Technology

DIY Assassin’s Creed Arm Blade Prop

DIY Assassin’s Creed Arm Blade Prop

Prop building is engrained in Maker culture. Motion picture special effects, steampunk finery, live action role playing games, cosplay, historical reenactments, and the theater all rely on props to help tell the story. For the enthusiast, building a prop is a great way to channel enthusiasm for a particular subject and expand the user experience. The research and attention to detail poured into some prop building projects can even surpass the original inspiration in form and function.

Ask MAKE: Beginning Electronics and Dog Transponder Dreams

Ask MAKE: Beginning Electronics and Dog Transponder Dreams

Tony asks:

I am really interested in learning about electronics and how to make kits and potentially make things with my kids. However, I am more creative than technical and I was wondering where would be a good book/kit/guide to start with. I am not an engineer and I don’t know anything about circuits, semiconductors or arduino. My dream would to be able to make a gadget i could put on my dog’s leash and it would transmit signals via gps/3g as to where he was if he ran away (which he manages to a lot).

Kinect-Controlled Skateboard

Kinect-Controlled Skateboard

This longboard features a tablet computer, Kinect, and 800-watt electric motor, and reaches a max speed of 32 MPH. Chaotic Moon Labs’ “Board of Awesomeness” is intended as a technology teaser to show how perceptive computing can turn around the way we look at user experiences. The project utilizes a Microsoft Kinect device, Samsung Windows […]

iPhone Speaker Dock from Atari 2600

iPhone Speaker Dock from Atari 2600

DIY speaker enclosures are a great way to add a little personal style into your decor. Daniel McLeod’s Recycled Atari 2600 Portable Media Audio Dock has to be one of the cooler enclosures I’ve run across lately. Replacing the internals with speakers and including a 30-pin iPhone connector on the cartridge, this custom speaker is […]