====COMMENT==== Last month I commented on the very different approaches of editors in Germany and the US to requirements for contributed technical articles. I had responses from both regions and have included them in the SOAPBOX feature at the end of this month’s newsletter. Thanks to Jon Titus and Johannes Kuppe for their views. If I have one wish for 2008, it’s that publishers get better at telling the PR and marcom community when they make editorial team changes…a lot happened in 2007 and it’s getting tough to keep up. I can’t remember a single occasion when I have received unsolicited information about changes in editorial responsibilities from a publisher. Come on guys, you’re supposed to be in the communications business! Onto the news….. ====Mick Elliott to leave Electronics Weekly (UK)==== Mick Elliott, publisher of Reed’s Electronics Weekly, is leaving the publication and the company on February 21st. Mick is one of the most respected people in UK electronics press. He has spent the last 38 years and Electronics Weekly, the leading UK publication in our sector. It appears that he is the victim of yet another round of cost cutting, although Reed has not confirmed this. Mick said: “It has of course been a privilege to work in a UK electronics industry which remains vibrant and offers much potential.” Publitek wishes him well for the future. Web: http://www.electronicsweekly.com ====EPN's Mike Green to give lecture at The Royal Society==== Following the release of his book 'The Nearly Men', EPN editor-in-chief Mike Green has been asked to speak at The Royal Society in London. Mike will give a lunchtime lecture on Friday 14th March, in which he will discuss the bitter rivalries, tales of treachery and acts of deceit behind the inventions and scientific discoveries which defined the modern age. The lecture commences at 1.00pm and is open to the general public, as well as society members. Mike expects to publish his second book, which looks at the long-running conflict between science and religion, in the early autumn of 2008. Web: http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?id=1108\\ CONTACT: ====EE Times-China & EE Times-Taiwan add 10 new newsletters==== EE Times-China and EE Times-Taiwan launched 10 new vertical newsletters in January. The new broadcasts provide engineers with wider coverage of today’s most exciting technologies and applications. Topics are audio, base stations, development tools, digital power, GPS, interfaces, linear power, medical electronics, switching power and test & measurement. EE Times-China and EE Times-Taiwan now carry a total of 24 newsletters. The publisher claims that each of them reaches up to 55,000 engineers across mainland China and Taiwan. Web: http://www.eetchina.com ====New design pages introduced in ECN==== ECN magazine will be launching "Design Talk" pages in the February issue. The new design pages represent more focus solutions-oriented content in both print and online, claims the publisher. Trends, tips, tools, and designs will be cross-referenced in print and web content, and targeted editorial will address a systems-oriented design environment. The editorial team are looking for design tips, ideas, "how I did it" tales, and any other contributions from readers that will provide interesting content for the section. Any reader’s comments/tips/advice that are published will get the contributor's name, company, and photo in the section as well as an ECN "green energy" T-Shirt. The most active readers will be recognized at the end of the year in our December issue. Participants should send design tips, questions or ideas to alix.paultre@advantagemedia.com." Web: http://www.advantagemedia.com ====IIC-China’s first show in Chengdu wins government support==== IIC-China’s inaugural show in Chengdu has received the endorsement of the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone, an organization that encourages local technology investment with the support of the Chengdu and Sichuan governments. Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone is largely responsible for industry growth in the region, attracting hundreds of foreign-invested enterprises, including more than 30 Fortune 500 companies, and approximately 12,000 domestic companies. Global Sources held a press conference and partnership signing ceremony at Shangri-la Chengdu on January 9, where leaders and management of the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone, Sichuan Science and Technology Bureau, Chengdu National IC-Design Industrialization Camp, Sichuan Technical Exchange Center, leading chip companies and 59 members of the press attended. Web: http://www.iic-china.com/ ====Power Systems Design launches new web site with online ad and editorial tracking==== Power Systems Design magazine has re-launched its website with online ad and editorial tracking for US, Europe and China editions. The new site also includes a Google search function, full video and flash capabilities, and new and archived sections entitled DesignTips, MarketWatch, GreenPage, Automotive Electronics, Lighting Systems and White Goods. Web: http://www.powersystemsdesign.com ====International SoC conference calls for speakers==== Savant is calling for sponsors, abstracts, and speaker presentations for the 6th International System-on-Chip (SoC) Conference, which will be held at the Radisson Hotel Newport Beach, California, on Wednesday, November 5th, and Thursday, November 6th, 2008. Web: http://www.socconference.com ====Reed dumps Nepcon (UK) show==== Reed Exhibitions has cancelled the Nepcon 2008 show at the NEC, Birmingham, UK. One commentator said: “This has been a tough decision as Nepcon has run in the UK for 39 years. However, with so much electronic production moving to China and India, and with the entry of a new competitor which has split the market and forced many exhibitors to withdraw from exhibiting in the UK at all, Reed believes that it cannot run an event that delivers for exhibitors and visitors.” Web: http://www.reedexhibitions.co.uk ====National Electronics Week (UK) adds Andy Pratt to sales team==== Andy Pratt joins the sales team of the UK’s new trade show, National Electronics Week, on February 11th. Andy is best known for his tenure as publication Manager with Electronics magazine and previously for a 10-year stint with EPD. Web: http://www.nationalelectronicsweek.co.uk ====D’Andreti appointed at Americas Sales VP for Global SMT and Packaging==== Global SMT and Packaging has announced the appointment of Lino D’Andreti as VP Sales for the Americas. Lino has 27 years of experience in the electronics manufacturing industry having worked previously for Universal Instruments, Vitronics Soltec, Zevatech (JUKI) and Mydata. Most recently, he was a sales representative in New England for Matthew Associates. Lino will be responsible for promoting sales of print and video products throughout the Americas. Global SMT and Packaging is published by Trafalgar Publications and appears in Europe, the US, China and Korea. Web: http://www.globalsmt.net ====ED Europe to video report on Embedded World event==== Electronic Design Europe will be producing video interviews and filmed show reports from the forthcoming Embedded World event in Nuremberg. The video coverage will follow the established format of previous exhibition coverage by the magazine and will consist of brief three-minute clips where Editor-in-Chief Paul Whytock talks to companies about the products and technology they are exhibiting at Embedded World. “From our experience we find that a three minute film clip is an optimum time. It provides sufficient coverage of the subject matter while not asking our readers and viewers to sit through an overly long video clip,” explained Whytock. “At the end of each day’s filming at the exhibition the video reports are sent over to Penton’s eMedia experts at our Colorado facility where specialist technicians produce the finished clips and upload them onto the magazine’s web site,” added Whytock Web: http://europe.elecdesign.com/ ====Kalnoskas joins JAS Technical Media==== JAS Technical Media today announced that Aimee Kalnoskas has joined the firm as a Senior Partner. JAS Technical Media LLC is a technical-communications consulting company and advertising-sales network formed by industry veterans Joshua Israelsohn and Steven Wirth. Aimee will be working with Joshua in the consulting business. She’s held senior roles in editorial management and publishing operations including, most recently, editor-in-chief at ECN. CONTACT: ====Penton becomes media sponsor for Darnell’s 2008 Power Conferences==== Penton's Electronic Design Group and Darnell Group will join forces to present Darnell's power conferences, Digital Power Forum and nanoPower Forum in 2008. In addition to Electronic Design, Penton's Electronic Design Group also includes targeted publications, such as Power Electronics Technology, Microwaves and RF, and RF Design. This partnership aims to build on the growth of Darnell's conferences. Web: http://www.darnell.com ====Techfocus launches IC Design and Verification Journal==== Techfocus media has launched IC Design and Verification Journal. It joins Embedded Technology Journal & FPGA Journal, and follows the same formula of a web site and a weekly update with a link to one or more features. It provides "more articles, more webcasts, more news, more editors and more of the insight, analysis, humor, and humility that you’ve come to expect from our industry-leading offerings”, according to the publisher. Web: http://www.icjournal.com ====SOAPBOX: Johannes Kuppe and Jon Titus have their say about the editorial leader in our last issue==== Johannes Kuppe: I read your comment at www.publitekmedianews.com/december_2007. Sorry, but from my point of view this is complete nonsense! I am the editor-in-chief of the publication "Photonik", the leading German magazine on optical technologies, and our policy is certainly the one that you claim "exclusively" for US editors: We only publish educational technical articles of general interest, and we explicitly decline any manuscripts that promote particular products. If we accept a manuscript for review that (also) describes products and mentionions brand names or companies, any of this is deleted. I completely disagree with you that "most of the leading German media take the opposite view". Maybe there are some (in Germany AND in the US, as well as in the UK and other places), but generally, such an editorial principle would typically make a magazine lose relevance at their readership. So I really don't know how you come to your strange kind of an opinion. To me, your statement even sounds insulting especially to German readers. [Johannes and I have had an interesting dialogue since he sent in these comments. It ended on a friendly note….”Alright, different experiences...”, he concluded. Ed.] Jon Titus: The "Comment" section in your December 2007 issue asked several questions about editorial directions and audiences. Let me offer the perspective of a writer and former chief editor of two US-based electronics magazines. Periodicals tend to get the audience they write for. If I start a magazine that focuses half its pages on electronics and half on food recipes, I will eventually get an audience that likes that format. (Of course, that type of magazine might draw a small audience.) So it is with magazines that shun product mentions in contributed articles and those that promote this type of coverage. Over time, each magazine attracts an audience that likes its format. An interesting point: I know of no engineers in North America who subscribe to European engineering magazines and none of those magazines--to the best of my knowledge--has significant North American circulation. Contrast that with the many US-based magazines that have European circulation. That may say something about the popularity of the more neutral approach to contributed articles. Or, it might say that North American engineers already have all the product information they need, either in magazines or online direct from vendors. As an editor, I had no problem accepting an application-type article—one that would help engineers do their jobs better--that used a product from the author's company as an example. But, the vast majority of company "application" articles tended to be what I call magic-rabbit-out-of-the-hat stories. The set up goes like this: "For so long engineers have had these three problems, but now, "poof," out of the hat comes the magic rabbit (vendor's product) that solves those problems and others. That type of pitch belongs in company sales literature, not in a contributed article. I don't know which publications don't like articles from marketing people. In my field, the majority of marketing people have solid engineering educations and backgrounds and have extensive knowledge of products, technologies, and applications. Just because someone works in marketing shouldn't rule them out as an author with something worthwhile to say. ====JOBSLOT: Editorial opportunities at ECN==== Advantage Business Media has two vacancies. Background: Advantage Business Media, a media company in the communications, pharmaceutical, medical, electronics and engineering sectors, is investing for growth. We are an entrepreneurial company with over 40 years of print and electronic publishing history in our brands. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, sick and holiday pay. Technical Editor, ECN: The ECN brand, featuring both print and online content, is seeking an experienced technical editor to add to its team. Responsibilities include preparing content daily for the print and online aspects of the publication, frequent contact with industry representatives for story development and editorial advocacy in the field of engineering, plus some writing. This position is available immediately, salary to commensurate with experience. Qualified candidates should have a BA in Journalism or English and excellent research, interviewing, writing and editing skills as well as wireless or technical writing experience and the ability to work well under the pressure of deadlines. An engineering or science degree is not required, but an enthusiasm for technology would be useful for the position. Any candidate should have excellent networking abilities and be open to travel. To apply for this position visit http://www.advantagebusinessmedia.com and click the “Career Opportunities” tab. Associate Editor for ECN & WDD: The ECN & Wireless Design & Development brands, featuring both print and online content, are seeking a Junior-level Associate Editor and Writer to add to its team. In addition to preparing content daily for the print and online aspects of the publication, the position requires frequent contact with industry representatives for story development and editorial advocacy in the field of engineering. This position is available immediately, salary to commensurate with experience. Qualified candidates should have a BA in Journalism or English and 1-2 years experience in an editorial position. Excellent research, interviewing, writing and editing skills as well as wireless or technical writing experience and the ability to work well under the pressure of deadlines is also very important. An engineering or science degree is not required, but an enthusiasm for technology would be useful for the position. Any candidate should have excellent networking abilities and be open to travel. To apply for this position visit www.advantagebusinessmedia.com and click the “Career Opportunities” tab.