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.

  • Join The Radar, Sonar and Navigation Executive Team

    Join the Radar, Sonar and Navigation TPN Executive Team Are you working or studying in Radar, Sonar and/or Navigation? Are you passionate about supporting the community? Do you have 3-4 days per year that you can volunteer to attend committee meetings and organise activities? We’d love to hear from you! The  IET RS&N Network  is seeking professional engineers working in this field to join our Executive Team. We’re trying to make the Executive Committee representative of as wide a cross-section of the community as we can, so whatever your role in the industry, we’d love to hear from you. What is the role of the Network?  The role of the Network is to provide a platform that enables the exchange of knowledge and information amongst the community through a variety of networking opportunities.…

  • The Universe And Beyond With Tim Peake ( The Royal Television Society ).

    Focusing on the theme of field based technologies; I took opportunity to attend a discussion on the future challenges of space exploration by The Royal Television Society, IET and Akamai who together hosted the discussion with Tim Peak. The discussion was led by Tim Davie from the BBC.  Tim Peake gave a fascinating account of his time in space. Delivering the cosmic classroom was just one memorable achievement for him, he talked about life in the space station, exercising regime and what might be in store for the future of space travel. This was a thrilling event and a great opportunity to hear him talk about his journey into space. He discussed how the current space stations may be well suited for commercial adaptation and by 2025 commercial travel will be one step closer. When asked, Tim…

  • IET Singapore Network - Columbus Evening

    Columbus Evening, an evening of exploration, and finding new insight was held on 22 Sep 17 to mark the end of 16/17 session and at the same time to celebrate a new beginning from 1 Oct. this evening was a special one as we have our Singapore Network Incoming Chair Mr Jolyon Caplin leading the session to set the direction and the charter for the way ahead. The attendees were a mix of new, old and ex members. On top of the usual core team members, we have Alan Li , our PATW Singapore winner and also our newly appointed Young Professional - Scientific Outreach. We are also honored to have Mike Henry our past YPS chair who just recently came back to Singapore from an overseas stint in Vietnam.  It's was quite a discovery journey where we rediscovered our peers through a round of introduction where…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • New Event! Active And Passive 2018

    We have a new RF and Microwave TPN event confirmed – Active and Passive 2018 Following on from the successful event held in May 2017, this event will represent a taste of the latest breakthroughs and developments in the area of RF and Microwave technology. This is a call for contributions event so if you or anyone you know of are working on research in these areas, please submit! More detail can be found on event page here   The speakers we already have confirmed for the day are:   Wenlong He, University of Strathclyde Jaspal Bharj, ECSAT   Registration is OPEN , so make sure to book your place!     Details: Date: 30 th April 2018 Location: Savoy Place, London, UK

    Former Staff Member
    Former Staff Member

  • Ottawa LN Smart Locks Presentation

    Further notes on this presentation By 2013, physical security technology  manufacturers brought direct IP connectivity to many edge devices.  Ethernet connectivity is ubiquitous, cost effective and has a broad uptake.  Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the replacement of analog camera systems with digital alternatives over the past decade.   Mr. Lagimodiere has adapted this model to detention grade locks and proposed the idea of eliminating PLC’s by embedding the control electronics into the locks themselves thereby creating a “smart lock”. Mr. Lagimodiere approached the world’s largest producer of detention grade locks - Southern Folger based in San Antonio, Texas with the concept. And so began a 4 year R&D effort to produce the world’s most resilient PoE detention grade smart lock

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • The IET Yorkshire & Humber Region Presige Lecture - Stepping into the screen using virtual reality

    This years Yorkshire and Humber region prestige lecture will take a look at the exciting new world of virtual reality. Annabeth Robinson, Senior Lecturer on MA Creative Practice Leeds Arts University will be giving this years lecture at The Rose Bowl at 7pm on 8th November. Refreshments available from 6:15pm Since the launch of the Occulus Rift virtual reality headset in 2014, there has been a reinvirgoration of interest in virtual reality. Leading the way is the world of video games, film making and social media, pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling and creative workflows. Virtual reality games like Minecraft and VR Apps such as Tilt Brush and Google Blocks are giving new opportunities to develop creativity and making skills. Is this the Meccano of the future? This event a free…

    Oliver Clarke
    Oliver Clarke

  • Feed back on BBC Micro:bit project

    It looks as if we have some very keen and enthused teachers for this project.  Feedback thus far has been excellent, and attached is a better photograph and a letter from Steven Evraire which mentions a number of essential metrics for the project.

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Humans Of The IET YP - Ian Manton

    It turns out I was well received as Digital Marketing Officer so I'm still here. There were a few other mixups in the WA IET YP Committee with only Israa remaining of the old guard as Chairperson. I would like to get a head start on the new committee and introduce our new Secretary: Ian Manton . Ian is an alumnus of the 2017 Leadership Programme where he was part of the CanStruction project , MC'd PATW , and featured loudly in the IET x Robogals Quiz Night. He was Merchandise Officer in the 2017 Committee, and, in addition to his secretary role, is Social Events and Welfare Coordinator in the 2018 Committee Ian is a mechatronics student who joined the IET following a few friends from uni and hearing good things from them. He also heckled the host of the 2016 PATW with bad puns. Let's get to…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • New Event Alert - Novel RF Materials And Manufacturing Techniques For Antennas

    We have a new TPN event confirmed – Novel RF Materials and Manufacturing Techniques for Antennas This is a brand new two day event held in Birmingham. During the two days you will hear from research into the design of novel materials, such as metamaterials, with an emphasis on fabrication limitations and on the development of novel manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing.   Some of the speakers we have confirmed for the day are:   Prof Shuang Zhang, University of Birmingham Prof Yiannis Vardaxoglou, Loughborough University Dr. Patrick Bradley, Dublin City University   Registration is now OPEN ! Spcaes are limited so make sure to get your tickets quickly     Date: 7-8 th February 2018 Location: Austin Court, Birmingham, UK

    Former Staff Member
    Former Staff Member

  • ‘Nanotechnology For The IT Industry’, Binnig + Rohrer Nanotechnology Center BRNC / IBM Research Labs, Ruschlikon, ZH (Switzerland)

    ...Come along to this wonderful event about Nanotechnology for the IT Industry, on Monday 13th November, 2017...   Agenda : 16:00 Presentation of nanotechnology for the IT industry ( Dr. Roland Germann).  - The presentation 'Nanotechnology for the IT industry' will review how much nanotechnology is already used today in Si CMOS chips and how far this technology can lead us. An outlook will be given for alternative computing systems, namely Quantum Computers and Neuromorphic Systems.   16:30  Tour of the Binnig Rohrer Nanotechnology Center BRNC – ( Dr. Roland Germann ).  During the lab tour we will have a look at the  Binnig Rohrer Nanotechnology Center (BRNC) , our state-of-the-art technology infrastructure to perform leading edge research for the IT industry, partly in collaboration with our…

  • Ottawa LN Supports BBC Micro:bit In Schools

    As we approached the end of last year we realised we had some funds remaining in our LN educational support budgets.  With gracious permission from HQ we blended the budget items together and contacted three local teachers to provide a modest set of BBC micro:bits to each school. This week we provided an introduction and training to three teachers who were running STEM teaching programs: Immaculata High School, Main Street, Ottawa  Programming, engineering, robotics Garneau High School, Rue Carriere, Orleans  Programming and engineering Mother Teresa School, Longfields drive, Barrhaven  Technology and programming We also linked with Steve Evraire, STEM Manager, Employer Connections program , Ottawa Network for Education Here is what we did, and the initial comments: We examined the sensor suite…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Smart Locks Ottawa LN Meeting.

    Grant Lagimodiere, P.Eng. President of Intrepid provided an inciteful description of the development of IP addressable locks for detention centres. Although m any physical security technology  manufacturers had pushed IP to the edge  with their Ethernet ready devices by 2013, door locks were not one of them.  Benefits include r educed life-cycle costs.  . In 2013, Mr. Lagimodiere charted a course  to eliminate PLC’s by embedding the  control electronics into the locks  themselves thereby creating a “smart  lock”. Mr. Lagimodiere approached the  world’s largest producer of detention  grade locks - Southern Folger based in  San Antonio, Texas with the concept. And  so began a 4 year R&D effort to produce  the world’s most resilient PoE detention grade smart lock.  The R&D method was a blend betweent…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Yes! I Made It!

    Hi, this is not my first time attending Asia Pacific Communities Volunteer Conference (AP CVC). I had attended a few CVCs since 2012. However, AP CVC 2017 is the most special and memorable to me. Because I had been asked to do a presentation :) Yup, I was asked to do a presentation on the topic of "Organizing a successful On Campus". Although this is a hard topic for me but I decided to challenge myself to take up this invitation. Yes! Finally, I made it! My presentation was video recorded. Click the following weblink to view my presentation:  https://communities.theiet.org/communities/videos/224/1982 . I hope my sharing is insightful and helpful to all IET volunteers on getting further knowledge on running a "successful" On Campus. A copy of my presentation slides is also attached with this…

    Matthew Teow
    Matthew Teow

  • Everybody is exposed to cyber threats....

    An audience of 45 people welcomed Dr Christopher Richardson, Head of Cyber Security Unit at Bournemouth Uni. Chris gave a thought provoking rather than technical lecture on our world today and the future. With the alarming security risks posed by threats today, how do we analyze the changes in the world and identify threats? Take the Wi-Fi security flaw KRACK which puts all wireless devices at risk ~ 20 billion devices could be hacked overnight (not just computers but mobile phones which also use wireless) Are people becomming more disconnected in this world of hyperconnectivity? The singularity (technology improving itself to surpass human intelligence) has the ability to help and harm human civilization so it is with good reason the national security strategy ranks cyber security as a tier…

    Anna Gilbert
    Anna Gilbert

  • IET NSW Annual Dinner 2017

    The Annual Dinner 2017 was a very successful event with 105 attendees from various backgrounds:  universities students, academic, industries with companies such as Daikin (Platinum sponsor), Alchin Long (Gold Sponsor), Strand7 (FEA software) and Aurecon. Guest Speaker:  Kourosh Kayvani Guest speaker for the event is Dr Kourosh Kayvani , Global Director - Excellence & Expertise at Aurecon.  He has been named as one of the Top 100 most influential engineers in Australia, he has a career spanning over 25 years. His project portfolio includes Wembley Stadium in London; Sydney Olympics Hockey Stadium; Melbourne Star Observation Wheel; and Liberty Place and Martin Place in Sydney. Jack Finlay Award for Manufacturing Excellence was also presented at the dinner. Ediz Cetin, Chairman of the Network…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Project Management Training Courses With The IET

    Undertaking a project in the workplace which needs to be completed on time and within budget can be somewhat daunting, leaving you wondering where to start. Project managers are in demand throughout the world and managing a project is a specialised and complex task which often cannot be carried out effectively without the appropriate training. Here at the IET we offer a variety of different courses around Project Management which range from a 1 hour e-class to a 5 day course. Below gives an overview of the different Project Management courses we offer:   Project Management Techniques – 2 day course This course provides you with a toolkit to successfully manage and deliver engineering and technology projects. You will be introduced to tools for handling the various aspects of project management…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Future of Cost Engineering

    I am looking forward to this event.  Both John and Essam are experts in their field and I am proud to say that they are associates of mine in my role as visiting academic at Cranfield University.  They have a wealth of experience in the field of cost engineering with particular past focus in the areas of Product Service Systems (PSS), Integrated Vehicle Health Management Services (IVHM), Through-life Engineering Services, and the cost engineering issues therein.  This should be a very informative evening.

    Louis Redding
    Louis Redding

  • Are Password Managers Safe Or Not?

    Recently a change in password requirements for the main IET website sparked an interesting debate about password security. One thing that came up was the use of password managers and there was a bit of a debate about their security.   I myself have a password manager. I resisted for a long time as I was worried about their security- keeping all your passwords in one place doesn’t seem like a great idea but after a lot of research and A LOT of having to reset passwords because I kept forgetting them, I decided to take the plunge and sign up for one.   In terms of convenience there is no contest – they are much easier for dealing with passwords. No longer do I have to worry about remembering my passwords for sites, or store them insecurely in my browser. Just a couple of clicks (or not even that…

  • The WiFi Krack

    The WiFi Vulnerability gaining momentum today was to be expected as the limitations of WiFi security are a known topic. Just like DNS has its known flaws so does WiFi. WiFi encryption methods were built on WiFi security protocols such as wireless encryption protocol (WEP), WiFi protected access (WPA) and WPA2, where each encryption technique bettered its predecessor and though they contained flaws they were/are still used.  Encryption techniques and protocols will gain more focus and the well known TCP/IP ones are likely to become secondary to the new satellite wireless efforts emerging. In the meantime, your vendor is likely to have firmware or patch updates being prepared for Krack. The flaws of Wifi security was discussed very briefly within the paper Cryptography in 2016 - which can be…

  • Volunteer Opportunities for University Grade Students

    “What? I don’t have time to do all that!” this phrase abruptly clicks in our mind whenever we encounter the word “Volunteer”. Actually, volunteer work is meant to be more than what most make it out to be. Convincing someone to step out for giving helping hand voluntarily to others is more important than telling him/her about the volunteer opportunities available over the globe. Let me first solve this riddle – whether volunteer work is beneficial or not, by mentioning “For every God-given goal, He gives grace to accomplish it”. The time you’ve spent so far in volunteer work is of little worth as compared to the generosity you manifested.   “The sun is never denied the light it gives; likewise, you are never denied the kindness you bestow.” The catalogue of the perks one enjoys during volunteerism…

    Nouman Abid Chuhan
    Nouman Abid Chuhan

  • IET Islamabad Young Professionals Network Volunteer Committee (2017 To 2019)

    Mr Muhammad Kashif Sattar BS RE  President  I   YPS Official Email Id:    iet.yps.islamabad@gmail.com Mr. Farhan Qurban MIET Secretary Mr Saifullah Amin BE RE MIET Honourary Secretary Mr. Syed Sadam ul Haq Treasurer Mr. Syed Meesum Haider Social Media & Online Manager Ms Amy Stokes Young Professionals Coordinator  (IET Staff at UK) 0044 (0)1438 767 603   I   youngprofessionals@theiet.org

    Nouman Abid Chuhan
    Nouman Abid Chuhan

  • The IET Cyprus Network - "Present Around the World" 2018 competition

    The  IET Cyprus Network hosts its annual global competition for Young Professionals and Students within engineering to develop and showcase their presentation skills.   All you have to do is give a 10-minute presentation on an engineering or technology related subject, followed by a short question and answer session.   The  participants should be between 18 – 30 years of age to enter and is open to both IET members and non-members.   There are prizes for  the  winners and  the  runner ups and certificates for all participants.   To enter you will need to write a short abstract (maximum 1 side of A4 page) describing  the  proposed subject of your paper; your talk can be about anything related to  the  field of technology or engineering. All these must be in  the  English language.    You can…

    Alkis Spyrou
    Alkis Spyrou

  • The IET Surrey Smart Meter Debate - September 2017

    One of our pannelists, Dr David Greenwood, of EPSRC at Newcastle University wrote his own blog about our debate. It can be found on this link.

    Mike Prewett
    Mike Prewett

  • Humans of the IET - Tynan Schweitzer

    Last week we met Dave , the incumbent IET YP co-chairperson. This week (tonight in fact) the deck is being shuffled and the committee is changing. I would like to take this chance to introduce myself and bid you, my readers, farewell as I will be moving on from Digital Marketing Officer. Please, let's meet me,  Tynan Schweitzer , coordinator of the IET YP Leadership Programme, Vice Chair of UWA IET On Campus, Digital Marketing Officer, and alumnus of the 2016 IET YP Leadership Programme. I am studying a double degree in Electrical Engineering and Organic Chemistry at the University of Western Australia and joined the IET because Career Hub said there was this thing called a Leadership Programme and I thought it would be fun. Why did you join the Committee? I thought you know what, this could…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

Community Rules & Guidelines