Now I know what to do with those extra caps !!
But I probably would need some more....

Test-Firing of 2000 Volt Washer Launcher a Success

Bob's updated his washer launcher. It's now got 10 capacitors in it, capable of generating enough force to partially crush up to three beer cans or throw a CD way up into the sky above his house.

If you're not good at paying attention and don't appreciate a nice, lengthy build up, skip to around the 3:15 mark to see Bob's machine smashing cans, or to 4:30 to see a CD reach near orbital velocity while making a particularly pleasing noise...

And remember your washer launcher safety protocols, kids—always activate extremely dangerous equipment with the handle of a mop from a very small distance away. [2KV Washer Launcher via Make]

checkout the video(trying to figure out how to embed youtube in gmail still)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i87EuYIQO9c&feature=player_embedded

LED Matrix using an AVR ATTINY2313 and 74LS374

LED Matrix using an AVR ATTINY2313 and 74LS374

This is a little circuit to drive a 5x7 jumbo LED matrix module that I picked up at a local hamfest. All it takes is a ATTINY2313 and a 74LS373 octal latch to create a row/column mux to access the individual Leds in the module. Attached is the schematic. the 6pin ISP programmer is not shown, this is a given , if you're using one of the available programmers, such as the AVRISP mkII from Atmel. I will post a pic of the module shortly with the pins labled.

This schematic can be expanded to include several LED matrix modules. I'm currently wiring up 6 of these into a 15x14 LED matrix. You can alos use a larger AVR such as the ATMega32 or similar which have more I/O's to handle larger displays.

I really want to wire up a RGB LED matrix very soon.

NOTE: Atmel released a newer version of this microcontroller, it's now the ATTINY2313A

MAKE A HIGH VOLTAGE SUPPLY IN 5 MINUTES

I love HIGH VOLTAGE !!


MAKE A HIGH VOLTAGE SUPPLY IN 5 MINUTES:
"In this Instructable you will learn how to make a High Voltage High Frequency power supply in 5 minutes and for less than $20.

All you need is a compact fluorescent light (CFL) and a flyback transformer.

Flyback transformers are found in TVs and CRT monitors. They make the high voltage, high frequency current necessary to trace the electron beam across the screen. They are small and compact, and you can take them out from an old computer monitor or TV.

CFLs are very popular high efficiency fluorescent lights. They are similar to their ancestor the fluorescent light tubes but use electronic ballasts instead of the big and heavy ballasts in the old technology.

The electronic ballast works by generating high frequency currents that are fed to a tiny high frequency transformer that boost the voltage and run the fluorescent tube. It is the high frequency that makes the assembly compact.

The electronic ballast generates less than 1000 volts. But by replacing the fluorescent bulb of the CFL with a flyback transformer, spectacular voltages can be achieved."

How to Make a Negative Ion air ionizer

...it's about time I make one of these !
below is a brief clip from the article about the project....

How to Make a Negative Ion air ionizer:

Two models will be shown, one full-wave rectified and the other a half-wave rectified negative ion ionizer. Featuring an optional fan on the full-wave model.

Benefits of negative ions supposedly include
• freshen and purify the air
• help lift mood
• alleviate depression including winter depression(SAD)
• eliminate most tiny particles suspended in the air (indoors)"

Chickens Can Help Save the Planet Too | Fast Company

...Now here's a challenging Hacker project  [holding nose]
My daughter once made a Microbial Fuel Cell [she won first in the PJAS 9th grade sciencefair too]
so this should be easy :)
Below is a brief clip from the article.....



Chickens Can Help Save the Planet Too | Fast Company:
As regular readers know, we love poop-powered gizmos. And with everything from wastewater thermal energy devices to portable poop-powered nuclear reactors popping up on our radar, there's no shortage of sludgy stories to cover.

Our new favorite: FuelCell Energy's chicken poop-powered fuel cell plant.

The fuel cell power plant, set to be installed at Olivera Egg Ranch in French Camp, California, will convert the chickens' waste streams into methane gas for a mini-power plant. All methane waste from the chickens will be converted into renewable energy--a big change from the current system, where poop is stored in a giant waste lagoon and methane (a greenhouse gas) is free to escape into the air. Considering the scale of Olivera's operations--14 million cartons of eggs produced each year--that's an awful lot of methane.

PS3 modchip claims to finally allow backing up games without invasive console surgery (video) -- Engadget

Now much of a security if you can defeat the protection with software :)
Now I can backup my games to the hard drive.

Below is a brief clip from the article.....

PS3 modchip claims to finally allow backing up games without invasive console surgery (video) -- Engadget:

By Vlad Savov posted Aug 19th 2010 5:31AM
Who needs George Hotz anyway? A USB modchip for the PS3 has emerged from the mists this morning, purporting to allow the dumping of games onto nearby storage -- the console's internal HDD and external drives are both a-ok -- as well as the subsequent playing of said games without the need for the original disc. Could it be the backup/piracy nirvana Sony loyalists have been awaiting for so long? Well, there's a video showing the little USB device apparently working, and the PSX-Scene team say they have personally verified that it does what it claims to do, but skepticism remains advisable here. The PS3 has been a fortress of hacker unfriendliness, so we'd rather kick back, relax, and wait for some braver souls than us to do the testing. For now, the video awaits after the break."

The Open Source Web Design Toolbox: 100 Web Design Templates and tools | Design Vitality

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, free software !

Below is a brief clip from the article.....

The Open Source Web Design Toolbox: 100 Web Design Templates and tools | Design Vitality:
"The open source model has, over the last 20 years, proven that collaborative development is one of the best ways to incorporate the newest ideas and latest concepts into design.

In fact, the open source model, which began with programmers, has been so successful that it is currently being applied in government, media, education and private business. But despite these new applications, the unique combination of the open source model with the universalism of web design remains one of the ideal applications of open source. This pervasiveness of the open source spirit in web design now means that you can use open source software to design both graphics and your CSS and HTML, and you can also use the dozens of reliable open source code resources or thousands of web design templates to base your own designs on. In this article we highlight 100 open source web design templates, resources, and tools."