Want to track down where someone was born (or at least where they got their SSN) if you have their Social Security Number?  EFF has a quickie doc on decoding SSN to issued location.

Thermal Imaging

New Scientist has a cool little project that lets you record the lack of insulation in your home.

Make a simple thermal scanner with an Ardunio card, and then record the observed temperature not with a number (in Fahrenheit) but with a colored flashlight that is pointed on to the surface that you are measuring. Thus, hot surfaces get red light shined on them, and cold surfaces get blue. Then use some time-lapse photography to compile all the readings into a single photo.

Things you will need:

Arduino Card

Photo thermal scanner wiring diagram:  Circuit diagram for 5v Melexix Sensor

Code for Arduino Card: (Have not found yet)

Time-lapse (long exposure) app: Glow Doodle, iPhone app guide, 

crapscatter X-ray

"TSAourOfOurPants" demonstrated how he got around TSA's backscatter X-ray system by simply putting the metal object to the side rather then the front of his body. 

At $100-$200k a unit, and all the hubbub over cancer and embarrassment, are these really the best method to keep public air travel safe?  A good string of methods and procedures should be used, but is this the best bang for the public's buck.  (ok... bang is maybe not the best word to use..)

Stelth Car

I'm digging Mercedes new add campaign for their new F-Cell (hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle) car.  To add attention to it, they strapped on a sheet of LED's and made it very well camouflaged. 

Only problem it's only on one side of the car, and the lights are held together with black sheets, so you can't really see through them.  A better material to hold the lights together, and enough cameras inside the car to properly project the correct image on all the sides of the car, and you have an awesome camo system!