A tachometer, or RPM counter, is a device that measures the speed of something that's rotating. In a car with a manual transmission, the tachometer can be helpful in determining when to release the clutch and how much gas to give when you're taking off. This DIY Arduino Tachometer by Chris on PyroElectro uses an infrared transmitter and receiver break-beam pair to measure the RPM of a computer fan. When the fan blade passes between the transmitter and receiver, the IR beam counts the interrup...
A spectrometer is a device that splits light into all of the different colors it's composed of that can't be seen with the naked eye. It does this by using a prism to refract or bend the light. Jeffrey Warren over at Public Labs created a tutorial showing how you can make your own video spectrometer and create spectra like the one pictured below. Any guesses as to what the subject is? Believe it or not, that's what whipped cream looks like when viewed through a spectrometer. You can do this w...
Dippin' Dots are a fun way to enjoy ice cream, but the price tag is not so fun. Plus, the company filed for bankruptcy last year, so they may not be around much longer. The good news is that you don't need them—you can make your own at home with some ice cream and liquid nitrogen. Redditor hypoid77 posted instructions on how to make your own DIY Dippin' Dots Maker out of a Styrofoam cooler, a couple two-liter bottles, a thumbtack, and some liquid nitrogen. Use the thumbtack to poke a 3-inch p...
It's been proven over and over that you can make batteries out of fruits and vegetables such as lemons, potatoes, and even apples. Turns out, passion fruit is also acidic enough to power a battery, but Maui Makers member Ryan K decided to take it a step further by adding a laser. Passion fruit, or Lilikoi as it's called in Hawaii, is usually over-abundant in Maui, so Ryan decided to put it to good use. Using anodized bolts, copper pipe, wire, switches, and some LEDs, he built a battery that c...
Hate answering the door, but don't trust your friends with a set of keys? This RFID front door lock made by Steve Pomeroy will solve all your party-hosting problems. It reads the RFID tags in his friends' public transit cards and decides who's allowed in based on "groups" that Steve defines. And I have to say, it's also rather stylish. It's controlled by an Arduino serial console and a custom Android app to add and remove cards. The reader can store 50 or 100 tags at a time and allows 7 diffe...
Motorola launched a new webpage on Friday that tells Android users how to unlock the bootloaders on a limited number of new Motorola smartphones and tablets. This new 'Unlock My Device' page helps demystify the process and make it easier for users to customize their phones.
If you use apps on your smartphone, chances are you have no idea what those apps are doing with your information. Just this year, there have been several scandals involving apps transmitting user data, like Path uploading users' entire address books onto its servers, HTC's Security Flaw, and Brewster exposing users' personal information (even Ashton Kutcher's). A new service called Mobilescope wants to make sure you always know where—and to whom—your data is going. Lots of apps copy your cont...
As if the world needed one more reason to be obsessed with Shark Week, Volkswagen has teamed up with Discovery Channel to create this awesome "underwater car" that's actually a mobile shark cage.
Do you listen to a lot of music on your smartphone or MP3 player? Ever wished the built-in speaker was louder? You're in luck, because this simple amplifier can increase your volume by 14 decibels and make your device look totally steampunk while you're at it. What You'll Need
Many Minecrafters think that Minecart Traveling with many rails is the fastest (most efficient) way of travel. They are wrong. There is one other way of traveling with carts on rails, Forward, Backward, and Upward. And it can take you places up to 6X Faster than the traditional Minecart Design, and, its just as simple to make.
Hello! This post will be about the special care your dwarf rabbit needs during hot weather. There are many ways to keep your pet happy. Step 1: Choose the Environment
Yes! soon I will be able to log in more as I untie the shackles this map has placed on me in the time leading up to its eventual release and log in once in a while!
Stop me if you've heard this one before. A man walks into a bicycle shop, hears about a canoe made of cardboard and is inspired to make an awesome, fully-functional cardboard bicycle. Sound far-fetched? Wait until you hear how his guy actually did it. Israeli entrepreneur Izhar Gafni says that the idea for his method came from Japanese origami. Folding the cardboard increases its strength by 2-3 times, making the material much more durable. Essentially, he made the basic shape for each part w...
You probably already know that your digital pictures have quite a bit of information embedded in them. What you might not know is just how much personal information is included in that metadata, including your camera information, and in some cases, even the precise GPS coordinates of where you took the picture.
While it's easy to make fun of water with "electrolytes," there's actually some science behind it. Despite the name, electrolyte-enhanced water isn't all that high-tech, it mostly means that it's been infused with vitamins and minerals such as potassium and sodium, which are very helpful in preventing dehydration. Unfortunately, electrolyte water isn't especially cheap, and compared to the tap, it's downright expensive. Luckily, there's a few recipes out there that can help you mix your own e...
With how quickly technology evolves in this day and age, it's only natural that people replace their computers every couple years—even sooner. It seems that right when you get a new desktop, there's always a faster model with more features released the following week.
What's a penny worth these days? Not much. But could there be some free energy hidden inside your spare pennies? You'd be surprised! See how I hack together stacks of pennies into makeshift batteries that can drive small-current devices like LEDs and calculators.
In this video recipe, our expert chef will demonstrate how to make rigatoni. In this cheap and hearty dinner recipe series, you will learn easy step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the vegetables and cook the sausage to add your rigatoni. You will also get tips and advice on how season the vegetables and pasta, how to serve your meal and even how to store the left overs. This is a great meal for a large gathering, and is sure to please the whole family.
It is important to have healthy teeth not only for your appearance but for your overall health as well. You can keep your teeth white by avoiding foods that stain your teeth and having a good cleaning routine including fluoride
Just like any meal choice you can make more or less healthy options when eating sushi. Some ingredients are particularly calorie packed. If you’re watching your weight know where the hidden calories are and if your really conscientious you can try sashimi.
Try using proper chopstick etiquette next time you are in a situation in which chopsticks are involved. If chopsticks are not a utensil you are used to using you may not realize that you are being rude or using them incorrectly.
Jennifer Cail begins by showing you the pots and pans you will need, then demonstrates how to season and baste your main course. She also includes tips for extracting fat from the goose and making the roux that will perfectly compliment your holiday meal.
In this Italian food cooking video series, learn how to make a stuffed pasta shells recipe. This traditional dish is a great way to get some attention at any meal. Stuffed shells take a simple noodle and transform it into a pocket of flavor, full of meat, vegetables and spices.
In this video series, learn how to make a super tasty roast beef sandwich. Our expert, Laura Banford, teaches you everything you need to know to make this meal. Learn about the history of the roast beef sandwich. Also, learn the best kind of bacon to use in your sandwich.
It's that time a year when winter storms begin causing havoc across the United States, and when "rotating outages" are common to help sustain the electrical grid during intense cold periods. That means pretty much anybody with snow and ice in their backyard can succumb to power outages. And no electricity means no electric heat.
In this tutorial, learn how to make a traditional Indian Phulki Ka Salan, or chickpea curry with Sheba.
These videos show you how to use baking strips to make a better cake. Use caution when using baking strips, and watch your oven carefully.
It can be intimidating to sculpt fantasy miniatures, even if you have some artistic experience. Working at that scale, every little mistake could be a disaster! But in this 15-part video tutorial, you'll learn how to make your mini figures turn out looking great, every time.
Welcome to Minecraft World! Check out our tutorials, post to the Inspiration board, and come play on our free server! HELLO, FELLOW MINECRAFTERS. Pmaguire here, bringing you my favorite idea for a competition so far! I hope that you will come to love it as much as I do! Well, starting off, as the title states, this week's Redstone Competition will be PvP Arenas! Except, not just ones where you physically fight. You have to have traps, things that make it hard to fight, and various ideas using...
Graffiti— do you have the guts to get out there and tag some property? There's a whole lot more than just spray paint involved. To be great, you'll need things like a sketchbook, pencils, pens, markers, spray can tips, latex gloves, legal (or illegal) wall, and most importantly… creativity. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be an urban graffiti artist, follow these steps to become da ’hood’s next da Vinci.
In this how-to video from projectink we are shown how to make a lamp out of a tequila bottle. There's no need to spend 100 bucks on a lamp when making your own is cheap and easy and fun. These are the supplies you'll need: A bottle (we're using a Jose Cuervo tequila bottle), a plastic bag, super glue, a hot glue gun (or you can use epoxy), a screwdriver, a lamp kit (you can get these at the hardware store for about 12 bucks), and a glass-cutting drill bit. For the glass-cutting bit, try and f...
What a great snack idea! Betty's tangy garlic sirloin steak bites. These look utterly delicious! Ingredients: 1.5 pounds boneless top sirloin steak (You may substitute strip steak or ribeye steak.)
This video will show you the ingredients, gear and process you will need to do to brine a turkey or chicken. Brine is vegetable stock or broth, salt and brown sugar. You can add whatever other spices you would like to season your meat.
Ever wondered how to make slime? Now you can learn! Make slime just like they use on Nickelodeon for Halloween, pranks, or just to play with! So gather up your ingredients and get cookin'!
Make sure the bike is properly fit to the child. She should just be able to stand over the top bar of the frame without touching.
This is the end of the Xbox 360 game Darksiders. It's the last level, the last quest, your last mission… the Destroyer. You'll need to summon Ruin to stand a chance against the Destroyer. Hold the Focus button to target lock onto the creature so you can keep in in view as you move around. The idea is for you to ride in close enough to the dragon and slash it with your Armageddon Blade. Watch out when you see the Destroyer's front claws glow red as this means he's coming to slash at you. Eithe...
Know what to do before you find yourself tossed around by a raging river. Step 1: Wear your life jacket
Create lasting memories by organizing a well-planned family reunion. This video will show you how to organize a family reunion.
Clay pottery is a fun and creative art form that anyone can do. This free video clip series will show you several tips on how to construct a chip and dip dish and open a world of design ideas for you.
Clay pottery is a fun and creative art form that can be done with slabs of clay and not only on a spinning wheel. This free video clip series will show you several tips on how to construct a slab planter and open a world of design ideas for you.
