How to Build a DVD Server

How to Build a DVD Server: "Andy decided that forking out tens of thousands for an expensive 'Kaleidoscape' server was simply crackers. So, like any good modder, he built one himself, for less. In this article, he guides us through how you can make your own: from hardware to software."

Oh Hello, Saturn, You Look So Makey-Outy Today [Space]

Oh Hello, Saturn, You Look So Makey-Outy Today [Space]: "

This is a unique image of Saturn in natural color, exactly what you would have seen if you were riding the Cassini spacecraft—wearing your cowboy hat, knitted astronaut sweater, and Star Trek underpants—on November 4 2009.

The image—released last week—was created by combining three exposures using red, green, and blue spectral filters, which results in a natural view, showing the true color of saturn. Cassini was taken 808,000 miles away, and each pixel in the full resolution image represents 45 miles. [NASA—Full resolution image]

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New Form of Touchscreen Displays Pioneered, Extremely Multi-Touch [Touchscreen]

New Form of Touchscreen Displays Pioneered, Extremely Multi-Touch [Touchscreen]: "

You've heard of resistive touchscreens, and hopefully you've been fortunate enough to own a capacitive touchscreen phone. But have you heard of Interpolating Force-Sensitive Resistance, or I.F.S.R touchscreen technology? Touchco hopes you soon will.

A bunch of scientists at New York University's Media Research Lab have grouped together to form Touchco, which is working on the aforementioned I.F.S.R technology. They want to create touchscreens which are even more multi-touch enabled than we've seen so far, capable of receiving simultaneous touch inputs. Apparently these touchscreens can be produced very cheaply, with Touchco hoping to sell them for $10 a square foot.

As you can see from the photo above, these touchscreens are very flexible, and don't require much power—making them ideal for ereaders, laptops and netbooks. [NYT Bits blog]

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$191,000 F1 Car Simulator Costs Way More Than a Sportscar [Cars]

$191,000 F1 Car Simulator Costs Way More Than a Sportscar [Cars]: "

Every little boy wants to race in the F1 at some point, but does he want to spend $191,500 on a simulator? Cruden's Hexatech simulator can be fully customized for the real F1, NASCAR or WRC experience.

All of the features, including the chassis, wheelbase and track, tire and suspension, engine, gearbox, differentials, aero loading, aero draft, steering, brakes and ABS can be adapted for your personal use, with each simulator coming with three 42-inch TV screens for the racing to be projected onto.

Cruden is claiming it'll last 10 - 15 years, which works out to around $19,150 a year—surely you can spare that from your annual salary? [Cruden via Autoblog]

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Gigantic Lego Star Wars Rebel Frigate Is 4 Feet 6 Inches of Brickgasm [Lego]

Gigantic Lego Star Wars Rebel Frigate Is 4 Feet 6 Inches of Brickgasm [Lego]: "

I remember spending countless hours playing Lucasarts' X-Wing in college, painfully defending these Rebel frigates against TIE Fighters. Then I got TIE Fighter, and enjoyed destroying them. I wouldn't have the heart to reduce to bricks the enormous Nebulon-B.

The Lego version of the classic Nebulon-B Class rebel frigate Redemption is 4 feet and 6 inches long. That's 172 studs long, and I'm not talking about The Hoff. It's big enough to dock one mini-Millennium Falcon and three X-Wings. [MOC via Brothers Brick]

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Spectacular Air Rescue of Crewman from Moving US Navy Submarine [Image Cache]

Spectacular Air Rescue of Crewman from Moving US Navy Submarine [Image Cache]: "

The US Coast Guard has released their best videos from 2009, and this crewman emergency medical rescue mission—using a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter over a moving nuclear US Navy submarine—just blew me away. Check them out in the gallery.

The Coast Guard evacuated the crewman from a unnamed US Navy Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine. The submarine was cruising through an undisclosed location off the the coast of Washington, on September 29, 2009. They called the Coast Guard at 5:50PM, and the Jayhawk helicopter intercepted the submarine at 7:12PM, picking up the crewman, and moving him to the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.

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The True Odds of Airborne Terror Chart [Terror]

The True Odds of Airborne Terror Chart [Terror]: "

After the crotchbomb there has been a lot of noise about airplane security again—you can see how stupid the leaked new flight rules are here. But what's the actual risk of an airplane attack? Here's the definitive chart:

As you can see, the chances are very slim. As slim as the chances of the new security rules having any real effect in preventing any new attacks, sadly.

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