The tiny tankers are designed to realistically mimic the driving conditions of their full-sized brothers, with a slightly gentler learning curve. Emergency situations (like a failing engine) can be remotely triggered for training purposes. Oh, and feel free to quote that episode of The Simpsons with the big guy in the tiny car. That’s what you guys are here for. [DVICE]

The metal detector is outfitted with a relatively inexpensive “combustible gas sensor” that can detect pockets of oil, and the creator notes that the entire mod can be completed for around $US100. This particular oil detector includes some green LEDs which we don’t believe serve any other purpose than looking cool (as we deduced from the intro, “What good is your newly built metal detector without a little bling?”).

Neighborhoods in which this mod is guaranteed to work include the Mission District in San Francisco, Wicker Park in Chicago, and any Brooklyn neighbourhood primarily inhabited by white people.

Disclosure: Your humble editor also has a beard. And square, plastic-rimmed glasses. This post is thus what is known as “ironic,” which has little relation to the English term, “ironic.” [Instructables]

Each kit includes:

•Aquarium tank and cover
•Motherboard tray and IO panel
•Power/HDD LEDs
•Power switch (mounted to top panel)
•SSD hard drive mounting bracket, and all necessary screws
•Power cord and extension cord to bottom of the tank
•Kit does not include light kits, however, lights are available separately.

You could probably put this same setup together for less that the $US312 Puget Systems is charging for the kit—but it may be worth it if you want to save a little time. Also available in a $US375 version with an external radiator for high-powered rigs.

Puget Systems Brings Aquarium PC Kits to the Consumer Tech, Enthusiast PC Market; “As Seen on YouTube”

Puget Systems’ Do-It-Yourself’ Aquarium PC Kit Enables Users to Replicate Mineral Oil-Cooled PC as Seen on YouTube; Puget’s Online Video Captures Over 1 Million Views

SEATTLE, WA (October 28, 2008) – Puget Systems (www.pugetsystems.com), a boutique integrator of custom PC systems for enthusiasts, gamers, consumers and SMB markets, today announced the launch of the Puget Systems ‘Do it Yourself’ Aquarium PC kit, enabling personal computer enthusiasts to replicate their own version of an aquarium-style PC, a technique made widely visible by Puget Systems on YouTube. With over 1 million views online, the Puget Systems Aquarium PC YouTube video demonstrates, with some innovative thinking, how easy it is to create a unique and fun new look to a personal computer.

As part of the development, testing and quality assurance process for the new Aquarium PC kit, Puget Systems has been running their own Aquarium PC — a plexiglass enclosed, mineral-oil submerged PC — for well over a year and with no ill-effect on the hardware. Puget Systems’ team of engineers have devised a unique new way of combining the non-corrosive, cooling benefits of mineral-oil submersion with a fun new look of an aquarium on the desktop.

“The widespread notoriety of our aquarium PC video on YouTube confirmed one thing for us at Puget Systems; there are a lot of people out there very interested in this idea,” said Jon Bach, president of Puget Systems. “We saw this as an opportunity, for everyone from PC enthusiasts to interior designers looking to add a fun new twist to an office or home decor, to put together a powerful desktop system that will surely be a visually stunning and highly functional conversation piece.”

The Puget Systems Aquarium PC ‘Do It Yourself’ kit ships with all the components you need to build your very own mineral-oil submerged system. The kit includes:
Aquarium tank and cover;
Motherboard tray and IO panel;
Power/HDD LEDs;
Power switch (mounted to top panel);
SSD hard drive mounting bracket, and all necessary screws;
Power cord and extension cord to bottom of the tank;
Kit does not include light kits, however, lights are available separately.

Puget Systems also provides online tips and advice, as well as helpful suggestions of things you may need for easy, successful assembly of the Aquarium PC.

Important disclosure: Submerging your hardware in mineral oil will void your warranty. Do this project only at your own risk. Puget Systems is not liable for any hardware problems, or damage to your personal property. Mineral oil is very difficult, if not impossible to clean from your components once they are submerged.

Pricing and Availability
The Puget Systems Aquarium PC ‘Do It Yourself’ kit is available immediately and is priced at $315.

[Puget Systems]

You would think that making your own Bio Diesel at home would be a tough, multi-stepped procedure that has a few dangerous spots to misstep. Well before the BioBot, a system that makes Bio Diesel from old cooking oil, you would have been right. Unfortunately, after the BioBot, you would have been right, too. Here is their simple, 8+ step process to make gas at home. And don’t worry, that chemistry beaker is just for show!

Needless to say, we’re being more than a little hard on the BioBot. In reality, it’s a geek-worthy device that can produce almost 20 gallons of gas per cycle. But unless you work at a french fry factory and have a BS in biochemistry, it’s probably worth leaving this method to the pros.

If you’re still interested, the BioBot runs $US5000 and is said to pay for itself in two years. [BioBot via New Launches]

Hardcore, the company making this custom monster, uses non-conductive oil to move thermals faster around all the PC’s hottest components. It claims that the oil it uses is about 10 times more effective than simple air cooling, and doesn’t require a noisy, clattering fan. What you get is a quiet machine that runs at ambient room temperature, no matter what craziness you’re running on it.

The main problem is that most of the components of the Hardcore Reactor is “proprietary.” Which means, if anything breaks down, there’s only one place to order a new part from. And when a manufacturer comes out with something new, Reactor users will have to wait until Hardcore’s figured out how to fit it into their oil chassis–a giant turn off for the type of PC user they’re marketing to. But for that great a price point for this great a machine, this one’s definitely one to watch. [Maximum PC]

So how many trees would it take to match the oil output of, say, Saudi Arabia? Check our stats after the jump.

Saudi Arabia Oil Output Daily
11 Million Barrels

Output of One Acre of Copaifera langsdorfii Yearly
25 Barrels

Number of Acres Needed To Match Saudi Arabia Yearly Output
182,500,000 (Total Trees: 18,250,000,000)

Number of Acres in North America Alone
6,050,697,738

Number of Acres in North America Used For Corn (2007)
90.5 million

Amount of American Corn Spent on Ethanol
15% and growing

Frequency Corn Needs Replanting
Every Season

Frequency Copaifera langsdorfii Needs Replanting
Every 90 Seasons

*It should be noted that oil barrels and diesel barrels are not a precise 1:1 ratio.

Some interesting metrics to think about. On a worldwide scale, it doesn’t seem all that impossible to alleviate oil shortages with plants…and the natural carbon offsets seem worthwhile. It’s just too bad these trees take 15-20 years to mature (by which time we plan on flying around in a hydrogen Jetsonmobile).

Is anyone out there a specialist on the topic who could enlighten us in the comments? [abc via treehugger]

Additional Sources: [world factbook] [nass] [yahoo] [popular mechanics]

If you’ve given more than a second glance to your greasy IT guy’s matted, oily hair—or just don’t wash your own that often, you might pick up that our hair holds onto oil like gas’ll hit $100/gallon tomorrow. Gross, yeah, but apparently useful! Some hippies are taking mats made of human hair to mop up oil on SF beaches, which are then packed with oil-eating shrooms that turn the pads into compost for lovely landscaping. See, Exxon helps the environment! [Pop Sci]