MAKE 01: Make Premiere
The first magazine devoted to digital projects, hardware hacks, and DIY inspiration.
Buy a copy of Volume 01.
Buy a copy of Volume 01.
Hot Topics:
= PDF OF ARTICLE
= DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
= SLIDESHOWS AND EXTRAS
Amazing things that ordinary people are making in their garages and backyards, including the Niles Monorail, steam locomotives, desktop trebuchets and guillotines, serious legos, a thermo-electric keg wrap, Meccano computing machinery, and more. Page 14
A linear accelerator for studying high-energy physics costs around $5 billion. But you can make one for about 30 bucks with four strong magnets, a wooden ruler, some plastic tape, and nine steel balls. Page 12
Neil Gershenfeld shows us that personal fabrication can be fabulous. The teacher of MIT's course "How to Make (Almost) Anything" gives us a tour of the Boston fab lab, one of a growing network of field labs all over the world. Page 23
To take pictures from a kite, you need three things: a kite, a camera, and a special rig that attaches the camera to the kiteline and activates the shutter button on the camera. Here's how to do it. Page 50
You don't have $10,000 to spend on a Steadicam? Make this ultra-low-cost video camera stabilizer and see how much better your video shots turn out. Page 84
Nothing's worse for a network administrator than being without a needed cable. So I made a single cable to replace the five I used to carry. The result: no more tangles and no more scrounging for a missing link. Page 96
Have you ever wondered what information is stored on the magnetic-striped cards in your wallet? Now you can find out. This project shows you how to make a magstripe reader for less than $40. Page 106
Replacing your PDA's battery requires the proper knowledge, adequate courage, and a set of Torx screwdrivers. Page 119
Portable satellite radio makes the Delphi XM Roady ready to wear. Page 122
How to salvage deleted pictures from camera memory. Page 125
Put a camera or camcorder pretty much anywhere with this flexible camera mount built from a cheap desk lamp. Page 126
Would you sacrifice a few meals each month for wireless networking away from home? The low-down on all high-speed wireless has to offer. Page 127
Tips for getting the most out of a weak Wi-Fi signal. Page 130
How to break through concrete walls using Wireless Distribution mode. Page 132
Discover the pleasures of reading by backlight. Page 134
Using a wireless headset with Apple's iChat AV isn't as easy as you might think. Page 136
Four ways to extend the usefulness of your digital music player. Page 140
With the right accessories, your vehicle can always be on "official business." Page 143
An easy-to-use application to manage routine and time-consuming weblog chores. Page 147
With Gmail, Google has loosed upon the web another monstrously useful service. Page 149
Calculating on the quick, plus fast formatting of imported dates. Page 152
If you're not an avid, constant user of TypeIt4Me, you're not really getting things done. Page 153
Make rubber tie-down handles for a Small Form Factor PC. Page 155
The making of Make: Publisher and Editor Dale Dougherty presents the philosophy of MAKE in a nutshell: We're all Makers now. Page 7
Stuck in the middle of a stack of stuff you're supposed to do? Sharpen your wool clippers, and stop getting distracted by the pointless activities which surround any serious problem--unless you want to, that is. Page 10
Reality is catching up with science fiction, thanks in a large part to DIY technologies. Tim O'Reilly identifies the laboratory and garage projects that promise to change the way we live. Page 13
Who says you have to spend thousands of dollars to get a cool robot? The world's toy stores brim with cheap-ass, rough and ready robotic platforms just begging to be modded. Meet a hacker who converts toy robots into toxic waste dump avengers. Page 22
Bunnie Huang prototypes two kinetic glowsticks: instead of creating a single arc of light, glowsticking dancers can now create their own two-dimensional fantasias. Page 34
Finding the technology of the future from the forgotten ideas of the past. Page 38
The time is right for a true people's hybrid vehicle. The web is peppered with how-to sites for converting your old car into an electric vehicle, but why not develop SourceForge-style documentation for an open source hybrid? Page 44
Warehouse of wild, weird, and wonderful projects. A profile on the monthly (or thereabouts) meetings of "people doing strange things with electricity" all over the world. Page 47
Flintknappers are making the tools that people have been making since before they were human. Page 118
Most people program video games. Niklas Roy built one, literally. The 30-year-old from Berlin, Germany constructed a fully mechanized facsimile of one of the grand-daddies of video games, Pong. Page 158
Step-by-step instructions for making (and unmaking) the perfect solder joint. Page 162
Imagine this: Your car battery is dead, and you’re stuck in the woods. Your mission: Get home before you freeze to death. For the winning entries, see MakeShift 01: Analysis, Commentary, and Winners. Page 170
Make a simple motor in minutes. Page 172
The best tools, software, gadgets, books, magazines, and websites. Page 174
Our regular feature with reader comments sent to the editors of MAKE. Page 185
Got a problem? Ask MAKE’s readers to solve it for you. Do you find yourself wishing for some kind of machine or system to solve a problem or fulfill a wish? If you have a problem, tell us about it. We'll run our favorite problems and solutions in the next issue and on our website. Send your stuff to
What eBay’s sales reports tell us about trends in tinkering. Page 191
Remembering how my dad built an Apple II from scratch. Page 192
Join the Make: newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and news!
Get print and the digital version when you join!
