Posts Tagged diy gadgets
Mr. Potato Head gets a steampunk makeover
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets on September 2nd, 2010
I’m fairly sure that it was absolutely impossible to grow up and not have a small amount of love for Mr. Potato Head. After all, you get to rip out all of his features and change his expressions. Then if you’re feeling extra mischievous you could give him a quick sex change and turn him into Mrs. Potato Head. If you still get a little mushy over Mr. Potato Head and love steampunk items, then this is one tutorial you shouldn’t pass up.
This little man was made using all sorts of materials. A few of them were an X-Acto knife, a hot glue gun, some random discarded materials around the house (wire, metal piping, etc) and even some baking clay. Sadly you can’t switch out his eyes for glasses or anything silly like that. It’s a full 5 step process that might take a little time to pull off. At least you have access to a handy little tutorial thanks to Instructables.
Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
[ Mr. Potato Head gets a steampunk makeover copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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Mr. Potato Head gets a steampunk makeover
A way to put a USB Typewriter on your desk
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets on September 1st, 2010
I don’t know about you, but I suppose that this is what our computers would look like today if certain technologies did not evolve the way that they did.
It is also a very complex project that you can do at home. Granted, it requires a lot of technical know-how in order to solder the essential parts together, plus others that you will probably have to buy.
You can check on my Source if you would like to try your hand at this one. It is sort of out of my tech league.
Still, like like the idea of having a computer with a keyboard that types like an old-fashioned typewriter. I suppose that we have since abandoned the typewriter for a reason, but we took away a certain aesthetic that has now been replaced with cold and practical soft clicking keys.
This device here reminds me of the computer/typewriters seen on the futuristic businessman’s desks in the movie Brazil. Yeah, a lot of that film was a pretty bleak, but I liked how some of the technology had a sort of vintage look to it.
In other words, I wouldn’t mind having one of these on my desk, and wouldn’t mind surfing the web with it.
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[ A way to put a USB Typewriter on your desk copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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A way to put a USB Typewriter on your desk
DIY Dinosaur Light Kits
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets on August 27th, 2010
Whether you have a kid that loves dinosaurs or you yourself have a child-like love for them, these dinosaurs would make for a neat decoration. Plus, it would give you a project for a rainy day. These white lamps may not offer a whole lot of task lighting, but they will make any room look a whole lot more interesting. Nothing makes a room feel more welcoming than a miniature glowing dinosaur in a corner.
There are several dinosaurs to choose between, most are made to just sit on your desk, all except for two of them. Out of those other two is one that sits on the floor and stands 38 inches tall, while the other one hangs from the ceiling. They’re all white and all come as a kit that you make on your own. If you’re not a huge fan of the light, the light can always be removed leaving you with just a dinosaur figurine. You can purchase the big T-Rex for $56 while the rest go for $24.90 through Gadget Brando.
Source: Crunchgear
Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ DIY Dinosaur Light Kits copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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DIY Dinosaur Light Kits
DIY Fluorescent Floor Lamp
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets on August 10th, 2010
Finding attractive lighting can get expensive, especially if you go with anything remotely trendy. It’s surprising how much money you can sink into lighting alone, but it’s an important factor for both everyday life and the look of your room. Instead of sinking a whole lot of dough into a lamp, you could make some of these Fluorescent Floor Lamps thanks to a handy little tutorial.
If you like tackling new things, it doesn’t appear that this will take a whole lot of experience for any of the steps. The electrical work seems to be basic enough for a beginner. You just start out by buying 3 cheap fluorescent lights and those will be placed on a single base. They don’t state how much they spent total on the project, but there isn’t a whole lot of cost outside of the 3 lights you’ll have to pick up. You can read through the full tutorial here.
Source: Instructables
Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ DIY Fluorescent Floor Lamp copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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DIY Fluorescent Floor Lamp
Rock’Em Sock ‘Em Robots done wirelessly
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets, Games Gadgets on August 9th, 2010
I am sure that you don’t really need an introduction to the game that these people are playing.
I’m sure all of us have played Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots at some point in our lives. I’m also sure that you have noticed that the people playing this game are not using their hands.
That is because Zachery Shivers and Anne Flichbaugh have made Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots motion controlled. There is a video here if you want to see how they did it. Be warned, there is a lot of technical jargon that the layman may not understand.
All you need to know is that the wrists can detect punching motion and other movement, and it transmits to the figures so one player can knock the other player’s block off. The rest is a lot of specifics that make it look like you could build a motion controlled version of this game for yourself.
Just to let you know, this is not something that a toy maker is working on at this present time. This is a part of a Texas Instruments’ Co-op Design Challenge. So do we have a winner? Well, if you like to watch different people say “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots”, then at least this video is a hit.
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[ Rock’Em Sock ‘Em Robots done wirelessly copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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Rock’Em Sock ‘Em Robots done wirelessly
And Now the Award for Best Use of a Giant Robotic Arm
Posted by admin in Games Gadgets on August 9th, 2010
My source called this photo the “image of the day”, and I have to agree. You might wonder this is. Just to let you know, it has nothing to do with Neo and his friends aboard the Nebuchadnezzar getting plugged into the Matrix.
It is about creating a virtual simulation. Believe it or not, the purple section that you see in the photo is part of a gigantic robotic arm. I don’t know what this mammoth robot arm was originally used for, but it is now a vital part of a racing simulator. You can watch the video after the jump if you don’t believe me.
I guess what you don’t see here in the picture is the video screen that is certainly in front of the user in the video. You will notice how the arm will lean back as the speed increases, and it shifts back and forth with the turns. I’m pretty certain that this is how Disneyland’s Star Tours works.
This robot arm/racing simulator is part of a study by Paolo Robuffo Giordano at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, researching the way our bodies experience motion. I don’t think it is made for home use like the SimCraft, but I suppose if I had a giant robot arm, a TV screen, a racing game, then this is definitely the best combination that I could think of.
Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ And Now the Award for Best Use of a Giant Robotic Arm copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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And Now the Award for Best Use of a Giant Robotic Arm
Racing video game meets R/C car, with corrugated cardboard
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets, Games Gadgets on August 5th, 2010
Once I saw this set-up, I knew that I had to report on it.
After all, it is a sit-down arcade racing game that uses a real car! Granted, it is a small, remote controlled car that goes around a corrugated cardboard track, but the R/C car has a camera so you can see as you are driving!
I have a video of it after the jump so you can see it in action, and you really should.
This looks like something that I would love to have in my own home. It would be like having a slot car set, but you could see what it was like behind the little wheel. Granted, this R/C car has to be picked up every time it rolls over after a bad curve.
It sort of makes you wonder what other video games could be improved by this little system. This particular thing looks like a racing game like Turbo and Pole Position, but what about a game of Battlezone with real tanks?
How about a version of Pac-man with a real maze and some sort of remote controlled chomping thing with a camera? I’m not certain what you would use for the ghosts though.
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[ Racing video game meets R/C car, with corrugated cardboard copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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Racing video game meets R/C car, with corrugated cardboard
Electroluminescent Mountain Bike
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets on July 30th, 2010
Every now and then I’ll spot someone riding a bike in the middle of the night and most of the time it’s almost impossible to see them. Part of the problem in my area of the world is that it’s usually on a very dark back road and the reflector is so small it’s easily mistaken as nothing more than a mailbox with a reflector on it. If you want to do a little something extra to make your bike stand out this is one tutorial you should check out.
Before you do put these on your bike you might make sure that it’s not illegal. The whole thing is a 10 step process that might take you a little bit of time. In addition to that it’ll probably cost you around $130 for all of the necessary parts, at least that’s what it cost the person that did this particular bike. The guide is a little complex, so if you’re not experienced with wiring you may want to enlist some help. You can read up on the project by going here.
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[ Electroluminescent Mountain Bike copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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DIY Water Powered Calculator
Posted by admin in DIY Gadgets on July 11th, 2010
Instead of purchasing an eco-friendly water powered calculator and tossing out your old one, only for it to slowly rot in a landfill, you could make your own. It seems to be a whole lot more eco-friendly to convert your current items into something eco-friendly rather than replacing the gadgets you already own. Thanks to a tutorial, you could easily make your own earth friendly calculator.
The tools you’ll need include a calculator, carbon or copper rod, a 1 by 1 inch piece of aluminum foil, a small cylindrical container, two 3 inch wires, multipurpose pliers and a glue gun. The materials are pretty basic, nothing you couldn’t get from your local hardware store. I imagine this will work like any other calculator powered by water. You just need to make sure to refill the battery with water when it’s needed.
Source: Instructables
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[ DIY Water Powered Calculator copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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Gameboy iPhone 4 case
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets, DIY Gadgets, iPod Gadgets on July 9th, 2010
What you see here is a definite labor of love. This enterprising person decided that the iPhone 4, being all modern could very well be married to something retro, to the tune of the ancient Nintendo Gameboy. Touted to be the Original Gameboy iPhone 4 case, it might very well be the first of its kind in the world. The actual Gameboy was cut open at the top so that enough space could be created to squeeze in the spanking new iPhone 4, although we do hope that the cut sides have been filed properly so that your precious Apple smartphone won’t be scratched all too easily. Since the Gameboy’s display is much smaller than the iPhone 4’s, you can only see the time through the case, hence limiting the use of the iPhone 4 by some. Of course, getting the phone out of the case is a little bit more tricky. It is a nice touch to see the battery compartment being used to store a pair of headphones if you know how to roll up the wires correctly.
Source: Craziest Gadgets
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[ Gameboy iPhone 4 case copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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Gameboy iPhone 4 case