I'm not at NI Week

I didn’t get to go to NI Week this year, but I’m doing the next best thing. I’m following the action on twitter. By not being in Austin, I miss out on another NI Week T-shirt (I’m assuming there is an NI Week 2009 shirt). I have a few, including the original 1995 version.

Why do I keep old T-shirts? Because I’m an engineer, even though I’ve been an editor for 17 years. Keeping old T-shirts is typical of engineers, according to a NI-sponsored video "Engineers are Frugal" that you can see at www.anengineeringmind.com.

The video presenter talks about two kinds of engineers: those who must have the latest gadgets and those who refuse to spend money. There’s a third kind, the one who finds ways to use old gadgets far longer than most people could ever do or would ever want to. For example, do you buy a new PC every year or do you upgrade your existing one? My current home PC is four years old and should go for another three to four years. My previous PC (Windows 98) served me well for seven years. Engineers do the same with cars. My "new" car (bought used) is a 2001 model. It’s got plenty of life left. It’s the non-engineers who run out and buy the latest technology.

The folks at NI certainly have a sense of humor. Not only did they sponsor this and other videos on the site (you can also find the videos on YouTube), but they send out humorous press releases avery April 1. Click here for the 2009 edition.

I will be in Austin two weeks from now for the IEEE EMC Symposium where I’ll perform my song "The Lab in the Corner" on August 19. From what I’ve read on the Ni Week tweets, the Austin Convention Center is a cold as ever. EMC engineers: wear long sleeves inside and roll them up outside.