Enter our contest and win BIG!!

David Starchman of Lucent Technologies is the winner of the Name That Widget contest for the Sept 24, 1998, issue of EDN. David suggests that the mystery widget shown below is an engineer relocator called the "dorkivator." According to David, gone are the hassles of scooting from one workstation to another. Simply give a brief voice command, and the dorkivator drops out of the ceiling, picks you up by applying its patented suction device to the top of your head, and relocates you to the desired position. (Please note: relocation of engineers with hair is unsupported; for best results, shave your head.)

In fact, the widget in question is Quincy Compressor's QRDT compressor for industries that require clean, oil-free air at pressures as high as 150 psi.

For your chance to win $100, take a look at the funky photo at right, and name that widget! Send your entry (or entries), along with the issue date, by e-mail (widget@edn.cahners.com), by fax (Wallace P Widget, 1-617-558-4470), or by mail (Wallace P Widget, EDN Magazine, 275 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02458). Tell us what you think the wacky widget is and what you think you might use it for. Come on...crack us up! We (the judges at EDN) don't want to know what the widget really is (we know that already); we want your best material—something funny or clever. We'll publish the winning entry and some honorable mentions in an upcoming issue. We'll also tell you the manufacturer's real name and purpose for the device. Please supply an e-mail or mailing address so we can notify you if you win. Keep those entries coming!

                                   From our Sept. 24, 1998, contest

FIRST PRIZE: $100 David Starchman of Lucent Technologies suggests that the mystery widget is an engineer relocator called the "dorkovator." The fictional dorkivator relocates engineers from one workstation to another. In the real world, the device is Quincy Compressor's QRDT compressor.

RUNNERS-UP A Boss Blaster. You place the open end over the ear of the recipient, and the device delivers a 90-dB blast when the recipient changes the requirements in the middle of a program. —Jeff Summers, Yokogawa Corp of America The Vigilert Employee Vigilance System. If an employee nods off reading a technical manual, the Vigilert positions itself next to the employee's ear and sounds a loud alarm. —Mike Polsgrove, Eagle Test Systems

The Robotic Debugger, a wall-mounted device for engineers with head lice. —John Gebuhr A pneumatically assisted yodeling phone that Dr. Seuss' character, the Lorax, uses for long-distance calls. —Tim Lafferty, ADC Telecommunications Inc

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