News, reviews and articles about products that help you make and fix things.
An apron? What? Yes. If you’ve ever undertaken a household repair project by yourself, you immediately discover that we humans are cursed with only two hands and not enough pockets. This may be the next best thing.
North Star Leather Nail Apron review Read More
I remember using a magnifying glass as a kid to burn leaves or bugs or my brothers leg, but never did it occur to me that it could be used for art. FEBO is a crowdfunded project that has far exceeded its goal thus far. The unique glass on top will harness the suns rays
FEBO is an engraver that uses the sunlight to power your creativity Read More
Have you ever wondered why your cell phone is charging so slowly? Could it be an ill-suited wall charger, a bad mico-USB/lightning cable, or does your phone’s battery need replacing? Maybe you’ve wondered if there are truly any differences between different brands of micro-USB cables or how efficient your 10,000 mAh external battery charger is
USB multimeters are an essential tool for every gadget owner Read More
When it comes to home networks, I always prefer a wired internet connection over WiFi. When you’ve got a bunch of unmarked cables hidden behind the walls, you need all the help you can get. I’m not an IT professional, but I thought I’d add the Fluke Networks LinkSprinter to my “bag of tricks” when
Fluke Networks LinkSprinter 300 network tester review Read More
Have you ever wanted to use a doughnut as your spacebar? Have you been hankering to use jello as a game controller? Yeah me neither, but now you can thanks to the most unusual Kickstarter project ever, Makey Makey Go. Makey Makey Go is a device composed of a USB dongle and a wire with
Makey Makey Go makes your spacebar edible Read More
Have you wanted to try your hand at writing a program for the iPhone or iPad, but you don’t know how to get started? One simple, inexpensive way to get your toes wet with Apple’s new Swift programming language is with the Swifty app. You’ll learn to program for the iOS platform with Swift right
Teach yourself to program with the Swifty app for iOS Read More
We’ve just started planning for a small kitchen update. We’re replacing the countertop, replacing the flooring, and modifying a cabinet to replace the existing cooktop and wall oven with a slide-in range. We’ve been taking lots of measurements, and it’s a pain to take a measurement and stop to write each down so we don’t forget.
Take the guesswork out of taking measurements Read More
Julie asked if I would like to review the RoboReel Air from Great Stuff. Since Annette had been after me to install updated base trim and casing in our kitchen, this seemed like a great opportunity — both for me and for Annette. I would get to try out a cool new gadget for my
Great Stuff RoboReel Air review Read More
I’ve shown you pictures of my desk that I custom designed from Elfa components at the Container Store. I designed a perfect desk for myself, and then I was able to easily turn that one person desk into a two-person desk when my husband wished he had a new desk, too. That desk was built
Last year Julie was nice enough to send me a packet of Sugru in a care package. While I love the stuff, it is not always suitable for every fix I need. Enter Bondic liquid plastic welder. Bondic is not a glue, instead it is a liquid plastic that you use to bond surfaces together.
You won’t be in a sticky situation with Bondic liquid plastic welder by your side Read More
Adding or changing the artwork on your walls can be an expensive project. Even if you use your own images, you still have to get the pictures matted and framed, which is not cheap. Then there’s the problem with doing it all over again when you start growing tired of looking at the same images on
Turn a pizza box into artwork for your walls Read More
Julie’s post about the clever but expensive Strelka tool kit yesterday reminded me of my favorite little tool kit. Although my husband has a nice kit that has more expensive tools than this little kit from Ikea, the Fixa 17-piece tool kit has everything that we need to use for most of the things we do around
Ikea’s toolkit is easy to store and easy on your pocketbook Read More
I have a large Craftsman toolbox in my garage that contains all manner of screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers and more. But not everyone has a garage or room for such a collection of tools. The Strelka ToolBook is a toolbox that stores in your home on the book shelf. You might be thinking that you don’t
Strelka is a toolbox that fits on your bookshelf Read More
If you are a geek, you most likely already know what steampunk is, but if not, it’s a sub-genre of science fiction that features steam-powered machinery and gadgets that have been inspired by the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. The folks at Steamy Tech have created a wide variety of kits and
DIY + Steampunk = Awesome Read More
I’ve shown you the elfa desk system I built for my home office, but I haven’t shown you all the other elfa systems in my house. We have a huge bookshelf that stores books and serves as the support table for the giant, 88-key electronic keyboard, my daughter’s desk system, and the closet drawer systems.
Maximize your storage space with the elfa Door and Wall Rack system Read More
It is not that the Logitech Alert video surveillance system we use has become all that long in the tooth. It still works well enough. The fact is I want/need to expand my coverage and their outdoor cameras are difficult to get ahold of and surprisingly costly when you do. Julie and I have been discussing surveillance
DIY Project: Dropcam Pro outdoor enclosure Read More
With less than two weeks until Halloween, you’re quickly running out of time to figure out what you’re going to dress up as for the holiday parties you’ll be attending. Dracula and Ironman are so 2013, so here’s an idea that is not only funny, but also timely. It’s a bent iPhone 6 costume that you can
This bent iPhone 6 costume totally wins Halloween Read More
Every year since 2011, my boyfriend and I enjoy going to Maker Faire in Queens, NY. Maker Faire is a large family friendly, creative, tech-influenced event that is held in multiple cities around the US and globally. We love to see the inventions and projects from hobbyists, hackers, and students. This year, I thought I would post a
Trip Report: 2014 Maker Faire New York Read More
The blink(1) is a small USB LED status light that plugs into your PC, Mac, Linux or even Raspberry Pi device and can be set up to flash a certain color and pattern when something happens that you need to know about. That “something” is entirely up to you. For example: Do you want to know
blink(1) is a USB LED status light that can alert you to almost anything Read More
Do it yourselfers, handy men and women and just about anyone who needs to measure and mark something will want to check out the PencilMan tape measure from Smith Works Tools. The PencilMan is a 25 foot metal ruler that features an easy to use thumb activated tape brake lever, a belt clip and best
Tape measure + pencil = PencilMan Read More