Each week, the editor of Planet Analog finds items of interest and then features them in two sections, entitled “Also of Interest” and “Elementals”. Each cites items from publications outside the Planet Analog and EETimes portfolios. And we also have an archive of recent weekly Planet Analog Newsletters, as pdf files; see the list at the very bottom.

“Also of Interest” and “Elementals” is an extension of our belief that engineers are interested in on-going tutorial on obviously relevant topics, as well as the serendipity of exploring topics which are not directly related to their jobs, but which will broaden their knowledge and sometimes spurs innovative and creative approaches. The first box highlights items of general interest to the engineer, while the second highlights basic and tutorial electronic-engineering material. Among the publications we check are IEEE Spectrum , Machine Design , Design News , Laser Focus World , EDN , Electronic Design , NASA Tech Briefs , Microwave Journal , RF & Microwaves , and Physics Today , plus others.

Consider these items as online extras, and worth a look. (Please note: there are also links to the previous weeks' editions, in the “Navigate” box to the right.)

Also of Interest:

• Once implanted in the eye, this complete millimeter-scale computing system tracks the progress of glaucoma:
  “Cubic-Millimeter Energy-Autonomous Wireless Intraocular Pressure Monitor,”
  Medical Design Briefs , May 2011
• Like the laser half a century ago, metamaterials sometimes seem to be a solution looking for a problem; there's a first round of applications in niches that are hard to fill with conventional optics:
  “Optical metamaterials seek real-world applications,”
  Laser Focus World , May 2011
• Observing what happens when atoms interact or proteins fold requires picosecond or faster imaging:
  “Imaging in the Ultrafast Lane,”
  Photonics Spectra , May 2011
• After a reign of more than 130 years, the incandescent lightbulb has earned a spot in the pantheon of the most successful technologies humankind has ever produced:
  “Requiem for the Incandescent Lightbulb,”
  IEEE Spectrum , April 2011

Elementals:

• Using Ohm's Law to calculate the associated power resistor requirements is the basic starting point for LED thermal design:
  “Efficient Thermal Management Adds Reliability in LED Apps,”
  Power Electronics Technology , June 2011
• The interface between an optical signal input and the detected electronc signal output is an essential part of an optical data link:
  “Sensitivity of an Optical Receiver,”
  High Frequency Electronics , June 2011
• The 100-year-long reign of the incandescent light bulb is about to end; designers would do well to see the opportunity in offering a light with instant-on, that dims without flicker, and that is reliable and cost-effective:
  “Energy-efficient lights to gain from incandescent ban,”
  EDN , May 26, 2011
• An analysis of W-CDMA and GSM TX noises and their effects on global positioning system (GPS) performance inside a 3G mobile handset:
  “Analysis of 3G Noise to GPS in 3G Handsets,”
  Microwave Journal , July 2011

Recent Planet Analog Newsletters:

• August 10, 2011
• August 3, 2011
• July 27, 2011
• July 20, 2011