If we told you there was a way you could get a custom HD projector for under €499 ($704) with DVI and HDMI inputs, you might go so far as to give your left arm for such a device. Unfortunately that would be the wrong idea, as you’d probably need that arm to put the projector together: you see, it’s a DIY kit, and according to German tinkerer Maxi Huber it’s the best piece of home entertainment kit he’s bought in some time.
Video demo after the cut
If you’re not content with broadcasting your latest blog-post, obsession, or 140-character sluice of brain-diarrhea to your Twitter followers, V2_ Lab’s Pocket Tweets can help you take those messages into the real-world. Their Java app displays your latest tweet on your cellphone; cut a speech-bubble into your pocket and you can happily parade around inviting people to read your chest.
As awesome robot projects go, this DIY transforming ‘bot takes some beating. Apparently created for a robotics class by “Kevmag 2000″, the roughly 12-inch high robot can go from a motorized truck to an upright, walking ‘bot in seconds.
Video after the cut
Take the bodywork of a Fiat 500, throw in the mechanics of a second-hand tractor, and you may end up with this: the Fiat Cinque Tank. The handiwork of Kogoro Kurata, a Japanese ironsmith, the distinctive vehicle’s one main flaw is its somewhat pedestrian top-speed of just 3kpm (less than 2mph).
Video after the cut
You’ll need more than a passing familiarity with the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 to spot the mod here, so we’ll give you a hefty hint: it’s the fingerprint reader in the right-hand side of the palm-rest. MyDellMini forum member Rich decided he wanted biometric login functionality in his netbook, so inserted the guts of an Eikon fingerprint reader into the Mini 9.
This enthusiastic man is holding what could, with a little more R&D and a big marketing budget, be the next big peripheral in first-person shooters. The handiwork of “The Redneck Techie“, the Game Gun is a modified keyboard, stuffed into a gun peripheral, with motion-sensitive tracking and an LCD display mounted on top.
Video demo after the cut
Robotics platform manufacturer RoBe:Do Robotics have added a third model to their range of netbook-powered ‘bots, the Three. As with the previous two platforms, the Three is a modular chassis which uses a USB-connected motor controller; the buyer slaps their laptop or netbook onto the deck, and it acts as the Three’s brain.
It may not put the fear of the Empire into any nearby planets, but steaks and chicken thighs should begin quivering at Bryan Tate’s custom Death Star grill. Currently up for auction on eBay, the grill has a vent built into the weapon-dish and a neat little Imperial Cruiser handle.
Hard-drive based media players aren’t anything new, but hifi equipment actually built from old drives are somewhat rarer. At Hifiduino they’re using an Arduino microprocessor to construct a DIY preamp, and they’ve salvaged a deceased hard-drive to form the base and the top.
We can’t all be Jean Michel Jarre, but thanks to the Arduino microprocessor we can flail our arms around and make music. Omer Yosher’s “Airpiano” is a long strip of motion sensors treated as, via the Arduino, midi keys and faders; moving your hands over and through the sensors control notes or samples, as well as volume.
Video demo after the cut
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