Category Archives: tech

Landmine detection

The [tag]Journal of the Acoustical Society of America[/tag] has an article about using microphones for [tag]landmine detection[/tag]. If you don’t have a membership subscription to JASA, you can read a summary at New Scientist, Cheap microphones listen for landmines.”

A major obstacle to clearing mines in poorer countries is the cost. In one method, mine clearers beam a low-frequency sound wave into the ground – which gently vibrates any buried mines – along with a radar beam. When the radar beam bounces off any vibrating mines it is reflected back at a different frequency. The problem is that radar sensors cost hundreds of dollars.

More information about the worldwide landmine problem can be found at the excellent website of The International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

[Am I going mad? I could swear I posted this two days ago…Nevermind. Don’t answer that.]

Reading Comprehension

My pre-coffee reading comprehension is obviously declining.

This morning I read a bit of fluff in the Washington Post Style section about the various Presidential candidates and the songs they’re using at public appearances. I spent way, way more time than I should ever admit to pondering the question, “Why would [tag]Joe Biden[/tag] choose the [tag]J. Geils Band[/tag]’s “Centerfold” as a campaign anthem?”

(Answer: he didn’t. It was [tag]John Fogerty[/tag]’s “Centerfield.”)

I finished catching up on every last email I needed to answer while in that same semi-lucid haze. That may not have been smart…

Nevertheless, now I can turn my attention back to the latest [tag]iphone nano[/tag] rumors.

Best iphone post yet

[tag]Engadget[/tag] notes that the [tag]iphone[/tag] is pottymouth friendly, as the dictionary is preloaded with these and other words:

Supports

* F*ck
* F*cks
* Sh*t
* Microsoft

The rest of the post is amusing, too.

We’re currently living the iphone-free lifestyle, but that’s ok. For now.

Alice Malloy's Theremin Bra

[tag]Audio Artists[/tag] collective participant [tag]Alice Malloy[/tag] shows off her [tag]theremin bra[/tag] in this video clip.

Not the kind of [tag]theremin[/tag] project I think I’d propose at [tag]dorkbot[/tag], but an amusing idea nonetheless.

Original reference courtesy of The Linkmeister.

your iphone is trying to kill you!

In “Won’t Someone Think of the Children”, The [tag]Macalope[/tag] dissects Ashley Phillips hilariously foolish ABC News piece about the sinister dangers of the [tag]iphone[/tag].

[Link via [tag]Daring Fireball[/tag] from the excellently titled post, “New High-Water Mark in iphone Jackassery”]

meanlouise

neither mean nor louise