Tapping Into the Underground…
Ben writes “While not using the term “Makers” explicitly, [this article] it explores and evaluates different corporate attitudes and strategies employed in response to end-user modification of products”. Many complicated, proprietary systems attract a community of underground innovators who explore and alter them — and not always in ways that manufacturers appreciate. These individuals have little regard for the business models that companies have carefully devised to profit from those systems. Link.
Sydney small business owner Eddy Stevens has won a four-year legal battle against Sony, with the High Court ruling that modding of PlayStation consoles is legal. The decision has far-reaching implications for consumers and the manufacturers of computer games. Mod chips allow gamers to ignore manufacturers’ regional coding systems and run cheaper games – made for markets outside Australia – on their consoles. 
Clever, and good review by The Gadgeteers. LeakFrog is the small water alarm with a big job. Behind the cute smile is a brain that knows when you have a water problem. LeakFrog sits patiently day and night – ready to sound its alarm at the first sign of a leak. [
You thought Mr. Coffee was convenient? Well, make some counter space for Mr. Beer. This ingenious easy-to-use kit gives you everything you need to brew your own tasty suds. It’s the most advanced and widely acclaimed home brewing product on the market. And it’s the simplest. [
Nice HOW TO from Zapwizard – This guide will show how to make a separate LED to show exactly which drive in your system is active. This modification is done without warranty, I did this to three 80 conductor cables without any problems, if you screw up don’t blame me. First off this Mod only seems to work on IDE Harddrives, the two CD-Roms I connected (one Pionner DVD, and one Lite-On CD-RW) don’t even use this pin on the IDE cable. The CD-RW LED is always on, and the DVD LED is always off. 
