projects

In Trouble? Hit the Emergency Party Button

A truly inspired home automation project turns one man's living room into a swingin' dance club with a single press—video inside

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 James’s rumpus room.

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Build It

Add a Versatile Compact Flash Boot Drive to an Inexpensive Laptop

Using the Everex gBook as a base, easily swap large CF cards for multiple OS booting and quasi-SSD storage

No doubt about it; Everex’s gBook computer is a hacker’s dream PC. While we weren't too fond of the company's entry into the ultra-portable market, the gBook sings a different tune: On top of being a fairly well-equipped, full-size VIA-based budget laptop, the gBook also sports some impressive “hidden” features when the hood is lifted and the tires kicked. And while they may not be immediately apparent, in the hands of a seasoned tinkerer the gBook's extras can allow for some inspired modding.

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DIY Paradise at Maker Faire

The annual Bay Area carnival attracts the best Makers in the land. See what caught our eye this year

We're back from this weekend's Maker Faire, the third-annual event in San Mateo, CA . Our friends at Make continue to up the ante, bringing DIYers from far and wide to show off their projects at the ultimate geek county fair.

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The Hands-Free Etch-a-Sketch

A class project pairs a microprocessor and some accelerometers with the classic drawing toy

SparkFun Electronics is showcasing a recent class project from Alex Dow at the University of Colorado. Derived from a box full of SparkFun widgets, Mr. Dow was able to concoct a digitally controlled Etch-a-Sketch.

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Build It

Build a Pocket Theremin on the Cheap

Throw together this pint-sized light-sensitive Theremin for spooky sci-fi sound effects on the cheap

Even if you're not familiar with the Theremin itself, it's very likely you've heard its loopy electronic tones before. Remember those spooky sound tracks from 1950s science fiction movies? Well, chances are pretty good that those oscillating noises were generated by a Theremin.

Designed by Russian physicist Leon Theremin circa 1919, the two-handed instrument was one of the first ever electronic musical instruments and the first instrument one could play without physically touching it. Thirty years after its invention, the Theremin was popularized by American synthesizer godfather Robert Moog in the 1950s and immortalized in the classic Sci-Fi flick The Day the Earth Stood Still.

A full-fledged Theremin will set you back nearly $400, but with the instructions below, you can build a pocket-sized Theremin-like instrument that won’t break the bank. Unlike the real McCoy which relies on grounded variable capacitance for changing frequency and volume with the wave of a hand, our Pocket Theremin uses variations in light for producing its unearthly vibrato.

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Mod It: The Incredible Two-Headed AVR Programmer

Make this $1.50 Mod and create a universal AVR programmer

If your DIY tinkering tends to lean toward the programming side, there's a good chance you're familiar with AVR microcontrollers. There's also a good chance that you may have been confused when, right out of nowhere, Atmel (the company who designed the AVR family) changed the AVR in-system programming (ISP) interface from 10 pins to 6 pins. Even worse, Atmel’s terrific USB ISP programmer, the AVRISP mkII uses only the modern 6-pin interface. No legacy support for your older AVR-related hardware here, folks. So what’s a poor budding AVR programmer to do?

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Build Your Own Almost-Real-Time, Worldwide Tracking System

Automatically track anything's GPS location via e-mail with the UberTracker

Imagine being able to track anyone, anywhere in the world almost instantly. Scary, eh? Well, not if you’re looking for a low-cost turnkey system for managing your small fleet of trucks, planes, trains, boats, kids—you get the picture. The $450 UberTracker from SparkFun Electronics is a complete cellular/GPS/e-mail hardware package that can continuously email its GPS coordinates from anywhere in the world via a cellular data connection, and it's a snap to set up.

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Science Fair Fodder and More at the Citizen Scientist

Generate electricity with your breath in one easy project

As you (or your labcoat-wearing offspring) gear up for the science fair season, consider a visit to The Citizen Scientist—a rich project site published by the Society for Amateur Scientists.

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Gray Matter

Trap Lightning in a Block

To create beautiful electrical-charge patterns like this, you could use a giant particle accelerator. But shag carpeting will also do just fine. Watch how Lichtenberg figures are made in our amazing video

There are many unusual things to see around Newton Falls, Ohio—the Wal-Mart with hitching posts for Amish buggies, the Army base with helicopters and tanks proudly arranged on hills—but I was here for the most unusual thing of all: the local Dynamitron. I was here to make frozen lightning.

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The PopSci 5-Minute Project: iPhone Jack Hack

Use your own headphones with this quick and easy adapter solution from the neighborhood Radioshack



As any informed PopSci reader will know, the iPhone is definitely a game-changing piece of hardware, but it's not without its problems. Chief among those nagging little imperfections, for me, was the recessed headphone hack that rejected any headphones but Apple's trademark gleaming white buds. Apple's 'phones aren't that bad, but my Shure in-ear pair is better for blocking out noise on the subway (and my Grado SR60s are better for listening at home). Thankfully, an easy solution to this problem is just a trip to the local Radioshack away.

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