Handy Instructable from murph38_99 – “Create a USB car charger for any iPod or other Device that Charges Via USB by splicing together a car adapter that outputs 5v and USB Female plug. The most important part of this project is to make sure that the output your chosen car adapter is between 4.75v and 5.25v otherwise you risk damaging your device. Please verify voltage with a voltmeter.” Link.
“For quite some time it has been possible to access the Internet using mobile phones, although the role of the phone has strictly been that of a client. Considering that the modern phones have processing power and memory on par with and even exceeding that of webservers when the web was young, there really is no reason anymore why webservers could not reside on mobile phones and why people could not create and maintain their own personal mobile websites.” [via] Thanks Brian! Link.
If Martha Stewart were a Geek…She would read MAKE! – article by Steven Levy in Newsweek! “A new life awaits your wheezing videocassette recorder… as a time-release cat-food dispenser. After only a weekend of work–two fun-filled days involving an old meat grinder, parts from a broken lawn mower and serious surgery on something called the video head drum assembly–you will have a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption that dispenses Tabby’s kibble while you’re away at the Burning Man festival.” Link.
Good article about the audio formats and hacks for the PSP – “The PSP’s audio capabilities are second to none among portable gaming platforms on the market today. In this feature you will learn the audio formats supported by your particular PSP, the right formats to use when encoding audio, how to access your iTunes library with your PSP, and much more.” [via] Link.
Daniel made an amazing case mod / MAME cabinet for playing old games, I really like his design. He writes “This is may take on a MAME cabinet. I didn’t have the space for a full-blown cabinet but still wanted the joysticks and buttons so I made this panel. It connects to the tv and is perfect to play from the couch.” Link.
Pat from the Manufacturers’ Blog writes “Ah, the tiny but mighty microchip. So small yet so powerful, so central to our everyday life. This week we have an excellent animation from the good folks at NAM member Applied Materials, the largest supplier of manufacturing systems and related services to the global semiconductor industry. Founded in 1967 and honchoed for years by the legendary Jim Morgan — winner of the National Technology Medal, among scores of other honors — they produce microchips here and around the globe.” [via] Link.
Robert Manner has built an amazing robot that looks and walks like a real Allosaurus – “The robot will be able to move almost exactly like the real dinosaur with its 13 servomotors, several balance systems, and dozens of sensors. The robot does not only recognise the position of its frame and joints, motions, fuse functions, and exterior lighting but also the inside and outside temperatures. Due to its mechanic-electronic spirit level with 8 positions the computer can sense even the slightest tilt angle in any direction. Hence, it is impossible for the robot to fall down under any circumstances.” Thanks Antti! Link.
