Archive for the ‘Peripherals’ Category

DIY USB Fan

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

This is an old hack/mod, but it works pretty well. Here’s what you need:

  • An old desktop case fan
  • 1 USB cable
  • A piece of stiff wire
  • Some electrical tape
  • A pair of pliers
  • Cutter

diy-usb-fanHere are the steps to take:

  1. Cut of one end of the USB cable, and unsheathe the main cord it to reveal a red and black wires. These two wires pull power from a computer’s USB port.
  2. The next step is really simple: Strip the red and black wires of the USB and the old desktop fan, then twist them together. Red to red and black to black of course
  3. Get some electrical tape, and wrap the red wire connection with it twice. Continuing the roll, wrap twice around the red wire and black wire. This will keep the red wire from touching the black wire.
  4. Bend the stiff wire to form a “U” and insert the “legs” through one set of the desktop fan’s screw holes. The legs should thread towards the side where the fan blows the air.
  5. Bend the stiff wire so that you can insert both legs into the other set of screw holes, threading the wire towards the opposite side.
  6. Cut off any slack stiff wire, leaving around half-an-inch.
  7. Place the desktop fan on a hard flat surface, with the U on top. Push down hard on the fan frame to “finalize” the stiff wire bends.
  8. Use pliers to bend the slack stiff wire, and hammer it into the frame to make it as flush as possible.
  9. And voila! There you have it! A video of the entire procedure is available here.

Dolphin-Inspired Personal Submarine

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

The premise of Innerspace Productions’ Seabreacher? A personal sub in itself is already cool, but what about a personal sub that supposedly can jump, dive, and roll like a real dolphin?

Images!





Video!

Quick facts:

  • This is nothing new; the product FAQ cites experience based on 10 years of use
  • A promise top speed of 40mph on the surface and 20mph underwater
  • Price is $48,000 for the basic model, while all the bells and whistles can be had for $68,000
  • Inner Space ships all over the world, through 20-foot shipping containers, for around $3000 to $6000 depending on location
  • Max depth is 5 feet
  • Positively buoyant; unless something’s actively dragging the Seabreacher down, it will float to the surface automatically
  • Cockpit and engine bay are kept watertight with pneumatic, inflatable seals
  • Launchable on regular boat ramps, the Seabreacher comes with its own custom boat cart

The Best Rally Video Ever

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

So Ken Block the rally driver is known for the views he scores on YouTube. So what happens when he enjoys the support of BBC’s Top Gear? A really well-edited and polished video, of something called Gymkhana, full of slow-mo goodness:

I know Block just started participating in the World Rally Championship, but why only now? What, did he have to develop his skills at Rally America or something, before going to the big leagues? This driver has props, and the unsophisticated rally fan in me thinks he can give Sébastien Loeb a run for the money.

Courtesy Ken Block RacingCourtesy Ken Block Racing

The course is actually within an operating airport in South California, the Inyokern airport. Fittingly, it used be a very old drag strip (second oldest until it was closed down apparently), until the killjoys at the FAA decided that racing cars beside planes went against some rules.

Apple Disables Pre-iTunes Sync

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

When the Palm Pre debuted, many made noise over its ability to sync with iTunes. The talk mainly centered on how Palm figured this out, and what actions Apple would take.

palm-pre-sync-itunes

So it comes as no surprise that the latest iTunes update basically “disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre.” Palm’s reaction to this isn’t clear yet, but here are some possibilities:

Palm Sues Apple. Given Apple’s dominance of the portable music industry, could Palm’s lawyers argue that Apple is being anti-competitive?

Someone hacks iTunes to restore Pre compatibility. Or simply comes out with a program that fools any version of iTunes into accepting non-iPods for syncing. You know it’s going to happen, especially if the Pre was able to re-motivate the Palm faithful.

Apple Sues Palm. So the iTunes+iPod ecosystem is a closed, proprietary setup. Which Palm tried to violate. There should be a legal liability or two somewhere there, and Apple could imply industrial espionage at the very least, especially since a former Apple executive was responsible for the Pre’s creation.

PowrAmid: Funny But Useful Form Factor

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

The name “PowrAmid” is cringeworthy, and its shape is unorthodox at best, but there’s a method to the madness: here’s a power “strip” that truly supports multiple power adapters!

Courtesy Kreative PowerCourtesy Kreative Power

Any avid gadget user knows how bulky gadget plugs are nowadays, especially since manufacturers integrate more hardware within the plug itself. (Worst offenders: cell phones, speakers, and Apple laptops without the power cord extender) So it’s hard to maximize a typical power strip, as those bulky plugs rudely violate the personal space of adjacent sockets.

The PowrAmid addresses this problem somewhat by orienting the sockets in a circular fashion, providing some angular clearance that allows plugs to go all the way in, while leaving some space for equally bulky counterparts.

Courtesy Kreative PowerCourtesy Kreative Power

Another benefit? The PowrAmid is also relatively compact, taking up less space than the traditional strip configuration. This also means it’s a perfect desk ornament, allowing users to keep their cords’ slacks bundled up while plugging things in. Integrated surge protection and a power switch cover just add to the list of potential pluses.