Blog Review: June 11

eSilicon’s Jack Harding says that EDA and semiconductors need to focus heavily on recruiting the next generation of brilliant engineers. This technology is cool, and even better it makes all the other cool technology work. It’s time to remind the rest of the world.

Cadence’s Brian Fuller distills a panel discussion at DAC on computer vision—the sensors that enable driverless cars, among other things—and the challenges ahead in terms of computational and creative intensity. So what can EDA do? Look beyond area and power.

Mentor’s Felix Baum provides an audience-prompted primer on security for the Internet of Things, answering audience questions about ARM’s TrustZone, smart card chips and the Trusted Execution Environment for embedded apps.

Synopsys’ Mick Posner has been busy shooting a video on a race track, but is it real or not? If it isn’t, the graphics are getting very realistic these days.

ARM’s Lori Kate Smith attends a 14nm breakfast at DAC to discuss the challenges and reality of the latest process technology. There’s a finFET cheat sheet to go along with it. You can almost smell the freshly brewed coffee.

Ansys’ Gilles Eggenspieler provides a list of unusual facts about combustion, including why the Concorde jet is no longer in service and the fuel efficiency of the space shuttle (not very good).

Why is Ted Turner so special? Applied Materials’ Siobhan Kenney has an answer.

Cadence’s Richard Goering captures CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s keynote presentation about systems of systems and the challenges facing design teams, including an explosion of IP blocks, development of software and integration of that software with hardware, as well as advanced packaging, and power, performance and functional safety.

Mentor’s Nazita Saye links airline comfort and the reduction of air rage with CFD. Anything that can improve air travel is a good thing.

Ansys’ Bill Vandermark points to the week’s top five engineering articles. Check out the one about suspended animation trials. What will your skills be worth in 20 years?

Who did the most walking at DAC? ARM’s Brad Nemire has named the official winner and some runners up. Did they walk to the conference?

Mentor’s Colin Walls provides a reading list for engineers interested in embedded software—books, sites and technical papers.

And in case you missed last week’s Security newsletter, here are some noteworthy blogs:

Technology Editor Ernest Worthman uncovers some new threats to health and safety.

Executive Editor Ann Steffora Mutschler points out that there can be power and performance implications to comprehensive security feature.

And NXP’s Brintha Koether looks at chipped pre-paid cards, which are expected to grow 30% each year through 2016.