Since you’re reading this, it appears that the Mayan prediction of the end of the world was not realized. The Maya civilization may not have predicted the apocalypse, but we can credit them with developing the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas. While their choice of substrates on which they delivered those writings was limited to an early form of crude paper and monuments, the options for information delivery today are vast and varied.
You may be reading this article in the print magazine. Or you may be reading it in the digital edition. Perhaps you’re reading it online. You may even be reading it from your tablet or phone on our new mobile app. The platforms for delivering content are diverse in this modern era of journalism, and Microwave Journal strives to stay on the cutting edge of these technologies in order to provide our content in the most convenient and efficient methods possible for our readers.
I’m proud to be able to say that our print publication has served the industry for 55 years, and it’s still going strong. In fact, it’s the platform most preferred by our subscribers. For those subscribers who prefer to read the issue online, our digital edition offers all of the bells and whistles that you would expect from that format. The print format lends itself to the longer, in-depth technical material found within its pages, and we are fortunate to be able to provide more content than any other publication serving our industry, thanks to our loyal readers, advertisers and authors. Within the pages of this issue you’ll find lots of unique content, including a cover feature written by industry icon Eli Brookner. The editorial staff has compiled a great lineup of articles for 2013, so stay tuned.
We launched our new website last year and I hope that it has been a useful resource for you. One of the popular new features on the site is the presence of Channels, which aggregate content on specific market sectors and technologies. If you haven’t checked out the Channels, I encourage you to do so. Mwjournal.com is also the place to find a treasure trove of archived material, including white papers, webinars and back issue articles. In addition, it hosts the Buyer’s Guide directory of more than 1000 companies. The site also integrates the social media platforms LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
Our RF and Microwave Community on LinkedIn is an active, informative resource boasting nearly 15,000 members. It acts as a discussion forum and job posting board and is a great place to interact with colleagues. Several members of the MWJ team post frequently on Twitter as well, spreading the word about articles of particular interest and timely industry events. They welcome all followers.
I hope that you’re taking advantage of our newsletters. We broadcast two each week: the Flash and the Advisor. The Microwave Flash provides the latest news, events, industry analysis and resources. The Microwave Advisor delivers the latest product offerings from leading manufacturers. We also produce the monthly Military Microwaves newsletter, which features insight from industry experts that you won’t find anywhere else, along with the latest news, products and events. You can update your newsletter choices and profile at any time on our website to ensure that you receive only the information that interests you.
I mentioned the launch of our mobile app earlier. It’s now available on iTunes for iPhones and iPads, Google Play for Android-based phones and tablets, and Amazon for the Kindle. The app is free and provides the current issue, archived issues, an industry news feed, blog postings and executive interview feeds.
We launched Microwave Journal China last year to extend our reach to that growing market. This year, I’m excited to announce the debut of the Electronic Design Innovation Conference (EDI CON), to take place on March 12-14 in Beijing. This event combines a technical conference with an exhibition that includes many of the leading companies in our industry. The conference will be a combination of technical papers, workshops and panel sessions intended to deliver practical information on RF, microwave and high speed design to the working engineer. If your work takes you to China, I hope you’ll join us.
Regardless of how you’ve found your way to our pages and regardless of which substrate you’re utilizing, I’m glad that Microwave Journal brings value to your work and I appreciate your continued support.
On behalf of all of us at Microwave Journal, I wish all of our readers a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
Regards,
Carl Sheffres