‘Secret Knock’ Door Lock defends home from rhythmically-impaired perps (video)

The Arduino board has been the engine of many wild and wacky projects over the years, from bakery tweeting to various musical instruments. For its next trick, our man Steve Hoefer has taken his microcontroller and, along with a piezoelectric speaker, a gear reduction motor, and some PVC pipe, programmed it to listen for a preset sequence of knocks — a secret knock, if you will — and unlock the deadbolt upon hearing the right combination. Although this might not be the security system you want to put in place for your home, this definitely looks like a fun weekend project. Check out the read link for instructions and schematics, but not before you see the video of the thing in action. It’s after the break.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

Continue reading ‘Secret Knock’ Door Lock defends home from rhythmically-impaired perps (video)

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‘Secret Knock’ Door Lock defends home from rhythmically-impaired perps (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DIY ‘Giger’ robot walks after 100 hours of human work

Alright, so this so-called “Giger” do-it-yourself robot may not truly be Giger-esque, but it did cost upwards of $10,000 and take more than 100 hours to build, which is enough for us to forgive a little mis-naming. The biggest expense (and time sink), it seems, came as a result of the builder’s decision to use professional-grade servos instead of the usual DIY fare, which are both finicky and pricey (between $200 and $300 apiece). After a bit of fine-tuning, however, our pal “Tyberius” was able to get the bot to show off a few moves for the camera, and even walk across the desk without toppling over (he’s apparently looking to give it a more natural gait next). Head on past the break to see for yourself.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading DIY ‘Giger’ robot walks after 100 hours of human work

DIY ‘Giger’ robot walks after 100 hours of human work originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Print your own circuit boards with an Inkjet (and a modicum of skill)

Remember yesterday, when one illustrious modder whipped up a head-mounted computer that featured a printed circuit board of his own design? The fabrication method he used was called direct-to-PCB Inkjet printing. An economical (if laborious) alternative to professional production, the process includes: designing your circuit, printing it out on a transparency, flickin’ on some lightbulbs, washing things out in abrasive chemicals, and waving a magic wand. While it’s not for the timid (nor simple enough to go through in great detail here) the kids over at Instructables have been kind enough to put together and post one of their award-winning step-by-step guides on this very subject. So, what are you waiting for? Hit the read link and get to work.

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Print your own circuit boards with an Inkjet (and a modicum of skill) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fearlog: Halloween Links to Jumpstart Your Holiday

pumpkin.jpgIt’s Friday, and it’s just about Halloween, which means you’re probably sitting in your cubicle eating candy for lunch and looking at photos of dogs dressed up as Darth Vader. Just me? Well, Gearlog has a few
spooky sites for you to check out.

1. If you didn’t get around to carving your own jack-o-lanterns this Halloween, then you can do so online. Check out this virtual pumpkin carver from vidugiris.com.

2. It’s too late to mail a Halloween card, but it’s not too late to send an e-card! Take a look at these Halloween e-cards from MyPunchBowl.com before it’s too late.

3. Although this has nothing to do with tech, it’s still extremely disgusting, and a great cake for this spooky holiday. Check out Instructables’ Brain Cake.

4. Thanks to Popular Mechanics, you can spy on those hooligans coming to toilet-paper your house, or steal your Halloween decorations with this DIY pumpkin surveillance camera.

5. Spruce up your computer with a flashy Halloween desktop. (Via LifeHacker)

6.  It might be a little too late for this year, but you can always get an early start for next Halloween:  Check out the Pumpkin Pal Stake (pictured above) which lights up your jack-o-lantern by sticking the stake directly in the pumpkin. 

Happy Halloween!

Gallery: Sony Gadget Teardown Porn

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Like humans, dead gadgets get autopsies, too — only we call such hardware dissection “teardowns.” But why do we rip our beloved gadgets to pieces? To learn more about the nature of technology, engineering and industrial design, of course.


It’s kind of a beautiful thing, actually: staring at a gadget’s ugliest internal parts to learn its secrets.

To celebrate teardown culture, we hosted a contest in collaboration with teardown company iFixit, and 19 people participated (20, if you include a hilariously failed attempt). The rules were simple: Disassemble a Sony gadget, take photos of each step, and post the results.

Why Sony? Because the company makes some of the most elegantly designed hardware out there, and we were curious to see what lurked beneath the products’ sleek exteriors. Also because Sony told iFixit that it doesn’t like its products being torn apart publicly like this, and we couldn’t resist a challenge like that.

IFixit is handing out two awards to the winners: a PS3 Slim for “Best Overall Teardown,” and a PSP Go for “Most Creative Teardown,” Check out photos of the two winners, as well as eight other teardowns we found thoughtful, clever and impressive.

Thanks to all 20 who participated!

The winner of “Most Creative Teardown” goes to iFixit author Bac, who disassembled a vintage Sony TR-63 transistor radio. Not only were we shocked at the author’s ballsiness for ripping up this valuable antique; we were wowed by the old-school circuit board, which looks like an array of colorful beetles and worms.

Photo: Bac/iFixit


Korg Nanokey controller repurposed into MIDI foot pedal

Korg’s Nanokey MIDI controller is pretty awesome in its own right, but using it with your feet gets a little difficult under “normal” conditions. We can’t say for certain why Marc Fischer decided to convert his perfectly good control board into a MIDI foot pedal, but frankly, that’s beside the point. The point is he did it, and he did it with just a bit of ingenuity, some wooden blocks for risers and a bit of Plexiglas to cover up the missing keys. Hit the read link if you’re interested in doing something similar, and feel free to ask the man himself where that gorgeous shag carpet came from. Kinky!

[Via MAKE]

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Korg Nanokey controller repurposed into MIDI foot pedal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Machined Gear Clock makes watching the time pass a true joy (video)

We’ve seen no shortage of homegrown clocks in our day, and while most are cute for their time, few are worthy of being lauded in this manner. Alan Parekh’s Gear Clock is a delightful mishmash of machined gears, thrown together in a fashion that resulted in an actual time-telling gizmo. Hop on past the break to watch this thing spin, but be sure to hold the mute button for the lead-in. Clearly ‘Sound Check’ wasn’t activated.

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Machined Gear Clock makes watching the time pass a true joy (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DIYer concocts homegrown View-Master, relies on HTC Magic and Google Street View (video)

It’s been far, far too long since we broke out the View-Master from the admittedly dusty toy chest, but now we’re guessing it’ll be at least a score before we get the urge again. Why, you ask? The View-Master 2009. These homegrown virtual reality goggles are surprisingly impressive despite their ragged look, and by utilizing some form of cardboard enclosure, an HTC Magic and Google Street View, the designer was able to mimic that “immersive” environment we’ve grown to know and never forget. Don’t believe us? Have a look at the vid just past the break, and hang in there ’til the end if you’re scouting a how-to guide.

Continue reading DIYer concocts homegrown View-Master, relies on HTC Magic and Google Street View (video)

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DIYer concocts homegrown View-Master, relies on HTC Magic and Google Street View (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football Hero mod takes Arduino to the Kasabian-approved big leagues (video)

Some folks say less is more, but we’ll bet they never saw Guitar Hero being played by kicking footballs against a giant wall. This epic undertaking will give your plastic axe a major inadequacy complex with its huge wall-mounted piezo vibration sensors and absurdly large fretboard projection. An Arduino acts as the conduit between the contact sensors and a PC running the freeware Frets on Fire. The outcome from such a relatively simple setup is pretty astounding, and you can check it out in the videos past the break, including some behind the scenes footage.

Continue reading Football Hero mod takes Arduino to the Kasabian-approved big leagues (video)

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Football Hero mod takes Arduino to the Kasabian-approved big leagues (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Police to auction off nitrous-fueled, motorized La-Z-Boy

We’ve seen plenty of strange motorized chairs in this space, including those controlled by Wii Nunchucks and even brainwaves, but rarely do they become available for sale. The handiwork of Minnesota resident Dennis Anderson, this La-Z-Boy mod features everything the manufacturer left out, including: stereo sound system, nitrous oxide booster, parachute, headlights, a steering wheel, and a sticker that reads: “Hell yeah, it’s fast.” The vehicle, which will reach speeds of 20 MPH, was seized by the state when the driver crashed into a parked car — he was on the way home from the bar (of course) and ‘fessed up to consuming “eight or nine” beers prior to the incident. Anderson may be roaming the streets with a two-year suspended sentence, but his chariot can be yours! Keep an eye out on eBay, where it’s due to appear this week with no reserve price.

[Thanks, Scooterde]

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Police to auction off nitrous-fueled, motorized La-Z-Boy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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