Like many hobbyists, I rely on a good soldering iron. I’ve been soldering since the 3rd grade, and I’ve had quite a few soldering irons over the years. I’m currently using a Weller soldering station that I’ve had over 20 years (still going strong), so when I had a chance to try a new Weller [...]
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Remembering all the interest in Julie’s recent Gadget Diary about the Qi inductive wireless charger, I know some of you will be interested in reading an article I recently found on the Huffington Post site. They have an article about modifying a nightstand to turn it into a Qi inductive wireless charging station. Basically, a [...]
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Since the demise of the Heathkit, I’ve lived with an emptiness in my gadget life. However hope springs eternal, so when I heard about the Calculator kit from SpikenzieLabs, I was prepared to do whatever it took to review it. Thank goodness I was selected and could now feed my kit-building addiction. Hopefully my excitement [...]
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The Electric Imp is now out of beta and shipping developer kits. The Imp is an SD-card sized WiFi (802.11b/g/n) module with built-in antenna, 6 I/O, Arm Cortex M3 Micro-controller, and a Cloud-based infrastructure for programming and control. The I/O supports serial, I2C, SPI, A2D, D2A, and PWM interfaces. The Imp uses the Squirrel programming language, [...]
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Some of my favorite childhood toys include a Spirograph set and a kaleidoscope. I’m still fascinated by geometric art and actually ordered a couple modern Spirograph type sets for myself this past Christmas. I always thought it would be really cool to make my own kaleidoscope, so when I was asked by the UK based [...]
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Did Santa bring you a bucket of LEGO bricks and now you have no idea what to build with them? Never fear my brick snapping friends, I have 4 books that will have you building cool stuff (or dreaming about building cool stuff) in no time.
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I have no idea what I would make if I had a 3D printer at my disposal, but I just know I want to play with one… The new Portabee 3D printer is an attractive option because it’s reasonably priced at $480 unassembled (don’t worry, there’s no soldering involved and only takes a couple of afternoons [...]
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Just as the title says, you can add a pendant lighting fixture wherever you need one without having to pay an electrician to run wiring to that location. The Battery Powered LED Pendant Light from Solutions installs with the included bolts. The shade cover and the ceiling cover are both stainless steel with your choice [...]
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Earphones are great because they are so portable. But the vast majority of them do not fit right or fall out easily. Eargear is a silicone based polymer that can be molded around your favorite earphones to create a custom fit. Similar to the professionally created ear monitors that your favorite musicians use, Eargear is [...]
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I’ve seen a couple of TV shows about luthiers, and building guitars seems like a very interesting activity with a beautiful and useful end product. Of course, it takes skill to make the wooden enclosure for any guitar, and the electronics for an electric guitar only adds to the complexity of the project. This Mini [...]
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We all love power tools, but let’s be realistic: Unless your tools are part of your job or you’re a serious handyperson, most power tools are overkill. Yes, I’ve been guilty of using a $400 cordless uber-drill to tighten a cabinet hinge. But what’s this odd-ball, palm-sized thing? A Gyro? Isn’t that meat eaten inside [...]
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The DIY Pen is a unique kit from Fraser Ross art & design studio who is based in Glasgow Scotland. The kit combines plywood, rubber heat shrink tubing and ballpoint pen components. The plywood sheet holds the individual parts that create the skeleton of the pen. It also doubles as a fixture for the last step which requires a [...]
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One of the biggest pains with using drills and power screwdrivers is having to change bits all the time, however Worx has come up with a neat solution. The Worx SD Power screwdriver is powered by a 4V Li-Ion battery and comes with a handy LED work light. It’s big selling point is the six [...]
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3D printers are getting smaller, lighter, and cheaper. Makerbot has just announced their Replicator 2 , their fourth generation “prosumer” printer. Made from powder-coated steel and PVC and acrylic panels, the Replicator 2 is being touted as a “Desktop 3D Printer”. It measures only 19.1 x 16.5 x 14.7 in [49 x 42 x 38 cm] and weighs only 25.4 lbs [11.5 [...]
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For a majority of us (especially those who regularly visit the Gadgeteer), the number of power-hungry tech-devices we must plug in is ever growing. Keeping those devices charged up while keeping the cable clutter down is a never-ending effort. To assist tech-toy junkies accomplish just that, NewerTechnology has released the Power2U AC/USB wall outlet, which replaces [...]
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I am extremely skeptical of the “as seen on TV” items you find in the stores these days. But I was in need of something to help me carry and install many very heavy and awkward sheets of glass. The professionals use specially designed, relatively expensive suction cups to lift glass panels and stone slabs. [...]
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