June 2009
Leader
Two trends have emerged in this month’s PMN, social networks and a lack of movers.
Social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have commanded many a column inch in the national and consumer press over the past few years. And their use is now spreading to the electronics community through web-based tools such as Ning -a create your own Facebook website.
The NMI, Nikkei and Cassidy Communications have all launched their own network for people to use and create new content.
The second trend is a very positive one indeed. A number of factors are suggesting that the worst of the recession is hopefully over. Running Google news searches, the phrase ‘green shoots’ has overtaken use of the word ‘recession’ – see http://bit.ly/2U4xPR. And a Global Sources survey suggests that Chinese distributors are looking towards strong growth in 2009.
And this is being reflected in the emails, Twitters, Linked In requests and calls that PMN receives. For months on end two thirds of the notifications were negative with freelancers struggling, magazines going under and great writers being made redundant.
As you’ll see, there is not one such announcement below, making this a truly positive edition.
So, on with the more positive news.
Nikkei looks to greener pasture
Nikkei Japan has, this month, created the ECO JAPAN Network. This is, according to the publication, “the third pillar of its high value-added ad network premium contents network.”
ECO JAPAN Network, creates a, well… network of various external environmental websites and provides broad content ranging from business-related information, such as national and corporate environmental efforts and international trends, to eco-conscious lifestyle tips. The Network carries widgets of updated information gathered from these environmental sites and enables users to find the content of their specific interest efficiently.
The publisher is inviting its current and prospective clients to use the network to publicise environmental efforts and announcements of green products and services.
NMI launches social network for global electronics community
The NMI, the industry body for electronic designers and manufacturers within the UK and Ireland, is stretching out to a global community it seems. This month saw the organisation launch the NMInet social network to help “foster collaboration and communication” between members of the electronics community.
The site is essentially a Facebook dedicated to anyone in the electronics space and currently has approximately 200 members. According to the NMI, it is seeking to reach 1000 users by the end of the year.
Like Facebook, NMInet allows its members to post blogs, organise seminars, run forums and lists events.
The organisation is also on Twitter – http://twitter.com/nminet
The EE-agle has landed
Sorry for the pun, I couldn’t quite resist it. In the US, EE Times will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first manned moon landing with a special edition. It may have been a craft with less computing power than a mobile phone (and probably also had less computational power than a modern washing machine too) but it got there, realised a dream envisioned by JFK and saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon in the process.
As the company states, “the Apollo Moon landings were the central event in the lives of a generation of engineers who took the technologies spawned by the space program and built entire industries.”
In the edition, the voyage of Apollo 11 will be relived through the stories of those who helped send human beings to another world. The magazine will also survey how Apollo and other international space efforts from Sputnik to the International Space Station have informed and inspired a generation of engineers.
Finally, the engineering community is invited to chime in to share their personal connections with Apollo and the five other lunar landings inspired them to become engineers and problem solvers. Leading up to the launch of this special EE Times Digital Edition, look for the eetimes.com “Apollo Forum: Why I became an engineer.”
EE Times says the “special all digital edition lands on July 20th”. Sadly it seems it is not going with my EEagle pun.
Funkshau enters its third millennium
We’re not sure if it will be making preparations for the millennium bug but the Weka title funkschau will be celebrating a new millennium very soon. The magazine will publish its 2,000th issue on August 21. And to mark the occasion it is giving a “gift” to its advertisers.
Preferring youth and beauty over experience, funkshau will be giving more to younger companies. If you place a third of a page advert, or larger, the company will give you a discount that is the same as the year the company was formed.
Publitek, being formed in 1998, would get… €1998 off.
Global Sources survey suggests green shoots in China
A recent survey by Global Sources, the publishing house behind EE Times Asia, suggests 89 per cent of mainland China’s electronic component distributors expect revenue to grow in 2009, forecasting an average increase of 13 percent; while 55 per cent of mainland China electronics manufacturers surveyed said the economic downturn has had little or no impact on their business.
The results were revealed in the ninth Annual Electronic Components Distributor Survey conducted by Global Sources’ (NASDAQ: GSOL) electronics management title, Electronics Supply & Manufacturing-China (ESM-China, http://www.esmchina.com).
Being survey based, the figures are not independently verified and some exaggeration will almost certainly be occurring, but even with this factored in, the figures are impressive nonetheless.
Hearst updates website for “user experience”
PMN recently saw a press release from Hearst which discusses content sharing and new features for EEM and Electronics Products.
The press release states that, “ElectronicProducts.com continues to enhance its website by adding new features and connecting to relevant content from its sister sites.”
New features include product specific content pages within each of its Technology Centers and a whitepaper library. Additionally, the site offers users the ability to connect directly from an article to a suppliers profile at EEM.com.
According to Murray Slovick, editorial director at Hearst, “all of the changes we’ve made in the Electronic Products and EEM websites are designed to do just one thing: make sure that all of the right stuff shows up anywhere the engineer might find him - or herself on Hearst. So if an engineer is reading about the latest products and technologies on Electronic Products’ site and wants to know more about a supplier—Voila!”
Global SMT awarded best in class
This month saw Trafalgar Publications, which publishes Global SMT & Packaging, received the Media of the Year Award from SMTA China. The award was presented to Trevor Galbraith, editor-in-chief, during the recent NEPCON China exhibition and conference that took place in Shanghai, China.
According to the official press announcement, “Trevor was presented this award due to Global SMT’s exceptional support of the SMTA. This award is based on the numerous ways that the magazine has contributed to SMTA China.”
Penton Media expands European portfolio
It appears Penton Media is expanding its Electronic Design portfolio in Europe with the launch of an electronically delivered newsletter entitled, Electronic Design Europe NewsLine,
The newsletter will launch in July 2009 and will be circulated to a Pan European readership of electronic design engineers and will be produced in conjunction with the Electronic Design Europe digital magazine.
The editorial content of NewsLine will be sourced in Europe and will consist of international news, product and technology stories.
“In keeping with Penton Media’s investment in video and engineering TV reporting, NewsLine will also carry hotlinks to video coverage by Penton Media Editors reporting on new technology, exhibitions and conferences.” commented Paul Whytock, European editor-in-chief for Penton Media’s Electronic Design Group.
Wave(ism) hello to embedded social networking
After a prolonged introduction period, Phil Ling’s online magazine for license-free wireless technology, Waveism, is now fully launched.
It covers all relevant announcements in the non-cellular wireless space, throughout the supply chain, and visitors can direct the editorial content.
Each news item posted on the site provides a link to an on-line article request form. Using this form, visitors can request further information in the form of an article, which will be added to the site’s article section once completed.
The publication admits “it would be difficult to follow up on all requests, [but] the editorial team is ready to respond to requests that ask the most relevant questions or identify underlying trends. Through this unique approach.”
In an email to PMN, Phil Ling said “Cassidy Publications and its associated titles intends to bridge the gap in embedded engineering, allowing readers to have more control over the editorial content and, as a result, provide a more useful information resource.
Award season hits a climax
The big award season is not upon us, that doesn’t happen until the end of the year, however, the submission deadlines are now looming ominously.
Silicon South West’s Rising star awards take place on the 2nd July in Bristol, UK.
Electronics Weekly’s Elektra Awards has, once again, extended its deadline for submitting an entry, at the time of writing the deadline had been moved to the 3rd July. http://www.elektraawards.co.uk/
In addition to this, the EPD’s e-Legacy awards are also open to submission and the deadline being the 25th of July. http://www.epdonthenet.net/awards_nominate.aspx
Beyond this, New Electronics and Eureka’s British Engineering Excellence Awards (BEEA) has set its deadline just six days later, 31st of July. http://www.beeas.co.uk/
In the UK, the Sunday Times’ Tech Track 100, which monitors the fastest growing tech companies, closes its email to entries on the 17th of July. http://www.fasttrack.co.uk/fasttrack2002/techTrack100
And, if past years are anything to go by, the NMI awards are just around the corner. At least the EE Times ACE award submissions will not open for a couple of months.
Wireless 2.0
Bristol, in the UK, sees Wireless 2.0 come to its doorstep on the 3rd of July. The annual event, organised by Silicon South West’s Nick Flaherty, kicks off at 9am
If you’ve read the awards article (above) you’ll have spotted that it follows on from the Silicon South West Awards for rising talent, so expect a few sore heads on the opening day.
Presentations come from the good and the great from the wireless technology world with Microsoft, picoChip, Icera, Lime, IPWireless and Qualcomm all presenting.
The different sessions will examine mobile internet trends, LTE, future applications and power consumption.
DAC
The Design and Automation Conference opens its doors on the 26th of July. With keynotes from Synopsys’ Aart de Geus, TSMC’s Fu-Chieh Hsu and Cadence’s Lip-Bu Tan it should be an impressive show.
PCB West opens for registration
Registration is now open for the PCB West technical conference and trade show. The conference and exhibition for the PCB supply chain, including engineers, designers, fabricators, assemblers and managers.
The show will be held from the 14th to the 18th of September at the Santa Clara (CA) Marriott.
According to the release, PCB West 2009 highlights include:
- Eight professional development two-day and one-day courses. - A three-day technical conference consisting of over 20 workshops and half-day seminars. - A two-day exhibition, featuring the PCB industry’s leading vendors. - Networking opportunities throughout the week, including coffee breaks, the opening night reception and free lunch on the show floor on Tuesday and Wednesday.