electronics
Fix
Build A “Beeping Thing” To Prank Coworkers
7:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | We’re not above a good practical joke here at Lifehacker, and today’s electronics-based prank is a great one. Fire up the soldering gun and get ready to annoy with a vengeance. More »
Fix
Build A Wallclock That Displays Time In Plain English
9:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Tech-loving sister-site Gizmodo stumbled upon a magnificently novel and modern clock, which cost a mere $US1,500. They also, fortunately, found a tutorial on making one yourself for a fraction of the price. More »
Fix
Create Circuit Board Standoffs From Inexpensive Nylon Tubing
6:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Standoffs elevate a circuit board for wiring project, but you’ll pay a premium at the local computer shop for a few, or have to order them in unnecessary bulk over the web. Use nylon tubing as a cheap, convenient stand-in. More »
Fix
Replace The New iPod Shuffle’s Headphones
6:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | The new iPod shuffle has controls wired right into the cable of the headphones. What if you don’t dig Apple’s standard earbuds? This video tutorial offers a simple way to swap in your preferred pair.As he advises in the video, make sure to note which wires go where and go slowly if it’s your first time soldering. That said the technique shouldn’t be a challenge, even for a novice warranty-voider. Have your own earbud hacks to share? Sound off in the comments below and give us another reason to bust out a soldering iron. iPod Earbud Replacement [via Hack a Day] More »
Communicate
Find Product Manuals At OwnerIQ
3:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Find the manual for your product online at OwnerIQ, a site that catalogs thousands of manuals for consumer devices and offers forums for discussing their features and quirks. OwnerIQ goes a step beyond previously reviewed SafeManuals by providing not only manuals, but also extended on-site information about your products. You can use the site without registration to quickly locate manuals and accompanying literature for products you own. Registration adds the ability to ask questions in the product forums and create a profile of all your devices and manuals. Additionally, if there’s a recall or update for any product you’ve added to your profile, OwnerIQ will send you an email notification. After a Google search with filetype:pdf fails, OwnerIQ might be a key next stop in any hunt for how stuff works. Owner IQ [via MakeUseOf] More »
Fix
DIY PowerMate Scroll Wheel and Volume Control
9:00AM Adam Pash | DIY web site Instructables steps through how to build your own scroll wheel—like the Griffin PowerMate—with an old mouse, remote control car wheel (or similarly sized wheel that fits your hand), and a fair amount of elbow greese. The guide is detailed and the results, as you can see in the video above, are very impressive. The author even uses previously mentioned Volumouse to take his scroll wheel to the next level of usefulness. If you’ve got the skills to follow along, this looks like an excellent weekend project. Desktop Scroll Wheel and Volume Control! [Instructables via Make] More »
Device Charging Holder
10:01AM Adam Pash | The Driinn Mobile Phone Holder declutters your charging portable device by providing both a place to store your device and a method for controlling its long cable while it charges. This charging holder about half the price of the previously mentioned Socket Pocket and charging hammock, and the wrap-around for long cords really cleans things up. The Driinn Mobile Phone Holder comes in a variety of colours and will set you back around $7 at Amazon. Driinn Mobile Phone Holder [Amazon via Unclutterer] More »
Perpetual Web Coupon Saves 10 Percent at Best Buy
11:50PM Kevin Purdy | US-centric: Coupons—they’re never around when you get that sudden urge to splurge on electronics. Not so with a 10-percent-off printable discount at Best Buy, which is posted as an image at a U.S. Postal Service “Mover’s Guide” site with an easily-anticipated URL. Tech blog CyberNet points out that the coupon can be found by slotting the appropriate month and year in, so this month’s coupon, for example, is: https://moversguide.usps.com/img/coupon/bestbuy/200804_clientarea.gif More »
