Congratulations to Alex Baker and Chris Rose at the University of Sheffield for their stunning aerial video of the Earth from the Stratosphere.  What makes this so special is their use of ordinary consumer electronics costing about $500. 
The device, which was built by Alex and Chris in their spare time, consisted of a foam box, a parachute for the descent and the balloon. The electronic equipment had to be well insulated due to the extremely cold temperatures at such high altitudes, with duct tape and a small heat pad used to keep the cameras warm. A GPS tracking system, CATtrack, sent a text displaying its location when rung, allowing it to be collected. However, the whole device cost only £350 to build.
I enjoy aerial photography with kites and airplanes, but this beats it all.  Check out the video (right)

Below is a pano stitched together from several shots.