Cool Products Archive - 10

Featured Product Archive

The inventions and products featured on these pages were chosen either for their uniqueness in the RF engineering realm, or are simply awesome (or ridiculous) enough to warrant an appearance.

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"What if we could reinvent the light bulb? Well... we just did." That is the slogan from Vu1 Corporation re the company's Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL™) lighting technology. Citing the demonization of Edison incandescent bulbs and the idiotic hyping of CFLs as the savior of the world (despite its containing mercury), Vu1 claims to have the ideal solution, and maybe they do. ESL lighting technology uses accelerated electrons to stimulate a layer of phosphor on the surface of the bulb, thereby making it glow. Sound like a CRT with high persistence? Here is a short ESL video.

This PC-mount coaxial rotary joint piqued my interest when I first saw it back in the summer. Link Microtech, a manufacturer of active and passive RF components, offers this SMA connector for applications where coax cables experience an extreme range of motion. They claim 360° rotation for operation from DC to 5 GHz, with IL of 0.3 dB and RL of 17 dB at 5 GHz (0.1 dB IL, 25 dB RL at 27 MHz). What would also be nice is a series of inline rotary joints with connectors on both ends that can be inserted into existing installations.

Saygus' Vphone is being billed as the first 2-way live video conferencing phone. It is a combo of Smartphone and PCDA (Personal Communications Data Assistant) that features real-time video, Internet, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, VMS (Video Messaging Service), along with a complete host of user applications. An 800x480-pixel screen and 5 MP camera, combined with an 806 MHz processor and ½GB of RAM help assure a smooth meeting. FCC info.

RF Cool Tools' Real Time Design is a slick Java-based applet (which means it works on any platform) that allows you to build RLC circuits with drag-n-drop interface and plots results on a Cartesian (Bode) or Smith Chart. "What is so slick about it," you ask? The truly slick part is that you can drag points on the response curve to where you would like them to be, and the program automatically adjusts your RLC components to accommodate the curve. Wouldn't you love to have a full-featured RF / analog program that could do that? Maybe someday.

"Smart meters" continue their advance on traditional mechanical electric meters What to do with the old ones? Bury them in a landfill? Arcman's Classic Meters division is salvaging early 1900s era meters and incorporating them into attractive desk lamps and displays. Early meters contained a lot of brass, bronze, and nickel-plate components that can be polished to greatly enhance their aesthetics. The cool thing about these lamps is that the meters are wired in series with the supply, so they are actually functional!

Open source software is highly sought after because it is typically the result of many independent developers combining personal concepts of user needs and interface efficiencies. Code is free of bloat and legally available to anyone for customization. Those are the reasons most open source aficionados will cite. The real reason is; however, it is free. Kicad is an open source (GPL) software for the creation of electronic schematic diagrams and printed circuit board artwork. It includes a project manager and four tools : schematic entry, board editor, GERBER viewer, and a footprint selector for components.

If you have ever struggled with access to SMA connectors while installing or removing them in cramped quarters, then you will appreciate this SMA Finger Wrench. More than just a standard deep socket with a slot in the edge, this tool features a hexagonal body for facilitating rotation and a 7/16" wrench. They are cheap, too. This other type of 'torque multiplier' sits over the SMA nut. RF Cafe Cool Product - SMA finger wrench

It is not for dense locations, but does make test environments easier when doing multiple cable operations. They are often given away at conventions with company names stamped on. Do you know who makes these?

Nobody asked me, but according to research warm drinks such as coffee and tea are best enjoyed at 58°C (136°F), beer tastes best at 7°C (47°F), and ice-cold drinks are best at -12°C (10°F). This series of cups uses phase changing materials (PCMs) in the walls to set and maintain it contents' temperature. Different cups are needed according to the desired temperature. The inventers are searching for a manufacturing partner.

In keeping with current social trends, Mattel just showcased Computer Engineer Barbie - complete with a briefcase, trendy glasses, a Bluetooth headset, and a pink computer. One commenter noted that it appears to come with a BSOD, but it actually has a series of 8-bit binary numbers that equate to "Barbie" in ASCII (in hex: 42 61 72 62 69 65). There have been a number of news items of late pointing out that women tend toward software and computer engineering more so than mechanical or electrical engineering.

This Wattgate 381 Audio Grade Duplex Socket has truly changed lives. Its 3-layer oxygen-free copper plating, electrolysis nickel, and 24k gold plating assures the audiophile purist of miraculous sound quality - and more. The mere $147 price tag is chump change compared to the performance improvement it promises. Don't believe the claim of changed lives? Read the customer comments at the page bottom, then e-mail the link to a friend.

This steel Velcro™ will keep your expensive running shoes securely fastened. Inventors Josef Mair and colleagues at the Technical University of Munich, Germany claim the new fastener, called Metaklett, is capable of supporting 35 tonnes/sq.m (7172 lb/sq.ft) at temperatures up to 800 ºC. Even Arizona asphalt does not get quite that hot. Applications envisioned include attaching of prosthetic limbs, cable tiedowns in severe environments, and other venues where rapid attach / removal is required.