Ben shows us how he starts one of his hacks. He is talking a midi controller and making it fit into a Guitar sized unit. Lots of work went into moving some sliders and buttons around so that it will work in the new form factor. Ben uses a neat trick to make the new front face fit all of the existing buttons. He takes a scan of the original enclosure which allows him to make the new enclosure exact, to ensure that his new design fits well he cuts out the test pattern o paper using a laser cutter. On the next episode he will complete the enclosure since the hardware mod is complete.

 If you are a bike rider you might want to pimp your ride with some custom features. Have a look at what Jenna has done for some inspiration. She has provided all of the code so you can also duplicate her work.

What is the voltage on a AA battery? It would be around 1:30PM if you were using this voltmeter! A PICAXE 18M2 microcontroller is used to read an analog value, calculate what time it represents and then uses a stepper motor to spin the adjustment knob to have the clock show the voltage using the hour and minute hands.

Read more about the Analog Clock Voltmeter

“The max input voltage for the ADC on the PICAXE 18M2 is about 5VDC.  To tame the input signal for the PICAXE a simple 3:1 voltage divider (10K, 10K, 10K) was implemented.  This limited the input voltage into the PICAXE to 4VDC.  A trim pot was also used to adjust for the input impedance of the PICAXE and to help calibrate the measurement results.”

Want to build some electronic devices that will literately self destruct? Many people say that is what electronics do already compared to electronics built 15 years ago. It wasn’t that long ago that devices were built like tanks and designed to last as long as possible. These days I think most devices are designed to just outlast the warranty period. 

Scientists are working on a method of building electronics that can be implanted in the human body and simply dissolve when no longer needed. This technology will be used to replace the short term medical devices that need to be surgically removed when no longer needed. The electronics will be made from silicon, magnesium, and silk. They will be able to set the amount of time the device will remain functioning before they start to dissolve.  Will green electronics manufacturers adopt this type of construction to build landfill friendly devices?

You can see some of the silk research that Fiorenzo Omenetto has been working on in the video below.

Via: Inventor Spot

 If you are a bike rider and hate wearing a helmet this Invisible Bike Helmet might be for you. I am not sure how sensitive it is, I am hoping a strong pat on the back doesn’t activate the sensor.

“Hövding is a bicycle helmet unlike any other currently on the market. It’s ergonomic, it’s practical, it complies with all the safety requirements, and it’s also subtle and blends in with what else you are wearing.

Hövding is a collar for bicyclists, worn around the neck. The collar contains a folded up airbag that you’ll only see if you happen to have an accident. The airbag is shaped like a hood, surrounding and protecting the bicyclist’s head. The trigger mechanism is controlled by sensors which pick up the abnormal movements of a bicyclist in an accident.”

Microwave ovens are often discarded because they are old and don’t match the look of your other kitchen appliances anymore. Have no fear, there is a good use for these ovens. You can use the MOT (Microwave Oven Transformer) found inside for some high voltage fun or simply make a pressure vessel bomb out of it.  Tesla500 on Youtube has been having fun with these for years. Have a look at the above and below videos for an example of some of the antics he is up to. Make sure you subscribe to his channel if you like teardowns and some crazy high voltage fun.

Jason Paul is known for his super human abilities but when you add a Rube Goldberg Machine on a huge scale things get very interesting! I guess danger of death makes everything more interesting and this is no exception. There is no shortage of don’t try this at home in this video. I am not sure if the entire thing was taken in a single take though since there are a number of sections that are physically in different areas of the stunt and could possibly be done in separate takes.  If it was done start to finish I would think that it took many attempts to get it right…

Thanks for sending in the tip Bob.