DIY Video hardware For film-like FX
Jean sent in a great round up of hardware you can build to make your own videos look more film like “…a guerrilla movie maker tool, making a Track Dolly and making a Lens Hood for a Camcorder. And while on the DIY tip, is worth mentioning the old photographer trick of keeping a string tripod in your pocket to help stabilise a still camera ( a bolt that fits into your camera tripod hole, with string attached which u stand on and pull taut – presto less camera movement ). And I’m not going to bother, but the DIY LCD projector system is cute too…” Link.
Here’s a way to get Flickr photos on your iPod automatically – photocasting! – “I use flickr and when i got my iPod Video i felt that Photo Podcasting had been overlooked. After some googling and hunting on del.icio.us i couldn’t find any easy way to do this with iTunes, iPhoto or some flickr hacks. I gave it a rest until i discovered that Kalli, a fellow iPod owner and flickr nerd, was interested in getting photo podcasting going. We created a workflow in Automator that, combined with iCal, becomes a photo podcasting client.” Thanks Addi!
Tasty! “The Apple Airport Express is a wonderful piece of hardware. The only drawback I have exprerienced with this device is its relatively low signal sensitivity. Having noticed that, I started looking for a way to connect an external antenna to extend the range of the Airport Express…This idea is to put the Airport Express in the middle of the parabolic kitchenware. In other words to make a kind of a passive wifi antenna enhancer. Et voila!” [
Raphael writes “Ah the NES! It’s old but still great. And with a few mods, hacks, and tweaks, it can get even better. This page resumes what I have done to restore my NES games and improve my NES console, such as adding stereo sound outputs, a remote reset button, disabling the lockout chip and cleaning cartridges.”
I might need to make one of these radio controlled digital camera planes, otherwise it’s somewhat tempting to get one Wal-Mart, ug “Take fantastic digital pictures from an eagle’s-eye view with the amazing Estes XB 39 Eagleye Radio Control Digital Camera Plane. The giant Eagleye has a wingspan of 55 inches, is 34 inches in length and has twin ducted fan jet engines. Best of all, you can take up to 26 aerial photographs with a simple push of a button on the transmitter.” [
Fun calendar project “A
Cool idea, this little device samples and stores the color of something you like – “RGBy, by Shinya Matsuyama and Makoto Hirahara, is a cube-shaped lamp that senses color and glows with the sensed color. For example, when you find a nice color at a flower garden or a designer clothes store, you can use RGBy to capture the color to appreciate it.”