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Homebrewed Nikon D90 lens is a fish-eyed theft deterrent

by Vladislav Savov, posted Jul 10th 2009 at 7:31AM

It may look like just a bit of corkwood taped to the front of a pretty expensive shooter, but that's only because it is. If you're already willing to withstand gadget muggles sniggering at your mighty DSLR and its six inch frontal protrusion, surely adding this sort of a ghetto mod isn't going to dent your self-respect too much. Put together using the ultimate in ordinary household objects, this fish-eye lens manages to kick out some pretty useful-looking images and seems a viable alternative for those with more time than money. Check out the read link for the full instructions and a gallery of photos taken with the lens.

TapeScape robot borrows a page from Soundwave's audiobook

by Laura June, posted Apr 21st 2009 at 11:49AM

Impressive robots are basically everyday fare around here, but we're always excited to see some DIY modding action like the above. This guy, called the TapeScape Audio robot, turns an everyday, old-timey boombox (remember those?) into a truck-like robot that's pretty charming. Needing almost no parts outside of the innards of the boombox plus two servos, this rolling rover's got a tape head mounted to it that is continually dragged over the audio tape, causing the truck to make little sounds as it goes along. There's a video of the peppy dude in action after the break, and hit the read link for full instructions if you just have to construct one of your own.

[Via Make]

Continue reading TapeScape robot borrows a page from Soundwave's audiobook

Musical bra is not as sexy as it sounds

by Laura June, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 5:33PM

The fine folks over at Instructables have posted some wild mods in their time, but the musical bra you see above inhabits its own realm in terms of weirdness and lack of usefulness... unless you really want a bra that makes music of course. The speaker is on the front, with a battery pack between the shoulder blades at the back, and each cup is equipped with eight different "sounds" culled from a small keyboard, which are triggered by custom-made buttons sewn into the bra. Hit the read link for the full rundown of how to make one of your very own, but fair warning: you're going to have to be pretty adept with needle and thread to get this project done, but the final result should be fairly priceless. After all, who doesn't want a clunky, hideous sports bra that makes noise? Exactly.

[Via Music Radar]

How to build a USB-powered vibrating apple (say wha?)

by Cyrus Farivar, posted Nov 20th 2006 at 7:31PM

If you're looking for a minor practical joke to play on your family over the Thanksgiving holiday or are searching for something fun do do when you're off work on Friday but are strung out on turkey and stuffing, look no further than this rockin' apple mod. Our pals at Instructables have put together a series of steps on how to build a USB-powered apple (Apple Computer optional) that will vibrate when someone tries to reach for it, and will stop when the person backs away. This mod doesn't appear all that difficult, but you'll need to get a "capacitance sensor chip," some copper foil, a vibrating motor and a few other things. Still, if you know your way around a circuit board and a soldering iron, you could probably put this together in an hour or two with no problem -- that is, assuming all the apples in the house haven't already been turned into apple pie.

[Via MAKE: Blog]