I'll be the first to admit I'm a Star Trek fiend. I loved J.J. Abram's new movie and I'm currently re-watching the original series on Netflix via my Xbox. But that's telling: I'm using the latest real-life tech to experience the earliest fake tech. I love the tools of the Star Trek universe, and one that I love most is the phaser.
They can be set to stun, kill, or vaporize. It's a badass weapon for a badass time. Now, thanks to the how-to that one laser whiz, Jayrob, posted on Laser Pointer Forums, I can build one myself.
The whole thing is powered by a FlexDrive DC/DC converter (whatever that is), an off-the-shelf laser driver. Using an LED and some know-how, user Jayrob modded an existing Star Trek phaser toy to shoot a high-powered laser capable of popping balloons and burning skin. This is not a laser pointer, this is a real-life laser gun.
And I want one. Sadly I don't have the knowledge to build one from scratch like Jayrob. But maybe that's OK, because we're not even sure if home-brewing lasers this powerful are legal in my state.