Mark writes “Having some issues with my G3-keyboard in my 12″ ibook, I was lucky to find a G4-keyboard cheap, only it was an Azerty-model and meant for a 14″… After trying all kinds of solutions, I decided in the end to make it a ‘Das iBook Keyboard'” Link.
Make pal jason Striegel writes “I wish I could say I had a half-million dollar budget to put towards a Stanford style Grand Challenge vehicle, but I’m afraid I’ve already earmarked that money for thermoptic camouflage and bionic calf implants. Still, it seems like you just can’t be a self respecting hacker these days unless you have an autonomous Humvee or two. So, I decided it would be a worthwhile project to create a smaller scale robotic car. After a quick treasure-hunt under the sofa cusions and a trip to Radio Shack, I had everything I needed.” Link.
“From Ray Wilson, inventor of the Soundlab Mini Synth comes the Wacky Electronic Noise Maker Thingy. It’s a much simpler circuit, which produces surprisingly cool pulsing, bleeping type noises. You can hear sound clips here. It’s made with a handful of components, a few pots and switches and a 9v battery. There’s a very clear schematic, a PCB design and a stripboard layout.” Thanks Tom! Link.
Here’s another laptop to picture frame project – this one uses an iBook. The iBook screen was flipped around, a new color added and the whole thing uses a hockey puck to stand on its own. The power button was moved to a more accessible spot too. Link.
By using an old laptop, a home made chat-cord and some parts from an old telephone you can build a telephone tapping device. Add Atropos to the mix and you have yourself an telephone call archiving system that will save all incoming and outgoing calls. Maybe not that legal if you actually use it, as it’s illegal to tap phones in most contries. It’ss probably even illegal to tap you own phone but a fun project non the less. Step by step instructions and and even a sample of an incoming phone call. Link. Might be good for podcasting.
Peter writes “It’s toasters as musical instruments: people are stuffing guitar amps and effects and synths into vintage toasters, with tricked-out options like chrome paint, rubber tires, and flame throwers. And yes, they still make toast.” Link. Also worth mentioning, Peter has 3 great DIY music articles in MAKE 04.
Seems to me this would could be used with a GPS and low cost portable computer for the blind…“a belt which enables its user to feel his orientation in space via vibrotactile stimulation. This belt is equipped with a set of vibrators controlled by an electronic compass: the element pointing north is always slightly vibrating. That way, the person wearing the belt gets permanent input about his heading relative to the earth’s magnetic field.” [via] Link.
