Launch the slideshow to see the step-by-step guide to how the Device works

If you haven't seen it yet, you've got to check out the homemade gaming rig recently built by staff photographer/DIY madman John B. Carnett and How 2.0 editor Mike Haney. Taking a salvaged PC running the MAME emulator and sticking it into a beautiful welded-steel table begat a 200-pound behemoth capable of running all the old school games you can can handle.Currently, the rig is still sitting in the evil batcave/laboratory of Mr. Carnett in Philly, but it's rumored to be making its way back to PopSci HQ soon—good thing, because I'm pretty eager to school everyone here in Dig Dug (and post some pictures to prove it). See how you can build your own here. —John Mahoney

Last fall, PopSci staff photographer John Carnett and writer Larry Smith spent a weekend at the home of self-taught jetpack builder Juan Manuel Lozano, in the suburbs of Mexico City. Here, we give you John's account of their time with the aspiring rocket man. To read more about Juan Lozano and his homebrew jetpack, click here.

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Leaning from a low-flying helicopter to shoot a fast-moving military boat. Zooming in on a tiny bee equipped with a radio transmitter. Feeling the heat while snapping a car explosion just meters away. These are a few of the adventurous scenarios John B. Carnett has found himself in while on assignment for Popular Science.

In March, in the desert between Barstow, California, and Las Vegas, the DARPA Grand Challenge -- where autonomous vehicles must navigate themselves without any input from human handlers -- will make its dusty debut. For our March 2004 issue, writer Joe Hooper profiled some of the groups developing vehicles for the event. PopSci staff photographer John B. Carnett captured some of the trials and tribulations of Grand Challenge hopefuls on film. Here are some of the images that didn't make it into the magazine but that Carnett found particularly interesting.

How tightly can you crop your digital photos and still get great results when you enlarge them?



We spoke with staff photographer John B. Carnett to get to the bottom of this not-so-simple question. Carnett says that it really depends on what you plan to do with the image. Great results for one person might be a grainy image, but one blown up large enough to cover a gaping hole in a bedroom wall. Others demand images that look just like the real thing.