The seven-segment LED display is ubiquitous. But how old do you think the fundamental idea behind it is? You nixie tube fans will be thinking of the vacuum-tube era, but a reader sent us this ...

Well, it’s finally finished, and it looks great! Vintage seven segment digits make up the display. These digits work the same way that flip-dot displays work – current through each segment’s ...

seven-segment display (Image courtesy of LXD, Inc.) In their natural state, liquid crystals line up with the orientation "rubbed" into the front and rear glass panels. The rubbings are microscopic ...