A Chinese-American businessman who was held in China for nearly five years after he became involved in a dispute with a competitor has been allowed to return to his Southern California home, his wife said Tuesday. Hong Li said her husband, Hu Zhicheng, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from China on Monday night. “We’re […]
Automotive/Transportation
Engineering is Crucial Element of Burgeoning Firearms Industry
Firearm sales have increased exponentially over the past few years, and forecasts are continuing to escalate, reflecting an increase in the popularity of hunting, a rise in the desire for personal protection, and a variety of other socio-economic factors. As manufacturers seek to meet demand while decreasing costs, reducing weight, and increasing durability, the spotlight […]
Engineer Among Veteran Storm Chasers Killed by Oklahoma Tornado
Three veteran storm chasers died doing what they loved: roaming the Great Plains in search of dangerous storms like the one in Oklahoma that ended their final pursuit. Tim Samaras, his son Paul and colleague Carl Young died Friday night when an EF3 tornado with winds up to 165 mph turned on them near El […]
New speaker system for cars creates separate ‘audio zones’ for front and rear
Ever wish that your car’s interior cabin could have separate audio zones for the front and rear seats? It soon may. A new approach achieves independent listening zones within a car by using small, modified speakers to produce directional sound fields and a signal processing strategy that optimizes the audio signals used to drive each […]
New Device Exhibits Strong EMC/ESD Behavior
Automotive specialist Melexis (Nashua, NH), has added the local interconnect network (LIN) bus to its portfolio of devices. The new MLX80030, which comes in a compact SOIC8 package, is 3rd member of the company’s next generation of system basis ICs that enable simple and effective development of LIN slaves. Features include: A 0.35µm HV-CMOS process […]
Tesla promises to add charging stations
DETROIT (AP) — Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. promises to boost the number of fast-charging stations in the U.S. and Canada to make cross-country travel by electric car possible in the next year. The company said Thursday that by the end of next month, it will triple the number of charging stations it runs […]
BP Supervisors Challenge Manslaughter Charges
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two BP rig supervisors charged in the deaths of 11 workers in the Deepwater Horizon disaster claim the manslaughter counts in their indictment must be dismissed because they don’t apply to conduct on a foreign-owned vessel operating outside U.S. territory. Court filings Thursday by Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine’s attorneys also […]
U.S. Funds to Preserve Space for Train Tunnels
NEW YORK (AP) — An accessway that would be necessary for any project to build new train tunnels connecting New Jersey with New York City’s Penn Station will be preserved thanks to $185 million in federal funding, officials announced Thursday. The money, from the Department of Transportation’s allotment of Superstorm Sandy relief funding, will go […]
Ultrasound Making Waves for Enhancing Biofuel Production
All chefs know that “you have to break some eggs to make an omelet,” and that includes engineers at Iowa State University who are using high-frequency sound waves to break down plant materials in order to cook up a better batch of biofuel. Research by David Grewell, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, and […]
GM Unveils Reworked Chevy Malibu
The Chevrolet Malibu, an also-ran in the midsize car segment, is getting a quick makeover as General Motors tries to address criticism of bland styling and so-so performance. The 2014 version of the car, which goes on sale this fall, gets a new engine in the base model that boosts gas mileage, more back-seat legroom, […]