Hacking your MacBook Air restore drive to install OSX Lion

macbook_air_restore_media_unlocker

[Josh Wright] wrote in with a handy little hack just in time for today’s release of Mac OSX Lion. If you’re not familiar with the new version of the OS, Apple has decided to change things up this time around, completely eliminating physical distribution media. In the event that you need to run a factory restore, this becomes an issue for some users. Computers with DVD drives can run a … [Read more...]

Too much time, not enough pressure

pressure-guage-clock

[Audin] got a hold of a pressure gauge and decided to turn it into a clock. We were under the impression that these types of gauges were filled with oil but he didn't detail cleaning it up for his purposes. Once he gained access to the guts he replaced them with a stepper motor. The motor connects to an Arduino with the help of a Darlington array for handling the large load. [Audin's] plans … [Read more...]

Restoring yellowed computer plastics

retr0brite1

Many of our cherished computers and consoles from the past have not stood up well over time. It's not the hardware as much as the color. From Commodores, Apples, to Super Nintendos, the machines have slowly drifted towards a sickly yellow and even brown. The culprit appears to be the fire retardant chemicals used in the plastics. Amiga enthusiasts have spent the last year perfecting a technique … [Read more...]