Mods

Prosthetic Arm Smartphone Dock

Somerset catering manager, Trevor Prideaux, found that he was having trouble texting ever since he upgraded his handset to a smartphone. Ultimately, this didn’t stop Trevor. The resourceful Mr. Prideaux enlisted help from device manufacturer Nokia and professionals from the Exeter Mobility Centre to help design and fabricate a prototype prosthetic arm that could hold his smartphone while he typed. The result, developed in just five weeks by prosthethist Steve Gallichan, technician Les Street, and undergrad Sara Bennett looks like a natural fit.

Android on a 23″ Touchscreen

For some reason we seem to be stuck on the latest handset or tablet and can’t quite seem to break free of the allure of the $500 gewgaw. What happens when you want to read the morning news and aren’t quite satisfied with the handheld screen size? Well, if you’re like Martin Drashkov, you’ll grab some off-the-shelf components and cobble together a proof-of-concept and call it the Android MegaPad.

CNC-cut Wooden Sega Saturn Case Mod

CNC-cut Wooden Sega Saturn Case Mod

Why settle for off-the-shelf when you can have it your way? Turkish modder c_mon built this custom CNC-cut wooden Sega Saturn enclosure complete with 5-inch LCD liberated from a PSOne, extra cooling fans, stereo speakers, and some cool blue EL wire trim. In addition to custom engraved graphics, attention to detail is spent on custom hinges to support the combination CD drive cover/LCD monitor.

Tattoo of Schematic Brings Geek-Chic to New Level

Tattoo of Schematic Brings Geek-Chic to New Level

While riding New York City’s L Train, I spotted this tattoo on an anonymous Williamsburg-bound hipster. I only had a few moments to chat with him as my stop was coming up, but he claims it is a full schematic for a guitar amplifier circuit. It heartens me to think that a piece of engineering ephemera has elevated itself to hipster tattoo art, but another part of me is dismayed. After further inquiry, it turns out the tattoo owner is a musician and actually has no clue what any of those strange symbols mean on his arm.

Make: Projects – Secret Garage Door Remote

Make: Projects – Secret Garage Door Remote

This easy mod retains all of the convenience of the remote clipped to the visor while dispelling most of the risk. The remote button is concealed on the underside of a plastic beverage cup that rests in your cup-holder, with the electronics concealed inside the cup. To activate the opener, just push down on the top of the cup. From outside of the car (and from inside it, too), the remote looks like an empty soda cup you just haven’t thrown out yet.

Android on HP TouchPad

Android on HP TouchPad

If you dropped $99 on a discounted HP TouchPad hoping to run the latest CyanogenMod, you’ll have to wait a little longer. In the meantime you can occupy yourself with this proof-of-concept video showing Android running on the device. The team says they’re still working on the touchscreen driver and have resorted to a “blatant publicity stunt” in order to get their hands on more TouchPads for testing.