more stuff

computer controlled light cube

posted jun 22, 2006, 3:00 pm et by eliot phillips
related entries: misc hacks


[alex hornstein] was bored one saturday and decided to do something
with the large pieces of scrap acrylic he had found. he built a cube
and attached 15 rgb led clusters along with 4 gb led sticks. it takes
50w of power. the controller is built from atmega48 and is controlled
via serial commands over a wireless link from spark fun. you can find
schematics, pictures, and video on his site, art is wrong.
http://tinyurl.com/qae9m

Qwikie
Quick paint touch-up


This is a great tool for touching up paint in your home. There is
nothing to clean up at all. Simply unscrew the cap, paint the area
that needs to be touched up, and replace the cap. A real time saver.

-- Phil Slight

Qwikie
3 for $16
Available from Builder Depot

Manufactured by Qwikie

http://tinyurl.com/kday5

New Company to Produce Biodiesel From Algae

June 26, 2006 12:47 PM - Justin Thomas, Virginia


Producing biodiesel from algae has been touted as the most efficient
way to make biodiesel fuel. The advantage being that the land
requirement for growing the biodiesel is very small. Independent
studies have demonstrated that algae is capable of producing 30 times
more oil per acre than the current crops now utilized for the
production of biofuels. Algae biofuel contains no sulfur, is non-
toxic and highly biodegradable. Some species of algae are ideally
suited to biodiesel production due to their high oil content, in
excess of 50%, and extremely rapid growth rates.

Algae BioFuels, a subsidiary of PetroSun Drilling, will be engaged in
the research and development of algae cultivation as an energy source
in the production of biodiesel. The R&D and production facilities for
Algae BioFuels will be based in Arizona and Australia.

:: Business Wire Via Energy Blog

http://tinyurl.com/gl9q9

Phloating Photovoltaics — Sunengy's Liquid Solar Array

June 26, 2006 12:20 PM - Warren McLaren, Sydney


Yet more thinking-out-of-the-box when it comes to solar energy. This
time around Sunengy reckons we should be building floating panels
connected into rafts of solar arrays. A thin film Fresnel sheet, held
distant from the actual photovoltaic cell by a supporting frame,
focuses the sun’s rays. The heat generated on the cell itself, is
dissipated by siting it in contact with the water. The Fresnel lens
will rotate into the water to protect itself in the advent of strong
winds. Because the lens and cell unit rotates it can track the
movement of the sun throughout the day. Sunengy from Australia also
suggest their design uses 50 times less ‘exotic materials’ than
standard solar cells reducing costs per kilowatt. ::Sunengy, via New
Scientist.

http://tinyurl.com/zojkw

Challenge: Build the Solar Powered Air Conditioner

June 26, 2006 07:17 AM - Lloyd Alter, Toronto
We continue to be fascinated by the idea of a solar powered air
conditioner, particularly after reading this in Alternet. Until
central air became common, Florida and Arizona were barely habitable-
you went in winter and cleared out. Now 20% of our energy goes to
power air conditioning, and it defines the peak loads. 5.5% of our
gasoline goes to power our car air conditioning, and four southern
states-California, Arizona, Texas and Florida, account for 35% of it.
Clearly if we are going to use less energy we have to address this
problem. So here is a challenge to all you Lifehacker and Make types-
build it for us. And not a lame ice-cooled pretend air conditioner
but the real thing. Here are some ideas and parameters:

http://tinyurl.com/l6ol9

Design your own Anti-Procrastination Plan UT Learning Center at the
Unversity of Texas has released a design plan for overcoming anti-
procrastination. The plan has first steps - schedule your tasks for
your project, take action, use your friends, and keep a journal - and
take action is probably the most important step within the plan:

_____ When it comes time to do your task and you are tempted to
procrastinate, make yourself sit down for 5 minutes and think about
what you are about to do. Envision the emotional and physical
consequences of procrastinating — and of following through on your
plan to work. After you think this over, go ahead and do what you
judge best … with no apologies or second thoughts!

_____ Imagine how you would behave in the next hour or day if you
were NOT a procrastinator. Get a clear picture in your mind — and
then act out that role, pretend, for the next hour or day, that you
are not a procrastinator. When you are done, evaluate your
“acting”: did you do a good job? How did it feel?

_____ When you feel an impulse to work on your project, follow up on
it: do it at the moment you think of it and keep at it until you
don’t feel like it anymore.

_____ Decide on a specific reward for success — and/or a punishment
for failure — at working on your task. Make it realistic and follow
through. For example, you might decide that you won’t take a bath on
a day when you don’t work on your paper.

Design your own Anti-Procrastination Plan - [UT Learning Center]

http://tinyurl.com/hrykg

Top 10 Signs You’re Made to be an Entrepreneur

Wonder if you can be an entrepreneur? Or you should stay in your job?
Fred Gratzon has complied a list of personality traits that may
suitable for entrepreneurship. I had fun reading it, yet some of them
are smart and well thought:

7. You are always looking for and/or seeing economic opportunity
everywhere and in everything. While at a concert, you occupy yourself
by estimating the evening’s take and its gross margins instead of
listening to the music.

6. You spend more time and energy looking for easier, faster,
cheaper, more effective ways of accomplishing something than if you
just did the task outright.

5. You would enthusiastically trade a life-time pass to Disneyland
for one ride in the Vomit Comet. In other words, you would give up a
secure, even-keeled, bland existence for a life that whipsaws
uncontrollably between exhilaration and terror.

Top 10 Signs You’re Made to be an Entrepreneur - [The Lazy Way to
Success]

http://tinyurl.com/hcf5w

DIY Home Projectors
READ MORE: DIY, HOME ENTERTAINMENT, HOW-TO, KITS, TOP, PROJECTORS


Not unlike homebrew beer kits, DIY projector kits are an easy to make
projectors in the comfort of your own home. Unlike homebrew beer
kits, however, a bottle skunky self-made beer won’t burn your house
down if you make it wrong.
The folks at LumenLab are here to help. They have a full DIY kit,
forums, and free instructions on creating your own HD projector for
pennies. While it may require a degree in electronics and a
underdeveloped fear of death, it seems like an interesting way to
rock your own 120” screen. – JOHN BIGGS
Product Page [LumenLab via TechDigest]
http://tinyurl.com/ryjmc

Build your own laptop at Panasonic


Panasonic's Let's Note laptop line is turning ten years old, and the
company is sponsoring one of the coolest sales promotions that I've
ever seen. Their first annual Let's Note Build Fest invites 50
children from around Kobe, Japan to come buy a notebook, but there's
a catch. The kids are buying a box of parts and they have to assemble
the laptop before they can take it home! Fifty students from nine to
eighteen are being given the chance to pony up $1050 USD for this
great hands-on experience.

Panasonic's T5 is a great choice for a project like this since the
notebook uses standard hardware, and the fourteen available colors
add to the festivities. I can't think of a better way to demystify
the inner workings of computers for children and technical neophytes.
The hands on DIY scene is hot right now and I can see lots of adults
signing up for this type of instructional purchase. Just to
reiterate, Panasonic: If you bring this to the States I would love to
roll my own laptop.

Via IDG's DWT, and here's an auto translation of the original
announcement.

POSTED BY JOHNNY EMAIL THIS | DEL.ICIO.US | DIGG

http://tinyurl.com/mrwww

LandRoller


Bigger is better. Hardly a provocative claim these days, but made
much more impressive when we're talking about the next generation of
inline skates. The LandRoller, (which looks like a pair of
rollerblades on crack) has extra large angled wheels on a short wheel
base which give greater stability and control over a wider range of
terrain. In addition to a smoother ride, the LandRoller also claims
to provide more maneuverability and better braking, making this
latest skate offering the new up and coming challenger to more
traditional products. With Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Anton Ohno
repping for the company, I can see the LandRoller making a legitimate
grab for a chunk of the blading population. The videos on the website
sure look fun enough. The only detractor might be the steep $249.99
price tag, which will keep these gliders fairly exclusive for the
time being. Then again, that may be a good thing for those who can
afford them.

POSTED BY KATHERINE EMAIL THIS | DEL.ICIO.US | DIGG

http://tinyurl.com/o23vl