"Factoids," "Kirt's Cogitations," and
"Tech Topics Smorgasbord"
are all manifestations of my rantings on various subjects relevant (usually) to
the overall RF Cafe theme. All may be accessed on these pages:
"Disruptive" is the early 21st
century buzzword. Merely placing the adjective in the vicinity of any noun or phrase
elevates the topic to a level reserved for only the most outside-of-the-box, ground-breaking,
awe-inspiring events. Any technology described as disruptive, that is to say, as
a "disruptive technology," is certain to cause a hush to fall across the room where
it is introduced. Captains of industry are humbled at the announcement. Kings kneel
in the presence of said disruptiveness. No amount of adulation, worship, exaltation
and praise is sufficient to acknowledge its progenitor(s).
Seriously, though,
although the term "disruptive technology" is grossly overused, it is an accurate
description of a technology that represents a concept so unique that it literally
changes the direction of an industry. Consider these examples in history. The invention
of fire was probably the first disruptive technology, since it opened up a whole
new career opportunity for prehistoric cookware vendors and chefs. No self-respecting
cave man would continue to eat raw meat once fire was available. Next came the wheel:
How disruptive was that? (as they’d say in New York). The newfound mobility that
the wheel provided meant that Og and his family could finally move from the crime-ridden
inner city caves to more spacious caves in the suburbs; the increased commute time
was a small price to pay for the safety of his family. Mankind became abundantly
fruitful and multiplied abundantly from thence forward.
The advent of iron
tools surely put the stone-based manufacturers of arrows, axes, and shovels out
of business within a millennium of their introduction. Bone sewing needle vendors
surely suffered a similar demise. Only the ancient scrimshaw carvers and voodoo
doctors survived the disruptive event that was the discovery of iron. Gutenberg
surely created disruptive technology with the invention of his printing press. Scriveners
and scribes worldwide were left wandering the streets with shopping carts and sleeping
under bridges after Johann came on the scene. Victims of progress have littered
the landscape since time immemorial, but we must push forward. It is our destiny.
Fast forward now to the 20th century. Einstein thrust the world of Newtonian
physics into figurative black hole with his theory of relativity. That disruptive
technology was truly a quantum leap (although oddly Albert staunchly rejected quantum
theory - oh, pun intended). When Edwin Who among us would argue that when Edwin
Armstrong invented the FM radio in 1933, that the world of portable audio would
explode in popularity? Apple can only hope that the iPod will achieve similar results.
The Sony Walkman pales in comparison to the invention of FM. And, whoa, not even
the most ardent of technology haters cannot deny the reality of disruptiveness of
Algore’s most famous invention: the Internet! Fax machines and postmen will never
recover from that colossal blow to their near monopoly on information transmittal.
In 1899, then-commissioner of the U.S. Office of Patents Charles H. Duell uttered
the words, "Everything that can be invented has been invented." Surely he had no
concept of disruptive technology, or at least sincerely believed that no more disruptions
would occur on his watch. Come to think of it, wasn’t he basically declaring that
he and his office were no longer required? That alone brings his qualification into
question, but I digress.
RF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling
2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed
formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit
design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at
the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps
while typing up your telephone line, and a nice lady's voice announced "You've Got
Mail" when a new message arrived...
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