NavigationBanners
McCain-Feingold
Active forum topicsRecent blog postsUser loginWho's new
Who's onlineThere are currently 1 user and 724 guests online.
Online users:
|
GadgetsHear Better on Your CellphoneSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Tue, 2008-12-30 08:36.
Candice Chan at Wired - to hear better on your cell phone in a crowded place, cover the microphone, so that the ear listening to the phone hears only the person on the other end, not the background noise. Haven't tried it. Sounds like a good idea. add new comment | quote | 415 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Christmas Harp 2008Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Thu, 2008-12-25 12:07.
My daughter has been playing the harp for a quite a few years now. She started out with a rented full-sized harp, then got a Dusty Strings 26-string harp of her own, which she now takes to school on the bus once a week. My wife has been looking for a full-sized harp for many years. She finally found one, on eBay, a few days ago. It's a Dusty Strings FH36B in Bubinga wood. She won the auction on Tuesday afternoon, and drove to a pawn shop in the Bronx yesterday, in the rain, to pick it up. What a Christmas present!
2 comments | quote | 603 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Conspicuous Coffee ConsumerismSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2008-12-24 12:38.
I waxed eloquent a few days back about making Capulin Coffee in my Aeropress. Well, I've been using an old old blade coffee grinder to turn my beans into powder, and I got tired of it. So I ordered a brand new KitchenAid Pro Line Burr Coffee Mill. Works good. Only took a few tries to get the grind size and amount ideal for how I like my coffee. 10 pounds of stainless steel and glass. It will probably survive me. The photos below are after grinding some beans, ready to mix with hot water, plunge, and enjoy!
add new comment | quote | 554 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Capulin Coffee + Aeropress = HeavenSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2008-12-17 14:01.
I reported over two years ago about my acquisition of the Aerobie® Aeropress™ coffee maker. Well, about six months ago I discovered an incredible coffee, Capulin Coffee. Shade grown in the jungles of Mexico, processed by hand without water. Best coffee I've ever had. Not cheap, but easily worth every penny. Well, I left my Aeropress at my sister-in-law's place at Thanksgiving of 2007, and didn't get it back until Thanksgiving of this year. Tried the Capulin Coffee in it. What can I say? Putting the best coffee in the world into the best coffee maker in the world makes Bill a very happy hacker. Yum!
add new comment | quote | 626 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
New Hand DrillSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2008-01-23 09:51.
I bought a hand drill at Sears nearly thirty years ago. It still works, but it's gotten a little loose over the years. I decided to get a new one. The new one is bigger, tougher, has two gears instead of one, and is screwed, not riveted, together. Haven't drilled any holes with it yet, but I think it will work well. $15. Made in China by Great Neck Saw Mfrs, Inc. of Mineola, NY. Click the "read more" link for photos. ( categories: Gadgets )
Samsung S730 CameraSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Sun, 2008-01-20 21:14.
I bought a Samsung S730 digital camera at Target the other day. Was there looking for a birthday gift for my daughter to give to a friend of hers, and it jumped out and grabbed me. $100. There were hundred dollar cameras from HP, Nikon, and Kodak there, but they were out of stock, and this one has more pixels. Haven't played with it enough to know how good its lens is, but it takes movies, audio, and still photos. Comes with very little memory, but $25 got me a gigabyte SD card, which holds over 700 full-resolution (7.2 megapixel) images. Nice to have a better camera than the one in my iPhone.
( categories: Gadgets )
Sony® Portable Reader System PRS-500Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2006-09-27 08:39.
Sony - the electronic book is born. E-Paper screen. 20 gig hard drive. Windows, unfortunately. $350. Available at the end of October. Me want one. [/.] ( categories: Gadgets )
How Many Lightbulbs Does it Take to Change the World? One. And You're Looking At It.Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Thu, 2006-08-31 06:41.
Charles Fishman at Fast Company - compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFLs) have gotten cheaper and better. If you use them to replace your incandescent bulbs, not only will you save energy, you'll save money. Lots of it. [cafe] Last year, conversations started in Wal-Mart around the potential of swirls to save customers money on utility bills. "Somebody asked, 'What difference would it make if we changed the bulbs in the ceiling-fan display to CFLs?'" says Kerby. A typical Wal-Mart has 10 models of ceiling fans on display, each with four bulbs. Forty bulbs per store, 3,230 stores.
"Someone went off and did the math," says Kerby. "They told me we could save $6 million in electric bills by changing the incandescents to CFLs in more than 3,000 Wal-Marts. I couldn't believe it. I didn't know I was paying $6 million to light those fixtures. I said, that can't be right, go back and do the math again." The numbers came out the same the second time: savings of $6 million a year. "That, for me, was an 'I got it' moment." ( categories: Gadgets )
Broken AxleSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Tue, 2006-08-08 22:23.
We knew that the right front axle on my wife's car needed replacing. It was scheduled for repair on Thursday. What we didn't know is that it was so near failing and that it would fail so spectacularly. Fortunately, it happened 100 yards from our house and she was driving very slowly. Looks like big bucks to me. Sigh... We'll find out tomorrow.
( categories: Gadgets )
Battery-Fueled Car Will Smoke YouSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Thu, 2006-07-20 06:47.
Joshua Davis at Wired - Martin Eberhard has created the Tesla Roadster, a no-excuses electric sports car that does zero to sixty in under four seconds. Wouldn't want to pay for regularly replacing its battery pack, however. [/.] He releases the brake and my head snaps back. One-one-thousand: I get a floating feeling, like going over the falls in a roller coaster. Two-one-thousand: The world tunnels, the trees blur. Three-one-thousand: We hit 60 miles per hour. Eberhard brakes. We're at a standstill again -- elapsed time, nine seconds. When potential buyers get a look at the vehicle this summer, it will be among the quickest production cars in the world. And, compared to other supercars like the Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari Enzo, and Lamborghini Diablo, it's a bargain. More intriguing: It has no combustion engine.
The trick? The Tesla Roadster is powered by 6,831 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries -- the same cells that run a laptop computer. Range: 250 miles. Fuel efficiency: 1 to 2 cents per mile. Top speed: more than 130 mph. The first cars will be built at a factory in England and are slated to hit the market next summer. And Tesla Motors, Eberhard's company, is already gearing up for a four-door battery-powered sedan. From Slashdot discussion: Re:Global "Dependencies" (Score:5, Insightful)
by rainman_bc (735332) on Wednesday July 19, @09:49PM (#15747391) (http://costas.dyndns.ws/) I consider our reliance on oil much more "evil" than our reliance on electronics. PDA's aren't killing the earth quite as fast as cars are ^_^ Until something replaces Coal power plants as the main method of generating electricity, you're just replacing one evil for the other. Yes, I'm aware of Nucular, Hydro, Wind, Tidal, Natrual Gas. Doesn't matter. Coal is the most popular choice today. * Re:Global "Dependencies" by bman08 (Score:3) Wednesday July 19, @09:57PM Nucular George? Is that you? add new comment | quote | 1174 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Pontiac's RoadsterSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Fri, 2006-07-07 08:07.
I saw a Pontiac Solstice on the way to work this morning. Nice-looking convertible roadster. $20,490.
add new comment | quote | 1842 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Magnetic Power Modules(tm) and Quantum Dynamos(tm) - UpdateSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2006-05-03 06:20.
overtone at zpenergy.com - Magnetic Power, Inc, expects to have commercial zero-point energy devices by the end of next year. Hype? Don't know. Their life expectancy if true? Short. [jomama] We now see commercial products emerging from our prototype program during the last half of next year.
First will be Demonstration Devices. These will provide irrefutable evidence that the Quantum Dynamos can be a practical source for the conversion of an inexhaustible supply of energy. The target time frame for pre-manufacturing prototypes is the Summer of 2006. By the end of 2006, prototype 1 kW Magnetic Power Modules are expected to be available to the first few potential licensees. During 2007, one of these modules will replace the need to plug-in, a plug-in hybrid, -- in order to herald the end of dependence on fossil fuels. 2 comments | quote | 1870 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Hydrogen Fuel SystemsSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Tue, 2006-05-02 04:51.
United Nuclear, besides selling chemicals, was building a hydrogen fuel system for automobiles. Their conversion allowed the engine to automatically switch between hydrogen fuel, from a metal hydride tank, and gasoline. They were near commercialization, with systems planned for sale for $7,000 - $10,000, when they had to switch their efforts to fighting the feds, which I blogged last Friday. Part of their system is a solar hydrolysis machine, allowing you to make your own hydrogen, from water and sunlight, for nearly free. Unfortunately, the machine isn't very efficient yet, so it takes two days to fill one tank with hydrogen. Read details about their system on the Hydrogen Fuel Basics page. [clairefiles] add new comment | quote | 1608 reads
Teeny Reactor Pumps Out BiodieselSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Thu, 2006-04-20 06:43.
Associated Press via Wired - Goran Jovanovic of Oregon State University has created a device that greatly simplifies the conversion of vegetable oil and alcohol into biosiesel fuel. [wired] add new comment | quote | 1379 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
50th Birthday PresentSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2006-04-05 21:13.
I pass my first half century on the planet tomorrow. My mom gave me some money. I bought a toy tonight. Click for hi-res version (1161x327, 51K).  It came with two books:  The Russians do like their stamps:  6 comments | quote | 1948 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
SA solar research eclipses rest of the worldSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Tue, 2006-04-04 09:52.
Willem Steenkamp at IOL - 10 years of research have led to a new, more efficient, solar panel, based on a thin film of Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide (CIGS), instead of silicon, the conventional solar cell material. More articles and links here. Useful Google Search. The new solar panels are being mass produced by IFE Solar Systems (German language web site). Watch for the oil companies to buy the patent and shut down production. Or maybe we'll get lucky... [clairefiles] The unique South African-developed solar panels will make it possible for houses to become completely self-sufficient for energy supplies.
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house. The new technology should be available in South Africa within a year and through a special converter, energy can be fed directly into the wiring of existing houses. New powerful storage units will allow energy storage to meet demands even in winter. The panels are so efficient they can operate through a Cape Town winter. while direct sunlight is ideal for high-energy generation, other daytime light also generates energy via the panels. add new comment | quote | 1491 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Jell-O Fix for Spinal CordsSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2006-03-29 06:41.
Elizabeth Svoboda at Wired - they've restored function to injured spinal cords in rats by inserting a gel impregnated with stem cells. No tests on humans yet. Hope it works for us. Another reason not to block stem cell research. [wired] add new comment | quote | 1068 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Encyclopodia – the encyclopedia on your iPodSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 2006-03-01 14:30.
Wikipedia on your ipod! Installs an iPod Linux as a dual boot on your iPod, enabling browsing of Wikipedia on its tiny screen. I haven't tried it. [picks] add new comment | quote | 1182 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Super BatterySubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Tue, 2006-02-28 10:37.
Spencer Reiss at Wired - the M1 battery, from A123 Systems, will greatly increase the power and time between charges of portable electric tools. It will be good for automobiles, too. They're safer, more environmentally friendly, provide five times the peak power (more than a typical 110 volt electrical socket), and have over twice the power density of existing Lithium Ion batteries. And they recharge to 90% in five minutes. [wired] add new comment | quote | 1259 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
Honda to produce fuel cell car in three to four yearsSubmitted by Bill St. Clair on Sat, 2006-02-25 11:07.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur via Monsters and Critics - far out! They're also going to sell a Home Energy Station (HES), a fuel cell for the home. Don't know where you're going to buy the hydrogen, though. Hopefully, the solar hydrogen generators will be available by then, so you can do that at home, too. [root] add new comment | quote | 1097 reads
( categories: Gadgets )
 |
BlogrollMike VanderboeghQuotesEvery man, woman, and responsible child has an unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon -- rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- any time, any place, without asking anyone's permission. -- L. Neil Smith Reread that pesky first clause of the Second Amendment. It doesn't say what any of us thought it said. What it says is that infringing the right of the people to keep and bear arms is treason. What else do you call an act that endangers "the security of a free state"? And if it's treason, then it's punishable by death. I suggest due process, speedy trials, and public hangings. -- L. Neil Smith Based on 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, and some of its own empirical work, the panel couldn't identify a single gun control regulation that reduced violent crime, suicide or accidents. -- John Lott, commenting on the National Academy of Sciences report (PDF) on gun control laws Zero Aggression Principle ("Zap") "A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim." -- L. Neil Smith Formerly called the "Non-Aggression Principle", or "NAP" Why Did It Have to be... Guns? Make no mistake: all politicians -- even those ostensibly on the side of guns and gun ownership -- hate the issue and anyone, like me, who insists on bringing it up. They hate it because it's an X-ray machine. It's a Vulcan mind-meld. It's the ultimate test to which any politician -- or political philosophy -- can be put. If a politician isn't perfectly comfortable with the idea of his average constituent, any man, woman, or responsible child, walking into a hardware store and paying cash -- for any rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- without producing ID or signing one scrap of paper, he isn't your friend no matter what he tells you. If he isn't genuinely enthusiastic about his average constituent stuffing that weapon into a purse or pocket or tucking it under a coat and walking home without asking anybody's permission, he's a four-flusher, no matter what he claims. What his attitude -- toward your ownership and use of weapons -- conveys is his real attitude about you. And if he doesn't trust you, then why in the name of John Moses Browning should you trust him? -- L. Neil Smith "Tell me," I was once asked, "What do you think about gun control? Give me the short answer." To which I replied, "If you try to take our firearms we will kill you." -- Mike Vanderboegh Also from The Atlanta Declaration: ... like going to the bathroom, breathing, eating, sleeping, or making love, it turns out that self-defense is a bodily function one cannot safely or effectively delegate to a second party. -- L. Neil Smith This does not mean that "Marijuana should be available by prescription." It means that morphine sulfate should be available in five pound bags at the supermarket for a couple of bucks, like sugar... but probably in a different aisle, to avoid confusion. -- Vin Suprynowicz The state can only survive as long as a majority is programmed to believe that theft isn't wrong if it's called taxation or asset forfeiture or eminent domain, that assault and kidnapping isn't wrong if it's called arrest, that mass murder isn't wrong if it's called war. -- Bill St. Clair Monthly ArchivesTTLB |
Recent comments
1 day 4 hours ago
1 week 2 days ago
1 week 3 days ago
1 week 4 days ago
1 week 4 days ago
1 week 5 days ago
1 week 5 days ago
1 week 5 days ago
1 week 5 days ago
1 week 5 days ago