Category: To be used for Evil

MPEG4/DIY DVD/HDD Uber Decoder Board

 

This is sweet! As it could only come from an Asian manufacturer the ad blurb is a little quirky but who doesn’t like that? As they say, "It is a fashion Embodiment of the audio-visual products.." I should have been looking for these on my trip to Thailand, I bet these are pretty popular there. Heck, I bet they would be popular in the states if you could get away with selling them. Something like this would be labeled a tool of terrorism by the RIAA and anyone owning one would be an enemy of the state.

Support MPEG1 (VCD ) / MPEG2 (DVD ) / MPEG4/WMV/WMA/MP3/JPEG forms of many kinds of multimedia. Support 2.5" mainstream IDE hard disk (notebook computer hard disk), One 40G hard disk have can hold 100 MPEG4 high-definition film file , support Divx, Xvid the code compresses. It is the present hot multimedia that play form , the finished product is small , light, easy to use, can In order to download the multimedia file from the computer through USB2.0 port, ,And can hold concurrently and act as the Move hard disk. Can meet user’s instructions for use in different occasions . It is a fashion Embodiment of the audio-visual products..

MPEG4/DVD/HDD Multi-media Player-MIDI/HDD Karaoke machine,DVD/hard disk/MPEG-4 decode board

No Science For You!

 

This is quite sad. Another blow to amateur scientists everywhere:

The United States CPSC has initiated criminal legal action against us and other chemical suppliers. In short, the CPSC would like to ban the public from all access to chemicals. This would mean an end to hobbies such as model rocketry, pyrotechnics and of course chemistry. One by one, our freedoms are slowly being taken away from us – this action must be stopped now.

I suppose that in 15 years people in the US will look around themselves in their high security cities and wonder why all the equipment and technology is being sold to them by Chinese R&D labs. I suppose they won’t care because the call center jobs pay pretty well even if you do have to learn Mandarin to work there.

(There’s irony in there but the fedral government doesn’t want anyone to point it out.)

Boing Boing:US bans sale of chemicals to hobbyists without $1K license

3D Image Projector With Frickin Lasers

3d display made with lasers 

A research firm in Japan has "developed a device that uses lasers to project real three-dimensional images in mid-air." Sounds cool, but that’s not all. It does this by exploding the air forming a brilliant white plasma. Oh yeah, now it’s mega cool!

At the demonstration, bursts of laser light were emitted 100 times per second to form shapes in the air up to 50 cm above the device. Heat from the laser caused the air to expand, producing a crackling sound that resembled a series of tiny explosions.

[via Engadget and ReBlog] 

AIST develops 3D image projector

Own Your Own AWACS Plane

 

Hum, looks like it might be fun to play with.  Here are the specs: 

  • Takes 26 digital pictures by radio control while flying
  • AWACS appearance
  • 55" wingspan
  • Twin, electric-ducted fan jet engines
  • Simple thrust vector steering control
  • Push button camera control
  • 1,000-foot flying range
  • Additional rechargeable flight battery included
  • Includes home and auto chargers
  • E-Z Launch Takeoff System ensures expert launches
  • Easy for beginners and fun for experienced flyers
  • Digital camera is Windows compatible

26 images are a bit low, and the camera should be slung under the body of the plane. You want to see the ground, not the sky. Yeah, you lose the ‘AWACS‘ look but you get more funtionality. If your wanting to buy one of these just remember when it comes to R/C planes you get what you pay for. This plane has no control surfaces, the direction is controled by giving more or less power to one the motors on the wings. Want to turn right, you give more power to the left motor. Your not going to be pulling any fancy acrobatics with this craft. It also looks to be made out of foam so one arrested landing via a tree trunk is going to leave a mark. Buy extra wings and some tape. If you see one on a discount table someplace pick it up, but don’t pay full retail. If you just can’t wait to take pictures from the air of somthing give kite aerial photography a try.

[via red ferret ]

Radio-Control Digital Camera Plane

Print Your Own Rulers!

Printable rulers 

 

This is exactly what I have been looking for. I have a Moleskine notepad that I keep with me at all times and I don’t know how often I’ve needed a ruler that is marked in millimeters. One of these rulers has already been added to the collection of goodies I keep within the covers of my intrepid notebook. I think I’ll print out the color square rulers too just in case I need to take any photos that need a scale next to it. Never know when I might see a bigfoot track out in the wild.

[via Core77 Design and Lifehacker]

Quick Printable Rulers