http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/ Inferior products. Superior ideas for designing better stuff en Copyright 2008 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:30:37 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss In the UK, objections to wind farms are often made on the grounds of aestheticism, the twisting blades spoiling otherwise perfect countryside views. Hmmm. IMHO this is just NIMBY-ism by another guise... However, wind turbines are far from perfect, as this video dramatically demonstrates. http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/07/close-escape-from-exploding-wi.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/07/close-escape-from-exploding-wi.html General Design Mechanical Structural Denmark explosion pitch systems wind turbine Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:30:37 +0000 How about this for a Top Five of provocative posts? With Lithium-ion batteries leading the way... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/07/the-most-provoking-made-by-mon.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/07/the-most-provoking-made-by-mon.html Lithium-ion battery Solar Power Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:15:34 +0000 If you've had a recent run-in with a cheaply-made, inferior product, tell us about it and you could win a limited edition, high-quality, well-engineered Made by Monkeys tshirt! http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/06/how-to-submit-your-lousy-desig-1.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/06/how-to-submit-your-lousy-desig-1.html Examples Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:16:04 +0000 http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/06/dishwasher-rack-succumbs-to-ga.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/06/dishwasher-rack-succumbs-to-ga.html Materials/Materials Processing Coated Metal Corrosion Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:44:45 +0000 When it comes to structural integrity, plastic parts often get a bad rap. But when they fail, often the result of metal fatigue, metal parts can fail catastrophically as forensic engineer Ken Russell relates in his Calamities Column in... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/06/when-it-comes-to-structural.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/06/when-it-comes-to-structural.html Materials/Materials Processing Metal Fatigue Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:52:25 +0000 http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/05/rohs-poses-an-ethical-dilemma.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/05/rohs-poses-an-ethical-dilemma.html RoHS LEDs Solder Tue, 20 May 2008 13:06:40 +0000 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,... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/05/rohs-exemption-on-flame-retard.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/05/rohs-exemption-on-flame-retard.html RoHS Flame Retardant RoHS Mon, 19 May 2008 16:07:32 +0000 Many Department of Defense programs will not go lead-free because of uncertainties and the risks associated with the current science and materials, reports Military and Aerospace Electronics in an article titled "Lead-free issues continue to plague mil-aero market, says DMEA... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/05/rohs-regulation-causes-angst-i-1.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/05/rohs-regulation-causes-angst-i-1.html RoHS Mon, 12 May 2008 13:30:28 +0000 And you think you're having a bad day? A witty, entertaining, and rather gorey take on life at work -- courtesy of our IT department. Click to play... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/some-bloody-fun-it-humour-real.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/some-bloody-fun-it-humour-real.html User interface Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:24:22 +0000 A candidate for the fake shake-to-light flashlight hall-of fame. Note that the circuit board has no actual traces! See more examples at Instructables.... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/fake-shaketolight-flashlight-h.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/fake-shaketolight-flashlight-h.html Electrical/Electronics Flashlight Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:51:08 +0000 Jon Titus, Senior Reviews Editor over at the DEV-monkey site, is one of the most knowledgeable editors (and engineers) around on development kits and tools. But even experts can always use more help, as he points out in a recent... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/when-dev-kits-hit-dead-ends.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/when-dev-kits-hit-dead-ends.html Development kits/tools Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:26:29 +0000 David Mery works in an office where the light is controlled by a single motion sensor that is relatively far from most of the desk-bound employees. When he wrote to the people managing his office to complain that one... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/motion-sensor-leaves-office-wo-1.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/motion-sensor-leaves-office-wo-1.html Electrical/Electronics Sensor Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:39:19 +0000 Anyone who thinks the use of buzzwords is criminal should get immense satisfaction from the fact that software maker SAP is being sued by a customer for falling short on the deliverables on what can only be described as a... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/buzzwords-behind-100m-sap-laws-1.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/buzzwords-behind-100m-sap-laws-1.html Software Buzzwords Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:25:07 +0000 And you thought those aluminized mylar wallets were just for geeks? Turns out they could be playing a much more useful role, as chronicled in this Washington Post article "The Electronic Pickpocket Stoppers." "According to some security gurus, even... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/a-faraday-cage-for-your-wallet-1.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/a-faraday-cage-for-your-wallet-1.html Electrical/Electronics EMI Faraday Cage Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:18:34 +0000 Warning: EMI, that silent and pernicious killer, may be stalking your chihuahua. Thank goodness the people over at the Bargains Xtreme website are now offering a pet-specific device designed to keep Fido fit and free from dangerous electromagnetic waves.... http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/a-faraday-cage-for-fido.html http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2008/04/a-faraday-cage-for-fido.html Electrical/Electronics EMI Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:36:59 +0000