronics is the ‘re-launch’ of National Electronics Week in Birmingham. More..

Innovation nation (04 May 2010)
“An innovation is one of those things that society looks at and says, ‘if we make this part of the way we live and work, it will change the way we live and work’.” More..

Providing that bit extra (26 April 2010)
‘We have to be sure that we always have that little something extra – that extra bit of support, design intelligence, innovation or manufacturing expertise’. More..

Ants in your PC? (20 April 2010)
This week I am going to touch upon a serious issue, prompted by an out of season stocking filler for geeks (of all ages)! More..

Privatisation amongst friends (13 April 2010)
Is Britain’s defence technology going to drift away to the highest bidder? More..

Now, it’s personal! (06 April 2010)
Paul Wolfe recently met Bill Walker and Chris Shipway of Avnet Memec to find out about the company’s new business strategy, which relies on meeting the needs of the individual. More..

Beating the budget blues (23 March 2010)
This week’s budget will kick-off the election campaign proper in the UK. Will it benefit the electronics industry? More..

Victim of its own embedded success (16 March 2010)
Two weeks ago Embedded World closed its doors after another successful event – the question is, will that success be counter productive? More..

Steps in the right direction for UK’s skill set (09 March 2010)
A new project has been launched that aims to reverse the decline in interest in electronics amongst young people. More..

Where have all the components gone? (01 March 2010)
It seems every silver lining these days brings a considerable black cloud with it. More..

Worthwhile visit to Embedded World (23 February 2010)
Next week sees the year’s main event in the embedded industry. This week I am looking forward to Embedded World in case you're toying with the idea of taking a trip there. More..

Beware – we are under attack (16 February 2010)
Nothing is safe apparently; even our phone calls are not safe from the criminals. More..

Springs and things (10 February 2010)
On the agenda this week is the show in the South and some interesting responses to last weeks column on higher education. More..

Cuts could put universities back on the right path (02 February 2010)
However you look at it, the higher education system seems to be unfit for purpose, and the cuts announced this week will do nothing to help. More..

Reasons to be cheerful (26 January 2010)
Is the road ahead now clear of obstacles for the UK’s electronics industry? More..

Power, at the cost of glory? (15 January 2010)
They say you can’t have your cake and eat it. The bathroom scales would disagree with me, especially owing to my Christmas indulgence, but the sentiment of the expression still rings true. More..

You don’t have to be a gamer to be a geek! (11 January 2010)
Last week I kicked off the new year with a ‘confessional’, admitting that the world of games was passing me by. More..

Gaming when you’re grey (05 January 2010)
Happy new year to all – and I start the new year with a question. How game are you? More..

Season’s greetings! (22 December 2009)
For our last issue of the year, a final thought for 2009… More..

We’ve got the power! (15 December 2009)
It is all very well coming up with products that can save energy, in fact it is imperative that these innovations continue, but it is still no guarantee that they will be used. More..

The barrel is half full (08 December 2009)
We can’t wait to see the back of 2009 – but now is the time to start looking at what lies beyond. More..

The technological power of the written word (30 November 2009)
I have just been introduced to a new scheme aimed at promoting technology to the younger generations... More..

Belgium leader honoured (24 November 2009)
Something that is not often discussed in the electronics press is the issue of management. More..

The good news is – ONLY the UK is still in trouble! (18 November 2009)
Great news – in all but a couple of countries the recession is over and the recovery is on! Hurrah! More..

A winning legacy (06 November 2009)
The e-Legacy awards are over for another year following a most enjoyable celebration of the winners in central London last Wednesday (4 November 2009). More..

The road from Prizes to Productronica (04 November 2009)
Pulses are racing in the EPD offices this week as we build up to our big event of the year, the e-Legacy Awards. More..

Nuclear – don’t over react! (27 October 2009)
I am curious to discover how far a project goes that is researching the potential of nuclear batteries. More..

Entrepreneurs go the wireless way (20 October 2009)
A ‘festival’ at the beginning of this month was aimed at giving wireless entrepreneurs a springboard to promote their ideas. More..

Shout about quiet power (12 October 2009)
I spoke at length last week to a British company who believes it can turn the mobile music market upside down. More..

Engineers get fringe benefits (05 October 2009)
Last time out I touched on the joys of the party conference season and was going to leave it at that, but something caught my eye last week… More..

Party season is no fun (22 September 2009)
Like it or not, politicians do matter to the future of high tech industries. More..

Still looking for a new dimension in TVs (14 September 2009)
Has 3D cinema and TV really arrived, or are we still climbing the technology ladder in entertainment? More..

Military morphs into new opportunity (08 September 2009)
Defence and security has never been in such sharp focus. More..

Survive and prosper – a distributors model (01 September 2009)
It might be tough, but there is still opportunity out there if the strategy is right More..

Three steps to a well-engineered heaven (25 August 2009)
Is the engineering sector in decline in the UK? Not in my opinion, but there are actions we can take to ensure it regains its position at the top of desirable careers. More..

Be impressed – then choose the best! (18 August 2009)
A stunning array of entries has yielded a stunning collection of finalists for Electronic Products Design’s e-Legacy Awards 2009. Now its your turn to choose this year’s cream of the crop. More..

Power to baffle butterflies (11 August 2009)
Wireless electricity is now becoming a commercial reality, but do we know the full consequencies? More..

Has RFID beaten the recession? (03 August 2009)
This question came directly from a report that tumbled into my inbox last week that claimed that RFID had done just that, beaten the recession. More..

Specific apps for FPGAs (20 July 2009)
The rise of the FPGA seems certain to continue as the suppliers make this most flexible of technologies accessible to more users and for more applications. More..

Time to take pride of place (14 July 2009)
With scant days left, now is the time to show how your company takes its responsibilities seriously by entering the e-Legacy Awards. More..

A passion for learning (07 July 2009)
“We are passionate about encouraging the next generation!” That was what David Baker told me at a display of some of this year’s engineering projects at National Instruments. More..

Night flights powered by the sun (30 June 2009)
Four years of development work are now coming to a head for the prototype plane of the Solar Impulse project, intended to achieve flight around the world using only solar power. More..

Biggest sales leap since 1996! (22 June 2009)
It’s been a while since we saw a headline like that and for all that it is a genuine one, it does need a bit of context. More..

Turn TVs into a simple system (15 June 2009)
A few weeks ago I talked about the ‘search for the killer app’, and it has been obvious for some time that the digital TV market has been created as such an app. It has been a strong market for several year, but what potential does it offer the UK electronics market? More..

Event of the season (09 June 2009)
The electronics design community has long been suffering due to a lack of events and exhibitions that truly encompass the electronics industry. Will National Electronics Week turn this all around? More..

Benefits of the bloodbath (02 June 2009)
This week sees elections for councils for England and Europe across the whole of the UK. It promises to be a bloodbath, but will it make any difference to the electronics industry? More..

Saving the sacred birthplace (26 May 2009)
A couple of years ago I was invited to a press conference at Bletchley Park. It was, if you want to buy into the hype, the place where the war was won and the computer age was born. More..

How low can it go? (19 May 2009)
Variation in 45 nm technologies has been worrying enough, the 32 nm node is coping, but what are the implications for 22 nm and beyond? Already dealing with single atomic layers, will next generation CMOS still be reliable? More..

Smart solution to energy supply (12 May 2009)
A new report from the Department of Energy and Climate Control concerning the roll-out of energy meters thrusts another potential ‘killer app’ into the willing lap of the electronics industry. More..

In search of the killer app (05 May 2009)
A couple of things have alerted me recently to the transient nature of supply and demand and that there is, as a consequence, always a killer app round the corner. More..

Sensing the remote world (21 April 2009)
Much has been written about the SixthSense gadget, but how does it really work? More..

Supplier support and surveys (14 April 2009)
The UK has a problem. Not an insurmountable problem but a problem none-the-less. More..

Cloud – without the silver lining (07 April 2009)
A recent report suggests that the mystical cloud computing market is set to grow by 64 percent per year to reach $5.8 billion in four years’ time, but where is this money actually going to come from? More..

Crisis over thanks to the G20 (31 March 2009)
Today is the day! The world's leaders are going to pluck an unlikely victory from the jaws of despair as they aim to tackle and resolve our global economic malaise. More..

Is the age of auto electronics dead? (24 March 2009)
No - this is not directly about falling demand, but instead about a new option at the bottom end of the car market. More..

Recognising people power (17 March 2009)
It is funny how many different angles we can find to analyse our current economic woes and conclude that we are, in fact, all doomed. More..

Was that the week that was? (10 March 2009)
I am sure we are all aware that we are in the middle of the National Science and Engineering Week. We are all aware, aren’t we? More..

The problem with offensive emails (02 March 2009)
How would you describe email? An essential, enabling technology perhaps? Or maybe a curse of the modern age? More..

Will industry rally in Nuremberg? (24 February 2009)
Last week I waxed lyrical about a very positive event in the UK, Southern Electronics (It's like winning the Cup!). This week I am turning my attention to the continent and much bigger fare. More..

It's like winning the Cup! (17 February 2009)
If you support a football team that always loses it is sometimes hard to remember what the good times were like More..

Off down South (10 February 2009)
The UK calendar for events in the electronics industry is not a busy one. Nor is it a particularly exciting one. Even looking towards the continent and beyond, the shows that set the pulse racing are industry, or technology specific. More..

Unfulfilled dreams and snowmen (04 February 2009)
Some people dream and then do, and some people dream and then don’t! More..

Showstopper in the palm of your hand (27 January 2009)
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is the dry ice and fanfare end of the industry. More..

Three steps to heaven! (20 January 2009)
Every ounce of common sense I have is telling me not to write what I am about to, but I feel compelled to. And there is barely an ounce of evidence to support my argument, but I am convinced by it... More..

2009 – let it shine! (14 January 2009)
Whatever anyone says about the prospects for 2009, I have no doubt that it will prove to be a good year for some people. More..

Reasons to be cheerful (06 January 2009)
There are strands of logic that can be pulled together to form a brighter picture for the UK electronics industry in 2009. More..

Merry Christmas! (23 December 2008)
Well here we are at the last knockings of 2008 and anyone reading this possibly has one eye on the clock and the other trying to avoid the list of things that ‘have to be done’ before the Christmas break. More..

Why work when you can wallow? (16 December 2008)
There is a theory that there is a human trait, one which has been over-developed into a national characteristic in the UK, that allows us to wallow, revel even, in gloomy news. More..

Re-focus and excel (09 December 2008)
Having decided what to write about this week, which I felt was a very positive story, I have since had a slight wobble about the ‘message’. More..

It's NOT the economy, stupid! (02 December 2008)
There can be little doubt that the main topic on most people’s minds is job security in this reportedly rocky economic climate. More..

Spend, spend, spend – but do it wisely (25 November 2008)
I am not the most cavalier of people with money, but I'd guess that many would share my belief that being given a bit more, or making prices a bit cheaper, is not going to send us off on a consumer frenzy. More..

Electronica – life is still out there! (18 November 2008)
I went, I saw, I got sore feet. More importantly, I got a refreshing reminder of an industry that is far from in the doldrums. More..

Automotive - how low can it go? (11 November 2008)
When times have been bad in the past the automotive sector has always helped the electronics industry keep motoring. More..

Firework night - in Munich? (04 November 2008)
Admittedly the fireworks will be metaphorical rather than real, but next week's big exhibition is sure to find the industry in party mode. More..

Life on Mars is too expensive (21 October 2008)
Space exploration is good fun. Those of us with scientific minds love the feel of discovery when someone finds out that life on Jupiter’s moons is possible, or a probe on Mars reveals a hidden ice cap or two. More..

Modular approach to an embedded future (14 October 2008)
The idea of embedding components, or circuits, within circuits has always been an attractive one to designers as it maximises use of the space available. More..

The fast and furious world of automotive (07 October 2008)
Which markets are we, in the UK electronics industry, particularly strong? Medical, aerospace, and industrial electronics roll off the tongue, and when it comes to design you can add comms. More..

Fight back against recession (30 September 2008)
Don’t panic! You are reading the right newsletter, but there have been some changes at Electronic Product Design magazine. More..

Your website, Mr. President (23 September 2008)
Did you know there was a presidential election campaign underway in the USA at the moment? Unless you have been on Mars, I expect you do know, but how did you find out? More..

Hitting heady heights at the Roof Gardens (16 September 2008)
Lunch at a top London venue, meeting the great and the good of electronics, congratulating this year’s e-Legacy Awards winners. It’s a tough life, but someone has to do it. More..

Off with his head! It’s criminal (09 September 2008)
Justice is meted out differently today, but as crimes cross international borders, will countries have to rethink crime and punishment? More..

My, how the back-to-school kit has changed ! (02 September 2008)
Back-to-school shopping: words that sink the spirits of Hayes Major and Minor, who have been running amuck since July. But now it’s not jumpers and pencil cases on the shopping list. More..

Hacked off with getting ripped off? (26 August 2008)
No-one can credibly explain why products cost so much more in the UK. This woman is taking a stand and just not paying! More..

When the laptops bite back (19 August 2008)
The criminal fraternity is getting more tech-savvy, pinching laptops and digital cameras, but the good guys are still one step ahead. More..

Lightweight, but not on the wallet (12 August 2008)
Lenovo’s X300 is lightweight enough, but dragged down by Windows Vista – and the price tag. More..

The sun shines on the righteous at the British Motor Show (05 August 2008)
Some days, I just love my job! Last week, I went to the Excel Centre for the British International Motor Show. There it was obvious that British car design is streets ahead of the competition. More..

Rise above the recession (22 July 2008)
No-one can avoid the dreaded R word, but there are some companies producing recession-busting electronics design that rise above the global slump. More..

We’re all goin’ on a summer holiday, no more emails for a week or two (15 July 2008)
Fun and laughter on a summer holiday, we’ll take the iPod too-ooo, for me and yooooou (with apologies to Cliff and The Shadows!) More..

Will nomad make Xilinx nimble? (08 July 2008)
Moshe Gavrielov, CEO of Xilinx, hopes to make the leading programmable logic company nimble and fighting fit. More..

Don't call if you are up over down-under now (01 July 2008)
On airplanes, I will happily change places so people can sit together and chat so I can catnap/read/watch the film in peace. More..

Can an engineer be appealing? (24 June 2008)
The European Commission has predicted that Europe will have 20million skilled SET vacancies by 2030, and over half the female workforce are leaving the profession before they reach the age of 40. More..

In space, no-one can hear you twitter (17 June 2008)
Are you one of the 17,000 people that tuned into the Phoenix Mars Lander twitter page last month? Do you thrill to the news that it is digging in the dirt looking for signs of life? More..

It must be true - I read it on the web (10 June 2008)
The blind faith that used to be reserved for anything read in a newspaper has transferred to a touching belief that the web cannot lie. More..

Why The Carphone Warehouse and Orange made me see red! (06 June 2008)
Nothing ticks me off more than bad service, except bad service that costs me money. Which is why I won’t be shopping in the Carphone Warehouse again and I will never be on an Orange network! More..

If tax is the stick, where’s the carrot? (03 June 2008)
Is the Government as green as it wants us to think? To change our car driving behaviour it taxes motorists, but where are the tax breaks that will also make us change our ways? More..

New ideas can inspire the jaded (27 May 2008)
It’s not often a CEO truly evangelises, but after meeting Rob Anders, I was convinced that new ideas fuelled by energy can be a motivating force that carries all in its wake. More..

YouTube politics (20 May 2008)
As if MPs did not have enough to deal with, now they are YouTube stars, and not always in the way the spin doctors intended. More..

Sounds familiar… or sounds similar? What’s in a name? (13 May 2008)
The choice of a company’s domain name has raised smiles and blood pressures recently and led to some entertaining revelations. More..

What can Eastern Europe teach UK industry? (06 May 2008)
I met Zytronic’s new CEO, Mark Cambridge and found that things had changed all over Tyneside since my last visit. More..

I lost myself in the Stellar Xda (22 April 2008)
“That’s a bit like giving a one-legged man a top-of-the-range mountain bike,” said Mr H sourly, as I paraded the new Xda Stellar and demonstrated the navigation software. More..

Is it RIP for ASICs? (15 April 2008)
There are some things I know for sure. I know the dodo is long gone. But ASICs? Are they as extinct as a sabre tooth tiger? Or more a giant panda, close but hanging in there? More..

The truth behind the Remploy headlines (08 April 2008)
Caroline Hayes speaks to Remploy’s general manager Rick Cook to discover more about the job cuts that made the news. More..

Neighbourhood wars (01 April 2008)
Sarkozy’s visit to the UK last week was a bid to deepen the entente cordiale between the two countries and to endear the idea of Europe to the Brits. Not gonna happen. More..

I travelled through Terminal 5 and survived (30 March 2008)
When I first got the travel details for a long haul flight, I thought this is either going to be something to brag about, being one of the first to do T5 or it would be a nightmare. More..

Come try, come buy the P1i (25 March 2008)
It is not often my 12 year old son thinks I'm even luke-warm, let alone cool, but I certainly earned some brownie points when I road-tested Sony Ericsson's P1i. More..

Don’t look to the chancellor to boost UK electronics (18 March 2008)
If last week’s budget was a boyfriend, he would have been dumped: All take and no promise of good times to come! More..

Ohhhh, Mrs, twitter ye not? (11 March 2008)
Middle-aged professionals have taken the ‘youth technology’ of twittering and made it work for them. More..

When good ideas are not enough (04 March 2008)
Good and virtuous ideas alone can fail to motivate, just look at Energy-Saving Day. Demonstating simple ideas work is the way to inspire others into action. More..

When does censorship apply to the internet? (28 February 2008)
The internet is a marvellous way to find or relay information, but how free should speech be? And who decides? More..

Take care of data and it will take care of you (27 February 2008)
Violent murderers have been convicted thanks to DNA evidence, but that does not justify a universal database. More..

Is it a hazard that RoHS is a toothless tiger? (20 February 2008)
The RoHS directive is 18 months old and, like any toddler, is chaotic, unruly and causing havoc. More..

Generation Y: What? When? How? (13 February 2008)
Is Generation Y the answer to progressing electronic design in this country? This Generation X-er thinks certainly not - unless we act fast ! More..

Introducing Weekly Update from Electronic Product Design (13 February 2008)
Welcome to this, the first Weekly Update, which marks a new period in Electronic Product Design's 28 year history. More..