This is a pretty cool. You can have the sound of an Atlas rocket being launched sent to your cell phone to be used as a ring tone. When the phone rings you get a high quality recording of the final ten seconds of the countdown then liftoff.
Category: Cool
The iFISH
First there was the iDog and now Segatoys has another interactive music toy for your enjoyment.
The "attitude" of the iFISH is its most interesting feature. The iDOG is just a small dog that moves its head and makes noises every 30 seconds (I really had an overdose of iDOG), but the iFISH has been developped in such a way by Segatoys that it really reacts as a fish when you pick it up or when it’s touched… it moves very fast in all directions, so it’s really worth picking it up when it’s switched on.
So the iFISH needs more desk space than the iDOG because it spins around but it does a pretty good job at looking like it’s namesake.
Glass Blowing for Vacuum Devices
What a perfect companion to my light bulb DIY! This has some amazingly valuable information on how to cut, bend, and blow glass for scientific devices. It also has information on how you can use this new found knowledge to make your own photo cells, vacuum diodes,and even a cathode ray tube. For the amateur scientist this is a gold mine of information.
[via MAKE]
MacGuyver Skills Needed In Space
The next crop of astronauts should be tested on their improvisational skills when they are going through the whole NASA testing and stuff. We need some spacemen with major MacGuyver skills while on orbit to be sure. back on Mir, if you didn’t have the ability to make due with what you had on had to solve a problem you were SOL. I’m sure with impending budget cuts to the space program things might prompt some astronauts to get creative to carry out their duties.
[via neat-o-rama and Popular Science Blog]
Noggin Sox
Hey, nifty soft plastic covers for your kid’s to wear over their bike/rollerblade/skateboard helmets. I’m sure adults could wear them too if they wanted.
[via Giz Wiz Podcast]
Kitbashing and Scratchbuilding Spaceships
This quote sums up this DIY project quite nicely:
When you go to the hardware store, or even the grocery store, force yourself to start looking for product containers that have interesting shapes. Don’t look at them and think: "Oooo, only my spouse would buy a bottle like that." Instead look at it and think: "Wow-There sits my next starship engine nacelle", or "Man-that deodorant stick case would make a great hand phaser with some additional parts."
I do this all the time. Kitbashing and scratchbuilding models has been a hobby of mine for years. Go have a look at this outstanding tutorial and have a go at it yourself. Trust me, you will never look at a bit of plastic packaging the same way again. Someday I’ll have to post photos of all the weird junk I’ve made by doing this.
[via MAKE]