Aug 15
Move over graphene; get outta here diamond. There’s a new carbon supermaterial in town, and it’s stronger and stiffer than either of you.
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Jun 18
There’s something quite special about high-end speakers, in the way that they are often able to recreate acoustic performances very accurately, akin to what holography is to visual senses. I’m not sure that these Bowers & Wilkins speakers will do that, but they certainly look the part.
The B&W 805 Maserati Edition Speakers will please audiophiles and car enthusiasts alike. At heart, they are part of the 800 Series of Diamond speakers, adorned with lots of materials that you’d find in any Maserati. They come in maple veneer, black leather, standing tall on the stand that has a Maserati Trident logo.
These speakers are limited and the price hasn’t yet been announced, but given that the regular 800 Diamond Series speakers sell for $23,000(USD) a pair, so you can just imagine how much these will cost. They will be available this Fall, so start saving up now.
[via Uncrate]
Mar 26
Gearbox Software recently announced its Borderlands 2 will be receiving an update that increases the game’s level cap, will introduce a new vault hunter as well as a new mode called “Vault Hunter’s Mode.” But if you consider yourself a true vault hunter, then you might want to check out this real-world limited edition Borderlands 2 diamond-plate loot chest.
The loot chest offers a combination of in-game and real-life loot that any vault hunter would love to get their hands on.
- Diamond Plate Loot Chest
- Loot Chest Certificate of Authenticity
- A rare vacuform Goliath mask w/ SHiFT code that unlocks the head in-game
- 20 Trading cards with SHiFT codes that unlock Legendary items in game
- Vault Hunters Wanted Poster
- Window Decals for Hyperion, Jakobs, Maliwan, and more
The main selling point of this chest would certainly be the chest itself, but considering there are some really great additional items in there, as well as a number of SHiFT codes that will equip your characters with legendary items, then its $99.99 price point doesn’t sound so terrible. Also, it’s being sold by ThinkGeek, which you know means it’s most likely a quality product.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nintendo 3DS System Update Brings New Enhancements, Commodore 64 On Your Ouya?, 
Nov 10
R2-D2 Engagement Ring: R2-I-Do
Posted in: Today's ChiliSome Star Wars fans really go all-out, and this custom-designed R2-D2 engagement ring is no exception. This is no cheap Cracker Jack box trinket – oh, remember when the prizes weren’t all made out of paper? – it’s made from pricey metals and precious gemstones.
This amazing R2-D2 ring was created by Paul Michael Bierker as a custom-commissioned piece for graphic and tattoo artist Joe, who wanted to present it to his bride-to-be, Emily. The ring is made from precious metals inlaid with blue sapphires and a big-honkin’ diamond in the middle. Joe started out by sending along some concept images to Paul, and from there, he really ran with it.
And while Joe’s spelling leaves a little to be desired (baggets? saphire?) he more than makes up for it with his spirit and creativity. Joe has truly stepped up the game for geeks in love everywhere.
Check out this short video of Joe presenting this awesome droid ring to Emily, and a little more imagery of this jewelry masterpiece.
The only thing better would have been if he dressed up as C-3PO when he proposed to her. And yes, those were their Halloween costumes in the video. I think.
[Custom Made via ThinkGeek on Facebook]
Nov 08
This credit card is made of gold and diamonds. Called Visa Infinite, you have to pay $100,000 to the Russian ‘Sberbank in order to get it. You also need to be a complete imbecile. A very rich imbecile, but a complete imbecile nonetheless. More »
Oct 14
Scientists have discovered a planet orbiting a sun-like star called 55 Cancri. The planet is known as 55 Cancri e and is a so-called “super-Earth”. 55 Cancri e is 40 light years from the Earth and its light is visible to the naked eye.
The coolest thing about 55 Cancri e is that it is completely different in chemical composition from Earth. Rather than being mostly covered in water and granite, 55 Cancri e is believed to be covered with mostly graphite and diamonds. A research team led by Yale University scientists discovered the rocky planet, which is roughly twice the Earth’s size, with an estimated mass eight-times that of our planet.
The newly-discovered planet orbits its parent star at an incredibly high speed with each year lasting only 18 hours. The planet is also incredibly hot with the surface temperature estimated to be 3900°F. The scientists believe that at least a third of the planet’s mass could be diamonds.
[via Yale]
Aug 12
The US Department of Energy’s SLAC accelerator lab already has a pretty useful X-ray laser — the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). But, recent modifications to the device have scientists drooling over its new found potential. Using a thin wafer of diamond, the Stanford-run lab filtered the beam to a lone frequency, then amplified it in a process called “self-seeding.” That’s given the world’s most powerful X-ray laser even more punch by tossing out unneeded wavelengths which were reducing its intensity. The tweaks allow scientists across many fields to finesse and image matter at the atomic level, giving them more power to study and change it. According to the lab, researchers who came to observe the experiment from other X-ray laser facilities “were grinning from ear to ear” at the possibility of integrating the tech into their own labs. The SLAC team claims they could still add 10 times more punch to the LCLS with further optimization, putting the laser in a class by itself — X-ray-wise, anyway.
Continue reading Diamond hones DOE X-ray laser howitzer to razor-sharp precision
Filed under: Science
Diamond hones DOE X-ray laser howitzer to razor-sharp precision originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug 06
Pressure that can melt diamond, an electromagnetic pulse that can kill, and enough current to light 100 million light bulbs. Such are the extremes within the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this image, artificial lightning spread like a wave through Z’s 33-metre-wide interior. More »
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