The focus here is on the companion IEEE conferences, IEDM and ISSCC, both located this time around in San Francisco. Great news for those working in Silicon Valley, but no matter your locale, these are not-to-miss events for anyone interested in science, engineering, and the ideas that link the two.

** IEEE IEDM 2004 - It's the 50th annual meeting of IEEE's International Electron Devices Meeting, and it will take place in San Francisco from December 13th to 15th.

This year's Chair says:

"On behalf of the IEDM Committee, I would like to welcome you to the 2004 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting. This marks our 50th annual conference for IEDM, and in recognition of this exciting occasion, a special reception and historical poster session will be held on Monday evening. In addition, all of the conference attendees will receive a DVD containing the technical digest contents from the past 50 years. This impressive collection of material illustrates well the pivotal role IEDM has played as the leading forum for the presentation of research and development in the area of electron devices and their applications over the past half century."

"It is with great pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to everyone attending the 2004 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, and helping to celebrate our 50th year."

Jeffrey Welser
General Chair

** IEEE ISSCC 2005 - The International Solid-State Circuits Conference, as the companion conference to IEDM, is described by the organizers as "the foremost global forum for presentation of advances in solid-state circuits and Systems-on-a-Chip. The Conference offers a unique opportunity for engineers working at the cutting edge of IC design to maintain technical currency, and to network with leading experts."

ISSCC is taking place from February 6th to 10th at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel. If you're working at the cutting edge, attendance should be required.