Dear Chip and System-level Designers,
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Françoise von Trapp, and I am known in the semiconductor industry as “The Queen of 3D”. This is because I have held a deep interest in 3D integration technologies, and have devoted the past 7+ years to following the development of the processes involved from proof of concept through to manufacturability, and reporting on this progress here on 3D InCites. (If this is your first visit to the site, I encourage you to have a look around.)
It has come to my attention that while many of you are seeking new ways to deal with the increasing complexity of SoC designs, you may not have thought about 3D integration as a possible solution. Consider this: breaking up an SOC design into specific functions such as...
Technology
An Open Letter to EV Charger Manufacturers
Doubling EV Infrastructure – with a software upgrade and extra plug
As electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles are appealing to the mass market and becoming more pervasive, the EV charging infrastructure, after a brief surge in 2010-2013, has grown at a snail’s pace. Drivers are becoming frustrated with the lack of available chargers.
We have all passed by EV stations taken up by vehicles that have since been topped off, yet they remain, blocking others from using those electrons. On the other hand, when I park and plug in, I should not have to stop my work day, shopping or lunch and move the car the moment it is charged. EVs are about convenience; they should not be about playing musical chairs. EV manufactures and...
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As a relative late-comer to the Call of Duty franchise I must say I particularly enjoyed their earlier world war games and initial Black Ops games. In fact it even reached a point where I developed a group of purely online friends who I met whilst gaming and we would routinely meet up 'online', chat and play games together.
You hear a lot of people talking about gaming as a childish pursuit and it is usually followed with a quote along the lines of "get into the real world!" or "go outside and do something!". But more and more online gaming has become a new environment for social interaction and for people to make friends.
All you have to do is look to the money in the industry now and the rise of professional gamers! Now if you have a kid who is good at gaming then you genuinely...
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Dear Smart Phone Enthusiasts,
I have a 21 month year old daughter named Alexa. Everyone calls her Alex. We also call her Pie. And Pie Crust. And Alexster Pie Crust when feeling fancy. The other day I had my phone, of course a smart phone with all the internet apps, available in my hand and Alex looked at me and said, “Mommy, Phone!” She didn’t just point at it, but demanded that I hand it to her. Of course my curiosity ate at me so I handed her the phone. Lo and behold, this child swipes the screen, starts hitting the center button, and once a keyboard arrived, get out of town, this girl is off to the races! At first, as a first time parent, I didn’t know what to think, is my child a genius?! Thankfully I was blessed with a brain and realized, no, my child is not a genius,...
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Dear NASA, ESA, CNSA, Elon Musk / SpaceX, Boeing, Richard Branson / Virgin Galactic, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Steven Hawking, Brian Cox, Dara O Briain, Bill Nye (The Science Guy) and any others it may concern.
This is an open letter to your agencies and companies with regard to the monumental task of tackling manned space exploration at a reduced cost to a single party and another giant leap for mankind. As we all know it is more economically viable to spread costs between parties in order to lessen the financial burden upon one body.
Space has been an open frontier for many decades to mankind, one that is unimaginably vast. My fascination started with none other than Star Wars, I was born into an average family and grew up with said films. A fire they started was a romanticism with...
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Hi Mark,
I just read your Facebook post: “Is Connectivity a Human Right?” and I thought I’d share my perspective (and answer) with you.
First off, you’ve discovered that not every individual in this world has Internet access. Welcome.
I’m a doctoral candidate in sociology up the road from you at UC Berkeley. Yeah, that other Bay Area university. I study social media and social class. In academic-speak, I study how claims of digital democracy clash with structural inequalities. No, I’m not looking for a job at Facebook (even though I am going on the academic job market this fall). In fact, I would never be hired by Facebook, or most any other tech company for that matter, because part of my research involves critically analyzing the Silicon Valley ideology that seeps through your...
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Dear Technology,
We've been friends now for quite some time. I was hooked the first time I got onto our family's Tandy computer in 1988. (I would play Space Invaders and Frogger for hours at a time, enthralled at how those pixelly little characters moved.) I listened to vinyls on our record player, and I watched movies on the Betamax.
My world was rocked (literally) with the invention of the walkman (later upgraded to a sleek CD model), and for my 13th birthday I got my very own boombox. I was in music heaven, thanks to you.
You later blessed me with an iPod, DVD player and DVR, and oh, the bliss...the internet! You've revolutionized my world, affording me opportunities I never dreamed of - from banking and shopping online, to keeping in touch with friends via social media, to...
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Dear Technology,
I love you, but if we can’t set boundaries, I will need to break up with you on behalf of my two daughters. Neither of our daughters are allowed to date boys, yet they seem to be dating….well, you.
Yes, I’m talking to you, iPad and iPhone. I see the longing in my daughters’ eyes during dinner when you vibrate and light up from afar. And by “afar” I’m referring to a distance of about 10 feet while we attempt a family a discussion over chicken casserole. You and your needy bells and whistles. We need space!
I have caught you, iPhone, in bed under the covers with my 11-year old last week. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen. Yes, it was awkward for both of us, when I pulled you from the grips of her tiny palms, but it was after 10:00 pm. 6th graders need sleep,...
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Dear Science,
This is not an easy letter to write. You know I love you very much, and I've always been a huge fan of yours. But this is getting ridiculous, Science. It's 2013.
I want you to know that I am not writing this letter from the moon right now. I want you acutely aware of that fact, Science, just in case you weren't sure. I am not writing this from a robot-proof bunker deep beneath the Earth's crust, or from the captain's chair aboard my starship. This letter is being composed on my four-year-old laptop, aboard the U.S.S "my living room reclining chair."
I don't mean to pressure you, but we are way behind schedule here. Yes, I know you're working very hard, and sure, you've been doing some great things. But seriously? Where's my flying car? Where's my immortality pill,...
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