Portable Audio and VideoArchive: Portable Audio and Video

June 13, 2008

7 in 7: Day 4

7-in-7_day4.jpg

The fourth day of 7 in 7 at ITP revealed Seasonal Salad Dress, Spammed!, Face the Web and "Cheating" Book Cover. Click on a picture to read about each one-day project in the 7 in 7 blog.

Days: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Posted by Rob Faludi | Jun 13, 2008 10:00 PM
Arts, Crafts, Imaging, Online, Portable Audio and Video, Wearables | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

June 1, 2008

HOW TO - iPod speakers in your scooter

vespatunes.jpg

Instructables user avik writes:

I got my first Vespa about a year ago and have loved tooling around New York on it. From day one though I wanted to be able to listen to my iPod as I zip around but the idea of riding with headphones on in all that trafiic seems crazy. When I read on a Vespa forum that there is a secret compartment behind the two knee pads that are above the glove box I saw the opportunity to do a really cool mod to my scooter.

This instructable covers circuit design, custom 3D modeling, and modding existing components, all in order to tote some tunes on your ride.

Posted by Becky Stern | Jun 1, 2008 09:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, iPod, Portable Audio and Video, Transportation | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

May 19, 2008

Hallmark "boom" box

Well, it won't win any awards for high-fidelity (or even middle-fidelity), but this Instructable, which turns a Hallmark audio greeting card and a mini cereal box into an iPod speaker, might be a fun kids project.

Make an iPod Speaker from a Hallmark Music Card

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | May 19, 2008 12:00 PM
iPod, Kids, Music, Portable Audio and Video, Remake | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

May 10, 2008

iPhone controlling surveillance camera


This would be a great tool for security people that are on the move. Theoretically they would be able to control camera via their iPhone from any location. Imagine being able to instantly look into rooms prior to entering.

Adding a mobile interface to systems that traditionally required a user to be sitting at their desk will open up many new opportunities. The new touch screen interface will also change how we interact with those systems, creating all new ways to use technology.
As an example, traditional surveillance systems use a joystick or mouse to control camera positioning. With the iPhone, the user has the potential of a much more intuitive interface to drag the camera around and zoom in on things by pinching the picture.

via - tuaw - iPhone controlling surveillance equipment

Posted by Marc de Vinck | May 10, 2008 03:00 AM
Portable Audio and Video, Wireless | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

May 5, 2008

Radio shows what your friends are listening to

olinda.jpg

This prototype digital radio, called "Olinda" uses modular hardware that is customizable for each user. The interesting aspect of the project is that it has social networking built in, showing exactly what your friends are listening to, similar to the way that iChat on the Mac lets you put your current iTunes song into your status line.

Olinda Construction, [via]

Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen | May 5, 2008 06:00 AM
Arts, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

April 28, 2008

75 things to do with an old iPod

iPodRemote.jpg

Packing up for Maker Faire, I was debating whether to bring my old iPod as a back-up to my iPhone. That got me thinking about ways I might make use of my iPod besides just insuring music and address book redundancy. On TravelHacker, I found this round-up of 75+ tutorials on everything from turning it into a guitar tuner to using it as a universal remote, to an ebook reader, to turning it into money (ah, as in selling it...).


How to: Turn Your iPod Into Anything (75+ Tutorials)

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Apr 28, 2008 12:43 PM
iPod, Mobile, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

March 30, 2008

New audio for Soviet aviation helmet

sovietHelmet.jpg

In this Instructable, the author shows how he put modern haedphones into a Soviet-era SHZ-84 flight helmet.

Hacking a SHZ-84 Soviet aviation helmet

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Mar 30, 2008 02:33 PM
Instructables, Portable Audio and Video, Retro | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

March 24, 2008

Buddha machine

Buddhamachine Colors

Finally on-the-go zen for today's busy traveller, the Buddha Machine from FM3 plays nine different drones successively, with lengths ranging from 2 - 42 seconds long -

The machine has its own built-in speaker, in case one would like to fill a room with the drones, but there is also a headphone jack for more personal meditative experiences. There's a switch on the side that allows for traversal of the tracks, and a DC jack (though an adapter is not included) for those who would like the Buddha Machine experience be truly endless.
Sorry, no plans for a video-capable version as of yet.


Related:

Buddha statue made from pills



Phone book Buddha

Posted by Collin Cunningham | Mar 24, 2008 04:00 AM
Arts, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email Entry

February 25, 2008

Touchkeyer on Altoids-based HF radio

touchKeyer.jpg
Check out this nifty touchkeyer (for CW or "continuous wave" Morse code) ham operator Jonathan Haynes ( KC7FYS) built into his Altoids-housed ATS-3b high-frequency CW radio transceiver:

I put whiteboard marker on my fingers and pressed them on a piece of paper to get this footprint. The idea of sculpting them from PCB material came to me when I was trying to sleep. Ha ha. Next time I'll use thicker copper with a thicker substrate.

Nice work on the whole project. The labels and green metalflake are swanky.

Touchkeyer Ergometrics - Link

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Feb 25, 2008 06:00 PM
Altoids and tin cases, Electronics, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

February 21, 2008

Vintage headphone mod

porkshanksPhones.jpg
Over at the Steampunk Workshop, Jake inaugurates a new Guest Artist Project feature with the wonderful Molly "Porkshanks" Friedrich as the first artist in residence. Molly shows how to update an antique Cannonball Empire headset with modern headphone innards.

Porkshank's Dieselpunk Headphone Mod - Link

Related:

  • The Ambiance Enhancer (retro MP3 player) - Link

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Feb 21, 2008 10:00 PM
DIY Projects, Music, Portable Audio and Video, Retro | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email Entry

February 7, 2008

Hack a $20 DVD player into an NTSC display

DVD_LCD_hack.jpg

Here's a quick how-to on creating a composite video display from a cheap Cyberhome DVD player. There's even instructions on where to tap the circuit for audio playback. [via]-Link

Too bad some of the PCB images are so blurry - if only the author hacked his camera into taking macro shots . . .

DIY macro lens
Do-It-Yourself Macro lens -Link

Posted by Collin Cunningham | Feb 7, 2008 05:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email Entry

February 5, 2008

HOW TO - Use full-size CD-Rs on a VideoNow


This video tutorial shows you how to modify the case on a Tiger Electronics VideoNow kid vid player (which normally uses a special 4" CD) so that it can play back regulation CDs.

VideoNow Color Mod Uncut Cdr [Thanks, Craniac!] - Link

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Feb 5, 2008 12:00 PM
DIY Projects, Mobile, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email Entry

January 30, 2008

Pocket amp circuit

flickr_pocket_amp.jpg

This serene little pocket amp circuit was submitted by MAKE Flickr pool member Abie Ringman.
The Mint-Tin/CMoy headphone amplifier costs around $20 to make and therefore is a very attractive alternative to similar commercial amps which can run upwards of $100. Get more info on this popular project in MAKE Volume 4.

Pocket amp circuit on Flickr - Link

From the pages of MAKE:
Mint-Tin Amp
Mint-Tin Amp MAKE 04 - page 141. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 04 @ the Maker store.

Related:
RC4560 based headphone amp
RC4560-based headphone amplifier - Link

Posted by Collin Cunningham | Jan 30, 2008 02:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

January 24, 2008

Graffiti Reseach Lab Live From Sundance

makelasertag.jpg
I am visiting Sundance Film Festival with Graffiti Research Lab where GRL premiered Graffiti Research Lab: the Complete First Season. Besides spending a lot of time freezing outside with Laser Tag, GRL also debuted the Beat Case.

beatcase.jpg
The Beat Case is a portable audio system built to help the Palestinian rappers Dam and PR, here for the movie Slingshot Hip Hop, perform around Park CIty. The Beat Case includes a microphone and line level inputs, is battery powered, and all fits inside a Pelican case. An Instructable for the Beat Case will be coming soon. You can see more photos and hijinks at the Graffiti Research Lab web site. - Link

Posted by Michelle Kempner | Jan 24, 2008 09:30 AM
Culture jamming, DIY Projects, Music, Open source hardware, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email Entry

January 10, 2008

DIY steering wheel stereo controls

steeringwheel.jpg

Matt took apart his car stereo's remote, hacked out the important buttons, and mounted them to his steering wheel. For once, a car audio hack that makes operating your stereo safer! This is a fairly straightforward hack with no programming required. - Link.

Posted by Becky Stern | Jan 10, 2008 04:00 PM
Portable Audio and Video, Wireless | Permalink | Comments (5) | Email Entry

November 25, 2007

The Ambiance Enhancer (retro MP3 player)

steampunkMP3.jpg
And you thought your Tokyoflash watch was big and nerdy lookin' Here's an MP3 wrist gauntlet created by "porkshanks" (aka Molly Friedrich) and posted in her DeviantArt gallery. Molly writes:

I bought a pair of vintage Cannonball Empire headphones off Ebay and I disassembled and gutted them. I then transplanted the working parts of a Sony MDR-006 (that I randomly found on the ground at a bus stop 2 days ago!) into them, and voila! Cool looking 'old' headphones that work just fine with my MP3 player ^ _ ^

figuring out how to get the speakers into the Cannonballs was not easy. I actually ruined the prototype trying to do it in an overly fancy way with a different pair of Sony headphones.

So then I decided I needed some way to get my MP3 player to match my steampunk daily wear.

First I hand sewed a little cover for the MP3 player and attached the brown leather protection pad to it. Then I took a raw sheet of Brass and cut out the form, bending it into shape carefully and adding the lynch pins and strapping last. I wanted to be able to wear this on my jacket as well, so I created a little latch on the left arm of my jacket so it can be put on and off easily.

Voila! Retrofuture goodness...

The Ambiance Enhancer - Link

Related:

  • Steampunky goodness on Make: Blog - Link

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Nov 25, 2007 12:40 PM
Crafts, Music, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

October 2, 2007

DIY Bluetooth Frankenphones

frankenPhones2.jpg
frankenPhones1.jpg
When Sarah Lemarié's Logitech Bluetooth headphones snapped in half, as they are apparently wont to do, she did what any self-respecting hardware hacker would do: she mashed them up with a pair of corded phones that she liked to create her own set of wireless Frankenphones.

Project: Wired to wireless headphones - Link

Related:

  • Bluetooth stereo headphone conversion - Link
  • HOW TO - Headphone Hack - Link
  • ShufflePhones - DIY iPod Shuffle II headphones - Link

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Oct 2, 2007 04:00 PM
DIY Projects, Portable Audio and Video, Wireless | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email Entry

September 22, 2007

Custom Digital Stereoscopy Rig

stereo2.jpg

Really cool custom built digital camera based 3D stereoscopy device made by one of our Scrapyard Challenge workshop participants. Update: This is the work of James G. Watt - check out his website here: www.clockworkrobot.com and a video of our workshop taken with the camera here.

Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen | Sep 22, 2007 10:54 PM
Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

September 17, 2007

Binder clip device dock

binderDock.jpg
Binder clips have a 101 uses. Here's one of them. (Not sure I'd want my gadget just hangin' out there like that.)

The Ridiculously Clever Dock - Link

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Sep 17, 2007 08:00 PM
DIY Projects, Instructables, iPod, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email Entry

September 11, 2007

RC4560-based headphone amplifier

rc4560Amp.jpg
This SMD op-amp project uses the TI RC-4560 dual op-amp chip and a salt water-etched PCB. The builder got the op-amp as a free sample from Texas Instruments and scavenged all of the SMD resistors from old hard drive electronics. The results are not pretty, but they're functional. The circuit used (with some changes) is the Chu Moy design found here. The CMoy circuit is not SMD.

Op-amp headphone amplifier - Link

Related:

  • In-line headphone amp - Link
  • MAX - headphone amp - Link
  • Altoids headphone amp - Link.
  • AVR based headphone amp - Link
  • Altoids and tin cases Archives - Link

From the pages of MAKE:
Make 656

Mint-Tin Amp. MAKE 04 page 131. Pocket amplifier punches up headphones. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 04 @ the Maker store.

Posted by Gareth Branwyn | Sep 11, 2007 08:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Instructables, iPod, Music, Portable Audio and Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email Entry

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