We have two projects under our metaphorical belts in our new Weekend Projects series, and they both prove what cool stuff you can build just a few hours of your precious weekend time. Personally, I’m interested in the Floating Glow Display and will be stopping by a RadioShack in Queens tomorrow to pick up some of their CR2032 Battery Holders (and some other goodies). I plan to mod my sign using a CD jewel case (my idea being that the flip-lid of the case can be used to interchange signs quickly). I’ll report back on that next week, but in the meantime, here’s a recap of the current projects:
The Floating Glow Display is so simple that when I first read the instructions I thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?” One of our readers suggested the idea of installing a switch which is smart because it will not only increase the longevity of your LED but will, allow you to turn the sign off at night without needing to remove the battery.
A little more time-consuming but also a lot more rewarding in terms of “WOW” factor is the USB Webcam Microscope, which as the title suggests, hacks one device onto the other. This project will not only allow you to see objects at up to 100x zoom on your computer monitor, but will also introduce you to the idea of powering an LED off another component’s power source (in this case, a 5V USB cable). To me, this is a fundamental lesson in hacking — realizing that you can combine components that you have laying around in order to amplify what each of them is capable of.
Don’t Forget:
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