Eclectic junk from the four corners of the ‘Net. And pictures too!
NASA has unveiled a plan to return to the moon not too long ago. It’s going to look more like the old Apollo missions of the ’60s. Sounds like a good idea to me, the basic ideas have been tested already and are known to work. The advances in technology over the last 30 years will make for larger vehicles and better performance. Lets hope for solid funding and for politics to keep its nose out of the mix so we can look up at the moon and marvel at the bases there.
Not a while lot of people will know what these are but as far as floor coverings go you could do far worse. Far softer than hardwood and easier to keep clean than carpet, the Tatami Mat is a comfortable alternative for keeping your floors tidy and comfortable. Just remember to take your shoes off when you walk on them or they will be ruined (you should take your shoes off in your house anyway, it keeps your home a lot cleaner.)
Tatami Goza Mats from Japan are an interesting, natural addition to a room. They are made of sustainably-harvested rushes. Each tatami mat contains around 4,000 to 5,000 rushes. Hemp or cotton cord is then used to weave the rushes together.
The mats are especially good for children’s play rooms and bedrooms because they are long-lasting and stain-resistant. New tatami have a green color and a fresh grassy smell which fades in light to leave a bright golden color. They are naturally treated to resist insects. Goza mats are also relatively inexpensive: a 11.41′ by 11.41′ mat costs around $240
Fancy yourself a bit of a MacGyver? With this you might be a bit closer if you make one of these.
This little unassuming Altoids tin holds the following:
Not the sort of think you want to try explaining to the TSA guy when your trying to board your next flight, but then again if it will save your bacon in a tight spot you might want to stow this gem in you checked luggage. For years I kept a tiny (3″x”3″x1-/2″) first aid kit that had all sorts of ‘extra’ stuff in it with me and I can’t tell you how many time that came in handy. I think I need a new one… And some curiously strong mints.
[via MAKEzine]
Escape My Head: TTTk, Travel Tinker Trouble Kit
Looks cool, hope it sounds good too. I can see these being used by the pro bloggers as soon as they hit the market.
The PCM-D1 is a retro-looking field recorder that can capture audio at 96 KHz/24-bit quality on either the 4GB of built-in memory or any size MemoryStick Pro card. Since one microphone is totally amateur-hour, the Sony model sports two angled, high-sensitivity condenser mics along with a five-line LCD for displaying recording and playback info, and two analog level meters.
What a find! paper models for all sorts of cool things: Space:1999 stun gun and comlock, Diskworld Luggage, Cavorite Sphere, Gizmonic Institute Model, Trojan Rabbit Model, classic Flying Saucer, and much more!
Could this be the basis of quantum computers? Maybe…
Physicists in Australia have slowed a speeding laser pulse and captured it in a crystal, a feat that could be instrumental in creating quantum computers.
The scientists slowed the laser light pulse from 300,000 kilometers per second to just several hundred meters per second, allowing them to capture the pulse for about a second.
Wired News: This Laser Trick’s a Quantum Leap
(Thank you Special Agent Steve for this info)