Archive for March 2007

 
 

Free SLR Lens Hoods

I just ran across this great website where you can print patterns for lens hoods for just about every lens made today. The site allows you to download PDF files with the patterns for you to print. Though they recommend A4, A3, or A2 paper, I found that printing to standard 8 1/2″ by 11″ paper with the Adobe Reader auto cropping allowed me to have the same results. These look like a great alternative to paying $45+ for the custom hoods from Canon. I’ll finish cutting mine out and snap a few pictures to see how well they work.

Update: The results were less than exciting, but, it does provide a temporary fix until you get fed up with it and decide to either opt for the rubber retractable lens hoods found at the local camera shop or shell out the big bucks for the real deal lens hoods from the manufacturer.

[via LifeHacker]

Using human-power to generate engergy

HONG KONG — A health club here is hoping that a car battery, some StairMasters and dozens of gym rats can help ease the world’s energy problems.

Interesting article with lots of promise for the future. Now, all we need to do is convince state governments to pass legislation that allows people to roll back their power meters and get paid for their energy production by the energy companies. I know that NJ allows that and people are actually paid fairly for the energy they put back on the grid, but AZ only allows a small percentage of what you produce to go back onto the grid.

[via slashdot]

There will be a full Lunar Eclipse tonight

According to NASA, there will be a Lunar Eclipse tonight that is going to be visible from almost all populated land on the Earth. Check out the article on nasa.com for more information and check back later for pictures (I’ll have my camera with me all day!).

Until I have photos from the eclipse tonight, enjoy some pictures of the full moon from last night.

[via slashdot]

UPDATE:
No eclipse for you, one year!… well, not quite according to a few sites I’ve found on the internet. According to one site that belongs to the military (Astronomical Applications?), the next lunar eclipse will be in late August. The data sheet that the site has on the eclipse seems to point to Tucson being in a VERY good position to view the event (though at 3 in the morning roughly). Another site with a much broader amount of data on future eclipses is Hermit Eclipse; that site has predicted dates for eclipses as far in advance as 2020. NASA’s lunar eclipse page is also quite interesting and informative and even predicts eclipses out to 2100AD!

Since Tucson wasn’t in the path of some good lunar eclipse views, enjoy these pictures from Flickr of people who were much more fortunate to be able to take eclipse pictures.