Hearing Radio Waves

Nanoradio receiver
Quite an astounding bit of engineering.


We have constructed a fully functional, fully integrated radio receiver, orders-of-magnitude smaller than any previous radio, from a single carbon nanotube. The single nanotube serves, at once, as all major components of a radio: antenna, tuner, amplifier, and demodulator. Moreover, the antenna and tuner are implemented in a radically different manner than traditional radios, receiving signals via high frequency mechanical vibrations of the nanotube rather than through traditional electrical means.

[via neat-o-rama]

Nanotube Radio

Tape + Vacuum = X-rays?

Simply cool, who would have thought you could get x-rays out of tape? Chalk one up for triboluminescence!

It turns out that if you peel the popular adhesive tape off its roll in a vacuum chamber, it emits X-rays. The researchers even made an X-ray image of one of their fingers.

X-rays emitted from ordinary Scotch tape

Silicon Camera That Mimics Mammalian Vision

Curved cameraThis is quite an impressive achievement if you ask me.

Conventional cameras use a curved lens to focus an image onto a flat surface where the light is captured either by film or by digital sensors. However, focusing light from a curved lens onto a flat surface distorts the image, necessitating a series of other lenses that reduce the distortion but tend to increase the bulk and cost of a device.

[via boingboing]
Curved electronic eye created

Bankquest: Fight your way to riches


This is a clever way to get kids in the habit of saving their money. It’s a traditional piggybank with a twist, the more you save the more gold your little character in the RPG game on the front gets to spend. Think of Tamagotchi that eats quarters. You can save around 50,000 yen (about $500US) so it’s a pretty good deal for a kid. Heck, good for an adult too because the interest rates in Japan are .5 %.

[via Boing Boing Gadgets]
Bankquest – Akihabara News

Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things

Sneaky uses for everyday things

Now, if your like me you no matter what something does you think that it might be able to do just a bit more. Well, it looks like I’m not alone.

    Milk can be turned into plastic; with the twist of a screw any FM radio can eavesdrop on aircraft broadcasts; a radio can be made from a penny, you can reveal counterfeit currency, learn how to make alternative energy science projects, make a boomerang with a bookmark, how to turn a TV tray into a 6-foot robot, how boats are made with milk cartons, how POWs made an airplane out of sleeping bags and more. “Things” will never seem the same again.

If you want to feel extra inspired go have a peek at what’s inside with these YouTube videos.
Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things

Pick the book up at Amazon, help fund TeamDroid

Amazing Full Sized Iron Votom – スコープドッグ ブルーティッシュカスタム

This is a true labor of love (no pun intended). This guy, who obviously has quite the kick ass shop, is building a full sized Votom battle suit out of iron plate. What he intends to do with it once he is done I have not the faintest clue. Maybe it goes in a museum as a display, maybe it’s an artistic project, maybe he is just building it because he wants to. Whatever the reason is it is one hell of a project.
スコープドッグ ブルーティッシュカスタム1/1

Want one of your own? Go visit Amazon and pick up a somewhat smaller than life sized verson.

Armored Trooper Votoms Scopedog Green 1/12 Scale Full Action Model