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Homebrew Labo kit gives you a full-body 'Mario Kart' workout
An enthusiast has built a Ring Fit kit that gives you a full-body workout while you play 'Mario Kart 8.'
The guy who built his own smartwatch is back with a pair of GPS smart glasses
The engineer who built their own smartwatch is back with a pair of smart sunglasses.
Someone turned Lego Mario into a controller for 'Super Mario Bros.'
A self-professed hardware hacker found a way to make a Lego Mario figure work as a controller for Super Mario Bros.
YouTuber built his own DIY version of Tesla's Cyberquad
Remember the ridiculous unveiling of Tesla’s fabled Cybertruck? You may also remember that Tesla announced a “Cyberquad” as a sort of accessory to go with the truck. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tesla aficionado Rich over at the YouTube channel Rich Rebuilds got it in his head to take the Cyberquad as an inspiration to build his own from the ground up — and from a video posted to the channel last night, it looks like he did a seriously impressive job.
YouTuber’s DIY gun shoots masks onto people’s faces
YouTuber Allen Pan created a DIY mask gun that launches masks onto people's faces.
Nintendo's Labo VR starter set drops to $20 at Best Buy
Nintendo's Labo VR Starter Set is once again on sale.
VR time machine helps an inventor relive his past
An inventor has created a VR time machine that lets him relive a given day from his perspective -- so long as he recorded it, at least.
Nintendo's Vehicle and VR Starter Set Labo kits are $20 each at Best Buy
Best Buy has once again discounted select Nintendo Labo kits to $20.
A few Nintendo Labo kits drop to $20 each on Best Buy
Best Buy is offering discounts on select on Nintendo Labo kits, including a VR starter kit.
Hacked NES Power Glove controls a modular synth with finger wriggles
Look Mum No Computer has hacked a Power Glove to control a modular synth with finger gestures, and it's just as weird as you'd expect.
This chip plays ‘Doom’ and nothing else
Sylvain Lefebvre has programmed an FPGA chip to play Doom with 666 lines of code. The chip handles everything except for RAM.
Anchor converts your video calls into podcasts
Spotify's Anchor is adding yet another way for people to more easily produce their own podcasts.
Select Nintendo Labo kits are $20 today at Best Buy
For today only, Best Buy has discounted all four Nintendo Labo kits it sells to $20, including the Variety and Vehicle kits, which usually costs $70.
Roland's Zenbeats music production app is currently free
All sorts of companies have been giving away their apps for free or offering extensive free trials so that everyone stuck inside during the coronavirus pandemic can learn new skills or get inspired. Roland -- creators of iconic synthesizers and guitar effects -- is the latest to join in. The company's Zenbeats is a cross-platform digital audio workstation, allowing users to create songs on mobile, desktop, and even Chrome. The base tier has always been free, but the next step up, Zenbeats Unlock, typically costs $15 and includes more instruments, effects and presets. Roland is temporarily offering free downloads of this version to iOS and Android users.
Endlesss is a simple, fun music collaboration app
Thanks to social distancing measures, online collaboration is more prominent than ever. But that doesn't just go for work -- it's part of having fun, too. When it comes to remotely making music with friends, there's typically a high barrier to entry. Not everyone is familiar with the workflows of digital audio workstations like Ableton Live or Apple's Logic Pro X. That's where Endlesss comes in. Billed as a "multiplayer music" app, it's aimed at users who are familiar with the basics of music production and synthesis while remaining somewhat accessible to those who aren't. Though it probably won't become a staple of bedroom producers, it could be a fun way to pass the time while cooped up at home.
Apple brings ProRes RAW support to Windows video editors
Thanks to a combination of more affordable cinema cameras and increasingly powerful software, professional video producers are able to net some impressive results. One major part of the equation for achieving high-quality footage is shooting in a RAW codec, which creates lossless files that are suitable for color correction and other enhancements. Apple's ProRes RAW codec isn't a very popular choice among shooters, but that may change now that the format isn't exclusive to Apple's computers. The company released beta software that lets Windows editors work with ProRes RAW files in Adobe's Premiere Pro, After Effects and Media Encoder. This means they won't have to devote time or computing power to transcoding the files -- they can simply load them into their editing suite and get to work.
Time your handwashing with a do-it-yourself Spotify soap dispenser
Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds -- that's the key advice from the World Health Organization during the coronavirus outbreak. This is commonly touted as the length of time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice, and while that's a helpful and accessible metric, it's gotten old real fast. Birthdays will never be the same again. Design technology company Deeplocal has come up with an alternative, though: a DIY musical soap dispenser that'll save your sanity and give you a project to tinker with while you're stuck indoors.
Anchor makes it easier to invite guests to your podcasts
If you've been thinking about creating a podcast to document your experience of the coronavirus pandemic or to discuss important related issues, DIY podcasting platform Anchor may be able to help with a feature update that makes it easier to invite guests. Starting today, you can invite up to four other people to join a recording. If they don't have Anchor installed on their device, no problem. The Record with Friends feature will launch in your friend's favorite browser -- with support for Google Chrome coming soon. All your guests need to do is click on the link you send them and type in their names.
Behringer is building a free digital audio workstation
When it comes to producing music, a digital audio workstation (DAW) is one of the most important tools of the trade. This software is where musicians record and edit tracks, add effects, and play virtual instruments. Behringer -- which is well-known for its hardware-based synthesizers -- confirmed on Facebook that it will create its own DAW, which will hopefully be out sometime next year. But the company won't be going head-to-head with the likes of Apple's Logic Pro or Avid's Pro Tools: Behringer's DAW will be free.
Etsy's new ad policy could force more fees on merchants
Etsy is once again in hot water for its latest attempt to boost sales. This week, the company introduced a new "risk-free" offsite advertising service in which it plans to enroll some of its sellers automatically. Under the new system, Esty says it will use its "budget" and "expertise" to help merchants advertise their products on websites like Google, Instagram and Pinterest. If one of those ads leads to a sale within 30 days, the company will charge the seller an advertising fee.
