IEEE Central Texas SectionTHE ANALOG |
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Volume 52-11 |
November 2008 |
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Newsletter of the Central Texas Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc. Published monthly. Deadline for inclusion is the 25th day of the previous month. Send submissions, comments, questions to Kevin Nickels, Editor, k.nickels@ieee.org CONTENTS1. Section Activities
2. Chapter Activities
3. News & Information
4. Local Conferences5. Other ConferencesIEEE EXTERNAL LINKS
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1. Section ActivitiesChairman's ColumnFriends, As we roll into the holiday season, there's lots of action spinning up. Foremost on the plate for the Central Texas Section officers will be a Strategic Planning meeting in Austin on 1 Nov. Among other things, your officers will be focused on defining where the Section should be going in order to better serve the membership. We'll hopefully be able to report out a revised Section Strategic Plan with a number of specific goals and objectives for the immediate future. Two other important actions are on the table. Elections of your Chapter leadership should be completed soon. This is your chance to select the leadership you think best qualified to move your group forward in the next year or so. In addition, your chapter will be assembling their budget for their planned activities for 2009. Don't miss this opportunity to provide input to your leadership as to the priorities you think should be observed within your group. Again, thanks for all you do to help the profession. Garrett Polhamus Back to TOP Membership Development2009 Membership Year Kicks Off Your 2009 membership renewal package will arrive in the mail soon, or you can renew online right now. Renew before 15 November and you'll be entered into a drawing to win one of three laptops. To learn about new services being rolled out in 2009, visit https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13036/40069599 Joe Redfield Back to TOP Engineering in San Antonio - SA Vice-Chair's ColumnE-week 2009, Feb 15-21 San Antonio updateE-week in San Antonio is progressing along, and I'm actively working to get the many groups who have Eweek activities (the Bexar County TSPE and where I work - UTSA) to work together. UTSA had 6 or 7 activities last year - some outreach for middle/high school, and some specifically for our students (Career Fair, etc).. We had our second meeting, and plans are progressing nicely. The committee is concerned that we might not have 200 runners for this 5K Fun Run at Brackenridge Park. I don't think they know how active many of you are! Save the dates and consider attending some of the events! I didn't get any response (at all) about an educational outreach for an IEEE activity for Eweek - let me know if you have any ideas, and talk to your colleagues and companies about having students visit you and your company on the Engineer for a Day (Tuesday) of Eweek. This is a great way to let potential future engineers see what you do, and what your company does. Let me know what you want to do for E-week San Antonio! Dawn Roberson Back to TOP Section & Chapter NewsBack to TOP Continuing EducationGlobal Challenges to National Innovation Systems -- Speaker Series from LBJ School of Public Policy (Austin)This speaker series is sponsored by the Technology, Innovation, and Global Security (TIGS) program of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. Members of the local Austin tech community and the technology and policy community on the UT campus, are invited. The current confirmed schedule of speakers for Fall 2008 is as follows:
Free Webinar: Find Your Innovation Style (17 November)IEEE-USA has launched Innovation Styles, a Web-based evaluation, feedback and coaching system designed to boost innovation for individuals, teams and organizations. The Innovation Styles Profile (ISP) is a personal self-assessment that shows how you use the four different approaches to innovation and change. These insights will help you to optimize your innovativeness and improve how you work with your colleagues' varied innovative styles. To receive your free ISP login, go to https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13136/99528 and log in with your IEEE Web Account. To help you make full use of your Profile, register for a free IEEE-USA Webinar, "Discovering and Using Your Innovation Style," to be held at 1 p.m. on 17 Nov., at https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13137/99528 . Back to TOP Student BranchesBranch Liaisons Needed St Mary's University- San Antonio (https://ieee.stmarytx.edu/) Trinity University - San Antonio University of Texas at Austin (https://ieee.ece.utexas.edu/) University of Texas at San Antonio (https://www.utsaieee.org/) Student Member NewsWISE Internship Applicants WantedOutstanding engineering students with a keen interest in public policy and evidence of leadership skills are encouraged to apply for the summer 2009 Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program, scheduled to run from 8 June to 7 August. To qualify for consideration, applicants must be juniors, seniors or entering their final year of undergraduate studies in engineering (or computer science). WISE will also accept applications from engineering grads who are beginning Masters level study in a technology policy-related degree. Interns must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. WISE applicants should apply directly to their desired sponsor using the contact information provided. ANS, ASCE, ASME, IEEE and SAE will sponsor only individuals who are members of their societies at the time of application. Minority students are encouraged to apply. Applicants are required to fill out an application form, write two brief (one page) essays in response to que! stions, arrange for two faculty references, and forward an official transcript. Download the 2009 WISE program application at: https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13126/99528 View the downloadable program flyer (PDF) at: https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13127/99528 Solar Boats Train Students for the FutureThe solar-powered machine familiar to most people is likely no more complex than a calculator. But a group of engineering undergrads aimed higher when it came to harnessing the power of the sun. They built and raced solar-powered boats in the annual Solar Splash competition, held on the campus of the University of Arkansas. https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13579/40069599 Back to TOP Calls for VolunteersIEEE Seeks Program Evaluators for Accrediting Engineering & Engineering Technology Programs at U.S. UniversitiesThe IEEE, the largest member of ABET, Inc. (formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), is responsible for the peer-review evaluation of more than 750 university programs in the IEEE fields of interest. IEEE's involvement in the peer-review evaluation is vital to ensuring the continuing quality brought forth after graduation into the engineering and engineering technology professions. To aid IEEE and ABET in this accreditation role, the IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB) is seeking engineering professionals from industry, government and academe to serve as program evaluators. In addition to the professional and public good that evaluators perform, other benefits of being a program evaluator include: the opportunity to keep in touch with changing engineering and technology teaching methods; meeting those who will soon enter the profession; and learning how to conduct an objective evaluation of the educational process using established criteria, which can be helpful for those interested in training related to continuous improvement procedures. Selected applicants will attend a training seminar on the ABET accreditation process. After training, program evaluators are dispatched in teams to visit engineering and engineering technology departments at universities across the country on behalf of the IEEE and ABET. Evaluation sessions are held during the fall and usually run two to three days. Applications for the 2008 - 2009 academic year will be accepted through 15 November 2008. Information packages, including nominations forms and the program evaluator qualifications, are available at:
For further information, contact IEEE EAB Accreditation at eab-accred@ieee.org. Application form is available at: https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/12899/153286 IEEE Seeks Volunteers for Humanitarian Technology ChallengeThe Humanitarian Technology Challenge (HTC) is a partnership between IEEE and the United Nations Foundation designed to bring together technical professionals and humanitarians to develop technological solutions for pressing challenges facing humanity. A small number of IEEE members are needed to help shape the early stages of the program, working with humanitarians to further detail challenge definitions and outline a solution process. This is a unique opportunity for IEEE volunteers experienced in systems engineering to work directly with prominent humanitarian volunteers. The following initial challenges were identified by focus groups composed of representatives from ten humanitarian organizations:
IEEE volunteers should be experienced in the application of technology to solve humanitarian issues and be willing to commit approximately two to four hours per week to the project. A conference call/webcast for early stage volunteers is scheduled to take place in late November, 2008. This will be followed by an in-person conference scheduled for the first quarter of 2009, where additional volunteers will be needed. For more information, visit the HTC Web site (www.ieee.org/go/htc). Interested volunteers should contact Harold Tepper, IEEE HTC Project Manager, at h.tepper@ieee.org. Back to TOP 2. Chapter ActivitiesMultiple Chapters
Back to TOP Joint Circuits and Systems/Solid-State Circuits
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| Topic/Title | On-Chip Dual Supply Generation for embedded DRAM |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Dr. JB Kuang, IBM Austin Research Lab |
| Date/Time | Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 6:30PM |
| Cost | none |
| Reservations | not required |
| Location | UT Campus - ACA 1.104(the giant trailer in the parking lot next to the ENS) |
| Notes |
The joint Circuits & Systems/Solid State Circuits Societies normally meet on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. This meeting is open to the public and interested parties. Additional details will be posted at the website. If you have any questions about this meeting or this group, please contact seningen@ieee.org or dferguson@ieee.org
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Chair: Om P Mandhana, Freescale
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| Topic/Title | Rackspace Managed Hosting |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Tom Weeks, Rackspace Managed Hosting |
| Date/Time | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 |
| Cost | $10 members/ $0 students/$13 non-members |
| Location | Rackspace Managed Hosting, 9725 Datapoint Dr, San Antonio, TX. Map at https://tinyurl.com/gkqfa |
| Reservations | Required by Friday before meeting to Yu Zhang, yzhang@cs.trinity.edu or (210) 999-7399. |
| Notes | This meeting is open to the public. See https://www.ieee-cs-cts.org/ for maps, parking directions, and more! |
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| Topic/Title | Engineering Overview of Intellectual Property |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Bob Hunter - Bob is a consultant in standards, conformity assessment and accreditation. Bob was a Patent Engineering Specialist at the Philco Corporation for 13 years and has lectured and publicized on patent matters, including a presentation on the patent system at the IEEE Consultants in Austin several years ago. |
| Date/Time | Thursday, November 13, 2008 (Regular meeting is on 2nd Thursday) Networking at 6:00 pm, Business and program from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm |
| Cost | $5.00 minimum charge for the restaurant. Supper is at optional extra cost. |
| Reservations | Not required. All interested parties are invited to attend. |
| Location | China Star Restaurant, 6134 Hwy 290E, Austin TX. Westbound access road of 290E, just east of IH 35 |
| Abstract | Bob Hunter will present an engineering overview of intellectual property, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and related issues. |
Do a friend a favor. Bring your colleague to grow the Consultants Network attendance.
The Consultants web directory is to be found at https://www.alesu.com/xltrp/ieeecons/listzero.htm
Do the Consultants Network a favor. Give a talk or get a speaker for one meeting this year. Email the bio and summary to the Chairman.
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| Topic/Title | Clinical simulation for accelerating biomedical innovation |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Royce W. Johnson |
| Date/Time | 6:30 pm, November 19, 2008 |
| Agenda | 6:30 - networking, 7:00 dinner, 8:00 Technical Presentation |
| Cost (dinner) | $10 IEEE members, $15 non-members, students free! |
| Reservations | Please email Royce Johnson (JohnsonR@KCI1.com) so we have a head count for dinner. |
| Location | Kinetic Concepts, R&D Conference Center VI, Room 502, 6203 Farinon Drive, San Antonio, TX 78249. We are the last building on your right as you are headed away from IH-10 on Farinon Drive. Enter at the center doors. |
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For more Information contact Jason Polendo jpolendo@ieee.org
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For more information, contact Ray Chen
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We are looking for a few more volunteers to round out our Chapter's planning Committee. We currently have three, Scott Atkinson, Bob Harris and Ernest Franke. We meet monthly for lunch to review IEEE, Central Texas Section and Chapter activities. Interested folks should contact scott.atkinson@fullarmorgroup.com or 210-481-4932.
If a Life Member is not receiving email from our Chapter, please contact Scott Atkinson at scott.atkinson@fullarmorgroup.com or 210-481-4932.
For more information, contact Scott Atkinson
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| Topic/Title | Field Evaluations |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Charles Goertz, TUV America |
| Date/Time | December 2 |
| Cost | none |
| Reservations | Call Dale Ritzen (512) 651-5338 for details and directions. |
| Location | Dell, Parmer Campus, Parmer South Building 4, Victoria Conference Room. |
Mark Your Calanders -- Januray topic is TBD, in February Dale Ritzen will be speaking on the safety of amusement park rides, and we have scheduled a talk by someone who has come through fireman training in March.
We encourage you, others in your organization, or other interested parties to participate in our meetings. The PSES meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30, with the program starting at 7pm. For further information about the PSES, please contact Dale Ritzen at (512) 651-5338 or Gary Schrempp at gary_schrempp@dell.com.
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| Topic/Title | BIG Broadband & Gigabit to the Home |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Wayne Caswell, CAZITech Consulting |
| Date/Time | Thursday, November 21, 2008 |
| Cost | Free |
| Reservations | Please RSVP to Steve Crowl scrowl@ieee.org so that we may provide a guest list to our host. |
| Location | AT&T Labs - 9505 Arboretum Blvd, Austin, TX 78759 |
| Directions | Yahoo Map |
| Abstract | Understand the application possibilities and product design implications from the pending bandwidth Exaflood, which is enabled by Fiber-to-the-Home and Gigabit speeds (BIG Broadband). This presentation examines the capabilities of network alternatives like wireless and concludes that even 100 Mbps is not enough for a National Broadband Objective. And with a Gigabit objective, we can discuss bandwidth deployment obstacles and status and Internet issues facing the next administration. |
| Speaker Bio | As a technologist, futurist and marketer with IBM, Dell, Siemens and CAZITech Consulting, Wayne knows the benefits digital technologies can have on society and the challenges of adopting them. His 30-year career progressed from punch card and computer operator through programming and systems engineering, and into marketing, product planning, and market strategy. He has a BS degree in Technology Management from American University and is a member of the Austin Wireless Alliance, Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA), Telecom ThinkTank, and the World Future Society. |
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The IEEE Technology Management Council (Austin Chapter) is embarking on a year-long series: "Effective Engineering Leadership." This series of events is designed to help engineers and engineering managers develop the skills they need to become more effective, with take-away that they can implement immediately.
We will meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, beginning in October (October 14) at Amplify, 2608 Brockton Drive (Brocton and Burnet) at 6:30pm-8:30pm. Drinks and snacks will be provided.
Topics we will cover, over the course of several months, include:
Plan now to join us in November for another fantastic event in this series!
| Sponsors | Technology Management Council, in conjunction with the Women in Engineering |
|---|---|
| Topic/Title | A Structured Approach to Problem Solving |
| Speaker | R. Scott Evans |
| Date/Time | Tuesday, November 11, 2008 |
| Location | Amplify, Burnet and Braker |
| Notes | This meeting is open to the public. See www.austin-tmc.org for details and to RSVP. |
Contact Leslie Martinich (lmartinich@ieee.org) for more information about the Austin TMC.
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Contact Nils Smith (nils.smith@ieee.org) for information about the San Antonio TMC.
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| Sponsors | Technology Management Council, in conjunction with the Women in Engineering |
|---|---|
| Topic/Title | A Structured Approach to Problem Solving |
| Speaker | R. Scott Evans |
| Date/Time | Tuesday, November 11, 2008 |
| Location | Amplify, Burnet and Braker |
| Notes | This meeting is open to the public. See www.austin-tmc.org for details and to RSVP. |
Women in Engineering has been an Affinity Group of the Central Texas Section since the Fall of 2002.
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In the aftermath of the Florida recount debacle of 2000, the U.S. Congress provided billions of dollars for local governments to buy electronic voting systems. So perhaps it was only a matter of time before members of the open-source movement entered the fray claiming that their technology can guarantee fairer elections. Read more at https://spectrum.ieee.org/oct08/6788
The world isn't short of water, but it's a scarce resource for many people. IEEE is working on a Water for the World project that focuses on creating pilot programs for increasing water availability in developing countries and making drinking water clean and safe for the 1.7 billion people who lack it. Learn more at https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13035/40069599
Planning is now in full swing worldwide for IEEE's 125th anniversary celebrations next year. Information about these activities can be found on the new 125th Anniversary Web site, which has message boards, a series of video greetings from members and some well-known technology leaders, and other interactive features. For more information, visit https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13037/40069599
Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama each have different views on the future of technology. Sometimes those views overlap, sometimes they don't. But each has a chance at influencing the careers of many IEEE members and others working in technology. Read more in this month's issue of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer Online: https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13122/99528
A Princeton University report describes alleged vulnerabilities related to a prominent electronic voting machine used in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other states. Next Tuesday night and Wednesday morning could get very interesting wherever there are close elections and e-voting machines were used. Read more and comment. https://blogs.spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/2008/10/want_to_hack_an_evoting_machin.html
On 4 October 2008, the IEEE Xplore Digital Library was successfully upgraded with a new software release (Release 2.5.3). This release did NOT involve any downtime so customers and users enjoyed uninterrupted use of Xplore during the upgrade process. Release 2.5.3 included three key enhancements that were top IEEE customer requests. Details on each enhancement are below.
Medical Subject Headings (Mesh(R) Terms)- Authenticated users can now see MeSH terms in IEEE Xplore. MeSH terms represent the controlled vocabulary thesaurus of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), and are used to index articles from 4,800 of the world's leading biomedical journals for the NLM's MEDLINE/PubMED(R) database service. The addition of MeSH terms makes it easier for IEEE Xplore users to search for medically oriented content. Where applicable, MeSH Terms appear under the Index Terms section on the Abtract pages of IEEE Xplore. With this release, MeSH terms became available for the following IEEE publications going back to approximately 2006:
PDF Banner- Also known as PDF Wrapper, this new feature produces a horizontal banner that appears in a frame at the top of every PDF displayed in IEEE Xplore. The banner serves the following functions:
PDF Stamping - Also known as PDF Watermarking, this is another feature requested by many IEEE customers. PDF Stamping marks the bottom of each page of every downloaded PDF with an imprint containing the date and time of download and user or institutional name. The primary purpose of the stamp is to remind Xplore users that the content being viewed is an authorized and licensed copy of record. In the case of users affiliated with an IEEE institutional customer, the stamp gives a clear indication that the content is being provided by a funding/sponsoring institution. The stamp appears on saved and printed versions of a PDF. Here is an example of the PDF stamp: "Authorized licensed use limited to: ABC Corporation. Downloaded on October 10, 2008 at 15:49 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply."
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