Epic Halloween Quandary and Conflict

I love pressure.

I write this engaged in a classic battle with my travel-weary Dell whose battery indicator threatens to deprive me of my qwerty keyboard and spellchecker in less than one hour. This drama is playing out in row 29 seat H - 39,000 feet above the Atlantic. Passengers around me complete unaware of the conflict.

The consequences of failure? A personal tick mark in the wrong side of my mental win/loss scorecard and yet another late night on the tail of a week of very late nights.

Fortunately, my topic is clear as there is little time for delay.

I'm sure many of you have been struggling with that great mental quandary as you do each year around this time - what to be for Halloween. Fret no longer for I am here to deliver your answer.

You, dear reader, will be a Geek.

Flaunt it, celebrate it. You're a card carrying member of Geekdom, entitling you to a grand set of benefits. The ability to understand how things work. The ability to create true value in the world in which you work and play. Solving problems to increase the safety, comfort and the overall well being of the world like no other. As painfully demonstrated over recent years neither politician, banker nor real-estate tycoon has so much ability to change the world.for the better.

I've spent a tremendous amount of time and energy over the last 4 weeks in search of top notch geeks to join my own geekfest here at B&B, both in our US and Ireland locations. I've enjoyed scores of conversations with fellow geeks, in search of those with just the right attributes to further elevate B&B's role in making the world a better place.

(30 minutes remaining in the epic Dell dual)

I've been giving a lot of thought as to what it takes to reach the top of the class in Geekville. It's more than an engineering degree and top notch technical aptitude. Much more.

Passion for technology, an unrelenting desire to find a better answer. Admiration for simplicity and elegance. Appreciation of design. An understanding of the customer, whoever that may be and whatever that takes. An uber-geek knows that they must have firsthand knowledge to put themselves in the customer's skin, truly feeling their pains and frustrations - then using their powers of Geekdom to create solutions. Using analytical powers to lead those around you in order to bring that solution to reality.

After my last month I can assure you that Geekdom is alive and well and its future is bright.

Energizing. For me, for B&B and for you. Product roadmaps are being polished. Technologies are being reviewed. Development processes are being honed, factory is tuning up and running 3 shifts - all in making ready the path to an exciting stream of new products that will solve your communications problems - simply and reliably.

(9 minutes. Mr. Dell has engaged non-linear battle tactics. I counter with an ultra dim backlight. Game on.)

Some teasers have already begun to flow. Have you ever struggled to make a 232, 422 or 485 data connection, or to capture or control a remote digital or analog sensor values? If so you need to take a look at our IP67 indoor/outdoor rated Zlinx Xtreme wireless products.

Zlinx Xtreme I/O for sensors and actuators. Digital and analog voltage or 4-20mA delivered wirelessly to and from either a discrete I/O on your device or via Modbus.

Zlinx Xtreme Radio Modems for trouble free wireless RS-232, 422 and 485 links over meters or miles.

Last week we began shipping a new Industrial USB Hub to join the growing ranks of USB converters and isolators designed for applications where consumer grade reliability simply won't cut it. The UHR204 is a four port USB 2.0 hub featuring high retention USB connectors, independent transaction translators on each port for maximum throughput on mixed 1.x/2.0 installations, Both DIN rail and multi-position panel mountable metal enclosure that gives it the flexibility to fit properly in virtually any installation. Heavy industrial spec testing ensures reliable operation and protection against surges, RF interference, huge field-inducing currents and up to 15,000 volts of electrostatic shocks.

Truly a USB hub that a geek can love.

For those that need to protect a single USB device or host, the new USB port isolator has been getting rave reviews, particularly from those in field service and those using USB based instrumentation, both areas where grounding practices are suspect or unknown resulting in a promiscuous USB link riddled with stray current threatening to wreak havoc on your equipment.

Happy Halloween fellow geeks. Talk back to me on the blog. I want to hear what you've identified as key attributes to bring you and your mentors to the head of the class in Geekville.

(2 minutes remaining. Victory!)

Trick or Treat,
Mike Fahrion