Technology

Adding internal Bluetooth on a Dell laptop…

Adding internal Bluetooth on a Dell laptop…

72847299 Ea0B9A0215Nice mod, adding Bluetooth to laptop with an extra USB port…TomTheGeek writes “This weekend I added internal bluetooth to my Dell CPx laptop. These laptops have a two port USB hub in them but only one is available on the outside. The other one is only used if you have a docking station. Since I don’t have a docking station I found the traces for the unused USB port and placed my USB bluetooth module internally. These are the connections I had to add to the main board in order to use the USB port…” Link.

HOW TO – Build a Laserharp

HOW TO – Build a Laserharp

Full Laserharp Thumb“A laser harp is basically a big frame resembling a real harp. There are no strings. Instead, beams of laser light are projected from the bottom of the harp. These beams strike light sensors at the top of the frame. When something (a hand, foot, etc.) blocks the beam, a note is triggered on a synthesizer or some type of tone generator. Theoretically the harp could control anything but I’m interested in its musical possibilities.” Here’s how to make one! [via] Link.

HOW TO – Build a PCB router

HOW TO – Build a PCB router

Overall-SmallJonathan designed a great printed circuit board router, he writes – “Printed circuit boards are usually manufactured by chemical etching (with iron (III) chloride or ammonium persulfate, for example). This is not very practical if only a few boards are necessary, because these etchants are messy and somewhat dangerous. PCBs can also be manufactured by “mechanical etching,” in which a trace is “etched” by milling away the copper along its perimeter. This requires software to generate a toolpath from the layout and a small CNC mill or router. Lots of companies make routers for PCB fabrication, but they are unjustifiably expensive so I decided to build one.” Link.

HOW TO – Convert a computer ATX power supply to a lab power supply…

HOW TO – Convert a computer ATX power supply to a lab power supply…

Atx-To-Lab-Psu-2Here’s another great how to on converting an ATX power supply to a lab power supply, Abizar writes “Computer power supplies are US$15 but lab power supplies are US$100+. By converting the cheap (free) ATX power supplies that can be found in any discarded computer you can get a phenomenal lab power supply with huge current outputs, short circuit protection, and very tight voltage regulation.” Link. See previous.

HOW TO – Computer-controlled music-synchronized flashing tree lights

HOW TO – Computer-controlled music-synchronized flashing tree lights

TreelightsGreat holiday Instructable! “Use solid-state relays to blink the lights on your tree in time with music. String lots of lights onto the tree. Use as many sets as you like, but arrange them such that there are three light regions, each with a separate plug. Run these three plugs down the trunk so they can easily be attached to the light controller. Up to three strings of lights can usually be linked in series, so you can almost certainly cover even big trees. Plug light strings into the controller you built for Halloween (MAKE 03). Attach computer and sound system…” Link.

Open DMX USB Interface

Open DMX USB Interface

Box ViewHere’s an excellent “open” hardware project for controlling lighting/effects systems – you can build your own, buy an assembled kit or improve the design and modify source code – “This DMX USB interface is based on the FTDI 232BM chip, it’s a USB to serial converter. Using a simple application on a PC you can send and receive DMX512.” Thanks Ladyada! Link.

Cubatron -3D color display

Cubatron -3D color display

CubatronMeet the Cubatron, it’s not Castro on a light cycle, it’s the world’s largest true 3D color graphics display. Assuierupe has a very cool Flickr photo set “The coolness of this display hack is difficult to convey via static images, but check out the project page for a couple of videos of the device in action. The device was built by Mark Lottor for Burning Man, and now takes up a corner of his Menlo Park living room.” Link to photos. Project page.