Volumes & issues:
Volume 5, Issue 11
24 July 2010
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- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 4 –4
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1121
- Type: Article
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- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 5 –5
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1122
- Type: Article
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(8 pages) - Author(s): J. Hayes
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 14 –14
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1123
- Type: Article
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Online security experts have downplayed speculation around the possibility of a 'cyber war' breaking out between sovereign states as a result of offensive action, amid calls for new laws enabling greater governmental control over the US national interconnection infrastructure. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 15 –15
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1124
- Type: Article
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- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 16 –17
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1125
- Type: Article
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The latest from the E&T inbox. - Author(s): P. Bizony
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 18 –21
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1100
- Type: Article
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What's the connection between a space shuttle explosion, a plane crash in Afghanistan and outbreaks of food poisoning in Scotland and Wales? A common thread links these fatal disasters and many more besides. It's the 'normalisation of deviance'.There was more to the shuttle explosion than hardware failures alone. Senior managers were allowing errors that the shuttle wasn't designed to cope with, while junior engineers were screaming for help and being ignored. - Author(s): C. Doldirina
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 22 –24
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1101
- Type: Article
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E&T on why the principle of space as 'mankind's common heritage' is not always conducive to exploration. Outer space is infinite and humankind still cannot grasp its dimensions. Nevertheless, people have always aspired to 'reach' it, and life on Earth has always been defined by solar energy and light, gravity and threats of asteroids crossing the Earth's orbit. But it is not always easy to reconcile wishes with abilities; for centuries we did not have technology that would allow us to leave Earth. The day the Soviet Sputnik was launched brought a dramatic change; for the past half a century we have made enormous progress and conquering space seems to be a reality... with just one little hitch the issue of ownership. Here on Earth a lot of activities start with the determination of proprietary issues. A lot of undertakings such as quests to discover new continents or expeditions to explore mineral resources in remote areas would not have taken place without the decision as to who was going to own new lands or the extracted resources. Well, space law has something to say on this matter and it is very different from what we are used to hearing here on Earth. - Author(s): M. Sheahan
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 25 –27
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1102
- Type: Article
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The article discusses on how to protect intellectual property rights. It presents the dos and donts of patenting. - Author(s): K. Sangani
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 28 –29
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1103
- Type: Article
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In this paper security of social networking sites and cloud computing sites is discussed. Recently private and personal data has been compromised, misused or surreptitiously collected without the owner of the data's permission. There has also been a concern that these internet companies have flouted strict data protection legislation that exists in many territories. - Author(s): C. Edwards
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 30 –31
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1104
- Type: Article
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The attempt to break the hold that Myriad has on key patents for cancer genes has reopened the debate on who can own rights to biology. At the press conference held to announce success in transplanting a synthetic genome into a living cell, scientist and cofounder of Synthetic Genomics J Craig Venter claimed: 'I have never been quite comfortable claiming patents on discoveries.' Yet Venter's name was prominent on the bundle of patents filed during his work on the Human Genome Project. In his autobiography, Venter claims he became the scapegoat for the patents filed in the 1990s patents on fragments of DNA uncovered during the sequencing work as part of a plan by the National Institute of Health to secure rights over the DNA before private researchers. But the company he founded and later left, Celera Genomics, sought patents on hundreds of potentially significant human genes despite not knowing what most of the DNA did. Even after Celera, Venter went on to help put together a wide-ranging patent to support his synthetic biology based on subsets of a natural bacterium. Celera was not alone. Incyte Genomics and Human Genome Sciences did the same. But it was Monsanto, already widely criticised for its approach to intellectual property (IP) in the biosciences, who triggered a lawsuit that changed the way that agencies such as the US Patent and Trademark Office viewed DNA patents in the mid-2000s. After that case, the USPTO decided that only genes with a known function could be patented, not just fragments of DNA that seem to come from individual genes found during mass sequencing efforts. Even that view could change again if another biotechnology company, Myriad Genetics, fails in its appeal to put its name against sequences of DNA that have existed in humans for millennia. It is the latest battle in the war to gain control over chunks of the genome, most of which is taking place in the United States of America but which has seen skirmishes in Europe and, more recently, in Australia. - Author(s): M. Simmons and J. Muirhead
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 32 –33
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1105
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SINCE THE end of the 1990s, the semiconductor industry has worked on finding ever more sophisticated ways of drawing tinier and tinier features on the surface of silicon wafers. The wavelengths of light used can now be five times longer than the features themselves because it has proven too difficult and expensive to move from deep ultraviolet wavelengths around 200nm long to the extreme ultraviolet range. Even in the late 1990s, feature sizes rapidly approached the wavelength commonly used in lithography 248nm. As feature sizes get closer to the source wavelength, diffraction around the mask elements gets worse. The blurring caused by this diffraction threatened to distort the on-chip features or even make them disappear in some cases, rendering the integrated circuit (IC) unusable.Pattern matching can let us return to using something more intuitive. Pattern-matchingtechnology makes it possible to identify, isolate and define specific geometric configurations visually. Once recognised and defined, these patterns can be added to a pattern library that can be used by a pattern matching engine to automatically scan designs for matching patterns. - Author(s): L. Collins
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 34 –35
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1106
- Type: Article
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Europe's grip on the chip industry has faltered badly. The article discusses about Europe's shrinking manufacturing expertise on its semiconductor industry. It looks on the challenges of Europe to create a sustainable businesses in such a knowledge-intensive sector as semiconductors. The mid-term test of the viability of the European chip industry has to be whether it can sustain a critical mass of manufacturing, markets, skills, financiers and entrepreneurs to enable companies started at Europe to grow into thriving listed global businesses. - Author(s): B. Greenaway
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 36 –36
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1107
- Type: Article
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An increasing number of people are turning to laser eye surgery to correct their vision. The latest techniques are discussed here. (5 pages) - Author(s): A. Harris
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 42 –45
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1108
- Type: Article
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Alongside natural forces affecting water resources are human activities that have become the primary 'drivers' of pressures affecting our water systems. These pressures are often related to human activities and economic growth. According to the United Nations, however, that is changing, and water could be the next resource that triggers wars around the globe as countries become increasingly aware of the need to secure a long-term supply. Water shortage are predicted to be the primary catalyst for 21st century conflicts. - Author(s): R. Pool
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 46 –47
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1109
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The paper reports a superconducting cable with a record-breaking performance signals a technology on the brink of commercialisation. - Author(s): M. Courtney
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 48 –51
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1110
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The paper reports the new top-end routers must now meet Exabyte traffic level challenges. - Author(s): J. Hayes
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 52 –53
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1111
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A lot of data has flowed under the bridge and across it since green IT started to find its way onto the green enterprise agenda; IT professionals can allow themselves a plaudit or two for showing leadership here, because it is through the 'greening' of the IT function that most organisational carbon management programmes entered corporate consciousness. At a time when the remit of the IT function itself was being undermined by executive forces alleging that IT was neither flexible nor amenable to the needs of 'the business', the environmentalist debate gave IT heads a platform to re-assert their status in the management hierarchy. It also restored some of the political clout IT formerly enjoyed: it was re-empowered to drive through changes.The economy is looking healthier now, and the green IT 'agenda' has moved on since 2005. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme legislation has introduced a legal motivation for organisations to review their energy usage and take steps to implement policies and procedures that make carbon control intrinsic to the articles of their governance. However, as the recent Green Enterprise World Forum showed, the IT industry has passed beyond the awareness phase and must now concentrate its talents on shaping the the future green IT.The pursuit of green IT is perforce subject also to changes in working practices. The gradual but steady trend toward the so-called mobile enterprise is going to have important repercussions on the way IT is provisioned to business users and on the way it consumes energy. With mobile devices enabling large percentages of the workforce to work away from an office base, the requirement to provision multiple desktops (or docking stations), each with a network connection and power source, will become less crucial; and printer needs will decrease. - Author(s): B. Betts
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 54 –56
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1112
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Counterfeiting has been around for millennia, but technology and globalisation mean that it now poses greater threats to the manufacturer than ever before. The article looks on the growing challenge of avoiding counterfeiters. - Author(s): M. Wheatley
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 57 –59
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1113
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Whether you manufacture kettle controls or devices bound for the Sun, the value of your intellectual property is a major draw for clients. The article looks at the vexed issue of ownership and international law on patent protection. - Author(s): L. Collins
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 60 –62
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1114
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Should cable companies be allowed to stop customers watching TV over the Internet? Should mobile operators be able to ban voice over IP from smartphones? Luke Collins explores the net neutrality debate. The debate about net neutrality is coming to a head. Regulators in the UK, Europe and the US have each published discussion documents about the topic, and asked for public feedback before they legislate. What's at stake, for some at least, is nothing less than the principle of free speech, which brooks no interference. For others, the issue is about the freedom to make a living from the assets they buy and maintain. - Author(s): C. Edwards
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 63 –65
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1115
- Type: Article
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For several years in the Finnish city of Oulu, if you could touch it, you could tag it. Tagging technology turned up in schools, parking meters and shopping catalogues. Elderly residents could touch a mobile phone to a menu card to order their meals-on-wheels service for the day, instead of phoning in. The city's department of education let workers use their mobile phones as office keys. And children at Hintta primary school didn't have to shout out when it came to taking the register each morning, instead checking in by touching their name badges to the teacher's mobile. The enabling technology was the near-field communication (NFC) protocol. - Author(s): C. Edwards
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 66 –69
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1116
- Type: Article
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Employers own intellectual property (IP) developed by employees in the course of their employment is in legislation such as the Copyright, Design and Patents Act in the UK. Many people who have signed an employment contract, particularly in jobs that involve some level of creativity, will have noticed that, despite this being captured in statutes, there is a clause that covers the same ground and can go further. Most sensible employers back that up. One reason is to have absolute clarity and the other is to put in place protection if an employee contributes an invention that is patented in jurisdictions where you need the cooperation of the inventor. - Author(s): W. Altman
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 70 –71
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1117
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If you're fed up with management self-help manuals that serve-up re-warmed gobbledegook then you're not alone. But 'Management Masterclass' is one of those rare books that all managers should read. E&T explains why. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 73 –73
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1126
- Type: Article
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Dates for your diary. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 76 –77
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1118
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The story of London's Science Museum, and some instructive books for your summer break. - Author(s): S. Monk
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 78 –79
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1119
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The author discovers the classics from kitchen essentials to two-wheeled transportation. Plus the latest technology improved, shrunk and at a lower price than ever before. - Author(s): J. Pollard
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 80 –80
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1120
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This article reviews the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who brought ethics to genetic engineering by opening it to public scrutiny. - Author(s): M. Barfield
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 81 –81
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1127
- Type: Article
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Mike Barfield's page of unfeasible engineering oddities. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 5, Issue 11, page: 82 –82
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2010.1128
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Jack's counting down the days to the Great Escape, when he goes to uni and leaves behind the engineers he calls parents.
Editorial: Who owns everything?
News
Analysis: Cyber wars
News in brief
Letters to the Editor
Who owns you?
Who owns outer space?
Who owns your invention?
Who owns your personal data?
Who owns your genes?
Patterns of behaviour [electronics design]
New Europeans
A sight for sore eyes
Who owns the water supply?
Industry readies for extreme electricity
Packet push powerhouses [network routers]
Analysis: Eco - it's first five years
Who owns the brand?
Who owns intellectual property?
In neutral
Touch me, I'm electric
Who owns your thoughts? [intellectual property]
The masters at work
Events
Book reviews
Gadgets
The eccentric engineer
E&Tcetera
Jack's blog
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