The guy in this article absolutely fits my definition of a hacker. There was a problem where two radio stations were broadcasting the same syndicated content on the same frequency. Listeners near either station had no problem. However there were locations where both signals could be recieved. This would be fine, except for the fact that the cable running to one of the stations was longer than the other, so the signal was delayed by 1/23000 of a second. Enough to cause destructive interference. So the engineers solution was to create an acoustic delay line out of 23 feet of lead pipe stuffed with cloth and gauze with a speaker on one side and a microphone on the other. The slower speed of sound delayed the signal long enough for the two stations to be in sync.

DELAYING THE BROADCAST
A FEW weeks ago the popular radio show, Information Please, used the following catch question:
“Who hears the speaker first, the people at the back of the auditorium, or the people 3,000 miles across the country who are listening to the broadcast of the speech?”
The catch was that radio waves travel with the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second, and sound waves only 1,080 feet per second. Therefore, the answer went, the listeners three thousand miles away would hear it first.
Read the rest of this entry »
This one is very close to current milk cartons. The only difference I can see is that instead of being folded and stapled, the top of the container is heat bonded, allowing you to simply pull the sides apart instead of taring the overlap.
Pouring Spout for Milk Carton
A pouring spout for cardboard milk cartons of the type shown that will eliminate dripping and spilling, and allow the carton to be drained completely, can be made by slitting the ridge of the carton and pulling out the fold under the ridge. To re-seal the carton, simply push the flap back to its original position. On most cartons, this can be done without removing the staple, but a few have a long staple, which interferes if not removed.
W. Dyre Doughty, Tucson, Ariz.
This is an excellent 1953 article on the beginnings of forensic science. It covers the establisment of a forensic school at harvard, the switch from untrained coroners to skilled medical examiners and all sorts of modern forensic techniques. It also has pictures of amazingly detailed models made to recreate crime scenes for instructional purposes.

Mysterious Death Their Business
By Richard F. Dempewrolff
Death from causes unknown is a phrase that will drop from its too frequent use in the nation’s homicide files if a new kind of investigator has anything to say about it.
Today, on en upper floor in a remote wing of the Harvard Medical School, an eerie atmosphere hangs over a certain laboratory headed by pathologist Dr. Richard Ford. Called the Department of Legal Medicine, its business is concerned with unexplained death.
Sightless eyes stare at intruders from a row of life-sized plaster heads of murder victims—one with slashed throat, another with a bullet hole drilled through one temple, trickling a painted red stream against its death-white cheek. Beneath them, rows of plaster chest sections are perforated with accurately simulated bullet holes and powder burns typical of wounds inflicted by various-caliber bullets at varying distances.
Read the rest of this entry »
For some reason this picture reminds me of the “asian” upstairs neighbor in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Can’t you just see him yelling “Miss a Go Rightry I core a da poreece!”
Sweat Band Helps Workers
A SWEAT band designed for use by workers who wear goggles is said to thoroughly absorb forehead perspiration, preventing clouding of the goggles and keeping the workman’s eyes clear. The band consists of a cellulose pad covered with high-grade absorbent gauze.
Personally, I love the catsup atomizer. My only concern is that catsup is just a tad more viscous than perfume, but nah, that won’t be a problem. The hand powered hand slicer looks like a ball as well.

Latest in Mechanical Household Conveniences
Reproducing the patting motions of famous Hollywood masseurs, this new vibrator keeps milady’s complexion smooth and clear. It also has many attachments for treatment of scalp and hair, and a buffer for polishing the teeth and massaging the gums which has been scientifically designed by a leading dental authority. A modulator on the motor scientifically adjusts the intensity of the vibrations for the individual complexion.
Catsup is easy to manipulate with this new sanitary dispenser. The cap, which fits over the top of the catsup bottle, is equipped with an exhaust pipe and a bulb. When you want catsup on your eats you simply point the exhaust pipe in the general direction of the grub and squeeze the bulb, whereupon a stream of the condiment shoots forth. This method eliminates the necessity of giving the bottle a severe shaking when the juice is desired.
Read the rest of this entry »
Those kick ass. I want a leopard skin TV.

TELEVISION TODAY
TV “SERVICE-SAVER” is the title of the booklet held by the young lady using the telephone in photo A. Recently issued by the Raytheon Manufacturing Company, this booklet contains numbered pictures of faulty TV reception. It is a timesaver for TV-set owners and repairmen. The house-wife matches the picture on the screen with a similar one in the book. She then reads the number over the phone to give the repairman a good idea of what is wrong before he leaves the shop.
Intense activity in color TV continues in various manufacturer’s laboratories. Photo B shows engineer Donald Perry in the service department of Motorola Inc., checking out the composite color-bar signal which appears on the oscilloscope and on the face of the color tube.
The TV set illustrated in photo C is a portable model available with either 17 or 21-in. screen. This decorator’s model has control knobs on top, and a choice of “sleeves” in a variety of modern colors and durable fabrics that can be changed quickly.
The first compatible color-TV cameras to come off the television industry’s commercial production lines are the two units illustrated in photo D. These RCA units were recently shipped to the National Broadcasting Company and the Columbia Broadcasting System respectively.
Err… Great. Thanks. How’s work going on that new air conditioner. You know, the one that can freeze a person solid in half an hour?
Lamp Sunburns in 20 Minutes
A NEW kind of glass used for the bulbs of ultra-violet lamps makes it possible to get a sunburn in 20 minutes. Termed a “soft” glass it transmits 50 per cent more of the ultra-violet energy generated in the lamp. This new lamp has found immediate use in the medical field for the treatment of skin diseases and for the cure and prevention of rickets.