Electronic Product Design

Will solar-powered phones ever go mainstream? Could a cellphone run entirely on sunlight? How easy is it to charge a cellphone using sunlight? What are the biggest technical challenges impeding such developments?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Electronic Product Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Electronic Product Design today.

With all the buzz about cloud computing, and with all the cloud-based services available, what kinds of computing functions are you willing to send into the cloud? If you've had work-related experience with cloud computing, how did it go? Would you recommend that others follow the same path?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Electronic Product Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Electronic Product Design today.

What has your company done to address the new difficulties in finding qualified engineering candidates? How has your organization modified the training programs for new recruits?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Electronic Product Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Electronic Product Design today.

Engineers of all disciplines are forced to contemplate trade-offs when seeking a suitable design solution. What has been the hardest design tradeoff you have dealt with? How did you overcome the issues and arrive at a palatable solution? What formal methodologies do you use to make design tradeoff decisions?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Electronic Product Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Electronic Product Design today.

Reflecting on Steve Jobs's remarkable life and accomplishments, we all take note of his game-changing products that have become embedded in the culture. How will his legacy contribute to shaping the future of consumer electronics? What will it take for the next step in smartphone design to be revolutionary rather than evolutionary?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Electronic Product Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Electronic Product Design today.

Everyone would like to have a self-sustaining source of electrical power during a lengthy power outage or disaster, but how do current portable solar-powered backup systems compare to gas- or diesel-powered ones? What new approaches to solar-based electricity show promise in cutting costs and improving efficiency in next-generation portable solar generators? What criteria need to be met before a portable solar generator can be utilized on a longer-term basis to reduce home energy uses?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Electronic Product Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Electronic Product Design today.