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Hack your monitor and 3D glasses, ensure ultimate privacy
You've always wanted a bit more privacy with your monitor (porn jokes notwithstanding) and if you're willing to tear apart a spare LCD monitor and a pair of 3D theater glasses (thanks, Dreamworks and Pixar!), you'll get it. In lieu of a thicker tinfoil hat, Instructables' dimovi suggests removing the LCD's frame, cutting out its polarized film with a utility knife before removing the screen's film adhesive with a combination of cleaner and paint thinner and reassembling the monitor. Once complete, grab the glasses, cut out the lenses and combine them with the plastic film removed from the monitor before inserting them back into their frames. The result is an LCD monitor that displays a white screen to anyone not wearing the customized glasses, your actions being confidential, no matter what they might happen to be. Check the how-to video embedded after the break, or hit the source link for full instructions
Googly Eye Arduino Shield proves geeks just wanna have fun (video)
Look, not every Arduino accessory has to be useful. Heck, some of them don't have to do anything at all except, perhaps, make you smile. And that's all the Googly Eye Arduino Shield promises to provide -- a little cheer and personality to add to your latest hack or project. The $7 shield is simply a platform with stacking headers, so you put another shield on top if you like, that sports a pair of googly eyes. Best of all, it's completely customizable. The kit comes with two pairs of different sized peepers which you can place wherever you want. Add all four if you like! The blank white slate leaves you plenty of room to doodle, add a smile, eyelashes or, if you simply must ruin it by adding functionality, a mini breadboard. You can see the Evil Mad Scientist-made shield in action after the break but, honestly, if you're not sold yet you never will be (also, you probably don't have a soul). %Gallery-140091%
Add lasers to a tennis ball, drive your dog crazy (video)
It's a "programmable disco ball," a "cat toy for humans," and a "personal laser light show," all rolled into one. That's how one Matt Leone describes his latest creation, aptly known as the Laser Ball. To realize his dream, Leone drilled a set of holes into a garden variety tennis ball, and inserted about 14 laser diodes, each with an attached strip of diffraction grating. Said diodes were then synced up with an Arduino-equipped Teensy microcontroller nestled within the ball, alongside a rechargeable battery. As a cherry on top of this DIY sundae, Leone then incorporated an infrared remote package from Adafruit, allowing him to remotely jump start his next house party. The result is a cyborg-like ball that makes any LED cube look... square. Check it out for yourself, in the video after the break.
DIY unmanned airship soars 95,000 feet above Earth, lays claim to new record (video)
Are you entertaining dreams of launching your own private spacecraft? All you need is about 30 grand in your bank account, and lots of spare time. Last weekend, a company called JP Aerospace sent its unmanned Tandem airship 95,085 feet above the ground -- a height that, according to the company, establishes a new record for remotely controlled airships. In fact, JP Aerospace says this altitude is a full four miles higher than any other airship has ever flown. To pull this off, the team strapped its 30-foot-long aircraft with two balloons, and packed it with a pair of electric motors that manipulated the Tandem's specially designed propellers. It's a relatively simple method, and one that didn't exactly break the bank, either. All told, it took about five years and some $30,000 to launch the aircraft, as part of the company's Airship to Orbit project. The long-term goal is to use the Tandem or similar airships as a launch pad for rockets or other interstellar aircraft. No word yet on when that could happen, but you can float past the break for a brief video on the Tandem, coupled with a brief PR.
Tweephone is a rotary phone Twitter client, even your grandma could love
The collectives behind the Tweephone, UP digital Bureau and Unteleported tech agency, claim that it's the first analog Twitter client. We find that hard to believe but, while we've seen rotary phone-based Twitter tools before and analog meters that measure microblogging activity, we couldn't come up with a single example of a client that lets you punch in messages through non-digital means. Even if it's not the first of its kind, the Tweephone is still a pretty neat hack. Inside the old-school chassis is the ubiquitous Arduino, which interprets your pulls of the dial as letters. Like a phone with only a dial pad, you'll have to ring up numbers multiple times to get the right letter (i.e. dial "2" three times to get a "c"). It definitely not the most efficient method for sending out 140-character missives, but certainly one of the more unique. Check out the video after the break to see it in action.
DIY wrist-mounted crossbow gets you one step closer to being a super hero (or villain)
When it comes to all things DIY we tend to be drawn in by odd, internet-connected esoterica and Arduino-powered beer distributors. But, we won't lie, nothing gets us going like a home-crafted instrument of destruction. And, in that vein, may we present you with the wrist-mounted crossbow from homebrew weapon artisan Patrick Priebe. Usually Priebe sticks with lasers but, for this project, he went old school -- as in medieval. The bolt firing wristband isn't without its modern accouterments, though -- a pair of AA batteries and toggle switch are hidden in the palm which power a laser sight for better targeting. We won't waste any more of your time, everything you want to see is contained in the video after the break.
Beeri: Siri's new best friend cracks open a cold one (video)
We already know that Siri can send texts, check the weather or find you a restaurant, but did you know she can also fetch you a beer. Well, sort of... with a little hacking. The folks at Redpepper dreamed up Beeri, an RC truck that cracks open a can of brew whenever it receives a tweet instructing it to "pour." Since you can text updates to Twitter (40404) and Siri can text, that means it's perfectly simple to tell Beeri it's Miller time. Whenever the Arduino embedded in the truck detects a mention with the word "pour," it drives forward, slamming a beer can into a puncture wall that drips into a funnel, filling a cup beneath the table top. It's a pretty ingenious system, and you can see it in action after the break. We just hope Beeri has a day job -- looking at all that head, it's clear she wouldn't last a day as a bartender.
Arduino, iPod and RFID make beautiful, accessible music together (video)
There isn't actually much new about this awesome DIY project, but it's the way it brings the various parts together that has us impressed. Designed by Instructables user XenonJohn, with help from software developer David Findlay, the Magic Music Table RFID was designed to let a child with a disability select albums to play back from an iPod touch playlist. The iPod is connected to an Arduino, which tells the device to start playing a particular track based on a selection made with RFID cards. The whole setup is built into a coffee table and the RFID tags are sandwiched inside clear plastic blocks with the album art. You can see it in action in the video after the break and, if you've got the patience and skill, you can build your own using the directions at the source link.
Arduino-powered lighting system infuses your LED with some Ambilight-like pizazz (video)
Why spend your hard-earned money on one of Philips' Ambilight displays when you can just make your own, using some Arduino-based wizardry and a little bit of elbow grease? Fortunately, Minty Boost creator ladyada is here to help. All you'll need is a strand of digital RGB LED pixels, a five-volt DC power supply (along with a female power adapter), any USB-equipped Arduino micro-controller and, of course, the appropriate Processing programming environment. You can find the full how-to at the source link below, but the results are pretty impressive -- a capture-based sketch system that's compatible with just about any media player. See it for yourself in the video after the break. [Thanks, Phil]
Capacitive touch brush stylus made from conductive thread
Artist Margarita Benitez really wanted a Nomad Brush for her iPad but didn't have the cash for the actual thing, so she did the next best: she made one herself. Using an old brush handle and some conductive thread, she was able to assemble a working brush, and says it works better than expected. Her entry at Instructables has all of the instructions if you want to give one a shot yourself. I would say that if I tried one myself, I'd probably go with a different brush handle -- hers is a little thin for my tastes, though each artist probably has their own preference about what kind of brush you'd need (and it might just depend on the project as well). She also had to use a metal holder for the brush head and holds the brush with her fingers touching it, in order to send the capacitive charge down into the screen itself. I bet there's a way to improve on that, though, either by using a metal brush handle completely, or by running a strip of metal up and down the side of the brush. Either way, Benitez' result looks great. If you do jump in and put one together, be sure to send pictures to us on the tipline so we can see yours in action! [via Make]
A DIY Arduino watch that's actually wearable, still won't win you points with the ladies
Here's a little fashion secret: it's all about the details. Wear cheap square-toe shoes with that $5,000 custom-made suit and people will notice. The same is true of a watch. Your timepiece can say a lot about you, including: "I'm a big nerd, please beat me up and take my lunch money." So, what does an Arduino watch tell your peers? Well, for one, that you have way too much time on your hands. And two, that you're crafty person capable of putting your brain meats to work building actual things. Of course, telling time with a series of brightly glowing LEDs on an exposed PCB also sends the message that being fashionable is not your primary concern. If you're looking to earn some geek cred, and can live with the fact that wearing this will probably cost you that cute girl's number at the bar, hit up the source for instructions. At least this wearable Arduino timepiece is a slightly less conspicuous than the Steampunk version we saw last summer. One more pic after the break.
Arduino brings the (new) goods to Maker Faire New York, welcomes ARM into the fold
When Arduino unveiled a boatload of new products on Friday, we could have taken the easy route, posted the PR and called it a day. But, since the crew happened to be in town for Maker Faire, with a few folks from Atmel (makers of the AVR chip at the heart of the open source MCU) in tow, we figured why not go straight to the source. Arduino founder Massimo Banzi gave us a look at the company's latest offerings: the ARM-powered Arduino Due, the low-cost Arduino Leonardo, and aptly-named Arduino WiFi, as well as a peek at some of the group's upcoming plans. Keep on reading after the break for the juicy details.%Gallery-134242%
Real life Minecraft block combines cardboard box, Arduino, and a projector (video)
You know how when you were a kid, the box something came in was almost as fun as the toy itself? Well, that doesn't have to change as you get older -- provided you've retained that creative spark. Ben Purdy apparently kept his imagination nimble and, with the help of a projector, a piezo element and an Arduino (of course), turned a plain ol' box into a real life Minecraft block. Hit the cube with a stick, or anything really, and the projection-mapped image starts to deteriorate and particles tumble off as you mine it. You won't actually be able to turn your harvested materials into structures or tools, but it's still a good idea to keep an eye out for Creepers. Don't miss the trio of videos after the break.
Ben Heck tackles Android ADK, whips up car trip-simulating baby seat
We've been wondering what would happen if the infinitely resourceful Ben Heck got his hands on the powerful Android ADK. Thankfully, in the most recent episode of the accomplished modder's show, our curiosity is satiated. The crafty Wisconsinite tackles a reader request -- to recreate the soothing motion of a car ride and help put a three-month-old baby to sleep. Mr. Heck uses the accelerometer in his phone to record the bounce and sway from the backseat as he drives around. He then draws up some code that will feed that data to the Arduino-powered ADK and move a series of servos that will tilt and shake a child's car seat. Sadly, the completion of the project will have to wait till the next exciting episode, but by the end of the installment embedded after the break you do get to see a scale model. What are you waiting for? Click that little read more link for PR and video... you know you want to.
DIY CRT is fun, slightly dangerous, won't lead to a home-made TV
Looking for a DIY project with a bit more danger than an Arduino-powered TV muter, but don't have the resources to start building a fusion reactor in your garage? Well, challenge yourself with this electron accelerator project that requires little more than a wine bottle, a vacuum pump, a neon sign transformer and a diode from a microwave oven. OK, so that's not exactly a list of components you're likely to have laying around, but they're not terribly difficult to come by and at the end of the day you'll have your very own, home-made cathode ray tube. That's right, just like the one inside that TV you finally junked last week. You won't be able to create your own old-school display with it, but you will be able to observe interesting effects like sputtering (a ring of metal ion deposits) and magnetic deflection. Check out the instructions at the source and the video after the break.
Netduino and WP7 used to remotely control sprinkler system, show off Microsoft's DIY credentials
Arduino, Android and the iPhone usually get all the DIY love, but Mike Linnen, he has taken the road less traveled by -- turning to Windows Phone 7, Azure and a Netduino Plus to get his home hacking on. The .NET-powered microcontroller is the heart of Linnen's new sprinkler system which can be scheduled to turn on and off automatically or manually triggered remotely from his WP7 handset. The system also monitors weather forecasts and, if the chance of rain is above 39-percent, any sprinkler activity for the day is canceled to avoid over watering the grass and plants. It's all pretty neat, and there's some DOS command line action thrown in for good measure. Check out the lengthy demo video after the break, and hit up the source for more detail and the necessary code to set up your own.
Tacit sonar gauntlet gives the blind ultrasonic eyes (video)
Sure, your Arduino project can make a stuffed monkey dance, but is it really doing anything for the greater benefit of mankind? Okay, maybe -- but not to the same degree as Grathio Labs' Tacit glove, an Arduino powered sonar device that can help the vision impaired navigate foreign environments. This wrist-mounted gauntlet is comprised of an Arduino microcontroller, a few ultrasonic sensors, and a pair of servomotors to apply variable pressure to the user's wrist to indicate their distance from an object or obstacle. Best of all, the gizmo's circuit and software are registered under Creative Commons, which means you're free to snag the plans from the source link below, and build your own. Go on, build one. Sure, it's a lot of work, but would you rather rock a wrist-mounted sonar gun, or don an ear-tugging bicycle helmet? Your choice.
LED coffee table busts a multicolored move (video)
It might look like something out of MJ's Billie Jean, but this colorful LED array won't be under moonwalking foot -- that is, unless the party gets crunk. This colorful grid is actually a table top, brought to you by way of TI's MSP430 microcontroller, and it knows how to get down. The table is made up of 128 frosted glass cubes, each apparently capable of emitting 16 million colors. Its creators also produced a special beat-detection software, that could very easily have your furniture outshining the bumpers and grinders at your next party. If you're looking for a little extra something from your coffee table, you can find full build instructions at the source link below.
Man builds DIY Segway for $434, begins casting 'Arrested Development' fan film (video)
This is Petter Forsberg. He's just like you or me, with one important difference: he built his own Segway for €300 ($434). Granted, it doesn't look quite as slick as Dean Kamen's off-the-shelf self-balancing electric vehicle, but if the videos are to be believed (and there are plenty of hi-def ones to choose from), the two-wheeler moves pretty well, particularly when spinning atop old stone structures or beneath a Swedish flag. Forsberg has a breakdown of the project over on his page, which you can find in the source link -- but be sure to check out the video below before heading over. It's not the first DIY Segway we've seen, but darn if it doesn't make us want to find some electric scooters to tear apart.
Mini Space Invaders arcade cabinet big on nostalgia, small in size
Always wanted an 80's arcade cabinet for your living room, but the square footage in your studio apartment won't cooperate with your gaming plans? Well, a master mini craftsman has created a seven-inch replica of Space Invaders that can fit on your desktop, coffee table, or bedside stand. It was cobbled together using the guts of a Game Boy Advance, some lilliputian controls, and a custom cabinet coated in shrunken decals that's made of medium density fiberboard. Best of all, thanks to those Nintendo internals, there's an entire arcade's worth of games at your tiny fingertips. Between this and its diminutive Donkey Kong cousin, perhaps mini arcade cabinets are the future of gaming. Video of the little gem in action is after the break.
