This Czech geek’s Apple G4-equipped Tatra is the ultimate computer on wheels.
By Paul Wallich
Posted 09.10.2004 at 5:00 pm
Dept.: You Built What?!
Tech: Computer/car integration
Cost: $3,500
Time: Hundreds of hours
Practical | | | | | Popcorn
Want more horsepower? Put away the Snap-ons–this is a job for a gearhead with a laptop.
By Stephan Wilkinson
Posted 09.10.2004 at 4:00 pm
Dept.: Void Your Warranty
Tech: Engine performance chips
Cost: $500-$4,000
Time: 1 hour
Thermite powder yields pure, white-hot iron when lit. Don't try this one at home.
By Theodore Gray
Posted 08.19.2004 at 4:00 pm
Dept.: Gray Matter
Element: Iron
Project: Welding handle onto bolt
Cost: $20
Time: 45 minutes
Dabbler | | | | | Master
Why buy a robot that follows a colored ball when you can spend hundreds of hours building your own?
By Jonathan Coulton
Posted 07.22.2004 at 3:00 pm
Dept.: You Built What?
Cost: $200
Time: Many long nights
Practical | | | | | Popcorn
A long walk on the right beach could reveal magnetite hiding in plain sight.
By Theodore Gray
Posted 07.20.2004 at 2:00 pm
Dept.: Gray Matter
Element: Magnetite
Project: Collecting, purifying magnetite; making magnetic field lines
Cost: Free
Time: 30 minutes
Dabbler | | | | | Master
Cell providers lock your phone for a reason; here are a few reasons to unlock it.
By Mike Haney
Posted 06.10.2004 at 8:00 pm
Dept: Void Your Warranty
Tech: Cellphone unlocking
Cost: Free to $50
Time: 15 minutes
DABBLER | | | | | MASTER
Episode 3, Part I:
By Gregory Mone
Posted 06.01.2004 at 1:00 pm
Casio Exilim EX-Z40
Cost: $400
casio.com
Barrier to Entry: Controls not terribly intuitive
The Luddite Likes: Size, video, numerous settings
Verdict I’m not giving it back
Oziexplorer
By McKenzie Funk
Posted 06.01.2004 at 1:00 pm
OziExplorer
Cost: $85
oziexplorer.com
Tech: GPS mapping software
Location: Tajikistan
With the flood of in-car GPS navigation systems available today, you'll never have to ask for directions again.
By Eric Adams
Posted 05.10.2004 at 1:00 pm
Dept: Geek Guide
Tech: Automotive GPS
Cost: $200-$2,500
BETA | | | | | FINAL
There are many ways to melt metal, but an arc furnace can liquefy almost anything you put in it, using only electricity.
By Theodore Gray
Posted 05.01.2004 at 2:00 pm
Dept: Gray Matter
Element: Tungsten
Project: Arc melting
Cost: $220
Time: 30 minutes
DABBLER | | | | | MASTER
Digital projectors inexpensively deliver massive HDTV-quality images—if you don’t mind a little sweat.
By Stephan Wilkinson
Posted 05.01.2004 at 12:00 pm
Dept: Assembly Required
Tech: Front-projection home theater
Retail: $4,956
Street: $3,527 (H2.0 estimate)
Time: 5 hours
Steal | | | | | Splurge
This year's must-have convergence device gets a lot cooler with a few essential extras.
By Andrew Zolli
Posted 04.09.2004 at 3:00 pm
Dept: Maxed Out
Tech: Treo 600 PDA/phone
Base cost: $600
Total cost: $1,040
STEAL | | | | | SPLURGE
Of course you love your TiVo. Here’s how to love it 190 percent more, and then some.
By Steve Warren
Posted 04.09.2004 at 3:00 pm
Dept: Void Your Warranty
Tech: TiVo drive upgrade
Cost: $210
Time: 3 hours
DABBLER | | | | | MASTER
No one knows how to stop it, but at least you can slow it down—the latest tech for protecting your inbox.
By Andrew Zolli
Posted 04.06.2004 at 7:00 pm
Dept: Geek Guide
Tech: Anti-spam tools and software
Cost: Freeâ€$40
BETA | | | | | FINAL
Unlock the mystery of the pencil by turning out a few of your own.
By Theodore Gray
Posted 04.01.2004 at 4:00 pm
Dept: Gray Matter
Element: Carbon (in graphite form)
Time: 5 hours
Cost: $30 for 24 pencils
DABBLER | | | | | MASTER
