The prize this week is a hard drive enclosure. This contest will run for one week (March 21 – 26, 2009) . Ending time is based on central standard time. To enter, identify the item pictured above and give an example of what can be done with it. The picture may look a bit obscure but it was in a featured project on the site so you would be able to look back and find it.

Please do not give the answer in the comments.

Send an email to contest @ hackedgadgets.com with "Name the Thing Contest" as the subject, and the message body consisting of:

• The name of the item in the above picture
• An example of what the item pictured above can be used for

The winner will be chosen at random from all of the correct entries.

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Added April 4, 2009

The item to guess was a Fire Alarm Clock

The winner is Pete T. (There were 98 entries)

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Below is a picture of the prize.

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Using a PicAxe microcontroller Eric from the Hacked Gadgets Forum coded an interface between the I2C Wii Nunchuck and some status LEDs. It would be trivial from this point to make the circuit activate relays or anything else imaginable instead of just a few LEDs. If you are interesting in playing with this project the code is available.

As we all know past knowledge narrows some of our creative thinking when attempting to solve a problem. This is not the case for the designs created by Bill Gross, he uses genetic algorithms to help him evolve solutions by having computers churn through billions of possible solutions while closing on optimal designs. He created IdeaLab to allow these ideas to come to life. Have a look at the TED video above where Bill talks about how the latest innovation in solar collection was designed. This design used large inexpensive petals which are controlled by a microcontroller to seek an optimal solar collection position. All of the solar power is then focused onto a simple solar engine that is located in the center of the petal array, this engine then converts the heat to electricity.

Via: Genomicon

Alessandro Valli has been hard at work creating this Interactive Climbing Wall. My daughter loves to climb the walls at the YMCA that we go to, she would get a kick out of this creation! You may remember the other creations by Natural Interaction that we featured on the past, Interactive Floor, Multitouch SensitiveTable Skin and Grid Interface.

"OVERVIEW
iOO Climb turns every ordinary climbing wall into an interactive  augmented
climbing experience. Thousands of boulders and routes can now be saved on a
single wall, and browsed and played using a single remote control. Climbers can
thus focus on their climbing experience, forgetting numbered stickers and
colored stripes. Climbing routes are displayed only where and when it is
needed.

FEATURE: INTUITIVENESS
Traditional numbered stickers and colored stripes are substituted with simple
lines and shaped bull’s eyes, providing a clean and intuitive climbing
experience: no more numbers and colors to find and count.

FEATURE: DURABILITY
Once stored, routes and boulders can be browsed by everyone via remote control,
and the abscence of physical parts that can be touched, scratched, removed,
makes these available for years.

FEATURE: DEPLOYABILITY
iOO Climb works with any traditional climbing wall, and with holds of every
size, shape, color, and design.

FEATURE: INTERNET POWERED
Identical climbing walls can exchange routes and boulders via the internet.
With our standard climbing walls there is no need for trained personnel to
track new paths, since iOO Climb comes with hundreds of already tracked
boulders and routes.

FEATURE: GAMES FOR CHILDREN
iOO Climb provides specific climbing games for young people, with customizable
graphics of animals, toys, and funny symbols. A must for climbing lessons with
children.

FEATURE: FRONT AND REAR PROJECTION SETUP
iOO Climb works in front projected setups, for traditional already existing
climbing walls, and in rear projected setups, with translucent walls, providing
the greatest climbing experience.

FEATURE: REPLAY
Climbers can watch a replay of their climb, correctly juxtapposed on the
climbing surface.

REQUIREMENTS
A single iOO unit can cover an area up to 6 x 4.5 meters.
Maximum distance from climbing surface is 5.5 meters.
iOO unit must be ceiling mounted."

This PSP Sound Activated LED Light mod will have you grooving to the music. The Blue LEDs at the rear of this PSP has been added and hacked to move with the music. Have a look at the video below to see it in action.

"sound reactives
DIY clear bottom strip
internal go! cam/ internal mic (swapped computer mic)
paint job
16gb internal sdhc
led fader delux (fades while charging only)"

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When you have a quick glance at this picture you would think that this is a theme bar. You would be right except that this is a private theme bar that was built in someones garage! This custom bar includes a Humidor, Beer Fridge, 46” LCD TV, and a Gaming System. Looks like you may have to take your shoes off before you enter this garage.

Via: The Bachelor Guy

Justin (Potatono) has made a cool looking Binary LED clock called Time to Hack. You can find information about the clock at Thingiverse and NYCResistor.

"Use three pieces of acrylic, each with similar holes cut in them. The top piece only has four holes for the mounting screws that hold the whole thing together and the "Time To Hack" etch. Under that is the clear piece with holes for the mounting screws and lights. Under that is the back piece which is the part that we actually mount to the wall. The extra space on the square piece of acrylic is used to cut out spacers which fit between each of the layers. In this revision I mounted the Arduino on the back piece, but it should’ve been mounted on the middle piece (see below) as it made me use a ton of extra wire, and it was really difficult to get the whole thing to come together in the end."