Freescale is kicking off their Green Design Challenge for the Americas. The challenge encourages students and embedded system engineers to utilize Freescale products to create green products. "One of the greatest challenges facing the engineering community is to increase energy efficiency in everything we create," Freescale Chairman and CEO Michel Mayer told a crowd of engineers at the Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) Americas in June.

Regional winners will receive cash prizes and first place regional winners will be invited to compete for a grand prize of $50,000. One of the finalists from last year won $10,000 for their creation of a prosthetic hand, which was featured in Popular Mechanics. Online registration for the Americas (Canada, US, Mexico) will close January 31, 2008.