Oct
24
Where as in the past it was aspects like the external aesthetics or the retail cost that would influence purchasing decisions when it came to household appliances (such as refrigerators, dish washers, washing machines, etc.), now it is the energy rating that often proves to be the overriding priority. Thanks to the introduction of the …
Oct
14
Advances in healthcare mean that the western world has an elderly population that is significantly growing in number. This demographic segment now represents a larger proportion of society, as people’s life expectancies have become more prolonged than they were in previous generations. Rather than being in care homes, many senior citizens want to reside in …
Oct
06
To meet the pressing need for elevated levels of energy efficiency, the conventional direct current (DC) motors incorporated into electric fans, domestic appliances, air conditioning systems, office equipment and such like, have over time been replaced by more sophisticated three-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motors. This has enabled compliance with the stringent international environmental guidelines that …
Oct
03
There is no doubt that the revolution in personal transportation is coming – driverless cars will be the future. This revolution-in-the-making has been coming for some time, millions if not billions of dollars have been spent and there is much more research, development and most importantly, testing and proving to come. Personal transportation is so …
Sep
16
Developers of custom system-on-chip (SoC) solutions have traditionally had to decide whether to choose ASIC or FPGA technologies to implement their design. The trade-off for ASICs is the increasingly high non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs and long implementation times versus the advantage of delivering fully tailored silicon that will offer the best performance and the lowest …
Jun
16
The role of the car is changing. Until now, it has been a means of getting from A to B in style, safety or speed – depending on the car you select. Increasingly, intelligent infotainment systems are making the car an extension of their owner’s digital lifestyle – keeping them connected to social media and …
Feb
05
Five years is a long time – especially in the technology business. Since the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) released the first version of the Qi standard in 2010, a quiet revolution has been taking place in wireless charging for handheld and wearable devices. According to leading market analyst firm, IHS Technology, 2015 will be …
Jan
28
Juice Jacking – it sounds like the latest health regime but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s ‘urban speak’ for unscrupulous people accessing your mobile devices at those plug-in charging stations you see in airports and other public places. Is it real? No-one is really sure. Can it be avoided – absolutely …
Jan
28
Two decades ago the concept of portable electronics was still to be properly explored, yet today it is recognised as a fundamental part of our day-to-day lives. We are entering a new phase in the progression of personal electronics, as the potential of wearable technology starts to become more apparent. People regularly accessorize, complementing …
Jan
25
The growth of electronic technology in automotive applications has been an ongoing trend for decades, and has helped to make the cars we drive today more comfortable, economical, affordable, easier to service and more reliable. No longer is this restricted to luxury vehicles from the quality brands – just about any vehicle manufactured in the …
