home hacks

1873 Articles

Make Cotton Candy At Home

April 15, 2010 by 23 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYmBGOiMOIo&w=470]

If you are anything like us, you are suddenly filled with childlike glee when you think of big fluffy poofs of cotton candy. The thought of making it at home has a certain appeal, but that machine is a mystery reserved only for those elite enough to get through cotton candy maker school. Or so we thought. As it turns out, it is actually quite simple. You can make one and be serving cotton candy in an afternoon with parts you probably have sitting around. The video above is pretty easy to follow, but if you want more information, there’s an instructable as well.

[via MakeZine]

Electronic Wind Chime

April 14, 2010 by 16 Comments

The Winduino II uses fins to pick up the movement of the wind and translate it into music. Each fin is attached to the main body using a piezo vibration sensor. The signals are processed by an Arduino housed inside and the resulting data makes its way to a computer via a Bluetooth connection to facilitate the use of Max/MSP for the audio processing. Included in the design is an array of solar panels used to keep the battery for the device charged up. Hear and see this creative piece after the break.

Continue reading “Electronic Wind Chime” →

Project J.A.R.V.I.S.

April 7, 2010 by 59 Comments

[brightcove vid=76029544001&exp3=16977198001&surl=http://c.brightcove.com/services&pubid=245991542&w=470&h=325]

Project J.A.R.V.I.S. is an attempt to create a digital life assistant, or DLA. The name comes from the version in the movie Iron Man. While the details of the build are pretty slim, you can see that he’s using a mac mini for the base with an Arduino controlled RFID reader at his door. What is really interesting is how functional he has actually made it. Watch the video on the site to see a pretty good explanation of features.

[via Gizmodo]

How-to: Make A Mains Crossover Cable

April 1, 2010 by 397 Comments

Update: This How-To was written for April Fools’ Day. It is not advised  you attempt to make or even use this cable. The comments have made it very clear how dangerous to you and others using this cable can be. The image above is not of a full male-to-male cable, only the ground is connected, and the generator is not running.

We all know Ethernet has the crossover cable, cars have jumper cables, and RS232 has the null modem. Well, it is about time our wall sockets get their own crossover cable. This crossover cable is great for running power to a circuit disconnected from power. Maybe you are out of fuses, the breaker is broken or you just don’t want to go check the fuse box when there is a murderer about. This cable makes a great gift for even the most loathsome of acquaintances. Continue reading “How-to: Make A Mains Crossover Cable” →

Lawnbot 400: An Update To An Update

March 26, 2010 by 13 Comments

Driven by the relentless nagging encouragement of the Hackaday commenters, [Johndavid400] has improved the Lawnbot 400. No longer does it just sport a makeshift wooden shelf. he now has a wheel barrow attachment. It looks quite sturdy as long as that front hinge holds out. There is an actuator coming in the near future for dumping the contents as well. Also, we suspect that might be a shovel in this picture.

Lawnbot400 Saves Wheelbarrow Trips

March 25, 2010 by 22 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZETK74RWn8]

We may be good at soldering but when it comes to hauling topsoil our scrawny arms quiver. [Johndavid400] did the smart thing here by letting the machine do all the work. Instead of hauling an entire truckload of dirt across the yard one wheelbarrow at a time, he built a shelf on the top of his Lawnbot400. We saw this lawnmower Arduino-powered, remote control mower back in November. The addition of its ability to handle some of the manual labor makes it the perfect backyard hack.

[Via Embedds]