How-To: Save a wet cell phone
The folks over at Geek Squad produced this helpful infographic describing a rescue method that might help save your phone if you accidentally dunk it in water.
Wireless
Dirt-cheap robotics prototyping environment with Android
Tim Heath and Ryan Hickman’s Truckbot could be built for under $20 (excluding mobile). That’s pretty impressive for such an open and accessible robotics prototyping environment. Using a laser-cut cardboard chassis, $3 micro servos, and a bare bones Arduino, the duo have assembled one of the cheapest platforms to come along in some time.
In the Maker Shed: Go wireless with XBee!
Making you next project go wireless isn’t as difficult as you might think. By using the XBee and XBee Adaptor kit from the Maker Shed, you eliminate a lot of the difficultly in creating a wireless network. The XBee 802.15.4 protocol 1mW wireless module is a great solution for point-to-point, and multipoint networking. Don’t forget to pick up the adapter too!
iHexi iPhone controlled Hexapod robot
In this video robotics student Robert Stephenson demonstrates an iPhone app he wrote to wirelessly control his Hexapod robot.
Wireless Robotics Platform: R/C Vehicle + Arduino + XBee + Processing
An anonymous MAKE subscriber writes in to let us know about this very cool wireless robotics platform based on the Arduino and an XBee. The purpose of the project was to teach their 9-year old son about programming in Processing. What a great way to introduce programming to kids!
How-To: Car tires to running shoes
Andrew Salomone wrote a project for CRAFT, in which is guides you though creating a pair of retro-style running shoes from old tires and a busted pair of jeans. It’s upcrafting month on CRAFT, where we explore all the possibilities surrounding repurposed, recycled, and refashioned crafts!
Blind camera takes somebody else’s photos
Buttons is part of a project by artist Sascha Pohflepp called Blinks and Buttons. It is, essentially, a “blind camera.” It has no optical parts, only a big inviting red button and an LCD screen. When you press the button, it records the time, then wirelessly searches the internet for a photo taken at the same moment. [Thanks, Billy Baque!]
