The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.
Greg writes “Have you ever been playing an xbox game, and feel the rumble in your hands, and think to yourself, “It sure would be cool to have a rumble pack in a mouse”. My friend thought this, and he proceeded to make the very first Rumble Mouse…” Greg made a USB version, here’s how he did it – Link.
Here’s another book on my list to pick up. “Whether you’re just discovering Tetris or you’ve been a Pong junkie since puberty, Chris Kohler’s Retro Gaming Hacks is your indispensable new guide to classic games. Kohler has compiled the how-to information that used to take weeks of web surfing to find and presents it in highly readable Hacks style. Serving up 85 hard-nosed hacks for reviving the classic games, including tips on hacking ancient hardware, home-brewing classic software, and adapting today’s equipment for retro games, Retro Gaming Hacks hands you the joystick” Link. (O’Reilly also publishes MAKE).
A small family farm in Mexico will go under due to drought conditions and you decide to help.
Complete HOW TO and source code for making a barcode scanner out of LEGOs. The Barcode Scanner uses standard LEGO parts with two exceptions. The first is the laserbrick, a selfbuilt LEGO brick with a modified laser pointer connected to an output of the RCX. The second part is the barcode label from a LEGO box.Thanks Douglas! Link.
Rick writes “Always wanted to experience the thrill of real flying but can’t afford it? Always wanted that ultimate accessory for you MS Flight Simulator 2000? This may just be the thing. Build your own motion system with 4 axis motion and a simple non direct connection to the simulator software. Fly that dream :)” There are 4 chapters for free and the PDF is $15, not too bad. Link.
In November Target Stores will offer BigGames Home Video Arcades – real arcade machines for the home that will retail for less than $500. Each unit plays 12 of the original arcade versions of the most popular Midway games including: Defender, Defender II, Robotron, Joust, Bubbles, Splat, Sinistar, Rampage, Rootbeer Tapper, Wizard of Wor, Timber, and Satan’s Hollow. Also – Dicks Sporting Goods will be carrying the tabletop version of the cabinet. I am totally going to get one of these, take it apart and see if I can add more games. Thanks Brian! [via] Link.
A Maker writes “OK, this has to be the CRAZIEST Lego project ever built. For real. From what the father of the idea said today in the Lugnet Robotics List, it involves +20.000 bricks and 13 RCX units that communicate in 2 communication chambers each with a seperate program. Build time was +300 hours. It runs on NQC software and it’s ALL Lego, except for the ball. Built by Gerrit Bronsveld and Martijn Boogaarts.” [via] Link.
