awesomeness

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  • Jack Eisenmann's DUO Adept: a homebrew 8-bit computer built by a high-schooler (video)

    by 
    Jesse Hicks
    Jesse Hicks
    06.20.2011

    We've seen some impressive case mods and some wildly inventive DIY projects, but rarely have we seen a homemade, 8-bit computer housed in what looks like a Tupperware container. Meet the DUO Adept: a project begun last summer by programmer, hardware hacker, and recent high-school graduate Jack Eisenmann. Lovingly crafted from a television, an old keyboard, 100 chips (not a single one more), and lots of wire, the system has 64K of memory and outputs a 240 × 208 black and white image. Eisenmann designed his own operating system and even wrote several games, including the Donkey Kong-esque "Get Muffin." Hit the source link for a gallery (including circuit diagrams!) and see the video below for a demonstration, complete with 8-bit era music.

  • Painting with fire, thanks to a cybernetic glove (video)

    by 
    Jesse Hicks
    Jesse Hicks
    04.25.2011

    Fire: the most primal element. "It's a living thing," Robert De Niro once said, "It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it." Unless you're an artist – then you rig up a series of tubes, pump in some kerosene, and connect it to a Power Glove-like control device. Next thing you know, you're "fire painting," making that hateful beast dance and strut for your amusement. "Its burning can be handled by subtle movements of the sensory data glove for tactile formulation of the fiery image," the artist explains, "Thus, the image can be manipulated, yet it constantly escapes control." To know what it's like to summon flame with a flick of your wrist – while sporting a creepy smiley-face welding mask, no less – see the video above.

  • Chevy Volt gets its own song and dance, humanity weeps aloud

    by 
    Darren Murph
    Darren Murph
    12.14.2009

    And you honestly thought you'd see a decent return-on-investment from bailing these guys out.