If you have a cheap generic flash MP3 player with a voice recording feature like this Virgin flash recorder you can mod it to accept a standard microphone. Great for lo-fi podcasting. First open it up. Inside you’ll probably find something like this… Link.
Learn about the different materials and techniques you can use to physically build a robotic prototype. Rather than constructing a solid finished robot, see how to build a fast and easy prototype that can be disassembled, reconfigured, and reassembled quickly and easily. See if you can spot the MAKE! [via] Link.
Ben writes “While not using the term “Makers” explicitly, [this article] it explores and evaluates different corporate attitudes and strategies employed in response to end-user modification of products”. Many complicated, proprietary systems attract a community of underground innovators who explore and alter them — and not always in ways that manufacturers appreciate. These individuals have little regard for the business models that companies have carefully devised to profit from those systems. Link.
Sydney small business owner Eddy Stevens has won a four-year legal battle against Sony, with the High Court ruling that modding of PlayStation consoles is legal. The decision has far-reaching implications for consumers and the manufacturers of computer games. Mod chips allow gamers to ignore manufacturers’ regional coding systems and run cheaper games – made for markets outside Australia – on their consoles. Link.
Earlier there were some reports about the new FIRST-inspired robotics kits from Radioshack, VEX, not making it to store shelves. Well, in at least two Radioshacks in the Seattle area, I spotted them, and there are likely a lot more. Link.
Clever, and good review by The Gadgeteers. LeakFrog is the small water alarm with a big job. Behind the cute smile is a brain that knows when you have a water problem. LeakFrog sits patiently day and night – ready to sound its alarm at the first sign of a leak. [
You thought Mr. Coffee was convenient? Well, make some counter space for Mr. Beer. This ingenious easy-to-use kit gives you everything you need to brew your own tasty suds. It’s the most advanced and widely acclaimed home brewing product on the market. And it’s the simplest. [