doug cantor

With the glut of e-book readers now on the market, Barnes & Noble’s Nook is easy to overlook—it’s not as ubiquitous as Amazon’s Kindle or as slick as Apple’s iPad. But the Nook has something that its competitors don’t: It runs on Google’s open-source Android platform, so you can hack it to add functions that go well beyond just displaying an e-ink version of War and Peace. Among other things, you can install the Pandora music service, news feeds and a Twitter application, all for free.

Editor Doug Cantor demonstrates how a drill and a few zip ties can transform a stack of old floppies into a handy box for holding those even older data-recording devices: your pens. For more detailed instructions, head to the original Instructable for this project, courtesy of completegeek.

Editor Doug Cantor demonstrates how a drill and a few zip ties can transform a stack of old floppies into a handy box for holding those even older data-recording devices: your pens. For more detailed instructions, head to the original Instructable for this project, courtesy of completegeek.

When you're vacationing on a beach, nothing beats an underwater camera; but watertight cases are pricey and disposables have lousy quality. Lucky for you, the editors of PopSci have come up with an easy workaround using something there's probably already plenty of in your suitcase (hint: not socks). That's right, thanks to the magic of unlubricated condoms, you too can transform your point-and-shoot into an waterproof wonder. The set-up is easy enough, but as John and Doug demonstrate, it really does help to have a partner lend a hand.

You never know when the level of festiveness in your home might suddenly become critically, even dangerously low. Thankfully, one vigilant soul has put such concerns to rest by creating the Emergency Party Button, a DIY system that with one press transforms a seemingly ordinary apartment into something resembling Rick Jamess rumpus room.

Ever wanted your own motorized off-road skateboard? Listen in on this week's podcast as staff photographer and DIYer extraordinaire John B. Carnett relays the story of his latest exploit. It's a special all things How 2.0 edition as Carnett sits down with host Chuck Cage and editor Doug Cantor to discuss explosions, motors, hacked TiVos and more.

Tetris is one of the all-time classic video games, but its best suited to people with a lot of free time on their hands. Apparently, though, maneuvering those little polygons around a video screen still wasnt enough of a time suck for Swiss artist Guillaume Reymond. So, he set to work on a real-life version of the game with people in place of pixels.

Citizens of Philadelphia, beware: You may see a grown man whizzing by you on a skateboard, doing 20 mph. That would be PopSci staff photographer John Carnett, and in case you dont get a good look, its a souped-up, motorized board he built from the ground up.

Sean Captains extensive guide last week to next year's nationwide digital TV conversion featured some interesting comments from the vice president of Centris, a company that recently published a study suggesting the upcoming switchover to digital-only television broadcasts may leave millions of people across the country without a TV signal. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is offering people who have an analog TV a $40 coupon to put toward a converter box. Unfortunately, Centris VP Barry E. Goodstadt says, in certain pockets of the country, using a converter box still wont give you a signal if you dont have a powerful-enough antenna.