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Archive: Computers
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September 24, 2007
Pyro-tech hack fixes infamous iBook video defect
Jason Striegel of Hackszine writes:
Mark Hoekstra from GeekTechnique subjected his iBook's motherboard to successive rounds of burnination and managed to correct the infamous iBook video display defect. Had this not succeeded, I think I'd still have to give him 10 points for style.In addition to other quality control problems like frayed wires in the display hinge, a huge amount of early model iBooks suffered from a defect where the display would just completely crap out, both on the internal LCD and the external monitor output. Apple used to take these in and service them for free, but their warranty lifetime is long expired.
The problem is that the array of solder points that connect the graphics processor to the motherboard tend to fail over time. I assume this happens with the repeated expansion and contraction of components during normal use. By heating up the graphics processor with a heat gun--or, more appropriately, with a big ol' flaming can of moonshine--you can get the solder to melt and reflow over the broken connections.
DIY obsolete iBook logic board repair - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 24, 2007 10:00 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Crazed steampunk cooling solution
While checking inbound links to his Steampunk Workshop, MAKE pal Jake von Slatt stumbled on this amazing steampunk casemod on a Polish modding forum. Really amazing, with needle guages, lots of lighting F/X, a porthole with clockworks inside, and lots of old school plumbing hardware. Not sure how much of it is functional and how much of it is decoration only, but it sure as hell looks impressive. Anybody speak Polish?
Polish steampunk casemod - Link
Related:
- Steampunk coverage on MAKE: Blog - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 24, 2007 04:00 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Retro |
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| Comments (2)
September 17, 2007
iBBQ: Russian Macintosh barbecue set
John sent in this Russin BBQ flip with the Macintosh Finder cut out, looks like a DIY'ed waterjet project .... Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 17, 2007 11:00 PM
Computers |
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New iPods now work with Linux
At first it looked like it wasn't going to be possible to use the newer iPods with Linux, but 36 hours after the story made the rounds online there's now some code to get things working... Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 17, 2007 07:00 PM
Computers, Music, iPod |
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| Comments (2)
HOW TO - Install and boot 145 operating systems on a PC
Wow, here's how to install and boot 145 operating systems on a PC (3 Dos, 5 Windows, 137 Linux) - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 17, 2007 08:00 AM
Computers, DIY Projects |
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| Comments (2)
September 15, 2007
"Dialup" casemod with antique net phone
A retro-futuro casemod built inside of an antique phone box with the restored and retro-fit phone itself on top. The phone functions as both a landline phone and works with Skype, MSN Voice, and Google Talk.
Related:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 15, 2007 12:00 PM
Computers, Retro, Telecommunications |
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September 14, 2007
AIBO's open-source successor?
The Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany has developed a new four-legged robo-critter they're hoping will be a worthy successor to Sony's defunct AIBO (at least among researchers, hobbyists and the education market). The bot is basically a bigger, badder 21st century take on AIBO. It works with both Linux and Windows CE, has a color headcam that's 10 times higher-res than AIBO's, and uses a 500 MHz AMD-Geode-LX800 32Bit processor with 256 MB (extenable up to 1 GB) DDR-SODIMM main memory on a PC104 board from Digital-Logic. They never use the term "open source," but they say the bot will sport "open, modular and reconfigurable hardware and software structures." They hope to have it on sale by the end of 2007 for around (gulp) US$4800.
Oh, and what's it called? Apparently the "New Four-Legged Robot" or the "New4LR." And all through the site they talk about the "Old Four-Legged Robot" and the "New Four-Legged Robot." Why, I can't *imagine* who they're talking about.
The New Four-Legged Robot - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 14, 2007 07:00 AM
Computers, Open source hardware, Robotics |
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| Comments (2)
September 13, 2007
Homemade flatbed printer
From the YouTube description:
First step towards a homemade 3D printer. This is the insides of an HP1360, the paper feed encoder is being used to drive a stepper motor to move the gantry. The encoder is decoded and divided by a parallax propeller microcontroller that also detects the paper feed and ignores other paper feed motor rotations. The gantry is moved by a cable drive to be replaced by a belt.
Homemade flatbed printer - [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 13, 2007 04:00 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (5)
DIY Solar-powered PC
These guys in Munich built a mid-range PC, and powered it with nothing but solar power. This is the first part of the series, thanks amp2003! Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 13, 2007 09:00 AM
Computers, DIY Projects |
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| Comments (1)
September 11, 2007
Microwulf: A personal, portable Beowulf cluster
Here's a lower cost way of making a sorta-supercomputer, it reminds me of the computer from Pi... -
Microwulf is a personal, portable Beowulf cluster, providing over 26 Gflops of measured performance, for less than $2500. Its dimensions are just 11" x 12" x 17", making it small enough to fit on one's desktop or in a suitcase.Microwulf: A personal, portable Beowulf cluster - [via] Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 11, 2007 02:00 AM
Computers, DIY Projects |
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| Comments (2)
September 10, 2007
No-budget multi-touch interface?
This video of a DIY multi-touch interface in tantalizingly cool, but there's little detail. So far. More is promised. But then, that was back in June.
DyeSight $2 Multi-Touch Pad - [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 10, 2007 06:00 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (3)
September 9, 2007
Bare Bones Arduino Diecimila mod
David Fowler of uC Hobby writes:
A new version of the Arduino board was released that added a cool new feature. With help from Paul Badger of Modern Device Company and Brian of the Freeduino project this article will show you how to modify the Bare Bones Arduino board to make it compatible with the new Diecimila Arduino. No more pressing the reset button to load your code and no more long waits to see if it runs.
Bare Bones Arduino Diecimila Mod - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 9, 2007 02:51 PM
Arduino, Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (1)
September 6, 2007
Defconbots autonomous sentry gun
Kevin Hjelden and his friend Joe built this autonomous shooter for this year's Defconbots competition. They described the build before they started:
The electronics for this project are going to be relatively simple as well. To control the three servos (pan + tilt + firing), we are going to use the Pololu 8-channel servo controller. Normally we might use an atmega to do the control, however I already created code to control the pololu controller for another project and it's really inexpensive/easy to use. If it required more complicated feedback or logic, a microcontroller might have been the better choice, but in this case it wasn't, so the right decision was just to use the Pololu controller. To control the valve, we had two options. One was to use another channel on the servo controller and something like a Banebot motor controller to apply power to the electronic valve, the other was to use the servo that pushes the plunger to push a switch that opens the valve. The latter option was chosen.
Related:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 6, 2007 04:00 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics, Robotics |
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| Comments (6)
AppleCrate: An Apple II-based parallel computer
Michael writes -
At the outset, when designing NadaNet, I envisioned that it could be used to support parallel computing on Apple II machines. To add more processors and save space, I decided that I would package several Apple //e main boards together, without keyboards or peripheral slot cards. (I didn't disassemble the Apples myself, but found a box of Apple //e main boards being sold as an auction lot for about a dollar each!) I settled on a wooden cube about one foot on a side which I slotted to hold up to 8 main boards. For whimsical reasons, I called it an "AppleCrate".AppleCrate: An Apple II-based parallel computer - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 6, 2007 03:00 AM
Computers, Retro |
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September 5, 2007
Dude sends robot replacement to work
I'm really surprised that telepresence/telerobotics hasn't caught on more than it has. IRobot was R&Ding this tech nearly a decade ago. And the tools to make it happen have only gotten cheaper and more widely distributed. In this story, reverberating around the Interwebs, Ivan Bowman, a computer programmer, works from his living room in Nova Scotia, while his "robot" (basically a remotely-controlled computer on wheels) named "IvanAnywhere" motors around the offices of his employer, iAnywhere Solutions, over 830 miles away, in Waterloo. As with the iRobot experiences and those of others who've played with tele-robotic presence since, co-workers soon forget that they're talking to a mobile coat rack and act as if Bowman is actually there. IvanAnywhere has even attended company parties.
Meet IvanAnywhere - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 5, 2007 01:02 PM
Computers, Electronics, Robotics, Telecommunications |
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| Comments (1)
DIY RAM checker?
Garrett writes in with a request, a DIY RAM checker, anyone ever hear of a DIY version? -
Dear Publisher:
I have recently found your magazine...its great...and this is from someone who has never done any type of electronic project or task as I read in your magazine.
Although I work in the computer industry I am not an engineer. I love to tinker and will continue to read your magazine until I have the courage to make one of your projects. As a manager I did not was not able to get my hands dirty as it were.
Keep up the good work.
My suggestion and something I would like but cannot build is a RAM memory checker. There cheapest one out there is around $800 dollars. There are other problems besides the price, it gives too much information for one.
The two best features of a RAM checker would be the ability to check all types, SIMMs,DIMMs,SDRAM, DDR...etc. and the ability to Bluetooth to a printer. The simple check of the RAM would be sufficient, is the RAM okay.
Now what I don't know is if someone has already done this project and any referrals would be welcome.
Thanks for reading.
Related:
RAM Check - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 5, 2007 10:00 AM
Computers, DIY Projects |
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| Comments (4)
September 3, 2007
Rising from the pumpkin patch...
Summer is over. Let the Halloween hacks begin! This one, sent to us by David Fowler of uC Hobby, uses printer mechanics, a BASIC Stamp, and a Park Zone light (an ultrasonic proximity detector used for tight-space garage parking). It senses when someone is close to the front door and triggers a pumpkin to rise from the planter box on the porch.
Halloween automatic pumpkin - Link
Related:
We are sold out of the illustrated cover version of the MAKE Halloween issue in the Maker store. This version of the cover will be on newsstands on 9/4 so if you want that one that will be the place to get it.
However, we have the alternate cover version available for pre-order (get it here) and a collector's two pack with both cover versions for a special price, you can pre-order the two pack or get the special edition - Link.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 3, 2007 12:17 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics, Halloween |
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| Comments (2)
September 2, 2007
Internal USB/ReadyBoost hack for Ultra-Mobile PC
"ThoughtFix," over at UltraMobileGeek, has a piece on how to add an internal USB hub, for adding Flash memory and ReadyBoost (the Flash-based memory cacher for juicing Vista) to a UMPC, in this case, the eo V7110. He's not sure what he's going to do with the other two internal ports, maybe add more Flash, maybe an RF remote.
Adding Internal USB (and internal ReadyBoost) to a UMPC - [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 2, 2007 02:27 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics, Mobile |
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| Comments (0)
August 31, 2007
Hidden Google Earth flight simulator?
Huh, a couple makers sent sent in this link that turns Google Earth in to a flight simulator, I just tried it and it works! I'm going to see what no-fly zones it will let me buzz over... -
To enter the flight simulator mode, press Ctrl + Alt + A (Command/Open Apple Key + Option + A on the Mac). Once you have entered flight simulator mode for the first time, you can re-enter the mode by choosing Tools > Enter Flight Simulator. To leave flight simulator mode, click Exit Flight Simulator in the top right corner or press Ctrl + Alt + A (Command/Open Apple Key+ Option + A on the Mac).Flight Simulator Keyboard Controls - Google Earth User Guide - Link.The following keystrokes control navigation and other aspects of the flight simulator. You can also control the aircraft with a mouse or joystick. To disable or enable mouse controls, left click (single click on a Mac). Once mouse controls are active, the pointer shape changes to a cross on your screen.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 31, 2007 04:00 PM
Computers, Online |
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| Comments (19)
Banana PC - Custom laptop logo
There's more than just one glowing fruit computer now! - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 31, 2007 04:30 AM
Computers, DIY Projects, Instructables |
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| Comments (1)
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