andrewvs

E ink

The principal components of electronic ink are millions of tiny microcapsules, about the diameter of a human hair. Each microcapsule contains positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles move to the top of the microcapsule where they become visible to the user. This makes the surface appear white at that spot. At the same time, an opposite electric field pulls the black particles to the bottom of the microcapsules where they are hidden. By reversing this process, the black particles appear at the top of the capsule, which now makes the surface appear dark at that spot.

Ok. So what does that mean to you and me?

E ink's electronic paper display is reflective and can be easily read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments while being able to be seen at virtually any angle—just like paper. Its black and white ink-on-paper look, combined with a resolution in excess of most portable devices at approximately 170 pixels per inch (PPI), gives an appearance similar to that of the most widely read material on the planet—newspaper. Because the display uses power only when an image is changed, a user can read more than 10,000 pages before the four AAA Alkaline batteries need to be replaced.

Bottom line: liquid crystal displays have replaced bulky cathode ray tubes. E ink and similar technologies are starting to ship now, and they will replace liquid crystal displays.

Here's a close-up photo of what the beads look like:

For more information about E ink go here. If you'd like to see a similar technology called Gyricon, go here.

New Kind of Science::Free Book Online

Stephen Wolfram's A New Kind of Science is now online for free. The book itself is quite remarkable. The author suggests that our view of the natural world is limited by the language we use to describe it. By simulating the world using small computer programs (cellular automata), we can learn more about why things are the way they are—that's science.

I'm also impressed by what a fantastic job Wolfram has done in putting the book online. The navigation system is straightforward, clear, and powerful. There are also a number of supporting elements such as notes for each chapter, downloadable programs, downloadable images, and a forum for reader comments.

I think we're going to see A LOT more of this kind of dual publishing in the future—books available for a price through traditional retailers and for free on the internet.

Solar Powered Ice Maker

The ISAAC Solar Icemaker is an Intermittent Solar Ammonia-water Absorption Cycle. The ISAAC uses a parabolic trough solar collector and a compact and efficient design to produce ice with no fuel or electric input, and with no moving parts.

The ISAAC Solar Icemaker operates in two modes. During the day, solar energy is used to generate liquid ammonia refrigerant. During the night, the generator is cooled by a thermosyphon and ice is formed in the evaporator compartment as ammonia is reabsorbed to the generator.

The construction of the ISAAC Solar Icemaker involves only welding, piping and sheet metal work, and there are no expensive materials. The 11 square meter ISAAC can be produced for about $7,000.

An ISAAC produces six blocks of ice each day, weighing ten kilograms each. If an icebox requires five kilograms of ice per day to stay cool, then one ISAAC will be able to supply domestic refrigeration to twelve households.

Orange Juice + Toothpaste = Yuck

Have you ever brushed your teeth in the morning, then had a nice tasty glass of orange juice, only to find that it tasted terrible?

What's the deal?

The culprit is sodium lauryl sulfate—an ingredient in most toothpastes that works as foaming agent. (That way, you know the toothpaste is working.)

Sodium lauryl sulfate affects the function of the taste sensors on your tongue. There are four basic tastes detected by your tongue: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. A large part of the taste of orange juice is due to the bitter/sour flavor of the citric acid it contains. Sodium lauryle sulfate slightly suppresses the sweet sensors and enormously enhances the bitter sensors. That's why it tastes so bad.

How a Polygraph Machine Works

According to a report published by the Federation of American Scientists:

Intelligence agencies certainly have an affinity to the polygraph machine, though. The Lie Behind the Lie Detector cites that in 1993 the NSA wrote to the White House over 95% of the information the NSA develops on individuals who do not meet federal security guidelines is derived via [voluntary admissions from] the polygraph process. And the Joint Security Commission noted in a 1994 report content that many polygraph proponents are content that as long as the polygraph elicits admissions to screen out unsuitable applicants and actual security risks, the questions about the polygraphs validity remain academic.

So, a polygraph machine doesn't work because your body gives you away through changes in respiration rate, heart rate, or galvanic skin response (sweat). It works because people believe that it works, and they confess.

Can You Tan/Burn through Glass?

Yes.

There are many different types of glass. Most are indistinguishable to the human eye, but they provide very different amounts of protection against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The Sun Protection Factor (PF) measures the decrease in ultraviolet radiation transmitted through a material. An SPF of 50 means there is a 50-fold reduction in the amount of ultraviolet radiation transmitted.

  SPF        Type of Glass
  10........Window glass (house)
  12........Car side windows
  75........Car windshield (laminated)
  80........Office building glass

It is interesting to note that the plastic sheet in the windshield of your car to hold the glass together in the event of an accident also blocks much of the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Side windows, that more easily shatter because they lack the plastic layer, allow much more radiation through.

Bottom line: Driving around for 1 hour with your arm hanging out the window produces the same effect as rolling the window up and keeping your arm inside for 12 hours.

Click on the image above to enlarge it.

Gasoline Powered Pogo Stick

Back in the heroic days, before product liability lawsuits over spilled coffee, Chance Manufacturing of Wichita Illinois manufactured and sold a gasoline powered pogo stick called the Hop Rod.

The pogo stick was essentially a small gasoline motor. The connecting rod for the piston was the foot of the pogo stick, and the bouncing action fired the spark plug through a magneto. You filled the tank, turned on the switch, and bounced. Each bounce took you higher...and higher...and to the emergency room, most likely.

One story going around during the 70s was that Goodyear racing tire engineers had redesigned the piston and port configuration and, with special fuel, were getting a back-breaking 12' per hop.

Thrillseekers today can take a ride—if they dare—on a powered pogo stick called Pogomatic that is capable of...and I'm not making this up..."a constant bounce height of several inches." Hold on to your hats!

Ultimately, and not surprisingly, the Hop Rod was banned. Once again, mankind usurps nature's great equalizer—natural selection. (If this thing wouldn't take you out of the gene pool, I don't know what would.)

Note: Click on the image above to see a larger view.

Steadicam Camera Stabilization System

Steadicam is a camera stabilization system that produces smooth and jitterfree handheld shots. One of the first applications in a feature film was in Rocky where the camera followed Sylvester Stallone as he ran up the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum. It was also used extensively in The Shining—most people will remember the scene where the little boy is being chased through the wintery hedge maze by his father near the end of the film.

The system is purely mechanical and works by:      1. isolating the camera from all but the largest movements of the operator (isolation)      2. distributing the mass of the camera (inertia), and      3. placing the center of gravity where the operator can manipulate it (balance). For more information on how it works, go here.

Unfortunately, the least expensive version of the system, Steadicam JR "Lite"—pictured above—costs $495 new. If this seems a little pricey to you, why not build your own "lite" version? Here's a website with construction plans for one that will cost you $14 in materials, and here is a page devoted to a variety of homemade camera stabilization systems. For a set of plans that are more like the full-sized version of the Steadicam go here.

Finally, if you want a comprehensive book on building the equipment the "big boys" use for major features (like dollys, booms, and cranes), check out Killer Camera Rigs That You Can Build.

VapAire Water Generating Machine

This "water cooler" uses condensation coils to extract water from the atmosphere—5 gallons per day at an 80% humidity level. Because of the extraction process used and the anti-microbial properties of the 5-stage filtration system, the water is essentially pure. (The company also touts it as a dehumidifier and air filtration system.) Just plug it in to 110V, 220V, or a solar panel, and you're all set—there's no plumbing to worry about.

Learn more about the company here, or read an article from U.S. Water News Online here.

MSRP: $2,995.00

Whiteboard Image Capture

This software converts poorly-lit, off-angle, digital photos of whiteboards (or other flat images) into neat, crisp images. See the before and after pictures below.

http://www.polyvision.com/products/wbp.asp
$249
Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT 4.0 (or greater), ME, and XP.

Question: Are you aware of any similar software for Mac OS X?

You can produce a similar effect in Photoshop using the Crop tool with the Perspective option turned on. Read on to learn how...