Tech Directions - December 2007 - (Page 3)

contents December 2007 Vol. 67, No. 5 ELECTRICITY/ELECTRONICS Good? Lab-Built 14 Is This Op-Amp AnyBy Charles Harmon Checker Removes All Doubt Electronics instructors and students find it very helpful to be able to check an operational amplifier at the proto-board stage. This handy op-amp checker makes it easy to do so. POWER & ENERGY Comes the Sun! Residential Solar 18 HereUp to Savings By Harry T. Roman Systems Add Details on how engineers plan a residential solar system and a glimpse of some of the math involved. page 25 COMMUNICATION Cameras—For Science, Art, and Fun! 21 Pinhole Button By Clare Having students make their own pinhole camera, take photographs, and develop their own pictures gives them an excellent—and engaging—educational experience. SPECIAL FEATURES 30 Gifts for Geeksvery fun—ideas for gift Some cool—and giving this holiday season. 34 e-gallery Make classroom and lab purchases easier by referring to our gallery of leading companies available on the Web. TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION 25 Poster Project Maps Out Design Process By Mike Fitzgerald Creating poster portfolios can increase the quality of work that students put into planning projects. The activity helps them produce better-organized, higher quality work, and they like the opportunity it affords for displaying their projects. COLUMNS 2 Technically Speaking Susanne Peckham 10 Technology’s Past Dennis Karwatka 5 Direct from Washington Anne C. Lewis 12 Mastering Computers Reid Goldsborough 8 The News Report Susanne Peckham 38 More than Fun 9 Technology Today Alan Pierce page 21 www.techdirections.com About the cover: Cosmo-Town Kiyomino solar settlement, Yoshikawa, Saitama, Japan, contains 79 solar-powered homes. For more on solar electricity for homes, see page 18. Photograph copyright and courtesy of MSK, a Suntech Brand. Cover design by Sharon K. Miller. CONTENTS 3 http://www.techdirections.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tech Directions - December 2007

Tech Directions - December 2007 Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology Today Technology's Past Mastering Computers Is This Op-Amp Any Good? Lab-Built Checker Removes All Doubt Here Comes the Sun! Residential Solar Systems Add Up to Savings Pinhole Cameras—For Science, Art, and Fun! Poster Project Maps Out Design Process Gifts for Geeks E-gallery More than Fun

Tech Directions - December 2007

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