Technabob » strobe

Strobeshnik Hard Drive Clock Tells Time Perfectly Once It Spins Up to Speed

Technabob — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:10:07 +0000

Check out this cool clock made from an old hard drive. Built by modder Svofski, the clock tells time on the face of the hard drive’s rapidly spinning platter.

The Strobeshnik hard drive clock uses a stroboscopic effect to make it look like the numbers of the clock are persistent on the face of the drive platter – which Svofski galvanically etched to make the cool cutout numbers.

A set of LEDs is positioned behind the platter, and a custom controller circuit automatically coordinates the rapidly blinking LEDs to illuminate precisely when the appropriate number window in the platter is lined up in the right location.

Here’s a video clip of the Strobeshnik clock in action. When it’s first spinning up, it just looks like a bunch of jibbrerish. But wait for it… wait for it… when the drive hits the right speed, the time is there – just as perfect as any other clock.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

For a full build log, schematics and source code for the Strobeshnik, head on over to Svofski’s website.

[via Hacked Gadgets]

Fake Tv Scares Off Intruders, Saves Power

Technabob — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:01:02 +0000

Ever felt the need to leave a television on to make it look like somebody is home while you’re out of town? This quirky little invention does just one thing – simulate the effect of having left your TV turned on.

The $49 FakeTV uses an array of colored, flashing LEDs to create the illusion of the stroboscopic effect of a television. The compact box uses only a fraction of the electricity of a real TV, and doesn’t put unnecessary wear and tear on your precious plasma or flat panel.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

According to its creator “FakeTV uses a built-in computer to control super-bright LEDs to produce light of varying intensity and color that light up a room just like a real television does. The light effects of real television programming — scene changes, camera pans, fades, flicks, swells, on-screen motion, and more, are all faithfully simulated by FakeTV… fills a room with color changes, both subtle and dramatic, in thousands of possible shades. FakeTV is completely unpredictable, and it never repeats.”

The FakeTV can be programmed to automatically activate at dusk, then stay on for up to seven hours. You can also connect it to an external outlet timer to turn it on and off. For more information, check out the FakeTV website.

[via TV Snob via CE Pro]

Police Cars to Get Bunny Rabbit Strobe Lights

Technabob — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:04:21 +0000

The police department in Osaka, Japan is about to get a whole lot wackier. Apparently, they’ve ordered these goofy rabbit-shaped lights for about 800 of their cars.

The bunny strobe lights are designed for use on vehicles patrolling the neighborhoods around schools, presumably so the kids can point and laugh at the cops.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I’m guessing that somebody was listening to that Radiohead song Rabbit in Your Headlights and misunderstood the translation.

[Gizmodo Japan via Pink Tentacle]