By JB Sanders<\/p>\n
Early start for a warm month (well, it’s warm NOW).<\/p>\n
Robo-fun<\/a><\/strong> Squishy Circuits<\/a><\/strong> First Legal Challenge to 3D Printing Repository<\/a><\/strong> And while I’m on the subject, some really amazing objects printed by a 3D printer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Visualizing Fusion Propulsion<\/a><\/strong> Commodore 64 Coming Out<\/a><\/strong> 100 Classic Atari Games<\/a><\/strong> How Much is Smaug Worth, Anyway?<\/a><\/strong> Tallest LEGO Tower<\/a><\/strong> UFOs, For Real<\/a><\/strong> Garden of the Future!<\/a><\/strong>
\nRoboGames 2011, the worlds largest robot competition. Do I need to say more?<\/p>\n
\nEver wanted to teach your 4-year-old about electrical engineering and circuitry? No? Why not!? How about you show them about battery packs, LED lights and play-dough. Yeah, did you know that regular commercial play-dough can conduct electricity? Or that with a little work, you can make your own play-dough? With a slight variation of the recipe, you can even make a resistive play-dough to help create play-dough circuits. Very cool stuff.<\/p>\n
\nHow long did you think we could go without a 3D link? The folks at Thingiverse, an open-source repository of 3D models and content, got a DMCA take-down notice because someone posted the CAD files for printing a Penrose Triangle. Read the details. (Tons of cool links embedded in the article on the subject of 3D printing)<\/p>\n
\nUsing the designs from the Project Deadalus space propulsion project of the 1970’s, these folks put together an animation of how the system would and could work.<\/p>\n
\nSeriously. Again. Only this time, the guts are a LITTLE more powerful. Debuting 30 years after it first hit the market, this system (with the SAME exterior) includes a 1.8 Ghz dual-core processor, optional Blu-ray player and HDMI ports (for between $250-900). Crazy times, huh?<\/p>\n
\nIt’s nostalgia month! Atari is releasing 18 titles from the arcade, and 82 from the 2600 on the iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) platform, including the free Pong. They’re also releasing something called the iCade, which is a fancy case for the iPad that turns it into an arcade-like device with a real analog (but now Bluetooth) joystick and giant mashable buttons. Yes, exactly like the ThinkGeek April Fool’s Day of 2010 — apparently Atari liked the idea so much, they’re having someone make it for them. $100.<\/p>\n
\nAnd of course, look no further than Forbes magazine for that answer. The article is a behind-the-scenes (“showing a little ankle” as the author amusingly puts it) look at how Forbes goes about evaluating the “Fictional 15”, or the 15 richest fictional characters. It’s humorous and a little surreal seeing a mainstream discussion of what I would have thought was just a fan-boy discussion of relative fictional fortunes. Possibly the geekiest article I’ve ever linked to.<\/p>\n
\nBigger than any LEGO tower you built.<\/p>\n
\nWhere’s Mulder when stuff like this comes out? The FBI has released a document under the Freedom of Information Act that describes an interview with an Air Force investigator in Roswell New Mexico, where he talks about captured flying saucers and aliens in shiny metallic suits. Yes, really. Go read it for yourself. While you’re there, take a look at the FBI’s FOIA archives.<\/p>\n
\nThere should be an echo on that title. It’s called Aquaponics, and it’s a hybrid of various “green” technologies to make food on 1\/10th of an acre (2600lbs worth). It’s like the utopian convergence of every hippy technology into one location: wind power, passive solar heating, grey water systems, hydroponics and fish. Lots of fish.<\/p>\n