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Magnetic Gadget Tricks Traffic Lights into Giving Bikers the Green
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 10:30 AM on November 15, 2008
Instead of strapping a fat guy onto your bike, a new—smaller—gadget has been created for bikers who are tired of getting stuck at red lights due to their bike's weight. This device can trick traffic lights into believing the bike is actually a car by sending out a strong magnetic field, thus tripping the induction-loop sensors in the roads. However, because this gadget is still only a prototype, it currently isn't available to consumers, so don't rid of your personal fatty quite yet! [Wired]
When they're not designing 
You have probably heard stories about patient injuries or death occurring when someone introduces a heavy metal object into the same room as an MRI machine. Obviously, we are talking about some seriously powerful magnets here. However, the US$10 million magnet currently under construction at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Florida is expected to reach 100 tesla when finished—about 67 times more powerful than a typical MRI machine.
The Space Invaders magnet set--the perfect accompaniment to your refrigerator. But don't even think about reaching for that milk without a pixel blaster. Oh, you're out of ammo? Poor baby. Guess you're ordering a pizza. Dial, bitch. (Or order online, of course.) [
Maclife suggests ferrite beads as a fix for the GSM buzz emanating from speakers when placed near a busy mobile phone. I found some of the snap variety you can order 
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a process in which you run an electromagnet over parts of the brain, which essentially turns them off. You may have LOL'd at the idea of Kirsten Dunst and Mark Ruffalo 
Digital picture frames are deepening their grip on society... they're bored with being on your keychain and desk, now they've got designs on your fridge door. Meet fridge magnet digital picture frames and try not to scream. Expensive 
Straight out from Alice's Wonderland, this magnetic table and dinnerware are designed with four objectives: 1) store your plates, cups and cutlery, upside down, under the table, 2) arrange them neatly on top, 3) erase the data from any hard drive that comes near, and 4) cause head and eye injuries to kids and pets. Or drive them mad. And yet, we still want it. More pics after the jump.
Gadget Lab got a hands-on demo with prototype magnetic levitation haptic control unit at Carnegie Mellon University, where they got a simulated feel for 3D rabbits, hard surfaces and vinyl records. In addition to simulating the general shapes of objects, the technology can accurately reproduce qualities like texture and elasticity using an interesting dual joystick setup.
