The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the kitchen, garage and backyard from food to furniture to fun & games for your family.
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. Link.
Xbox modification has come a long way in the past couple years. With the introduction of the TSOP mod, potential modders no longer had to shell out money for a modchip; rather just bridge two points on the Xbox motherboard. Now one doesn’t even have to open up his Xbox. Welcome to the world of soft modding. Using code exploits in certain games, a user is able to load a phony gamesave that will boot into a Linux based operating system and allow a user to mod his Xbox… in under ten minutes. Link.
Two German students have invented a beer mat, or coaster, that uses sensor chips to determine when the beer glass it supports is empty and then radios the bartender for a refill. One of the students interviewed for the story suggested that lifting mugs from sensing mats could double as a voting system during karaoke competitions. [via] Link.
If you’re in Europe Oct 17-20 join us at the MAKE Faire At Euro OSCON! Phil Torrone: computer, portable device, and gadget hacking. Beth Goza: digital crafting in the virtual world. Nick and Dom Ludlam: open source promise.tv and digital TV hacking. Fabienne Serriere: electronics and computer hacks. Ewan Spence: podcasting projects. Ulrika Ek: crafting, linen, and silk screening. Fernando Botelho: open source computer for the blind. Bert Thomas: electronic gadget hacking. Melissa Coleman and Nadya Peek: spatial awareness with tactile feedback. Usman Haque and Adam Somlai-Fischer: low-tech sensors and actuators. Roger Ibars: self-made objects. Mark Hoekstra: master the stuff around you. Jo Walsh and Schuyler Erle: cutting-edge OS GIS and open geodata work. Link. Use this code (euos05makr) to get 25% off the conference.
If a household ladder is extended with a melodic function, it will develop into a real musical instrument. The ordinary ladder transforms into a soundladder. Stepping on a bar of the ladder creates a sound or tone which is different from rung to rung. So you can create a piece of music by stepping up and down on the ladder. Together with a partner you can even play a duet. Link.
The Atari brand has traded hands in the years since Pong hit the scene, but the new owners are still milking some mileage out of this game and 39 others with Atari Flashback 2. This $30 device offers a fun and affordable glimpse into the gaming’s past — one that, for better and worse, looks nothing like the present. Link. You can also make your own Atari PC DIY style…
Here’s another great app for your pre-2.0 PSP or your newly downgraded PSP. Team Xboxopensource has released the Apple II Portable emulator for PSP. Apple II Portable is a homebrew application which will emulate the Apple II on your PSP. Link.
