News From The Future: Tattoo Tracks Sodium And Glucose Via iPhone
Using a nanosensor “tattoo” and a modified iPhone, cyclists could closely monitor sodium levels to prevent dehydration, and anemic patients could track their blood oxygen levels.
Computers & Mobile
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for digital gadgetry, open code, smart hacks, and more. Processing power to the people!
DIY Case for iPhone 4
Yes, you can cross-stitch your own artwork onto this nifty iPhone 4 case. What got me excited about it was that you could just as easily cross-stitch soft circuits on it with conductive thread. With a little extra effort you could barrow a little power and networking from the handset to give your project that extra kick. Or maybe you’ve always wanted a self-portrait done as a miniature latch hook rug. The possibilities are endless with this DIY case for iPhone 4 available from ThinkGeek.
Romo: “Legs” For Your Smartphone
Here’s an elegant idea: A treaded “tank” type platform for your smartphone, controlled via the headphone jack. All the software lives in the phone, and can be downloaded, installed, modified, and shared as apps. It’s the work of Peter Seid and Phu Nguyen at Seattle’s Romotive, Inc. Their already-funded Kickstarter is still ongoing.
Raytheon-Sarcos Prototype Power Loader
It rolls on tracks instead of walking, but this ditch-witch style tracked chassis retrofit with a pair of giant waldos is pretty much the power loader from Aliens. This video showing it in action is a great news segment from Ed Yeates of Utah’s KSL-TV, right up to the point where they start talking about the system as an “equalizer” opening up jobs to women “that might’ve otherwise been closed just based on strength issues.”
Galaxy S II-Powered CubeStormer II
First Chess, then Jeopardy, now the Rubic’s Cube. Mike Dobson and David Gilday’s CubeStormer II Rubic’s Cube solving robot successfully beat Australian Feliks Zemdegs’ 5.66 second record by solving a cube in a mere 5.352 seconds. The feat was accomplished using four LEGO Mindstorm NXT kits controlled by a Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone. The Singularity is near, I tell ya.
MAKE Flickr Pool Weekly Roundup
I’m beginning to suspect an October conspiracy: While last week’s Flickr pool submissions, on average, had a distinctly orange hue, this week they are distinctly black. And I’ll give dollars to donuts that next week, sure as clockwork, we’ll start to see actual jack-o-lanterns. Our featured image this week is cosplayer JiaJem,as “Jack,” from Mass Effect 2, sporting Shawn Thorsson’s sweet “Predator Heavy Pistol” replica prop.
iPhone 4S Teardown
Once again, it would appear that the folks over at iFixit have let all of the magic smoke out of the latest iPhone. This time around they were confronted with the eerily familiar iPhone 4S. On the outside it looks and feels like an iPhone 4. On the inside they were confronted with a different phone altogether. Dual-Core A5 processor, 8 MP rear camera with new optics, Bluetooth 4.0, Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE + Dual-band CDMA/EVDO radios.