Wayne Labs

Wayne Labs is a contributing editor with Electronic Design.

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Redefining The Workstation

By Wayne Labs, February 16, 2006

It's easy to picture the traditional workstation. Simply imagine a high-powered UNIX computer, somewhere between a PC and a minicomputer, that tackles power-hungry applications like computer-aided design/engineering (CAD/CAE), computer-aided manufacturing
The Shifting Design Cycle

By Wayne Labs, October 20, 2005

The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village," wrote Marshall McLuhan in 1962. In the late 1960s, this University of Toronto media professor predicted that electronic communications would radically change our li
Engineering Specialties

By Wayne Labs, October 20, 2005

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is known for its high-technology sector. Yet it has seen jobs move overseas, too. A University of Ottawa report, Ottawa Works 2?Profiling Ottawa's Work Force (2002), says the recent downturn in information and communication techno
Overwhelming Complexity

By Wayne Labs, October 20, 2005

What is it? Is it a cell phone? A message pad? A computer? A camera? It's all of the above. But who needs it? And why? Marketers tell us we need it. Kids seem to want it. Is this complexity elegantly packaged or complexity run amuck? Today's devices and
Are The Tools Better?

By Wayne Labs, October 20, 2005

Depending on whom you ask, you will get different opinions about the tools engineers need for their jobs. Some complain of too many tools with overlapping features. Others say the tools are never quite finished, are too complex, and above all, cost too mu
Do Your Homework When Outsourcing Design Services

By Wayne Labs, June 09, 2005

There was a time when you developed your product from scratch. You designed the packaging and circuits, developed the board using off-the-shelf components, and programmed it in-houseand you were still competitive. Today, whether you're
Latest Scopes Look To Satisfy Engineer Wish Lists

By Wayne Labs, February 17, 2005

Those 6- and 8-GHz digital storage oscilloscopes (DSOs) that were sufficient a year or two ago are now becoming overrun. Silicon and motherboard designers' scopes seemingly have lost the ability to handle the lightning-fast speeds of the latest and next
Now Is The Time To Strategize The Future Of Engineering

By Wayne Labs, September 13, 2004

Short product life cycles. Fast turnarounds. A constant barrage of new information. A race to stay on top of technology while getting new products out the door. To win the race, America must lure college students into engineering. Otherwise,...
Inside The Industry: Alternative Energy

By Wayne Labs, June 14, 2004

By 2010, competitively priced cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells should be available from General Motors. But much testing remains to prove the reliability and durability of fuel cells in automobile applications. GM has found an ideal test bed at Dow...
Tomorrow's Winners: Alternative Energy

By Wayne Labs, June 14, 2004

With adequate funding, alternative energy will power your laptop and car and lower your home energy bill in the next 10 years. The energy crisis of the 1970s is a fading memory for aging baby boomers who once looked forward to a future...