His name was Nipper. He was — and still is — known as the RCA dog. Not a talking dog nor a singing dog, his fame came from listening. Yes, he was a real dog!

While many intellectual property experts are receptive to the idea and purpose of copyright education, some of them fault the available initiatives for their style and content. How young is too young to understand the subtlety and nuance of copyrights?

Electrical engineers, computer scientists and other technology professionals need years of education to qualify for jobs in their fields. And yet, even with all of this training, many of these same people working in high-tech fields find themselves held back in the workplace because they lack business-critical interpersonal, writing and presentation skills.

From rechargeable batteries to window coatings to high-capacity electrical wires, nanotechnology is increasingly being employed to make a wide array of products more energy efficient.

A Perfect Storm described the confluence of three storm systems in the north Atlantic. In demographics and retirement security, we have another perfect storm, with the third element being greater longevity in retirement.

Today’s Engineer sits down for a Q&A with Richard Schwarz, P.E., chair of IEEE-USA's Licensure & Registration Committee, to talk about recent changes to the requirements for becoming a licensed engineer.

We don’t all retire the same. We each have our own interests, needs and aspirations. Some of us make an easy transition to retirement, while others find retirement unaffordable, unexciting, unfulfilling, and maybe even lonely. By planning early in and continuously throughout your life and career, you may be able to enjoy a comfortable and fulfilling retirement.

The 2008 IEEE-USA Annual Meeting served as proof of engineers’ commitment to the environment. Held in April, the meeting included sustainability-focused presentations on green businesses, green engineering, green IEEE Sections, as well as numerous presentations on innovation, grassroots and activities designed to promote action at the ground-level.

Smart grid initiatives are almost entirely industry-driven. People based in academia will be hard-pressed to find an institution from which they can learn all there is to learn about smart grid in one single helping.

Traveling overseas for work or on a family vacation can be the opportunity of a lifetime, but there can also be health and safety risks. Knowing how to stay healthy and safe, including getting the proper vaccinations and taking precautions, could make the difference between a good trip and a miserable one.

Backscatter author Donald Christiansen has compiled some of his earliest, thought- provoking columns in a new IEEE-USA e-book, , The Best of Backscatter from Today’s Engineer – Volume1. Here's a brief review.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during Jun and July 2008.