Scott sent in his invention, a light fixture designed to illuminate a dartboard uniformly without shadows by encircling the board with light. Any dart wielding makers? Are shadows a problem usually?
Nuvolux Incorporated - Link.
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Despite numerous warnings from science fiction authors and Hollywood movies regarding the weaponification of robots Robert has outfitted his Robosapien with a flame thrower and a coil gun -
The coilgun is controlled using the V2’s remote and is able to fire 8 shots with it’s electronic reload. The charging time varies but is around the 5-10sec mark between shots, a red indicator light shows when the unit is charged and ready to fire, a laser sight aids in aiming.
CoilOsapien - [via] Link.
More:
Tune-o-sapien - Robosapien music mod - Link.
Robosapien Dance Machine… - Link.
Flame throwing Robosapien - Link.
Hack a Robosapien + kit - Link.
From the pages of MAKE:
My Robosapien in a Can. MAKE: 07: Backyard Biology, Page 192. Subscribers–read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 07.
Hack A Robosapien. This maker-friendly bot begs to be opened up. MAKE: 04: Music and Kits for the Holidays, Page 149. Subscribers–read this […]
This might be the best iPod accessory yet…
“This package enables you to record and playback sounds between the ds32a and the iPod, as well as use the iPod and Micromemo for general dictation or recording of lectures.
The ds32a is a diagnostic stethoscope with unsurpassed natural sound quality. User-friendly design and 50X Amplification provides the power to adjust for faint heart sounds, obese patients, or noisy environments. Outstanding performance and ease-of-use for every clinician, with uncompromised features for advanced users. From BP to ED to ICU, from heart and lung exams to iPod recording, the ds32a does it all.” [via] - Link & more.
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We featured Clocky in MAKE 03 of 2005, it’s an alarm clock that makes cute noises and runs away from you in the morning when you need to get up, it’s like an annoying pet, in a good way. It’s shipping now and we’ve purchased one to kick around (literally)… We have some photos of Clocky, along with a video we filmed with RocketBoom to give you an idea of what Clocky does. Our review is short and sweet - on the rare opportunities for sleep this is the most fun possible when needing to wake up - get this puppy!
Congratulations to Gauri Nanda for turning a student project and a wonderful idea in to a shipping maker-made product!
See it!
Photos of Clocky @ Flickr - Link.
Video of Clocky @ RocketBoom - Link & MP4.
More:
Get Clocky, $49 - Link.
From the pages of MAKE:
Made on Earth, Clocky. MAKE 03 - page […]
Slashdot has a great discussion on what’s the best graphing calculator on the market. A lot of good posts on how/where/why specific models are used - Link.
Pictured here, the TI-89 from ticalc.org - Link.
Got a favorite?
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In a proactive inspection it appears the smoke alarm in my hallway doesn’t work due to a dead battery, it seems like replacing batteries isn’t needed since it could be powered and recharged via a light socket right?. After a quick search, turns out there are ones that do just that.
“Never worry about changing batteries again. This unique smoke detector screws into any ceiling light fixture and operates off your home electricity. Reinstall the light bulb into the alarm, and now you’ve got a light source and smoke alarm in one! Recharges itself every time you turn the light on. Great protection for high-risk areas such as laundry rooms, garages, and workshops. Fully charged, it will operate for up to 30 days in the event of a power loss.” [via] - Link.
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Check out this BB canon scan from a 1963 Popular Mechanics magazine [via] - Link
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The Wattson displays how much power you’re using in your house so you can actively see how much electricity your going through… I think if I had one of these I’d be more likely to walk around the house and turn off more stuff to always keep the number as low as possible, looks handy… - Link.
More:
As TVs grow, so do electric bills - Link.
Kill A Watt - Link.
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I picked up the IncipioBub USB adapter for the 2 Gen Apple iPod shuffle, it replaced the dock for tiny new Shuffle, there’s not much to say other than it works perfectly, it’s $5.99 and I can confirm it works with our MintyBoost USB charger kit (we try and test all new devices) - Link.
More:
iPod projects @ MAKE - Link.
MintyBoost USB charger, the best way to charge anything USB and you make it yourself - Link.
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Kit up is a relatively new site that has reviews of gear from military personal - the stuff they cover is literally battle tested. A recent post mentions the use of “silly string” as an effective aid to discovering trip wires.
“Kit Up is the stuff you weren’t issued but that you couldn’t have done without during your military life. Kit Up can be a device, software, book, DVD, or a resource like a website, chat room, or blog. We want to know about the items that made things bearable during a deployment or that allowed you to accomplish your mission. Maybe your gear even saved your life. Kit Up can be new or old, expensive or cheap. It just needs to have mattered to you.” - Link.
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The The Online Photographer picked up the Walgreens $10 digital camera and promptly dissects it -
“Contemplate the miracle. It can’t have a manufacturing cost much over $2 for a device that can electronically photograph a scene, digitize and process it into an image file, store it, and send it to your computer. Plus, it will work as a Web cam.
Yes, it’s bloody amazing. When I designed my first digital camera 35 years ago, I knew they’d eventually get cheap enough to compete with conventional cameras. If you’d told me that would be possible to manufacture one for 50 cents (in 1971 dollars) I’d have said that was completely nuts.” Thanks Adrian! - Link.
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USB cell are rechargeable AA batteries that can be charged from any USB port - I’ve had them for a day or so and they work as expected, exactly like a rechargeable AA, I just don’t need the charger, only my computer - Link.
I use a wireless mouse that needs an AA and also always have a USB charger for my phone, music player, etc. So, I’m pretty happy with the USB cell in the first round of testing. I’ll use them a lot over the next week and report back more.
Here are the specs:
Rechargeable AA NiMH Battery 1.2v 1300mah
Built in Intelligent Charger
Charge by powered USB
NiMH - Nickel Metal Hyrdride
90%+ Charged after 5 Hours by powered USB
Also rechargeable by approved NiMH charger at 250ma for 7 Hours
$20 USD
As I was posting this one of our makers from the Flickr pool asked if you could use the USB cells to power […]
We covered a similar DIY version of this device, it turns off something plugged in when it detects your PC is off -
“Many computer peripherals use power even when they are turned off. The Mini Power Minder communicates with your PC via USB so when you start up or shutdown your computer, power to the secondary outlet starts or terminates at the same time. You’ll control all your peripherals in one easy step! To control multiple devices, plug a power strip into the secondary socket and use it as an extension for several devices.” [via] - Link.
Related:
HOW TO - Peripheral power control with screen saver - Link.
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The new Microsoft Zune ships without being able to run on Vista (new version of Windows) - weird huh? Well, turns you can use the Zune with Vista, you just need to do a little extractory - Paul from MoDaCo.com says you can extract the installer from the MSI file, using a MSI tool from Microsoft (might need to edit something else, not sure). He tells me there will be a patched up installer soon, so stay tuned - I’ll update the post when there are more details.
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