I Read Stuff!!

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Best of 2007

I assumed that there were plenty of 'Best of' links available, but when I started trolling Google they just didn't materialize. I knew pop sci wouldn't fail me, so I hunted out their list.

To me the most exciting thing is the affordable solar panels. This solar sheeting feels like a real product. They are actually producing the stuff, and we can expect to see it next year.

When you look at each category, be sure to scroll to the bottom and look at all the nominees.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Worst Of 2007

Everyone does a 'best of', but the reality is that people want dirt. They don't want to hear about who's succeeded. They want to hear about who fell on their face.

So in the anti-spirit of the season, PC World has listed the top 15 technological debacles of 2007.

Enjoy

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Day Glow

There are two important things that glow in the dark, star shaped ceiling stickers and radioactive material. In the past you were forced to enjoy these things separately, but thanks to MPK Co. your dream of radioactive stickers is about to become a reality.



Litrospheres are a collection of micro particles similar to what you would find in modern perfume and makeup. While perfume particles are made to burst, Litrospheres can withstand 5,000 pounds of crushing weight. It's very important that they be strong, because instead of oils these spheres hold a radioactive gas.

The gas releases something lovingly called "soft" emissions, which the beads are sturdy enough to shield. However the light from the reaction escapes to glow with the intensity of a 20 watt bulb. Unlike the star stickers on your ceiling, this paint doesn't need to recharge. The paint will continue to glow for 12 years!

Who needs outside lights when your whole house glows?

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Jet Pack

We recently had a conversation about future technologies that the human race is suppose to invent. The Texan made the claim that flying cars will come before the jet pack. He reasoned that the car technology will be adapted for the smaller pack.

However, Jet Pack International sees things slightly differently, and their video argument is rather convincing.



The T-73 will fly over 25 miles without the need for more Jet A-1 fuel, though you'll have to go all out to get that far. For a quarter of a million you can have your very own.

I want to go pick up a gallon of milk in one. Can you imagine walking through the checkout line with one of these things strapped to your back? Then just step outside and away you go.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

More Tornadoes

In most industrial environments you have to burn something in order to create. This process generally produces a lot of extra heat that is considered waste heat. That wasted energy is usually dumped into a river or some other water source.

Well Louis Michaud has a pretty interesting idea about how to reclaim a bit of that lost energy. He proposes building a giant cooling tower like you see next to nuclear power plants, a big concrete cylinder. He would then surround the base of the tower with the heated water from an industrial plant. Using some big fans, he would push air through the water which heats it and adds humidity. The air is then dumped into the cooling tower in a whirlpool like motion.

The hot air in the cylinder will now rise and be displaced by more air through the heated water. The convection process creates a certain amount of mechanical energy that will begin to pull the air into the cooling tower. As more and more air rises a funnel will form.

In Kansas, we call that a tornado.

The water will continue to supply heat energy, while the tornado will convert it into the mechanical movement of the air. Eventually the tornado's motion will be self sustaining which will drive the fans that originally started the process. Those fans will be attached to generators.

We would be creating electricity off of a domesticated tornado. While I'm not sure if the process will work, it is something I'd really like to see.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

AutoCopter

I've always found RC toys to be fascinating. They're fun to run about the house, chase the dog or cat, and jump it off of random items. You can do all of that in about 30 minutes and then you're done. You've effectively used up all the fun.

RC enthusiasts get more out of them by building them from scratch. They go faster, fly higher etc. This too is limited because once you've built your toy you've got about 30 more minutes of fun.

After the fun is all run out there are usually two things left to do. You can either attach fireworks to the thing, or you can attach an Auto Assault-12 Full-Auto Shotgun.

God Bless America


Games
GameInterestRelease Date
Civilization IV1
C&C 31
Company of Heroes1
Half Life 21
Half Life 2: Episode One1
Supreme Commander1
Call of Duty 22
Darwinia2
Dungeon Runners2
Dungeon Siege II2
Far Cry2
Galactic Civilization II2
Hitman: Blood Money2
Jade Empire2
Neverwinter Nights 22
Prey2
Psychonauts2
Sam & Max: Episode 12
Titan Quest2
Dark Messiah Might and Magic3
Defcon3
Heroes of Might and Magic V3
Indigo Prophecy3
KOTOR II3
LEGO Star Wars3
Marvel Ultimate Alliance3
Space Rangers 2: The Rise of the Dominators3
STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl3
Stubbs the Zombie3
War Front3
Warhammer: Mark of Chaos3
Infernal35/8/2007
Shadowrun25/9/07
Pirates of the Burning SeaM6/1/2007
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars?6/5/2007
Two Worlds?6/26/07
Sins of A Solar Empire?8/1/2007
BioShock18/21/2007
Mass Effect19/7/07
Age of ConanM10/30/07
Crysis1Fall 2007
Elveon?Fall 2007
Half-Life 2: Episode Two1Fall 2007
Portals1Fall 2007
Spore1Fall 2007
Stranglehold?Fall 2007
Tabula RasaMFall 2007
Team Fortress 22Fall 2007
Dragon Age?Winter 2007
Fable 2?Winter 2007
Field Ops?Winter 2007
Halo Wars?Winter 2007
Gods & Heroes: Rome RisingMWinter 2007
Haze?Winter 2007
Hellgate: London1Winter 2007
HuxleyMWinter 2007
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men?Winter 2007
Left 4 Dead?Winter 2007
The AgencyMSpring 2008
Empire Earth III?Spring 2008
Guild Wars 2 MSpring 2008
Jericho?Spring 2008
Sacred 2?Spring 2008
Savage 2?Spring 2008
Time Shift2Spring 2008
Universe at War: Earth Assault3Spring 2008
The Witcher?Spring 2008
CellFactor?2008
Darkest of Days?2008
On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkeness: Episode 122008
Warhammer OnlineM2008
Alliance: The Silent War??
Alone in the Dark??
Assassin's Creed??
BioWare MMO??
The Crossing??
Dungeon Hero??
Fallout 3??
Lego Batman??
Mythos??
Overloard??
Space Seige??
Culdcept SagaPC??
Gears of WarPC??
God of WarPC??
Beautiful KatamariPC??
OkamiPC??
Resistance: Fall of ManPC??
Odin's SpherePC??
Castle CrashersPC??

1 - I will buy it
2 - I'll buy it at discount
3 - Other people think it's good, but I wasn't interested when I first heard about it
M - Mainly Multiplayer. See if friends get interested.
? - Find out more about this game
PC? - Will it be released on the PC?