You have until TOMORROW to enter our Killzone 2 contest, so GET ON IT!
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Yes, you read that correctly. I’m talking about using PayPal to scam a scammer, not vice versa. Surely you’ve clicked an ad that stated you could receive a free iPod/TV/PS3/Xbox 360/Wii, etc. When you visit these websites, you usually have to sign up for online offers with your credit card in order to claim your prize. GearDiary has explained how you can use PayPal’s credit card generator to sign up temporarily for these offers, eliminating the risk and delivering the goods.
The only downside is that, well, you kind of need a PayPal account. While I refuse to use PayPal and eBay, I know plenty of people still do and this is a great way to beat the scammer at their own game.
Links as fresh as the dickens.
Have great links you want showcased on Afternoon Linkage? E-mail us: tips AT gearfuse DOT com.
The world’s first ever wave farm went live at the end of September in Agucadoura, off the coast of northern Portugal. Three wave energy converters resembling Soviet submarines generate electricity with hydraulic rams driven by waves. The farm was designed by Pelamis Wave Power, which hopes to increase the farms productivity by adding an additional 25 wave energy converters that could potentially power 15,000 homes.
Waves powering homes? Remarkable, but how does it work?
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We’re digging this eco-friendly goodness from the folks at Windation Energy Systems. If you couldn’t guess by the name, they deal with organic means of producing wind energy. The developer of Windation’s latest wind turbine, Mark Sheikhrezai, was inspired by wind catchers used by the Persians to keep their interiors cool.
The concept is simple: wind blows into the top, then it’s directed downward where the wind turns a turbine that generates up to five kilowatts of electricity. That’s almost as good as saving the environment while working out, but even better because you can sit on your ass all day. We approve.
David Butcher is one cool dude. Every day, he exercises for 45-minutes on a pedal-powered generator that powers his laptop computer, a Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner and compact fluorescents. However, he’s not the only one making use of this eco-friendly approach to powering electronic equipment.
A new gym in Portland, Oregon utilizes a similar approach to building up energy. Personal trainer Adam Boesel opened the Green Microgym not solely to provide members with an excellent workout but also to save some energy.
“It is an example of what a community can do to conserve energy, even if it’s a drop in the bucket.”
If only more people shared a similar outlook on our energy crisis.
Swedish company Home Energy has not forgotten about our energy independence even if our leaders of tomorrow have. It’s made a wind turbine shaped as a sphere called the Energy Ball. Home Energy claims that the shape allows for higher aerodynamic efficiency in comparison to traditional design as well as complete silence during operation. The Energy Ball comes in two models: The 0.5 kW Energy Ball V100 has a price tag of $4,600 and the 2.5 kW Energy Ball V200 sells for $8,100. The prices might seem steep, but think of the energy you’ll be saving.
When it comes to climbing, backpacks are an important part of your apparel. They carry all of your food, equipment and in some rare instances something beneficially misplaced. That’s where the O2 Bag comes in. The Japanese adventure supply company, Ymup has equipped this ordinary backpack with a battery-powered oxygen generator, making those ascents into thin-air environments all the more breathable.
The company says the battery lasts up to two hours, so your climbers better be on top of their game or else you’ll find yourself choking for air at the summit while your lungs collapse. To help boost morale, members of your climbing party should outfit themselves with a backpack boom box, because good tunes always comes first before health. While you’re at it, you might as well bring some massaging backpacks. It’s a long way to the top.
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Turn that old hideous tie your Grandmother gave you into something you’d actually use: a case for your iPod. Sure, you could use it for a slim cellphone and other small gadgets-or you could put some weed in it considering that the possibilities are endless. You could make your own, but why struggle with the fact that you can’t sew and that the Tie Gadget Holder is only $16 bucks. That’s a small price to pay for an eye-popping case.
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Just when you thought things couldn’t get nerdier, a DIY project like this comes along. Pass Key is the password generator that is conveniently shaped like a candy bar making it the only portable gadget of its kind that I’ve seen. It generates a 16-digit alphanumeric code as quick as you can press a button.
The project takes about two hours to complete and is moderately difficult. For $43 bucks in parts, you won’t find a cheaper hardware-based, portable password generator anywhere. Hell, you won’t find one period; do it yourself.
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