thismomentinblackhistory: #6: 10,862 variations of the gravity bong.

Or a multi-player beer bong?

Issac Newton throws an apple at the author.

whither_apophis: Issac Newton throws an apple at the author.

It's super effective!

One-off gizmos. IMHO list fails without huffman coding (new window) created by a student during an exam and is still widely used.

That was an absolutely horrible list. I don't blame subby, though. I blame the mods for encouraging this type of material to get a green light.

List fails without the beer-fridge catapult (new window)

The DDR Tetris is pretty cool, although not particularly impressive for MIT students. All you're doing is changing the output and the input. Not difficult in the least.

The combination lock device is lame, especially for college students. There are far more efficient ways to handle that style of lock than simple brute force.

That lightsaber arm was pretty lame. It can attack once every few seconds! Better be on your toes! Lame.

pkellmey: That was an absolutely horrible list. I don't blame subby, though. I blame the mods for encouraging this type of material to get a green light.

It seems to be the trend with all TechEBlog posts. I made the mistake of clicking one before which was some top 5 list but the first source they posted was to another blog's top 7 list. That's some crack reporting.

IrateShadow: The combination lock device is lame, especially for college students. There are far more efficient ways to handle that style of lock than simple brute force.

This?Which I think is just as technically impressive.

I think the laser backpack is something I'd put money away for. Instantly 3d mapping every place you go on a trip? Being able to take your bed-ridden granny on a 3d tour of cities she'll never see otherwise? man, yeah... want.

How about multiple-protocol routers? That was college students, then they spun out of the college and started cisco.

Did you see the usb smith and wesson? awesome idea for the NYC subway.

Approximately one of these inventions is actually useful, and for now it's a rather naive and inefficient way to accomplish its goal.

A brute force attack on the padlock is the best they got? I mean couldn't they put a listening device onto the lock to "hear" for the right sound.

poot_rootbeer: Approximately one of these inventions is actually useful, and for now it's a rather naive and inefficient way to accomplish its goal.

I think you should give the light saber-arm some more credit. Within the next five years we'll be able to see our fully fledged jedi sword trainer a reality.

And to think I used to be all smug about my "cologne-soaked Kleenex stuffed into the bottom of a paper towel tube" device.

....expected Google and Facebook to be on the list

DDR-Controlled Tetris

Lame and unoriginal

I was going to say that the lock cracker thing was the laziest undergrad engineering project I'd ever seen (really? brute force? Half an hour? No feedback control whatsoever? I could top that control scheme by Sophomore year easily, as could anyone in the engineering department)...

But then I saw the pre-existing robot arm design programmed with like three motions, one stop/reset condition, and a duct-tape boffer. That was more like a third-grade science fair project, and not even one that would net you a place ribbon. Figures it was the Stanford one.

At least the automated CAD-drawing-plus-google-maps maker backpack thing was impressive. I dunno about "incredible", but it looked like an actual decent bit of engineering with some actual challenges to overcome. Plus it seemed actually useful, which is always a plus.

//And how does rewiring a control pad into another control pad count as an incredible technology, MIT? Every high school freshman has done that at least once since the '80s.

TNel: A brute force attack on the padlock is the best they got? I mean couldn't they put a listening device onto the lock to "hear" for the right sound.

Don't they optimize to the "real" numbers? That is, on Master locks there are only (IIRC) 12 distinct positions (despite the 40 numbers)?

Also, you never need to know the third number, just apply tension to the bolt and turn knob until it unlocks.

With those two optimizations I'd doubt anyone *needs* anything better than brute force. 12x12=144 tries, not at all boring for a robot.

Is it too much to ask for a backpack with frickin' laser beams?

namatad: subby is five or needs to look up the word incredible

This

Faster beer pour, less head and shorter lines at the ballpark? I'm pretty sure this should always be on the list.

Link (new window)

I think "Incredible" is a bit much...

You know who else developed a machine to open Master Locks?

Weatherby, that's who.

Barricaded Gunman: And to think I used to be all smug about my "cologne-soaked Kleenex stuffed into the bottom of a paper towel tube" device.

Dude....dryer sheets. "Hey cool....your room smells like clean laundry"...

wjllope: ....expected Google and Facebook to be on the list

napster

JusticeandIndependence: Got caught up in all the super run web ads on that page that kept loading and "popping" up.

/work does not allow any add-ons to browsers...

What you need is Firefox Portable, installs to a folder in MyDocs or a flash drive, so you have complete control.

/can you hammer a six-inch spike through a board with your penis?

JusticeandIndependence: namatad: subby is five or needs to look up the word incredible

Came here to say that. Got caught up in all the super run web ads on that page that kept loading and "popping" up.

/work does not allow any add-ons to browsers...

Well, in all fairness, "incredible" doesn't mean good, it just means extraordinary or possessing a quality difficult to believe. In this case, they're three incredibly lame gadgets and a somewhat cool range-finder on steroids.

BTW, back when I was in the Army, I learned how to open a Master lock by hitting it at just the right angle with a boot.

I think subby meant "inedible." Figures all you dolts would pick on a typo like that.

/inedible doesn't apply to Veronica in the 3D backpack video

Didn't catch it before, but is that first image some textbook hover hand? I can't quite tell.

lennavan: [www.micromatic.com image 300x293]

Faster beer pour, less head and shorter lines at the ballpark? I'm pretty sure this should always be on the list.

What about the cups that fill from the bottom^? Seems like it would be more sanitary than sticking something into everyone;s cup.

=Smidge=

Smidge204: lennavan: [www.micromatic.com image 300x293]

Faster beer pour, less head and shorter lines at the ballpark? I'm pretty sure this should always be on the list.

What about the cups that fill from the bottom^? Seems like it would be more sanitary than sticking something into everyone;s cup.

=Smidge=

If you watch some of the other videos, it just gets stuck in the bottom instead of the top.

IrateShadow: The combination lock device is lame, especially for college students. There are far more efficient ways to handle that style of lock than simple brute force.

They used to teach this method of opening them with a widget you made out of a Coke can with a sharp knife.

Then they came out with the kinetic opener. You can open a regular padlock or combination lock in about a half second.

Was disappointed. I've done more than that as a highschool student.