| The Eclipse | |
|---|---|
| |
|
Origin |
Steve Wolff |
|
Year of Creation |
1978 |
|
Type |
Electronic interferer |
|
Function |
Interferes with electronic systems without damaging internal mechanisms |
|
Location |
|
|
Collected by |
N/A Warehouse Invention |
|
Retrieval |
1978 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Steve Wolff (active 1975-1984) was a Warehouse agent and member of the computing department under Hugo Miller. Known for playing vinyl while he worked, his main focus was the application of music in computing. After his acquisition of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon in 1978 it became his go-to track for work.
After an unspecified incident involving an exploding soda can the vinyl was found the have been slightly scratched. Though it could still play, the quality of the sound was noticeably affected and some skipping occurred every few minutes.
This proved to be a positive event, however. As Wolff was working on a (failed) laser projection system he noted that the music, when kept at a certain volume, interfered with the electronics of his device. Further experimentation on the subject showed that the specific resonance of the altered record caused minute vibrations in the copper and crystal components which prevented circuits from activating properly.
Working off this discovery, Wolff created a small handheld device which mimicked the frequency of the vinyl, made to be attached to electronic devices. Tests were successful at shorting out devices without triggering security protocols. Named "The Eclipse" in reference to the album and running for the exact length of the record, the device was accepted as a part of the Warehouse field agent's kit.