RSSArchives: February 2007
February 28, 2007
Multitouch table experiment
The tinker.it blog (and site) has tons of great projects for designers and artists, like this one a Multitouch table -
This is an experiment based on "frustrated total internal reflection" aka FTIR. This is a very basic demo and we did it just to see how it work and it took us just 4 days!
tinker.it » Blog Archive » multitouch table experiment - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 11:55 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Mouse taxidermy @ homeX
MAKE stopped in to homeX @ Parson's with James Powderly of EYEBEAM. Last night was mouse taxidermy, the linked photos are of mice taxidermy, so if that is something that you're not comfortable with please skip this - Mouse taxidermy involves dead mice.
Here's a bit about the class... the homeX concept is really interesting, it would be great to see homeX classes sprout up around the world, learning some of these skills...
Disruptive Home Economics will take us all through the center and to the fringe of what it means to make-it and do-it-yourself. Through in-class workshops and small group or individual assignments, this course will expose students, instructors and guests to a range of tools and public domain research selected to expand our concept of what we can make ourselves at home. We will start by making or modifying existing DIY and How-to projects and studying the way other makers solve problems and create documentation. Over the course of the semester, we will get hands-on experience designing, documenting and sharing our own DIY projects and research. We will take a generalist's approach and expose ourselves to projects that involve a wide range of mechanical, electrical, computational and chemical processes. We will combine novel tools and materials with common ones and build projects for ourselves as well as tools for others. Along the way, we will also look at the way local and global cultural contexts influence the tools and technologies we make and those we use, as well as the implications of open source production by the masses. Students will be encouraged to release their work as openly and widely as possible and to experiment with traditional and contagious distribution of their projects.homeX » Week 6: Mouse Taxidermy - Link & photos - Link.
Related:
- homeX - Link.
- Mouse taxidermy - Link.
- Taxidermy mouse (photos from students) - Link.
- Mouse Taxidermy @ Instructables - Link.
- Duck mouse - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 09:52 AM
DIY Projects |
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Modded handcrank flashlight powers phone
This is pretty straight forward, this maker took apart one of those hand cranked flashlights and soldered in a plug for his phone - this video shows you how -
Use A Flashlight To Power Your... Video - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 08:32 AM
Cellphones, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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iMac night light
Samantha writes -
I turned the shell of my dead iMac into a bedside lamp with an LED light from IKEA. Mmm, limelight!
Diary of a Necromancer - Little Miss Cleverpants - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 07:36 AM
Computers, DIY Projects |
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PID controlled bio-dome heating pad
Seth writes -
After a month of messing around, I finally got my act together and started working on my PID heating pad controller. Well, actually it is only a P heating pad controller right now, but I will go into that later.The Goal: Create a PID controlled heating pad to regulate the temperature of a Bio-Dome.
I got two Arduinos for Christmas, so I had most of the hardware to control the heating pad. I was hoping that I would just be able to modify the pad's circuits, but it is not just an on and off switch and the only IC on it was made in China by some unknown company so I could not find any info on it.
Jerd King - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 06:37 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Science |
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Airplane photography - 1920s
Here's a great 400+ page book (free) for download from the 1920's on airplane photography -
Airplane Photography - Google Book Search - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 05:43 AM
Imaging, Retro |
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Weird bass guitars
Check out these great bass guitars! Which one is your favorite?
Weird Bass Guitars | Weirdomatic - [via] Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 04:09 AM
Made On Earth, Music |
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Maker Faire proposal deadline extended to Sunday March 18, 2007
Dale has some good news - the Maker Faire proposal deadline has been extended!
We are getting many, many terrific proposals for Maker Faire. Nearly half of them have come in at the last two days. To relieve this crunch, we've decided to extend the deadline about two weeks to Midnight (PST) Sunday March 18.
We will begin reviewing all of those proposals submitted by the deadline and follow up on them very soon. In other words, if you got your proposal in by the deadline, you'll hear from us before the date of the new extended deadline. You'll be ahead of the rest of them.
Last year, we did accept a bunch of proposals up until the week before the Faire because it's hard to say no to cool projects. However, accepting late proposals means that the programs and maps for attendees weren't as helpful as they could be. So, to demonstrate that we learned something from having done this once, we really want to give ourselves (and you) the time to do it right. Thanks for your help.
Finally, here's some ideas for topics that we're looking for:
- Halloween projects (props, costumes, interactive displays, music)
- Recycled things
- Ham Radio
- Weather stations
- Cars (hot rods, custom vans, especially with a tech flavor)
- Airplanes and Aeronautics (models, etc)
- History of Science & Engineering
- Biology/Biotech
- Chemistry
- Cool RC Toys & Mods
- Video Games (retro, arcade and more)
- Trains
- Looms (historical or unusual)
- Sewing demonstrations
- Kites
- Boats
- Old Farm or Garden Equipment (Tractors, etc.)
- Temporary Structures (Tents, Domes, etc.)
- Unusual Tools or Machines
- How to Fix Things or Take them Apart (Vacuums, Clocks, Washing Machines, etc.)
Thanks,
Dale
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 04:00 AM
Announcements, Maker Faire |
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Metal barrel revolving on pipe adds to playground thrills
This looks like a lot of fun -- Popular Mechanics 1924
Modern Mechanix » Metal Barrel Revolving on Pipe Adds to Playground Thrills - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 03:11 AM
Modern Mechanix, Retro |
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Maker Faire (San Mateo Fairgrounds) tickets on sale...
Tickets for the Saturday May 19th & Sunday May 20th, 2007 Maker Faire @ the San Mateo Fairgrounds are now available - save up to $5.00 if you order now.
Maker Faire - A two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for creative, resourceful folks who like to tinker and love to make things. We call them Makers. Note: Maker Faire tickets will be sent via FedEx, beginning in April, no PO Boxes please.
Get them @ the Maker store - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 28, 2007 01:44 AM
Maker Faire |
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February 27, 2007
Hacks Authors' Blogs: One Feed to Rule Them All
Here's a special post from Hackszine - great way to follow all the authors from our HACKS series....
Ed note: In this guest post, veteran Hacks series author Paul Bausch takes on a challenge that's been on my todo list for a while, providing a solution that should be of immediate interest to all readers of this site and just might serve as a seed for future hacking around here.
I have a shelf full of O'Reilly Hacks books across a wide range of subjects. I contributed a couple in the Web Applications category, but I also have Hacks books about digital photography, hardware, scripting languages, gaming, and operating systems. The series has introduced me to a number of authors who are doing unusual things with technology in their particular area of expertise. I thought it would be interesting to follow each of these authors outside of the Hacks series by subscribing to their blogs, collectively. I figured it would be a good way to keep up with areas of technology that I'm not necessarily tuned into. I have a collection of blogs that I read to keep up with what's happening in Web Applications, but I don't have a sense of what's going on with gaming, for example.
So I went on a mission to gather the Hacks authors' blogs using the tools I know best: Web Applications. I started with an Amazon power query for books by O'Reilly with "Hacks" in the title via the Amazon API, and ended up with a list of 80 authors' full names. I plugged each name into Google by hand, adding the word "blog" (or if that didn't turn anything up, "hacks"). Then I visited the blog to make sure it was the Hacks author I was looking for, clicked the orange feed button in the Firefox address field to get the feed URL, and copied the URL to a text file. I ended up with a list of 40 feeds. (A 50% blogging rate among an arbitrary group isn't too shabby.)
I plugged the feeds into Google Reader, and renamed each feed the author's full name. Here's what the final list looks like (click for larger view):
Here's the list of feeds as OPML if you'd like to try it: Hacks Authors.
I've only been tuning into this list for a few days, but I'm already getting to know these authors in a new way. And I was right—I am finding out about developments in tech areas I don't normally tune into. I especially found Brian K. Jones's recent post about Fighting Specialization appropriate, something I wouldn't have seen otherwise.
Related:
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2007 08:15 PM
Online |
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HOW TO - Turn your iPod mini into a flash based iPod
Mark writes -
In this little proof-of-concept I was eager to try out if I could swap the Microdrive inside an iPod mini for a Compact Flash-card. These cards are getting bigger and cheaper by the day so my idea was, if this works out, we have a great way of extending the life of this little MP3-player.
geektechnique.org: turn your iPod mini into a flash based iPod - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2007 01:07 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, iPod |
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Ontario removes video slot machines over subliminal messaging
CBC has a story about slot machines getting pulled (no pun intended) over subliminal messaging - seems like it would be a fun experiment to try, winning and losing symbols...
Ontario's provincial gambling operator has pulled 87 video slot machines out of service or physically removed them from its casinos after a CBC investigation found what appear to be subliminal messages flashing at players.Ontario Lottery and Gaming, the recently rebranded Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., is concerned about three games on video slots made by a company called Konami. It shut them down as a precaution on Friday, and is looking into the issue.
Every time this video lottery game is played, it briefly shows a jackpot result. Every time this video lottery game is played, it briefly shows a jackpot result.
The games flash winning jackpot symbols at players for a fifth of a second, long enough for the brain to detect even if the players are not aware of the message, some psychologists told CBC News.
Ontario removes video slot machines flashing winning images - [via] Link.
I'm tossing this in "News from the Future" - if it really works surely every other video slots maker (and casino) will try this and claim it's a "software glitch"...
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2007 12:01 PM
Gaming, News from the Future |
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Giant Explosions REPRODUCED IN MINIATURE by home chemists
This is great, a tiny grain silo explosion you can make yourself in your home lab, Popular Science 1933 -
HARMLESS, miniature explosions make experimenting with combustibles a thrilling, yet safe, amusement for the amateur chemist. With inexpensive homemade apparatus, he can duplicate the explosions in a gasoline motor and amuse his friends by burning air. When we say a substance burns, we imply that it combines with oxygen to produce heat and sometimes light. Hydrogen and carbon, as well as many other substances containing these two elements, display this property. A candle, for instance, is made of paraffin, a combination of carbon and hydrogen. When the wick is lighted, the paraffin melts and produces hydro-carbon gases, which decompose to form other inflammable gases and carbon.
Modern Mechanix » Giant Explosions REPRODUCED IN MINIATURE by Home Chemists - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2007 11:09 AM
DIY Projects, Science |
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Knitted fruit
These handmade knitted fruits are amazing!
Fat Free Food - a photoset on Flickr - [via] Link.
More:
Brookelynn Morris' felted a fruit bonanza - Brookelynn's felted fruit tutorial graces the cover of our new issue, CRAFT:02. More tips for creating felted fruit can also be found online & photos.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2007 07:12 AM
Crafts |
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Find and Share Toy Instructions, Mods, and Hacks
Brian @ Hackszine writes -
Jeremiah of Z Recommends has just launched a promising new site for hacking parents called toyinstructions:
a collaborative wiki of deep links to instructions, user manuals, and building guides for toys and children's games. This site also offers links to blog searches, photos, and Yahoo user groups for toy brands, and a moderated list of top fan sites.As detailed in the project announcement, search results for specific brands and toys (currently limited to products included at launch, but open for anyone to contribute) link to relevant photo searches (Flickr), blog posts (Technorati), user groups (Yahoo Groups), and DIY project ideas (a Google custom search that currently searches Instructables and the Make: blog).
Here's what the page for the Super Soaker looks like, with its custom DIY link:
As Jeremiah points out, the site will only be as good as its contributions, so if you have hard-to-find toy instructions to share, I do recommend you help him build what could be a very useful site.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2007 07:01 AM
DIY Projects |
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February 26, 2007
Bunny rug
Fun, make a bunny rug, from an old rug - NoahW writes...
I used an LCD projector to trace a giant bunny outline onto an old shag carpet. Once the shape was cut out, I dyed it black to hide some of the stains and used a remnant of the original white carpet to make an eye. I used this process to make a bunny rug, but you can do the same thing to transfer just about any outline or shape onto a surface.
Bunny Rug - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 26, 2007 10:21 PM
DIY Projects, Instructables |
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MatchstickMan - The incredible Matchstick Uke
Tony writes -
Jack Hall from England, U.K. proved that a ukulele didn't need to be made with conventional tools or from the finest materials to play well, sound good and be beautiful to look at.This one-of-a- kind 1984 ukulele was made entirely from used wooden matchsticks...10,000 of them painstakingly glued together with 2 lbs of hide glue.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 26, 2007 09:45 PM
Made On Earth |
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Dart board without shadows
Scott sent in his invention, a light fixture designed to illuminate a dartboard uniformly without shadows by encircling the board with light. Any dart wielding makers? Are shadows a problem usually?
Nuvolux Incorporated - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 26, 2007 06:49 PM
Gadgets |
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USB to serial Nike+iPod adapter, Arduino Bluetooth board, humidity and temperature sensors and more...
Spark Fun Electronics just dropped a whole load of goodness -
This is the USB to serial Nike+iPod adapter. This device allows you to connect a iPod receiver to your computer over USB. The user can then 'listen' for foot pod data and IDs. Very handy for creating an access controlled cat door - Link.
It's new. It's pricey. But oh is it cool. The new Arduino Bluetooth board allows you to wirelessly communicate with your Arduino project. You can even bootload over the air! - Link.
The breakout board for the SHT15 is complete! Simple and small, you can now have accurate humidity and temperature on your next weather station - Link.
A very simple breakout board for the LM4970. This I2C device pulses LEDs in time with an analog source like music. Perfect for case mods and fun visual displays - Link.
This is a nice compact product from Olimex. MSP-Solar has a solar panel that outputs a moderate 80mA, but has a AA battery holder and step-up circuitry to 3.3V. What do you get? A simple renewable power supply - Link.
Spark Fun Electronics - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 26, 2007 03:21 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Features and more @ MAKE!
DIY Halloween contest at MAKE! In honor of the best DIY holiday ever, we're having a party -- and everyone's invited! Elaborate costumes for the whole family, gadgets that go "zzzZAP!," gross-looking foods, creepy decorations that turn your house into a forbidding castle, and spooky jack-o-lanterns guarding your front door: these are the things we look forward to all year.
DIY HALLOWEEN from the editors of MAKE and CRAFT brings you 40-plus DIY projects for the holiday that's made for makers. From the craftiest costumes to amazing animated props and the latest in computer-controlled haunted house effects. Get it at the Maker Shed store!. And lastly, our Animated Ghost Kit. Grab this cool kit for Halloween. Sound activated, the ghost flashes his little red LED eyes, vibrates and makes scary sounds! Easy and fun to build. Hack it! Get it at the Maker Shed Store!
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Weekend Project: Hot Glue Web Gun
Make a spooky spider web shooter from a hot glue gun that will spread the creeps all over your haunted house! Thanks go to Edwin Wise for the original article in Make: Halloween.To download Hot Glue Web Gun MP4...
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