The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for digital gadgetry, open code, smart hacks, and more. Processing power to the people!
Wired article about making free ringtones – “Cell-phone customers have spent more than $4 billion on ringtones taken primarily from popular hits. Now MIT’s Media Lab hopes to unleash some new creativity into this market with a ringtone composition tool to the masses for free.” Link. Get the software here.
Javier writes “Cool idea for enabling kids to actually make something usable in shop class: from the website: “The fact is, kids have always wanted to make skateboard decks in their woodshop classes but teachers and students never knew how to put the concave shapes and turned up nose and tail in the wood. Decks cut out of plywood and pine stock just don’t work! And where do you drill for correct wheel placement in order to get proper flex and balance? Well, Skateboardsforschools.com has taken care of all of that for you!” [via]. Link.
MAKE was nominated in the best crafts blog category for the 2006 bloggies. Thank you so much to everyone out there who nominated us, and now that we’re up there – head on over and vote for MAKE! Today is the last day to vote!Link.
CK sample of PSP Hack the book fame has a great how-to on using the eLoader to run homebrew on the PSP – “The solution isn’t in the form of a downgrader, but rather in the form of an eLoader (EBOOT loader) that lets you use Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories to run homebrew on a PSP with version 2.0, 2.01, 2.5, and 2.6 of the firmware. Not all homebrew will run via this method, but there is a rather easy to read compatibility chart and I’m sure more things will begin working in future releases of the eLoader.” Link.
If you know Flash, you can make games for that slick little U10 “The iRiver U10 is a new portable media player from Reigncom Ltd. whose entire user interface is implemented in Flash Lite 1.1. This means the player itself is embedded in the operating system. The device has the ability to play back Flash SWF files that you transfer to the device using the included USB cable. The device’s unique form factor and UI make it particularly well suited for simple Flash games. The device has a four-way navigational control built into the display screen. To press Up, Down, Left, or Right, you actually squeeze the edge of the screen, which produces a slight tactile click and sends a keyPress event to the Flash Lite player.” Link.
And we’re back! PSPupdates is cranking out the PSP goodness! – “That’s right, the day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! Thanks to the fantastic work by our forum moderator Fanjita and his coding companion Ditlew, it is now possible to play vast amounts of homebrew programs and emulators on every PSP in the world, including those with 2.60 Firmware! Thanks to their monumental achievement, every PSP in the world is capable of playing homebrew!” [via] Link.
Here’s this week’s “cool stuff being made!” – “…animation of the making of a flat panel display. In fact, you’re probably looking at one now. This shows you how once again you are surrounded by manufactured products: cars, food, clothing, flat panel displays. Without manufactured products, the world would be a quiet and empty (and hungry) place.” [via] Link.
