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Magnetic space tube to help suck up lunar soil
Not sure if NASA has this on tap or not, but Benjamin Eimer and Lawrence Taylor of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville just invented a special magnetic collection tube that sucks up lunar soil so we can extract precious resources for use in future moon colonies. The tube, which is sort of like an elephant's trunk or one of those leaf suckers, would suck up lunar soil (not peanuts and leaves) containing water, oxygen and other resources to be extracted by astronauts. They'd need to gather and transport large amounts of the stuff without stirring up jagged moon shards and hazardous dust, so bulldozer-like equipment is definitely out of the question. The tube's coils would create a magnetic field that attracts the iron-laden soil, keeping it neatly centered to be distributed to storage facilities or processing plants via a pipeline system. Assuming the tube rules at collecting a massive supply, the soil can then be bagged to stack on top of lunar habitats to help regulate unpredictable temperatures and block radiation from hazardous space particles. Sweet! Once they hook us up with some sci-fi WiFi, we'll be reporting from Engadget's new intergalactic office. [Thanks, Matthew]
Magnetism-based monster collecting game from Namco Bandai
A DS game is on its way to Japan featuring something new to a Nintendo system -- a gimmick. Entitled Treasure Gaust: Gaust Diver (and coming in "Crimson Red" and "Deep Blue" versions -- thanks for that trend, Pokémon), the game is based on a popular Japanese handheld toy that requires kids to hunt magnetic fields; when they find one, it apparently generates some kind of trainable monster (thanks for that trend too, Pokémon.) Insert Credit, in their report on the game, equated it with the old Barcode Battler toy, which made Campbell's Soup labels mm, mm, powerful for like one whole summer.While we question the wisdom in training children to intentionally expose their electronics to magnets, we love the idea of using video games to give little practical physics lessons, and we love the idea of tying the real world into gameplay in unexpected ways. This game makes a nice companion piece to the momentum-based Wii game we're working on, TV Buster.[via Insert Credit]
Thinkpad MagSafe Hack
I've long been of the opinion that Thinkpads are the PowerBooks of the PC world, and if not for the fact that they don't run OS X, I'd be very tempted to consider one when it came time to buy my next computer. Make points us to an enterprising Thinkpad owner who was having some trouble with a flaky DC-in port on his notebook, and decided to take matters into his own hands when it came to fixing the problem. Instead of simply replacing the connector (which is a total pain to do, I know this from personal experience) he decided to one-up every other PC notebook owner out there by constructing his very own magnetic power connector. While this may not, in the strictest sense of the term, be "Mac news," it shows once again that the innovations Apple introduces into its products are not only handy to those of us who actually use Macs, but stimulate the greater computer market to further innovate and build on the ideas of Apple's design team. Check out the instructable to learn how to make a ThinkSafe adapter of your own.
Philips self-destructing MRAM on the way
Joining the ranks of quintessential kit that any spy (or CuteCircuit-equipped individual) should have on hand is Philips' self-destructing MRAM (magnetoresistive RAM). While securing data typically deals with some sort of password protection or biometrics, Philips' creation takes a page from the Mission: Impossible book by relying on magnetic loops remaining in flux to keep data accessible. Its MRAM chips are wrapped in two layers of soft, metallic foil -- one which is magnetized, and one that acts as a "keeper" by gathering flux from a permanent magnet and maintaining a closed loop surrounding the precious bytes. If a crazed data thief manages to crack open the enclosure and rip into the first layer of foil, all flux breaks loose and magnetic forces immediately raze any top secret files you may have been toting. If you just can't afford to spill those oh-so-privatized digital beans (or you simply enjoy that double agent lifestyle), keep an eye out for the presumably hush-hush release -- assuming, that is, this invention makes it from the patent stage into actual hardware.[Via New Scientist Tech]
Store your MacBook remote on your display
Jealous of the iMac's ability to magnetically store your Apple Remote for safe keeping? If you're a MacBook owner, a macosxhints reader discovered that you can toss that jealousy and join your iMac Remote-storin' brethren. Apparently, the top left of the MacBook's display is magnetic enough to support and hold an Apple Remote. I haven't tried this myself as I forgot to bring my remote out with me today, but I own a MacBook Pro so I'm not even sure if these machines have been endowed with the same abilities. Any other MBP owners out there try this out?
