A new Smart Glass material would be perfect for a case window!
Cases with windowed sidepanels have been the mainstay of both the modding community and more recently the case manufacturers for the past few years, popularised in cases like Antec's LANBOY.
The main problem with windows is that you don't have too much control over them once they're in there - being either completely transparent or simply translucent, but never changing.
A brand-new substance called Smart Glass has just been released by Research Frontiers, a material that sontains small particles embedded within the panel itself that react to electricity.
With no current applied the panel is very dark and looks like a tinted window, but when a small amount of voltage is applied the particles align and allow light to pass through - hook this up to a variable resistor or rheostat and you've got yourself a tint-controlled sidepanel!
Working with glass is a little tricky at times, but as a part of a case mod it could be a great way to add some mood lighting to a project, or even control how bright it is at night.
Head over to The Future of Things to check out more about Smart Glass, and post below with any ideas you have for its uses.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012