Symbology befitting a Dan Brown novel exudes from these handcrafted iPhone home button earrings. Do they imbue the wearer with mystical iPhone powers? Does wearing two buttons break Apple's Human Interface Guidelines? You'll just have to acquire a pair to find out. [via iPhoneIndia]

When I first saw this proof of concept synchronized grid of iPods I wondered why somebody would go through all the trouble. I have to catch myself when I think like this. Sometimes it's best to just appreciate the polychromatic glow and short staccato chirping for what it is. [via Gizmodo]

John Boiles, who earlier this year showed us how to control an RC car using an iPod's internal accelerometer (and also how to control the lights on a dance floor in more or less the same way), is a member of Austin, TX, based engineering collective Waterloo Labs, who have up-gunned his iPod technology to control steering, brakes, and acceleration on a full-size automobile. Definitely not the safest hack I've ever blogged, but probably the most impressive. Great work, lady and gents. [Thanks, John!]

If you've ever shopped at an Apple store you've probably experienced their relaxed point of sale (POS) system. You walk in, try out new gear, talk to a sales rep, swipe your card, sign a screen, blurt an email address, and you're out of there. Usually you skip the register, yet your wallet always seems lighter after each visit. It's all very smooth and thought out. But something has always bugged me about the whole process. The sales reps have always used a third-party mobile device to complete the transaction. It just didn't go well with the jeans and black turtleneck vibe.

Well, it would seem that Apple has picked up on customers pestering them about this minor user experience discrepancy and are about to remedy the situation with a new POS system based on their wildly popular iPod touch mobile entertainment device. Dubbed EasyPay, each unit will consist of a iPod touch and a special case which houses a barcode scanner, card reader, extra battery and mini-USB connector. The system runs custom POS software and uses a Pogo Sketch stylus to capture cardholder signatures.

Apple's new iPod touch-based EasyPay checkout [via AppleInsider]

John Boiles, he of the iPod-controlled RC car, also produced this sweet wirelessly controlled light dimmer, which he demonstrates in this video, controlling different sets of X-mas lights by shaking his iPod. See it work around 1:40, then be sure to check out the dance party at 2:40. The iPod is enclosed in the "law book" prop everyone is shaking around, together with their booties, while they rock out to vintage Bon Jovi, et. al.

More Dorkbot Austin goodness! John Boiles demonstrated this radio-controlled car steered using his iPod's built-in accelerometer via its built-in WiFi transmitter. All you have to do is tilt the iPod, and the car goes. It starts to move around 1:10.

It's tricky getting a keyboard working with an iPhone. Why is that? Does Apple go out of their way to make the two incompatible? It sure seems like it. With such an awesome touch interface you'd think they'd have the keyboard thing figured out. Luckily there are folks like maker Ben Kurtz who go out of their way to scratch an itch. Using an Arduino Diecimila, breakout board, female PS/2 connector, and sundry components Ben has built an interface to connect a full-sized keyboard to his jailbroken iPhone. It's a bit circuitous, but it gets the job done using easily resourced parts.

How To Connect a PS/2 Keyboard to the iPhone [via hackaday]

If you're interested in building a jailbreak-free keyboard interface for your iPhone, check out chapter 12 in iPhone Hacks.

In the Maker Shed:

The onslaught of DIY iPhone stands continues. This time around we find ourselves in a cafe with a warm beverage and the need to watch BMX stunt videos. Luckily we remembered to bring along our nice utility scissors and the Barista was kind enough to include a cup sleeve with the drink. The overall execution and reuse of recyclables on this project should gain high marks for those keeping score at home.

This has to be my favorite iPhone stand to date. Its simple one piece design is easy to fabricate and lays flat when not in use. Follow along with this Instructables as maker jonpoate steps through the process. [via lifehacker]

Adobe has released a version of their Photoshop.com Mobile app for the iPhone. It's not the full-featured professional software known for it's reality altering effects, but rather a slimmed-down version compatible with their photoshop.com service. You'll have the ability to perform basic operations on your images like crop, rotate, and flip. You'll also be able to do basic color correction and apply simple filters and effects.

After making personalized edits, users can upload photos from their iPhone to their Photoshop.com account to view and retrieve their images at a later time from any Internet-connected computer. In addition, Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone provides the ultimate digital photo wallet, giving users access to their entire Photoshop.com library directly from their iPhone.

I've come across some pretty cool headphones, but most of them lack the mic and remote of the newer Apple earphones that come with the iPhone. This mod is pretty much what you'd expect, but sometimes a good visual cue helps trigger the creative process. In the accompanying video Andreas Ødegård walks through swapping out the inferior Apple drivers for a set of Sennheiser CX300 drivers from a broken pair. Not only does this create a superior product that could never be purchased in a store, but it re-uses something that would otherwise have been thrown out with the trash.

It would seem that Adobe has squeezed Flash onto the iPhone. It is not in its usual guise as a browser plugin, but rather as a method to build full-fledged apps downloadable from the iPhone App Store. This should come as good news to folks familiar with the popular content creation software. In one fell swoop Adobe has lowered the barrier of entry to developing for the iPhone.

This wooden hand crank iPhone dock automata by Murtaza Lakdawala is equal parts form and function. Turn the crank and watch the gears mesh as the automata changes the iPhone's orientation from portrait to landscape.

[via Gizmodo]

If you're designing a user interface for an iPhone app the appropriately named NotePod seems like it would be perfect for knocking out a quick sketch. The full-scale die-cut 100pp pad features rounded corners and the familiar minimalist iPhone interface.

[via swiss-miss]

If you've ever tried to watch a movie on your phone in bed then you'll definitely appreciate this free-standing phone stand hack from Andrew over at Recombu. There's never been an easier way to get your lazy on. Enjoy.

[via recombu]

If you've ever been stuck on a cross-country flight and needed something to prop up your mobile while you watched a movie, then you'll love this clever adjustable folding stand from the creator of the iPhone Paper Clip Stand. The design itself is ripe for modification. Laser-etched business cards anyone?

[via iPhone Atlas]

Stephen "Doc" Combs of Bricks in my Pocket fame pieced together this fully functional LEGO rotating dock for an iPod/iPod touch. Besides watching video in landscape mode it's perfect for use with an alarm clock app.

As I began to create this little contraption I said to myself, "How could this be a bit cooler and more functional?" The answer was to make it a rotating dock so I could watch movies and apps in landscape mode.

[via hackaday]

The folks over at recombu.com demonstrate a subtle finesse of low and high tech in this retro-futuristic iPhone robot mask tutorial.

If you're like the Recombu team then you'll often struggle to decide what to wear to a fancy dress party, but we think we've come up with a pretty nifty solution. Using an iPhone, the MouthOff app and some household goods we've created a robot mask.

[via Andrew Lim]

In the Maker Shed:

Maker David Findlay gets his Arduino Nano talking AAP to his iPod using a SparkFun PodGizmo connector, BOB-08745 Logic Level Converter, and a ginormous red button.

Of course, hooking up wasn't going to do much without some code to talk Apple Accessory Protocol, so that was the next task. I wrote an Arduino library for the parts of the Apple Accessory Protocol that I was going to need, and a bit more besides. I posted it on github in case anyone else wanted to use it. It comes with a couple of example sketches: a play/pause one using Simple Remote mode (wonder where I got that idea from); and one for Advanced Remote mode that pulls back information for the track that the iPod is currently playing. The latter could form the basis of an Arduino-based dock that showed track information on an LCD display, for example.

Originally designed to be a mobile media playback device, the iPod now resembles a workstation that fits in your pocket. It may seem passé now, but there was a time when real-time 3D meant desk-sized workstations that cost as much as a luxury car, now it fits in your pocket and costs as much as a decent night out. Of course you're not going to design an engine or skyscraper with an iPod, but with this proof-of-concept instructables you can start to see some of the creative potential of modern hand-held devices. Low-cost paint apps, music apps, video apps, 3D modelers; they may not replace the workstation anytime soon, but creative people are starting to notice the tools laying dormant in their pockets and are starting to use them.

[via James Hudak]

There's something oddly appealing about charging a mobile phone on the back of a dinosaur. Heck, even mentioning that to someone sounds absurd. Yet here we are; iPhones and dinosaurs living together in harmony. What a fun dock mod. Though, if I were building a similar dock I'd go for the plastic pineapple.

[via iPhoneSavior]

Flickr member DEFNET's autonomous four-wheeler sports an iPod to display serial data -

This is my autonomous robot. It uses an Arduino to control it, an ultrasonic sensor, and an iPod displays output data through the serial port.
It drives using two servos modified for continuous drive. The servo for the sensor does not presently work because using the default code library I can only control two servos.
When it gets too close to a wall it backs up, turns to look both ways, and chooses the way with least obstruction. All while outputting distance and decision information to the serial port.

Who doesn't love MJ's fat little iPod (is that a 3rd Gen?) grafted into a lovely 1940s radio cabinet, complete with a Panasonic turntable and Mac mini to rip old vinyl to MP3s, and the original working radio buttons hacked to control the iPod. Journalist and author Kurt Andersen, the host of public radio's Studio 360 (and former editor of Spy magazine), recently visited Mister Jalopy's Garage for an interview and grabbed this video of the World's Biggest iPod in action.

More at Hooptyrides.com.

This quick and dirty improvised iPhone flash/video light from Andreas Ødegård consists of a 3V battery and a high intensity Cree emitter. Sure, it's just an LED flashlight with a doc connector mount, but then again it was built in under 10 minutes with electrical tape, spare parts, and a hot glue gun. The result seems to knock the socks off your run-of-the-mill super bright LED mini-array.

A similar hack that pulls power from the iPhone dock connector can be found in the book iPhone Hacks.

In the Maker Shed:

iPhone Hacks

Here's something for someone that has everything: a personalized MakerBot-printed iPhone/iPod dock. Made to order, the doc features a sturdy lower housing made from 5MM plywood and a custom top housing personalized with your initials or, if you choose, the standard "BotMade" logo.

[via Etsy]

Check out this clever headphone mod. Maker Iwan Roberts reconditioned this pair of headphones using coconut husks and some twine as a gift for a friend. They're perfect for listening to a MAKE Podcast and rugged enough to bring along on the occasional three hour tour.

[via ben grainger]

MAKE contributor Tod Kurt created this nice little iPhone/iPod stand from four pieces laser-cut acrylic scraps.

It is made of four slices of 1/4″ acrylic (actual width 0.22″). The top two slices have an oval opening just snug enough to fit the iPod connector and keep it in place with friction. The third slice has a channel for the cable to escape out the back, and the bottom slice keeps the cable from falling out and provides some pushback when the iPhone is inserted. It's held together by four 1″ 2-56 machine screws with nuts. I was a little concerned with the nuts scratching the table, so I've since added little hot glue feet to the bottom of each nut.

Quickie Laser-cut iPhone/iPod Dock

Looking for the perfect birthday cake for an Applephile? You couldn't go too far wrong with a cake like this cake from April Julian. No screen polishing needed here.

Instead of letting it fall by the tech wayside, Josh D recased his old iPod in lovely wood & brass -

My finished wood ipod mini. This has been such a fun project for me. It's handmade (with special thanks to my 8yr old dremel) from Australian red cedar, Camphor Laurel for the clickwheel, brass plates, brass screws and the guts from the first ipod i ever had.

[…]

I wanted to not use any glue at all with the wooden shell, and fortunately i was able to secure it all together just using the brass screws. Especially because I'd like to be able to replace the ipod's battery in the future, and possibly add a higher capacity flash hard drive.

The wooden clickwheel is simply stuck down on the sensor with very thin double sided tape.

Jesse Rutherford writes:

Have you ever wanted to plug in a professional studio mic to your ipod touch/iphone? There may be a commercial solution, but I couldn't find one. Even if there is one, I figured I could build one cheaper than a ready-made one. You could also use this for a line-in (my original reason for the project), but the source really needs to be taken down to mic level from line level for good sound quality.

The hardest part was finding the 3.5 mm 4 conductor plug (found it at Jameco). The soldering to the plug was a bit tricky too. I needed a cable with at least 4 conductors inside, and I wanted to build this for next-to-nothing, so I used some CAT5 ethernet cable I had. CAT5 has 8 conductors, so if you know of any other common cable with at least 4, you can use that.

Audio breakout cable for iPod/iPhone