Panasonic's Largest Plasma Plant

Panasonic's largest and third plasma plant, in Amagasaki, was just completed. The factory will be capable of churning out more of those 150-inch sets (like Dorothy), or nine 50-inchers out of the same glass.
The new factory will also host a process to reduce afterglow and improve 3D performance. It'll eventually output 1 million smaller sets a month. [JapanToday]

the Rarest Blue Moon

Magical things happen once upon a blue Moon. And this Thursday we get a chance to find out just what those magical things as we watch the rare lunar event coincide with all the beautiful fireworks of New Years Eve.
Blue Moon is the term applied to the second full Moon in a calendar month. It's an event that occurs roughly every two and a half years. This Thursday's blue Moon is far rarer than that though, because it's happening right on New Years Eve—a coincidence that happens only about once in every twenty years.
So, between sharing New Years kisses this year, take a look at the Moon, because she'll be at her most beautiful. [Homer Tribune]Hubble: Imaging Space and Time

Rumor: Digitimes Claims Apple Tablet Will Have a 10-Inch Foxconn Screen

Digitimes, purveyor of sometimes not true rumors, says that Foxconn's screen division Innolux will supply the Apple Tablet with a 10-inch screen. G-Tech Optoelectronics, also a Foxconn company, is rumored to be strength treating the panels, too.Epson Duet 80-Inch Dual Aspect Ratio Projection Screen, Portable 4:3 and 16:9 Aspect Ratio Screen (ELPSC80)

Lenovo's Multimedia Remote with Keyboard

Casio CTK-4000 Premium Keyboard Pack with Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Professional Closed Cup Stereo Headphones

This Lenovo palm sized keyboard/trackpad (with the charming model name of 57Y6336) is a gem of a home theater PC controller. $60. [Lenovo via Engadget]

The November Birthstone: Citrine

I'm very fond of citrine, the gemstone ranging from a pale yellow to a dark orange. First, I just love the colour yellow; second, citrine is an extremely versatile gemstone that looks great with many different colours. I wear it often with black because I like the contrast of the yellow against dark colours. I like a neutral colour that I call champagne or sand - it's a version of khaki almost, but with golden tones instead of brown - Anne Klein calls it safari. A paler citrine is gorgeous with it. In the summer, nothing looks fresher than citrine bracelets and necklaces paired with white linen or cotton.

Gleam, Glimmer, Shimmer!

According to Vogue and other important fashion magazines, gold is back in fashion. Of course, I don't think that it was ever out! I love the gleam of gold, and while I will concede that there are certain gemstones that are best served by sterling silver or white gold, (think rose quartz) I generally prefer my own jewelry to be gold or a mixture of silver and gold.
One of my favorite combinations is lapis, carnelian, and turquoise; all of these gemstones look great with silver (although lapis always looks better with gold), but put them all together and you've just got to have yellow gold to match the richness of the colours! Above, a unique bracelet with lapis, carnelian, and turquoise accented with 14 karat goldfilled elements (with the exception of the toggle which is vermeil), and below, the matching necklace and dangling earrings.

Tweetidor, the tweeting humidor

Corleone [VHS]

As cigar aficionados will tell you, cigars should be stored in climate controlled humidors to keep them in best condition for smoking. Most of the time a humidor is just a simple air-tight box with a hygrometer attached, which measures the relative humidity inside the box. Feeling as though he needed more control over the environment he kept his cigars in, [Justin] created the Tweetidor, a humidor that tweets its current temperature and humidity. Yes, you guessed it; the project is built around an Arduino. It’s a simple, useful project that is well documented and would be fun to recreate if you’re into cigars (and not tired of Twitter or Arduinos yet.) Combine this with the laser lighter and you’ve got a pretty nice setup.

Eee PC NAS

Hack a Day reader [The_Glu] shared with us a project of his. He used an Eee PC 701 he had lying around with a broken LCD, along with three 1TB SATA drives to create a custom NAS server for his house. The server features a number of other interesting components, including USB2SATA converters to connect the hard drives, as well as a 2 line LCD to display RAID information and server status. The entire  project is wrapped up in a custom made Plexiglas enclosure with case fans to keep the whole thing cool. While this may not be the first Eee PC NAS, or the fastest, this is a wonderful way to repurpose a broken netbook. We also love the idea of netbooks being used more and more in projects like these as the first generation reaches its end of usefulness age. More pictures after the break.
Thanks [The_Glu]
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MP3 Hand Grenade

One man’s useless machine is another man’s treasure… or something. [Matt] shared a link to his MP3 gr3nade in the comments of our useless machines post. The project took a decomissioned hand grenade and shoehorned an MP3 player into it. His decision to locate the headphone jack where the safety pin goes is a nice touch.
This reminds us of the boss from a previous job who had a chrome plated hand grenade on his desk.  Now that was a useless object (and a useless boss). This project actually does something, but are you really going to ride around on the subway rockin’ out to the Bee Gees while holding a hand grenade?

Defocusing LED Clock

Getting Started with Arduino (Make: Projects)

[Dennis] has created a well-documented and very beautiful clock in his latest project. This clock stands out from the other clock projects we have covered with its unique display. The seven segment LED displays mounted on a sled that moves them back and forth behind an array of fiber optic lenses, effectively taking the display out of focus at certain points. Currently, a Dorkboard controls the sled, moving it at random intervals. The case is machined and polished aluminium, the top buttons are ball bearings.

Six monitors, one video card

With most of us utilizing at least two monitors these days in our day to day operations, six monitors, while an awesome thought, might seem a little too excessive. After all, do we really have space for multiple video cards?
AMD has a new setup in their testing lab that is running six Dell 30inch displays at 7680×3200 through a video card holding six DisplayPort connectors.
Maximum PC has the scoop on the setup, and they say that this single GPU will be coming out on AMD’s DirectX 11 capable chips. Details are slim with the amount of video RAM, speeds and cost not known at present.
Think of the possibilities! Trade shows are one thing, but how about a video wall at home for gaming and movies? How would you use the six monitors shown above? Be sure to leave your ideas in the comments.

Observe Rules for Animals

A Wild Ride
Public transportation can be a zoo, and we Muni Ladies are reminded of this when we see a parrot, chicken, or the occasional pot-bellied pig on our commute. Crikey! While these creatures are generally accompanied by a fare-paying human, it's important to be mindful of mass transit and pet etiquette. Petiquette states that riders should consider those around them when it comes to animals and their behavior. Remember that not everyone thinks it's a dog's world, and some riders may appreciate distance from man's best friend due to allergies or fear. If you must tote your buddy on transit, do so in a small bag or carrier and stow appropriately for the safety of others. On the flip side, service animals can ride unmuzzled on most forms of transit. Guide dogs and police pooches are working, so admire from afar unless you have permission to approach. Want to avoid becoming a pet peeve? Give our suggestions some paws for thought, and we guarantee you'll be the cat's meow.

Refrain From Fighting

Transit Tantrums
Close quarters on mass transit make it an easy place for tired travelers and cranky commuters to let flaring tempers fly. Whether in a disagreement with your traveling companion, or nearing your boiling point with a pushy passenger, it's best not to let things escalate or cause a scene. Before you get ready to rumble or form a fight club, consider the safety of those around you and the impression you may leave on young riders. To simmer down your transportation temper, try our civilized version of a one-two punch: take a deep breath and extract yourself from the situation. We Manner Ladies believe that a little anger management can go a long way, especially in shared spaces. So, respect yourself and others by avoiding altercations involving physical force - be the bigger person and walk away first. Take our advice on being a pacifist, and we guarantee you'll live to fight another day.

Follow Rules for Bikes

Cycle of Life
The age-old turf war between bikes and cars is found in almost every metropolitan environment. Even though they struggle to share the road with automobiles, bicyclists are shown some love by public transportation systems with bike racks and designated spaces. But, for two-wheelers and transit passengers to ride in harmony, there are etiquette and safety rules that should be observed. The truth of the matter is that bikes take up rider space on transit--putting the squeeze on everyone. So, if toting your trike, don't block doors or seats, and take care not to box in passengers. Riding during rush hour? Be mindful of boarding rules to avoid delays. And if you're lucky enough to find a seat after stowing your cycle, ensure that your bike doesn't lean or roll away: your creeping gears make us nervous. Once you exit a vehicle and breakaway, don't block turnstiles or ride inside the station. Keep an eye out for others, and you can be sure these simple suggestions will keep fellow riders on your side - on and off the road.

Safely Stow Suitcases

Bag of Tricks

Whether you're embarking on a summer vacay, business trip, or heading home for the holidays, traveling to the airport by public transportation is a great way to avoid traffic and high parking fees. Things just got a little easier for travelers on the right coast, as the NYC Transit System recently launched a test pilot program to install luggage racks on several routes to airports. However, until transit systems around the world follow suit, the rest of us are forced to share space with Samsonites. If you're not known for packing lightly, be sure to keep duffel bags and oversized totes from blocking seats and exits on mass transit. And, we agree with Trimetiquette's take that it is perfectly acceptable to place luggage on the seat next to you if, placed on the floor, it could affect any rider’s ability to move about about the train. Remember, the goal is to keep walking areas on transit vehicles safe and clear of obstacles. So, be mindful of how your parcels affect passengers and we guarantee it will feel good to get rid of some extra baggage. Flickr photo: carpathiar