Belt-Fed Nerf Cannon Available
UNLEASH HELL
Remember the Nerf N-STRIKE Vulcan EBF-25 belt-fed office warfare toy spotted at Toy Fair 2008? It’s available. :D Totally worth it, too.
Tags: gizmodo, nerf, toy, vulcan ebf-25
Graphene - Strongest Material Ever Tested
Jul 17, 2008 Sci/Tech
Technology Review has posted an article about Graphene, which has been thought to be the strongest material known since it was first isolated. Scientists were finally able to test it and confirm that it is.
Jeffrey Kysar and James Hone, mechanical-engineering professors at Columbia University, tested graphene’s strength at the atomic level by measuring the force that it took to break it. They carved one-micrometer-wide holes into a silicon wafer, placed a perfect sample of graphene over each hole, and then indented the graphene with a sharp probe made of diamond.
Now, before you tremble in fear at the thought of the next generation of battle robots covered in this stuff, as they noted that “Only a tiny sample can be perfect and superstrong”. What they ARE interested in using this for is as a replacement for silicon in transistors.
“The main liability concerning the microprocessing industry is strain,” says Julia Greer, a materials scientist at Caltech. Not only must the materials used to make transistors have good electrical properties, but they must also be able to survive the stresses of manufacturing processes and the heat generated by repeated operations. The processes used to pattern metal electrical connections onto microprocessors, for example, exert stresses that can cause chips to fail. And, says Greer, the main obstacle to making faster microprocessors is that “the heat is too much for materials to take.” Based on measurements of its strength, graphene transistors could take the heat.
That means they could stay in the kitchen, as well. Very nice. H/T to Gizmodo for the link to a neat article.
Tags: gizmodo, graphene, science it works bitches, technology review
Solar Upgrades
Jul 11, 2008 Sci/Tech
Researchers at MIT have figured out a way to increase the effectiveness of existing solar panels (or create solar power from windows). Here’s a description from the article on just what is happening:
The dye-based organic solar concentrator functions without the use of tracking or cooling systems, greatly reducing the overall cost compared to other concentrator technologies. Dye molecules coated on glass absorb sunlight, and re-emit it at a different wavelengths. The light is trapped and transported within the glass until it is captured by solar cells at the edge. Some light passes through the concentrator and can be absorbed by lower voltage solar cells underneath.
It really seems like alternative energy stuff is picking up speed, which is fantastic. Very cool. H/T to Gizmodo.
Tags: dye, gizmodo, solar, solar power, windows
Office Spaced
A California man used an automated script to sign up for more than 58,000 Google Checkout, Paypal, brokerage and other online accounts that use deposit verification techniques, and got sent $58,000. Think Office Space. It would’ve worked, except:
However, Largent used false names, including cartoon characters, as well as false addresses and social security numbers, which opened him to conviction under laws on mail, bank and wire fraud.
I want the list of cartoon characters used. Seen at Gizmodo.
Tags: gizmodo, stealing money
Wall-Climbing Robot
Check this out: Researchers at SRI International have come up with a wall-climbing robot - one that uses electro-adhesion to attach to the wall. There is a video at the Popular Mechanics link, which shows a tracked ‘vehicle’ climbing up a normal household wall. Pretty neat technology. Spotted at Gizmodo.
Tags: gizmodo
Robot Snow Shovel For Places That Don’t Need It
With the incredibly inventive name I-Shovel, to boot. I’ve been expecting something like this, to be honest, but I can’t imagine it will be tough enough to work during a real snowstorm. Spotted at Gizmodo.
Just in Time for the Clan Invasion of the Inner Sphere
Gizmodo brings me this little bit of terror…apparently someone wants to make HUGE Forest Fire fighting robots. With MASSIVE SAW BLADES at the ends of the arms. But of COURSE it will NEVER be used for any sort of military purpose, right? And it will stay perfectly within our control, at all times. Okay! I’m glad it’s just a far-off model at this point, don’t know about you.
Tags: forest fire, gizmodo, robot, robot overlords, robots
Steampunk Toy Modder Interviewed at Gizmodo
Apr 21, 2008 Gadgets
In case you haven’t seen his work before, check out Sillof’s Workshop, where the model maker creates and modifies action figures in fun ways. Want to see Han Solo and Chewie as WWII bomber pilots? Or the Justice League as Victorian-era heroes? You can now. Gizmodo interviewed Sillof to find out what prompted him to start modding toys. Very cool stuff.
Tags: action figures, chewbacca, gizmodo, han solo, modified, sillof, toys
Famous Robots
Apr 18, 2008 Media
The Chop Shop has a geeky t-shirt that also acts as a test of your geekitude, the weRobot shirt.
They are all there… 51 different robots from film, television, books, toys and one even from a famous classic rock album. Can you figure out all 51?
I just saw this at Gizmodo, very cool (if a bit more than I would normally pay for a t-shirt).
Tags: gizmodo, robot, robot overlords, robots, t-shirt
Ultra-fast, Ultra-intense Laser Kills Cancer, Bonds Metal to Bone
Mar 14, 2008 Sci/Tech
Researchers at the University of Missouri are testing practical applications of a UUL (Ultra-fast, Ultra-intense Laser), or femtosecond laser. Because it’s pulses last one quadrillionth of a second, there is little transfer of heat to the areas surrounding the target. Quoted:
What makes the femtosecond laser different from other lasers is its unique capacity to interact with its target without transferring heat to the area surrounding its mark. The intensity of the power gets the job done while the speed ensures heat does not spread. Results are clean cuts, strong welds and precision destruction of very small targets, such as cancer cells, with no injury to surrounding materials. Tzou hopes that the laser would essentially eliminate the need for harmful chemical therapy used in cancer treatments.
As mentioned, one of the other potential uses is to assist in the bonding of metal to bone…which would be very helpful to doctors that are replacing joints.
Associate Professor Yuwen Zhang and Professor Jinn-Kuen Chen recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to use the laser to “sinter” metal powders—turn them into a solid, yet porous, mass using heat but without massive liquefaction—a process which can help improve the bond between joint implants and bone.
“With the laser, we can melt a very thin strip around titanium micro- and nanoparticles and ultimately control the porosity of the bridge connecting the bone and the alloy,” Zhang said. “The procedure allows the particles to bond strongly, conforming to the two different surfaces.”
It’s noted that the Defense Department is interested, providing grant money to research Military applications (Wolverine, anyone?). Thanks to Gizmodo.
Tags: bone, cancer, femtosecond laster, gizmodo, laser, mu, ultra-fast, ultra-intense, university of missouri, UUL, wolverine
