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.
Summer is here, and temperatures are rising. Instead of shelling out for an expensive new air conditioning unit, why not build one yourself with a few bucks worth of old computer parts?
We've already done a tutorial explaining why buttons are superior to levers, but now I want to show you a way to make them even more useful than they already are. You can't get this sort of functionality with levers!
This video will help you diagnose and troubleshoot a non-working horn in a 1991 Ford Ranger pickup truck. First off, the electrical diagram is a great place to start. Make sure the horn switch is getting power from the source. To test this, all you need is power and a ground to test it at the steering wheel. To see what else could be the problem, watch and learn from a professional mechanic.
This video demonstrates a method of fixing the E 74 Xbox 360 error. In order to do this, you first must disassemble your XBox, which will void your warranty, so this is at your own risk.
In this tutorial, we learn how to force an iPhone or iPod touch to turn off. First, hold the power button ( at the top of the device) and home button (one the bottom middle) at the same time and wait until the screen turns completely off. To turn back on, press the power button that is located at the top of the device. You will see an Apple logo pop up and it will stay on the screen for several seconds. After it's loaded, it will re-boot as normal and your regular home page will show up as it...
Also called hull-less watercraft or flapping wing propulsion vessels. Bounce up and down to make the wing fly and propel you across the surface of the water. If you stop, you fall. It's like a human powered water ski Fly a human powered hydrofoil.
Carved wood figures always present an aura of mystery. From the fearsome tribal masks of Africa to the towering totems of British Columbia, indigenous peoples have long created wooden guardians to channel their spirits and protect their peoples. Puppets can even move like us, mock us, or in the case of Pinocchio, come alive. Be careful wood carvers, for in your hands you possess the power of the gods, the power to create, the power to give life, and hopefully the power to make a cool sculptur...
This video gives a step by step tutorial how to service a Peugeot 206 with the 1.4 liter engine. Please note that the video is not in English, but you can follow along by watching the video and following the written instructions below. Work under the car.
This video tutorial will show you how to apply four styles of lighting. This video teaches you how to apply four styles of lighting, namely Rembrandt, Beauty, Cameo and filling in from the Key Side. You will learn about high contrast lighting schemes, dealing with the amount of contrast used to highlight a person's face, as well as spotlight effects, and how these tend to draw the viewer into the scene. You will be shown how the Rembrandt Lighting setup contains three steps, namely taking a K...
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to make a Magic DVD in iDVD '09.
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to make a OneStep DVD in iDVD '09.
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to create a custom DVD in iDVD '09.
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to burn a project to DVD in iDVD '09.
A light meter can prove to be an invaluable tool on any film set, allowing you to quickly and efficiently set lights and know the correct exposure values of those lights. Light meters were initially designed for still photographers and cinematographers can easily calibrate them to a given film stock speed for shooting film. But what about today’s digital cinematographer? I’m glad you asked. In this video tutorial you'll see how you can use a light meter to quickly and efficiently light a scen...
This tutorial series shows you how to work with lighting in Maya by creating a stain glass window with a candle in front of it. This is a great in-depth look at lighting. Part one sets up a 3 point lighting system within maya. so this is a general overview of many light properties. Part 2 makes the stain glass alpha for the lofting lesson using Zbrush. Part 3 covers how to cast light through a colored alpha within maya and make the illusion of stain glass. Part 4 is where you add the candle t...
Wee-man is in a baby carriage. (Carriage is on a huge hillside going down hill, busy sidewalk) “Daddy” (Jack-Ass character in disguise) asks for directions from someone.
In this clip, you'll see how to create custom shaped light sources using simple meshes and adding an Arch&Design shader to it to render the scene with Mental Ray. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using shape lights in your own Max projects, take a look!
This clips presents a look at the standard volume light, one of the oldest 3ds max features. See how to add it on the scene, how to tune its volume parameters, attenuate it and create complex final looks like the addition of dust in the air. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using volumetr...
See how to create a realistic depth of field effect with Mental Ray in 3ds Max 2010. Learn how to add it to a scene, working with its parameters, and how to control it to achieve desired results. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using this useful effect in your own Max projects, take a lo...
See how to add motion blur effect in animated scenes, how to control it and which kind of type of motion are supported by modo. Whether you're new to Luxology's popular 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video modo tutorial from the folks at CG Cookie. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, take a look! Create realistic motion blur effects in modo 401.
This modo tutorial offers instructions on how to create a simple scene with a basic photographic lighting setup as well as how to create some simple glasses using bezier curve and sweep operator tools. This guide also presents an overview on material and shader creation using the modo Shader Tree to render glasses and liquids. Whether you're new to Luxology's popular 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to...
Mike and Rajo from the SubStream's "Film Lab" have some tips regarding pre-production and development for proper script format.
Do you need to print resolution renders outputed from modo 302? You will want to watch this tutorial as they discuss some basic concepts regarding resolution and irradiance cache as they are impacted at increased resolution. There are some common misconceptions about print resolution in modo 302 that are resolved as well. So watch and learn how to optimize a scene for print resolution rendering. Get print resolution rendering tips for modo 302.
As some of you Mad Science readers will remember, we recently covered the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis. Passing a current through water can rend it apart, but we can also recombine that oxygen and hydrogen to make electricity! This is the principle behind those vehicles run by hydrogen fuel cell engines.
Your BIOS, or Basic Input Output System, is the firmware on your motherboard responsible for initializing your computer's hardware when it is first powered on. It probes for video adapters, RAM, the whole works. The BIOS provides a small library of basic input/output functions used to operate and control the peripherals such as the keyboard, text display functions and so forth, and these software library functions are callable by external software such as the OS and system software within sai...
Got a knack for speeding? Like running red lights? Believe or not, the police have better things to be doing than pulling you over, like catching real criminals. That's why more and more cameras are popping up at known speeding zones and on street corners—so the cops can clean up the streets, compared to just ticketing them.
Understandably, the tragedy in Japan has substantially risen the level of worldwide radiation-related hysteria. So much so, as an alternative to stampeding health food stores for iodine tablets, crafty individuals and organizations are hacking together personal radiation detectors. Rather than relying on the government, the creation and modification of handheld Geiger counters provides a self-sufficient solution to today's questions regarding radiation. Profiled below, three admirable organiz...
Thanks to Microsoft’s XBOX 360 motion-detecting system, Kinect, the world is becoming a play place for sci-fi style virtual reality. One of the latest hacks demonstrates the next best thing to regular old air guitar... virtual reality air guitar: Artist Chris O'Shea explains how it works:
General Electric isn't known for their Christmas lights, but maybe they should be, because their GE Color Effects are pretty awesome. Especially the LED Color Effects G-35 String sets. And especially when someone named Darco hacks them.
We all know that November 1 marks the beginning of the madness that is known as the holiday season, but did you know that November is also host to a whole bunch of quirky celebrations as well? If you're not into turkey, there's lots of other, more unique offerings to partake in.
Shot with a Nokia N8 cell phone equipped with a 50x CellScope microscope, Dot is the world’s smallest stop motion animated film. Created by the makers of the Wallace & Gromit series, the figures were made with a 3D printer, each hand-painted with the aid of a microscope. Watch as the heroine hops from scene to scene, Mario style: Via PopSci:
Nine-year-old Azura of Middle Road, Worcester (England) inadvertently pranked her whole neighborhood (and whoever else happened to be browsing the area on Google Street View) when she dropped "dead" to the pavement.
Toy Story 3 has received rave reviews across the board. Curious, a couple of us here at WonderHowTo went to see it last night. We found it to be decent. Not fabulous. The opening was exhilarating. Full of action and humor and a thoroughly dynamic use of 3D, but the rest of the movie didn't exude the same energy. The story was sweet and touching, and the characters were as lovable as ever. However, I was looking for a little more action.
In the news this past couple of days, we've heard of about 10 Argentine hooligans being deported back to Argentina before the start of the World Cup. I'm glad for the South African authorities showing that they have a firm grasp of security leading up to Friday's kick-off, and that the inter-agency cooperation between countries was a serious one.
25-year-old Anthony Le, of Colorado is THE ultimate Iron Man fan. A cosplay fan, Anthony decided to try his hand at building a super realistic Iron Man suit, just in time for the release of Iron Man 2. The incredibly talented fitness consultant did above and beyond what you might expect. Check out the two videos below. Le's insane suit features the following: a dent-proof exterior, a motorized faceplate, and a spinning mock Gatling gun. He spent one month and approximately $4k building his ma...
R/C car manufacturer Losi just recently released the LOSI 1/10 TEN-T TRUGGY RTR, which is apparently the world's most advanced radio controlled car.
Video game ranking site VGChartz reports that Mike Leyde, a 56-year old steel contractor from Riverside, California, has broken Bejeweled 2's scoreboard with a score of 2,147,783,647.
Have you been caught eating the cookies that were left for Santa? That's easy to explain, but what do you do when the doubt begins to rise in your child, rendering them dubious about the authenticity of everyone's favorite childhood lie?
Turning your abode into a haunted house of horror for Halloween takes a lot of time and work. Finding ways to build props on your own can save you some money that's better spent elsewhere.