I’m making the best of my unemployment by doing family photo archival stuff. So my coolest technology is my Maxtor 1TB external drive.
1TB! I’m still getting used to the massive amount of digital real estate sitting on my desk. And having fun populating it.
When I was working in defense my coworker and I fought over who got to play with the 3D printer (YouTube). Our office had a bigger version that used a wax matrix. Cleaning up the models was a fun break from paper pushing, and a handy excuse to keep from doing real work (“I can’t, my hands are covered in wax from cleaning up this prototype! Come back later!”).
I used to run Citizen CNC lathes that were the size of minivan that could make 1000’s of tiny titanium parts that would fit into the palm of your hand.
My favorite tools were the carbide drills .0055" in diameter. Just a little bigger than a human hair.
I don’t YouTube, for bandwidth reasons, but I’ve never had any problem with graphics. Those people who do major CAD work can get workstations, but we have compute ranches you can hook up to for heavy lifting (even if you have a workstation) so we mostly look at the results of big runs.
I had a real computer before I got the thin client, and kept it even after I got it - but I found I hardly ever used it. Having root was cool, but for what I do the thin client is a big win.
You’re obviously easy to please. My old one from 4.5 years ago has this, and so does the one I got this weekend, though the new one has the volume controls and headphone jacks in the front. I preferred them on the side.
I may have the coolest, depending on how you define “work with” and “technology”. Does it count if the machine isn’t even built yet, and when it is, I’ll never be in the same state as any of the hardware? Because some of the work I do is for the LISA gravitational wave detector, which, once built, will be the largest and most precise device ever made by man.
It’s not survey grade, but I do get to use this neat little submeter GPS, only not as often as I’d like… Maybe I’ll hike some trails with it this weekend! We need those really accurate in our GIS, right?
My stuff is cool, but not in the high tech way. I just got a miniature flash kit for pyro effects and a tiny fogger that we rigged to fit in a prop cannonball bomb so it looks like it is smoking.
I work in a Data Center, so I interface with lots of whiz-bang internet hardware. But, I’m most proud of my experience on an older technology, the Lucent 5ESS telephone switch. I felt a much stronger bond to the people who I provided dial tone for than any number of anonymous web surfers.
Okay, it’s not as cool as everyone else’s in the thread. But right now, we’re working in our field on scanning/reproducing 15th-17th century texts online, to form a complete database, which I think is pretty awesome for researchers everywhere.
Did you listen to the sales pitch in that video? “Reliability isn’t an option.” I know what she means, but it definitely made me snicker.
Wish I had an overhead…
Actually, I’m pretty damn happy I have a whiteboard, because a lot of classrooms in the area have only chalkboards. I never really thought about it before, but all but the most pristine of chalkboard setups are kind of a pain to teach with. I end up with chalk all over one hand and on my clothes.
I’m impressed, the XE 100 can only take small slides, a 200mm sample is pretty impressive. What is the maximum scan length (ours is ~400 microns (I think))
Heh, I hadn’t noticed that when I watched it (I tend to tune out techno-corporate-speak), but that is pretty funny.
I have to say that I’m suitably impressed by a lot of the cool stuff people have been talking about in this thread. Also, unless someone who worked on the Manhattan Project wanders in, I think Chronos wins!
My old one from 4.5 years ago has this, and so does the one I got this weekend, though the new one has the volume controls and headphone jacks in the front. I preferred them on the side.
