PHOTO COURTESY OF ENOCEAN GMBH.
■ EnOcean’s STM250
sensor is designed for wireless security
systems.
nance, using only ambient indoor or
outdoor light. The amount of light typically available in homes or offices is
sufficient to both operate STM250 continuously and to store energy for up
to six days’ use in total darkness. The
unit’s embedded RF transmitter will
send a signal across 300 m outdoors
and 30 m indoors, through walls.
Because the entire signal transmission
is completed in about 1/1,000 of a
second, the power drain is minimal.
The sensor can be used either as a
ready-to-install switch for security system contractors or as an OEM-level
product for integration into doors and
windows. It can even be permanently
embedded inside impossible-to-reach
places, such as between panes of
window glass. STM250s are available
in OEM quantities for about $30 each.
INDUSTRY AND THE PROFESSION
MICROSOFT MOVES INTO VOIP BUSINESS
In November, Microsoft Corp. ( www.microsoft.com) announced it has agreed to
acquire media-streams.com AG, a Zurich-based company that develops communications applications based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology. Microsoft plans to apply media-streams.com’s technology, employees, and
intellectual property to create a unified communications package that brings
together various modes of communication (e-mail, instant messaging, short
message service, voice/telephony, and audio, video, and Web conferencing).
The media-streams.com technology will help Microsoft develop an improved,
integrated VoIP product based on the Microsoft® Office Real-Time Collaboration
platform, Microsoft Office Live Communications Server. In the announcement, a
Microsoft representative noted, “With this acquisition, Microsoft aims to extend
VoIP to communications solutions to improve productivity and business processes, creating new opportunities for Microsoft Real-Time Collaboration customers
and partners.”
COMPANY BUYS CELL PHONES
If you’re thinking about tossing away the old cell phone, wait. CellForCash.com
has bought more than 200,000 of them since it started up in 2002, and you just
might be able to turn yours into cash. The company pays you cash, pays the
shipping, and then recycles and resells the units all over the world, currently to
the tune of 75,000 units per month. To find out how much your clunker is worth,
just visit the site.
DOUBLE-ILLUMINATED
ROCKER SWITCH
If you need to employ rocker switches
in your next project, NKK Switches
( www.nkkswitches.com) has introduced
a somewhat nifty new design, the LW
series. The snap-in mount, rocker
devices are double pole and available
in many circuit options, including
maintained and momentary action.
They are rated at a resistive load of 10A
@ 125 VAC, 6A @ 250 VAC, or 6A @ 30
VDC. The inductive load rating is 5A @
125 VAC. While nonilluminated versions are available, the more interesting ones offer dual-faced illumination.
You can create various lighting
effects by choosing to use either white
or clear rocker caps, with multiple colored filters or lamp covers. In addition,
different colors can be specified on each
side of the rocker. Available with either
incandescent lamps in several voltages
or neon bulbs, the light sources operate
independently. Optional accessories
include a decorative bezel, available in
several different colors. NV
■ NKK’s LW series switches feature
dual lamps that operate independently.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NKK S WI TCHES.
10
January 2006
