diy

Looking for a new and imaginative way to terrify your kid? No, we're not talking about the Wiggles (though equally traumatic). Instead, why not try a duplicitous robot bear bent on destroying the human race?

The fine folks at Instructables have a tutorial for hacking a teddy bear into a Cylon killing machine from "Battlestar Galactica." The project seems fairly simple and cheap, especially if you already have a suitable teddy bear that you're willing to perform some surgery on. With a $15 kit from ThinkGeek, a cheap voice memo recorder, scissors, and some basic soldering … Read more

We've covered quite a few eye-catching DIY creations lately, from a pilot who used duct tape to fix his bear-bitten airplane to a toy Star Trek phaser that actually works (and could potentially blind and/or kill you).

We also covered a Super Mario Bros. sweater, a garage-built Antarctic snow chopper, a robot flower girl, and a bridal bouquet that measures biometric data and displays it as crazy changing colors so everyone can see how nervous the bride and groom are. We're not sure why they'd want to do that, but they did.

We can think of … Read more

Let's say you're stationed in Antarctica at the McMurdo Station research center. And let's say your job is to help maintain the fleet of snowmobiles the U.S. uses down there. And let's say your former job skilled you in parts fabrication.

And let's say you've got a lot of junk that's being thrown away. And finally let's say you're into motorcycles. If this is you, then you're probably Bob Sawicki or Toby Weisser, two mechanics who put their heads together and used their know-how to build the snow chopper shown above. … Read more

We spotted a lucky guy whose wife not only knits him things, but knits him nerdy Nintendo-themed things. On DIY site Craftster, poster UpKnitCreek writes that her hubby has been in love with Nintendo (and especially Mario games) since he was 5 years old. Thus, in the true spirit of nerd-appreciating spouses, she made him what she calls "the nerdiest sweatervest" (though isn't "nerdy" and "Nintendo sweatervest" sort of redundant?).

Anyway, if you're the crafty type and you have a Nintendo-loving nerd in your life, you can download the pattern for this … Read more

The electrode-equipped Galvanic Skin Response bouquet doesn't give the couple much question about wearing their hearts on their sleeves: a blue LED glows when they're calm but a white one turns on when the nerves or excitement kick in. But that's not all.

The bride and the groom--who met, appropriately, working on a corset that tightens with heart rate--implemented a variety of biofeedback gear to datalog their big day.

The bouquet of white flowers is attached to two electrodes, one worn on the bride's wedding ring finger, natch, via velcro strap, and the other in … Read more

I'll be the first to admit I'm a Star Trek fiend. I loved J.J. Abram's new movie and I'm currently re-watching the original series on Netflix via my Xbox. But that's telling: I'm using the latest real-life tech to experience the earliest fake tech. I love the tools of the Star Trek universe, and one that I love most is the phaser.

They can be set to stun, kill, or vaporize. It's a badass weapon for a badass time. Now, thanks to the how-to that one laser whiz, Jayrob, posted on Laser Pointer Forums, … Read more

If you're still shooting pictures with film, you'll know how difficult it can be to find your favorite these days. But what if you can make your own film?

Flickr user dark orange has posted a set of images documenting and teaching interested readers how to make their own film-making machine ("plastic and goop go in one end, and camera film comes out the other end"). Being a film user myself, one advantage I can think of for having such a piece of hardware is the ability to create the type of negatives I like. This … Read more

The beauty of podcasts is that anyone with a microphone and computer can make one. If you're looking for a bit of a bump in production value, you may want to check out the Technical Pro PM Series Podcaster kit. While it may not have you sounding as remarkable as The 404 or Buzz Out Loud, you certainly will have everything you need to get going.

The kit comes in two bundles, the PM21 and PM-22. The 21 will set you up for a single-person podcast, while the 22 has room for two hosts. Each kit comes with a … Read more

This post was going to be about Cal's Plumbing Video Tutorial - Minor Toilet Rebuild, and make no mistake: It would have been exciting as hell.

But, let's face it, when it comes to do-it-yourself projects, basic toilet repair takes a backseat to driving a car with your iPhone while standing on the roof!

That's the feat these crazy dudes from Waterloo Labs managed to pull off. (And you thought Asphalt 5 was fun!) Watch in equal parts horror and envy, as I did, while a human crash-test dummy rides atop a specially modded car, steering it … Read more