News about diy:
DIY Pulse Laser Gun looks like it was sent from the future
This Pulse Laser Gun may look like it is from the future, but believe me, it was just recently made.
The gun was a DIY project that has a small pulse laser head and generates a kW-pulse of infrared light. There is a video below of it shooting a balloon, but it can blast through plastic, razorblade, and even 5mm of Styrofoam. It has a range a 3 meters, and the gun itself is 320mm long and weighs at 2 pounds.
Scanner detects cancer in an hour, costs $200 to make
The wonders of the human mind never ceases to amaze me, and this time around we have a bunch of boffins over at Harvard University and MIT working together to create what could potentially have positive effects in the fight against cancer worldwide – using just $200 worth of parts to develop a scanner gizmo which is capable of detecting cancer in just an hour.
Talking chess set might just freak you out
Do you think that playing with a computer opponent when it comes to chess is just too uncanny, since some of the moves which your virtual opponent pulls could prove to be more than human? Well, just to tip things in their favor even more and freak you out (for the weak-hearted), here is the talking chess set from Barbara Kruger. It sure as heck won’t come cheap considering the $30,000 price tag that has been fixed to it, but that is because it has been hand-built, so no two models are the same. Underneath the “hood”, so to speak, lies three integrated computers and 96 microprocessors. All the pieces on board are able to talk interactively as you make your move. Don’t you think that conversation during a match can be unnerving? Something tells me this is a strategy to throw you off balance…
Autoloader Screwdriver for DIY enthusiasts
If you are a DIY enthusiast, chances are pretty high that you already own a personal set of tools that absolutely, ultimately, cannot be touched by anyone else other than yourself. After all, this is your samurai sword – once “unsheathed”, it must screw something in. Well, if you hold such tools in high regard, then the Autoloader Screwdriver might be just the ticket for you. This £19.99 purchase is touted to be idiot proof, as it boasts a patented pump-action bit change mechanism. All you need to do is pull back the handle, twist until you find the right bit for the job and you’re good to go. There is a total of half a dozen nickel-plated Phillips and flathead bits to choose from, and since the bit tips are magnetized, there isn’t any worry of dropping those pesky screws due to shaky hands. Time to go down to Ikea and buy some stuff to assemble, eh? Read the rest of this entry »
Lawnmower is world’s fastest, zips by at 96MPH
You know that you are in for a torrid time when your lawnmower can go a whole lot faster than your motorbike. After all, Bobby Cleveland’s crazy idea of kitting out his lawnmower has become reality, where it will go about (on even ground, obviously) at a whopping 96MPH, making it the fastest lawnmower in the world, hands down. Talk about trying to get the chores done quickly! Hopefully at that kind of insane speeds, you won’t run into a stone while riding on it, or cut off several toes and mole heads in the process without realizing so. For those who would like to have one of these puppies at home, chances are you will need to have a lawn that is the same size as that of a football field just to get it up to speed.
How-to: install Pixel Qi’s 3Qi display on your netbook (and why it’s worth it)
It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost two and a half years since Pixel Qi spun off from OLPC and promised to bring its dual-mode, power efficient display to laptops, tablets, and e-readers. For those who haven’t followed our small obsession with the 3Qi screen technology (shame on you!) it promises the best of both worlds: full-color graphics in a normal LCD mode, but also the ability to turn off the backlight to morph into a grayscale, e-paper like display. And while we’ve seen it demoed at tradeshows (and more tradeshows!), we haven’t been able to get our own grubby hands on the much-lauded display. Until now, of course.
Transformable Wall-E gets recreated with some love, Lego and DIY skills (video)
Sure, you’ll have seen Lego-based Wall-E imitators before, but few recreate both the cuteness and the basic functionality of the drone quite like this one here. Programmed using Lego Mindstorms, this adorable little creation can transform itself into a box (like the real Wall-E!), pick up and carry objects, look up and down, and even produce and respond to sounds. It can be controlled remotely or left to do things by itself. Follow the break to see it on video. Read the rest of this entry »
iPhone DSLR: the next generation (video)
Modded Game Gear becomes portable home for N64 (video)
It may or may not actually be the most compact Nintendo 64 we’ve ever seen, but even if it’s holding down the second spot, you can’t knock the ingenuity here. Crafted by one Evil Nod, the self-proclaimed N Gear 64 is little more than an N64 console tucked, shoved and crammed inside a Sega Game Gear enclosure. Best of all, the modder somehow stuffed an N64 controller in there too, yet still left all of the original markings for nostalgia’s sake. Head on past the jump for a video of it in action, or tap that source link to learn more about the build process. Riveting stuff, we tell ya.
“iPhone DSLR prototype” mounts Canon EF lenses, enrages purists
Want a guaranteed, sure-fire way to enrage DSLR enthusiasts? Call your custom-crafted iPhone 4 mount that allows you to use interchangeable lenses an “iPhone DSLR prototype“; you’ll soon have them queueing up to point you at the official definition of a single-lens reflex camera. Still, we’ll put aside nomenclature because there’s something sturdily lovely about Jeremy Salvador’s system, no matter what he wants to call it.
Drumssette DIY drum machine was once a four track, perfect for your Big Audio Dynamite cover band
Smart Car gets covered in crochet
My grandmother once crocheted me some mittens when I was a kid. They were the itchiest things ever to exist on earth. I never wore them and hoped that she would never again give me something made from yarn. Somewhere a grandma worked very hard to make this Smart Car cover.
DIY Internet Chess Table makes online matches suddenly awesome (video)
Computerized chess has been around for at least a few centuries now (okay, so maybe “score” is more accurate), but if you thought an IBM supercomputer dominating one of the planet’s brightest humans was gnarly, have a gander at this. One determined modder has whipped up what may very well be the most impressive way to engage in online chess ever, as the DIY Internet Chess Table turns an on-screen opponent into an on-table opponent. Put simply (or as simply as possible), the multitouch table uses a projector to beam a chessboard onto an opaque surface, and moves are captured via webcam and sent back to an internet server. The human’s moves are recognized and countered, and then that same human is told where to move the computer’s piece via on-screen arrows. Trust us — it’s worth your while to hop on past the break and mash play for a video demonstration.
DIY internet chess table with a physical interface
I am not a chess player myself. The game has always seemed complex to me. I can remember as a kid that chess games were some of the first electronic games to hit the market. One chess loving geek has cobbled together a very cool chessboard for internet play using a physical interface.
Android App Inventor lets you be the developer (video)
Google is following in Nokia’s footsteps today by offering its users a simple-to-use DIY app maker. Employing a design scheme that relies on visual blocks rather than oodles of arcane code, the App Inventor — still in Beta, of course — has functions for “just about anything” you can do with an Android handset, including access to GPS and phone functionality. All that’s really missing is the raw creative talent, which we’re sure you’ll be happy to provide. Hit the source link to get involved or skip past the break for an educational video. Read the rest of this entry »
Hacker uses Nixie Tubes to make Sudoku interesting
Deluxe Reverse Geocache is reusable, really awesome
How-to: resize your SIM, change your APN, and drink the sweet nectar of mobile freedom
Myriam Joire (tnkgrl) was born wearing combat boots and holding a keyboard; moments later she picked up a soldering iron. She’s been stomping, typing and hacking ever since. In her regular series, she’ll share her tips, tricks, and mods on everything from phones to netbooks — and be sure to catch her weekly on the Engadget Mobile podcast.
Likea MPH is a cardboard replica of the Leica pinhole cams
If you like the looks of the Leica series of cameras like the M9, but don’t want to spend $7,000 to buy the real deal, you can get a cheap knockoff. The knockoff looks a lot like the real thing and even has a name and logo that look similar.
Ubuntu joins Android on Nexus One, apocalyptic repercussions nowhere to be found
Ever wondered what would happen if you threw another mobile OS onto your Nexus One? Without removing Android? Contrary to popular belief, the world will in fact not end, and in many cases, lives could very well be improved. One particular modder over at Nexus One Hacks has managed to put together a video how-to demonstrating the installation of Ubuntu as a secondary OS on his rooted N1, and while you’ll obviously find yourself dealing with a few incompatibilities should you follow suit, it’s not like you really have anything better to do tonight than tinker. Right? Right. Jump on past the break and mash play to get going. Read the rest of this entry »
We salute you Mr. Toilet-cooler-go-cart-making-man, you are a real American hero
Let the feat of this man prove that you can never underestimate the desire of a geek to keep his frosty beverages and toilets close at hand. A dude named Dave has created the most awesome go-cart ever crafted. He didn’t use anything fancy like carbon fiber, no, that would be too plain, too boring, too already been done.
How-to: Install Flash on your jailbroken iPad (for real)
We just saw Flash 10.1 ported to the iPad demonstrated in video form by Comex, and now you can get in on the action too, as long as your iPad is jailbroken. It’s called Frash, and while the plugin is still pretty early and doesn’t do video playback yet, you can definitely play games and other animations right now, and we’re told video support is forthcoming. Okay, so let’s try this out, shall we? It’s not point-and-click simple, but it’s not that hard, either. Full instructions after the break. Read the rest of this entry »
Back to the Future self lacing shoes become reality
The first time I saw Back to the Future II there were a few things that I really wanted from the movie. I wanted that hover board, the DeLorean, and those Nike shoes that laced themselves. The DeLorean and hove board are still not something I have, but with a bit of work and some time we can all have those self-lacing shoes.
DIY Lego foosball table advances to Nerd Cup semi-finals (video)
