DIYs & Mods

I wish my father had bought me a ROMP as a child. The Remotely Operated Mobile Platform, ROMP for short, is a remote control vehicle designed for military use. It can shoot stuff with a paintball gun, listen in on conversations, blow up IEDs and so much more. Think of it as a Radio Shack R/C car jacked up on ...

Listen, dude. Forget everything you heard about the iPhone. Forget the apps, forget the voice recognition calling, forget everything because all of its capabilities and features have just been outdone. A Japanese software engineer named Kazu Terasaki has given his iPhone the ability to walk. Yes, he’s turned his iPhone into a kick ass robot that takes baby steps. Because ...

This is a mod that hits close to home due to the fact that my iPod’s headphone jack died this week. Perhaps I should just gut it and turn it into a little case like this one. It holds plenty of cigarettes for your smoking pleasure. Pretend you’re a modern day Steve McQueen and light up a fag for good ...

Anyone interested in DIY, energy or our ecosystem should most definitely check out the Alternative Energy Gift Guide from MAKE. They cover some key issues that we as Americans must confront head on, such as our dependence on foreign energy and oil. There’s a bunch of a kits you can browse through that will have you using the Sun as ...

Sony has gone on the record saying that the piracy is affecting PSP game sales. That’s a givein; if it’s free, take it. This time around, a peripheral manufacturer called Datel has cracked the PSP 3000 by forcing it into service mode. Datel did some silicon hacking on a chip level to find out how it could force the PSP ...

If you love WHYY as much as I do and you’re down for a little DIY action, scrape three pennies from your sofa and try building this tiny radio. Full instructions are available and the electronics involved can be had at your local Radio Shack. There’s even instructions on how to make your own batteries out of vinegar and aluminum ...

LEGO furnishings for your house can’t possibly be comfortable. Unless you’re a LEGO nutcase like that guy who makes LEGO gummies, there’s no way you could argue that the couch shown above is either visually or aesthetically pleasing. Yet, people all over the world decorate their homes with LEGO furnishings of all varieties. The French company Luna Blocks specializes in ...

I’ve always wanted my own viking helmet just so I can reenact my favorite parts of Beowulf, but steel is uncomfortable and it’s getting cold outside. That’s why a better alternative to a steel viking helmet is this wool helm made by Cynthia Rae of Candypop Creations. It’s $7 bucks and that turkey drumstick (which goes so well with the ...

This is just hilarious. Even more so than the World Of Warcraft treadmill race across Azeroth. It’s a human-powered mobile treadmill by Alex Astilean. Technically the equivalent of a large hamster wheel for humans, this mobile treadmill will have everyone in the park giving you funny looks. Just be careful not to hit anyone. With the momentum this thing could ...

Earlier, Ryan spotted some DIY speakers made from paper cups and a pair of headphones. Now Arms22 is one-upping designer Dimitry Zagga with speakers made from Starbucks cups. They actually use a power amplifier, meaning they’ll crank your tunes out at a respectable volume. If you want to make your own, go for it, as the instructions are available online. ...