Reading Story Search Results

RoboDoc: A Kid-Friendly DIY Robot That Makes Doctor Visits a Little Less Scary

Remember going to the doctor when you were a kid? If the word 'traumatizing' comes to mind, you'll love the RoboDoc by MarkusB, a robotic doctor that makes checkups a little less scary (and a lot more fun) for kids. It all started when Markus took his 14-month-old daughter for a checkup. The finger clip that the doctor used to check her pulse terrified her, so Markus decided to build a heartbeat monitor just for kids that's much more likely to make them laugh than cry.

News: This Giant Glass Globe Turns Moon and Sunlight into Power—Possibly Even Solar Death Rays!

André Broessel of rawlemon has developed a solar energy generator that can use both sun and moonlight to create usable power. Oh... and it's gorgeous. The device is essentially a huge glass sphere filled with water that uses a ball lens to refract light in a way that increases energy efficiency by 35 percent. It's completely weatherproof and has an optical tracking device, meaning that it can be incorporated into architecture. Here's a concept design of how it could be used to power buildings...

How To: Ditch Your Doorbell for This Front Door RFID Lock That Lets Whoever You Want In (Whenever You Want)

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...

How To: This DIY Steampunk Toothbrush Timer Tells You When You're Done Brushing Your Teeth

If you're a steampunk enthusiast looking to give your bathroom an extra kick, this just might be the project for you. This stylish and functional "vintage" toothbrush timer knows when you've grabbed your toothbrush, and will visually count down two minutes before alerting you when you've brushed long enough. All you'll need to put one together yourself is a microcontroller (the designer used a ATmega328p), a weight sensor, light bulbs, brass cups and a tray, an alarm clock's chime, and some w...

How To: DIY Flanagan Neurophone Lets You 'Hear' Sounds Through Your Skin

In 1958, Patrick Flanagan invented the Neurophone, a device patented in 1962 that allows radio signals to be picked up by the human nervous system. The skin is the organ that receives the signal, converting it into a modulated molecular vibration, which the brain interprets into sound. Basically, it gives one the ability to 'hear' through the skin, making it sound like the audio you're hearing is actually in your head. It's kind of like having headphones in your brain. The only problem was th...

How To: Play Warhammer 40,000 with the basic 5th Edition rules

Warhammer 40,000 is one of the most popular and most derided games on the planet. Very few games are so fun, so harmless, and so beloved, and yet people who play are often labeled nerds and it has never caught in in mainstream America (different story in Europe and Australia, where it's HUGE). If you've been considering playing, you've come to the perfect place. Warhammer 40k is a complex game, but this video series will teach you everything you need to know to start playing. It uses the basi...

How To: Make a kitty litter deep cleansing facial mask

Yep Kitty Litter, but DON'T FREAK OUT! Read or watch the video before you make any assumptions. This mask is perfect for oily, dirty, large pores skin! If you need to detoxify your skin, this is the best mask to use, and you can make it right at home! Use this once every 2 weeks. You should deep cleanse your face once every 2 weeks to remove impurities. Unscented Kitty Litter is made out of Clay, Bentonite clay to be excat. Bentonite is clay that is is rich in minerals and it comes from volca...

How To: Solve a Rubik's Cube with famous speedcuber Tyson Mao

Tyson Mao is a renowned world competitor in solving the Rubik's Cube. Not only did this Californian become a world class solver, but he also formed the Rubik's Cube Association with fellow speed solver Ron van Bruchem, which holds competitive events for the Rubik's Cube. If you want to learn how to solve the colorful and mighty puzzle, then who better than to learn from then Tyson Mao?

How To: Draw Darth Vader from "Star Wars"

Darth Vader is the legendary sci-fi character from the Star Wars movies. Everyone has heard of the Star Wars Trilogy, right? The older ones from the 70's? Darth Vader is the primary antagonist from those intergalactic space flicks. DragoArt has this video tutorial on how to draw Darth Vader from "Star Wars". Get more detailed instructions on the step-by-step cartoon drawing here.

How To: Feed picky children

Every mom struggles with trying to ensure her kids get enough to eat and that they eat the right foods. We hear and read so much today about childhood obesity but in our house it is sometimes a struggle just to get the kids to eat. If you have a picky eater you know what I am talking about. I want to share a few ideas I have been using to deal with the picky eater in our house.