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» Made on Earth
by Shawn Connally, Phillip Torrone, Paul Spinrad, Bob Parks
Reports from the world of backyard technology, including a shopping cart go-kart, the "Solar Death Ray," a demolished house sculpture, a gas tank bass instrument, and some seriously big speakers. Page 16
Fun for about a dollar: build a simple blimp with the use of helium, a balloon, and a few straws! Page 42
Make a 4-bit binary sort using a chopstick and 16 3x5 inch index cards. Page 187
Ed Storms is leading the effort to take cold fusion off the back burner by moving it into the garage. Page 25
James Bond depended on Q to trick out his cars. But with Make's guide to car hacking, you'll learn how to turn your ride into a fully loaded, grease-eating, MP3-blasting, Wi-Fi-transmitting monster machine. Page 49
Your car's 12-volt wiring is loaded with opportunities for enhancing your vehicle in ways carmakers only dream of. Page 50
Adding a Mac mini to a VW: a pro tells us how he did it. Matt Turner is a professional fabricator and installer of mobile electronics. He's been working in the industry for 12 years and has built numerous award-winning show vehicles. His latest project brings hope to all car owners hoping to Macify their ride. Page 54
Make your own 4-in-1 car wiring diagnostic tool. The Uber Tester is a gadget that won't remove door panel clips but does test for most wiring conundrums you might encounter. Page 56
Turn your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot, then use GPS and webcam input to map your current location online and auto-generate a photo travelog. Page 60
The best way to learn how to make your own backyard biodiesel is to start with a one-liter batch. It's easy to make a small batch that will work in any diesel engine. You won't need any special equipment--an old juice bottle will serve as the "reactor" vessel--and on such a small scale, you can quickly refine your technique and perform further experiments. Page 68
Want a better way to play MP3s through your car stereo than using an FM transmitter or a cassette adapter? Cut the static by connecting your iPod to your stereo's aux jack. Page 77
Build a relay board that sychronized lights, motors, and other electrical devices to a scary soundtrack playing on a computer, and create spooky haunted house special effects! Page 86
Liberate a motor from an old VHS deck, attach it to a food chopper, and program the deck's recording timer to fill Fluffy's bowl on schedule. Voila! Your own programmable pet food dispenser. Page 98
Launch potato projectiles 200+ yards with this stun-gun triggered, high-powered potato cannon with see-thru action. (Good thing potatoes are biodegradable.) Page 108
Building a home entertainment center in the form of an Atomic Age TV set. Page 119
Connecting multiple phones to a Vonage connection. Page 122
Old school file sharing: make a duplicate LP or 45 by casting it in plastic. Page 124
Make gigantic posters with a free web service. Page 127
Make a movie that's shot in many locations around the world without leaving your house. Page 128
Turn a $10 single-use camera into a $20 reusable digital camera. Page 130
Make custom stink pods for your Stink Blaster. Page 133
Soft silicone outside, tasty electronics inside. Page 135
A simple circuit to go with your silicone nightlight enclosure. Page 140
Whether you're facing a parachute drop into the High Sierras or a jammed button on your mobile, some handy keychain gizmo can be there for you. Page 141
Why waste money on ringtones when you can use your audio collection?
Page 143Nokia's Pop-Port interface doesn't accept a standard headphone jack. Here's a fix. Page 144
Installing Wikipedia on a Sharp Zaurus. Page 146
Make tamperproof driver bits by molding the screw heads. Page 147
How to make square holes in aluminum sheet metal. Page 149
Understanding schematics is a good baseline skill for makers, and not as hard as you think. Page 151
A steering wheel mount for gamers. Page 153
The Mignon is a kit for a handheld game player. Page 154
Having fun with Apple's hard drive protection system. Page 156
If Poker Tracker has taught me one thing, it's a reminder of the obvious: knowledge is power. Page 157
» The Happy Hippo
by Nick Dragotta, Joost Bonsen, Saul Griffith
Page 170
Dale Dougherty wonders what would it mean for products to be more maker friendly, not just user friendly. Page 7
Why copy-restriction technology succeeds only in hurting the user. Page 10
How to hack your circadian rhythm: reboot to get more done. Page 12
News from the Future: a report on the labs and garage projects changing the way we live. Page 15
Makers of virtual goods earn real cash in Second Life. Page 24
Revisiting, revamping, and reusing forgotten technology: living free in the Florida Everglades. Page 36
» Let There Be Speech
by Fernando Botelho
How do you make a $200 computer for blind kids? Page 40
Silicon Valley's HomeBrew Robotics Club is leading the development of an open source robot hardware system. Quinn Norton interviews Chuck McManis. Page 43
The tools we use — or wish we could get our hands on. Page 44
The nation's #1 Mock Newspaper for Make readers intersted in alternative fuels. Front page news: "Grassroots Network Offers Alternative to Big Oil," "Deep-Fried Ride: Veggie Oil Inside," "Slippery Characters Steal Fryer Oil, Leave Mess," and "How Eco is Bio?" Page 76
Portabilizers take apart video game systems and turn them into portable gaming units. Page 81
If you need metal stuck together, there is no quicker path than buying a portable 110-volt wire-feed welder. Mr. Jalopy's introduction to welding will help you understand the process and show how you can be a welder by the end of the weekend--and end up with a couple of jigs for the effort. Page 158
The best tools, software, gadgets, books, magazines, and websites. Page 172
Almost everything you need to know about MAKE. Page 181
Many hobbyists are beginning to rediscover the appeal of classic microcomputers from the 70s and early 80s. Page 182
Highlights from the MAKE blog, the MAKE Flickr photo pool, and MAKE: Audio. Page 184
Questions and comments, information about the free MAKE newsletter and digital edition, and MAKE Amends, our apology section, for mistakes in past issues. Page 185
A commercial real estate mogul wants to put a life-size sculpture atop a tower crane at his latest development. Engineers are scared to touch the problem for under $50,000. You boast that you could do it for $20. Page 188
How to protect your night vision, from Astronomy Hacks. Page 190
Cinderella’s fairy godmother didn’t have a clue. Page 191
Where makers tell their tales and offer praise, brickbats, and swell ideas. Page 192
What the TSA takes away really adds up on eBay. Page 193
I didn't set out to build a microprocessor. It just sort of happened. Page 194
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