Cool Pic Archive #13

Here is a a new kind of plot called Wireless Geography. All of downtown Salt Lake City is covered by a cloud of Wi-Fi, but the strength of the signal varies. This 3-D view show the area and signal strength superimposed over the city buildings and surrounding terrain.

3-30-2008

IBM has integrated self-assembly techniques with its manufacturing lines to create a test version of its latest "airgap microprocessor" that uses vacuum gaps to insulate nano-scale wires connecting hundreds of millions of transistors. The revolutionary process reduces electrical interference, raises processor performance, and lowers energy consumption.

3-3-2008

Plasma Parabolic Reflector technology is being developed in hopes of creating stealth radar antennas. The plasma inside the glass tube array becomes conductive only when ionized during the time the radar is actually transmitting or receiving. A feed horn services the array at frequencies up to 20 GHz.

2-7-2008

I am privileged to present a collection of never-before-seen photographs of the atomic bomb tests at the Trinity Site. My brother-in-law's father worked there during WWII and had these images stowed away for 60 years.

1-14-2008

A Chinese man, Mr. Tan, is aiming to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for what he claims is the world's largest working mobile phone. The phone is 3 feet high and weighs 48 lbs - and is an exact copy of the Nokia phone that he uses daily. It has all the same functions, including a camera, but does not vibrate when it rings. Question: Is it still really a "mobile?"

4-6-2008

Area 51 is not the only place aliens have landed in the U.S. This flying saucer must have been left behind by visitors in Chattanooga, TN, back around 1970. If you are a SciFi fan, here is your chance to own it. Check out the listing on eBay. Interplanetary space ships are amazingly affordable.

3-14-2008

Legos™ are for the mechanical engineers' kids. RF engineers' kids build with connectors, at least that is what Terry's (TestParts.com) kids use. Shown here is "BNC Man." BNC Man's kids could as easily be constructed from SMA connectors, and giants from Ns. TestParts.com will be more than happy to sell you a set.

2-18-2008

T&M World has a series of SEM (scanning electron micrograph) images of many common types of wire failures, along with an explanation of the telltale signatures - very good info. (apologies for their obnoxious ad screen)

1-28-2008

Tired of the same old dark, stuffy meeting rooms? "Dinner in the Sky" offers a unique venue that is sure to impress - and maybe terrify - your customers. For a mere 7.900€ ($12,500), your 1st-string team can wow top technical staff and management when pitching that new product while enjoying panoramic views from 50 m (0.25 furlongs) in the air. This has to be great fodder for a Dilbert cartoon!

4-14-2008

Intruder held at bay inside a metal cage by a stream of lightning bolts. Actually, these guys know what they are doing and demonstrate many principles of how to safely work with extremely high voltages.

2-13-2008

This is a warning sign for compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). I kid you not. "Vacate the room and ventilate it for at least 15 minutes." Thus sayeth DEFRA.

1-23-2008

Arthur C. Clarke's scheme for a geostationary satellite system ("Extra-Terrestrial Relays") was published in the October 1945 edition of Wireless World magazine. Along with 2001: A Space Odyssey, and other novels, Sir Clarke wrote many scientific books and papers. He died just a few days ago.

3-21-2008

New methods found for harnessing the sun.

4-22-2008

Epson has developed a method for printing a transistor using an inkjet printer with a modified head that uses liquid silicon. It is a compound of silicon and hydrogen known as cyclopentasilane, which is comprised of 5 silicon atoms and 10 hydrogen atoms forming a closed ring.

2-25-2008

This U.S. postage stamp is to be printed even with a known error in chemical structure. It is a commemorative stamp to [dis]honor biochemist Gerty Cori. This really validates the old adage, "Good enough for government work!"

1-31-2008

Researchers from MIT have created a novel art project that reveals the complex dynamics of talk that exist between New York and other cities around the globe. The project, called New York Talk Exchange (NYTE), is based around an analysis of telecommunications traffic flowing to and from New York City. It is on display at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) exhibition, "Design and the Elastic Mind."

3-10-2008