| Project: |
G3
to P4 Coversion |
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Back in the day when
the G3 series came out they were the first
computer with any thought of style. But
the glory days have passed and the G3 is
almost useless for anything more than a
paper weight. So why not convert it to a
P4 and piss off a lot of mac enthusiasts
at the same time? |
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Window kits are a dime
a dozen nowadays, but there once was a time
it was just for the elite. well the good
old days are back! With this mod you can
have a window kit like no other! |
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| Project: |
Poor
Mans Raid Array |
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What could be cooler
than a terabyte of raid 5 storage space?
maybe building it entirely out of surplus
and cheap hardware! |
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| Project: |
DIY
Home Projector |
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There are so many differing
ideas, and guides out there in regard to
how to do home theater projection on a budget
that it can make the average variety of
geeks head spin! So after some thinking,
tinkering and 3 or 4 attempts to take over
the world. we decided that we write up this
guide. |
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| Project: |
The
Anti-Printer |
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Time for another flaming
monstrosity.. How about nice Xerox laser
printer converted to a high volume automatic
paper shredder? This project was featured
on 8/3/05 on toms hardware's "how to" section.
Now, here it is, un-cut and un-molested
by the Toms Hardware "editors" in all its
sarcastic glory! |
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| Project: |
LCD
Backlight Fix |
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Those of us that have
used LCD monitors for a while know that
over time the backlight starts to dim and
will eventually completely fail. Leaving
you with some electronic scrap that you
could sell on eBay for 35 bucks or so. Well
for less than $20.00 and about a half hour
of your time you can replace the backlight
and rejuvenate that monitor to as good as
new condition. |
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| Project: |
The
Force Feedback
Simulator Mark I |
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For some time I have
been rather interested in the whole immersive
simulator world. Finally I decided that
I should try to make my own finally! So
using readily available parts I did. Now
this isn't a super cheep project to do,
but I have gotten the price point down to
an affordable level for you racing enthusiasts
out there. |
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| Project: |
The
Quick Vibrating
Lock Pick |
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| It is in one of the
ethically murky recesses of humanity that
I have felt like delving into with this
project. Any type of project that effects
perception of security and stability of
life is never popular. While lock picking
is nothing new, for those who know nothing
about it, it often shocks and scares people
with its ease and sharp reality. |
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| Project: |
The
Stealth Server |
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| I had this dead ups
lying around and didn't know what to do
with it. So we threw some ideas back and
forth and the one that stuck was a hidden
rogue server. This could be used for both
good and awesome. Just think of the possibilities.
A hidden file archive, hook it up to your
hacked tivo, mess with the RIAA when the
come search your house..... (#$))_%$)*@&^(
)%^@ (NO CARRIER) |
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| Project: |
Air
Cooled Mouse Pad |
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| After a few hours of
gaming with our normal high-end mouse pads
you get a build up of sweat. The mouse and
mouse pad becomes slippery and you start
to loose your competitive advantage due
to the loss of precision. While there are
a couple mice on the market that have small
fans in them to dry out your palm, they
all have major failings in precision and
accuracy. So after some thought and discussion
we chose to build out our own custom mouse
pad with a blower in it to suck the air
down through the pad and away from the gamer’s
hand. |
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| Project: |
The Thermaltake
Minifridge
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| I never really understood
the mentality of someone that overclocked
there computer for actual every day use.
Sure, I have overclocked the hell out of
computers and had a lot of fun doing it.
It can give you a great edge in the gamming
circles. But this group of overclockers
using refrigerants and liquid cooling on
an ongoing basis…. Well it seems a
little unnatural to me to save 50.00 on
a CPU to get a lesser one to overclock and
make up the difference at the risk of the
whole system… but some where in there
is that self destructive geeky tendency
we celebrate screaming to the surface. So
with all the focus on making a cold computer
case, I decided to make a case into a drink
dispensing refrigerator just in honor of
the hard core overclockers.
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| Project: |
The
Ultimate Dance
Deck 1.0 |
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With the introduction
of the dancing gaming systems here in the
states there has been huge growth with in
the community. The problem that anyone who
is truly interested in the fitness gaming
revolution is the gross difference between
the home console and arcade dance pad quality.
Even the super high end dance pads that
cost 500+ are not considered a long term
or heavy use choice by our local community.
So I set out to create a dance deck at an
affordable price rang that would even trump
the arcade quality units. |
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| Project: |
USB Alpha Radiation
Visualizer |
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I started this project
with more of an idea of creating a system
that would visualize Cherenkov radiation
via webcam utilizing a Gamma radiation source
and heavy water in some heavy lead shielding
to produce the tell tell bursts of blue
light. Maybe hook it up to the LCD window
kit system we did and display it on the
widowed screen. Deciding to ramp up to my
project and also experimenting with other
types and sources of radiation for the project
I stumbled across a myriad of new ideas
for possible systems with some far reaching
and profound results. |
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| Project: |
The mold resistant
bread box |
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This project came from a challenge
I was given by a fan of InventGeek. Basically they chose
the most common place and mundane item they could think of
and challenged me to improve it in a practical way. So how
do you improve a bread box? Well for starters I how about
making it more useful than just a nice place to put your
bread and we are not talking about putting a computer in
it. After modding out our bread box I think we have come
up with something terribly practical. Worst case then we
have come up with a really clever science fair project
for you your kid to do. |
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| Project: |
0Db System & The Silent Ion Cooler v.1
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I have wanted to do this project for a few years now. While its was a relatively quick build, the time from the photo shoot to publish has been an extremely long and rocky road. Regardless in the end we have produced the first ionic cooling system for your high end gaming system. This system produces absolutely no noise and in fact has no moving parts at all. While this is a proof of concept it proves that you can get the CFM you need to cool a system efficiently with no moving parts and no increase in power consumption. |
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| Project: |
The Silent Ion Cooler v.2 |
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Due to popular request we have built this miniaturized ion cooler as a second step in its evaluation. We chose to use an external design for several reasons, all of which mitigate concerns from people on our initial prototype. One of the biggest concerns was with regards to the air moving through the computer possibly having a imbalanced electrical charge or alternately producing to much ozone and possibly damaging components in the system. By mounting the unit at the rear of the case with it sucking air out of the case we are able to still achieve beneficial results and address these issues. |
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| Project: |
The USB Airsoft Turret v.1 |
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We will be modifying a simple USB based foam missile launcher base and an 350 rounds per minute airsoft gun then blending them into a USB airsoft turret. This project is perfect for shooting the local office mullard, century turret for your home, or even pidgin control. These airsoft guns shoot a plastic BB at up to 250 FPS and is powerful enough to leave some healthy welts on unsuspecting targets. |
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| Project: |
Airsoft Turret v.2 |
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As promised here is version 2.0 of the airsoft turret project. Based on an overwhelming amount of fan feedback from the first project we decided to make the platform a little more flexible by supporting both USB and Radio Controlled interfaces so more people with different interests will be able to tinker with it. So for this project we will be detailing the construction of the turret and building the base as more of an experimental platform so you can choose what method you want to use. |
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| Project: |
Ultimate Dance Deck 2.0 |
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This project has really taken a lot of time to finally get published. It has kind of taken a back burner to our other projects just due to its sheer scale. At the time of this article being written we have over 150 images and the article takes more pages than any other article we have ever produced. It’s just HUGE! So why is it getting finished now? Hardcore Gamer Magazine wanted to feature our older version of our dance pad. This new version is so far and above superior that I had to give them this. In fact they are featuring the world premiere of this article. So, with no further adieu. The ultimate dance Deck 2.0 |
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Just when I thought I didn’t have another ionic wind cooling project left in me I was more or less overwhelmed with emails from our last version that really let me know there is strong interest in this type of system cooling. So I decided to put one more idea together that would provide far better performance than the 2.0 project and still fall well enough in affordable bracket that it’s still practical for everyday use. After tinkering around one afternoon I came up with the concept for this little project.. |
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| Project: |
Kegerator Cooled Computer |
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I have wanted to do some extreme cooling projects for a while now. We have been swamped by a few huge new projects that we are extremely excited for. But I thought this would be a good time for a project of a smaller scale. After surfing the internet finding parts, experiencing the difficulties of getting a keg in Utah, and sweet talking some ebayers I was able to get the parts I needed for a quick build. If you’re experienced with system building or water cooling this will be old hat. If you’re experienced with kegerators and not necessarily computers… Get someone to help you. |
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| Project: |
Geek Scooter / Wifi Platform |
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It is quite an experience to be cruising in your J33p (that's Jeep in L33t for the uninitiated out there) with the windows down (car windows not the OS) knowing two things with absolute confidence. First, you have a car that James Bond would be envious of, ok well maybe not James Bond but Frank Drebin from Naked Gun for sure. Second, the song that you happen to be blasting (White and Nerdy by Weird All) let's all the homeys know that you are truly l33t. |
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| Project: |
Geek Scooter / Wifi Platform |
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While working for my current employer I had the opportunity to use my 20th level geek skills to produce an extremely high density mobile computing platform in a scooter for a promotional campaign we created for a client. The end result was a rolling system capable of long distance war driving, GPS navigation, Skype calls on the road, an internet hot spot, a low power pir8 radio station, as well as recording your favorite TV program so you don’t miss Lost because you are lost. If that’s not over the top enough you can actually drive your scooter to say the Grand Canyon, plug in your electric guitar and perform live over the web at a whim! |
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| Project: |
Laser Fab LED Necklaces |
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With the maker faire this month I decided to make some bling to bring. Having made 80 of these necklaces in august that I brought with me to burning man this year, the process is now super refined and easy. The cost to make one of these is very cheap, bordering on about 1.50 each. But the coolness factor is off the charts. At burning man I had a box of several colors of LED’s as well as some color fading ones. The color fading ones were by far the most popular. Anyway here is the how to… |
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| Project: |
EL-Wire Butterfly Wings |
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I did this as a fun project for a friend for the element 11 festival in Utah this spring. They turned out so wonderful that I had to write them up for all of you. This really makes a great Halloween costume and if you have little ones it makes it really easy to see where they are. EL Wire rocks! |
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| Project: |
Photo Bio Reactor Array V.2 |
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This project is the second version of the basic photo bio reactor array that I started with. While it may look similar to the previous version is dramatically different overall. This design has many improvements that make it far more sustainable and practical for long-term use. I really focused on making it highly modular and insuring it was rugged for prolonged outdoor use that is easier to fill and harvest from. While the array is smaller for this project it can be scaled to any size or requirement. |
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For some reason I felt like taking a lot of risks this summer and I was spending a lot of time in dried up lake beds. So I started fooling around with building my own kite karts. Basically a kite cart is a strange cross between a go cart and a large parafoil kite. With a wide stance and being low to the ground it’s really a rush to get this thing moving. Now this design I did with a couple purposes in mind so that it can also double easily as a sail kart as well. With no angle cuts or pipe bends this is the simplest design I could come up with. |
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| Project: |
DIY Diamond Grease |
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Anybody who is a true computer hardware enthusiast these days knows that keeping your CPU from overheating while pushing it to its limits is one of the most important concerns. Thermal compounds like arctic silver are the front line of that defense, conducting the heat directly from the CPU to the heat sink. Without the compound, small imperfections in the surface of the heat sink can render the heat sink almost useless and lesser compounds can actually insulate your processor. Thermal compounds that are available for purchase have remained unchanged for some time. So I descided it was time to reinvent my thermal compound needs with some diamond dust! |
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| Project: |
Photo-Bio-Reactor V1 |
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I have wanted to do this a project for a long time and with earth day this year it kinda just fit timing wise. Its really a simple and quick build, yet getting the level up in bio-friendly-geek makes this all the more fun. Now I admit that I have a lacking of unquenchable aspirations to being a hugger of trees or a crusader of tofu and hemp. But I do believe in making changes so that the poor saps that come along after me might have the world a little less badly off for them. Let’s face it, we kind of effed up the whole earth thing... but watching the rhythmic bubbling in 12 clear pipes with happy green microalgae floating in them makes me forget it all. |
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So there is no hiding the fact that I have been interested in ultraviolet light lately. I also have a few dead LCD monitors laying around I have been experimenting with. It was only natural that I would combine the two to help show off my fluorescing rock collection. This is a really easy build and cheap as well if you have a dead monitor laying around. The best part is the older the monitor the worse the viewing angle, and that works out real well for us making the light highly directional. |
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