GEEK-ON-CALL GEEK
THOUGHT ....updated 4/20/09 GEEK
FAQ
THIS GEEK'S RESUME QUOTES FOR GEEKS
| Don't worry dad - I'll fix it Terry at two years old My dad passed away on March 13, 2007 at the
age of 95. |
Mr. Wizard
(Don Herbert) passed
away on June 12, 2007
He
was a hero to millions, including me. The world needs more like him.
 
SOURCES FOR ALL THINGS GEEK
Stuff that the King of the Geeks likes to peruse
on a regular basis. I use this chart to regularly visit my favs. Please
have a look-about.
MY WEBSITES
- just to keep me busy and out of trouble
Specialty
Concepts Inc. ....My company. We design and
manufacture controls for photovoltaic solar energy.
EarthScenics ....My
photography website showcasing some of my work.
WebSciFi ....The
SCIFI CHRONICLES. A website showcasing the history of the golden age of
science fiction.
OnLinePhotography ....A
website for the fine-art
photographer.
WebPhoto ....A
web-based photo gallery highlighting some of the best
photographers in the world.
Dynamic
Media Concepts ....Website for the POS
project below. This site not operational at this time.
The Geek Lab ....Safe science for kids. A conceptual website to teach science in a fun way.
"CURRENT"
PROJECTS - "current" as in "I've touched this within the
last five years"
These
projects have
seen a working prototype constructed. I figure that if I list these
here, I'll be guilted into working on them. NOW WITH PICTURES....WOW!
RED=on
hold, GREEN=working
on it, BLACK=finished.
PROJECT: Generation
of hydrogen from solar energy.
STATUS: Generates
hydrogen. Generates insufficient oxygen. Suspect lack of oxygen due to
use of pure carbon rods as electrodes, thus making CO2, I.E. soda
water! Should replace carbon rods with platinum rods. Uh huh, maybe
when I win the lottery.
UPDATE:
Replaced the carbon rods with stainless-steel mesh. Works like a champ
but requires too much voltage to get a decent generation. Added some
common table salt and production went WAY up. Now what? Don't
know...had a bit of fun and learned something.
The control head | The "battery simulator" caps and control relays | The "almost completed" unit |
PROJECT:
IMMORTALITY
PROJECT:
Using LEDs as solar cells
PROJECT:
Interfacing a microprocessor to process temperature and voltage
information to instigate various actions (a self-education venture). PROJECT:
Light
sculptures - blinky blinky, flash flash. PROJECT:
Remodeling
the house,
the never-ending remodel of the house. PROJECT:
Writing...many
short
stories, articles, and humor, forever to be
greeted with rejection slips.
STATUS:
Yes, you read that correctly...I am working on immortality. I can't go into details now, but soon.
UPDATE: I have met with great sucess. I have replaced short-lived components with much sturdier ones. I anticipate 10,000 years as a minimum. Severe environmetal testing will have to be performed to ascertain actual life. I would like to shoot for 100,000 years. I know...you're saying "HUH?" I will reveal all. And no, I am not a crackpot.
STATUS:
I came up with this idea 15 years ago but never persued it until
recently. It turns out that LEDs will produce power. I even have a
project were the LEDs supplied 100% of the operating power. Alas, while
this does work, it is TERRIBLY inefficient. New thin-film solar cells
are very cheap and are hundreds of times more efficient.
UPDATE: Well, blow me down. Micro-energy harvesting is all the rage.
100 surface-mount LEDs making a whopping 1mw WITH concentrating lens!
STATUS:
Completed and successful. Learned a lot.
STATUS:
Currently playing around with CCFL rope lights, RGB LEDs, and
CCFL 4 inch tubes.
PROJECT:
Design
and coding of
a new operating system overlay to allow
simplified use of computers by non-tech users, I.E. death to Windows!
STATUS:
Surprisingly well along, but VERY difficult and time consuming. Very
complicated...requires long periods of time with no interruptions,
usually impossible to find! Menu system functional and word processor
90% operational. Have just started on calendar module. Major problem is
that it still needs to sit on top of (and hide) Windows. If Windows
screws up, my software stops working. Not a good thing. And probably no
way to get around.
STATUS:
Never-ending!
STATUS:
I'll keep writing. Rejection slips can make excellent wall paper.
UPDATE:
They're also very good for starting fires in the fireplace.