I know these aren’t the homemade variety but they are still fantastic.
Author: John
Homemade Cathode Ray Tubes
First the Sparkmuseum post and now this. What a fantastic month for mad scientists this has been! This has got to be the coolest home brew page I have seen in years.
This guy makes cathode ray tubes from scratch! This has officially buried the needle on my clever meter. Using phosphor from common florescent tubes he coats the inside of a glass tube and evacuates the air. When an electron beam exits a small hole in the discharge tube that is mounted inside the phosphor glows. He has even added deflection coils (magnets) to create an oscilloscope! You can see some videos here, here, and here.
His other projects include a photo cell made from salt water and copper , a rectifier made from borax, and even a Homemade Tunnel Diode and RF Oscillator. He also has built his own vacuum tubes. Talk about hardcore!
Ghost Towel
Why someone didn’t think of this sooner is beyond me. A towel that will turn you into a ghost. Brilliant! You can either buy one for $30 or grab some scissors and make your own. Perfect for kids that like to play at bath time or if your drying off in an Islamic country (apparently exposed skin drives them mad with uncontrollable lust).
[via core77]
StarTrek – Behind the Scenes Restoration
If your a fan of the classic Sci-fi TV series Star Trek your going to love this.
Once cinematographer and now graphic artist, Curt McAloney has set out to compile and restore the aging behind the scenes photos and clips. This is good stuff! His attention to detail makes this a true labor of love. And this project couldn’t come at a better time, with the 40th year anniversary of the original series being marked by the airing of restored episodes of this classic (check out the side-by-side comparisons) these photos are just what the good doctor ordered. You can’t have enough Trek in your life can you.StarTrek
StarTrek – Behind the Scenes Restoration
[Shore leave and an extra ration of Romulain ale to Bill for sending me this link]
DIY Magnetic Filter Holder for Pinhole Cameras
As if my exposure times were just not long enough, I’m going to start trying filters on my 120 pinhole camera. I did an initial test of the filter holder and a took a few photos to figure out the exposures. Good news is that the filter holder isn’t causing a vignette on the image but the bad news is that my exposure times are going to be REAL long. Even more so when I take in the reciprocity failure factor. With a number 003 Cokin
Here is the camera with the holder and filter in place. The lumps on the sides of the Cokin
Auto Image Tags via ALIPR
In the endless battle of too many photos vs. too little time a program was born. This program can identify objects, places, colors, and even people within the photos that are given to it. After each photo is analyzed a selection of possible tags are given to the user for final approval. Select as many or as few as you think describe the scene or add your own. With the help of online users everywhere this tool will learn and be able to zero in on the exact image information that a real person would add for the image. I’ve tried it out with a number of photos and it does a pretty good job. I think if people do a good job teaching the software whats what it’s going to be a great tool. I can see Google or Flickr going this route someday.
[via Roland Piquepaille’s Technology Trends]