MAKE MagazineMAKE is a quarterly publication from O'Reilly for those who just can't stop tinkering, disassembling, re-creating, and inventing cool new uses for the technology in our lives. It's the first do-it-yourself magazine dedicated to the incorrigible and chronically incurable technology enthusiast in all of us. MAKE celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend technology any way you want.
Bike-mower roundupposted on October 02, 2007 11:00:00 pm
Treehugger has put together a fun roundup of bikes with reel mowers bolted onto the fronts of them. Not sure how effective this is as a mower, or rideable as a bike -- this might be more Chindogu than workable hack. Has anyone made and/or ridden one of these?
The Cutting Edge: Bicycle Lawnmowing - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
The "music" of slot/pinball electro-mechanicsposted on October 02, 2007 09:00:00 pm
Daniel Vera, of Helsinki's Association Experimental Electronics, has a cool Flickr set and a number of YouTube vids (linked from Flickr) of rusty n' dusty components of pinball and slot machines being resuscitate and turned into clacking circuit-bent sequencers.
Sequencer - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
DIY Bluetooth Frankenphonesposted on October 02, 2007 07:00:00 pm
When Sarah Lemari霧s Logitech Bluetooth headphones snapped in half, as they are apparently want to do, she did what any self-respecting hardware hacker would do: she mashed them up with a pair of corded phones that she liked to create her own set of wireless Frankenphones.
Project: Wired to wireless headphones - Link
Related:
Bluetooth stereo headphone conversion - Link
HOW TO - Headphone Hack - Link
ShufflePhones - DIY iPod Shuffle II headphones - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Chaos Computer Club: Full Steam Aheadposted on October 02, 2007 05:00:00 pm
A Reminder: Germany's Chaos Computer Club's Call for Participation for its 24th Chaos Communication Congress 2007 (Dec 27 - 30) ends on Oct. 12. This year, the theme is Volldampf voraus! (or "Full Steam Ahead"), i.e. steampunk! Jens of CCC writes:
This year's congress introduces a new category for talks called "Making". This category is all about making and breaking things and the wonderful stuff you can build in your basement or garage. Most welcome are submissions dealing with the latest in electronics, 3D-fabbing, climate-change survival technology, robots and drones, steam machines, alternative transportation tools and guerrilla-style knitting.
24th Chaos Communication Congress: Call for Participation - [via] Link
Related:
West German hacker spaces - C4, Netzladen, and Das Labor - Link
Berlin Hacker Spaces - Link
Fire Balloon at CCC - Link
iPhone Hacks at CCC - Link
Sputnik tags @ the CCC - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Binary keyboard gives you RSI even fasterposted on October 02, 2007 03:45:37 pm
Here's a nice how-to on building a binary keyboard from an existing keyboard. The only thing they forgot to mention is how much time you'll waste or pain you'll endure trying to type an email with it.
How to make a binary keyboard - [Link][Read this article] [Comment on this article]
What would you do with a used Boeing 747? Winner!posted on October 02, 2007 03:00:44 pm
emperor_dane won our contest asking "What would you do with a used Boeing 747" -- congrats (they won a Pocket Ref, not a plane - Maybe next time)...
a used Boeing 747 could be turned into 2 huge solar-thermal collectors. The cylindrical shape of the passenger area would be perfect for 2 half-cylinder concentrators. these concentrators, once covered with mylar or similar reflective material would concentrate solar light onto a central pipe, painted black. finally the systems could use the plane's internal coolant/ temperature control systems as a heat exchanger. finally the fluid that convects through the exchanger could run through the original jet's fuel pump to act as a generator, using convective forces to generate electricity from otherwise considered refuse. here is a diagram -emperor daneMAKE: Blog: What would you do with a used Boeing 747? - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Candle lightbulb saves electricity, makes instant chandeliersposted on October 02, 2007 10:51:22 am
The "Candull" (pictured above) sports standard light bulb screw grooves and fits into any lamp socket. Just think how much money you will save next time you "light up" your desk lamp. Also on the site (link below) is the "Power Cord Shelf" which turns any outlet into a small shelf, the "Grow Plug" which allows you to plug in your plants in as wall ornaments, and "Toothhold" a power cord toothbrush holder, and many more cool projects.
[via] Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Host a soda rocket partyposted on October 01, 2007 10:00:00 pm
MAKE pal Steve Lodefink posted the details on a couple of kid parties he's thrown centered on building and flying soda bottle rockets. When my son was little, he really wanted to have an Estes rocket party, but we thought it was probably too dangerous for 6-7 year old kids (even with close supervision). Doing water rockets is a much better idea. All of the rockety fun, minus the gunpowder and serious combustibility (although you'll want to have a healthy respect for the power of the slightly more benign projectiles used here).
Water Rocket Party - Link
From the pages of MAKE:Soda Bottle Rocket. You don't have to be Burt Rutan to start your own rocket program. With a few empty soda bottles and some PVC pipe, you can build a high-performance water rocket. MAKE 05 - Page 78[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Maker Faire - King of Fling contestposted on October 01, 2007 07:00:13 pm
Announcing the King of Fling Catapult Contest! It takes place on Saturday, October 20 (and 21?), 2007 at Maker Faire Austin. Join us by building a real, working catapult and enter it our competition. Catapult building is fun, exciting, and as easy (or as intricate) as you want to make it. In a nutshell, you'll be competing against and cooperating with other Makers to produce a hurling machine. Your goal is to be the Maker who can build the most accurate catapult, read more and enter here - Link.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Gruesome gashes from bubblegumposted on October 01, 2007 07:00:00 pm
Here's a surprisingly simple way of sculpting effectively ghastly-looking gashes and scars using bubblegum as the base.
[And I don't know what's ickier, the faux gash or having to look at a close-up of this guy's foot. But maybe that's just me.]
Scars With Bubblegum - [via] Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Boeing Surplus is Closingposted on October 01, 2007 06:36:36 pm
Photo credit: T?m
One of my favorite place to go get weird hardware and materials is closing on December 21st. If you've never been, you better go while the getting is good! - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
JTAG pinout detectorposted on October 01, 2007 05:00:00 pm
JTAG is a standard for device testing ports found on the PCBs of many devices. Finding the pads and pinouts for these ports allows hackers to gain access to the embedded systems, their on-board debugging tools, etc., effectively providing a back door. But determining the JTAG pinouts can be a time-consuming and frustrating process. To help in this, a German hardware hacker named Hunz has created the JTAG Finder, an automatic JTAG pin-out detector, using an 8bit AVR ATmega16/32L microcontroller. Details of the project, and a call for others to get involved, can be found on the JTAG Finder wiki. He also wants to build a JTAG Found database of known device pinouts.
JTAG Finder - [via] Link
Related:
JTAG programmer - Link
Finding JTAG on the iPhone - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
DIY Halloween 2007posted on October 01, 2007 04:00:35 pm
We've been looking over the pictures submitted to our Flickr DIY Halloween group and we must say we are pretty impressed with what we see.
For example, these Squidcakes:
Don't they look yummy?
But Halloween is, of course, not just about food. It's also about scaring the heck out of people. Which is why we thought this ghost would really get some people going:
If you want more "traditional" decorations for your yard, why not check out this carved pumpkin:
And if you want to dress up your pet, why not get some cues from the Flickr group, such as this dog costume:
Of course there are tons more food and decoration and costume ideas in our group. Be sure to submit your suggestions today. Also check out the DIY Halloween section at Instructables for more inspiration.
In the coming days and weeks we will take a closer look at some of these projects and highlight the ones we think stand out. If you want your DIY halloween project to get noticed, don't forget to share it. Whether it's a cool costume, a devilish decoration or a twisted treat be sure to post some instructions and pics and check back here![Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Active Belt buzzes you in the right directionposted on October 01, 2007 03:54:20 pm
Next time you get lost, you might wish you were wearing the "Active Belt". Consisting of seven pager motors and a GPS unit, this prototype will buzz you in the right direction (forward, back, right left) in order to direct you towards your destination. Let's just hope the porn industry doesn't get a hold of it first.
ActiveBelt: Belt-type Wearable Tactile Display for Directional Navigation Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
DIY Halloween MAKE & CRAFT's MASSIVE Halloween contest with Instructables and Popular Scienceposted on October 01, 2007 01:30:55 pm
Makers and Crafters, it?s time to enter our 2nd annual ghoulishly fun Halloween contests! Anyone, anywhere, can enter all or just some of the contests. We?ll have lots of updates and posts regarding all these, but this announcement is to get you started and planning and has more information about where to enter, and our friends @ Instructables and Popular Science.
We?re calling this year?s contests DIY HALLOWEEN. Last year?s were so big, with thousands of entries, that we even published our first MAKE: Halloween special edition on newsstands right now!
THE DIY HALLOWEEN CONTESTS!Entering is easy: just upload your photos to the DIY HALLOWEEN Flickr photo pool and tag them ?DIYHALLOWEEN.?
Or email them to make.magazine@gmail.com
Or put them on Instructables in the MAKE group with a tag ?DIYHALLOWEEN? and the "DIY HALLOWEEN" group. When you enter your projects on Instructables be sure to check out their "how to enter" guide too... If you enter your projects there you're automatically entered in the MAKE contest(s)! - Link.
When you take photos, take the best pix you can ? see suggestions below ? basically we want your high-res photos for a future MAKE Halloween issue!
Hack-o?-Lantern contest: Decorate a pumpkin any way you see fit, or unfit. It?s that easy. Then upload, post the project or email your photos, as described above. We?ll also post a roundup of ways to decorate a pumpkin as it gets closer to Halloween.
Costume contest: Dressing up? Making your own costume? As long as you ?make? something, you can enter. Any costume with homemade elements on it, in it, or used with it is OK. Take your best photos and upload, post the project or email them. We?ll continue to post fun costumes and how-tos as well.
Decorations, Haunted house, gadgets, and more contest: Decorations at home, work, wherever, a haunted house, lawn gadgets, anything Halloweeny. If you?re one of those makers or crafters who goes all out and makes their surroundings spooky in some way, take a photo! Throughout the contest, we will spotlight some of our favorite Halloween-related projects to inspire folks.
Food contest: The grosser the better. Brain jello molds, meat heads, rat cakes ? we saw some of the grossest food creations last year, let?s top them this year!
Trick-or-Treat contest: This is the easiest one, no photos necessary. If you have a blog, a website, or anything online, just post a link to the Halloween section of MAKE. We will pick 20 people we see linking to us. It works best if you have a blog-like site; we?ll be using the Technorati service to track who is linking to us and our internal logs. You can post a link to us in your sidebar, a link about this contest, anything, really. Do a post about DIY Halloween, it doesn?t matter to us, but we can see it best if it?s on a blog, and making it fun always helps (extra credit if it?s a spooky story).
Prizes!Besides the glory and fame of being a winner of the DIY Halloween Contests, we?re going to give away some stuff. We're working on the complete list (check back soon) but the grand prize is going to be a trip to Maker Faire San Francisco!
The other prizes so far include just about everything found in our Maker store - kits, books and more!
DeadlineHave your entries in before Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007, at 1:59 p.m. EST. We?re giving you a little time to take photos and get them up post-Halloween, but you can enter any time, starting now. Contest is open to anyone on planet Earth or surrounding orbit.
RulesWhen you enter, you?re giving us permission to use the photos in a future MAKE issue. That?s pretty much it. The winners will be contacted, so please make it easy to find you (using Flickr or Instructables works great since we can email you through those sites).
Remember you can enter at any time just by tagging your photos on Flickr with ?DIYHALLOWEEN? and adding them to the DIY HALLOWEEN photo pool, or by emailing them to us (make.magazine@gmail.com), or by putting them on Instructables in the MAKE/DIYHALLOWEEN group with a tag ?DIYHALLOWEEN.? To enter the Treat-or-Treat contest, just post about DIY HALLOWEEN or the contest on your blog. And lastly, if you want to use MAKE and/or CRAFT logos in your projects or posts, get ?em here (MAKE logos ? CRAFT logos).
SuggestionsTake good photos, because if you win, your project may appear in a future issue of MAKE! Try to shoot high-res, at least 4 megapixel. (Our photo editor likes at least 300dpi @ 4"x5" or larger.)
Also: It?s a great idea to do a how-to; if you show you made something, you?re more likely to win. You don?t need to, but ? it?s a good way to win :)
SO! What are you waiting for? Scare us! Inspire us! Humor us!
*Extra Credit: Halloween eventsKnow of a great Halloween-related event that MAKE should cover? Tell us about it ASAP at editor@makezine.com, and we'll consider sending a photographer to the event!
And if you attend a great Halloween event this year, please take your camera and send us your good-quality photos, 300dpi @ 4"x5" or larger.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Atari Week at Retro Thingposted on October 01, 2007 12:05:10 pm
Retro Thing has got an atari week going. It's worth a gander to take you down memory lane and marvel at the early age of video game system technology! Pictured above is the 2600 prototype! - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Boarduino - Breadboard-compatible Arduino cloneposted on October 01, 2007 11:00:37 am
Wow! Check out the Boarduino a breadboard-compatible Arduino clone -
If you've ever struggled to use a solderless breadboard with an Arduino, you understand how frustrating it can be! I designed this Arduino clone to solve this problem in an inexpensive DIY fashion. Kits with all parts are available in the Adafruit webshop for $17.50
The Boarduino is an Arduino clone: when programmed with the Arduino bootloader, it can talk to the Arduino software and run sketches just like the original. Boarduino - Breadboard-compatible Arduino clone - Link & kits with all parts are available in the Adafruit webshop for $17.50 - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Werewolf stiltsposted on October 01, 2007 10:00:33 am
The part of this video about these homemade werewolf stilts are the last 2 seconds... (here are the plans for them too!) - Link.
Remember the MAKE "DIY Halloween contest" is cranking up soon, get ready!!!![Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Book allows you to live out world dominationposted on October 01, 2007 09:22:27 am
Thanks to writer/maker Bob Iannini, we finally have a book for makers that includes every personality of homebrew fanatic. Here's 28 projects that will make your basement look like an FBI crime lab.
Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius by Bob Iannini Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
ElmoSapien!posted on October 01, 2007 09:00:12 am
Robert writes -
He?s furry, red, and robotic! Meet ElmoSapien, the fusion of Sesame Street?s legendary Elmo puppet character and WowWee?s fantastic Robosapien RS Media robot. Like VaderSapien, ElmoSapien is out to dominate the world, but in funny, silly, way! Watch the video to see ElmoSapien in action.
The costume was made from a Plush Friends Elmo hand puppet, and some red fabric I got at an Arts & Craft store. I paid a local tailor to create the suit, which has velcro straps on it so it can easily be removed at any time. Since the Robosapien V2 and the Robosapien RS Media use the exact same body mold, the costume fits the Robosapien V2 as well. You can see the costume in detail by looking at the photos on this page. The costume does not harm the Robosapien RS Media in any way; except for his dignity!ElmoSapien! - [via] Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Hydrobot Mark I uses water to create soundposted on October 01, 2007 08:47:41 am
Created by Mike Ang in association with LEMUR in NYC, the "Hydrobot Mark I" investigates the potential of using water to create sound and mechanical control of this classically fundamental element. Amplified metallic plates pick up the mechanical vibrations of sprayed water which are controlled by HydroBot's spinning disks.
Description and technical info - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Keyless entry hackposted on October 01, 2007 08:00:51 am
Ryan (co-founder of the MAKE NYC group) made a cool keyless entry hack for his apartment awhile back, he writes -
Now don't tell the co-op board, but I crafted a plan to ditch my Mul-T-Lock key for good. My apartment building, of course, uses an intercom system to remotely unlock the front door for guests, deliveries, etc. This keychain upgrade gets me in the front door... keylessly.
The mechanism is simple enough, just a momentary button on the panel in my apartment, but the mess of wires in the wall is a little unsettling. I took some meter readings of the terminals and sorted out the door button wiring. You can see where the door button is soldered through the PCB, which made it easier to identify the proper terminals. This panel has a "Door", "Talk" and "Listen" button. The "Door" button is normally-open and the circuit is about 22V. In the following steps we're going to effectively bypass the button with our own circuit.Keyless entry hack - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
RoboFlush - The LEGO NXT Mindstorms toilet flusher robotposted on October 01, 2007 07:00:44 am
BattleBricks show you how to make your own "RoboFlusher" -
Tired of flushing your own toilet? Build a RoboFlush! RoboFlush is a simple Lego NXT Mindstorms Robot designed to flush a toilet automatically. It also comes with a manual flush option! Check out these instructions to build your own. Mike D'Amour came up with the idea, and Will Gorman built and documented RoboFlush. RoboFlush - The LEGO NXT Mindstorms toilet flusher robot - [via] Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Handmade music makes a racket, draws a crowdposted on October 01, 2007 06:00:23 am
Peter Kirn from Create Digital Music has a wrap up from last week's "Handmade music night" - Link & more @ Wired.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Flash for the iPhone cameraposted on October 01, 2007 05:00:17 am
I'm sure we'll see a cheapo "retail" version of this iPhone light amongst the metric tons of iPhone accessories, but for now here's how to build your own - [via] Link.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
MakeShift results (MAKE 10)posted on October 01, 2007 04:00:45 am
The MakeShift results (MAKE 10) are now posted, just to recap here was the challenge!
The Scenario:Thinking you could use a new hobby to get you off the couch, your significant other gifts you with a metal detector for Christmas. After digging up loose change in your backyard and at the beach for a few weekends, you decide it's time for a real prospecting adventure. So, after loading up your SUV with the metal detector, a pick, a shovel, pry bar, and enough snacks and water for the day, you both drive 80 miles out into the desert to poke around some abandoned gold mines you've heard about.
Finally reaching the end of the road in the middle of nowhere, you ask your partner to unload the car while you head for the rocks to survey the landscape. But as you climb through some old barbed-wire fencing to look for a trail, your keys - attached to your Swiss Army knife - fall out of your pocket and skitter off across the rocks before they disappear into a deep, six-inch-wide crevice between two boulders. (Don't you just hate when that happens?) Needess to say, neither your cellphone nor your OnStar system gets reception out here, and the fancy anti-theft option you went for makes hot-wiring your SUV all but impossible.
The Challenge:Without transportation, you're stranded. To avoid the daunting prospect of walking back out to the main road - as well as "never hearing the end of this" from your mate - you're going to need to recover those keys.
The boulders are too massive to be moved in any way and you don't have a direct sight line to your keys. But you are able to ascertain that the depth of the narow crevice can't be more than 15 feet. It's about noon now, so you've got at least 6-7 hours of daylight to work with before it gets dark. Surely someone with your skills and ingenuity can get those suckers out of there in time to get you home safely, if not still salvage the outing, no? As the wheels start turning, your mate appears and asks, "Is something wrong, honey?"
Here's what you've got:In addition to everything mentioned, there's a basic tool kit in the car: hammer, screwdriver, adjustable wrench, snippers, pliers, etc., as well as 100 feet of nylon rope. Because this is an old mining area, there may also be some small pieces of wood and metal lying around.
Click on through to the MakeShift results (MAKE 10) - Link.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Alarm clock/countdown timer kitposted on October 01, 2007 03:00:54 am
Here's a fun kit, it's a fully functional alarm clock and stopwatch... Link.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Best of CRAFTposted on September 30, 2007 09:00:17 pm
Here are some of my favorite posts from the CRAFT blog this week:
CRAFT's Harajuku Punk Shirt Project on HP's Community Wiki - Link.
HOW TO - Make a Pitcher Plant Terranium - Link.
Craft Biz Q+A: Susie Ghahremani of boygirlparty- Link.
Cardboard Box Lamps - Link.
DIY Recycled Paper Curtain - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
End of the weekend - Are you making a walkotron?posted on September 30, 2007 06:04:22 pm
Did you get a chance to learn how to make your own walkman mellotron this weekend? Make sure to check it out and subscribe to get all of them downloaded automatically!
Watch the video - LinkRead the pdf - LinkSubscribe in iTunes - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Paraglider made from storage bagsposted on September 30, 2007 04:12:53 pm
By way of the awesome AfriGadget site comes this Wired story about a paraglider builder/flier from South Africa:
Cyril is the only black South African currently registered with the sport's ruling body. And it all started with a glider he made from plastic bags, purloined rope and baling wire, a glider that flew -- sort of -- though it both amazed and horrified the professional paragliders who saw it.
Freedom Flight: Kid's Homemade Paraglider Leads to Fame - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Desktop "Strandbeest" walkerposted on September 30, 2007 12:51:52 am
The work of Dutch physicist-turned-artist Theo Jansen has inspired many, including us here at MAKE. His amazing "Strandbeest" (beach animals), giant wind-driven walking sculptures, are staggeringly cool. A number of miniature machine and robot builders have tried to incorporate some of Jensen's ideas into their own work. Here, a Japanese maker has built a tabletop walking machine that uses a leg configuration similar to the Strandbeest.
Strandbeest-Desktop (Theo Jansen?s mechanism) - Link
Related:
Interview with Theo Jansen... - Link
The Walking Building - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Robot Jockey, the sport that never wasposted on September 29, 2007 06:51:32 pm
Before BigDog and LittleDog, Boston Dynamics Director Martin Buehler was messing around with single-leg motility, here via the Robot Jockey, a sort of semi-self-balancing pogo stick under a motorcycle frame. On Buehler's website, you can see the evolution, from these monoped prototypes up to the four-legged critters we see bouncing around in BD test videos today. With the rider in full motorcycle regalia and the Van Halen soundtrack, this looks like some sort of misguided extreme sport that never quite got off the ground... er so speak.
Martin Buehler - Link
Related:
Insanely cool, creepy "LittleDog" robot - Link
Robotic pack mule - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
SensorBib upright bass augmentationposted on September 29, 2007 01:00:00 pm Spencer Russell created a "sleeve" for his upright bass to house electronic sensors which detect his position relative to the instrument. The sensors use an Arduino board to communicate with a computer running PD (PureData) to translate the sensor information into sound. He used Blender and QCad to make a 3D model of his bass in order to create a pattern for his fabric sleeve. He'll be at October's Dorkbot NYC if you want to see this in person. Link. [Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Walkotron - PDF Castposted on September 29, 2007 12:39:26 pm
The walkotron is a simple project that you can make to create your own musical instrument. Gather your walkmans, some switches, wire and a speaker and you've got a basic melloman made out of walkmans. If you're feeling ambitious, download the code and fire up an arduino to make a sequencer! - PDF Link
Note: That's a photo of Eric playing the walkotron at Handmade Music Night!
Download the code - LinkWatch the video - LinkSubscribe - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
New in the MAKE store - the MAKE bomb defuserposted on September 29, 2007 10:00:28 am
Small enough to fit on your key chain, the MAKE Bomb Defuser is the perfect companion for mobile fixing, hacking. saving the world and MacGyvering. This is a limited offering with custom "MAKE: bomb defuser" laser etched with care using a 35w laser. It's a Leatherman Squirt E4 (electronic version) and come with a lifetime warranty.Features
Electrical Wire Cutters (spring loaded)
20, 18, 16, 14, and 12 gauge wire strippers
Straight Knife
Tweezers
Extra-Small Screwdriver
Small Screwdriver
Phillips Screwdriver
Wood/Metal File
Bottle Opener
Lanyard Attachment
Length: 2.25 in. / 5.5 cm closed
Weight: 1.8 ounces / 52 gramsThe MAKE bomb defuser, get one while you can - Link.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Robotic flowers respond to SMS and web inputposted on September 28, 2007 05:15:11 pm
Matt Gardiner's recent incarnation of his "Oribotics" (robotic origami flowers) project adds a networked component that allows visitors to send SMS messages to the cyborg buds from their cellphones as well as input control messages through a web-based interface. Says Matt, "At the moment we are working with compact computers (about the size of a greeting card), Micro Linear Actuators, designing flowers from water bombs, and using some of the strongest sticky tape in the world... If all that sounds a little odd, then you'd better read the blog." The flowers go on display October 9th at the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Check it out if you happen to be down under.
Gardiner's "Oribotics" site -Link [Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Make a mellotron out of walkmans - Weekend Projects Podcastposted on September 28, 2007 12:00:47 pm
mp4 hd-appletv blip itunes pdf coming saturday
This week Eric Beug joins me this week to make a musical instrument out of walkmans. The mellotron is an instrument that uses taped audio through a keyboard interface. Finding inspiration in Mike Walters' Melloman, we hacked together a simple circuit to trigger loops of tape to make a super simple sampler. We had originally thought to use getlofi's parallel port sequencer, but ended up going with the arduino instead. I'll have the pdf, including the program that goes on the arduino, available for download Saturday. - Subscribe Link
We got the walkmans for two bucks apiece on the west end of Canal Street in New York City and there were still a lot left there.! If you need an arduino, we sell them now in the Make: Store - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Robothon 2007 resultsposted on September 28, 2007 10:00:00 am
Robothon 2007 is over. The results from the fifteen different competitions, from 12 lb combat robots to micro-mouse to mini-sumo, are now posted on the Robothon site. Multi-category winners included Team Xbot, Pete Miles, and Cathy Sexton.
Robothon 2007 Results - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
MAKE NYC & Handmade music night! JAM PACKED!!posted on September 28, 2007 09:00:33 am
The first ever MAKE NYC meeting was amazing - Ryan and Matt did a great job with the 555 timer session, the slides are here. We then all headed up to ETSY for the Create Digital Music, ETSY & MAKE Handmade music night - WOW! What a turn out, thank you everyone! Here are the first batch of photos, enjoy! Link.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
MicroDrones with hand motion controlposted on September 28, 2007 09:00:00 am
Video of cool of German-made four-prop micro-drones with such features as hand-motion control, GSM networked communications (swarms!), GPS mapping, mounted cameras, and more.
MicoDrone - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Wi-Fi antenna extender hackposted on September 28, 2007 08:00:00 am
You know that someone is going to cry fraud any time there's a how-to on extending wi-fi range. And this one is no exception (read the Comments). I don't know why people doing these projects don't show before and after readings on a signal strength meter to prove their claims. I'm not a radio engineer or a ham, so I can't really judge without trying this out for myself on a spare antenna. I'd be interested to know what MAKE readers think who have experience in this area.
WIFI Antenna Hack! - Link
Related:
Other wif-fi antenna coverage on MAKE: Blog - Link
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Jacob's Ladder projectposted on September 27, 2007 11:00:00 pm
Here's a brief piece on creating a high-voltage Jacob's Ladder from a neon sign transformer, some insulators, and wire electrodes. Just in time for Halloween.
Oh, and this is high-voltage, so don't mess with it if you don't know what you're doing.
Make a Jacob's Ladder - [via] Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Clock tells time as a conversationposted on September 27, 2007 08:33:48 pm
The "It's about time" clock turns time into a conversation rather than just hours, minutes, and seconds. Maybe version 2.0 will sync to your calendar software and tell you how late you are.
[via] Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
iRobot previews ConnectR telepresence unitposted on September 27, 2007 07:00:00 pm
IRobot released their new Looj gutter-cleaning robot ($99) today and showed off their forthcoming ConnectR, a telepresence bot built on (literally) the success of the Roomba line of bots. The ConnectR has the same basic form-factor as Roomba with a webcam mounted on it. It can be controlled over the Web and offers remote audio and video for what iRobot has dubbed "virtual visiting." Can't wait to how this one gets hacked up. First order of business might be extending that camera on a stalk. Somehow, I don't see granny and gramps getting down on the rug for your once a month "virtual visits."
The ConnectR will be released next year and retail for $499. The company is taking candidates for a beta-test program now which'll allow you to get the bot for $199.
iRobot ConnectR Virtual Visiting Robot - [via] Link
Related:
Your next robot domestic - Link
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Yet another device charging stationposted on September 27, 2007 06:00:00 pm
There are a number of these neat n' tidy multi-device charging station projects floating through the interwebs. This one uses a cheap Ikea storage tub and features switches for each charger.
IKEA Power Charging Box with individual switches - Link[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Walkotron - PDF Castposted on September 29, 2007 12:39:26 pm
The walkotron is a simple project that you can make to create your own musical instrument. Gather your walkmans, some switches, wire and a speaker and you've got a basic melloman made out of walkmans. If you're feeling ambitious, download the code and fire up an arduino to make a sequencer! - PDF Link
Note: That's a photo of Eric playing the walkotron at Handmade Music Night!
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