29
Aug
NixieKits.eu IN-12 Review
I just finished a review of the NixieKits.eu IN-12 clock for TubeClockDB.com. You can read the full review here or you can just buy the clock here 
Jürgen Grau is the deigned behind this device and he sells this clock as both a kit and fully assembled. The kit costs €149 and the fully assembled costs €179 (Currently: $190/$230) Jürgen is very accessible and is fluent in German and English.
Now, on to the clock! Stylistically, I like it. The photos on NixieKits.eu do not do this device justice. The LED’s are much more vibrant than I expected and the colorful effect that they create manages to look nice without looking gaudy. There is a knob in the back which allows you to turn the brightness of the LED’s up and down (and completely off.) The colors slowly cross fade and and produce a pleasing effect on the front of the case. I didn’t think I use this feature much because I generally prefer simple designs – but the colors are mesmerizing. I actually leave the LED’s on all of the time, something I would not have expected.
Be sure to watch the video after the jump.
Read more
26
Aug
Four Letter Word Generator by Peter Hand
I just got my IV-17 Four Letter Word generator. It has a dictionary of 5,400 words including common acronyms and a few proper nouns too. For those of you keeping this at your office, it even has a word filter to prevent offensive words from being shown. Be sure to check out the video and photos below. Learn more here. Read more
24
Aug
IN-12 NixieKits.eu Preview
I just got my new IN-12 Nixie clock in the mail from NixieKits.eu and this thing is impressive. I will be doing a full video review over the weekend and posting it on tubeclockdb.com. Trust me, you will like this one…
Tubes: IN-12 Nixie tubes, 18 mm digit height, decimal points with flashing LEDs.
Background lighting: brightness adjustable.
Alarm: adjustable time, snooze and tone.
Time format: 12- or 24 hour mode. Read more
23
Aug
Staver Electromechanical 7 Segment Vane Display
I found these electromechanical vane displays on eBay and accidentally won them. So, here they are!
These are seven segment displays. Each segment is painted a bright yellow and fluoresces under UV light. The segments do not actually draw any power except when they are moved. Behind each segment is a solenoid that flips the segment on or off. Several units are then daisy chained together to form larger numbers. Watch the video below to see it in action and be sure to check out the image gallery.
(P.S. Sorry for the heavy Minnesota accent in the video.)
23
Aug
Simulated Depth Experiment
Next time, I will make the effect a little more subtle to prevent motion sickness…
22
Aug
“The Psyche Ward Is My Mom”
I saw this sign while walking. I have no idea what it means but it makes my head hurt.
20
Aug
Wines I’ve had
My personal ratings. Updated when I feel like it.
Good
Port
* 8/10 Fonseca Porto Aged Twany Port 10 Year Old
* 8/10 Noval Porto Special Reserve, 500ml
* 9.5/10 Chateau Reynella – McLaren Valle – Old Cave Fine Old Twany Port Aged 12 years 500ml (Australia)
* 9/10 Warre’s Otima Porto 10 year Twany
* 7/10 Smith Woodhouse 10 Year Old Twany Bottled 2006
* 7/10 Taylor Fladgate / 10 year old tawny porto / Portugal
* 7.5/20 Dow’s Fine White Porto
* 8/10 Osborne Fine White Porto – Portugal\
* 9/10 Noval LB Porto Finest Reserve
* 7.5/10 Cockburn’s 10 Tawny Matured in oak ( okay for the price, but would prefer Noval or Warre’s)
Riesling
* 7.5/10 Carl Schmitt-Wagner
* 6/10 Polka dot – German 2004
* 7.5/10 Loosen Bros Riesling “Dr. L” 2006
*
Mix
* 8/10 Escudo Rojo (Chile)
* 8/10 Primus (Chile)
* 8/10 Montes (Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Carmernere 30%
* 7/10 Wollersheim Winery – Domaine Reserver Dry Red Wine 2007 (Lake Wisconsin Viticultural Area)
Malbec
* 8/10 Gascon (Mendoza Argentenia) 2007
* 10/10 Dona Paula Estate Lujan de Cuyo (Mendoza Argentina) 2006
Merlot
* 8/10 Veramonte Merlot 2008 Reserva Casablanca Valley Chile
Cabernet
* 7/10 Red Diamond 2004 (Washington State)
* 7.5/10 Avalon
* 8.5 Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Mendocino County (organic)
* 7 Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon San Rafael Mendoza 2007
* 7/10 Terra Alta Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Golchagua Valley Chile 2008
Chardonnay
* 8/10 (Katie) St. Supery 2007 Chardonnay Oak Free Napa Valley (Rutherford, CA)
* 8/10 (Katie) Natura Chardonnay Valle Casablanca 2008 Emiliana
* 7/10 (Katie) Toad Hollow 2008 Unoaked Chardonnay Mendocino County – Healdsburg, CA
* 7/10 (Katie) Foxglove Central Cost 2008 bottled by Varner San Miguel, California
* 8/10 Ghost Pines Chardonnay Sonoma / Napa / Monterey (really good…)
Viognier
* 7/10 California’s Jewel Collection 2005
Moscato d’Asti
* 7/10 – Umbeto Fiore – Italy
* 7/10 – di Lenardo Vinyards – (In my next life, I’ll be thin.) Pass The Cookies! (Italy)
* 8/10 Rosa Fiore Denominazione Di Origine Controllata E Garantita 2008
Moscatel De Setubal
* 7/10 Moscatel De Setubal S.O.C. Colheita 2001 Bacalhoa (not carbonated, very port-like)
Carmenere
* 7/10 Cino Sur – Wine of Chile . Colchagua Valley – 2007
*
Torrontes
* 7/10 Finca Navarrita Selection – 2006 – Argentina
Other
* 7/10 Ratafia – Minnesota (Katie does not like at all) Rich, orange, 1 glass at a time
So-So
Cabernet
* 6/10 Hahn Estates (Cal)
* 5/10 Clara Benegas Chardonnay 2008 Mendoza Argentina
* 5/10 Rossi Wallace Napa Valley Chardonnay 2008 s
Cabernet Merlot
* 5/10 Covey Run Washington (Washington)
* 6/10 Trapiche Oak Cask 2005 Mendoza (Argentina)
* 5/10 Penfolds Koonunga Hill (Australia)
Riesling
•6/10 Weisser Burgunder Spatlese Trocken 2004 (Friedelsheim Germany)
Chardonnay
* 6/10 Twin Fin (california) 2005
* 6.5/10 Kali Hart Vineyard 2006 Monterey County, Gonzales, CA
* 5 Fess Parker 2008 Chardonnay Santa Barbra County
Gewurztraminer
* 6/10 Fetzer Vinyards VAlley Oaks California (Brian liked, Katie too sweet)
Sauvignon Blanc
* 6/10 Parducci 62% Mendocino Country, 38% Lake County (California)
* 7/10 2007 Paso Robles Jardine – Vina Robbles – Paso Robles, California
Bonarda
* 4/10 Broquel Bodegas Trapiche 2005 (Mendoza, Argentina)
* way too fruity for a red wine, hard to drink more than one glass
Port
* 6/10 Warre’s Warrior Special Reserve Ruby Port (Portugal)
* too fruity for more than 1 glass
* 7/10 Cockburn’s 10 Year Old Twany Porto 2007
* 7/10 DelaForce Porto 10 year Tawny
* 6/10 Wollersheim Winery Port 2007 American Port – very fruity and think for a port(WI)
* 6/10 Dow’s Lat Bottled Vintage Porto 2003
* 7/10 Warre’s Warrior Reserve
* 5/10 Dow’s Crusted Porto
Malbec
* 7/10 Gascon – Mendoza Argentina 2007
* 7.5/10 Alamos – 2007 Mendoza Argentina
* 6.5 Trapiche Oak Cask Mendoza 2006
* 5 – Piattelli – Juan De Cuyo – Mendoze Argentina 2006
Bad
Riesling
* 1/10 Starling Castle – Germany
Torrontes
* 3/10 Baguala Torrontes 2007
Shiraz / Grenache
* 3/10 Wallace by Ben Glaetzer Barossa Valley(Australia)
Malbec
* 2/10 Layer Cake Vintage 2007 – Mendoza Argentina
*
* Cabernet
* 0/10 Pascual Toso Maipu Vineyards (Mendoza Argentina) 2006
14
Aug
Blowing up simple electronics
Afrotech mods - the website that bills itself as “ghetto hardware fun” has a great video up on YouTube. It is a montage of components being destroyed by over voltage, current, or reversed polarity. There may be some educational value…but it is just fun to watch.
