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Awesome September 20, 2011 posted by Scott

Mod an old overhead projector to work with your PC monitor

When I was younger, I always wondered why I couldn’t simply stick a monitor onto a standard overhead projector to see my games on a giant screen. Now that I know considerably more about how these sorts of things work, I realize exactly why this isn’t possible. And thanks to this Instructables guide, I know that if you do a little bit of work, it actually is possible. No, you aren’t going to just toss your monitor onto the projector,…

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diy September 19, 2011 posted by Scott

Learn how to speed up Microsoft Word (2007 and 2010)

There’s nothing worse than having a powerful computer, only to have some programs run really sluggish on it. There are a lot of things that can cause this. Anything from having too little RAM, a malware infection, or even a very fragmented hard drive. However, sometimes it’s just a particular piece of software that runs slower than you think it should. If you tend to experience this with Microsoft Word (2007 or 2010), there are some things you can do…

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Awesome September 16, 2011 posted by Scott

Use Doritos to start a fire in a pinch

Have you ever tried starting a fire when you have no kindling to get it going? It can be pretty hard, since you need small items to burn for a bit before the logs will ever catch on fire. You can use a lot of things to substitute the kindling, such as paper or cloth. However, I bet you never thought to use potato chips. Strange as it would seem, chips make perfect fire starters. Just open a bag, pour…

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diy September 15, 2011 posted by Scott

Hack your eReader to charge by sunlight

If you’re looking to read eBooks, but don’t have any real use for a tablet, then an eReader with an E Ink display (did I use the letter ‘e’ enough in that sentence for you?) is probably your best bet. The display is much easier on the eyes than a traditional LCD screen, and they use considerably less power. Knowing that they can go so long without needing recharged, one Instructables user decided that his Kobo reader was the perfect…

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diy September 14, 2011 posted by Scott

Learn how to properly clean out your dusty computer

When was the last time you cleaned out your computer? No, I’m not talking about deleting unnecessary items and defragging the hard drive. Rather, I’m talking about actually opening it up and getting rid of all of the dust that’s been building up in there. I’ve seen some pretty disgusting computers in my time as a technician, and after a while, all of that buildup can start to cause problems. That’s why you should clean it out on a regular…

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diy September 13, 2011 posted by Scott

Learn how to roast your own coffee beans with a popcorn popper

Every once in a while there comes a time when you suddenly need to do something, but lack the proper tools to do so. When that happens, you have to channel MacGuyver, and improvise. Lets say that you are in desperate need of a good cup of Joe, but you’re all out of roasted coffee beans. We’ll also assume that for some reason or another, you actually have green coffee beans. As long as you have a hot air popcorn…

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diy September 12, 2011 posted by Scott

Learn how to shoot better videos

It’s rare to find a smartphone these days that doesn’t shoot video. With the availability of recording devices and the popularity of video-sharing services like YouTube, it’s not surprising that everyone and their brother is shooting videos. Unfortunately just having a decent camera doesn’t mean that you’re going to make a decent movie. The writers and readers over at Wired have put together a nice little how-to wiki entry on how to �shoot videos that don’t suck.� These aren’t earth-shattering…

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Awesome September 9, 2011 posted by Scott

Build your own stop gap Tesla Coil

When you think of a mad scientist, you probably imagine lots of crazy equipment around, at least one of which shoots electricity. Generally when you see something such as that, it is a Tesla coil. Named after its inventor, this device can produce some of the coolest bolts of electricity around. The trouble is that you don’t exactly walk into Best Buy and pick one up off the shelf. Most Tesla coils are built by hand. Want to build one…

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diy September 8, 2011 posted by Scott

Defusable Alarm Clock wakes you up with a bang

In the morning, your alarm clock can go off in vain, sounding endlessly, falling upon deaf ears. If you have no immediate reason to wake up, there’s often a good chance that you’re going to ignore the beeping sound. If you had to be awake as quickly as possible, for say, a bomb, I think you’d jump out of bed pretty quick. The rush of adrenaline is a great way to start the day if you like having a heart…

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diy September 7, 2011 posted by Scott

Make your own custom Nerf darts

As a kid, there were few toys I loved quite as much as my Nerf guns. My brother and I would spend countless hours firing darts at each other both in the house and out. Unfortunately after a time, our supply of darts would get smaller and smaller. Since spare darts cost money, our parents weren’t too keen to replace them, as they would simply tell us to stop losing them. I’ve since learned that money does not actually grow…

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Awesome September 6, 2011 posted by Scott

Make a padded drawer for your tools

It takes a lot of work to organize your garage or workshop. I’m actually in the midst of such a task, so I can understand. One thing I’ve been looking for is a nice tool chest that can hold all of my screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches and such in a neat, orderly fashion. There are plenty of them out there, however, they cost a good bit of money. Thankfully you can make your own for very little, by following the directions…

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diy September 5, 2011 posted by Scott

Restore your old phone with sandpaper and a headlight polishing kit

When you have a shiny new smartphone, it’s tempting to not get a case, just show you can show it off in all of its glory. Of course, if you do this, then you run the risk of getting it all scratched and scuffed up. Granted, as long as its limited to the back, it won’t cause any issues with actually using it, and can be covered up with a case. But what if you want to restore it to…

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diy September 2, 2011 posted by Scott

Use an old credit card to organize your cables

There are two kinds of people in this world; those who don’t care about messy cables, and those who are driven crazy by them. If you fall into the latter category, you will probably go to great lengths to make sure that everything is nice an neat behind your desk. Well here’s a handy little tip that might just help you with that tangled mess. If you need a quick and simple way to hold your cables in place, you…

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diy September 1, 2011 posted by Scott

Make your own spooky blinking eyes for Halloween

Halloween might still be a couple of months away, but it’s never too early to start working on your own decorations. It is one of my favorite holidays because not only do you get to dress up in crazy costumes (admittedly, I’ll do that other days of the year as well), but you can decorate your house and attempt to scare people. If you’re looking for some new decorating ideas, you might consider adding some spooky blinking eyes to your…

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diy August 31, 2011 posted by Scott

Build your own Whack-a-Mole LED game

When you were a kid, did you ever go to an arcade and play the Whack-a-Mole game? It was a challenging game of fast reflexes that pitted you against several moles. Your object? To hit them on the head with a large padded mallet. Sure, that does seem a tad violent, but it was a lot of good fun. Well if you want to put your DIY skills to the test, you can recreate this iconic game, in a much…

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