ID Asks/Kenneth Werner

Engineer, journalist, editor, consultant, display industry storyteller, and flag bearer for SID A recipient of SID's prestigious Lewis Beatrice Winner Award, Ken Werner joined the about 36 years ago. He is well known being editor Information Display, a position he held 18 years. When wrote articles startup or new product, companies got funded products sold; everyone in read his articles. an amazing writer who always took time to think through subject matter, never hesitated speak mind. began career as design engineer at RCA Solid State, where was responsible bipolar power semiconductor devices, process design, development. worked on factory startups devices processes, production line troubleshooting, failure analysis. Upon leaving RCA, became science Choice magazine from 1971 1975; acquiring Cambridge University Press 1975 1979; physics electrical engineering Academic 1982; senior Macmillan Publishing Company 1982 1985, created series Optical Electro-optical Engineering. From 1985 1987, served then managing IEEE Spectrum magazine, supervising editors writers, scheduling issues, developing sourcing content. In appointed Display by then-SID President Larry Tannas that until 2005. Insight Media, co-founding popular Daily newsletter managed clients projects. Meko bought 2014, went along analyst contributor. Around time, director marketing Electronic Displays. parallel, founded Nutmeg Consultants starting variety clients, including Clairvoyante, Wooyoung (Korea), Shanghai Video Audio Electronics, DEMPA Publications, David Sarnoff Laboratories, ED Research (Tokyo), Interlingua, Jenmar, Displaytec do Brasil, Welch Allyn Lighting, Nomura Securities (Hong Kong), Samsung Display. has expert witness display-related patent cases, consultant securities professionals. spoke regularly Alaide Mammana's Ibero-American conferences Latin American Chapter. also program chair several LA Chapter's one-day emerging technologies. Sri Peruvemba (Sri): How life retirement? What your typical day like now? At office 1985. I still ID, with Daily, various online newsletters, material my technical interest: electric vehicle technology. books fly fishing, cold-water ecosystems, historical novels. I'm Mianus Chapter Trout Unlimited (“If we take care fish, fishing will itself.”) member Limestone Club Canaan, Connecticut. Sri: Tell me early Were you interested writing? KW: fourth ninth grades, grew up Bayside, Queens (New York City); avid stickball player, were most friends. My teammates assigned first base because they not confident fielding skills. Even baseman, weren't confident, so would throw pink ball gentle underhanded lob made stretch almost horizontal ground reach it. As result, nickname “Stretch.” have one sibling, sister. After high school Morristown, New Jersey, Rutgers University, majoring switching physics. father psychiatric social worker, mother elementary teacher. We just comfortably middle class, but able pay $1,700 tuition out checkbook. while school, making hot dogs football games maintaining equipment Bubble Chamber Group Physics Department. The bubble chamber technology visible tracks atomic particles. had been invented previously Nobel Prize winner Donald Glaser, received inspiration drinking beer graduate students watching bubbles rise pitcher. This gave him idea reducing pressure liquid nitrogen container, causing surround particle track. later tried it beer. It didn't work. Your major physics? Yes—experimental solid-state North Carolina, Chapel Hill. clearly remember morning when quantum mechanics class. young instructor, theoretical physicist, doing proof existence oscillators. end, raised hand said, “This very elegant, what's application?” instructor looked horrified “The mathematics application!” moment, realized should be physicist. Was job school? Yes. Honeywell wanted work magnetic memories. wasn't smart enough realize memories dead did this applied make stuff. told interviewers. They agreed look elsewhere. RCA's State Division Somerville, Jersey seemed good match. on? designed group. One high-voltage silicon control rectifier (SCR) used deflection circuits CRT color TVs. Everybody else transistors, couldn't reliable ones. So, these SCRs maddeningly complex placed killing demands brutally fast changes current voltage. studied those carefully fully understood them. understand even small amount initial leakage over surface device increase result failure. binned came off only ones cleanest, sharpest reverse characteristics. others different type numbers sold into less demanding applications. hired, era lifetime employment engineers ending, know yet. started six months training, much fab Mountaintop, Pennsylvania. learned lot manufacturing guys Mountaintop. Because mutual trust established, Mountaintop needed support (or sign-off changes) group, usually designated hitter. These experiences stayed entire career. predicting difficulties scaling semiconductors, found lessons displays. main takeaway: Making dozen) displays lab completely animal designing processes produce tens thousands essentially identical month out. With truth buried psyche, easy spot insanely optimistic claims dozens “we volume months.” Did encounter any RCA? Deadline? busy helm, after retirement. Princeton team succeeded getting interest Somerville integrated circuit (IC) group application their otherwise uncompetitive ICs. little watch circuit, combined basic segmented material, formed unsuccessful digital business. Eventually, business Timex, maker inexpensive mechanical watches. Timex LCD watches success. Unlike knew pioneering company. Why leave? “General” (president founder NBC) become ill retired; turned management son bunch types. General loved engineers, within months, bean-counter mentality hold, atmosphere changed rapidly. Management Hertz Rental Car Banquet frozen foods mainframe computer compete IBM. bad results predictable. laying engineers—first wood people complained direction. That caused more leave voluntarily. hit three-year anniversary. retained, assumed, relations factory; what happening, applications supported laid off, left discovered something myself. project challenging, next two grinding details tedious. could use knowledge way allow jack all trades? start editor? which owned Library Association. either reviewed, sent review, books. recommend valuable college university libraries. Then, (CUP)—one talks authors writing publishing house. Since many graduate- professional-level textbooks, traveled extensively meet potential authors. famed Press, editor's dream. didn't; fired four half obtain suited US market 57th Street, approved Syndics CUP. editorial meetings dressed academic robes. (Think Rembrandt painting Drapers’ Guild appears packages Dutch Masters Cigars.) Some inclined judgment concerning sense market. impossible please both boss Cambridge. chose York. But short, despite telling particularly contentious proposal: “It's decision make, course.” wasn't. enjoyed CUP, another lesson. Every professional relationship expiration date. Where go next, how get involved industry? moved downtown Press. things going well. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. company move its building huge impending rent increase, Bill Jovanovich threatened then-mayor Ed Koch unless provided large tax incentives. reaching consensus, against advice everybody industry. wound Orlando, Florida, declined join Company, staff talented professionals, clashed decisions management. Macmillan, east side Manhattan hired editor—and editor—of magazine. researched articles, obtained experts. late pioneer Tannas. article LCDs (circa 1985). other projects asked article. developed great relationship, continued second following year. During period, probably encouraged me, meeting. seeing monochrome IBM plasma red-orange captivated me. running publication? Catch 31-inch striped bass coast Maine. Photo credit: Ray Hamilton. Although editing ID than full-time job, supplemented income consulting under name Consultants. Over contracted provide services, press annual some minor conferences. Dian ran room conference (not yet named “Display Week”) years, established warm members SID. assignments Nutmeg's adequate. lives Year logos. Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Europe, Brazil believed (and believe) important function report around world interview interesting figures each chapter's territory. person appeared year year, seen formal representative International, local chapters show government officials stakeholders projecting own international appeal. fulfilled role happily But, already learned, between society outside Mine came. on. And approximately years? did. Chris Chinook Media—I reports papers. Steve Sechrist founding co-editors (DD). Initially, five DD week, unsustainable, added contributors. Bob Raikes UK, along. influential publication recently Jon Peddie Research. given modern mix. continues evolve. opinion successful can someone living journalist our No, can't Those service today are volunteers, such yourself; non-profits, SID; research analysis companies, news help sell reports. these, number opportunities extremely limited. You once mentioned “competition suicide.” us that. trips Asia, visited Taiwan CEO delighted openly. showed facility, talk fab. jolly gallows humor, said there no ever back bank investing fab, if stop try survive existing last-generation fabs, longer him. “So, expand larger lose money; competition accepted Japan money displays, enabled monitor personal benefited Inc. hugely before bulk now China. story—true panel factories sure. happiest moments There many, among cover events Asia world, friends South China, Brazil. US-based incident fondly speaking Tei Iki, Sony's operation San Diego. Tei's build monitors CRTs obsolete. 14-inch Trinitron (which flat face) alongside monitor. front surfaces precisely aligned. “See,” Tei, “both panels. rest,” continued, dramatically spreading hands indicate depth monitor, “is infrastructure!” Ken, thank time. hope are. associate Marketer International Silicon Valley works high-tech board advisory roles. reached [email protected].