RSSVolume 03: Cars and Halloween
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Volume 03: Cars and Halloween
Includes Mod Your Rod: a collection of car hacks and mods. Plus make cool special effects and animatronics for your garage haunted house!
View a list of all links referenced in this volume
Table of Contents
Maker Friendly by Dale Dougherty
Dale Dougherty wonders what would it mean for products to be more maker friendly, not just user friendly. Page 7
Real Security Vs. Junk Science by Cory Doctorow
in Make Free
Why copy-restriction technology succeeds only in hurting the user. Page 10
And Miles to Code Before I Sleep by Merlin Mann, Danny O’Brien
in Life Hacks
How to hack your circadian rhythm: reboot to get more done. Page 12
News from the Future by Tim O'Reilly
in News from the Future
News from the Future: a report on the labs and garage projects changing the way we live. Page 15
Made on Earth by Shawn Connally, Bob Parks, Paul Spinrad, Phillip Torrone
in Made on Earth
Reports from the world of backyard technology, including a shopping cart go-kart, the "Solar Death Ray," a demolished house sculpture, a gas tank bass instrument, and some seriously big speakers. Page 16
Get a Life by Bruce Sterling
in Hands On
Makers of virtual goods earn real cash in Second Life. Page 24
A Fusion Reactor for the Rest of Us by Charles Platt
in Maker
Ed Storms is leading the effort to take cold fusion off the back burner by moving it into the garage. Page 25
Swamp Tech by Tim Anderson
in Heirloom Technology
Revisiting, revamping, and reusing forgotten technology: living free in the Florida Everglades. Page 36
Let There Be Speech by Fernando Botelho
How do you make a $200 computer for blind kids? Page 40
1+2+3: Blimp by John Perez
in 123
Fun for about a dollar: build a simple blimp with the use of helium, a balloon, and a few straws! Page 42
Bots Brewed Here by Quinn Norton
Silicon Valley's HomeBrew Robotics Club is leading the development of an open source robot hardware system. Quinn Norton interviews Chuck McManis. Page 43
The Maker's Ultimate Tools by Saul Griffith
The tools we use — or wish we could get our hands on. Page 44
Mod Your Rod by Tor Amundson, Rob Elam, Dave Mathews, Damien Stolarz, Phillip Torrone
James Bond depended on Q to trick out his cars. But with Make's guide to car hacking, you'll learn how to turn your ride into a fully loaded, grease-eating, MP3-blasting, Wi-Fi-transmitting monster machine. Page 49
Hackable Platform on Wheels by Damien Stolarz
Your car's 12-volt wiring is loaded with opportunities for enhancing your vehicle in ways carmakers only dream of. Page 50
Making a Macswagen by Phillip Torrone
Adding a Mac mini to a VW: a pro tells us how he did it. Matt Turner is a professional fabricator and installer of mobile electronics. He's been working in the industry for 12 years and has built numerous award-winning show vehicles. His latest project brings hope to all car owners hoping to Macify their ride. Page 54
Uber Tester by Dave Mathews
Make your own 4-in-1 car wiring diagnostic tool. The Uber Tester is a gadget that won't remove door panel clips but does test for most wiring conundrums you might encounter. Page 56
StompBox: Mobile Hotspot by Tor Amundson
Turn your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot, then use GPS and webcam input to map your current location online and auto-generate a photo travelog. Page 60
Making Biodiesel by Rob Elam
The best way to learn how to make your own backyard biodiesel is to start with a one-liter batch. It's easy to make a small batch that will work in any diesel engine. You won't need any special equipment--an old juice bottle will serve as the "reactor" vessel--and on such a small scale, you can quickly refine your technique and perform further experiments. Page 68
Biofuels Today by Dan Gonsiorowski, Xeni Jardin, Polly Powledge, Paul Spinrad
The nation's #1 Mock Newspaper for Make readers intersted in alternative fuels. Front page news: "Grassroots Network Offers Alternative to Big Oil," "Deep-Fried Ride: Veggie Oil Inside," "Slippery Characters Steal Fryer Oil, Leave Mess," and "How Eco is Bio?" Page 76
Hardwired iPod by Damien Stolarz
Want a better way to play MP3s through your car stereo than using an FM transmitter or a cassette adapter? Cut the static by connecting your iPod to your stereo's aux jack. Page 77
Game Systems to Go by Howard Wen
Portabilizers take apart video game systems and turn them into portable gaming units. Page 81
Halloween Haunted House Controller by Eric J. Wilhelm
Build a relay board that sychronized lights, motors, and other electrical devices to a scary soundtrack playing on a computer, and create spooky haunted house special effects! Page 86
VCR Cat Feeder by James Larsson
Liberate a motor from an old VHS deck, attach it to a food chopper, and program the deck's recording timer to fill Fluffy's bowl on schedule. Voila! Your own programmable pet food dispenser. Page 98
The Night Lighter 36 by William Gurstelle
Launch potato projectiles 200+ yards with this stun-gun triggered, high-powered potato cannon with see-thru action. (Good thing potatoes are biodegradable.) Page 108
Retrovision 2000 AV Cabinet by Steve Lodefink
in DIY: Home Entertainment
Building a home entertainment center in the form of an Atomic Age TV set. Page 119
VoIP Phone Wiring by Jake Ludington
in DIY: Home Entertainment
Connecting multiple phones to a Vonage connection. Page 122
Record Cloning by Dan Mikesell
in DIY: Home Entertainment
Old school file sharing: make a duplicate LP or 45 by casting it in plastic. Page 124
Print the Universe by Phillip Torrone
in DIY: Imaging
Make gigantic posters with a free web service. Page 127
Mailbox Movie by Michael Dean
in DIY: Imaging
Make a movie that's shot in many locations around the world without leaving your house. Page 128
Cheap Shot by Charles C. Hoffmeyer
in DIY: Imaging
Turn a $10 single-use camera into a $20 reusable digital camera. Page 130
Get Funky by Paul Spinrad
in DIY: Weird
Make custom stink pods for your Stink Blaster. Page 133
Squeezable Nightlight by Sparkle Labs
in DIY: Design
Soft silicone outside, tasty electronics inside. Page 135
Barebones LED Flasher by Mark Frauenfelder
in DIY: Design
A simple circuit to go with your silicone nightlight enclosure. Page 140
Keychain Survival Tools by Bob Scott
in DIY: Mobile
Whether you're facing a parachute drop into the High Sierras or a jammed button on your mobile, some handy keychain gizmo can be there for you. Page 141
Roll Your Own Ringtones by Ewan Spence
in DIY: Mobile
Why waste money on ringtones when you can use your audio collection?
Page 143
Hack, Plug, and Play by Carlo Longino
in DIY: Mobile
Nokia's Pop-Port interface doesn't accept a standard headphone jack. Here's a fix. Page 144
Handheld Know-It-All by Tom Owad
in DIY: Mobile
Installing Wikipedia on a Sharp Zaurus. Page 146
Freedom to Unscrew by Johnathan Nightingale
in DIY: Workshop
Make tamperproof driver bits by molding the screw heads. Page 147
Square Deal by Nick Carter
in DIY: Workshop
How to make square holes in aluminum sheet metal. Page 149
Reading and Drawing Schematics by Joe Grand
in DIY: Workshop
Understanding schematics is a good baseline skill for makers, and not as hard as you think. Page 151
Spin to Win by Cameron Mallory
in DIY: Gaming
A steering wheel mount for gamers. Page 153
You Built It, You Play It by Brian Jepson
in DIY: Gaming
The Mignon is a kit for a handheld game player. Page 154
Tilt Interface by Tom Owad
in DIY: Gaming
Having fun with Apple's hard drive protection system. Page 156
Online Poker for Geeks by Chris Hanel
in DIY: Gaming
If Poker Tracker has taught me one thing, it's a reminder of the obvious: knowledge is power. Page 157
Primer: Welding by Mister Jalopy
in Primer
If you need metal stuck together, there is no quicker path than buying a portable 110-volt wire-feed welder. Mr. Jalopy's introduction to welding will help you understand the process and show how you can be a welder by the end of the weekend--and end up with a couple of jigs for the effort. Page 158
The Happy Hippo by Joost Bonsen, Nick Dragotta, Saul Griffith
in Howtoons
Page 170
Toolbox by David Albertson, Gareth Branwyn, Kevin Conod, Joseph Fung, Jason Griffey, Mister Jalopy, Steve Koschman, Matt Maranian, Arwen O'Reilly Griffith, Mike Riley, Bob Scott
in Toolbox
The best tools, software, gadgets, books, magazines, and websites.
Page 172
Maker's Corner
in Maker's Corner
Almost everything you need to know about MAKE. Page 181
Cloning an Apple I by Tom Owad
in Retrocomputing
Many hobbyists are beginning to rediscover the appeal of classic microcomputers from the 70s and early 80s. Page 182
Makezine.com
Highlights from the MAKE blog, the MAKE Flickr photo pool, and MAKE: Audio. Page 184
Maker's Corner
in Maker's Corner
Questions and comments, information about the free MAKE newsletter and digital edition, and MAKE Amends, our apology section, for mistakes in past issues. Page 185
4-Bit Binary Card Sorter by Nigel Hall
in 123
Make a 4-bit binary sort using a chopstick and 16 3x5 inch index cards. Page 187
MakeShift by William Lidwell
in MakeShift
A commercial real estate mogul wants to put a life-size sculpture atop a tower crane at his latest development. Engineers are scared to touch the problem for under $50,000. You boast that you could do it for $20. Page 188
Cover Up to See in the Dark by Robert Bruce Thompson, Barbara Fritchman Thompson
How to protect your night vision, from Astronomy Hacks. Page 190
Hack-O-Lantern: Extreme Pumpkin Carving by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith
Cinderella’s fairy godmother didn’t have a clue. Page 191
Reader Input
in Reader Input
Where makers tell their tales and offer praise, brickbats, and swell ideas. Page 192
eBay Metrics by Chris Smith
in eBay Metrics
What the TSA takes away really adds up on eBay. Page 193
Homebrew by Joe Holt
in Homebrew
I didn't set out to build a microprocessor. It just sort of happened. Page 194
Extras
Additional content for this volume available only online.
MakeShift 03: Analysis, Commentary, and Winners
In many respects, this was the most difficult MakeShift to date. No prior art to consider. No books to read. As with most MakeShift-type problems, the variables affecting the solution were typically complex and fuzzy in nature. The best one can do with such problems is strive to understand them as much as possible and then employ strategies like redundancy, factors of safety, and weak links in your design to offset the risks of all the things you don't know. Here is an overview of the winners of the MakeShift 03 challenge.
by William Lidwell;
November 01, 2005
MakeShift 03: Chris Rovers' Most Plausible Winning Entry
Creative use of Quikrete, duct tape, and chicken wire—it doesn't get much better. Here is Chris Rovers' MakeShift Master Most Plausible winning entry.
by William Lidwell;
November 01, 2005
MakeShift 03: Dan Rubenfield's Most Creative Winning Entry
Though chicken wire would be visible when viewed from rooftops or from ground level with binoculars, its impact could be minimized through careful application and creative use of the cape to hide it. A good chicken-wire wrap would have enormous tensile strength and should work well even if the fiberglass shell collapses. Short and simple.
by William Lidwell;
November 01, 2005
MakeShift 03: Andy Seubert's "Rebar of Seville" Honorable Mention
Rebar is the one material at a construction site that is both ample and cheap enough to "borrow" without getting into too much trouble. Here is Andy Seubert's "Rebar of Seville" Honorable Mention.
by William Lidwell;
November 01, 2005
MakeShift 03: Vinnie Forgione's "Chikofsky & Cross" Honorable Mention
Vinnie's design makes fine use of common construction site materials to create a sturdy structure with plenty of strength and redundancy. Here is Vinnie Forgione's "Chikofsky & Cross" Honorable Mention.
by William Lidwell;
November 01, 2005
MakeShift 03: Bobby Joe Snyder's "Factor of Safety" Honorable Mention
Use of the lifting strap is simple, and securing the cow to the crane cable pretty much guarantees that it isn't going anywhere. Here is Bobby Joe Snyder's "Factor of Safety" Honorable Mention.
by William Lidwell;
November 01, 2005
Kid-Tested Haunted House Tricks
Eric Wilhelm's Halloween Haunted House Controller project in Make 03 explained how to build a multi-relay controller board that synchronizes lights, sounds, and other effects with soundtracks playing through Winamp on a laptop. This article describes some of the scare scenarios that Eric has staged using this controller, plus some other kid-tested tricks from haunted houses he's built.
by Eric J. Wilhelm;
October 07, 2005
The Fascination of Extreme Science
Charles Platt, author and photographer of "A Fusion Reactor for the Rest of Us" in MAKE Volume 03, explains the allure of long-shot scientific research by individuals and small groups.
by Charles Platt;
July 21, 2005
How To: Make Square Holes in Aluminum Sheet Metal
Why would you want to make a square or rectangular hole in aluminum sheet metal? The short answer is that engineers are perverse, but there are other reasons: to make something that slides in or mounts on a hole without rotating, to make a picture frame, or perhaps you just happen to have a round peg that seems lonely. Here are 14 methods of making square holes for a variety of situations.
by Nick Carter;
July 21, 2005
Mulitimedia for this Volume
Shopper Chopper Part 1 from Made on Earth
Here's a video of the Shopper Chopper in action!
Download now: MPEG
Shopper Chopper Part 2 from Made on Earth
The Shopper Chopper zooms across the parking lot.
Download now: MPEG
Shopper Chopper Part 3 from Made on Earth
The Shopper Chopper races!
Download now: MPEG
Text Reading Example, 1 of 3 from Let There Be Speech
When presenting audio content for the blind, one challenge can be the speed of delivery. This audio illustrates something that is much too slow.
Download now: MP3
Text Reading Example, 12 of 3 from Let There Be Speech
This example is faster, yet still too slow.
Download now: MP3
Text Reading Example, 3 of 3 from Let There Be Speech
Even our fastest example is too slow!
Download now: MP3
Hippo Harmonizer in Action from The Happy Hippo
This video clips shows a Hippo Harmonizer being constructed, and in action!
Download now: QuickTime .MOV
MAKE: Amends Errata for this volume.
| Where it appears | Uber Tester, Page 58 |
| The error | The link at the top of the page said to go to makezine.com/03/weblink, but that's really makezine.com/03/ubertester. |
| Where it appears | Uber Tester, Page 58 |
| The error | Whoops - the photo at the top of page 58 is mistakenly repeated at the bottom of that same page. |
| Where it appears | StompBox: Mobile Hotspot, Page 67 |
| The error |
There is one missing word in the sidebar at the bottom of the page, "Adding a Webcam." The missing word is "script."
The complete sentence should be
Change the interval by editing the file |
| Where it appears | Toolbox, Page 173 |
| The error | Under Digital Photo Vault it reads 40MB but it's really 40GB. |
| Where it appears | MakeShift, Page 188 |
| The error | The text of the article includes instructions to send your solutions to makeshift@make.com. That email address should be |
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