Who can resist pushing a shiny emergency button? Fortunately, this one actually "transform[s] your living room into an automated 'Jame Bond style' party room." Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.
Once Brian presses on the emergency party button, the curtain closes automatically, light dim out, then all the party lights, music, laser, steam, and strobe lights start coming out.[via Zedomax - Plasma2002]
Anyone with old VHS tapes lying around, will appreciate this nifty hack, which turns the cassette into a functional USB hub. To build it, you'll need: a "USB hub, some LEDs, a small switch (optional) and some cables." Project page. Click here for first picture in gallery.
Have any old VHS tapes lying around? Really? What the hell is wrong with you? That stuff should have been tossed ages ago. Anyway, since you have one, it might be a good idea to repurpose it into something useful - like a USB hub[via Gizmodo - HackedGadgets]
What sets "Audio Ping Pong" apart from its tabletop counterpart is that this version enables "one's head to make the motions typically assigned to the hands." Video after the break.
Essentially, a sound is emitted from the headphones on one side or the other, and the gamer has to tilt his / her head just so until the noise is centered[via Engadget]
Yes, Brazilian thieves used a modified ASUS Eee PC at an ATM to "grab credit card information and personal information numbers to clone cards." Video after the break.
The three men were specialized in cloning credit cards at ATMs, always with the same method. As you can see in the video, the first opens one of the machines, then another one comes to help him with the installation of a black Eee PC[via Gizmodo]
A group of college students have built "Slashbot", which "works as a completely standalone process, using a converter box to translate specific pixel information from the screen intro note presses and strums on the mechanical contraption." Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.
On average, the bot is achieving 90 percent accuracy in expert mode, and has yet to be defeated by a human challenger. Next up? It plans to eradicate all human life on Earth, of course[via Engadget - Slashbot]
If you've been looking for a Guitar Hero hack that automates the game for you, look no furthur than "AutoGuitarHero". This hack essentially uses "the composite video input to determine which notes need to be hit in real time." Video after the break. Click here for one more picture.
That, as you might have guessed, is way beyond any notion of practicality, and far outside the realm of the average DIYer's skill level, but it seems like it does indeed work, although there are apparently a few minor kinks left to be worked out[via HackedGadgets - Engadget]
This followup to the NES-controlled espresso machine builds upon that creation, and adds Wii Nunchuck functionality. Aside from the controller, it consists of "fancy-pants Rancilio Silvia espresso machine, the multi-purpose Arduino micro-controller, and some seriously high-level hacking." Video after the break. Click here for one more picture.
The typically straight-up espresso maker is now controlled electronically, allowing integration of a calendar, sleep timer, wake-up alarm, and temperature regulation[via Engadget - Growdown]
At first glance, this may look like a broken USB cable, but it's actually a fully-functional USB flash drive. Instruction page. Click here for first picture in gallery.
Obviously you wouldn't want to use the most expensive parts for this as you'll be tearing into both drive and cable, so Scientist got the KingMax for $10 off Ebay and found a cable for a buck fifty[via Dvice]
Remember those nifty calculator watches from the 80s/90s? Well, this person decided to build a followup called the "uWatch". It's touted as the "world's most powerful programmable RPN/Algebraic scientific calculator watch." Click here for first picture in gallery.
If you thought the original calculator watch was nerdy, get a load of this DIY gem from designer David Jones. Unfortunately, the project site is still under construction, so a step-by-step tutorial has yet to be developed.[via Gizmodo]
At first glance, this handheld system may look like something you'd find in stores now, but it's actually a custom built Atari 2600 portable. It features a 5-inch display, vacuum formed styrene plastic case, integrated stereo speakers, and 32 built-in games. Continue reading for a video. Click here for first picture in gallery.
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