Nuffing.com

Even old HGST disks stand up well under punishing conditions.
via Ars Technica
Hard disk reliability examined once more: HGST rules, Seagate is alarming

Scientists at the University of Rochester have created a metal that is so extremely hydrophobic that the water bounces on it as if it were repelled by a magic force field. Instead of using chemical coatings they used lasers to etch a nanostructure on the metal itself. It will not wear off, like current less effective methods.

The applications can be revolutionary: From the construction of airplane surfaces—which will avoid water freezing of the fuselage—to non-stick pans to phones to computers to TVs to cars to whatever you can imagine made of metal. They are also thinking of applying the technique to create 100-percent efficient water recollection systems in underdeveloped countries and the creation of latrines in areas where water is not abundant enough to allow for effective cleaning.

But it gets even better: The lead scientist says that ‘the structures created by their laser on the metals are intrinsically part of the material surface’ so they will not disappear over time, like current chemical coatings do.

Their research paper says they made the metals using a "powerful and precise laser-patterning technique that creates an intricate pattern of micro- and nanoscale structures to give the metals their new properties." According to Chunlei Guo, professor of optics at Rochester the effect is amazing:

The material is so strongly water-repellent, the water actually gets bounced off. Then it lands on the surface again, gets bounced off again, and then it will just roll off from the surface.

Here’s Guo in a explanatory video along with the co-writer of the study, Anatoliy Vorobyev, who is a professor at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics.

---

SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

via Gizmodo
New amazing metal is so hydrophobic it makes water bounce like magic

We’ve seen insane landings before—those videos haunt my thoughts vividly every time I’m on a plane. And yet, I want to see more. Here are two new videos showing the terrifying wind conditions over Birmingham’s airport in England. I just added it to my list of places I don’t want to fly to.

---

SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

via Gizmodo
New terrifying crosswind landing videos will haunt my flights forever

via Dilbert
Dilbert 2015-01-19

GoPros are pretty good at filming underwater. They are also excellent at capturing the sad demise of remote-controlled aircraft. So it makes sense that if you crash a RC plane into the sea, you’re going to end up with some awesome footage.

The video comes courtesy of an Australian RC plane pilot who, whilst out for a pleasant day’s remoting, got disorientated by the sun and steered his poor plane, complete with GoPro, into the sea. That’s a pretty good video in and of itself — expensive electronics crashing into the sea! — but it gets better under the surface. Because this is Australia, all of which is filled with incredible wildlife*, there’s obviously pretty fish and turtles and stuff swimming around the downed plane.

All ends well, though — the owner recovers his (soggy) plane, the GoPro survived, and YouTube gets another fun video. [YouTube via Mashable]

via Gizmodo
This RC Plane Crash Results In The Best Underwater Animal Shots

Late this morning (like, midnight ish) three men participated in an armed home invasion in California. One of the men was using an AR-15 pistol equipped with a pistol arm brace. The men were caught and arrested, but instead of … Continue Reading

The post BREAKING: CA Man Charged with Owning an SBR for Pistol Brace Equipped AR-15 appeared first on The Truth About Guns.

via The Truth About Guns
BREAKING: CA Man Charged with Owning an SBR for Pistol Brace Equipped AR-15

I love my Swedes, especially when they get crazy. I’m not so sure about launching fireworks rockets under the ice of a frozen lake. That’s just dumb. Fun, but dumb. Go home and leave the fish alone, Swedes. You are drunk.

---

SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

via Gizmodo
This is what happens when you launch a rocket under a frozen lake