What's New @ IEEE in Circuits

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 3 MARCH 2002

CONTENTS:
1. Offshore R&D Looking Toward Revolution?
2. CICC Gives Chip Designers a Jump Start
3. IEEE Magazines Win Design and Content Awards
4. Browse 750,000 Articles Through IEEE Xplore
5. New SoC Testing Method Could Dodge Unforeseen Challenges
6. CMOS Technology Tutorial Available
7. Becoming a Professional
8. Solid-State and IC Conference Proceedings Covers Hot Topics
9. Digital Camera Contest Marks Celebration of 40-Year Partnership
10. VLSI Design Offers Solutions to Maximum Performance at Minimum Power
11. Military Training Virtually a Game: An IEEE Spectrum Special Feature
12. IEEE-USA Brief Discussed Prominently in U.S. Supreme Court

WHAT'S NEW SPECIAL - 15% OFF SELECT IEEE PRODUCTS LISTED IN THIS ISSUE!
Look for the What's New Specials and order instructions below.

1. OFFSHORE R&D LOOKING TOWARD REVOLUTION?
A new outsourcing model may change the way research and development is done in costly and difficult to navigate technology development environments. In a strong departure from traditional offshore development models, California outsourcing group Mirantis, Inc. hires permanently-assigned personnel and then takes on the management of infrastructure and facilities as well as dealing directly with local legal and governmental issues and suppliers. The company is operating in Russia and is looking to open offshore development centers in China and Eastern Europe in the near future. www.siliconstrategies.com/story/OEG20020206S0012

2. CICC GIVES CHIP DESIGNERS A JUMP START In today's fast-moving world, maintaining leading-edge technical skills is more important than ever. Exploring technical education and training is imperative to remaining competitive. Design engineers can find educational and networking opportunities fitting the current economic climate at the 2002 IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC). Scheduled for 12 to 15 May 2002 in Orlando, Florida, CICC is dedicated to IC development, showcasing original first-published technical work and innovative circuit techniques tackling practical problems. This year's program consists of three in-depth educational sessions, 21 advanced technical sessions, and three panel discussions, enhanced by a technical/commercial exhibit, exhibitor preview sessions, and networking opportunities. Register online at www.ieee-cicc.org

Don't miss the next conference you need for your career. IEEE sponsors more than 300 technical conferences and workshops each year, highlighting the latest technological advances. Find events through the IEEE Conference Search Web site at www.ieee.org/conferencesearch/

3. IEEE MAGAZINES WIN DESIGN AND CONTENT AWARDS
Three IEEE magazines took top honors in the annual Society for Technical Communications' (STC) NY Metro Chapter Technical Art and Technical Publication competition. IEEE Microwave Magazine took top honors as "Best in Show" in addition to earning the "Distinguished" award in magazine design. IEEE Computer Applications in Power Magazine earned the "Distinguished" award for Cover Design. IEEE Circuits & Devices Magazine received the award for "Excellence" in the Technical Publications category. "Distinguished" is the FTC's highest level award and "Excellence" is their second level award. Both "Distinguished" winners will advance to the STC International competition. To subscribe or read more about these three award-winners, visit: shop.ieee.org/store/Overviews/periodicals.asp

4. BROWSE 750,000 ARTICLES THROUGH IEEE XPLORE
More than three quarters of a million articles are now available through the IEEE Xplore™ online interface. IEEE Xplore provides full-text access to subscribers of IEEE transactions, journals, magazines and conference proceedings published since 1988 and all current IEEE Standards. Visitors without subscriptions may browse and access tables of contents. IEEE members may browse or search any IEEE abstract or citation record as well as all articles from IEEE Spectrum Magazine. An IEEE Web Account is needed. www.ieee.org/ieeexplore

Get the most value from IEEE by adding a journal subscription for 2002. This year, six new journals have been introduced, ranging from Nanotechnology to Mobile Computing. www.ieee.org/addnewservices

5. NEW SOC TESTING METHOD COULD DODGE UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES
Not only is testing the correct behavior of system-on-chip (SoC) devices difficult, but merely defining what that correct behavior is can be challenging. A newly developed methodology utilizing a script-based approach for testing SoC software on simulated hardware could help designers and developers avoid some of the classic pitfalls that historically have crept in to endanger projects at the very late stages. www.eedesign.com/features/exclusive/OEG20020205S0033

6. CMOS TECHNOLOGY TUTORIAL AVAILABLE
o many of the hand-held, battery-powered devices in common use today would not be possible without the use of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits. "CMOS: Circuit Design, Layout and Simulation" by R. Jacob Baker, Harry W. Li, and David E. Boyce offers a comprehensive tutorial of these circuits and a guide through implementation of a chip from definition to design and simulation to finished chip. This Wiley-IEEE Press title is available at: shop.ieee.org/store/product.asp?prodno=PC5689
***IEEE members receive a 15% discount on Wiley-IEEE Press titles***

View the complete list of Wiley-IEEE Press titles online at shop.ieee.org/store/HelpDesk/pwtitle.asp

7. BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL
If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, chances are it's a duck – but not necessarily. Engineers spend years in school preparing to enter the profession, but it takes more than just a degree to make engineers "professionals." Janet Rochester identifies the behaviors and attributes that distinguish the professionals from the rest of the crowd, in the February–March issue of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer: www.todaysengineer.org/careerfocus/feb02te/feb02features/PRO.html

8. SOLID-STATE AND IC CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS COVERS HOT TOPICS
Sponsored by the IEEE Electron Devices Society, the proceedings of the sixth annual International Conference on Solid-state and Integrated Circuit Technology covered some of the more important topics in the circuits field. IC integration and manufacturing, VLSI process technologies, optoelectronics and high frequency devices and micro-electro-mechanical systems are all covered in the proceedings of this conference held in Bejing, China. shop.ieee.org/store/product.asp?prodno=EX443
***What's New Special - Use Code WNI for 15% Off - order instructions below***

9. DIGITAL CAMERA CONTEST MARKS CELEBRATION OF 40-YEAR PARTNERSHIP
In celebration of their 40-year partnership, the IEEE and MARSH Affinity Group Services will be giving away a digital camera every month in 2002. Over the years, MARSH Affinity Group has provided IEEE members with competitive rates on life, disability, health, business and personal insurance products. Enter to win a digital camera through the IEEE Financial Advantage Program at www.ieee.org/fap

10. VLSI DESIGN OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE AT MINIMUM POWER
IC designers continue to search for new ways to maximize performance while minimizing power use. VLSI design that offers solutions to both of these challenges while looking toward speed in development has been an outlet for this design objective in the field. Wayne Wolf's "Modern VLSI Design" covers the latest advances in system-on-chip design while offering a guide to the end to end VLSI design process. Buy this title through IEEE Fatbrain, an IEEE members-only site offering discounts on the most popular technology titles from the leading publishers in the field. www.ieee.org/ieeefatbrain (IEEE Web Account required)

11. MILITARY TRAINING VIRTUALLY A GAME: AN IEEE SPECTRUM SPECIAL FEATURE
The U.S. Pentagon is taking a cue from the film and computer-game industries to reinvent the way it trains soldiers and leaders for battle. Thanks to sophisticated computer modeling and graphics, faster processors, and advances in artificial intelligence, simulation technology can now create a technology that stops just short of war. The armed forces are also adapting Microsoft and Sony game systems for distributed and networked war gaming. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army is backing a group of Hollywood special-effects experts and researchers at the Institute of Creative Technologies to work on the next generation of trainers: immersive virtual-reality environments. www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/mar02/mili.html

12. IEEE-USA BRIEF DISCUSSED PROMINENTLY IN U.S. SUPREME COURT
An IEEE-USA amicus curiae – or "Friend of the Court" – brief on patent rights received prominent attention in oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in January in the Festo Corporation v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Co., LTD patent case. In Festo, the Court is considering to what extent the holder of an amended patent is barred from asserting patent rights against another inventor whose design is substantially the same as the patented invention. IEEE-USA is asking the Court to consider a "foreseeable bar," where holders of an amended patent give up protection for only those things that were foreseeable by persons familiar with the associated technology. For more information, visit IEEE-USA's Festo resource page: www.ieeeusa.org/forum/POLICY/2001/01aug31festo.html

***WHAT'S NEW SPECIAL - 15% OFF SELECT IEEE PRODUCTS LISTED IN THIS ISSUE!***
As a thank you to our WHAT'S NEW @ IEEE subscribers, the IEEE is offering a 15% discount on your purchase of any of the specially noted books and conference proceedings listed in this newsletter. If ordering from the IEEE Online Catalog & Store shop.ieee.org, include the code WNI in the special instructions field at "final checkout." If ordering by phone, provide the code WNI to the customer service representative. Offer expires on 31 Dec. 2002.

Terms & Conditions: Discount applicable only to items noted in this newsletter and only to orders placed directly with the IEEE; orders placed through resellers and IEEE Fatbrain are not eligible for the What’s New 15% discount. Coupons cannot be combined with any other offer. What’s New 15% discount does not apply to IEEE Press and John Wiley & Sons Inc. partnership titles, however, IEEE members receive a 15% discount on Wiley-IEEE Press titles purchased at the Wiley Web site.

What's New @ IEEE in Circuits is a monthly, opt-in email update designed to provide you with the latest news regarding IEEE activities, industry trends, career development tips, and new IEEE product releases. We welcome your feedback on this service.

Managing Editor: John Platt j.platt@ieee.org
Editor: Lyle Smith, ieeefeedback@ieee.org

There are several other What's New @ IEEE newsletters to choose from. To subscribe to another newsletter enter your email address at whatsnew.ieee.org and click "Subscribe." To Unsubscribe to What's New @ IEEE, logon to whatsnew.ieee.org to select the appropriate newsletter, enter your email address and click "Unsubscribe." What's New @ IEEE is intended for the interest of IEEE members and customers and may be shared with other parties. The newsletter, in its entirety or in part, may be reproduced with proper credit given to its source, What's New @ IEEE. For more information, contact the Managing Editor.

Opt in to What's New @ IEEE