While Google Earth is a great way to see places and to reference landmarks if you are traveling to a new point B from point A.  Google Earth is also an educational tool.  Take a look at bodies of water with Google Earth and without knowing it, you could be studying wave mechanics!  Fabrizio Logiurato of Trent University in Italy shows through pictures how Google Earth’s images are just as interesting as the cities and roads.  Below are pictures of  interference, diffraction, and refraction all captured and displayed by Google Earth.

Image displaying interference. Retrieved from: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.0001v1.pdf

Image displaying wave diffraction through an opening at the port of Alexandria in Egypt. Image retrieved from http://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.0001v1.pdf

Wave Refraction as seen from a beach in Sardegna Italy. Image retrieved from http://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.0001v1.pdf

Cornell University Library has a pdf version of a paper written by Logiurato titled Teaching Waves with Google Earth.  Click here to check out the paper.  Now that you have gone abroad in a quick 10 minute tour have fun continuing to explore planet earth (and beyond) with Google Earth.  If you are interested in learning about the latest news regarding Google Earth check out the Google Earth Blog.  Looking for some tips and tricks in navigating Earth (or Mars!) via Google, check out assortedstuff.com and their article titled 19 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Using Google Earth and Google Maps.  Happy traveling, exploring, and learning!

The ball is constructed with an outer and inner shell, a power source, and a microcontroller.  The outer shell diameter is approximately the size of a softball and is protected by foam blocks.  There are 36 cell phone camera (2MP each) are located along the surface.  The inner shell is printed using a 3-D printer with a strong, flexible nylon material.  The power source is located at the center of the sphere because it is a rather heavy lithium-polymer battery.  The microcontroller determines when the cameras are triggered from an accelerometer.  The controller stores the images.  The current prototype has the capacity to store one mosaic of photos.

When a person tosses the Eye Ball towards the sky, an accelerometer inside the foam ball determines when the ball reaches its maximum height.  Once the ball reaches its maximum height, 36 cameras are triggered simultaneously, and creates a mosaic that can be downloaded and viewed on a computer as one spherical panoramic image.

The ball was created by researchers at the Technische Universität Berlin.  The lead researcher, Jonas Pfeil, hopes to license the camera-ball technology for commercial production.

A microcontroller uses data from an accelerometer to determine when to trigger the cameras. Then it stores the resulting mosaic of images. The prototype can store one mosaic, but it has a hardware slot for a memory card that could store additional panoramas.

• Eat Healthy Food
• Get a Better Education
• Get Fit
• Lose Weight
• Manage Stress
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Save Money
• Volunteer to Help Others

It’s now week three of the New Year.  How are you doing in maintaining or planning your resolution?  For many of us we simply run out of time or energy as the semester picks up in work load.  Add in there a senior project, full or part time work, and perhaps a dose of graduate or undergraduate research, the thought of staying with one or more goals for an entire year may seem mind boggling.

Whether you choose one of the popular resolutions above, have already implemented a different resolution, or set a goal for the year, here are some tips on obtaining your goal and resolving your resolution from ABC News 10 out of Sacramento, CA:

1. Make it Attainable - Often times, people are so revved up about changing for the better in the new year, their enthusiasm plays too large a role in the declaration of their resolution. Rather than one huge goal, try assigning yourself smaller, more manageable resolutions and enjoy the sense of accomplishment in achieving them throughout the year.  An example of this may be participating in a charity event.  A multi-day bike ride, walk, or run might be to advanced if you haven’t practiced for quiet some time.  However a one-day event is definitely in reach with some training time.  Last year, being an avid biker, my goal was to ride in a two-day, 150 mile charity ride.  With training and support from friends and family, I achieved my goal and supported a cause close to me.  

2. Don’t Make Too Many Goals - Wait, didn’t you just say to make a series of smaller goals rather than one big goal?  Yes, but within reason. Narrow it down to a quarterly plan, knocking off a couple goals every 4 months.  For example, eating more veggies over the next couple of months or buying less novelties and more necessities.  Both of these will also help you save money.  A big ol’ bag of carrots is cheaper than non-homemade cookies.  Or even set a bi-yearly target date for a few smaller resolutions.  For example, maybe your apartments is in need of some love and care.  Re-organizing a room can give your place a lift without spending money.  Heck, you might even find a few pennies or nickles.  

3. Write Down Your Resolution - Research has shown that people tend to follow through with actions when they write them down. Be specific, write down details and/or steps you’ll need to take to accomplish the goal. Having a written plan of attack is like charting a map towards resolution success.  Post that plan on your door or a place you will look at everyday.  Post encouraging quotes or images around it to keep you motivated about resolving your resolution.

4. Hold Yourself Accountable - In addition to your resolution, come up with a punishment for failure. Nothing too serious obviously.  Remember that charity event mentioned in the Make It Attainable section?  Well with a charity event comes the fundraising aspect.  Asking friends and family for financial support for the charity event is one way to make you accountable to sticking with your resolution or end goal.  

5. Use the Buddy System - Like working out, some people do better when they team up with a partner. A buddy keeps you accountable and a little bit of friendly competition will drive you towards achieving your goal before your partner.  The Buddy System is also a great way to keep each other motivated as well as stay in touch.  

6. Don’t Procrastinate - Strike while the iron’s hot and capitalize on that New Year’s buzz. Generally, those with resolutions come storming out of the gates but fade down the stretch. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as your resolution doesn’t keel over before the finish line, forcing you to mercifully put it out of its misery. Storm out of those gates. This way, if you hit a lull later, you’ve given yourself a bit of a cushion.  If you were thinking about resolving something this year, it’s not too late.  There is still time to plan out and write down your resolution and START!  Remember, a New Year resolution does not have to go for the entire year.  If it is more practicle for you to start in April or July, begin then.  

From Allison:

It is near that time of year again.  Regional conference is just around the corner!  Ahoy!, if you have already registered.  Don’t get sea sick if you haven’t jumped on deck yet, the deadline has been extended to January 16^th.  So register now, pack your bags, and Set Sail with SWE! Click here to register.

Here are just a few of the reasons why YOU should attend the Region H Conference:

Keynote Speaker – Cindy Farrier is the Vice President of Operations for Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies.  With over 25 years of a global experience in Plant Management, Industrial Engineering and Quality, Cindy will be speaking Saturday night during dinner.  Cindy graduated from Purdue University with Bachelors and Masters degrees in Industrial Engineering.  She has remained active with the Purdue section.

Continuing Education Unit (CEU Session) – A CEU session covering “Crucial Conversations: Core Management Skills to Help Get the Results You Want” will take place Friday, February 17^th, from 2 to 5 pm.  Learn how to better handle crucial conversations in industry with this training.  The session fee is $50, and upon completion you will earn 0.3 Continuing Education Units.  Attendance from both collegiate and professionals is highly encouraged!  Click here for more information on the CEU session.

Career Fair – 40 companies will be at the career fair and are eager to talk to you!  Here is a full list of the companies attending the career fair.

Networking – Regional conference is a great place to reconnect with old SWE friends, collegiate or professional.  You never know who you may sit next to in a session, you could be working with them in the future.  They may even be a hiring manager or employee of a company you are interested in.  Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself, exchange emails, and keep in touch.

Tours – There are four tour options available during the conference, which include Epic Systems, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, Babcock Hall Dairy Plant, and the Capitol Brewery.  For more detailed information on the tours, click here.

»   Epic Systems is a private and employee-owned company that makes software for mid-size and large medical groups, hospitals, and integrated healthcare organizations.

»   The Wisconsin Institute for Discovery is a UW-Madison research institute for biotechnology, nanotechnology, and information technologies.

»   The Babcock Hall Dairy Plant is a must for all attendees since you are in the Dairyland State.  The Plant is the oldest university dairy plant in the US and still churns out dairy products for the university and community.  This tour concludes with ice cream.

»   The Capital Brewery one of Madison’s largest breweries.  Capital Brewery produces up to 16 different beers and 22,000 barrels annually.  Over 21 and looking to try a brew from Wisconsin?  This tour is for you.

Entertainment - These events on Friday and Saturday evening are sure to put a smile on your face and help you relax on a weekend away from campus.

Friday Evening

Saturday Evening

• Hypnotist Paul Knight
• Raffle with a chance to win an Xbox 360 w/ Kinect and other great prizes from our sponsors

Madison Area Attractions – In case you have some free time before or after the conference, you can check out the area and acquaint yourself with unchartered seas of Madison.

-State Street – a 7 block long pedestrian mall that connects Wisconsin’s capitol to the University of Wisconsin – Madison. With over 200 shops, comedy clubs, museums, and over 60 bars and restaurants, State Street has something for everyone!  Attendees will receive coupons for special offers from local businesses.

-Memorial Union – One of two student unions at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  Food, drinks, live music, and other free events!

Additional attractions can be found here:

http://swe.slc.engr.wisc.edu/regionals/logistics/MadisonAttractions.html

http://www.visitmadison.com/

Additional Information about the conference can be found here: http://swe.slc.engr.wisc.edu/regionals

Still have question?  Here are some frequently asked questions about regional conference:

What is Conference?  Annual meeting of SWE members of Region H.  This year’s theme is “Set Sail with SWE”.

When is Conference?  February 17^th-19^th, 2012

Where is Conference?  Madison, Wisconsin hosted by University of Wisconsin – Madison.  All sessions will be held at the Concourse Hotel (no bussing around!).

Who attends Conference?  Collegiate and professional members all around Region H and the numerous corporate sponsors all will be in attendance.  Still looking for a summer internship or perhaps a full-time position?  The career fair at conference may hold an opportunity for you to Set Sail.

What is the cost?     Collegiate Day Pass – No Hotel                      $49.99

     Collegiate with Hotel                                          $49.99

*For Professional Member rates, please check out the registration page for pricing.

After time away from a technical position such as engineering or software development, how can a person break back into the field and get hired?  Today was the public launch of a new website of aggregated resources for tech career re-entry: http://sites.google.com/site/techcareerreentry/  Lori Flynn and Darlene Flores have created this website from their own recent career re-entry searches.

OLED is a new TV that combines the best of LCD and Plasma TVs; thin and more efficient.  3D TVs are also slowly making their way to consumers homes.  The use of less expensive glasses, like the ones handed out at the movie theatres, are being integrated into family TVs.

Remotes.  Whether you always loose it in the sofa or keep it well seen on the coffee table, remotes will be undergoing an overhaul.  With more options for  TV usage, remotes are tending to go towards a dual side offering standard features on one side and a full keyboard on the opposite side.  Voice activation and gestures (remotes that act like a Wii wand) are also beginning to hit the market.

For information on all of the latest products introduced at CES, check out this video feed powered by Yahoo! and Consumer Reports.  Caution, there are a lot of neat toys and electronics!  I found an electronic foam airplane toy, next step is a more advanced phone.  Enjoy checking out these trends.

CES 2012 Preview: Top Trends Video

The main material is calcium phosphate, which is termed as one of the main mineral compounds in the human body. Calcium phosphate is used to repair bones, improve circulation, and for tissue respiration.

The issue with bone repair and growth has been known for ages. Recently a solution has been found. With the help of 3-D printers, crafting a structure to an individual’s bone is possible. The 3-D printer is similar to the process of an inkjet printer. The 3-D “printer works by having an inkjet spray a plastic binder over a bed of powder in layers of 20 microns, about half the width of a human hair. Following a computer’s directions, it creates a channeled cylinder the size of a pencil eraser.”

It will be interesting to see where 3-D printing will be used next to make life easier. For the topic of bone growth and repair, surgions no longer have to reconstruct the bone by hand.

There’s another Technology Tuesday relating a variety of engineering fields with the medical industry. What industries do you think will utilize the use of 3-D printers? For more details on 3-D bone printing, you can read the full article online at Digital Journal. Op-Ed: Printing bones in 3D- New synthetic bone scaffolding concept.

Squishy circuits was a TED talk presented by Ann Marie Thomas.  After finding it difficult for her younger daughter to learn about electricity with perf boards and not quite old enough for a soldering iron, her and a student experimented with different playdough recipes one summer.

The results were electrifying!  By making two different doughs (a sugar mix and a salt mix) they had two different solids with different electrical properties.  The difference in resistance in doughs allows little hands (or big hands)  to explore circuits by pushing in LEDs and motors.

If you are looking for an outreach event to host, this may be one activity to explore and possibly present at your local elementary school.

Check out the full video from TED below.  For some more fun and creative ideas, check out the Squishy Circuits Webpage.  For December they had a gingerbread man circuit.  Happy play dough making and circuit designing!

Let us know how your circuits turn out by sending in pictures or comments on how it went.