Two MIT students have successfully photographed the earth from space on a strikingly low budget of $148. Perhaps more significantly, they managed to accomplish this feat using components available off-the-shelf to the average layperson, opening the doors for a new generation of amateur space enthusiasts. The pair plan to launch again soon and hope that their achievements will inspire teachers and students to pursue similar endeavors.

One of the greatest things about being a software engineer is if you can dream it, you can build it. Especially today with resources like the Rackspace Cloud, it's easier than ever to turn your product vision into reality.

In the past, I've had ideas for consumer electronics or other hardware devices. But it's much harder to build something physical and get it out to people.

Mad props to these MIT students for accomplishing so much with little money and only off the shelf components. I hope one day I have time to build physical things.