articles-by-clinton-shaffer

1. Amazon's New Smartphone Boasts High-End RF And Imaging Components 7/29/2014

   On July 25, Amazon released its first smartphone, and it didn’t take long for the internal components of the device to get leaked.

2. 4 Electronic Design Requirements Of The System-Integrated Soldier 7/24/2014

   Perhaps most famously portrayed in Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (1959), the idea of the “future soldier” has been around for decades. As rehashed in countless science fiction films and video games, the stereotypical future soldier is equipped with a protective exoskeleton, enhanced sensory equipment, seamless communication systems, and advanced weaponry. While the concept once seemed implausible, there are many real-world projects under way focused on realizing those seemingly fictitious warfighter capabilities — by integrating a plethora of diverse electronic subsystems into a cohesively operational suit.

3. The Top 5 Technologies From DSS 2014 5/13/2014

   With more than 450 companies at this year’s event and only three days to explore, it was an almost overwhelming task to try and take in all of the technology on display. Regardless, I did my best, and here is my list of the top five most exciting technologies I caught at the show.

4. Simplifying The Development Of Handheld NIR Spectroscopy Devices 4/30/2014

   Portable NIR spectrometers enable innovative and more efficient ways of handling countless applications. I recently spoke with Mariquita Gordon, business manager of DLP embedded products at Texas Instruments, to discuss the company’s new NIR technologies and talk about the emerging market for portable NIR spectrometers.

    

5. Photonics And The Future Of Medicine 3/18/2014

   Photonics West serves as the perennial indicator of market trends for the photonics and optics industries. At this year’s event, held last month in San Francisco, one of the pervasive themes I observed in both the technical conference and the exhibition was the increasing role photonics and optics are playing in the development of advanced biomedical technologies. That trend is poised to continue well into the future. 

6. 5 Key Challenges Facing The Photovoltaic Industry 2/25/2014

   For an allegedly “dead” industry, photovoltaics is doing just fine. At least that was the message communicated to attendees during a special panel session at Photonics West 2014 exclusively dedicated to trends in solar energy. Titled Green Photonics: A Solar Revolution, the session covered topics ranging from emerging technologies to growing a business in this challenging but promising market.

7. Executive Perspectives On The World Of Optics And Photonics 2/14/2014

   At Photonics West 2014 last week, seven top executives from photonics and optics companies offered insights on current trends and future opportunities in the industry during the panel session on “Executive Perspectives on the World of Optics and Photonics.”  During the session, the panelists shared their views on the previous year and the years ahead and answered questions from a packed room of attendees. While they acknowledged that 2013 had its share of struggles, there was a lot of optimism surrounding the industry’s current status and its prospects for the future.

8. A Breakthrough In Silicon Photonic Research 1/31/2014

   An international group of researchers recently completed the first experimental demonstration of a soliton-effect pulse compression in a silicon photonic crystal. These findings could be significant step toward the development of photonic chips at the micron scale.

9. Optogenetics Helps Binge-Drinking Rats Sober Up 1/24/2014

   What if I told you that flashing lights could one day cure alcoholism? A recent study published by a team of researchers at the University of Buffalo has demonstrated that the technique is not only possible, but very effective — in binge-drinking rats. For the experiments, rodents were trained to habitually consume alcohol in a manner consistent with human binge-drinking behavior. Researchers then used optogenetic techniques in order to manipulate the release of dopamine in the rats’ brains, and put an end to their vices.

10. Laser-Powered Headlights Arrive, Outshine LEDs At CES 1/10/2014

    Photonics technology headlines Audi's newest concept car, the Audi Sport Quattro Laserlight.