BigDog Goes Biped:

Via Boston Dynamics

Amazing Mars:

Believe it or not, Mars doesn't look like Death Valley. It also doesn't have marauding balls of fire blowing across the landscape like tumbleweeds. Wanna know what it really looks like?

Go here to view all the incredible images.

Visit the Steampunk Museum:

The steampunk exhibit at the Museum of the History of Science.

Ferrofluid is the Most Amazing Thing I've Ever Seen:

This is how my physics teacher liked to visualize magnetic fields. You know, those lines of force you've probably (hopefully) seen before? Below is how Jesus Christ himself would show you lines of force.



How does it work, you ask?

Avatar Trailer:

Is it just me, or does this look like it's going to be slightly less than everything I'd hoped? Since the first teasers with actual footage came out, I've been consistently disappointed. I'm not really sure why, exactly, but ask yourself this: if this movie trailer came out and had McG's name attached to it instead of James Cameron, would you be interested? I wouldn't. If it weren't for all the bells and whistles and new technology (e.g. the 3D cameras) that are supposed to adorn the movie when it comes out, would the story alone get you out of the house? I doubt it.

I hate CG. It ruins movies. Don't get me wrong, it can be used to do things practically impossible otherwise, but that's not how it's typically used. And it's certainly no substitute for live people. Nowadays, blockbuster movies have CG used and mixed with live action to about the subtlety of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I like cartoons too, but not the way George Lucas does.

Will I see Avatar when it comes out? Undoubtedly. Will I be disappointed when it's over? I hope not. But considering that blockbuster cinema as of late has consistently been one long, overpriced anecdote about the death of film as a legitimate medium, I'm worried. They don't make 'em like they used to.

The 'Dump Recommends: Kensington Power Adapter

I have an old Dell laptop (Inspiron B130) that has been sitting in the top of a closet for a while. Either my wife or my cat had chewed the tip off the AC power adapter, so I didn't have a way of charging the battery. I thought about ordering a new one or getting a substitute off eBay, but didn't really want to wait for it (or have to ship it back when it didn't work). The solution: a generic power adapter from Kensington that claims to work for any notebook.

I was skeptical and a little hesitant considering it cost me fifty-some-odd bucks, but I bought it knowing that I could just return it to the local Frys where I bought it if things didn't work out. Fortunately, the little green light came on as soon as I hooked it up. The way this thing works is that the actual adapter unit is switchable between a low and high voltage range depending on the laptop you're using it with. Also included are a large number of tips to plug into your specific power port, all of which connect back to the adapter cord with a generic double prong that fits snugly into the tip itself.

If you're ever in need of a new AC adapter, this is definitely a good one. It looks nicer than the original one did, doesn't get overly hot (I have a HP adapter that gets VERY warm), and does what it's supposed to. The price is a little high, I think, but you probably get what you pay for with these things.

All-in-all, this is a recommended product that will cost you less than an OEM replacement from Dell or whatever company you got your laptop from.

(Note: the actual model referenced here is #K33404US.)

Halloween Project: Spirit Radio

This might be the most fun you'll ever have with a radio. The so-called "spirit" radio is actually a kind of crystal radio, which, if you're familiar, is powered by the same radio waves that you hear through the headphone. Same principles here, only much, much more fun.

More on this here with instructions for how to make your own!

Graphing Functions in Matlab:

One of the problems I've always had with Matlab was that I could never seem to get it to easily do what, in my mind, was the simplest little thing: graph a function. Since the availability of Wolfram|Alpha, also known as the single most useful computational tool on the internet, I've been going there to basically have Mathematica do my plotting for me whenever I need a quick glance at a function. (I've been informed there's also a site called FooPlot that can do some easy graphing, but haven't really tried it myself.)

Finally, however, I've managed to get Matlab to cooperate. In hindsight, my problem was probably being too lazy/impatient to take advantage of what most people agree is an exceptional help menu, but there were a couple of things I didn't know that made the difference for me. Here goes:

• There's something called a "function handle" that can be used in a .m file (or just at the command line, if you like) to identify a function you want to plot. An example might be f(x)=e^(-x^2). You can create a function handle by typing "function=@(x) e^(-x^2)" where "function" is the name of the thing, "@" creates your handle and says that this thing ("x") is variable, and whatever equation you want goes after.
• This is followed by the command "fplot". The full command would be something like "fplot(function, [0, 3])" with "function" being whatever name you called it and the bracketed values indicating the interval over which your function is plotted. In this example, the function would plot between "zero" and "three".

Easy enough, I suppose. I should mention that there are more ways than one to skin a cat, and how precisely you should get a good, simple graphical output depends on a lot of factors. This methods just seems more intuitive to me than anything else I've tried.

Creating GUIs in Matlab:

LHC: Back from the Dead

Apparently, the LHC is back up and running according to this news blurb thingy. Hoo-rah!