vintage book travel-tech organizer As you may have figured out from my My Life Scoop posts, I’m a bit of a nut for tech accessories, especially pocket-sized ones. I can’t get over how awesomely small our entertainment devices are becoming; it makes traveling with them so much easier. But one issue I keep running into is how to neatly organize everything, especially the power cords and connector cables that accompany my favorite devices. Rather than spend another plane trip rummaging through my catch-all carry-on bag searching for my headphones, bumping my head on the seat in front of me every time, I decided to make a small tech-accessory organizer using elastic ribbon and an old vintage book cover. This project can be sized up or down and customized in many different ways — the best approach is to gather all the tiny tech things you travel with and see how much there is. Have a DIY project you’d like to share? Read the full how-to after the jump! Materials Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Solar Altoids iPhone/ iPod Charger I love my iPhone 4 to death. I really do. Even if it sucks juice faster than a 1st grader at snack time and I often find myself on low power with a long train ride ahead of me. I originally made my Altoids USB Charger to use with my iPhone, only to find that Apple being Apple doesn't let it's products play nice with generic USB chargers. It's a cheap and easy project to put together and a great gift to give. *** Update: I've since retired this kit.
The Homebuilt Dynamo - Introduction The following is taken from the introduction to The Homebuilt Dynamo Why this book? 1969: Decided to live the simple life. Bought a few acres of steep land very cheaply - most of it nearly straight up and down, hard to find a flat spot that wasn't marsh or swamp. did find one big enough to erect a 12'x12' tent which we lived in for a year while building a small house at the bottom end of the property. 1970: Electric power people wanted lots of money - in advance - to put in power poles to house. To make a long story short, we couldn't find that book. This book is a picture-diary of how we build our dynamo, with some practical information and advice along the way for anyone following our steps. To some people, this book may seem to go into too much detail; for others, perhaps not so experienced in electronics or shop techniques, the extra details of how I made The Homebuilt Dynamo will be welcomed. Having no such directions ourselves, it took us a while. What this book contains.
Camera Strap Cover in our ongoing quest to customize every object we get our hands on, we’ve tackled all sorts of random things around our home (ikea furniture, curtains, bedspreads…) so it’s about time that we finally got crafty with one of the items we spend the most time with: our camera. don’t get us wrong, we’re not ashamed if people know we use a canon, but we don’t feel the need to advertise it like we were nascar drivers. hence our desire to cover up our logo-heavy strap with something a little easier on the eyes. have fun!derek & lauren CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump! here’s what you’ll need: a pre-existing camera strap that is begging for a facelift a small piece of fabric that is at least 23” x 4” scissors measuring tape or ruler sewing machine rubber band 1. choose your fabric 2. measure your existing camera strap. these instructions are for a standard dslr strap with the fabric portion measuring 20.5” long by 1.5” wide. 3. cut your fabric to 22.5” x 4”. 7. press open the seam.
Amp Up a Laser Pointer From Wired How-To Wiki Illustration by Lab Partners Your laser pointer could be doing so much more than highlighting PowerPoint slides and blowing your cat's mind. It could be sculpting ice, sparking campfires, or searing one bad mofo on your leather jacket. Here's how to give a standard pointer a power upgrade. This article is a wiki. 1 Disassemble the unit by removing the batteries, opening the housing, and taking out the laser module. 2 Search the circuit board for a variable resistor. 3 To intensify the beam, use a small screwdriver to gently tighten the resistor. 4 Reassemble and aim your potent pointer at safe targets like ice, wood, or plastic. Contributed by Terrence Russell
Laptop Cover as one of the artsy ants is currently getting to know her baby girl and adjusting to life as a mother of two, we've invited some fellow bloggers and crafty friends to share guest posts with us all. today, please welcome kat ezat of life's jewels on string. Super quick and easy upcycled laptop cover Sometimes it's necessary for my hubby to travel for work. Last time he needed to carry his laptop in a smart messenger bag, but was reticent to shove his nice computer in there for fear of scratches. I had an idea: why not fashion a thin light cover that will protect the surface but not add weight or bulk? I dived into my bag of old clothes/sewing scraps (yes I have one, probably more like three - maybe I have a problem...) and pulled out an old H&M wool vest. This is what I did: -First I placed the computer on the inside-out vest and tried to decide a sensible way of fitting the laptop 'into' it. - Then I sewed along the marked lines, removing the pins as I went. Tips:
Lesson Plan for Making a Speaker Laboratory ©1995 The Regents of the University of California by Regan Lum Introduction: A speaker is a device that converts an electronic signal into sound. The speaker you will build (see figure 1) consists of a Styrofoam or paper cup, a coil of wire, a permanent magnet, and a signal source. The electronic signal goes through the coil and creates a varying electromagnet. figure 1 Purpose: In this laboratory, you will explore how a speaker works. Materials: 1 permanent magnet 2 feet of wire 1 pencil tape or glue 1 Styrofoam or paper cup 1 signal source (tape player) 1 plug with alligator clips for tape player Procedure: Assemble material as shown in figure 1. Leaving about 10 centimeters on the end, wrap the wire around a pencil to make a wire coil and tape or glue it to the bottom of the cup. Conclusion Does the volume control on the tape player work on your speaker? Return to CEA Science Education Home Page
Keyboard Magnets Thanks to pinterest, I saw this idea here for magnets made out of old computer keyboards! My dad works in the computer industry, so thankfully he had plenty of old keyboards he was willing to sacrifice for my crafting endeavors! Here is a quick rundown. Then if they look like mine, you have to break the inside, and pull it off, so it wont stick out too far then hot glue magnets inside! Zombie Proof: 10 High-Style Designs for Zombie-Free Living - StumbleUpon Zombie Proof: 10 High-Style Designs for Zombie-Free Living They’re coming. Slowly and incessantly, they’re coming. When the zombie apocalypse happens, the world will be separated into two groups: the prepared and the dead. If you want to survive the undead horde, join us to explore ten ways to prepare yourself and look good doing it. From zombie proof housing to an army of robotic defenders, these systems will keep you alive during the coming zombie apocalypse. Zombie Proof House On a good day, this home is a luxurious, contemporary mansion with all the amenities one could ask for. Zombie Proof House Gallery Zombie Proof Car: the Conquest Knight XV It doesn’t get much more bad-ass than this. Zombie Proof Car Gallery Zombie Proof Food Sources You’ve got your house, you’ve got your car, but neither are going to fill your belly when you’re hungry. Since space and water will be precious commodities after the zombie apocalypse, we suggest you ditch the dirt and go hydroponic.
Toys from Trash Two straws water pump