Ready to become a true Time Lord like the Doctor? This week, Technology Will Save Us posted designs of how to use a BBC micro:bit to make a papercraft replica of the sonic screwdriver seen on Doctor Who. The build is not all that difficult, and should not take you longer than ten minutes to complete. However, the final product is pretty cool.
All you will need to complete the build is a BBC micro:bit, batteries, glue, and scissors. Technology Will Save Us provides a PDF printout for the papercraft portion of the project. For some added fun, the designs can be adapted to make anything look like it came out of an episode of Doctor Who!
Anyone who is a fan of Mad Max knows that the inhabitants of the dystopian wasteland drive some mean machines. The cars and trucks from Mad Max: Fury Road are especially monstrous, and apparently the perfect ride for Ian Pfaff’s children.
A fan of Mad Max, Pfaff released photos this past week of the two Mad Max mobiles he made for his two kids, Junior and Benji. He started with two classic Little Tykes Cozy Coupes, and then put his brain to work on how to add parts from computers, espresso machines, and other pieces of tech. The final ride is one straight out of the apocalypse.
Pfaff said that Junior “loves to get in hers and chase our pug around.” I have to admit, that sounds both adorably cute and a little terrifying.
This was the final week of the first challenge for Hackaday Prize 2017. Titled, Design Your Concept, the challenge asked makers to submit a clear plan that outlined every aspect of the design of their project. This first contest ends Monday morning, so if you wanted to participate and just forgot, try to submit something today!
The second challenge is about to begin if you would rather get started on that. Titled Internet of Useful Things, not Internet of Things, it asks contestants to submit plans for connected devices that will not only work, but will actually prove useful to consumers in a practical sense.
Jaakob Lidauer has created a sleek double action keyboard. Stylish enough to pair with whatever computer set-up you have, Lidauer’s keyboard has a Cherry MX switch beneath each key. Depending on how each key is pressed, the keyboard will register one of two different functions. Pressing lightly down on a key will produce the symbol as seen on the keyboard, while pressing hard on a key will produce a different, preprogrammed symbol or function.
As a gamer who is constantly fluctuating between collected concentration and enraged fury, I really want this keyboard. I would program each letter to go capital whenever its key was pushed down hard enough. It just sounds really satisfying to be able to type out messages normally when I am having a good time, and then seamlessly transition into all caps when I am angrily mashing on the keys.
Our Mother’s Day Gift Guide has really expanded! There are a lot of new gift ideas if you are still struggling to find that perfect present for Mom, and nothing jumped out at you the first time you checked out our guide. We are still accepting suggestions for more possible gifts, so email us if you have some ideas (editor@makezine.com) and be sure to keep checking the guide as we regularly update it.
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