Although Lumenlab has greatly simplified the LCD projector project with its ready-made parts, it’s still not a job for the DIY newbie. You’ll need carpentry skills to create an enclosure and wiring skills to connect all the parts without electrocuting yourself or burning down your projector. And then there’s the LCD panel stripping—even PopSci photographer John Carnett, a lifetime DIY guy, killed the first LCD TV we sent him.

The promise of Wi-Fi is freedom—the ability to bring your laptop or PDA away from the anchor that is your desk and into your life. With most wireless routers, however, your life had better stop at around 300 feet, and forget about heading outside. Between the noise generated by other local wireless devices and physical obstacles like furniture and walls, chances are your Wi-Fi signal is little more than a whisper by the time it hits your backyard. So I built a box that can pick up that signal and boost it another 200 to 300 feet.