MAKE » Category: Hacks

Power Racing Ups the West Coast Ante

Goli Mohammadi — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:31:14 +0000

Nothing tests maker mettle quite like time and budget constraints. West Coast makers: Now is the time to step up and show off your modding skills. This weekend, May 18 and 19, at the 8th annual Maker Faire Bay Area, we are hosting the season opener of the Power Racing Series (PPPRS). Come race us!

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Charge Your Smartphone–With Fire!

Alasdair Allan — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:39:18 +0000

If fire wasn't the first thing invented, it was probably the second. The human race has had a long relationship with fire, and now you can use it to charge your smartphone, GPS, or anything else that you can connect to this thermoelectric generator using a USB cable.

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The Simplest DC Motor in the World?

Michael Colombo — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:17:16 +0000

AA battery + coil of wire + neodymium magnets = DC Motor!

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MAKE Asks: Epic Kludges

Michael Colombo — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:30:29 +0000

MAKE Asks: is a weekly column where we ask you, our readers, for responses to maker-related questions. We hope the column sparks interesting conversation and is a way for us to get to know more about each other. This week’s question: A kludge is define as “An ill-assorted collection of […]

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How to Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal Using a Soda Can in 6 Steps

Drew Hendricks — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:50:26 +0000

When your life is nothing but trolling and viral videos, having a bad wi-fi connection can be incredibly irritating. Poor loading times, lost connections, and more can put a strain on your time browsing the internet. However, there are some ways to improve your Wi-Fi connection.

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Making a Bike Out of Car Parts

John Baichtal — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:30:46 +0000

There is a kernel of a really cool idea in the Carma Project, sponsored by ad firm Leo Burnett Lisbon. They made a bike with as many reclaimed car parts as possible, and it looks kinda sweet! That said, I really would have preferred that it had been made out […]

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Get in on the Power Racing Series Action

Goli Mohammadi — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:23:17 +0000

Are you ready to put your hacking and modding skills to the test? Team challenge: Mod to oblivion an existing ride-on electric toy of the Power Wheels persuasion, on a budget of no more than $500 (not counting the original vehicle itself and safety equipment). Then compete in the Power […]

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MAKE it in China: Hacking Shenzhen

Lisa Q. Fetterman — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:52:13 +0000

Nomiku co-founder Lisa Fetterman shares her hacks for negotiating the makers' life in Shenzhen, China.

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Solder Dispenser Made Out of a Brake Cable and Sugru

John Baichtal — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:00:47 +0000

Jude Pullen created this cool solder buddy, which consists of a length of solder fed through an old brake cable by a servo. A button near the business end, with a Sugru grip, activates the servo by using the solder itself, as well as the metal windings of the brake […]

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How-To: Make Your Spray Bottle Omnidirectional

Goli Mohammadi — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:05:16 +0000

Finally, a simple mod to make your spray bottles work in any orientation. Yup, upside down, sideways, and weirdly angled.

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