Vacuum Tube
Ultra-efficient 4,000 mph vacuum-tube trains – why aren't they being built?
In the 1800s, when pneumatic tubes shot telegrams and small items all around buildings and sometimes small cities, the future of mass transit seemed clear: we'd be firing people around through these sealed tubes at high speeds. And it turns out we've got the technology to do that today – mag-lev rail lines remove all rolling friction from the energy equation for a train, and accelerating them through a vacuum tunnel can eliminate wind resistance to the point where it's theoretically possible to reach blistering speeds over 4,000 mph (6,437 km/h) using a fraction of the energy an airliner uses – and recapturing a lot of that energy upon deceleration. Ultra-fast, high efficiency ground transport is technologically within reach – so why isn't anybody building it? Read More
Most people associate vacuum tubes with a time when a single computer took up several rooms and "debugging" meant removing the insects stuck in the valves, but this technology may be in for a resurgence with news that researchers at NASA and the National Nanofab Center in South Korea are working on a miniaturized "vacuum channel transistor" - a best-of-both-worlds device that could find application in space and high-radiation environments. Read More
While it's true that we've seen some gorgeous examples of modern amplification at Gizmag over the years, there's still something very pleasing to the eye about those that proudly display their tube circuit credentials, like the JoyVirtue TM-6 Tube-Amp AV Center. It's not just about looks, though. In spite of many, many advances in audio reproduction technology, enthusiasts still demand the warmth that vacuum tubes seem to give to an audio signal. One of the first tube amps I ever heard was an MC275 from McIntosh Laboratory way back in the mists of a misspent youth. The company is now celebrating the Golden Anniversary of its iconic amp with a very limited edition release. Read More
Call me old fashioned if you will, but there's nothing more pleasing than the soft, natural and warm sound produced by a tube amplifier. The Block amplifier by industrial designer Mateusz Glówka is as much a visual treat as a sonic one. The somewhat harsh geometric lines are offset by the gratifying glow of the half dozen tubes on display outside the stainless steel and aluminum housing and, in a novel twist, the main sound board is attached with hinges so that it can be raised for dusting the electronics. The tube amplifier is a working prototype at the moment, but the designer told Gizmag that he expects production models to be available soon. Read More
Call me old fashioned but when I see the comforting glow of a vacuum tube I know that I'm in for some sonic pleasure. And that's precisely the thinking behind the aim AS301DTS USB audio tube headphone amplifier. OK, so the vacuum tube doesn't actually work, it's designed that way to trigger the very mental connection I opened with. That done, the tiny device then promises to deliver bass-enhanced surround sound to just about any pair of headphones attached to it. Sweet. Read More
JoyVirtue (JV) has created a vacuum tube amplifier and speaker set for iPods, complete with a dock, for the audiophile who finds the common iPod/iPhone dock and speaker systems a little, well … common. This set up brings out the best in any digital music collection by converting the often “two-dimensional” flat sound from a digital source into a high fidelity analogue one, giving your music more body and fullness. And the classy piece of equipment with its unique styling is also a sure to be a talking point at the next social gathering you host. Read More
German high-end audio specialist Vincent Audio has announced immediate availability of its new CD player. Benefiting from noise-reducing component isolation and offering the user the choice of rich vacuum or precise digital reproduction, the C-60 also offers premium XLR balanced output and a highly accurate Philips transport. But serious audio enjoyment does come at a price. Read More
How is it that my cell phone still loses connection in the city and my laptop barely gets the Internet in the mountains, yet NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) can keep in touch with Earth from 238,800 miles away, 24 hours a day? Additionally, LRO can transmit 461GB of data per day (the equivalent amount of information found in a huge library), sending this information at a rate of up to 100Mb/s, while my so-called high-speed Internet service struggles to provide about 1-3Mb/s. Obviously, it’s not what you know but who you know! Read More
Fully-featured mobile multimedia is finally moving beyond the automobile with Clarion's addition of a watertight multimedia head-unit to its range of custom marine products. The Clarion CMV1 features a 3.5-inch TFT color display, offers DVD-video, DivX, iPod Video playback and, with rear panel AV inputs and outputs, it is capable of driving additional display screens. It cleverly has a one-year back-up memory so radio presets are not lost if your boat is in seasonal storage. The unit delivers a comprehensive on-board entertainment experience that was previously reserved for in-car and can now be fully appreciated in the unique and relaxing environment offered by watercraft. Read More
