Microwave Journal Blog: 5/31/09

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Exhibition Seminars and Talks

In addition to the conference sessions, workshops and tutorials, there are many short practical and application specific seminars and talks happening this year on the exhibition floor. The largest is the MicroApps which will have its own forum area at the front of the exhibition hall and will be presenting the technology behind commercial products and their capabilities. It is being run by Agilent and has a good number of test and measurement talks along with others being presented by participating companies.

M/A-COM Technology Solutions is running 10 minute Tech Talks in their booth (2214) covering various subjects such as PIN diodes and switches, Frac-N synthesizers, amplifiers and other design tips.

Peregrine (booth 1822) is also doing a daily series of seminars about their unique products and technologies that come out of their UltraCMOS RFIC process. Their antenna tuning technology using digitally tunable capacitors looks very interesting.

Join Sonnet Software’s experts at Booth #1002 for free 20 minute in-booth, hands-on classes to learn about Sonnet Suites Version 12, including Sonnet Lite and Sonnet’s seamless integration to AWR’s Microwave Office, Agilent’s ADS and Cadence Virtuoso. All participants will receive a free copy of Sonnet LitePlus (a $495 value).

I am sure there are more we have not heard about yet. Let us know if your company is doing any seminars or talks at the exhibition this year.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Getting Hyped Up for IMS 2009

As we get ready for IMS 2009 and plan our schedules, let's take a look at the best promos, contests or giveaways being advertised by exhibitors that you don't want to miss out on.

IMS 2009 is giving away a chance to win Red Sox/Yankees tickets if you use the promotional code from the insert in the April issue of the Microwave Journal for your exhibition registration. Reactel is giving away Red Sox/Yankees tickets each day in a drawing by stopping by their booth (1504). And Skyworks (1818) is also having a drawing for Red Sox/Yankee Club Seat tickets or alternatively you can select to receive an iPod.

Hittite (booth 1007) is giving away one of their new signal generators which is probably the highest value item being given away at nearly $8,000.

Mimix (booth 1114) is giving away a Kindle 2 wireless reading device in their World Traveler giveaway where you visit other participating companies. They put some good thought into this raffle.

Narda (booth 1537/1637) is doing a very interesting give away for a Sony laptop which will go to the one who can show a picture of the oldest Narda component still in use and all entries will receive a 4 GB flash drive in their Strongest Link contest.

If you attend one of M/A-COM Tech's in-booth seminars (booth 2214), you can be entered into a drawing for a Nintendo Wii which is a nice prize for a 10 minute session.

The exhibitors seem to be going all out for the show this year and have created some very interesting giveaways to attract you to their booth. Red Sox/Yankees tickets seem to be the hot item, but I also like the idea of the Kindle 2 being given away by Mimix. Let me know what you have come across or what your company is doing for giveaways.

In Search of Economic Indicators

There seems to be a direct (and perhaps obvious) connection between the length of my driving commute to work and the state of the economy. I have a pretty lengthy drive to the office, right along the famed Route 128 that surrounds greater Boston. This highway once known as America's Technology Highway can be more of a parking lot than a freeway. However, as the economy began its slide last November, the traffic became noticeably lighter. While I am grateful for the absence of traffic jams, there have been times that I felt uncomfortable knowing why there were so few cars on the road. The traffic never got to the level you would expect in an episode of the twilight zone, where the central character is alone in the world, but it did occasionally feel … eerie.

Well, I never thought I would say it, but I am a little relieved to see traffic starting to pick up again. The past few weeks have most certainly shown an uptick in cars on the road. I could only attribute this to some change in the economy as we have not entered the summer driving months yet. Couple this personal observation with what I hear in the news and I am started to believe we may have indeed turned a corner.

Now - if traffic is to return to former levels, I will attribute it to a recovered economy and be glad. Although, I will probably get cranky over the return of longer commutes. If it happens to you as well, might I recommend you download one of our pre-IMS podcasts to listen to in your car as you sit in your respective traffic jam. Happy commuting.

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