Leading the pack of most read blog entries in the ElectronicsWeekly.com blogosphere is the Made by Monkeys entry on RoHS and how engineers must comply with the regulations, thereby risking the long-term life of their designs, or break the law.

David Manners’ blog, Mannerisms, took a look at the launch of the 3G version of the iPhone that will be launched in Europe and elsewhere next month.

Also performing well this week was Gadget Freak’s special on clever designs that are a must for homes across the UK and the world.

1. RoHS poses an ethical dilemma for some engineers (Made by Monkeys)

It's the ultimate Catch-22 for design engineers: Comply with RoHS and risk the long-term reliability of their products in some cases. Or break the law.

2. Yes, it is the 3G iPhone in Europe next month (Mannerisms)

Apple’s coyness in refusing to reveal whether the iPhone it is launching in ten countries shortly is in the fact the 3G iPhone has been a waste of time. Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) revealed that is the 3G version of the iPhone which it is going to launch in Italy next month.

3. 7 gadgets your home must have (Gadget Freak)

In an age where the high street is saturated with expensive gadgets that bombard every consumer that wanders down it, clever electrical engineers know there’s always a better and cheaper way to make your home a better and safer place to live, rest and play in. Here, Gadget Freak presents 7 DIY designs that your home can’t be without.

4. Did tin pest cause Napoleon to experience a wardrobe malfunction? (Made by Monkeys)

The story of Napoleon’s buttons is one of those great cautionary tales about the potentially dire consequences of ignoring the chemical properties of substances.

5. Infineon execs can’t let go (Mannerisms)

With Qimonda causing Infineon so much grief, why hasn't Infineon got rid of it yet? The question was asked at this week's IET/GSA (Institution of Engineering and Technology/Global Semiconductor Alliance) International Semiconductor Forum at the ExCel conference centre in East London.

6. RoHS exemption on flame retardant revoked (Made by Monkeys)

Gary Nevison, director of legislation and environmental affairs for Newark and Farnell, is sharply critical of a ruling to delete a ROHS exemption for Decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE), a popular flame retardant used in certain types of plastic used in connectors, enclosures, wiring, and other electronic equipment.

7. Really, it’s only Intel and Samsung wanting 450mm (Mannerisms)

The word on the street is that TSMC isn't all that keen on 450mm wafer development and that it was bullied by Intel into putting its name to the recent press release saying that Intel, Samsung and TSM were proposing 450mm wafer development.

8. Some fridges are always alarmed (Gadget Freak)

A fridge that’s alert for midnight snacks. When you’ve popped in your fridge alarm, getting peckish in the middle of the night and forgetting to close the door – along with escalating electricity bills – will be a thing of the past. Italian inventor Flavio Dellepiane has designed a 3V battery-powered fridge door alarm that beeps if you leave the door open for more than 20 seconds. When the fridge lamp illuminates, the alarm’s photo resistor lowers its resistance, the IC starts counting down and after a preset delay the piezoelectric buzzer beeps for 20 seconds.

9. Hint: If you want to pirate software, use spellcheck (Made by Monkeys)

On a trip to Shanghai to research an article on "fakes," I walked into the Xiangyang Market. Thirty minutes later and after some fierce haggling, I walked out with copies of Adobe Acrobat 3D, SolidWorks 2006, AutoCAD 2007, and PTC Wildfire. Total price: $22.00. Oh yeah, and I did snag a six season set of The Sopranos for $19.00.

10. Keep your property where you can see it (Gadget Freak)

This surveillance camera ensures your valuables aren’t part of the vanishing act. A safe home is a happy one, but many off-the-shelf surveillance cameras are too expensive or simply impractical. That’s why designer Alberto Ricci Bitti created an automated and inexpensive surveillance camera that uses a flash card as recording media. All the required functionalities fit inside a small 8-bit microcontroller: almost every hardware component of the AVR is put to good use. The camera only needs to be set up once and an IR remote and easy-to-use voice-prompt menu means this award-winning design will be the star of the show.