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Hardware Bits
Zygo writes "Again a little bit of hardware news for today: At MonkeyReview a very cool case... At DV Hardware a little article about an aluminium mousepad, called the Steelpad... OCCanada takes a look at the Gigabyte GA8PE667-Pro... ExtremeMHz brings you a guide to power... Some Christmas stuff... And Modthebox checks out a cool tachometer for PC's!" richie2000 submits a holiday-themed case mod: "A gingerbread case mod. Don't tell me you didn't see this one coming. And here's a mirror of one of the images."
You don't get it.
It turns on a multiway mains adaptor (powerstrip, four way etc.)using the 12V as a signal from your PC, so everything will go on and off at once. The power does not come from the power supply in the PC.
It was pretty clear from the article.
The danger doesn't always increase with voltage. It's the current, and the duration of the current, that kills. And the resistance of a human body varies so much with so many variables that a factor of 2 in the voltage isn't likely to be the difference between life and death.
Voltage does affect how your muscles react to a shock, though. As I understand it, you are likely to close your hand tightly and involuntarily if you come into contact with voltages in the 100-250 range. If you can't break contact, you're in serious trouble, hence the old advice to touch the wire with the back of your hand first. But for voltages more than a few hundred volts, muscles react so strongly that you're likely to throw yourself clear, even if you make contact with your palm. (I'm not sure I completely believe that.) So both US and european line voltages are about as dangerous as any voltage we could have chosen.
I'm not sure that a lower voltage would reduce fatalities, though. It would increase current, and probably increase the risk of fire from overheated wires. Which kills more, electrocution or home fires?
Do not trust your life to the info in this comment. IANA electrician or safety expert.