Proximity sensors come in many shaper and forms. HoloTouch has technology for a hands-free holographic switch and Silicon Labs just introduced two infrared proximity sensors.

Not all equipment needs high-speed Internet access. Remote sensor monitors, remote controllers, weather stations, security systems, and similar devices can use standard phone lines to communicate with a distant computer. To simplify this type of connection, Saelig Company now offers developers an embedded "World Modem NET" module that operates at standard modem data rates from 300 to 56K bits/sec. The module includes a direct attachment arrangement (DAA) that lets it connect directly to the standard ring and tip telephone wires. The DAA provides 5 kV of isolation.

In the world of ICs with zillions of transistors, it's refreshing to learn about the introduction of a simple IC. Fairchild Semiconductor now offers designers a 5-pin LED flasher device, the FAN5646, that will operate on its own and flash an LED. Engineers often use a flashing LED to indicate a device remains ready for an operation, has dropped into a low-power "sleep" mode, or to indicate a setting for a piece of equipment. Some MP3 players and Bluetooth earpieces include this type of flashing LED.

You might know Ramtron International for its ferroelectric random-access memory (F-RAM) devices that rely on ferromagnetic polarization in a thin film of crystalline material to store binary information. But the company has started to expand the reach of the F-RAM technology by including it in radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices, or tags. RFID tags are not new, but the characteristics of F-RAM combined with wireless communications will make them a top contender in applications that go beyond basic product identification and tracking.

In April 2009, Freescale announced its family of MC56F8006 processors, which according to the company will interest developers of motor-control and power-supply circuits.  Although not mentioned in the news release, that family includes the MC56F8002 DSC chip.