Slate has a good article about one man’s quest to get better cell phone reception...a reception-boosting device called a cellular repeater. The name explains the simple concept: A large outdoor antenna tunes into the strongest cellular signal available and repeats it on a smaller antenna wired inside. Voila, you’ve got five bars. Link.
In NASA’s language, a nanosatellite-class system is a small spacecraft, but it is not a nanotechnology-based device. In fact, its new ‘Mini AERCam’ robotic cameras are small, free flying vehicles capable of performing inspection and viewing missions in space. But these spherical-shaped cameras have a diameter of 7.5 inches and weigh about 10 pounds. These cameras are designed to help astronauts and ground crews see outside the spacecraft during a mission. Link.
With the prices of Xbox I comes down to less than $50, this could be a good edu platform. Classrooms in Japan will be getting Xboxes, but not for playing games. Microsoft announced on Thursday that it will donate Xbox consoles enabled with video chat capabilities to all elementary and junior high schools in Tokyo’s Suginami ward in hopes of helping the children become more IT-literate. Link.
In 1983 the Serge Modular company produced a demo cassette featuring many artists using the Serge Modular synthesizer. I’m posting this music here as a public/historical service…you can listen to a 1983 demo tape produced by the Serge synth company, with loads of music by various musicians recorded on huge modular systems. It’s hissy, but great. Link.
Students in Virginia have been trying to mod the dollar bill- Look at your one dollar bill. On the backside there is an eagle and a large green pyramid with the eye over it. Mr. Wright and his students thought that replacing this strange design with an abridged version of the United States Constitution encompassing the entire Preamble and a brief description of each of the seven Articles and each of the twenty-seven Amendments would serve many educational purposes. I’d like metric conversions and maybe a ruler running down the side too. Link.
I need to try this out, looks like an interesting way to play video via a PS2. Put Action Replay Evo or what ever that has the Media Player into the PS2. Start the Media Player. Hook up the USB to the PSP and into the PS2. Then start up the PSP go to USB MODE and BOOM! You got your Media files on the TV! Link.
I usually go dual screen, but this is a pretty handy tip I didn’t know about…If you use an external display or projector with any PowerBook G4 or PowerBook (FireWire), you can close the display and still use the computer. Here’s how. Link.
