TL19DIY
Latest
Kano unveils its first build-it-yourself Windows 10 computer
Kano is graduating from Raspberry Pi boards. Today, the company is announcing a partnership with Microsoft and unveiling its first build-it-yourself computer that officially runs Windows 10. The aptly-named Kano PC is housed in a central unit that is visually similar to its 'complete' Computer Kit Touch. All of the components are different, however. The new machine has an 11.6-inch touchscreen with a yet-to-be-disclosed resolution. It's powered by a 1.44 GHz, quad core Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage, which is upgradeable through a microSD slot. In short, it's a proper computer.
This guy built his own smartwatch and so can you
DIY projects can be a lot of fun, and if Raspberry Pi has taught us anything it's that people love to tinker. But for most folk, forays into the world of build-it-yourself tech start and end with a specific kit and a whole bunch of instructions to help them along. Not so for one inquisitive Redditor, who recently revealed that he built an entire smartwatch from scratch. And since he's been kind to enough to share details of the process down to the smallest minutiae, you can too.
NVIDIA's $99 Jetson Nano is an AI computer for DIY enthusiasts
Sophisticated AI generally isn't an option for homebrew devices when the mini computers can rarely handle much more than the basics. NVIDIA thinks it can do better -- it's unveiling an entry-level AI computer, the Jetson Nano, that's aimed at "developers, makers and enthusiasts." NVIDIA claims that the Nano's 128-core Maxwell-based GPU and quad-core ARM A57 processor can deliver 472 gigaflops of processing power for neural networks, high-res sensors and other robotics features while still consuming a miserly 5W. On the surface, at least, it could hit the sweet spot if you're looking to build your own robot or smart speaker.
Volta Flyer is a solar-powered build-it-yourself toy plane
Kids have much, much fancier toys to play with these days. The Volta Flyer is one of them: it works kind of like a paper plane, except it's made of sturdier materials and has a solar panel to keep it flying for at least 30 seconds. If the ToyLab team reaches its $39,000 goal on Kickstarter, backers who pledge $40 or more will get a kit comprised of a fuselage, motor and propeller, a thin silicon solar panel and stabilizers. Once the components are all pieced together -- and this could take less than 20 minutes, ToyLab says -- the plane can then be charged by holding it up to the sun for 90 seconds before hand launching it into the air. According to its campaign notes, ToyLab's goal is to give kids "practical insights into STEM" by having them build the plane themselves... though there's absolutely nothing preventing grown adults from getting their own.
This awesome DIY railgun fires rounds with 27,000 joules of force
Used to be that if you wanted to fire off a few high-velocity rounds with an electromagnetic railgun, you'd have to land a commission aboard the USS Ponce. That is, until YouTuber Ziggy Zee went ahead and built one from scratch -- no 3D printing required. The 250 pound device utilizes 56, 480-joule capacitors driven by a 400-volt power source to launch its aluminium projectiles with a staggering 27,000 joules of force.
The delightful (and dangerous) world of DIY kits
We can't always work alongside a pro to see what makes things tick, and that's where do-it-yourself projects come in handy. They're the entertaining alternative to learning a new skill. In this week's Rewind, we've tracked down a series of kits that were released over the years, which have sought to inform us in fields like electronics, music and the secrets of the scientific world. Read on to see some of the incredible (and occasionally dangerous) DIY projects that have been shared with curious minds.
