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.
Watch as Kipkay from MAKE Magazine shows you how to make something really cool for the office, with parts from RadioShack. One of the original practical jokes is the gravity activated subwoofer simulator, or better known as the Whoopee Cushion. See how to make a high tech prank... the Joke-A-Tron. This electronic prank device will beep and beep to keep your enemies on their toes.
In terms of internet, faster = better. We all want faster internet, but how exactly do you get a fast wireless connection? Believe it or not, the answer is quite simple.
What happens when you add a few wires and a microcontroller to your door buzzer? You can let yourself into your building from the outside!
No mods Supports up to 4 players
In this article, I'll show you how to make a portable prank stun-baton. Powered by static electricity, simply charge up the baton, and discharge it for a static surprise. The concept behind this device ties in with Leyden jars, and their tendencies to retain static electricity.
Welcome to Minecraft World! Check out our advanced tutorials and come play on our free server.
Welcome to Minecraft World! Check out our advanced tutorials and come play on our free server.
This Halloween, enter The Grid by making your own Tron Legacy costume. This guide will show you how to make a cheap Tron costume for Halloween to impress everyone at this year's party. You can use EL wire to make the shirt get that blue outline.
Powering the internet requires energy like anything else—so just how much does the wired world suck down?
Hand-painted wood beads and sterling leaf beads on memory wire with sterling toggle clasp.
The World Science Festival's "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus" asks: Is our response to music hard-wired or culturally determined?
This is a new video game magazine. It's not your everyday Game Informer, though. Kill Screen Magazine aims to be "what early Rolling Stone was to rock n’ roll or Wired was to tech". The sample PDFs are an intriguing introduction. I'd love to see what they come up with.
Confessions of an Online Scrabble Cheat This article from back in the days Scrabulous was rocking Facebook is a poignant exposé on the ethical dilemma bad Scrabblers face whilst using WORD GENERATORS!!!
I've always found the side racks on bikes to be a bit of a burden. Plus they are ding-magnets. Oh and as the article here mentions, this rack comes with shade!
Larry Silverberg and Chau Tran of North Carolina State University tested more than 100,000 3-D simulations of free throws to come up with this HowTo for you. The two engineers have determined the perfect trajectory. Check out their strategy below, via Wired's How-To Wiki.
In this video tutorial you will learn how to make a pair of high tech night vision sunglasses. You will first need a pair of 100% clear sunglasses with nothing but UV protection. Then two sheets of theatrical photo gels, one congo blue and one primary red. Using the gasses as a template, outline the lens shape and gently cut out one pair of each gel. Secure the red gels first using glue, and then apply the blue gels over the red ones. Now you're going to need 8 high intensity infrared LEDs. S...
Silly and gratuitous DIY comes to mind. But let's not overthink this Howcast video.
Ever wonder how all of those tiny chips and components can fit inside your laptop or smartphone? If you tried to squeeze them in there yourself, your laptop would quickly become too heavy for your lap, and your mobile phone would need wheels to stay mobile.
This is the third part of my electromagnetic pulse series (see Part One and Part Two). By now, I've covered the hardware and general concept of electromagnetic pulse generators, but how exactly do they disable electronics? How can an invisible field of energy have such a catastrophic effect on computers, cell phones, and most any other electronics? I'll be answering all these questions in part three of Making Electromagnetic Weapons.
In this article, I'll show you how to build a coil gun. A coil gun is a device that fires magnetic projectiles at high velocities, using electricity. Coil guns require no explosive propellant, therefor can be fired an infinite amount of time, providing that there is ammunition and available electricity.
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to put in a ceiling fan. Steps:
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to install a mini-split air conditioner. Steps:
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to fix a leaking system system. Steps:
After taking a beginner’s art class at my local community college I realized two things: one, art supplies are extremely expensive, and two, I am not talented at painting. Although my painting skills are comparable to those of a five year old, I still enjoy art and being creative. Therefore, I began to look for ways to be creative that didn’t require much skill or too much money.
In order to make and eat Polenta the traditional way, you will need the following: 600 grams polenta flour, 1.5 liters of warm water, 2 liters of boiling vegetable or meat stock, salt, and a tomato meat sauce. Slowly add the polenta to the water. Add it a little at a time, stirring it constantly. A wire whisk may help you to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil. Add the stock one ladle at a time. Stir it as you add the stock. Allow it to cook for 30 minutes.
Watch Monty Don, as he plants and trains a nectarine tree up against a fence, using wires and tensioners. With tips on mixing compost and protecting trees from frost damage. Nectarines aren't too difficult to grow. All you need is sunshine, good drainage & plenty of moisture. You want to train a nectarine tree against a fence in the spring time. The how to video lends expert tips when dealing with nectarine trees. Train a nectarine tree against a fence.
Light up your keyboard with this illuminating tutorial from Make Magazine's Kipkay. To get started on this hack, which should take roughly a half an hour and cost no more than $5, you'll need the following: (1) a regular computer keyboard (most any model will do), (2) a screwdriver, (3) a drill, (4) telephone wire, (5) heat shrink tubing, and (6) two 5 mm high-brightness, white LEDs. For comprehensive, step-by-step instructions on building your own light-up keyboard, simply watch this hacker'...
Redstone and electricity have much in common. They both have what's called resistance. That is, they only travel a certain distance before the signal degrades to the point where it's unusable, and they take a certain amount of time to get there. With electricity, that time is nearly instantaneous because electricity is extremely fast. Redstone, on the other hand, is pretty slow.
This past weekend's workshop on replacing normal levers with buttons masquerading as levers went really well. Lots of players showed up and everyone had a great time. Most importantly, everyone learned how to make and use a T flip-flop!
The agents of empire do not always arrive with warning. When you are besieged, surrounded, and infiltrated, imagination is often your best weapon against the oppressors. If all you have at hand is some duct tape and a disposable camera, fear not, you have the makings of a powerful taser!
Welcome to Minecraft World! Check out our advanced tutorials and come play on our free server. Oh, the power of redstone! But, what good is any technology if it can't be harnessed for killing? Here's a redstone build for the mad scientist in each of us.
Why settle on just pork chops or ribs when you can string up the entire pig? Serious Eats posts an great slide show on roasting a whole pig, from materials to the process to the perfect pig roastin' sauce.
Flash video. It's what all smartphone users have been waiting for. Why has it taken sooo long? And why is Apple still resistant?
Scenario: it's late at night, the roads are completely empty and you are stuck at the longest light ever. Solution: don't run a red- change it to green yourself. Avoid a ticket, save yourself some time (and perhaps a little gas).
From the people who brought you the Dummies instructional book series, brings you the same non-intimidating guides in video form. This is Consumer Electronics for Dummies. Just watch this video tutorial to learn how to make HDTV audio and video connections, For Dummies.
Get ready to brighten up your Chanukah celebration with some homemade Menorah candles, like in this how-to video. You will need paraffin wax, a double boiler (metal coffee can set on top of a wire screen in a large pot of boiling water), a wooden spoon, a bowl filled with cold water, a wick, a utility knife, a candy thermometer, and blue crayons. Follow along with this video activity tutorial and learn how to make candles for a Hanukkah menorah. Make homemade Chanukah menorah candles.
There are a few ways to make trapdoors, but out of all of them, this one is my favorite. It's fast, completely hidden, and both opens and closes. This particular trapdoor can be used for a variety of purposes, such as hiding your valuable possessions, having a secret entrance to an underground lair, or maybe even taking care of obnoxious cows. What you'll need to make it are 12 sticky pistons, 8 redstone repeaters, 32 redstone, the switch of your choice, and whatever blocks you want to use to...
Making your own circuit boards can be a daunting challenge. You have to design a schematic, test it on a breadboard, design the board layout, and then after all of that, you still have to print and etch a board!
Here's the trailer for the "Skyjacking" Terrorist vs. Counterterrorist map that I built using redstone for bombs, timers and more features, along with the SDK Gun Mod. If you want to give the PvP map a try, you can download it here. The goal is to defuse 3 bombs within 10 minutes! The last bomb has 2 wires; cut one of them to win—they are randomly chosen by redstone...
