This is going to be really interesting- the creator of BitTorrent just launched the BitTorrent search engine. This might be a great way to find all the music and films released in to the Creative Commons from one search engine. Link.
WikiTrivia is a clever site that uses Wiki entries as the trivia questions. The questions are a little hard, but when I’m waiting in line or have time to kill I’ve been playing on my phone a lot lately (View image)- it works great and I think I used to pay $ for the trivia games my carrier supplied- this is better and there are entries on the Wiki I’ve worked on so I might get at least one right. Link.
This isn’t a new project, but one I really like- a Hitachi TRK-8200HR + Fujitsu Stylistic 1200 Color Tablet PC running a MediaCar interface with custom skin in portrait mode to simulate a Boombox. The housing is an actual Boombox and it looks great. The Maker can also record radio right to the system too. Nicely done! Link.
Here’s a great Phidgets project. We chose to build a ubiquitous version of the 80’s arcade classic “Whack the Mole” since we thought it would be a fun, addictive way of integrating the computer with a really physical game. To make the game a little more sophisticated than the original we made a multiplayer game where one person using a virtual version of our game can connect to the physical game board. Link.
MAKE pals over at iFabricate have a project I didn’t notice until now– Create your own super hi-tech 3-D laser scanner. Using just a laser pointer, wine glass, rotating platform, and a digital video camera, you can make accurate 3-D models of a object or person. Convert the video to an avi. Use an edge detection algorithm to find the location of the laser line. Reconstruct your 3-D model. Link.
Great art project on display in NYC- The goal is to stimulate users to rethink spending patterns, view consumption with a different perspective, and explore issues of material possessions and consumption. The vending machine, not only supports the function of an automated, self-contained system for swapping, but also frames the interaction in the problematic cultural context which it comments, insinuating notions of the immediacy, instant-gratification, and convenience, values often associated with vending machines. [via] Link.
Handy for homebrew GB games- GBAccelerator is our latest and most innovative modification for the Game Boy Advance & GBA SP. GBAccelerator allows you to change the speed of the GBA to one of four speeds including: normal, fast, ultra and slow-motion by simply simultaneously pressing three GBA buttons. GBAccelerator is useful for a number of games and applications. Link.
