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iOS 17 Tips, Tricks, How-Tos, News

How To: Make a Simple Touch-Triggered Transistor Relay

In this article, I'll show you how to make a simple touch-triggered switch. This is very useful for various electronic projects, from a simple bedside light to a flat panel touch keyboard. The circuit can vary in switching power depending on the transistors you use. For example, if you're looking into creating a 120V light that turns on when touched, you'd need two powerful transistors and an isolation relay. However, a simple flashlight that turns on when touched would only take a couple of ...

Dueling Plasma: Singing Tesla Coils' Shocking Battle to the Death

Tesla coils are electrically satisfying in so many ways. But what happens when a guitar-playing city coil has a run-in with a backwoods, banjo-playing, inbred coil? A musical duel to the death! Watch these two Tesla coils battle it out as they play Dueling Banjos. Shocking. Just shocking. Okay, so it's no secret that Tesla coils can create a wonderful light show of electricity, but by modulating the frequency, they quickly turn into powerful singing Tesla coils—the key to any electromaniac's ...

How To: Electron Spirographs with a Cathode Ray Tube

In this article, I'll be showing you how to make a cool visual representation of sound using an old cathode ray tube (CRT) television, a stereo, and a sound source. You'll also need a pair of wire cutters, and a few screwdrivers. To properly understand this project, it's a good idea to learn a little bit about how CRT TVs work. Check out this article on how they work.

News: Laser Blasts 2 Megajoule Beam 1,000 Times Stronger Than All U.S. Power Plants Combined

You might already know a little bit about what the National Ignition Facility has been up to lately, or what they could possibly achieve. But last week, even the scientists at the Livermore, California station couldn't predict the awesome power that their humongous laser was capable of. NIF's laser is already the record holder for the world's largest laser, and now it can also claim to be the first ever 2 megajoule ultraviolet laser after it generated nearly 100 times more energy than any oth...

News: Fiber Laser Scores Aperture Logo in Steel While Playing Portal's "Still Alive" Theme Song

Most of your who visit Fear of Lightning are probably well familiar with laser weaponry, thanks to Christopher's three-part series covering carbon dioxide, flashlamp, and semiconductor lasers. Another type of laser currently being developed as a weapon is the fiber laser, which is compact and efficient, but much weaker than a chemical laser. Fiber lasers are more commonly used in laser cutting and marking, telecommunications, spectroscopy, and of course... music.

News: DIY Snowflake Cultivation with 2,000 Volts of Thermoelectric Cooling

Snowflakes aren't much to look at during a storm, but when you look real close, you can see just how marvelous they really are. But winter is over and most of us can no longer enjoy the intricate nature of ice crystallization, unless you're sticking your head in your freezer. Or unless you build your own snowflake cultivation machine, which shoots 2,000 volts of electricity through a cold, moist chamber.

News: Flying Quadrotor Robots Play the James Bond Theme on Real Instruments

Created by the University of Pennsylvania, these bots would impress Q himself. This army of mini quad-copters are controlled with rhythmic precision, a truly awe-inspiring collaboration of music and technology. From playing a synthesizer to drums and cymbals, each robots is multi-talented. The tiny helicopters are equipped with reflectors, making it possible to plot their position using infrared lights and cameras positioned around the room. Check out the video!

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