Posts by Category: diy

Do it yourself, dude!
Bookmark This! July 17, 2009 posted by
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Game Crafter – DIY online game maker fun for all the family

Game Crafter is a new online games making service and portal. Got a great idea for a game? Think you could do something better than Monopoly? Then this is your chance. The site contains everything you’ll need to construct a game, including templates for board layouts, playing card decks and cover art. Upload all the materials, assemble them and design your game box and you’re set to go. You set the price of the game, and the profit (price –…


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Bookmark This! July 10, 2009 posted by
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The Public School – super cool DIY online school

The Public School is the kind of online service which really makes me sit up and take notice. The idea is that anyone can suggest or teach a class and once there are enough interested pupils the class starts. Super cool. At the moment pupils attend a physical location (in LA) to learn, but why couldn’t the idea be extended to online education, via Skype or some other remote communication technology? I just love the idea of crowdsourced education, delivering…


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Bookmark This! June 17, 2009 posted by
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Convert video to .gif for email – clever tip for spicing up your messages

Here’s a nice little tutorial on how to convert video footage to an animated .gif file so you can embed it safely in email and the like. Of course you don’t get the sound, but the technique is still impressive, eh? There are also freeware programs which will do this for you if you’re not macho enough. Your call.  There are free video to gif tools available. I prefer to convert the video file myself. It affords you more control,…


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Bookmark This! May 28, 2009 posted by
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$50 Paint Job – how to restore a tatty car for a bargain basement price

This detailed $50 Paint Job how-to explains how you can refurbish a tatty paint job on your car by spending less than the price of a new tyre and still get a head-turning result. It’s a few years old, but perhaps more relevant in the current economic climate. Judging by the before/after photos the results seem to be pretty good, even after a year. Interesting.  Since this car was painted, Oct. 2006, the “state of the art” in roller painting…


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diy May 22, 2009 posted by
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Pedal Gen – DIY power generator gets you fit and saves the planet

The Pedal Gen is a DIY power generator based around a discarded bicycle motif. You get on, you pedal, you light up a city. Or something. The plans – sans bike of course – will cost you £4.99/$10.00. Rush out and help us all. While we order another Latte.  An average reasonably fit human being can generate a constant 100 watts of power in 20 minute sessions – a great cardiovascular workout. If this generated power is stored in a…


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Bookmark This! May 5, 2009 posted by
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Kill frozen Windows programs at the click of a button – hang and be gone

Excellent little DIY shortcut which will kill any frozen task in Windows. Very useful tool for the piece of junk called Vista, no doubt.  Often these jammed apps get labeled with the dreaded “Not Responding” message and simply refuse to do anything, even close. Usually, the only solution is to open the task manager, find the appropriate process, and choose to close it. Fortunately, a quicker and easier way exists. As the good people at Lifehacker have pointed out (with the aid…


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diy May 1, 2009 posted by
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Hack your TV remote – DIY reflector improves range of your remote

This TV remote control hack will apparently increase the range and effectiveness of your telly controller through the simple use of some insulating tape and tin foil. Open up the remote (!), insert tape and foil in optimal location and enjoy switching channels from across the street. Or something. Putting the remote back into control, folks. [Thanks Debra]  Improve the frequency of your standard TV remote control by making an infrared reflector. Tags: hack, tv+remote+control, diy+infrared+reflector


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diy April 30, 2009 posted by
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Electronic Decision Maker Kit – make your own magic 8 ball

This Electronic Decision Maker Kit is perfect if you fancy creating your own personal magic oracle. Just pop it into a suitable Zoltar the Magnificent housing, and bingo you’ve got a real lifestyle assistant ready to help out whenever you’re in trouble. Who needs to flip a coin when you can make something cool instead? $6.95.  When a decision is simply too important to rationally analyze, let this handy gadget make the tough calls for you with a simple push of a button!…


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Awesome April 28, 2009 posted by
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IdeaPaint – super cool paint turns any smooth wall into a whiteboard

IdeaPaint is a single coat roller applied paint that turns any smooth surface into a dry-erase writing surface. How cool is that? Of course it’s great for idea merchants, but maybe not so hot for conscientious (read fussy) homemakers who may blanche at the idea of a living room full of little Jimmy’s scribbles. But at work it’s gotta be awesome for team brainstorming rooms. It costs $199.50 for a 50 sq foot kit.  Use IdeaPaint to transform office walls,…


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Awesome April 27, 2009 posted by
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DIY High Speed Book Scanner – digitise your book library on the cheap cheap

This DIY High Speed Book Scanner is genius incarnate. It uses low cost materials – around $300 if you’re a good scavenger – and offers manual twin page scanning fast enough to do an average book in 20 minutes. Two cameras, two lights, a DIY book platen with perspex lid and that’s it. It’s efficient, simple, eco friendly and comes with some open source software for converting from images into PDF. Lovely stuff. Video.  After suffering through scanning many of my…


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Awesome April 27, 2009 posted by
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Business Card Star – design and print your own business cards

Business Card Star is a super cool online DIY business card maker which offers standout ease of use and functionality. There’s no signup required to try out the service, which means you can be up and running in seconds. Just choose your template out of 100 or so, fill in the details, tweak and adjust and you’re good to go. The editor is a cinch to use, it’s all drag and drop and yet you have all the flexibility you…


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Awesome April 25, 2009 posted by
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CycleKarting – vintage go-karts restore fun to motor sport

CycleKarting is a new invite-only participant sport which looks awesome. Take a cut down framework of no more than 200 lbs in weight, throw in a tiny 6.5 hp motor, clad it all in a vintage racing car theme and dash around dirt roads to your heart’s content. It’s all very DIY (mandatory) and no boy racer types allowed. Most excellent way to return to the fun of motor sport without all the nasty commercial rubbish. Amazing. More here. [Via]…


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diy April 22, 2009 posted by
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Bottle Catamaran – recycle trash into toys and enjoy

The Bottle Catamaran is a fun way to recycle those old plastic pop bottles. Sure it’s not particularly new, but we like it, and that’s what counts. Propeller, batteries, plastic bottles and away you go. Some assembly required though, as they say. £11.99.  With this kit you’ll have one more to add to the list as it comes equipped with everything you need (save the bottles themselves, and a screwdriver) to make your very own working Catamaran. You simply put…


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Bizarre April 14, 2009 posted by
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DIY Truth Wristband Kit – the liar liar geek out kit

The DIY Truth Wristband Kit will seriously make you the coolest geek in your neighbourhood. No really. Just strap it on, attach the galvanic skin response strap to your finger and you’ll be good to go. “Do you like smoking Smarties”… “Are you now, or have you ever been, a Klingon speaker?”… “Tetris or Pong?”. Yep, absolutely the must have project for the summer. Dull Video. $44.95. [Via]   A wearable device that dynamically reflects your psycho-emotional response to the…


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