Hasta La Gadget!

To celebrate the 10th birthday of Arduino, the folks at laser cutter shop Just Add Sharks decided to make a laser cutter run by an Arduino Pro Mini. To make things more fun, they made it so their laser cutter is controlled using two knobs just like an Etch A Sketch. They even made the controller look just like the toy.

As with the Etch A Sketch, one of the knobs moves the laser vertically while the other makes it move horizontally. The laser cutter can not only etch, it also has a high powered mode that actually cuts through an object. That sounds awesome, but on the other hand you can’t erase or undo the process – no matter how hard you shake it.

Turn the knobs on your browser and head to Just Add Sharks’ blog for more on the hack.

[via Hacked Gadgets]

Last year we saw a fabric oven mitt that looked just like Nintendo’s infamous Power Glove. Pete Hottelet is raising funds on Indiegogo for a very similar product. Also named the Power Mitt, Pete’s take is made of silicone rubber and thus should be more heat-resistant than the other mitt.

As you can see, Pete’s glove also has separate sheaths for each finger making it look more like the original Power Glove.

For now, Pete is only offering right-handed gloves for average-sized hands. He said that if he gets over 1,000 orders through the fundraiser he’ll get a mold for a larger glove, and if he gets over 1,500 orders he’ll make a left-handed glove.

To the privileged right-handed people with perfectly sized hands: let’s help our mutated brethren adorn their weird limbs with a power glove. Pledge at least $39 (USD) on Indiegogo to get a Power Mitt as a reward and combat handedness prejudice.

[via Geekologie]

Square Enix will be releasing floor mats featuring graphics from the 8-bit Dragon Quest games. The mats are made of acrylic fiber and will come in three variants: journey – i.e. a portal – staircase and poison swamp. Yes kids, this is how swamps looked like back then.

Each mat measures 500mm x 500mm (approx. 20″ x 20″) and has a non-slip bottom.

Each mat will also come with a redeemable code for Dragon Quest X players to adorn their houses with a virtual equivalent of their purchased mat.

Give your browser a puff puff and head to JBOX or AmiAmi to order the floor mats. JOBX sells them for $23 each while AmiAmi has them for ¥1,310 (~$13 USD).

[via Tiny Cartridge via GoNintendo]

Late last year I talked about the DIY Gamer Kit, which contained all the parts you need to assemble your own handheld game console. In other words, the kit introduces you to video game hardware. Aurélien Rodot’s Gamebuino on the other hand comes fully assembled and is intended to get you into video game software.

The Gamebuino has an ATmega 328 microcontroller, an 84 x 84 monochrome display with automatic backlight, six buttons, a 4-channel speaker and a 240mAh battery. It also has four ports: one microUSB, one microSD and two I2C ports. While the DIY Gamer Kit is also based on the Arduino language, Aurélien made a software library for Gamebuino, which includes a graphics engine, a game engine, sound effects, user interface and more. Coding a Gamebuino game will be easier and faster because you don’t have to start from scratch.

Aurélien says he’s already finalized the Gamebuino’s hardware, the software library and a few sample games. Right now he’s working on a browser that will let you load and switch between games from a microSD card. He’s also going to make tutorials and setup an online community to make it easier for newbies to get help. Pledge at least €35 (~$48 USD) on Indiegogo to get a Gamebuino – and priceless knowledge – as a reward.

[via Kotaku]

1985′s Gauntlet was an amazing game that I spent way too many hours (and quarters) playing in the arcade. So I’m excited for its return so I can add even more hours to my record. Gauntlet fans have been waiting for this for some time.

Arrowhead Game Studios is developing the game and it will be a top-down co-op action RPG for PCs (with Steam integration). All of your favorite characters will be back. Which will you play?

Each character will have its own strengths and weaknesses. The Warrior does the most damage in melee combat; the Wizard has the most powerful magic; the Valkyrie has the most armor, and the Elf is the fastest. Pretty much what you would expect. Check out the trailer for some gameplay footage:

It looks pretty awesome to me. The dungeons look a bit too much like Diablo III, but I can live with that, given that Diablo quite possibly wouldn’t exist if not for the original Gauntlet.

[via The Mary Sue]