10 Fun And Funky iPhone Docks
If you're as tethered to your iPhone as we are, giving it a solid charge while not in use is important. But even the most functional products in the home should feature great design. Here, 10 alternatives to a traditional Apple docking station. (Bonus: all would look great enhanced with a friendship cord!)
Welcome to The Sietch - Projects Build Your Own Solar Thermal Panel
After our first attempt at a home built proof of concept solar thermal panel, we were a bit disappointed with the results. It took about 4 hours before the thing started work, and was a bit costly (at over 50 dollars) to make. I knew it could be done better and cheaper. My first mistake with the first one was purchasing everything new. With ample reusable resources at the local town dump I knew it could be done on the cheap.
Stay-at-Home Artist: stencil with freezer paper (harry potter tee)...
Yes, I am a nerd. I came up with a brilliant idea for a Harry Potter t-shirt and I couldn't resist. "Expecto Patronum!"
$3 Emergency Solar-Powered Radio Made With an Altoids Tin
Joshua Zimmerman has a great project up on Instructables for turning an Altoids tin into a compact solar radio. All said, the entire project cost a whole $3. It seems like a project coming at a time when everyone is ultra aware of emergency situations, so it is both a fun and practical weekend tinkering project. It even comes complete with plug-in headphones. Joshua writes, "In honor of all my good friends still over in Japan I've decided to create an Instructable for a $3 Emergency Solar Radio.
About - Emily Cummins
When I was four, my Grandad gave me a hammer and began to teach me how to make toys from scraps of materials found in his garden shed. I loved the fact that we could make something out of seemingly random bits, and my interest in sustainable design was born. As I got older I learnt about the properties of different materials and became more experienced in using a range of tools. Now I'm 27 and my latest innovation is a sustainable fridge which is 'powered' by dirty water but keeps medicines or small food items clean, dry and cool. I refined my fridge during a gap year in Namibia and then decided to give away the design plans in townships across southern Africa because I wanted to enable as many people as possible to build their own fridges. My design philosophy involves a back-to-basics approach which keeps an eye on the past as well as the future and combines the best of both.
iTree iPhone & iPod dock are created out of a tree trunk
If our mention on the title confuses you, we would like to tell you about the iTree docking station by KMKG, which has been made out of the log of a tree trunk! This docking station has the ports needed to charge your iPod or iPhone, as well as plays stored audio content at the same time. What makes this product rather abstract, is that it’s been created out of wood, which is hand selected by the customer and built according to the individual needs. The iTree is all innovative in designing and general aesthetics. The wood used to create the body of the dock station is picked from the forests directly and worked on with precision to create just the product that you would be looking for. The craftsmen help you with the selection, from within the area of ‘Streirische Vulkanland’ area of South Austria after which your specifications and needs are noted down and then worked upon.
Homemade Solar panels
At the end, the solar absorber is painted black and placed in the diy solar panels casing. The casing is covered with plexiglass that we attach to the frame and thoroughly corked with silicone. Polycarbonate / plexiglass is slightly convex in order to gain greater strength. You can see installed solar absorber without plexiglass in picture 18.
DIY of the Month: Braided T-shirt Bracelet - StumbleUpon
How To: Give your old t-shirts a second life. Sorry dust rag pile! photos: kirsten for we heart this I love using simple materials to make something fun and innovative. The supplies for this bracelet DIY are really basic, so there’s a REALLY good chance you own all of them already.
Build a Solar Charger For iPhones In 30 Minutes
Images via Joshua Zimmerman of BrownDogGadgets Earlier this year, Joshua Zimmerman brought us the super easy DIY solar charger made from an Altoids tin. We loved the project, however, he noted that "Apple doesn't let its products play nice with generic USB chargers." So, he has created a new project that works specifically with iPhones and iPods.
How I built an electricity producing Solar Panel
Several years ago I bought some remote property in Arizona. I am an astronomer and wanted a place to practice my hobby far away from the sky-wrecking light pollution found near cities of any real size. In my attempt to escape city slicker yuppies (you know the kind, the ones that like to blab loudly on their cell phone while they work on some business administration degree in a cyber cafe somewhere in Trendyland.) and their light pollution, I found a great piece of remote property. The problem is, it's so remote that there is no electric service available. That's not really a problem.
Recycled Docking Stations… Wood you believe it?
We’re loving the latest design trend in docking stations for your gadgets….recycled wood., take a look at some of the upcycled products currently on the market. Wood made docking stations from recycled materials are one of the innovative items available today. The docking stations made from reclaimed or recycled materials are all the rage these days.
