3D Print: Talking D20 Dice

"3D Printed Talking D20" by Adafruit and Phillip Burgess

Via: Cnet

A magic eight ball is a handy gadget to have around if you need help making up you mind.  You know what's even better?  A D20 die.  But why stop there?  If you have a 3D printer and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty with electronics, you can build your own 3D-printed, 20-sided die that calls out your dice rolls and makes fun of you when they’re low.

Adafruit offers a guide to demonstrate how to make a D20 that talks for yourself.

DIY: Podtique

"The Podtique" by Roderick Mann

The Podtique is an antique radio hacked by software engineer Roderick Mann to play segments from popular old-timey radio podcast The Thrilling Adventure Hour on different frequencies when the dial is turned.  Built using a 1936 Goldentone radio, the Podtique has different MP3 files from various show segments assigned to different stations. For the full effect, the sound of static plays between each station.

Whenever you’re not tuned to a station, pink noise plays. This is mixed with station content, gradually fading away as the tuning improves. The volume potentiometer is used to attenuate the resulting mixed samples. If the knob is turned all the way off, the BBB mutes the audio amplifier and turns off the dial backlight.

Video: Useless LEGO Machine

"Jason vs The Ultimate LEGO Machine" by Jason Allemann

A useless machine is a box that performs a useless task. They usually turn themselves off, (but are completely useful for learning how to build and program them).  In this video, Jason Allemann demonstrates a very advanced version of the useless machine built with LEGO Mindstorm.

Quick Pic: Human Life

"Vida Humana" ("Human Life") by Marcela Armas, 2006.

Copper on bakelite. Printed circuit board. 90 x 60 cm.

"This mapping is my hometown printed in copper on bakelite support used in the development of electronic circuits, which can be seen as visual analogues of the fabric of our cities.

Copper can draw the flow of electrical power to a city, that is, the representation of the city as a living entity."

Electronic Art: LISTENER

"LISTENER" interactive public art by New American Public Art and GoodGood Design Studio

LISTENER is an audio-responsive interactive light sculpture. It detects the volume of ambient noise and deliberate hoots, hollers, and yells, and visualizes the sound on four horizontal LED strips.

Four, fifteen foot addressable LED light strips hang between two light poles. Four microphones are placed in the center of the strips. In the style of an old graphical equalizer, the sound each microphone hears is translated to light on a LED strip. Everything is weather proofed, and structurally installed for being outdoors in the Boston winter.

I've posted the Maker Tutorial for creating this installation below:

Crafts: Arc Reactor Ring Box

Iron Man Arc Reactor Ring Box by Eddie Zarick

"What better way to propose to a girl who loves Iron Man and comics. She always calls me Tony Stark for all of the projects I have going, So I figure I should make a Tony Stark Heart with a ring that comes out from the inside! Check out my website for more details at EdsJunk.net!"

Hack: Haunted Mirror

Haunted Mirror

With an IOIO board, a thrift store mirror, and a little Android app, you too can have your very own haunted mirror.  Just upload your images, set the proximity sensor, and watch your house guests' jump when your mirror does an impression of an arcade when they go to adjust their make-up. Read up on all the details over at Instructables.

Hack: Myst Book

A Real Myst Book by Mike Ando

It took six years and most certainly some form of arcane ritual for Mike Ando to create a real-life Myst book… that you can open and play! Inside the book is a fully functional desktop computer with an embedded touch screen which you can use to play all of the pre-loaded Myst games. Check out full details at Ando’s website.