Dear MICHAEL DOLINSKY: Here's your monthly report on news from around the IEEE from the editors of The Institute. The most current version of The Institute can always be found at ________________________________________________________ SPONSORED BY: FREQUENCY DEVICES INC. "NEW" DSP Hardware Solution SPPDF-01 FIR Filter Development Suite w/ MatLabTM - GUI CLICK HERE: ________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Web Sites Spell Out ABCs for Volunteers 2. Tech Consultants Earn More Bucks, Survey Shows 3. Most Members Satisfied With Products and Services 4. Conference Challenges View of Software Engineering 5. Software Certification Tests Begin 1 April 6. Marketplace of Ideas: Should Cybercriminals Log Off Permanently? 7. Prescription Card Offers Half Off on Generics 8. Managing Your Subscription to The Institute Online Alert A word about the links in this email: Because the URLs are rather lengthy, some email programs might not capture an entire URL for direct clicking. Note that the complete link, contained between the < > symbols, should be selected when clicking or copying and pasting into a browser window. ________________________________________________________ 1. Web Sites Spell Out ABCs for Volunteers New volunteers can find the IEEE's complexity overwhelming. But there are Web sites that can help you run a Section, publish an article or develop a standard. If you're not yet sure about volunteering, there are even sites that can help you get better acquainted with the organization. Find them at 2. Tech Consultants Earn More Bucks, Survey Shows Many members have found that consulting can be lucrative. A survey by the Alliance of IEEE Consultants' Network shows that consultants with up to 20 years of technical experience made the most money, with a median annual income of US$120 000. That's compared to the median salary of $93 100 for electrotechnology and information technology specialists. Read the rest of the survey findings at 3. Most Members Satisfied With Products and Services Overall, 82 percent of the respondents to the 2002 Measures of Success survey indicated they are satisfied or highly satisfied with the IEEE. Publications ranked among the highest areas of member satisfaction in 2002 and membership renewal process also earned high marks, with 90.8 percent of respondents indicating satisfaction with it. Read the rest of the results at ________________________________________________________ SPONSORED BY: Melexis co-operates with Microchip, Chandler, Ariz., USA, on integrated RF + Microcontroller ICs. Andreas Laute, manager of Wireless Communication comments: "The fact that Melexis was selected as a development partner by Microchip proves the strength of our RF product range for the 300 to 930 MHz industrial-scientific-medical (ISM) band and automotive applications." Visit: ________________________________________________________ 4. Conference Challenges View of Software Engineering Software engineers are hobbled by 30-year-old habits, Computer Society Member Bertrand Meyer and IEEE Fellow Eugene Spafford say. These two speakers will challenge software engineers to rethink computer component development and information security procedures in their keynote addresses at the IEEE Computer Society-sponsored International Conference on Software Engineering being held on 3-10 May in Portland, Oregon, USA. Learn more at 5. Software Certification Tests Begin 1 April For mid-level software professionals, passing the IEEE Computer Society Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) exam could give them the edge on the competition. The test is being given from 1 April to 30 June at Prometric Testing Centers in various cities in the United States and Canada. Candidates also can take the test at centers in Brazil, China, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan and Russia. Members can even take a pencil-and-paper version on 2 May at the Software Technology Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. To apply for the exam, visit 6. Marketplace of Ideas: Should Cybercriminals Log Off Permanently? As cybercriminals like Kevin Mitnick complete their sentences and enter probation, law enforcement has to decide if it is reasonable and fair to prohibit them from using the Internet. Some say barring a person from the Internet can severely impede their daily life. Others argue that convicted armed bank robbers are not allowed to own guns so cybercriminals should be separated from their weapons too. If a person is convicted of using the Internet to commit a crime, should he or she be permanently barred from surfing the Web? Give us your opinion at ________________________________________________________ SPONSORED BY: The International Signal Processing Conference & Expo (GSPx) is where top companies, design engineers and industry analysts will meet 1-3 April, 2003 in Dallas, Texas, USA. It will feature 350 papers on signal processing applications, 6 CEOs, 14 tutorials/workshops, and 60 exhibiting companies. THIS IS THE EVENT YOU MUST ATTEND! ________________________________________________________ 7. Prescription Card Offers Half Off on Generics If the cost of your medication is soaring, try the free prescription discount card from RxAmerica being offered to U.S. members. You can save up to 50 percent on generic drugs and 20 percent off the retail price of brand-name medications. Find out how to get the card at 8. Managing Your Subscription to The Institute Online Alert The Institute Online Alert is prepared monthly by the editors of The Institute, the news source for members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, read by more than 360,000 people worldwide. You'll find The Institute's home page at: Members of the IEEE who have provided an e-mail address are automatically subscribed to the Alert as a member benefit. Those members who wish to OPT-OUT of the Alert may do so by going to: Fill out the form with your email address and member number. For convenience, your member number is provided here: 40324040. Those members who need to CHANGE CONTACT INFO on file with the IEEE, including email addresses, should do so at: Those members who need to UPDATE THEIR IEEE EMAIL ALIAS, may do so by going to: Or if you need assistance with your membership, you may contact IEEE Member Services by email at: or by telephone +1 800 678 IEEE (+1 800 678 4333) from within the U.S. or +1 732 981 0060 for outside the U.S. or fax +1 732 562 5445. If this email was forwarded to you, and you are not currently a member of the IEEE, you may SUBSCRIBE to the Alert (and manage your subscription by changing email addresses or unsubscribing) at: If you have questions or comments about The Institute Online Alert, please send a message to: ___________________________________________________________ Copyright 2003 The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.