Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[LED pumpkin would be perfect for your next Sleepy Hollow dance party (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/28/led-pumpkin-would-be-perfect-for-your-next-sleepy-hollow-dance-p/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/28/led-pumpkin-would-be-perfect-for-your-next-sleepy-hollow-dance-p/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/28/led-pumpkin-would-be-perfect-for-your-next-sleepy-hollow-dance-p/#comments We can't all have heads as amazing as Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, but this holiday season we can have pumpkins that are every bit as blinky. Mike Szczys has posted a detailed walkthrough of how to create the above Jack-o-creation at Hack a Day, which features a 5 x 14 matrix of LEDs on the front that can be programmed to light up in various ways, like the Knight Rider sweep or to simply scroll the message "HAPPY HALLOWEEN." That's shown in the video below, but hopefully version 2.0 can manage the tricks displayed in the second embed that's also waiting for you after the break.

Continue reading LED pumpkin would be perfect for your next Sleepy Hollow dance party (video)

LED pumpkin would be perfect for your next Sleepy Hollow dance party (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diyhackhalloweenjack-o-lanternledpumpkinvideoThu, 28 Oct 2010 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[How-to: geek up your pumpkin]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/how-to-geek-up-your-pumpkin/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/how-to-geek-up-your-pumpkin/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/how-to-geek-up-your-pumpkin/#comments BOO! It's Halloween and it's also a Saturday, so let's not hear any pathetic excuses for not carving pumpkins. While we're no experts, we've got a few tips for making your jack-o'-lanterns better looking and more unique:
  • Always mark where you're carving first instead of freestyling, especially for the lid. Once the knife's in there's nothing you can do about it.
  • Want an accurate carving? Draw or print your pattern on paper first and then stick it on the pumpkin, so that you can use a pin to punch an outline.
  • Use a scalpel. Seriously, it's so much better than kitchen knives.
  • Be creative: consider using a variety of carving depths instead of just cutting out holes. It's best to start off with the darkest areas so that you know where the threshold is. If it's too shallow you can always scrape the trench.
  • Don't use candles -- they don't last and aren't safe for the kids and animals; many LED candles have a convincing flickering glow, so try those. Alternatively, why not convert a cheap solar garden light into a lid for your jack-o'-lantern? Or go Ben-Heck and try the Cylon mod?
  • Keep the seeds for roasting -- they make a good snack.
Feel free to refer to our gallery for the whole process. Enjoy and have a happy Halloween!

Gallery: How-to: geek up your pumpkin

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How-to: geek up your pumpkin originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carvecarvingfeaturesglowhalloweenjack-o-lanternlamplanternlightpumpkinSat, 31 Oct 2009 11:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Arduino-based pumpkin promises to scare off trick-or-treaters]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/28/arduino-based-pumpkin-promises-to-scare-off-trick-or-treaters/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/28/arduino-based-pumpkin-promises-to-scare-off-trick-or-treaters/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/28/arduino-based-pumpkin-promises-to-scare-off-trick-or-treaters/#comments
Pumpkins outfitted with LEDs are certainly all well and good, but the ever-versatile Arduino platform has now upped the Jack O' Lantern modding possibilities considerably, and MAKE's Marc de Vinck looks to have made a decent stab at things with this immodestly dubbed "scariest pumpkin ever." To help it snag that title, de Vinck did away with the usual spooky halloween sound effects and instead opted for a car horn, which lets out a blast whenever someone presses the impossible to resist red button. That, obviously, presents a number of problems, and MAKE warns not to leave the pumpkin unattended, or let someone press their ear up against it. Or, if you're not quite ready to tackle the project yourself, you can simply get a taste of it at a slightly more tolerable level by checking out the video after the break.

Continue reading Arduino-based pumpkin promises to scare off trick-or-treaters

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Arduino-based pumpkin promises to scare off trick-or-treaters originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arduinohalloweenjack o lanternJackOLanternledpumpkinTue, 28 Oct 2008 17:33:00 EST<![CDATA[It's the Great Robotic Overlords, Charlie Brown: make a Cylon jack-o-lantern]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/21/its-the-great-robotic-overlords-charlie-brown-make-a-cylon-ja/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/21/its-the-great-robotic-overlords-charlie-brown-make-a-cylon-ja/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/21/its-the-great-robotic-overlords-charlie-brown-make-a-cylon-ja/#comments
 Charlie would be better off trying to kick that football than tracking down this jack-o-lantern. The guys at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories put their l33t stenciling, carving and LED wiring skills into this Cylon Centurion née pumpkin, and naturally posted all the info necessary to create your own. This stacks up pretty well against the pumpkin PC and even the Engadget pumpkin. But for truly evil and mad status, we'd prefer a fruit-based rendering of Number Six, destined to be destroyed October 31st by Starbuck Power Mac -- only to download, re-emerge next Halloween and continue its plan of human genocide through sweet, pie-based deliciousness. Frak.

[Via Make]

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It's the Great Robotic Overlords, Charlie Brown: make a Cylon jack-o-lantern originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlestar galacticaBattlestarGalacticabsgcylonevil mad scientist laboratoriesEvilMadScientistLaboratorieshalloweenhow-topumpkinSat, 21 Oct 2006 23:46:00 EST