Instrument of Torture
This month's milestone in ridiculosity is the Otamatone Deluxe Touch-Sensitive Electronic
Musical Instrument ( www.otamatone.com),
perpetrated by Japan's Cube Works Company
and an art group called Maywa Denki. Shaped
like an eighth note and having its sound leaking
out of a flexible mouth, you play it by sliding a
finger up and down the stem (up for higher
notes, down for lower) and squeezing the head
to obtain a wah-wah effect. The instrument
offers three octave levels which one might
describe as high, higher, and insufferable. It does
offer a 3. 5 mm stereo mini jack, so you can
connect headphones, an amplifier, or speakers,
but plugging something into the jack doesn't disconnect the
internal speaker, so others in the room will still have to hear
you play it. The sound is hard to describe, but it is reminiscent
of what a balloon produces if you stretch its nose while
letting the air out. The MSRP is $99, but they can be found at
the usual Internet stores for about $25. Probably not
something you want for yourself, but it makes an excellent gift
for children of people you don't like. ▲
INDUSTRY and the PROFESSION
■ The
Otamatone
is available
in several
colors.
Happy 50th, Moore's Law
In a magazine article published in 1965, Gordon Moore — co-founder of Intel and Fairchild Semiconductor — observed that, in computing history,
the number of transistors in dense ICs had doubled every year (later revised
to two years). This observation somehow changed into a prediction for the
future and became known as Moore's Law. It has turned out to be correct
partly because it was an educated vision, but partly because the
semiconductor industry adopted it as a guide to long-term planning and a
basis for R&D targets, making it something of a self-fulfilling prophesy.
For years, industry experts have assured us that this can't go on forever,
The nice thing is that, unlike
many legends mentioned in this
space, ol' Gordon is still with us at
the ripe age of 86. He's also not
among the many scientists and
engineers who received little or no
financial benefit from their work.
Reportedly, his net worth is $6.7
billion. Way to go, Gordon! NV
CIRCUITS and DEVICES Continued
■ Gordon Moore, creator of
Moore's Law.
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