Hydrogen: Hope or Hype?
That hydrogen can reliably power cars is all but proven, but the work to create a mass fuel cell vehicle market has just begun. Our extensive coverage provides an in-depth look at the future of hydrogen power. Videos and photo gallery included! Explore Now

Bright VFD Alternatives for Common LCDs

Obtain the powerful advantages of bright, high contrast VFD technology, wider viewing angle, faster response time, and broader temperature range using Futaba VFD modules in place of LCDs. Requires no software modifications - even the mounting holes match! - Futaba Corporation of America - 866-495-8480 Click Here.

GM Reductions Won’t Have Broad Effect on Profession
GM’s headcount reductions are more about the changing nature of automotive design. Full Story

ITM-Power Claims Breakthrough in Hydrogen Electrolysers
A British company is claiming a polymer membrane breakthrough in electrolyser and fuel cell technology that promises to knock down one of hydrogen’s cost barriers. Full Story

GE Considers Spinning off Industrial
General Electric Co. said it is considering spinning off its entire Consumer & Industrial division, which includes the Appliances, Lighting and Industrial businesses. Full Story

Will The 'Pickens Plan' Work?
It's hard to argue with T. Boone Pickens’ statements about America's addiction to foreign oil. But will his energy plan work? Read More

Gadget Freak Case #123: This Jukebox Plays Your Mood
The Jukebox Hero operates in mood mode, using sensors to identify the environment before choosing which song to play. Video included. Get Build Instructions

Design News Partner Zone
Sponsored Technology Content

Light Matters: Removing Heat from a High-Brightness LED (HBLED) System
In partnership with Avnet
Ordinary 60W incandescent bulbs only convert about 8% of their input energy into usable light. Most of the remaining energy is conveniently radiated out as infrared (73%) or conducted out through the lamp base (19%). In the case of a visible-spectrum HBLED however, there is negligible IP emission - thus the die's excess heat must be removed by conduction, convection or both. Read More

Stress Is Bad For You – and For Analog ICs
In partnership with Analog Devices
Mechanical stress alters the calibration of precision analog ICs. Mounting them incorrectly can make them inaccurate - but don't worry too much. If a thin film of a conductor is attached to sheet of an insulator its resistance will vary as the insulator is flexed. If the conductor is a resistor in a precision IC, stress will affect the circuit's calibration. Read More

Engineering Concept Conduit
In partnership with Digi-Key
Welcome to Engineering Concept Conduit, this site takes a look at the engineering challenges your peers faced and examines the components that solved those challenges. Find out how this translates to a concept you can implement immediately. Our first video features the functionality of the Omnimouse. Read More

Webcast: Mechatronics in the Age of Digital Images
In partnership with Bosch Rexroth, National Instruments and Siemens PLM
Avid photographers talk about image focus, shutter speed and depth of field, but rarely do they talk about image sensors, gyroscopes, actuators and ultrasonic motors. But the digital camera is truly a mechatronics marvel. Kevin Craig's three-part webcast takes you through the basics of photography through the birth of the digital age to explain how mechatronics is revolutionizing the digital camera. Read More

2008 Engineering Salary Survey - Available Now
In Partnership with Aerotek
Did your pay increase measure up to the industry average last year? Based on your level of education and years of service, what should your annual base salary be? What specific skills do engineers need to get ahead in their profession today? The Design News 2008 Engineering Salary Survey has the answers. Read More

All the Safety Information You Need. One Central Point.
In partnership with Siemens
At SafetyBase.com you'll find the latest news and information about machine and process safety—created through a unique collaboration of safety experts. This is the one interactive site designed to provide you everything from safety regulations to products to applications. It's safety automation made simple. Visit SafetyBase.com today! Read More

	Featured Vendor
	Avnet Avnet, Inc. is one of the world's largest value-added distributors of semiconductors, connectors, passive and electromechanical components and RF & microwave devices; enterprise networking and computer equipment and embedded subsystems from leading manufacturers. Serving customers in 70 countries, Avnet markets, inventories and adds value to these products. View All Resources from Avnet

FREE evaluation of NI TestStand 4.1
Vendor: National Instruments | Type: White Paper
Download your free evaluation of NI TestStand, the ready-to-run test management environment and framework for organizing, controlling, and executing automated prototype, validation, and manufacturing test systems. With this evaluation, learn how to quickly build test sequences with NI TestStand by incorporating tests written in NI LabVIEW, NI LabWindows/CVI, Visual C/C++, Visual Basic .NET, and C#.

Balanced Constant Current Excitation for Dynamic Strain Measurements
Vendor: Precision Filters | Type: White Paper
Balanced constant current excitation uses a pair of matched constant current sources to excite a single active strain gage. The technique provides enhanced immunity from electrostatic noise pickup and may be employed for dynamic strain measurement applications that require only two wires to the transducer. In this paper, the properties of balanced constant current excitation will be examined and compared against traditional techniques using the Wheatstone bridge or single-ended constant current excitation.