NeatTrix

So this looks all well and fine, but it’s hardly the ‘holy grail’ of alternative energy. For one thing, it requires fuel and oxygen. To me the holy grail is a black box that reaps dark energy or gravitons or neutrinos from thin air and spits out 120V. Or Fettuccine Alfredo. Anyway, if it’s all that it says it is, it beats coal and the mountain rape that goes with it.

An interesting mix of items in this video. The treadmill bike is quite amusing.  The thing I’m interested in, however, starts at 3:10 on the video. The TV Death Ray.  Using the very large Fresnel lens from a rear-projection tv, they are able to melt items, including a padlock.

Now, while they are only using the lens to melt items, at incredible temperature, why couldn’t the same principle be used to melt the snow on your driveway.  Find the optimal settings, mount it on a rig that moves over your drive and melts as it goes. (continue reading…)

I ran across this fellow’s BLOG the other day: www.berezin.com/jeff/ Jeff appears to be engaged in several worthwhile and interesting pursuits, including camera modifications and Savonius wind turbines. This is the sort of entrepreneurial  spirit this country needs now!

Jeff is using NeatTools (www.neattools.org) and the TNG-3B data interface from SenSyr, LLC (www.sensyr.com) as part of his wind turbine work.

Equally neat, Jeff also is involved with Berezin Stereo Photography Products (www.berezin.com/3d/). If you’re into stereo imaging and 3D rendering, you should also visit this site: make3d.stanford.edu They will convert your photograph to a 3D model.

Jeff was also involved in a Circuit Cellar contest project that received an honorable mention, Virtual Bicycle. See the YouTube video: