The Żak Gallery in Berlin has an exhibition up with an extensive collection of 1960s Polish homemade tractors (photos only, unfortunately). - [via] Link.
Related:
MAKE: Volume 11: Alt Vehicles - Link.
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DIY tractors in Poland
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 11:00pm CST
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Automated SMD component cutter
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 10:00pm CST
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The Owl by David Ellis
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 9:00pm CST
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Custom playing card boxes
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 8:00pm CST
Here's a site with PDFs for making custom cardboard boxes for Poker-, Bridge-size and "big deck" playing card boxes. There's also a link to an app for generating custom-size "tuck box" templates. I have some tarot decks that could use a new home. It'll be fun to design custom art for them.Making Custom Card Boxes - [Thanks, Patti!] Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
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Mooninites, from one of the Duo
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 7:27pm CST
Here's a note from Sean, one of the people who were in the media last year for the Mooninite event, he sent this in... post in the comments with you thoughts! -Hi, I'm Sean Stevens, From the infamous Mooninite Madness of 1-31-07. Unfortunately I've been totally buried in work and other things so I didn't have a chance to "celebrate" the anniversary... But if you would, please send a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has remembered the day. It's a scary world where the people in Office don't understand the need to change things, Make them how we want. But it's a basic desire. The desire to Create. The desire to Make things Better. The fact that people have created Bushinites and Binladenites.... Even a Zebblerite! And put them all over Boston...In some of the same spots even... To me it's a real show of strength and civil disobedience. Of course, I know it's all in fun too... That's all it was ever meant as. (Though I prefer the "LOLz" spelling personally) Anyways, I hope that more people will put effort into trying to understand things that they don't... Fear of things that aren't understood that is the root cause of Terrorism. Until more people start thinking for themselves and stop letting the government/media tell them what is truth I'm afraid we are stuck with that fear. Government and Police can only write laws and try to stop those who break them. Then they can publish stories of their "Success" and hold press conferences... To make us think we are safe. But we aren't. Rely on yourself. Rely on Community. Live your life, be aware of your surroundings. The only thing worse than loosing one's life is giving it up for false safety-Sean Stevens
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Computational, generative art
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 6:00pm CST
Jared Tarbell is an artist and programmer who does gorgeous computational art, coded in the Processing language. And not only are the finished pieces amazing (and available for purchase), but you can also "run" the art, see it grown in a pop-up applet.Generative Artifacts - Computation Gallery [Thanks, Patti!] - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
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Fuzzy logic guitar effects pedal
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 5:00pm CST
Here's a unique circuit for guitar effects builders. It uses readily available SIP sockets to allow easy transistor swapping. Experiment with different values for a personalized sound - and change it up on a whim. You can also recreate a bunch of popular pre-existing fuzz distortions with it:
Some of the fuzzes you can make after building this layout are the Basic Fuzz Face (with R.G. Keen Mods, Roger Mayer Mods, Fuller Mods), the Vox Tone Bender 5/67, runoffgroove.com's Sili-Faces, fuzzcentral.com's Axis Face Germanium and Silicon, Joe Gagan's Easy Face, Aron Nelson's Hornet, the Gus Fuzz Face, Tim Escobedo's Many Faces, the Boutique Fuzz, and the Miss Piggy.
Guassmarkov's site has some great tutorials on using op-amps and other basic electronic parts. There's a boat-load of schematics, PCB images, and Eagle CAD files on there as well.
Fuzzy logic effects pedal -Link
Related:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Walkman guitar distortion pedal -Link -
Sports car from canoes
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 4:00pm CST
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Etched hobby train signage
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 3:30pm CST
From the MAKE Flickr pool:
Toner-transfer and PNP film transfer etching can be used for more than just circuit boards.
Ed Hume shares images of these etched brass signs used to accent his recreation of the Climax 3/4" locomotive. Visit the full photo set to enjoy some maker zen.Etched hobby train signage - Link
Climax scale locomotive photo set - Link
PNP transfer film @ All Electronics - Link
From the pages of MAKE:
MAKE 09 - page 123 -Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Printed Circuit Boards. Step-by-step instructions for making your own PCBs at home. MAKE 02 - page 164. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 02 @ the Maker store. -
1-31-07 Memorial throwie
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 3:00pm CST
From The MAKE Flickr Pool:
Kthxema wore this LED throwie/pendant today in support of technological awareness. - LinkRelated:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Aqua Teen Hunger Force shuts down Boston - Link
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HTML as sound
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 2:00pm CST
Finally found a use for the NY Times from Bill Orcutt on Vimeo.Ever wondered how HTML and image data would sound as beat samples?
Bill writes:
I've written a Firefox addon that makes it possible for a monome or arduino to interact with your browser. The url below is a video of me "playing" the raw data in the NYTimes homepage using a monome 40h. The project is called Lily and its a Max/PD style patching language that hooks into the browser and allows you to build multi-media projects (including physical controllers) on top of Firefox.
Each link highlighted actually makes for a nice percussive sound. This makes sense given that many percussive voices are synthesized using noise generators - and web data sounds similarly random to our ears. Awesome project, thanks Bill!
Lily project - Link
Related:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
monomuino: Arduino-based monome compatible from JMG on Vimeo. -
Never forget 1-31-07 memorial kit - assembled (build photos)
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 1:30pm CST
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I just finished making the excellent "Never forget 1-31-07 memorial kit" from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories - they did a great job on this unique and fun LED art panel. Complete photo set of the kit here - Link & more details on the kit. -
LED art all over Boston today
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 1:00pm CST
This is interesting - it seems that a group of artists have celebrated 1-31-07 in their own way and have created a series of political themed LED art sculptures and (you guessed it) placed them all over Boston. Pictured here, Bush & Bin Laden... Click on through to see more images and if you're in Boston the locations are listed to go on an art tour. Get there before the robots do.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
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Pause button mod makes lazy gamers even lazier
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 1:00pm CST
Here's a nice project that shows you how to insert a pause button into your existing Sega Master System console game controller. Simply add a few resistors and a new button that simultaneously pushes the left and right directions at the same time to send a ground signal to a 4071 gate IC. This then grounds the new button and pauses your game. More details at the link below...
Pause Button Mod - Link
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The trials of the jet pack
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 1:00pm CST
Popular Mechanics has an informative piece on the many trials and tribulations of the fledgling "jet pack" industry, starting with the deceit in the name itself:Then there's the bad news. First, these jet packs aren't what they seem: Jet-powered devices are in development (and models were tested as early as the '60s), but all models on the verge of availability are, in fact, jet-free and called, officially, rocket belts. Second, while last year there were two commercial rocket-belt manufacturers--Mexico's Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana (TAM) and Colorado-based JetPack International--there are now three: Thunderbolt Aerosystems, based in California, plans to start selling its ThunderPack TP-R2G2 rocket belt to customers this summer. Why is another entry in the fledgling human-flight business bad news? After all, three companies might be just enough to spur the kind of innovation that a healthy niche industry needs.
Well, that's the problem with so-called jet packs: everything...
[BTW: Here's a piece I did on the original Bell Rocket Belt many moons ago.]
The Inside Story of When Jet Packs Really Are Coming [via] Link
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1-31-07 LED display--soon to be a Make article
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 12:35pm CST
Dhananjay V. Gadre, author of the Kinetic Remote Control article from Make 12, has posted a teaser video of a project he's working on for an upcoming issue of Make. Look for it in an upcoming issue!
Check out Dhananjay's Kinetic Remote Control article in Make Volume 12 -- Digital Edition subscribers can read it here.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
Remembering 1-31-07
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 12:30pm CST
Last year around this time of the morning I was getting calls and emails from people asking "why did MAKE put LED sculptures all over Boston??? CNN says you did!!" it turned out that we (MAKE) had written about LED art projects on MAKE and when CNN Googled (or Ask Jeeves'd) they assumed it was us. It wasn't, and eventually the city of Boston was shut down because of an advertising campaign which used LED panels that looked like the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I've rounded up all the coverage from last year here - it's interesting to read the comments and questions brought up. Some say the reaction wasn't appropriate, some were surprised how anyone could have thought the simple project could have been considered so dangerous - others wanted to give the guys who did this the death penalty (or worse). Post your thoughts in the comments.One year later-- Today we have MAKE NYC meeting and I'm building a kit from Evil Mad Scientists, an LED panel that will be displayed in my office. I think this date for many people represents a chance to show that electronics can be art, not something to be feared or immediately considered a "hoax device" - it's up to us to show how great electronics can be and be responsible.
Boston Mooninite story as it happened last year on MAKE - Link.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force shuts down Boston - Link.
Mooninite-inspired LED projects - Link.
HOW TO - Make a LED T-shirt - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Pocket Ignignokt - Make your own Mooninites - Link.
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Pocket Electronics - MIDI controllers, including the MIDI gun!
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 12:00pm CST
Check out the great gallery of projects that used this MIDI controller kit -Pocket Electronic (abbreviation: "PE" in the following) is an universal electronics DIY kit to built your own MIDI control box. Up to 16 controlling elements can be connected to PE transmitting 16 different MIDI messages on different (or even the same) MIDI channels.
Pocket Electronics- Link.Essentially it contains the electronics core of Pocket Control resp. Pocket Fader but without the 16 controls (i.e. without rotary potentiometers resp. faders).
Instead of this PE is used to connect up to 16 controlling elements (e.g. rotary potentiometers, fader/slider potentiometer, touch switches, toggle switches, foot switches, foot controllers). The controlling elements are not included but have to be added by the customer. The MIDI data range is 0...127 with 7 bit resolution.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
Web-based AVR interface for the non-wireless crowd
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 12:00pm CST
Here's a how-to on building a networked AVR interface called "the beast". Nevermind the tangle of wires in the picture, I'm sure they are working on a wireless version as well..
Web-based AVR Interface - Link
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The Slåttberg - Linux iPod'ed and cranked Norwegian music
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 11:00am CST
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Here's a preview of a custom built musical instrument by Espen Sommer Eide, artist and member of Alog and Phonophani. The Slåttberg will premiere at the Borealis Festival for contemporary music Bergen, Norway late february 2008 - Link. -
Circular bikes
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 10:00am CST
[Read this article] [Comment on this article].jpg)
Robert Wechsler made these circular bikes from nine salvaged bikes. They were reassembled into a carousel formation, the bikes are modular and can be dismantled and reassembled. It is normally left in public places where it can attract a variety of riders - [via] Link.
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6 legged boat
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 9:00am CST
This is pretty neat, the boat has 6 legs and can "stand up" and can plant a windmill in place -Most boats do not have legs. But a jack-up barge has six, protruding high into the air when the ship is in transit.
6 legged boat - Link.Extending to a length of 48m from the bottom of the ship, and penetrating up to 5m into the sea bed, the "legs" of these ships provide a stable "ground" in a place where there is only roiling water.
As the legs push down, the ship is lifted above the waves. Purpose-built at a Chinese shipyard, the £60m jack-up barge MPIO Resolution is an extraordinary piece of engineering in itself.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
Neural network sculpture looks like an electronics lab gone mad
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 8:00am CST
Phil Stearns created "AANN" during only a 2 week residency at Amsterdam's STEIM. "AANN" stands for "Analog Artificial Neural Network" and is a neural network installation consisting of 50 identical handmade sculptures that react to their immediate surroundings. Two microphones pick up sounds in the space while photocells detect light changes eventually triggering a chain reaction of pulses through the layers of LEDs and speakers embedded in the sculpture. Two "ear-like" microphones pick up sounds and "eye-like" photocells also detect changes in light, which then trigger a chain reaction of pulses through the many layers of the piece. Pretty cool example of a feedback machine.
Phil Stearns AANN project report - Link
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Make:NYC Meeting 3 - Thursday, January 31st, 6:00PM - TONIGHT!
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 7:00am CST
REMINDER, tonight is the night! - The next Make:NYC Meeting 3 is Thursday, January 31st, 6:00PM -Back from holiday shenanigans and even feistier than before! Make:NYC is gonna turn up the heat this winter. The fourth Make:NYC Meeting includes:
Make:NYC Meeting 3 - Thursday, January 31st, 6:00PM - Link.Seminar: Mastering Pipe Mechanics and Assembly (6PM)
This seminar covers using home improvement store variety pipe and fittings to incorporate into your own DIY projects. Covering mostly PVC pipe construction and use, with dabbles in ABS, galvanized and copper pipe use. You'll see live demonstration of technique and instruction on selecting the right materials for the job. Learn how to utilize these versatile and easy to use parts to enhance your building repertoire. Free for all who attend.Lab: Build A Potato Shooter (7PM)
Ten dollars buys you parts, tools and instruction for building your own mini potato shooter. Safe and fun!You must RSVP to attend the lab. You can RSVP here.
Contest Judging: Holiday Recycling
We hope you've been hard at work! We'll be judging our Holiday Recycling contest and we're excited to see what New York City Makers have come up with! Bring your project and be prepared to show it off. Remember, top prize is $100 in CASH!Show and Tell
Meet your fellow NYC Makers and show off your creations! Bring your gadgets, gizmos, sketches, ideas... anything you'd like to put in the spotlight. We encourage NYC Makers to collaborate on and discuss DIY projects. If you're planning to bring a project, drop us a note at meetings@makenyc.org.If you'd like to attend we have plenty of space for everyone, but please RSVP!
Location:
Make Offices, 2nd Floor (Google Map)
325 Gold St. at Flatbush Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11201Bikes can be parked in the building.
A/C/F to Jay St-Borough Hall
B/Q to Dekalb Avenue
M/R to Lawrence Street
2/3 to Hoyt StreetMeeting time is 6:00PM. Lab time is 7:00PM.
See you there!
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
HOW TO - Remove shake and motion blur from photos
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 6:00am CST
Jason @ HACKSZINE writes -
It's a real drag when you think you've taken a great picture, only to load it up in photoshop and discover that your hands weren't as steady as you thought they were. Depending on the magnitude of your error, chances are you can correct most small camera bumps or pans using a deconvolution filter. The particular technique used depends on which package you use, but they are all built around manipulating the image in the frequency domain to reduce the photo's linear blurring.
HOW TO - Remove shake and motion blur from photos - Link.Nathan Willis dissected three applications for removing the effects of camera movement from your photos. Two of them, Refocus and Iterative Refocus, are open source Gimp plugins. The third, Unshake, is a closed source Java application that is capable of producing high-quality results with little user effort (though your CPU will be hurting for a minute or two).
The above photo is from the Unshake site. It seems to work well for predominately straight-line blurs over the range of 8 pixels or less. I haven't tried the two Gimp plugins, but I have a feeling the Iterative Refocus package could produce the best results given enough tweaking of the setting.
It's all Fast Fourier Transforms and way over my head, but it works (and frankly, if it was good enough for the Hubble, it's good enough for me).
Related:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
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Electronic sewing kit
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 5:00am CST
Aniomagic has a great electric sewing kit that lets you easily create your own conductive fabric switch that powers an LED sequin. The kit contains everything you need, even a battery, and is only $15. There are a bunch of great examples on the site too!The Electronic Sewing Kit™ is a set of materials that let you stitch electrical circuits into fabric. Silver-coated threads and tin coated fabrics feel just like traditional thread and fabric, but conduct electricity! These novel materials let you build soft, squishable and washable circuits that can decorate personal artifacts like clothes, caps and bags.
Electronic sewing kit - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
Full size Electric Plane
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 4:00am CST
Electric cars, and conversion kits, can be found all over the Internet. But when was the last time you saw a full size electric plane? Yeah, me neither. This is not an RC toy, it's a full size, human carrying, electric plane powered by an 18 kW, 25hp, brushed "industrial" motor. It flew for 48 minutes and went 50 km, that's about 31 miles. I would love to know what kind of noise it made as it flew by.On Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 11:50 took place, the first flight of F-WMDJ ELECTRA, equipped with an electric motor of 25 hp and Lithium-polymer batteries.
The website was originally published in French, but there is a translated version that has some interesting information and more pictures. - Link [Via]
Related:
- An Amazing electric car - Link
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Parallel port logic analyzer
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 3:00am CST
Adrian posted a step-by-step tutorial on how to build an inexpensive logic analyzer for your PC. He even has the schematics and software to download. Having an oscilloscope or simple logic analyzer can save you a lot of time when troubleshooting your electronics project.A logic analyzer is a like a recorder for digital signals. During a certain (small) period of time, the state of a few digital lines can be recorded to a file. An event can be specified to signal the start of the recording, i.e. line 1 toggling from 0 to 1.
This looks like a really easy way to view some logic signals, but I would be a little concerned that the test probes are not isolated. You've been warned! - Link [Via]
Related:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
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MovieBeam hardware and software hacking...
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 2:00am CST
Here's a wiki dedicated to opening up the MovieBeam player, a Linux-based set-top-box recently obsoleted by the demise of the MovieBeam service -The MovieBeam service was a unique system for delivery of movie rentals to the home. It was based on a set-top-box using a special over-the-air data receiver, a hard drive and secure playback software. The terrestrial broadcast data transmissions would continually "beam" new movies and promotional material to the box where they would be stored for subsequent playback. The system would keep somewhere between 80-100 titles on the hard drive available for instant rental. While some of the hardware is quite specialized, the underlying system runs a variant of the Linux operating system and theoretically the box can be used for other purposes than its original design.
MovieBeam wiki, thanks Dexter! Link. [Read this article] [Comment on this article]Purchased by Movie Gallery in early 2007, operations for the MovieBeam service ceased on or about December 15, 2007 and their website went down shortly after that. Inquiries with what was left of customer support regarding what to do with the player were met with "you can do as you please with the player." This wiki is intended as a repository for information regarding hacks and exploits on the MovieBeam player in the hopes that a few of them can be saved from a landfill.
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Homemade Halo armor
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 11:00pm CST
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NewScientist vid: Robots inspired by animals
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 10:00pm CST
NewScientist has some nice short science videos on YouTube, including this one surveying various research projects in animal-inspired robot motility. Especially check out the last bot, M-Tran, a "self-configuring mobile robot."Robots inspired by animals - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
M-Tran - Link -
Moldable mouse
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 9:00pm CST
Itching for a remake:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]Moldable Mouse is made of non-toxic lightweight modelling clay, covered with nylon and polyurethane blend fabric. It can be kneaded into any shape the user prefers, and the shape is self-retaining. By allowing a wide variety of hand positions when holding the mouse, it reduces repeated motions of the same posture, thereby minimising the chance of common mouse-related injuries such as the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The click buttons and touch-sensitive scroll pad of the mouse are stick-on parts with built-in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device), which can be repositioned for maximum comfort.
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The low-down on BALLS 17
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 8:00pm CST
BALLS 17, the premiere experimental rocketry launch contest, has been announced for Sept 26, 27, 28 in Black Rock, Nevada. The event website has details on BALLS 17 and the competition rules.This is the extreme rocketry event where experimental rocketeers push the envelope of size, staging/clustering, altitude, home-made components and motors, and cutting-edge rocket tech. Not for the faint of heart and not for children. Bring your hard hat.
BALLS 17 - Link
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Another Red Ring of Death (RRoD) fix
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 6:00pm CST
Here's a fix for the Xbox 360 RRoD problem that uses little more than some added screws and washers.Fix the Red Ring of Death! (without towels!) - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
Bike part coffee table
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 5:00pm CST
Here's an elegant table made from bike parts by MAKE Flickr pool member Delcruiser. It features a chain ring shelf handy for stowing magazines/books or maybe a kryptonite chain or two.
Bike part coffee table on Flickr - Link
Also - Check out these graceful seatings by Frida Ottemo Kallstrom - constructed from recycled bicycle parts:
Recycled Bicycle Furniture on Inhabitat - Link
Recycled Gears on Inhabitat - LinkRelated:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Furniture made from bikes - Link -
Pocket amp circuit
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 4:00pm CST
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 MAKE 04 - page 141. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 04 @ the Maker store.Related:
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
RC4560-based headphone amplifier - Link
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Seeing red mushrooms
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 3:00pm CST
From the MAKE Flickr pool:
Member Schroeder71 uses a tip from MAKE Volume 12 to punch up this image of fungi and achieve a crisp contrasting definition.
Accentuating color channels is an excellent pretreatment when you want that Ansel Adams look from grayscale conversions. Check out the MAKE 12 pdf for all the details.Red Mushrooms on Flickr - Link
From the pages of MAKE:
MAKE Vol. 12: Seeing Red - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
Dances of Vice: Steampunk festival
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 1:00pm CST
We invite all modern dandies, decadents, aesthetes, artists, thinkers, and dreamers to join us on February 8th and 9th for the 2008 Dances of Vice Festival in New York City! While our regular monthly events are grounded in the 1920-30s, the 2008 Dances of Vice Festival will have a distinctly Neo-Victorian flair.
In addition to our roster of sensational live entertainment, the Dances of Vice Festival will also feature a number of exciting vendors, an art exhibition, and an elaborate vintage Polaroid photo booth, with over $3000 worth of costume prizes and giveaways to be distributed throughout course of the event. For details regarding the festival proceedings, please download our official Program Booklet: dovprogdigi.pdf
(3.62 MB)You are warmly invited to join our mailing list, Myspace, or LiveJournal community to keep updated regarding festival announcements. and check back often for updates! Ticket pre-sale will go until February 7th, or until the event is sold out.
We look forward to welcoming you to Dances of Vice!
New York Dances of Vice Weekend- Link
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Pabst of Yore - beer can peg board tool holder
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 12:00pm CST
Cycle Jerk writes in -I was working in the basement this weekend and decided it would be a good idea to go spelunking in the crawl space. What I found there was a treasure every cyclist and cheap beer aficionado would be proud of. Whoever built my house in 1937 was drinking on the job, god bless em' and dropped a few empty cans of PBR into the foundation before slapping the house on top. These cans sat still for 71 freakin years, waiting for someone with the lack of common sense to shimmy their way into the darkness and yank them into the 21st century. There they could achieve the greatness those cans were destined for... a handy tool holder on my peg board! With a can opener, a dremel tool, and a wee bit o' moxie I brought a little more honor to my beloved workspace.
Cycle Jerk: Pabst of Yore - beer can peg board holder - Link.Related:
Pegboard workbench organizer - Link.
Make - Volume 05 - The Quick and Dirty (Page 110) - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
MAKE Volume 05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors. Homemade electric vehicles, high-powered water rockets, electricity-generating windmill, jet engine in a jam jar, and a backyard zip line! Link & Get it at the Maker Store.
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DIY Electric stick bass
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 11:00am CST
Mark writes -Here's an electric bass created using 1 broken bass string, 1 piezo transducer, part of a cheap wooden easel leg, and 2 metal rods from a bookshelf.
DIY Electric stick bass - Link.Related:
SensorBib upright bass augmentation - Link.
Weird bass guitars - Link.
HOW TO- Make a Guitar/Bass Pickup - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
DIY Cardboard box upright bass - Link.
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The muio interface
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 10:00am CST
Interesting project, any maker use it?-The muio interface is a modular system for sensing and controlling the Real World, from programmes such as Pure Data, MAX/MSP, SuperCollider, Processing or something you have written yourself.
There are several interface controllers around now - some others are even OpenSource. They all have their pros and cons. However.
- The muio needs NO PROGRAMMING.
- The muio needs only 2 readily available chips to get started.
The muio interface is an I2C to USB hardware device, based on USBIO from Delcom Engineering. I2C is a standard protocol that is popular within robotics. There are several ready made chips and circuit boards that are i2C compliant. These can be ready connected to the muio and are controllable once you know the operation codes for that particular device.
The muio interface, thanks Steve! - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article] -
New categories and better search!
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 9:00am CST
Some MAKE improvements and new categories! First up our search is way way better, we've tweaked how and what Google indexes us and now it's easier to find things from MAKE, CRAFT, HACKS, MAKE forums, the Maker store and Maker Faire. Give it a whirl, and if you send us tips search the site first - many times we've posted something (even the team uses the search, we post a lot!) - Link.
Next up there are two new categories by popular demand and request - Culture jamming, projects that have some type of social commentary and/or discourse... You know stuff that keeps the comments active - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Next up, Remake... many interesting things are made and possibly unobtainable because they're too expensive or just not logistically possible to ship something around the world - sometimes it's just some something cool you'll make instead of buy - Link. -
Pollen bots scare you into thinking you don't have hay fever
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 9:00am CST
Tokyo-based weather forecasting company Weathernews, Inc. is deploying a 200 glowing eyeball-shaped robots (called "Pollen Bots") nationwide in order to monitor the pollen count around the country. The robots weigh 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs), measure 30 centimeters (1 ft) across and consist of a monitoring unit housed in a spherical styrofoam shell. Their eyes glow 5 different colors in order to indicate the level of cedar and cypress pollen in the air. This is a community effort, as 200 hay fever sufferers are hanging the bots outside their homes where they monitor the air and communicate over the Internet to update a real-time online pollen map located at Weathernews' headquarters in Tokyo. A pretty interesting and rather ominous way to implement distributed environment sensing technologies.
Pollen Robots - [via], Link (in Japanese)
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What do gold atoms look like?
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 8:00am CST
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Fritzing adds PCB design to the Arduino and Processing family
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 7:30am CST
In the same style as Processing and Arduino, "Fritzing" is an open source PCB layout tool that attempts to help designers move from physical prototypes to building actual products. In particular in the area of PCB prototyping, the freely downloadable cross-platform software allows for basic layout and design of projects like Arduino shields and other projects and can also be used to document PCB designs for later publishing on the web, etc... Lots of very good introductory information at the link below.
Fritzing - Link
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QR codes from Google - The CueCat is comin' back! (or just use your phone...)
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 7:00am CST
Google has 2D barcodes for their print folks (also known as QR codes, and used here on the MAKE blog on the right side, scroll down). I like these for art and culture jamming-type projects, but here is what Google is up to...
Recently, you may have seen newspaper ads for jewelry retailer Blue Nile placed through the Google Print Ads platform. These particular ads include a Google footer with multiple response mechanisms: URL, search terms, phone number, coupon code, SMS code, and 2D barcode. This test is part of our efforts to make print advertising more useful for readers and more measurable for advertisers. 2D barcodes are an especially exciting part of this because they allow readers to "click" on interesting print ads with their cellphones and seamlessly connect to relevant online content.
Google AdWords Print Ads - [via] Link.Could be interesting, reminds me of CueCat...
Related (how to make your own and more):
- QR Code Cake - Link.
- C.R.T. Cat - Link.
- PalmOne Zire + CueCat = Barcode scanner? - Link.
- CueCatLibraryThing & CueCats - Catalog your books - Link.
- LEGO barcode reader - Link.
- QR code generator - Link.
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Pencil scarf and MASSIVE super duper scarf round up
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 6:00am CST
I like the idea of this pencil scarf, would be better if you knitted a (wool) version up, but that's what (re)makes are for... - [via] Link.MASSIVE super duper scarf round up:
Knit Pencil Scarf - Link.
HOW TO - Make a No-Knit Scarf - Link.
Blood Scarf - Link.
O Rly owl scarf - Link.
Vintage Scarf Bedspread - Link.
A Scarf That Loves You Back - Link.
Vickie Howell Dave Scarf Pattern - Link.
Space Invader - QR code scarf - Link.
Knit a Skull Scarf - Link.
Wet Felted Scarf - Link.
The Saw That Dripped Blood...SCARF - Link.
1-Up Crochet Mushroom Scarf - Link.
Linux Scarf - Link.
Bacon Scarf - Link.
Mario Villain Scarf - Link.
HOW TO - Knit a Binary Scarf - Link.
Robot Scarf - Link.
Swiss Cheese Scarf - Link.
Rat Race Scarf Kit - Link.
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Knit Spiral Scarf Pattern - Link.
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Make a survival hand-vice
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 5:00am CST
Jim created this step-by-step tutorial on how to create a hand-vice. Although he says it is great for holding bone & fishhooks, I am sure it would be great for plastics and electronics too. This is a really good addition to your toolbox, even if you are not a survivalist.A small, easy-to-use handvice can be readily made out of a one-inch thick hardwood limb. Such a vice is very handy in stone and bone working. It can be wedged between two rocks or in a tree trunk to provide a very steady holder for small projects (arrowheads, fish hooks, etc.).
Make your own hand-vice - Link
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Make a survival hand-vise
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 5:00am CST
Jim created this step-by-step tutorial on how to create a hand-vise. Although he says it is great for holding bone & fishhooks, I am sure it would be great for plastics and electronics too. This is a really good addition to your toolbox, even if you are not a survivalist.A small, easy-to-use handvice can be readily made out of a one-inch thick hardwood limb. Such a vice is very handy in stone and bone working. It can be wedged between two rocks or in a tree trunk to provide a very steady holder for small projects (arrowheads, fish hooks, etc.).
Make your own hand-vise - Link
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Start a fire with air
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 4:00am CST
Here is a great little project to try out, it's called a fire-piston. It certainly isn't as easy as a piece of flint, matches or a lighter, but none of them are nearly as impressive. This will be high on my list of things to MAKE.The principle of increasing temperature by method of compressing air is explained by the adiabatic process in which the internal energy of a gas must increase when a mass of air is rapidly compressed or the volume of a mass of air is rapidly decreased. The resulting increase in internal energy results in a temperature rise sufficient to light an ember, just like the pressure produced by an ice skater's blade is sufficient to increase the internal energy of the ice which turns ice under the blade into water.
Make your own fire-piston - LinkRelated:
- Use a can of Coke and a chocolate bar to make fire - Link
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DIY Rotational Molding
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 3:00am CST
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Solsylva has an interesting DIY rotational molding, or casting, machine used for hollow casting of resin or any other material that does not require heat activation. I like their idea of using a rotisserie motor, since I think it is fairly easy to find an unused one for free. Although, a hand crank would work for quick drying resins. - Link -
The Torch - world's brightest and most powerful flashlight
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 2:00am CST
This is ridiculous, and I want one -Currently being reviewed by The Guinness Book of World Records, The Torch is the world's brightest and most powerful flashlight. It is easily capable of melting plastic, lighting paper on fire within seconds, and if you want, frying an egg or a marshmallow on a stick! At 4100 lumens, The Torch is 100 lumens more powerful than The Polarion Helios, the former most powerful flashlight. Incredible? Watch The Torch in action.
The Torch - world's brightest and most powerful flashlight - Link.
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DIY Applesauce
Posted: January 30th, 2008, 12:00am CST
Why I love the interwebs, reason #58,375DIY Applesauce - Link
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HOW TO - PCB pre-order check
Posted: January 29th, 2008, 11:00pm CST
uCHobby has an article up about checking component placement on PCBs before ordering. If you're planning on having your circuit design professionally fabricated, it's vital to do a thorough pre-check to get a better idea of the final product. There's not much worse than receiving a box full of expensive custom green coasters (unless of course you're into designing coasters) when you expected a functional board.
Doing an easy PCB pre-order check - Link
Related:
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HOW TO - Manufacture your own PCBs - Link -
Rayguns from lamp shades
Posted: January 29th, 2008, 10:00pm CST
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Building the Perfect PC--updated system configurations
Posted: January 29th, 2008, 9:00pm CST
Building the Perfect PC authors Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson have updated their recommended system configurations for the new year. Pick up a copy of the book, check out their updated lists of components, and build the best PC... the one you build yourself:
- Gaming PC Configuration - Link
- Budget PC Configuration - Link
- Mainstream PC Configuration - Link
- Media Center PC Configuration - Link
- Small Form Factor PC Configuration - Link
- SOHO Server PC Configuration - Link
From The Maker Store:
Building The Perfect PC 2nd Edition by Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson
Price: $34.99
Buy: Maker store - Link.
This popular Build-It-Yourself (BIY) PC book covers everything you want to know about building your own system: Planning and picking out the right components, step-by-step instructions for assembling your perfect PC, and an insightful discussion of why you'd want to do it in the first place. Most big brand computers from HP, Dell and others use lower-quality components so they can meet their aggressive pricing targets. But component manufacturers also make high-quality parts that you can either purchase directly, or obtain through distributors and resellers. Consumers and corporations alike are opting to build rather than buy PCs to ensure high quality and compatibility. The new edition of Building the Perfect PC shows you how to construct a variety of top-flight systems with the latest technology, including AMD Socket AM-2 and Intel Core 2 processors, that are Vista- and Linux-ready.
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Electronic component sculpture
Posted: January 29th, 2008, 8:32pm CST
MAKE Flickr Pool member Sephirot82 submitted this shot of this anthropomorphic circuit board sculpture. The title translates roughly to "United by Something More than Tin" - perfect valentine for that solder-lover in your life.
Electronics sculpture on Flickr - Link
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Monomuino: an Arduino-based monome compatible
Posted: January 29th, 2008, 7:15pm CST
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