A wind up laptop? Sure, why not. I’m pretty certian that as soon as these are produced someone will attach them to the handle of a stationary bike so the user can peddel and not beat their arms up.
Category: Cool
UAV Extends Duration With Thermals
This is pretty cool, NASA is testing out a UAV that will seek out thermals to extend its flight duration. Once it finds a thermal the plane will shut down it’s motor and ride the currents. This is much like a large bird will do to save energy so they can hunt for food without getting to hungry while they are doing it.
Fast Robot Prototyping
Here are some handy tips on getting your idea for a robot into the real world by using simpler and easier to work with materials than say metal and formed plastics.
The High Altitude Slug Project
No, this isn’t some banana slug snuff project, the slug this uses is the Linksys NSLU2 wireless USB storage device. After a little firmware hacking you can convert your ‘Slug’ into a web server, streaming MP3 server, or eve a VoIP PBX!
Not to be outdone by others, these guys are planning on sending theirs up in a tiny R/C airplane attached to a weather balloon. The plan is to release it at 100,000 feet and have it fly home. On it’s way down the craft will take photos and make temperature and barometric readings. All this will be run by the 266MHz XScale computer in the NSLU2. Pretty darn impressive for a simple wireless USB port!
Soviet Computing Hardware
This is great stuff! Old Soviet calculators (mechanical, electromechanical, and all electronic) and home computers on display. Loads of pictures and info about them. The first pocket calculator (B3-04) looks a lot like an old Commodore calculator I once had. Could this have been a case of calculator espionage, or simply parallel design…
[via Boingboing]
Soviet Calculators Collection. By Sergei Frolov
[via Boingboing]
USSR Home-Computer
Backscatter X-ray Scans
By using a flying beam of x-rays this company can quite literally see through walls! The technique is very much like how the picture on your TV is produced. A narrow beam of x-rays are projected to the target (like an electron gun in your TV) and the energy that is reflected back is recorded from exactly where the beam intersected the target (like how the phosphor glows in the picture tube when the electrons hit it). This builds up a picture of what is in side of the object being scanned. Items with low atomic numbers (such as explosives, drugs, cigarettes, and people) are shown in stark contrast to their surroundings.