New diode promises to uncork optical computing bottleneck. When it comes to speed, photons leave electrons for dead, which means optical computers will be much faster than their current electron-based cousins. While diodes for use in optical information processing systems already exist, these require external assistance to transmit signals so cannot be readily integrated into computer chips. Now researchers at Purdue University have developed a "passive optical diode" that not only doesn't require any outside help to transmit signals, but is also so small that millions would fit on a computer chip, potentially leading to faster, more powerful information processing and supercomputers. While massive amounts of data are transmitted around the globe through fiber optic cables, the optical signals must be converted into electronic signals when they arrive at their destination for use in computers - and vice versa.
Former MakerBot exec launches Solidoodle sub-$500 3D printer. Ninja Remote Stealth Television Gadget. Author: Gadget Mania Filed under: Gadgets, News, Spy and Security Date: Mar 11,2012 On. Off. Volume Up. Volume Down. Channel Up. Channel Down. Places you could use the Ninja Remote (not that we’re encouraging you): At home (we are not responsible for your couples therapy bills)At school (c’mon teen geeks, you know you’re tired of those boring history videos)In the doctor or dentist’s waiting room (if they’re going to waste half your day…)At friends’ houses (leave it there for a few days, then come back later to retrieve it)On photography trips (as a super long range shutter remote) The Ninja Remote is here to give you real ultimate power.
Product Specifications Prank device allows you to control virtually any TV or digital cameraWorks up to 400 feet away (a good ninja is never seen!) Hack your solar garden lights. Solar garden lights.... How on earth do they manage to sell something with a solar panel, rechargeable battery, step-up converter, LED and the plastic and metal casing for a dollar/pound. You can't even buy the bare components for anywhere near that, in fact the solar panel alone would probably cost you five times the cost of the whole light! This project is about hacking your solar lights to make them different colours and potentially increasing the battery life too.Solar lights are great to hack. They're cheap enough not to worry if you mess up, and very gratifying because they are effectively free to run due to being powered by sunlight. Here's the test subject for this project. A solar pillar light from a UK shop called Poundland (A British dollar store).
Before starting, turn the light on with the little switch usually mounted next to the LED, and cover the solar panel to check that it lights up. Now put in your new LED noting the polarity (long lead is positive). Electronics. FABtotum - Microwave-sized 3D Copier in $1,000 - A Multi-purpose Personal Fabrication Device. The FABtotum is a multipurpose "personal fabrication device" — about to crush its goal on Indiegogo — that combines the technology of a 3D printer, a 3D scanner, and a CNC milling machine all in one microwave-sized package. Wondering what that means? Well, basically it's like having a hyper-efficient mini manufacturing facility on your countertop.
Not only can it turn out plastic objects seemingly from thin air (like any other desktop 3D printer currently on the market), but it can make perfect digital copies — and subsequent printed plastic duplicates — of any relatively small object, much like the Photon 3D Scanner. It would make life a whole lot more convenient: you wouldn't need to fish around for misplaced screws or hardware; or a missing button for that blazer. Want something "printed" in a material other than plastic?