Build It

Build It

Build A Gas Guzzler Meter

Take an accelerometer, add a microcontroller and display, and watch the dollars fly out of your carburetor

Pain at the pump continues to reach new levels of misery every day. While most of us can’t afford to trade our current gas guzzler for a more fuel economical model, it would be nice to adopt some new driving skills that will translate into greater fuel economy. But where do you start? How do you know if your current jitney is a fuel sipper or a gas guzzler?

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Build It

An iPod Video Projector

Cut down on the squinting by beaming the image on your iPod’s screen onto a wall

Sometimes, when you’re trying to immerse yourself in a movie or television show on an iPod’s diminutive screen, you just need to go bigger. Here’s how: Turn your Classic or Nano into a home theater with a simple, unpowered DIY projector.

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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; Everexs gBook computer is a hackers 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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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

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/general_sciences/Fun_Pocket_Theremin';

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 wont 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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Build It

Build It: The Electronic Post-It Note

Who needs pen and paper? Jot down reminders on a digital screen, using only your finger

Pick up milk. Feed dog. Finish homemade nuclear sub. Like many people, I cant function without writing little reminders to myself. But using one paper sticky note after another causes a lot of clutter and can be pretty wasteful. Instead, assemble a bunch of surplus parts into a digital note system for your kitchen or office. Just write out your message with your fingertip on a computer trackpad, and it appears on an LCD screen.

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Build It

A Rechargeable, Pocket-Sized 5V Power Supply

Use this compact component to power anything that needs juice in your DIY projects

The 5V Pocket Rechargeable Power Supply: Photo by Dave Prochnow

Sure power supply projects aren't that sexy; but they are, generally speaking, the foundation for every electronics project. The voltage output for this project is 5VDC, and a practical output that can be applied to a wide variety of digital components.

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