Category: Technology

Now Open, iPodShop.ca

iPodShop

As my family has just become the proud parents of a bouncing baby iPod Nano (2GB) we might have to use this service in a year. I love the idea that someone has opened a store front to fix these handy devices. His rates are quite good and the wait times are darned short. i just wish there was one near me. Oh well, another reason to visit my favorite Canadian city, Toronto!

Matt Bremner has created quite the buzz with his iRepair services, using good parts from broken iPods purchased from eBay. Bremner’s tiny 250 sq. ft. Toronto store front services walk-in and mail-in "patients," averaging about 30 per day at a 10 minute average wait time.

[via core77] 

iPodShop.ca

Floating Nuke Plant

Nuclear sub

 

Ok, I can kind of see how this might cause some people to run in terror. The basic idea here is to take a nuclear power plant (the kind that would have run a nuclear sub) and stick it on a big ‘ol raft. That would be moored in remote locations of the Arctic circle and used to power what have you. Research stations, small towns, your guess is as good as mine. Sounds cool, except if it sinks. Or if someone makes off with it. Yeah…

Core77 Design Blog

Floating atomic plant for Russia

 

Talking Flames

Talking flames

How very facinating! 

Talking Flames, was in 1990, the newest technical achievement from the Logos Laboratory for experimental music research. It uses a plasma in ionised air, an electric arc that is modulated with a PWM-audiosignal. Herewith a sound-radiator is created that does’nt make use of any moving parts such as cones or coils. It sets air into vibration in a most direct way. Moreover, it is also capable of converting digital audio-information into sound, using the ionised air arc as an digital to analog converter by simply integrating the PWM- signal. This digital loudspeaker operates on a very high voltage and pretty high frequency: de carrier wave should be at least two times the highest audiofrequency. Ignition voltage is ca. 20kV. The electrodes are made of tungsten enriched with 5% radioactive thorium. The points have to be sharpened every so often.

 I’m going to keep an eye out for more information on this technique.

Talking Flames – audio art by Godfried-Willem Raes

DIY – Breakfast Styrofoam Glider

Styrofoam glider project

After you’ve gorged yourself on a fast food breakfast grab a hobby knife and get cutting! Go build this glider and run off your breakfast in the park. It’s easy, fun, and it recycles something that would normally be chucked in the trash.

DIY – Build a Glider from a Fastfood Container