Handy. This is a little how-to guide on crimping connectors for various electronics projects. The art of crimping is sometimes a difficult one, but necessary for 1) reliable and 2) decent looking connections. Breadboards are nice for quick wiring projects but in the long run they are unreliable and look pretty nasty. Link.
The Poor Person’s Production Suite is an ensemble of three, high-level Animation, 3D, Compositing and Video Editing tools that are available as free open source GPL applications. However, this is not a direct attempt to duplicate the production tools found in Apple’s Final Cut Studio. It’s an attempt to create a fully functional, professional software suite that is capable of generating high end VFX and 3D animation like those found in Shake and Motion and Maya. Don’t be fooled, just because the software is free doesn’t mean that it isn’t of professional grade. Link.
Great article and how-to on making your own penny alcohol stove. For several years I have been developing a stove that heats faster, burns longer, uses less fuel, and is easier to build, fill, prime, and light. For obvious reasons, I called it the Penny Stove. Link.
Using parts easily available from your local stores, you can make a small solar power generator for $250 to $300. Great for power failures and life outside the power grid. Power your computer, modem, vcr, tv, cameras, lights, or DC appliances anywhere you go. Use in cabins, boats, tents, archaeological digs, or while travelling throughout the third world. Have one in the office store room in case of power failures in your highrise. I keep mine in my bedroom where it powers my cd player, turntable, lights, modem, laptop, and (ahem) a back massager. I run a line out the window to an 8″ x 24″ panel on the roof. Link.
Your dumpster diving and curb crawling resource. The site has over 2,000 topics and 1,500 members. It had pretty much all the information, tips, techniques and more for procuring trash and then converting it to treasures. Here in Seattle a lot of people but out good stuff on weekends with a “free” sign too. [via] Link.
A cloud chamber is used for detecting particles of ionizing radiation. It is an airtight, super cooled, supersaturated environment. Today we will show you how to build this device in he luxury of your own home with simple materials. Question: If a cop uses IR to check your speed, couldn’t you just use a simple remote control to jam his signal? Answer: Short answer…no. The first and most practical reason is that remote controls are relatively weak and they don’t have a great range.[via] Cloud Chamber, Radar jamming.
Before I could get MythTV running, I needed a computer. By temperament and experience, I am a software hacker. If something fails, you reinstall and start over. With hardware, though, you are stuck with your mistake until you pay money to correct it. After a great deal of research, I decided on the following parts… Link.
