At the US Money Factory, High-Tech Benjamins Roll Off the Presses

Source: http://www.popsci.com/

Learn about the new C-note with CNET

In the future, a few things will still roll off a printing press -- dollar dollar bills, y'all!

CNET has a nice behind-the-scenes tour of the process of making the newly redesigned $100 bill, which the government unveiled in April. It won't be in circulation until February 10, 2011, but CNET's story provides a nice sneak peek.

In the new note, Benjamin Franklin is joined by a shiny Liberty Bell inside an inkwell, which seems to disappear as you tilt the note. It also has a

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Install a Wide Angle Lens Into Your Webcam [DIY]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5579309/install-a-wide-angle-lens-into-your-webcam

If you've got an external webcam but hate not being able to move around in the narrow frame, DIY web site Instructables shows us how to replace the lens with a cheap wide angle one for more flexible video chatting.

While certain webcam/lens combinations may work better, this particular guide used a $12 webcam and a $6 wide-angle lens that didn't fit together just right. Thus, replacing the lens meant moving the socket an extra millimeter away from the circuit board using some previously mentioned Sugru and taking the IR filter off the first lens and attaching it to the wide-angle one.

Apart from the Sugru, though, all you'll need for this mod is a screwdriver to take apart the camera and access the more delicate insides. You'll likely have to do a bit of improvisation for the method to work with your particular webcam (you may not even need to move the socket), but all in all it's a neat idea that can be done for very cheap. Hit the link for more detailed instructions, and let us know your favorite webcam mods in the comments.

Wide-Angle Web Cam [Instructables]

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Build an Arduino-Powered, Tweeting, Self-Watering Garden System [DIY]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5579086/build-an-arduino+powered-tweeting-self+watering-garden-system

We've shown you a few automated irrigation systems, both large and small, but if you're an Arduino fan, you'll love DIYer Jouni's set-up, made out of a bucket, a submersible pump, and plastic hose.

It may not use water recycled from your air conditioner, but this compact self-watering solution is perfect for any size garden. It's extremely simple, too (apart from the Arduino, perhaps), and doesn't require a lot of complicated building plans as far as the hose and pump go. And, not only will the Arduino water the soil when it starts to get too dry, but it will even tweet about it so you can make sure everything's on schedule (and so you know when you need to refill the bucket). If you don't have the room for a giant vegetable garden or a full-fledged drip irrigation system, it's a great set-up for your apartment or basement tomato patch. Hit the link for more information, and let us know your favorite self-watering garden tips in the comments.

Watering System [via Hack a Day]

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Opera 10.6 hits Windows, Mac and Linux with faster Javascript, WebM video support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/04/opera-10-6-hits-windows-mac-and-linux-with-faster-javascript-w/

Four short months after Opera 10.5, the Scandanavian potato boilers are back for more -- the latest version of their lightweight web browser features not only claims to be the fastest, but the first final browser with WebM video support. While we actually noticed a variety of web videos felt choppy with the Windows version, there's no denying it's a speedy little hummingbird; Engadget felt snappier on Opera than Chrome or Firefox by far. Don't take our word for it, though -- try it out for yourself at the source link.

Opera 10.6 hits Windows, Mac and Linux with faster Javascript, WebM video support originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Making of Tony Stark's Incredible Interfaces [Ui]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5578966/the-making-of-iron-man-2s-incredible-interfaces

More than his vast fortune or rocket-soled boots or even Pepper Potts, the thing I envy most about Tony Stark are his computers. Here's a video of how motion design company Prologue perfected Tony's fantastic holographic interfaces.

Motionographer has a veritable treasure trove of photos and video from Prologue, showing how every element of Stark's UI in Iron Man 2 was tirelessly tweaked.

And it shows. Alongside those of Minority Report and maybe Quantum of Solace, the interfaces in Iron Man 2 are among the most thrilling and memorable I've seen in any movie. These types of interactions are still the stuff of the future—though maybe not as distant a future as you'd think—but it makes them no less exciting to see on the screen.

It's not just that it's fun to watch, either; these types of imaginative interfaces push us to consider that the way we interact with computers can have a profound impact on what we do with computers. As Justin Cone at Motionographer says, "Yeah yeah, it's "just" fiction, but it's edifying nonetheless. It points to the very real fact that many of the challenges facing contemporary society today can benefit from-or perhaps even by solved through-graphics." Check out more of Prologue's beautiful work for Iron Man 2 over to Motionographer. [Prologue via Motionographer]

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