Category: Technology

Toyota Devises Shrub To Purify & Cool Air

Oh so cool! I would love to see these sorts of things all over the place. Much better than those darn orange trees (rever try to eat the fruit from those! Yuck!).

Toyota said recently that it has developed a new species of the Cherry Sage shrub family that effectively absorbs harmful substances in the air. The new species, called Kirsch Pink, will be sold for 380 yen per pot through Toyota Roof Garden Co, a Toyota Motor subsidiary, from March next year. While Cherry Sage plants are known to absorb nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and other harmful substances in the air, the new species does so 1.3 times more effectively, Toyota says.

Toyota Devises Shrub To Purify & Cool Air

Dirty Bomb Detector

Dirty bomb detector

Allways handy to have around.

Radioactive isotopes (used in dirty bombs) don’t emit anything that human receptors can detect. The Micro Bomb Detector was designed to locate missing radioactive isotopes and dirty bombs . The chance of locating a dirty bomb or suspicious radioactive isotope improves greatly as more Micro Bomb Detectors travel throughout our communities and highways. Experience Peace of Mind…

Only $219US.

[via The Red Ferret Journal]
Dirty bomb detector

UAV Extends Duration With Thermals

UAV

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.

Robot plane finds rising air to stay aloft

The High Altitude Slug Project

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!

The High Altitude Slug Project

Soviet Computing Hardware

Soviet computers

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