G4’s Attack of the Show had the folks from the aiBAR on – they will be in our new Makers book we’re about to announce soon – “Nate Strech, Joel Wollborg, and Torrey Baumstark have an unhealthy obsession with drinking that has resulted in the creation of the aiBAR, an automated robotic bartender. It’s not yet available commercially, but we think their idea has definite profit potential.” [via] Link.
Excellent project – “After playing on many different synths and copying several designs. I decided that I had to have a minimoog… Unfortunately the cost of a second hand minimoog is anything between 1000-2000 Euros depending on age and condition. So the only choice I have is to look at doing my own copy with the aim of keeping the circuits and design as original as possible. Having never played one, or seen one until a few months ago I have managed to amass a reasonable collection of circuits and pictures in order to help me in my quest.” [via] Link.
“There’s a super article in Popular Electronics, May 1996, pp 48-52, 78, titled “Build a Magnetic Ball Levitator”, by James Cicon. It describes how to build an electromagnet with an optical sensor which will keep a hollow steel ball floating in the air about 1/4″ below the electromagnet. This is like the globe of the earth which is suspended in air under an electromagnet that can be purchased for about $125. The material costs for this project is only about $20.” Link.
Wow, this will likely be commonplace in just a few years…“Build a low-cost, terabyte-sized backup server using Linux and back up your digital audio files, digital images and digital movie recordings. A terabyte-plus backup and storage system is now an affordable option for Linux users. This article discusses options for building and configuring an inexpensive, expandable, Linux-based backup server.” Link.
“What you see before you is an OPEN DSP system. People are currently using it to create some of the most ORIGINAL-SOUNDING EFFECTS and INSTRUMENTS in the world, since its architecture is open. Its users tweak, modify, CUSTOMIZE, improve and develop the software it comes with. It’s inexpensive and can be quite portable. It runs MIDI or connects to your Palm Pilot. Some programs don’t require either to make fun and useful effects.” [via] Link.
Bill writes “When I saw the retro-phone handset on thinkgeek I knew I wanted one. Then I realized they wanted $30+ for it, and I thought to myself — I can build that. So after some cutting, testing, and building I have finished my Retro-Cell phone handset, and I will show you how you can build your own for under $10.00″ Link.
Here’s how to make your own Canon Digital Rebel XT remote. “Instead of paying $20+ for a fragile remote on a short cable that has less features, I picked up about $10 in parts from Fry’s.” The article has a link to a how-to PDF and example photos. Link.
