All posts in Science & Electronics

Keep that power going

When it comes to power failures and the likes, there are several solutions available to you. UPS Systems and Pure Sinewave Inverters are the tools that will keep your tools powered.

UPS Systems, a company offering you all sorts of power solutions have some fantastic inverters for sale. Each inverters come with built in chargers that automatically charge the batteries without the risk of overcharge, this makes them ideal for powering lights, kitchen appliances, televisions, radios and computers.

inverters

The current range offers between 600W and 2400W, so there’s a good number to choose from.

Take the time to equip yourself correctly, don’t fall into the trap of waiting until it’s too late.

Potential power failures in SA after World Cup

I know someone who knows someone who works at Eskom and was given a heads up that once the World Cup ends, there’s a really great chance of us all experiencing some power failures, due to the huge amount of electricity that the World Cup has required.

This is not the first time that this has been predicted, but when it comes from a source that I trust, I definitely take it more seriously than a random rumour circulating the Internet.

Because of this, I suggest that everyone takes note of several things:

  • Make sure your mobiles are charged at all times
  • Ensure that you have petrol in your car
  • Keep some cash on you
  • Keep a pack of matches or a lighter in a safe place
  • Add some candles and possibly a torch to this safe place
  • Make sure you know how to manually override any automatic security gates

If you’re prepared, these power failures are not that bad, so take the time to get organised, it’ll pay off in the long run!

If you have a tip, please feel free to leave it here :)

Huge burst of gas in our galaxy

Not too much is known about black holes (a region of space resulting from the collapse of a star; extremely high gravitational field) in our galaxy, but when events like this occur, it definitely sents thoughts through your mind and I’m sure scientists around the world are fascinated.

Only July 7th, a relatively small black hole blew a huge bubble if gas, that expands 1000 light-years across and is growing at a rate of roughly 620,000 miles per hour! Stop for a second and think about that growth.

Take a look at this:

blackhole-bubble

Quite incredible isn’t it?

[via]

LG testing solar powered air conditioners

When summer comes and the heat gets almost unbarable, air conditioners sell in thousands, then a few weeks later, everyone realises that they owe a fortune for the electricity. So, simple idea really, when it’s boiling hot, what’s always available.. the sun. Enter: solar powered air conditioners..

LG solar hybrid air conditioner-korea

LG solar hybrid air conditioner

Very very awesome!

Shame, poor Eskom ;)

Take a look at the Moon in 3D

moon-3d

Move your head towards and away from the screen until the two middle images overlap. The single overlapping image should be in 3D.

A Fox Fur, a Unicorn, and a Christmas Tree

How insane is this photograph:

foxfur hepburn

What do the following things have in common: a cone, the fur of a fox, and a Christmas tree? Answer: they all occur in the constellation of the unicorn (Monoceros). Pictured above as a star forming region cataloged as NGC 2264, the complex jumble of cosmic gas and dust is about 2,700 light-years distant and mixes reddish emission nebulae excited by energetic light from newborn stars with dark interstellar dust clouds. Where the otherwise obscuring dust clouds lie close to the hot, young stars they also reflect starlight, forming blue reflection nebulae.

The wide mosaic spans about 3/4 degree or nearly 1.5 full moons, covering 40 light-years at the distance of NGC 2264. Its cast of cosmic characters includes the Fox Fur Nebula, whose convoluted pelt lies at the upper left, bright variable star S Mon immersed in the blue-tinted haze just below the Fox Fur, and the Cone Nebula at the far right. Of course, the stars of NGC 2264 are also known as the Christmas Tree star cluster. The triangular tree shape traced by the stars appears sideways here, with its apex at the Cone Nebula and its broader base centered near S Mon.

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Hominid ancester found in South Africa

Scientists announced a new hominid fossil discovery in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa. The discovery is one of the most significant palaeoanthropological (the branch of anthropology concerned with primitive man) discoveries in recent times, revealing at least two partial hominid skeletons in remarkable condition, dating to between 1.78 and 1.95 million years. Google Earth played a role in its discovery, take a listen:

There’s a bundle more information here.

hominid-south-africa

Here are some more resources:

The ultimate multi-function tool that every geek should have!

You’re not a true geek until you have a multi-function tool that can do almost anything, except make coffee!

I came across this awesome kit called the Kelvin Multitool Kit, the name basically says it all, it’s got an LED torch, spirit level, tape measure and screwdriver set, take a look:

Kelvin-multitool

Let’s look at the features and what’s included a little closer..

Features:

  • A multi-functional tool designed specifically for the needs of the modern urban home.
  • Light weight and pocket sized.

Tools include:

  • Snap Action screwdriver that locks at 90 degrees for extra torque.
  • 16 screwdriver bits.
  • 2 metre tape measure.
  • A magnet to hold screws and rescue the ones you’ve dropped.
  • Steel hammer surface.
  • Spirit Level.
  • An LED torch to light up the work area.

And it’s only 13.5 x 5 x 4 cm in size when closed! You’d imagine a kit like this costing just over a thousand rand, well I would, but they’re actually incredibly cheap – You can buy yourself one for just R380.00!

Amazing Anticrepuscular Rays

Anticrepuscular rays are similar to crepuscular rays, but seen opposite the sun in the sky. Sunlight travels in straight lines, but the projections of these lines on Earth’s spherical atmosphere are great circles. Hence, straight-line crepuscular rays from a setting (or rising) sun can appear to re-converge at the antisolar point. Anticrepuscular rays are most frequently visible near sunrise or sunset. Crepuscular rays are usually much brighter than anticrepuscular rays. This is because for crepuscular rays, seen on the same side of the sky as the sun, the atmospheric light scattering and making them visible is taking place at small angles.

Take a look at these amazing photographs:

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Milky Way over Hawaii – time-lapse video

How truly amazing does this look?

via.