In addition, the high electrical conductivity of liquid mercury has led to its use in sealed electric switches and relays, industrial power rectifiers, fluorescent and mercury-vapour lamps, mercury cell batteries, and as moving cathodes in the large-scale production of chlorine and caustic soda.
Mr. Bassani, 47, is a native of Milan whose family made a fortune in electric switches and circuit breakers.
For example, the report broaches the development of submersible electric switches that could be operated after a hurricane.
There are electric switches whose purpose we will perhaps never know because we can't bring ourselves to pay an electrician to find out.
The company, which announced that it had raised $5.4 million from Voyager Capital and Crosslink Capital, makes software that goes into Wi-Fi chips that, say, a maker of electric switches could embed in its products.
Take the electric switches with controls molded in the shape of their users' hands, and the cellphone that's operated by pushing fingers through holes on the keypad, thereby "reaching out" in a joyous, optimistic gesture, rather than dourly punching the keys.
Transistors are like electric switches — the fundamental building blocks of modern computing.
The company also announced on Thursday that it intends to spin off its consumer and industrial products unit, which includes appliances, lighting, and electric switches.
