Is There A Hair Club For Bears?

Click the image to read the article.

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

A Lock That Detects Secret Door Knocks

Never be locked out again.

A microphone (okay, really a speaker) presses against the door and listens for knocks. If it hears the right number of knocks in the right cadence it triggers the motor to turn the deadbolt and unlock the door. If the sequence isn't recognized, the system resets and listens for knocks again.

Click the image to read about how you can make one.



Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

Big Picture: Martian Landscapes

Since 2006, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been orbiting Mars, currently circling approximately 300 km (187 mi) above the Martian surface. On board the MRO is HiRISE, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera, which has been photographing the planet for several years now at resolutions as fine as mere inches per pixel. Collected here is a group of images from HiRISE over the past few years, in either false color or grayscale, showing intricate details of landscapes both familiar and alien, from the surface of our neighboring planet, Mars. I invite you to take your time looking through these, imagining the settings - very cold, dry and distant, yet real. (35 photos total)

Click the image to see the full collection.

Big Picture: Pushkar Mela

Pushkar Mela (or Pushkar Fair) is an annual five-day camel and livestock fair, held in the town of Pushkar in the state of Rajasthan, India, where over 25,000 camels are traded each year. The fair draws thousands of tourists, camels, camel traders, racers, locals and Hindu faithful who come to bathe in the sanctified Lake Pushkar - until the final day, Kartik Poornima, a Hindu holy day celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Kartik. Collected here are a handful of photographs from Associated Press photographer Kevin Frayer, from his trip to this year's Pushkar Mela. (30 photos total)

Click the image to see the full collection.

Man Accidentally Ejects Himself From Plane

It probably is best not to fiddle with switches or controls when riding in the back seat of an air force plane.

A man who failed to obey that principle found himself hurtling out of the cockpit, smashing through the Perspex canopy and into space after grabbing the black- and yellow-striped handle between his legs. He had inadvertently pulled the eject lever and found himself blasted 100m into the sky on his rocket-powered seat.

Click the image to read the article.

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

NBA Seeing Higher Scoring With New Rim

In 2006 the NBA failed at trying to bring in a new basketball. But this year they are actually using new rims. The result – league-wide scoring has risen by nearly five points through the first seven days of the regular season compared to last season.

Click on the image to read the article.

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

Living Christmas Tree Rental

Rent a living tree this Christmas and have a live, potted tree delivered to your doorstep. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s great for your home and the environment. Simply choose one of our varieties of locally-grown trees and we’ll deliver it to your home or business. After Christmas we will pick up your tree and return it to our nursery until next year. You can even watch your tree grow as your family grows by adopting the same tree year-after-year.

Click the image to go to the site (it appears that this service is only available in California).

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

Free Audio Book: Desiring God by John Piper

A number of people I respect have recommended this book to me. Here is a chance to get a free audiobook version.

Each month christianaudio gives away a premium audiobook download for free. How does it work? Well, we give away one audiobook download (that we have published or that a partner has allowed us to give away) each month totally free; available only during that month; only once, ever.

Click on the book image to go to the free download.

"Mind-hammering and heart-warming, Desiring God ignites a passion for God that would set the world ablaze if it were the norm and not the exception today." -Os Guiness

"The healthy biblical realism of this study in Christian motivation comes as a breath of fresh air. Jonathan Edwards, whose ghost walks through most of Piper's pages, would be delighted with his disciple." -J.I. Packer

Thanks To Paul at SimpleMann.net