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Posted on 07.25.07 by John @ 8:08 am
The idea of transmitting energy wirelessly isn’t new. For almost two centuries, scientists have known that rapidly changing magnetic fields, such as those produced by an alternating current flowing through a wire, can induce an electric current in another wire. That’s how the coils inside power transformers transmit energy from one coil to another without touching. But this form of induction usually works efficiently only when the two coils are very close to each other. [via boingboing] Filed under: Mad Science and Technology Comments: 1 Comment |
This demonstration never fails to be a crown pleaser. However, this one was quite a bit more practical.|
Posted on 07.25.07 by John @ 7:55 am
Each year, farmers in the town of Inakadate in Aomori prefecture create works of crop art by growing a little purple and yellow-leafed kodaimai rice along with their local green-leafed tsugaru-roman variety. [via nocot] Filed under: Artistic and Japan Comments: None |
Who knew that growing rice could be so artistic.|
Posted on 07.16.07 by John @ 5:13 pm
the installation is custom built, using 500 mini wind turbines to generate power, which illuminates hundreds of mounted leds, creating firefly-like fields of light, with wind visually interpreted as electronic patterns across the installation. Go have a look at the video of the installation in action. This is great meshing of art and technology, I can’t wait to see what Jason Bruges comes up with next. Filed under: Artistic and Cool and Technology Comments: None |
This is a, excuse the pun, brilliant use of |
Posted on 07.15.07 by John @ 9:35 am
Filed under: Cool and Japan Comments: None |
Via the magic of YouTube and other video sharing sites international television is becoming more accessible to the general public. I applaud these and get an especially good kick out of the ones that focus on Japanese TV. If you have never seen Japanese TV you are in for a wild ride…|
Posted on 07.14.07 by John @ 10:06 pm
Don’t one one? Not a problem, you can get one here: Moleskine Small Plain Notebook Writing Journals Book Filed under: Cool Comments: None |
I discovered a blog devoted to the fine Italian writing journals known as Moleskine.|
Posted on 07.13.07 by John @ 7:47 pm
Filed under: Artistic and Cool and DIY and Design and Historic and Mad Science and Mods Comments: None |
If your looking for decorating ideas that are a little out of the norm…|
Posted on 07.13.07 by John @ 6:12 am
Alas, there looks to be only 100 available. However, for your $125US you do get one heck of a cool kit. With this set up you cam make an enlarger, a slide projector, a camera, a negative viewer, and a magnifying glass. If you ask me it’s worth the price. Little known fact, pretty much any camera that has a bulb setting and a back that opens can be used as a photographic enlarger. I used to use a medium format twin lens reflex camera as an enlarger when I didn’t have a proper darkroom. The results were not perfect but it did get the job done. I think I see a future DIY project here… Filed under: DIY and Photography Comments: None |
From the makers of fine photographic equipment (that’s a joke folks):|
Posted on 07.12.07 by John @ 8:13 pm
If your into panoramic images like I am your always on the look out for software to help you stitch images together. This is a fine choice.
Oh yeah, it’s free! [via Make] Filed under: Photography Comments: None |
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Posted on 07.09.07 by John @ 7:45 pm
[via boingboing] Filed under: Artistic Comments: None |
Here are some amazing miniature dioramas and sculptures that are built inside vacuum tubes. Opening up a vacuum tub can’t be much harder than opening up a |
Posted on 07.08.07 by John @ 9:51 pm
[via technabob] Filed under: Japan Comments: None |
This has to be the most clever of all clever toothbrush holders I have ever seen. How cool would it be to have a crayfish hold your toothbrush? For about $6US it a deal but only if your in Japan as it looks to only be available there.|
Posted on 07.08.07 by John @ 8:33 am
The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front of and behind his plane about 10pm last night. Filed under: Space Comments: None |
This happened a few months ago but it highlights the dangers of keeping Earths orbital real estate clean.|
Posted on 07.08.07 by John @ 8:13 am
[via presurfer] Filed under: Artistic and Cool Comments: 1 Comment |
In the fine instant tradition of the |
Posted on 07.04.07 by John @ 6:21 pm
ArtRage 2 is a rather nice little illustration program that gives you the feeling that your working in the actual medium that is being simulated. I have a 4×6 Wacom graphics tablet with a pressure sensitive pen and all that stuff so I get a big kick out of being able to actually use the eraser in a program,. Oh sure, I could use Photoshop if I wanted to but that’s like chartering a bus just to go to the corner store. I like being able to doodle around with different kinds of ‘media’ effects with the pen. ArtRage 2 does just that and more. It’s easy to switch from pencil (variable lead hardness available by the way) to felt tip marker to acrylic paint just by clicking a button. It even blends paint like on a real canvas, except canvas doesn’t have layers and an erase feature. The whole thing reminds me of the old program ‘Fractal Design Painter’. That program is gone and any replacements cost quite a bit. ArtRage 2 is under $20US. Sweet! Filed under: Artistic Comments: None |
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Posted on 07.04.07 by John @ 6:01 pm
Not that I’d ever want to lose a finger myself but if I did I’d want something at least as good as one of these. Filed under: Cool and Mad Science and Mods and Science and Technology Comments: None |
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Posted on 07.04.07 by John @ 5:50 pm
Hybrid animal-human embryos created for medical research should be viewed as human and permitted to develop into children, Roman Catholic bishops have urged the British parliament. Arrgh… My inner scientists cringes at this. Sure, we could use a race of lion men to defend our borders and what better to attend to the sick than bunny girls but I know that the Bishop has no concept of this utilitarian purpose and that any decent scientists with any sense of morals or ethics would never bring one of these monstrosities to term. Who is the mad man here, the man of faith or the man of science? Animal-human embryos need human rights, bishops say | Reuters Filed under: Dumb and Mad Science and Technology and To be used for Evil Comments: None |
As my good friend Greg (who told me of this story) pointed out "Have these people not read The Island of Dr. Moreau?" Well said Greg!| previous posts » |
