Just this morning we showed you a chopper-rocket-packing truck of the Libyan rebel army. Looks like it wasn’t the only one they’ve got: we found another hybrid missile pod pounder, firing away across flaming war wreckage. The scene is apocalyptically-surreal. More »
As you may have noticed, we have a bit of a soft spot for Nintendo’s other 3D device, the Virtual Boy — despite its many, many flaws. So, it seems, does DIYer Tighe Lory, who liked the oddball console so much that he built an full-size arcade cabinet for it. As you can see above, that comes complete with some custom joysticks that replace the Virtual Boy’s controller, along with a sliding mechanism that lets you adjust the Virtual Boy itself to just the right height instead of forcing you to hunch over a table. It even has some buttons on each side specifically for Galactic Pinball, and some other authentic arcade touches like a Nintendo serial plate and a backlit marquee. Head on past the break for Tighe’s grand tour on video.
Continue reading DIY Virtual Boy arcade cabinet costs only a headache to play
DIY Virtual Boy arcade cabinet costs only a headache to play originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Certain things, when homemade, are better than the store-bought version. Macaroni. Mother’s Day cards. Cleaning products? We tested some famous home remedies against some familiar brands. More »
Tired of the same old PC-enabled photo booth popping up at every wedding, Bar Mitzvah, and Secretary’s Day celebration you attend? Well, you’re not alone — a German photographer named Rocco has tapped his apparent frustration over the conventional photo booth rig to create his very own iPad-connected setup. Rocco’s arrangement features a Nikon DSLR, wireless flash trigger, and an iPad, using the ShutterSnitch app, stuffed into a little black box and connected to a foot pedal that allows partiers to hit the switch when they see fit. Once captured, the photos are transferred to the iPad’s screen, allowing subjects to browse and email their favorite look-how-wacky-I-am shots. If you’re looking to upgrade your photo booth setup for your next Rapture BBQ or World IPV6 Day celebration, follow the source link for instructions.
[Thanks, Chris]
DIY iPad photo booth captures the moments you might be too drunk to remember originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ifun | Email this | Comments
You’d be forgiven for dismissing an amateur metallurgist if he claimed to have improved upon the presumably perfected technology of steel making. But Flash Bainite, the creation of Detroit entrepreneur Gary Cola, wowed a team of Ohio State University engineers by turning centuries of alloy processing on its head. Instead of heating the metal for hours or days, this well-equipped DIYer boosted the temperature — quickly baking, then cooling sheets of steel that are 7-percent stronger than other forms and tougher than some titanium alloys. Flash Bainite is also more ductile than other steels, allowing it to crumple more before breaking — perfect for absorbing impacts. Obviously this means stronger and lighter cars, laptops, and armored vehicles but, since the process takes all of about 10 seconds, it’s also more energy efficient and cheaper than traditional steel making. Now, who has the number for the Nobel Prize committee?
Detroit DIYer cooks up stronger, lighter steel, shames scientists originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
[Thanks, Robotbling]
Adorable CanBot chills in your fridge, quietly biding its time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Simple DIY cellbot ditches Arduino, jousts poorly (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
If you’re thinking this iPad audio breakout dock looks remarkably good considering its DIY origins, then you should know it wasn’t put together by any old screwball with a soldering iron. Nope, this was made by Qubais “Reed” Ghazala, a very particular old screwball who’s been blurring the lines between circuitry, music and art since the Summer of Love (that’s 1967 on a normal calendar). His latest invention is all about getting pro-grade sound connections into and out of an iPad 2 — much like an Alesis dock or Akai SynthStation, but with that special “I made this” charm and minimal price tag. Key ingredients include a Macally aluminium iPad stand and a 30-pin PodBreakout board. Hit the video after the break to get further instructions and hear Ghazala’s “bottomless well of chance music” — both come at your own risk.
DIY iPad music breakout gives pro-grade stage presence, mixes circuitry with art (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Create Digital Music | qrghazala (YouTube) | Email this | Comments
It may not be quite capable enough to let you build your own Weighted Companion Cube, but those looking to try their hand at a DIY CNC milling machine won’t likely find many more straightforward options than the MTM Snap. Built by Jonathan Ward of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, the machine itself is constructed from some high-density polyethylene parts milled on a ShopBot (which simply snap together as the name suggests), and it’s controlled by an Arduino board that lets you operate it from any Mac, Windows or Linux computer. Unfortunately, you can’t simply buy a kit and piece it all together, but Jonathan’s made all of the plans for building your own available, and says it shouldn’t cost you any more than $700 from start to finish. Head on past the break for a video of the finished product in action.
Continue reading MTM Snap project lets you build your own CNC machine so you can build more stuff
MTM Snap project lets you build your own CNC machine so you can build more stuff originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 09:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Have you ever thought to yourself, “my CNC mill is pretty cool, but I really want to make it more awesomer”? Well, first, “awesomer” totally isn’t word, and second, have we got a hack for you! A reader wrote in to the DIY hub Adafruit to show off his CNC being operated by a PS3 Sixaxis controller — mimicking features found on high-end machines that allow you to trigger jobs from a distance and manually control the mill. Best of all, it’s a pretty simple mod that uses a program called QtsixA to map the gamepad as a keyboard and mouse, allowing you to interact with a Linux box running EMC2, which is used for controlling the mill, lathe, plasma torch, or a number of other fun and dangerous tools. Check out the video after the break.
Continue reading CNC mill and Sixaxis controller make beautiful DIY music together (video)
CNC mill and Sixaxis controller make beautiful DIY music together (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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