Stanford invention could lead to better, cheaper chips :: ElectronicsOnline

Posted on by Paul

Silicon and gallium arsenide both begin their progression from raw crystal to electronic device similarly. Both materials are fashioned into what electronics manufacturers call wafers. These are flat, circular platters of purified material. Subsequent manufacturing steps create computer chips, solar cells or other electronic devices on top of these wafers. But it can cost about $5000 to make a wafer of gallium arsenide 8″ in diameter, versus $5 for a silicon wafer … The new Stanford process seeks to lessen this thousand-to-one cost differential by re-using that $5000 wafer.

via Stanford invention could lead to better, cheaper chips :: ElectronicsOnline.

A moment of levity – Corporate/Commercial Law – Australia

Posted on by Paul

Office rules issued by a Sydney Law firm in 1852. Fortunately for all concerned, legal workplace have become slightly more informal in the intervening 162 years.

Rules for the Clerical Staff

I like #7: “The calls of nature are permitted, and the Clerical Staff may use the garden below the second gate.”

via A moment of levity – Corporate/Commercial Law – Australia.

IEEE Symposium on Product Compliance Engineering (ISPCE) Registration Now Open

Posted on by Paul

Online registration for the 2015 IEEE Symposium on Product Compliance Engineering (ISPCE) is now open. We invite you to see the sites of Chicago, engage in the 3 full day technical program, and view the packed exhibit hall on May 18-20, 2015.

via ISPCE Registration Now Open.

It covers papers, presentations, workshops and tutorials on all aspects of product safety and compliance engineering. Link to main site: http://psessymposium.org/

•Product safety is more important to consumers than a well known brand

Posted on by Paul

•Product safety is more important to consumers than a well known brand.

•Consumers are willing to pay a 16% price premium for products whose safety has been independently verified by a credible, independent third-party as exceeding applicable government safety standards.

•Unsafe Products:  50% consumers had an experience with an unsafe product in past 5 yrs.

•Product Recalls: More than 2/3rds of consumer electronics companies (73%) had a recall in past 5yrs and 22% had more than 20 recalls.

•There is significant concern for the safety of consumer electronics, more so than food or toys.
•90% of consumers rate third-party testing as important or VERY important.
•84% of management believes product safety issues existing in the consumer electronics industry

see the article at

http://www.tuv-sud-america.com/us-en/services-by-activity/focus-topics/safety-gauge-s

Australia: IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SUPPLIERS OF CORDSETS

Posted on by Paul

(Public information, copied from an email circular from ERAC Secretariat)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SUPPLIERS OF CORDSETS

Recently several companies have recalled a C5 type Appliance connector part of a cordset (Australian plug, cord and appliance connector for connection to equipment) that was supplied with equipment. It is reported the fault identified may cause the appliance connector to overheat and cause a fire or burn hazard.

The appliance connector is marked LS-15 and LINE TEK and SAI TE4211EA.

Cordsets are level 1 equipment in the EESS. Responsible suppliers supplying cordsets, either separately or with their electrical equipment, are required to ensure the cordset parts (plug, cord, appliance connector) have current valid certification and are electrically safe.

If you supply cordsets, either separately or with your electrical equipment, you are requested to check if the cordset appliance connector has these markings, and if so then you need to confirm your appliance connector does not have the same fault and is electrically safe. NOTE: it is understood not all appliance connectors of this manufacturer or certification will have this fault.

ERAC secretariat.

PAULSPIECE COMMENT: the “cordsets” mentioned above are mains power cord set assemblies comprising a mains plug, flexible electrical cord and an appliance connector. Refer to the first image below (images borrowed from the recall notices). All three components individually are Level 3 articles, requiring individual electrical authority approval and EESS registration at Level 3. However the fully-assembled cord set itself is Level 1. There have been three safety-related recalls of the affected IEC 60320 type C5 appliance connector model LS-15 in Australia in recent months from different suppliers (refer to earlier separate posts in paulspiece.com).

Cord set with LS-15 connector
Cord set with LS-15 connector indicated on the bottom right
LS-15 appliance connector
View of the LS-15 appliance connector, on the end of the cord sets, which is subject to these recalls

 

All-electric cars may be worse for environment

Posted on by Paul

The key is where the source of the electricity all-electric cars. If it comes from coal, the electric cars produce 3.6 times more soot and smog deaths than gas, because of the pollution made in generating the electricity, according to the study that is published in PNAS. They also are significantly worse at heat-trapping carbon dioxide that worsens global warming, it found.

The study examines environmental costs for cars’ entire lifecycle, including where power comes from and the environmental effects of building batteries.

“Unfortunately, when a wire is connected to an electric vehicle at one end and a coal-fired power plant at the other end, the environmental consequences are worse than driving a normal gasoline-powered car,” said Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution for Science, who wasn’t part of the study but praised it.

…

But if the power supply comes from natural gas, the all-electric car produces half as many air pollution health problems as gas-powered cars do. And if the power comes from wind, water or wave energy, it produces about one-quarter of the air pollution deaths.

Hybrids and diesel engines are cleaner than gas, causing fewer air pollution deaths and spewing less heat-trapping gas.

But ethanol isn’t, with 80 percent more air pollution mortality, according to the study.

“If we’re using ethanol for environmental benefits, for air quality and climate change, we’re going down the wrong path,” Hill said.

via All-electric cars may be worse for environment.

Product Safety Recall: Lenovo (Australia & New Zealand) Pty Ltd—Linetek LS-15 Power Cord for Use With Laptop Devices

Posted on by Paul

Product description “LS-15” labeled AC Power cables.

The exposure is limited to a single part number (p/n 145000589) for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. A sticker attached to the cord with the name Linetek on it will show a revision date ‘REV-001005’. The female connector has the imprint ‘LS-15 Linetek’

What are the defects? In some instances the “LS-15” labelled connector’s electrical insulation may degrade over time with the potential to overheat and burn.

via Lenovo (Australia & New Zealand) Pty Ltd—Linetek LS-15 Power Cord for Use With Laptop Devices.

▶ Dangerous GU10 LED Spot Light is Cheap and Bright but could Kill You – Seriously – YouTube

Posted on by Paul

This GU10 LED spot light is cheap (£3 including postage) and bright. But it’s also lethal! There’s a 50% chance of putting live mains within a few microns of the metal casing (which is what you’ll be holding when you insert it) and there’s no earth to protect you. It’s like playing Russian Roulette with 240v AC mains. This sort of thing gives new technology a bad name. Avoid it if you want to stay alive.

via ▶ Dangerous GU10 LED Spot Light is Cheap and Bright but could Kill You – Seriously – YouTube.

UNSW’s solar cell achieves 40% efficiency :: ElectronicsOnline

Posted on by Paul

“This is the highest efficiency ever reported for sunlight conversion into electricity,” UNSW Scientia Professor and Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) Professor Martin Green said.

“We used commercial solar cells, but in a new way, so these efficiency improvements are readily accessible to the solar industry,” added Dr Mark Keevers, the UNSW solar scientist who managed the project.

“The new results are based on the use of focused sunlight and are particularly relevant to photovoltaic power towers being developed in Australia,” Professor Green said.

via UNSW’s solar cell achieves 40% efficiency :: ElectronicsOnline.

Mortality and Morbidity: Children’s Accidents and Injurie Australian Social Trends, 2005

Posted on by Paul

Boys are more likely than girls to experience and die as a result of an injury. While half of all children are boys (at 30 June 2001, 51% of 1-14 year olds were boys), nearly two-thirds of injury deaths for this age group between 1999 and 2003 were boys (62%). This difference between girls and boys in relation to injury and deaths exists regardless of the child’s age, and across all OECD countries.

via 4102.0 – Australian Social Trends, 2005.

 

Manufacturers not the only party responsible for safety of garage doors | Architecture And Design

Posted on by Paul

The Australian Garage Door Association AGDA is lobbying government … to enforce full mandatory compliance to Australian and New Zealand ANZ standards for all parties involved in this area of (garage doors) construction. “.. it is in fact the responsibility of the installers, builders and designers of buildings to ensure compliance in relation to garage doors, not just manufacturers,” said Fraser.

In addition to lobbying the government for non-compliance, the AGDA is calling for additional safety mechanisms in automated garage doors to be made mandatory. They also want to enforce secondary entrapment protection for automatically operated garage doors under ANZ regulations

via Manufacturers not the only party responsible for safety of garage doors | Architecture And Design.

▶ Testing recalled Infinity cables – outer insulation – YouTube

Posted on by Paul

Video shows how how the Infinity cables prematurely degrade when exposed to high temperatures. Test oven = Ten months at 90 degrees Celsius

via ▶ Testing recalled Infinity cables – outer insulation – YouTube.

Recall: Toshiba Australia Pty Ltd—AC Personal Computer Power Cords

Posted on by Paul

Product description “LS-15” labelled AC Power cord sold with PC computers between September 2010 and June 2012

Identifying features “LS-15” moulded marking on appliance connector together with Product code/serial number combination

What are the defects? In some instances the “LS-15” labelled connector’s electrical insulation may degrade over time with the potential to overheat and burn.

What are the hazards? AC Power cord may overheat and potentially cause a burn hazard.

via Toshiba Australia Pty Ltd—AC Personal Computer Power Cords.

Squirrel cuts off power to part of Silicon Valley

Posted on by Paul

A power outage that left part of Silicon Valley in the dark early Saturday was caused by a squirrel, an electric company spokesperson told The San Francisco Chronicle. Nearly 2,000 customers in Cupertino were without power for about two hours. Power was restored around 8:30 a.m., said the paper on its website.

via Squirrel cuts off power to part of Silicon Valley.