$400 USB stick probes magnetic fields
Remember Steorn, the Irish company that pitched a perpetual motion machine a couple of years ago? They're back with the USB Hall Probe, a $400 wand that detects fluctuations in the woo.
At Wired, Charlie Sorrel takes it down.
6 Comments
Leave a comment
RECENT COMMENTS
Chuck on $400 USB stick probes magnetic...
"Well, they have to use most of the money to pay the settlement from the lawsuit ..."
Patrick Arcee on $400 USB stick probes magnetic...
"Well, this is great! If this ionization rate is constant for all ectoplasmic ent..."
AirPillo on $400 USB stick probes magnetic...
"It may be worth the sticker price for collectors of concentrated failure...."
semiotix on $400 USB stick probes magnetic...
"But is it <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/speaker-cables/7250-speaker-cables..."
phisrow on $400 USB stick probes magnetic...
"On the plus side, doesn't violate the laws of physics. On the minus side, overpr..."
SamSam on $400 USB stick probes magnetic...
"$400?!? Are they insane?!? High end: A sensor probe like <a href="https:..."
AT |
|
- Colorado passes law to allow rainwater harvesting
- R. Crumb's Sex Obsessions
- Bats the size of your thumb
- Video: Michael Jackson's moonwalking inspirations
- Guardians of Russian Art Museums
- Mexico's Isla De Las Muñecas
- Video drama about CIA's real project to drug unwitting US citizens with LSD
- Yuki 7 giveaway
- New picture window for the space station
- Little Brother wins the Campbell Award -- see you in Lawrence, KS on July 11/12!
SamSam
#1 – 9:52 AM June 26, 2009
$400?!? Are they insane?!?
High end: A sensor probe like Vernier's Hall effect sensor: $66, plus $40 for the connection to your computer if you don't already have it (connection works with dozens of other probes). Comes with all the software you could need.
Medium end: any voltage sensor that attaches to your computer (like Vernier's, $40), plus a $20 gaussmeter.
Low end: Practically anything at all that attaches to the USB of your computer (e.g. Arduino Mini USB Adapter, $19) plus a $20 gaussmeter chip. Requires some very, very basic programming.
This is just dumb dumb.
phisrow
#2 – 10:32 AM June 26, 2009
On the plus side, doesn't violate the laws of physics. On the minus side, overpriced...
semiotix
#3 – 11:14 AM June 26, 2009
But is it danceable?
AirPillo
#4 – 5:45 PM June 26, 2009
It may be worth the sticker price for collectors of concentrated failure.
Patrick Arcee
#5 – 8:27 PM June 28, 2009
Well, this is great! If this ionization rate is constant for all ectoplasmic entities, we could really bust some heads! In a spiritual sense, of course.
Hey, Dean Yeager!
Chuck
#6 – 3:19 PM June 29, 2009
Well, they have to use most of the money to pay the settlement from the lawsuit (Physics v Steorn).
Homer Simpson: Lisa, in this house we obay the laws of thermodynamics!