Like many of you, I'd imagine, I have at least three old Palm Pilots scattered about my place, collecting dust in drawers and boxes. I just never got into the habit of using one regularly. But all still work, so I've started hunting for alternate uses for them. Look for something in the May issue on this, but as a preview, here's one of my favorites: A kit from Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute for a fully autonomous robot that uses the Palm as a brain. It even has optical sensors to get around walls. Seems like a great way to get started on robotics projects. —Mike Haney
138 years of Popular Science at your fingertips.
Each issue has been completely reimagined for your iPad. See our amazing new vision for magazines that goes far beyond the printed page
Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone or Android phone with full articles, images and offline viewing
Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed
Science is reinventing play, from extreme sports to gamification to ridiculous roller coasters to the playgrounds of tomorrow, and this issue is chock full of fun. Also, on a less fun note: Did global warming destroy my hometown?