Welcome to the Community Insights blog!

This blog features posts from and about the EngX community. Want to contribute? Read our blogging guide to help you get started.

  • Rare Books Blog: Martin Del Rio’s Magical Investigations

    The latest Archives blog, from Daniel Simkin, IET Research Librarian.   The image above shows the engraved title page of Martin Del Rio’s Disquisitionum Magicarum or Magical Investigations, published in Latin in 1603. It examines the practice of demonic magic and gives advice on how to identify and punish witches, as well as others who Del Rio regarded as heretics. Magical Investigations first appeared in 1599 and as an important work on demonology has been reprinted many times. The IET Archives holds two copies of Del Rio’s work, one in folio size from 1603 and another later edition in quarto size from 1679. Although there are some differences between the editions in the engraved title pages, both show scenes of the Ten Plagues of Egypt from the book of Exodus. Moses is pictured performing…

    Anne Locker
    Anne Locker

  • The IET's Americas Communities Volunteer Conference 2019, Houston, Texas, November 9 - 10

    On the weekend of November 9 - 10, the IET's Americas Communities Volunteer Conference 2019 was held at the Aloft Hotel Downtown in Houston, Texas, USA.Around thirty volunteers from across the Americas region converged in Houston in early November for networking, sharing best practices and ideas, learning about updated strategies and activities from the IET, the Communities Resourcing Committee ( CRC ), the Communities Committee - Americas ( CC-A ), the Communities Committee - Technical Networks ( CC-TN ), the Young Professionals Communities Committee ( YPCC ), and getting some hands-on experience with the DIY Faraday Challenge Day ( DIY-FCD ) and micro:bit STEM education activities that can be leverage by IET volunteers in the Americas. After a fun "ice breaker!" led by two of our YP's, we…

    David
    David

  • New Code of Practice for Building Automation and Control Systems

    Enhance your skills and expertise with this new Code of Practice for Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS).  This new Code of Practice provides comprehensive advice on specifying and implementing building automation and control systems (BACS). A useful on-site document that can be applied to projects from concept to commissioning and beyond to energy optimisation The Code of Practice for Building Automation and control Systems will help you to:  communicate with your client about levels of energy efficiency BACS may achieve and how to improve that performance evaluate the design of a building automation and control system, from concept to commissioning and beyond, against industry standards; and  understand the skillsets required and the levels of engagement needed from key stakeholders…

  • The Kinora: Pioneer Of Edwardian Home Movies

    Patented in France in 1896 and invented by cinematography pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière, the Kinora was a smaller and portable version of the mutoscope, known in the United Kingdom as ‘What-the-butler-saw machines’. Unlike the mutoscope, the Kinora would not be associated with amusement arcades, beach piers, and a means to view early erotica, rather it pioneered home movies... How does the Kinora work? Like a flip book, a sequence of monochrome photographic prints was attached to strong but flexible cards and fixed in a circular reel. The user would revolve the reel using a manual handle, where the images would flip against a static pin and produce the moving image. The user would view the moving images via an eye piece. Customers could purchase or rent commercial films, commission a motion…

  • Women in Business conference at SWGS

    The SWGS careers conference took place on Wednesday 20 th November with speakers from a range of backgrounds (Lawyer, BA pilot, Scientist, Engineer, Architect).  Aimed at Year 12s and certain students from Years 11 and 13, the students were split down into groups of around 15 and attended talks which were most relevant to their career plans. 2 committee members ran 3 sessions talking about their careers in engineering, their career paths, the field of work and a bit about the IET too. A successful event hoping to inspire the next generation of engineers!

    Anna Gilbert
    Anna Gilbert

  • IoT In Healthcare Comes To Liverpool!

    This exciting new event came to Sensor City in Liverpool on 20 November This half day seminar looked at the challenges, applications and opportunities for the Internet of Things in the world of healthcare Delegates heard from a number of speakers on some fascinating topics: Alex Casson, University of Manchester talking the current trends in IoT in Healthcare.  Discussing the security implications of using IoT in this highly sensitive sector was Dr Aine Mac Dermott from Liverpool John Moores University  Rob Armstrong, Eurofins York gave his presentation on regulatory compliance and  Michael Walker, AIMES Grid Services CIC Ltd talked about data and health intervention From the nearby University of Liverpool, Dr Benjamin Salem Bernard discussed systems for the healthy ageing whilst  Rosemary Kay…

    Former Staff Member
    Former Staff Member

  • Explore The IET's Archive!

    This week marks the launch of 'Explore your Archive', a national campaign aimed at showcasing archives from across the UK and Ireland in order to excite, bring communities together and to tell amazing stories. The IET Archives collect and retain material relating to the IET and its predecessor institutions as well as the history of engineering and technology. Our collections cover innovation and developments in these areas from the fourteenth century to the present day. In our collections we hold:  The Archives of the IET These are the official records and working papers concerning the activities of the IET since its foundation as the Society of Telegraph Engineers in 1871. We preserve the records of the IET’s 130-year history, including material from the Institution of Electrical Engineers…

    EngX Editorial
    EngX Editorial

  • Brunei leads APEC economics in female graduates of STEM disciplines

    Brunei leads the pack in Asia-Pacific for its high share of women graduates in science, technology, engineering and math. Almost half of the graduates are female, compared with just 32 percent in the U.S, according to a report published by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation this week. The country of 417,200 people had fewer men than women among tertiary students as of 2015, with the ratio at 67 per 100 female students, Reference: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.

    Siong Tang
    Siong Tang

  • Ottawa Local Network Annual Dinner

    The Local Network were pleased to welcome Eli Fathi, CEO of Mindbridge Ai as our after-dinner speakerThe 2019 Ottawa Network Annual Dinner was held on 20th November at the Britannia Yacht Club, in Ottawa.  The dinner was well attended, and guests from both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University were welcomed with OnCampus and PATW events discussed.  We were privileged to welcome Eli Fathi, CEO of Mindbridge Ai as our after-dinner speaker with a talk titled 'Embracing Change : The impact of AI on business, society and you' .  Mr Fathi engaged the audience with discussion on future implementation of AI in our society, touching on privacy concerns, corporate and government ethics and whether it would lead to 'Utopia or Dystopia?'. Thanks go to the committee members involved in organising…

    Graeme Allan
    Graeme Allan

  • 'Overcoming Barriers To SME Scale-up' - IET Event (Maidstone).

    An evening event that discussed the many different elements of growing a business, from Finance, Business Infrastructure, Leadership and people-skilling that all plays a role to help scale your SME business. "Values bring your company vision to life" explained Simon Teague of New Level Results at the 'Overcoming barriers to SME scale-up' IET Event held in Maidstone. In very practical terms, he explained how you can set a vision and take the steps towards achieving more for your business and yourself. This was an evening that explored the practicalities on the methods used by the SME leaders to grow their business. For example, Malcolm Clarke of Baxall Construction, gave an overview of how having multiple leaders in a business is a good strategy, it's ok to have more than one leader, it also…

    Rimesh Patel
    Rimesh Patel

  • RadioTechCon Masterclass

    This is a guest post from radio enthusiast Martyn Storey, who attended RadioTechCon's Masterclass in 2019.   I've had an interest in radio and broadcasting for almost as long as I can remember, as well as a love of audio manipulation, technology and anything to do with playing with sound. I currently broadcast irregularly on Nova Radio North East, 102.5 FM in the Newcastle and Gateshead area and online at www.novaradio.co.uk   Earlier this year I had the opportunity to attend RadioTechCon's Masterclass 2019 event at the IET in Savoy place, London, and I wanted to share some of my experiences at this event, to illustrate how useful it was to anyone with an interest in audio technology, broadcasting and radio in general, especially those with a view to getting into the industry and making a career…

    PhilH
    PhilH

  • Report From Asia Pacific Communities Volunteer Conference (AP CVC)

    Jeremy Lai represented Queensland at the biennial Asia Pacific Communities Volunteer Conference, held this time in Brunei. He will add his report below.

    Craig Johnston
    Craig Johnston

  • Site Visit For Honda Of Canada Manufacturing In Alliston, Ontario

    Are you interested in a one hour tour to see the Honda manufacturing plant at 4700 Industrial Parkway, Alliston, ON? It contains a fast-paced, 35 minute walking portion and includes steep sets of stairs. We can organize a bus to commute together from Toronto if there is sufficient demand. Please email  iet.toronto2013@gmail.com  to indicate your interest by 30 November if you want to participate.

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • IET TT LN - 2019-2022 LOCAL NETWORK EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

    The IET Trinidad and Tobago Local elections was held on Saturday Nov 16 at WASA Sports Facility, St. Joseph. Arising from this event, the new IET Local Network Executive Committee  2019-2022 is as follows: Chairman -  Mr. Ahmad Mohammed Vice Chairman - Dr. Tagore Ramlal Secretary - Ms. Jennifer Maraj Treasurer - Mr. Anthony Chadee PATW Coordinator - Mrs. Allison Mason-Boodoo On Campus/YPS Lead - Mr. Pradesh Boodoosingh  Executive Member  -  Mr. Rajesh Ramnath Past Chairman - Mr. David Drakes Executive Member - Mr. Kevin Preudhomme We look forward to positive and innovative results from these individuals.

    J. Maraj
    J. Maraj

  • Blockchain Applications In The Real World (IET Central London Network)

    "Blockchain is a database that helps you to understand how to get better value from applications" explained Adi Ben-Ari, Founder & CEO of Applied Blockchain at the IET Central London Network event held at the IET Savoy Place.He spoke about how the advantages and disadvantages of Blockchain applications are creating innovations where the basic mechanism of Blockchain itself is evolving because of the way we now consume technology has changed. The ability for Blockchain to solution most systems that is transaction based makes Blockchain mechanics an effort worth investing time in. Consumers are now tech savvy, they want seamless integrations, and Blockchain as the evening explored, is a good enabler to progress consumer technology, simply because, it complements business processes by reducing…

  • APC 19 - Event Highlights

    Birmingham was all decked out for Christmas, but we were all about antennas and propagation in the Thinktank Science Museum for the inaugural APC! We were pleased to be joined by researchers and industry professionals around the UK and the world, who got to hear from speakers such as Sir Christopher Snowdon, Dr Kevin Boyle and Professor Mike Warrington. As well as the oral speakers, there were poster sessions throughout both days, affording delegates the chance to find out more in depth information about research We were very busy at the stand, with lots of people wanting to find out about our latest events, journals and books! The Antennas and Propagation TPN were proud to announce Paul Cannon as the 2019 winner of the IET James R James Lifetime Achievement A ward. Anil Shukla and Rebecca…

    Former Staff Member
    Former Staff Member

  • IET Blockchain Applications In The Real World (IET Central London Network)

    "Zero knowledge proof is reshaping Blockchain" discussed Adi Ben-Ari of Applied Blockchain at the IET Central London evening lecture held at IET Savoy Place titled ‘IET Blockchain Applications in the real world’. Adi gave examples of many different Blockchain applications in the real world and how they differ in using the same Blockchain technology mechanisms. Some take advantage by entering values within the empty spaces and use it to store and communicate information, whilst others take advantage of other characteristics of Blockchain such as immutable properties, distributed database and asset management. He spent some time explaining how Blockchain reduces risk and increases efficiencies, and specifically explaining that in terms of ‘Process-integration’, Blockchain typically is only seen…

    Rimesh Patel
    Rimesh Patel

  • North America Communities Volunteer Conference

    It took place on 9-10 November, 2019 in Houston, Texas in USA. Great networking opportunity at the conference!Highlights of the event: *  The conference started with an ice-breaker where participants introduced themselves. *  An overview of strategy of Communities Resourcing Committee (CRC) was delivered by YP CRC, followed by regional three-year strategy presented by CC-A Chair. Participants were then divided into groups for LN SWOT analysis for best practice sharing. *  YPs from various regions shared their experience about On-Campus event and PATW as a strategy to engage YP. *  Information on path to FIET and the role of IPRA was mentioned.   *  IET Connect has been rebranded as Foothold. *  Each participant worked with a micro:bit-kit as train the trainer. Lots of resources to go through…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Watch Our #SantaLovesSTEM Festive Story - Featuring A Special Guest Narrator

    We all know how busy Santa is on Christmas Eve, but what does he get up to the next day once he’s delivered gifts to children around the world? Watch Steve Backshall (BBC TV’s Deadly 60 and Expedition with Steve Backshall ) tell the story of how science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) saved the day for Santa and his family.   You can keep an eye on #SantaLovesSTEM on our social media channels @theiet or @IETeducation   Help spread the Christmas cheer and share the video with your children, your school, and on your social media channels! Don't forget to use #SantaLovesSTEM And finally – why not visit our web page theiet.org/santa-loves-stem for lots of fun-filled activities for you and the children to do. Our Santa Loves STEM e-Christmas card We’ve created an e-Christmas card for you…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • New Books In The Library November 2019

    The following books have been added to the Library this month. Please email the Library Desk (libdesk@theiet.org) to borrow or for more information. A selection of new accessions to the IET Library in November: Henrietta Heald, Magnificent women and their revolutionary machines (Unbound, 2019) David D Clark, Designing an Internet (MIT, 2018) Nobert Wiener, A life in cybernetics (MIT, 2017) Sharon Ann Holgate, Outside the research lab: physics in vintage and modern transport (IOP, 2018) Kat Jungnickel, Bikes and bloomers: Victorian women inventors and their extraordinary cycle wear (Goldsmiths, 2018) C J Dakin, Memories of a 20th century electronic engineer (2019)

    IET Library
    IET Library

  • Platforms Reformed: The Rise Of Content Engines

    There was a time when platforms were only for politicians and drag queens. Now, every self-respecting media company has one – but are they about to become obsolete? Anything between viewers and content can be called a platform: PayTV operators, obviously, but also device manufacturers, operating systems, content management services, VoD aggregators, free-to-air channels ... the list goes on. However, as content providers launch their own consumer services over the Internet and nobody else is between content and viewers - is the concept of platform itself outdated? What do platforms do, anyway? At first platforms were needed to enable delivery: towers, cables, the set-top-box (STB): clear physical manifestations of a gatekeeper. From there, the gatekeeping became ever more ethereal: the EPG;…

    David Short
    David Short

  • How to build an autonomous car

    Adrian Bedford is a 'hands on' guy. After starting a company (Street Drone) to 'robotise' a car, he went on to add a motorised steering column, acceleration and brakes to a Renault Twizzy. This was taken up by Google scholars and demonstrated an AI Deep Learning approach to program a computer to drive. Adrian enlightened us on how GPS works and improving the accuracy, using Arduinos and the Ardupilot system, Robot Operating System (ROS), and putting it all together. He encouraged young people to be involved with a start-up, and is now in a start-up himself working with Parkopedia to 3D scan carparks.

    Samuel Wane
    Samuel Wane

  • Ulster Carpets Tour

    "Although this sound may be as old as mechanised weaving, this should not lead to the misconceived image of the 1900s, this is a company which has and is innovating in all aspects."On the evening of 6th November the IETNI Local Network made a visit to the Castleisland Factory of Ulster Carpets in Portadown. It is not difficult to see how this company wins some of the world’s most discerning customers, as arriving in the heritage centre the visitors were most warmly and personally welcomed. Snacking on hot beverages and sandwiches provided, the group were surrounded by the tools of yesteryear while the recognisable muted sound of looms harmonised from next door. Although this sound may be as old as mechanised weaving, this should not lead to the misconceived image of the 1900s, this is a company…

    Eoin McGread
    Eoin McGread

  • Arnold Barks Christmas Lecture - Salisbury

    Behind the Wheel with the Stig - From F1 to Top Gear with Perry Mccarthy the original Stig from Top Gear will be presenting this years Arnold Barks Christmas Lecture in Salisbury on 11 December full details can be found  https://events.theiet.org/arnold-barks-memorial-christmas-lecture-2019/       NOTE:- New venue at Salisbury Guildhall.

    John Savage
    John Savage

Community Rules & Guidelines