Search


Sign up for the fortnightly Circuits eNewsletter. Get design ideas and circuit schematics straight to your email inbox, no fuss. Just tick the option for Circuits.

RSS Subscribe to this blog's feed
[What is this?]

Featured Gadget Freak

Featured Gadget Freak
September's Gadget Freak features Italian designer Flavio Dellepiane and his design for power sockets that can be switched automatically by an embedded Control Socket.

View the smart extension sockets

Tag cloud

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Steve Jones on Give your model train's head lights a boost: Wow, thank
Alun Williams on Flavio plugs into smart extension sockets: Allan, I c
Allan Gardner on Flavio plugs into smart extension sockets: There woul
Robert on Parallel powered robotic paintgun produces a Mona Lisa: In fact on
Robert on Parallel powered robotic paintgun produces a Mona Lisa: What does
Trevor Andrews on Flavio plugs into smart extension sockets: Whilst thi
Alun Williams on Neuroti-Kart: Home-made electric go-kart: Excellent.
Mark on Neuroti-Kart: Home-made electric go-kart: Hi. I'm a
Eduardo Tovar Beltran on Jason was a member of the Finding Nemo fan club: good morni
Dave Newton on Arcade machine + beer keg = Gamerator: I just hav

Categories

About this blog

Gadget Freak features cool, homemade electronic gadgets proudly brought to us--by you!

Complete with build instructions for the design engineer who likes the silly side of inventing things and enjoys building stuff in his and her spare time, these gadgets range from highly silly and impractical to extraordinarily inspirational for your own engineering design work.

Why not submit your own pride and joy for publication in Gadget Freak? Send us your project details here.

Add to Technorati Favorites

Archives

Latest News from EW.com


Go to ElectronicsWeekly.com

Powered by
Movable Type Enterprise 4.1-en

October 10, 2008

Modding the Xbox 360 into a laptop

xbox 360.jpgLast week we wrote about the PicoCube, a PC housed inside the shell of an old Nintendo GAMECUBE. I liked the concept, it looked far more funky than most PCs on the market today, it was far more practical in its size and was a really original project.

With that I thought I'd seen enough game console modding, so went off to write about the new R2D2 projector from Nikko. However, in doing so I came across one more, which was just far too tempting!

The man responsible for it is Wisconsin resident Benjamin Heckendorn, or Ben Heck for short, and is quite a 'legend' in console modding circles.

When someone asks him to build a portable version of Microsoft's market leading Xbox 360, a seemingly impossible task given the machine's size, you get the feeling that he might be able to pull it off.

The whole project took Ben a little over 3 months to complete, which involved some drastic re-shuffling of the consoles innards.

Continue reading "Modding the Xbox 360 into a laptop" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on October 10, 2008 3:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 9, 2008

KeyCom - Communicating the key of music

key detecter.jpg
Thanks to Design News for this Gadget Freak, featuring a piece of kit that helps brings harmony to musical collaborations.

By means of foot or hand - depending how a musician is occupied - it communicates the key of a piece of music to other band members.

It is dubbed KeyCom by its inventor, Dick, a Music Leader who was having trouble communicating key choices in the middle of church performances.

Essentially, he communicates the key to others by setting the display on his Sending Unit via a pushbutton or the foot switch, and the Remote Units replicate that display for everyone else...

Background

When asked to devise a system, he begins:
I surveyed my trusty junk box and found a few CMOS chips, a 55-button keypad and a couple of 5-segment LED displays. My first thought was to use a touch-tone encoder IC since a telephone keypad also has 55 buttons, and a tone decoder to identify the key press in the remote display.

Continue reading "KeyCom - Communicating the key of music" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on October 9, 2008 11:42 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 8, 2008

Circuit Design Idea - Locked-sync sine generator

c Locked-sync sine generator.jpgHere's a Circuit Design Idea fresh to the site - Locked-sync sine generator covers three decades with low distortion (click on the circuit diagram to expand it).

It covers a sine-wave generator that can synchronise a sine-wave output through three decades of frequency and maintain low THD and constant amplitude.

The Design Idea begins:
Analogue applications, such as testing, calibration, and general system operation, often require a sine waveform of accurate amplitude and frequency, with low THD (total harmonic distortion). Some applications demand that the generator of such waveforms have the ability to accurately synchronize the output with an external timing signal.

Continue reading "Circuit Design Idea - Locked-sync sine generator" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on October 8, 2008 8:38 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 7, 2008

Time is slipping away

prague clock creative commons.jpg
Time has flown. Indeed it has. Gadget Freak, once a fragile newly-born blog, is now a robust one-and-a-half year old multimedia format...

On this theme, browsing through the Gadget Freak archives, I noticed how often clocks and time reoccur (an ironic repetition, it struck me).


How about this sample of seven, in reverse chronological order?

Continue reading "Time is slipping away" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on October 7, 2008 10:52 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 6, 2008

Circuits. Circuits. Circuits

circuit search example.jpg
It's still in beta - the Web equivalent of caveat emptor - but check out the emerging new Circuits section on the site. (Click to expand the image on the left)

It brings together the existing Circuit Design Ideas section with an alternative, visually-based view on Circuit designs and diagrams, dubbed Circuit Search - bookmark www.electronicsweekly.com/circuitsearch

We hope to build on the latter, both in terms of the number of circuits presented but also in the means of navigating the circuit diagrams themselves.

And in the not-too-distant future there will also be a Circuits-based competition - stay tuned!

View the new Circuits section

Continue reading "Circuits. Circuits. Circuits" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on October 6, 2008 8:59 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 3, 2008

Star Wars merchandising: What will they do next?

All in all the R2D2 machine is quite a complicated piece of kit, with far more practical uses than a four foot long LEGO model...



As far as movie franchises go there aren't many that can live up to the behemoth that is Star Wars. Over the years just about everything has been taken and given George Lucas' famous logo, action figures, games, lunchboxes, bed linen, sweets dispensers you list it and I can only conclude that they made it.

I thought when I saw a gigantic 5,500 piece LEGO Millennium Falcon in a shop window last year, I'd seen the most ridiculous (and over priced) piece of Star Wars merchandise in existence, that was until last week I saw something even more bizarre.

American home electronics company Nikko has introduced a home entertainment system with a difference, fully housed inside a half-size model of R2D2.

The little robot comes equipped with a state of the art projector, fully utilising Texas Instruments' DLP video technology to display a projected image up to 260 inches on any flat surface.

Also included is a CD/DVD player, iPod and SD card compatibility and various video inputs for connecting your home video console to the projector.

Continue reading "Star Wars merchandising: What will they do next?" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on October 3, 2008 12:00 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 2, 2008

The most-read posts in September

gf small v2 100.jpgA quick roundup of the most popular posts in September, with the Solio solar power charger competition, helping drive Antiques Roadshow to the top (the answer to the compo question lies buried somewhere in the past)... Home-made electric go-karts also prove their enduring appeal.

Here's the Top Ten:

1. Antiques Roadshow

2. Competition - Win a Solio solar-powered universal

3. Neuroti-Kart: Home-made electric go-kart

Continue reading "The most-read posts in September" »

Posted by Alun Williams on October 2, 2008 1:28 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 26, 2008

Solio charger competition - keep the entries coming

solio classic.jpg
It's 303 entries and still counting, for the Solio solar-powered device charger competition.

Thank you to all who have taken part, but keep the entries coming. The closing date for the compo is Friday 10 October.

It's a neat bit of kit. "Solio, the Universal 'Hybrid' Charger, is powerful enough to charge all of your handheld electronic products at home or on the move, anywhere under the sun," boasts the company.

It is described as a Hybrid device because it can take power from either the sun or the wall, storing the energy in its internal rechargeable battery. And we have one to give away.

The prize question:

Continue reading "Solio charger competition - keep the entries coming" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 26, 2008 3:47 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Circuit Design Idea - Add margining capability to a dc/dc converter

cc margining capability.jpgHere's another newly-uploaded Circuit Design Idea designed to give circuit building inspiration (click on the circuit diagram to expand it).

It covers adding a current-output DAC to a dc/dc converter's circuit allow you to add margining capability.

The Design Idea begins:
You can easily add margining capability - that is, the ability to digitally adjust the output voltage - to a dc/dc converter by making a single connection to the circuit. The dashed line in Figure 1 shows the connection. The extra IC is a two- or four-channel, I2C (inter-integrated-circuit)-adjustable-current DS4402 or DS4404 DAC. Because each DAC output is 0 mA at power-up, the extra circuitry is essentially transparent to the system until you write a command using the I2C bus.

Continue reading "Circuit Design Idea - Add margining capability to a dc/dc converter" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 26, 2008 2:57 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 25, 2008

How to submit your Gadget and earn £££!

gf small v2.jpgIf you've designed and built a gadget that features electronics as a core component and meets our criteria below, we'd like to feature it here on these pages!

Just email us at Gadget Freak with details on your gadget including:
  • A description of the gadget and explanation of the basic working principles
  • Detailed build instructions
  • Circuit schematic
  • Complete parts list
Feel free to provide links to related websites. And Gadget Freak judges may show unrestrained favouritism to those submissions accompanied by images and video.

If we decided to feature your gadget in Electronics Weekly magazine, as the monthly highlight, we'll ask for a photograph of your gadget and you'll pocket a cool £250.

Continue reading "How to submit your Gadget and earn £££!" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 25, 2008 10:47 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 23, 2008

Modding the Nintendo GAMECUBE into a PC

gamecube old.gifIt's not a new concept taking an existing object and modifying it into something new, particularly with games consoles. For instance it didn't people long to channel the power of the PS3 into a Linux based PC or, more recently, an old NES into an alarm clock.

It then comes as no surprise that someone has taken a shot at modifying an old GAMECUBE and it has to be said they've done rather a good job.

Dubbed the Picocube, the fabled Nintendo machine now sports a tiny Pico-ITX motherboard (100mm x 75mm), 100GB of SATA hard disk space, 1GB of RAM, two USB ports and a VGA port!
 

Continue reading "Modding the Nintendo GAMECUBE into a PC" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 23, 2008 9:46 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 19, 2008

Parallel powered robotic paintgun produces a Mona Lisa



Among the almost infinite depths of YouTube's online video archives I stumbled across this intriguing, if not slightly bizarre, video.

As part of Nvidia's August 2008 Nvision show in San Jose, Mythbuster scientists Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman came up with a remarkable presentation, which concluded with the demonstration of a multiple barrelled paintball gun painting the picture of the globally familiar Mona Lisa in 80ms!

Continue reading "Parallel powered robotic paintgun produces a Mona Lisa" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 19, 2008 11:22 AM | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

September 18, 2008

Flavio plugs into smart extension sockets

SmartSocket3.JPGSeptember's Gadget Freak project features Italian designer Flavio Dellepiane and his design for power sockets that can be switched automatically by an embedded Control Socket.

Put yourself back in control, and more easily determine the power status of a set of related devices. Simply access the control device through its normal interface or switches and avoid struggling to access inconveniently placed extension sockets.

A range of applications are possible. For example, if an electric drill is connected to the Control Socket, the Switched Sockets will be powered each time the electric drill is running. In this case, a lamp could be connected to a Switched Socket and will illuminate when the drill is operating.

Check out Flavio's detailed description of his project, which includes a circuit diagram, parts list build instructions, and details of the circuit operation.

Continue reading "Flavio plugs into smart extension sockets" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 18, 2008 5:45 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

September 15, 2008

Competition - Win a Solio solar-powered universal device charger

solio classic.jpgGadgets aren't always the greenest of devices but the prize for this month's Gadget Freak competition helps change that - a solar-powered device charger...

The prizes in the past have been a wind-up radio, an iPod shuffle, and an LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp.

For September, the prize to win is a solar-powered Solio Classic (black), described as a Hybrid device because it can take power from either the sun or the wall, storing the energy in its internal rechargeable battery.

Correctly answer this question for a chance of winning:

Continue reading "Competition - Win a Solio solar-powered universal device charger" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 15, 2008 4:39 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Electronic Gadgets - Electronics Blog Awards 08

ew blog awards 2008 168x128.jpgElectronics Weekly has launched a search for the best Electronics blogs, with its first ever Electronics Blog Awards. There are three categories: Mobile Comms, Electronic Hardware and Electronic Gadgets.

To nominate a blog in any of the categories, email  blogawards@electronicsweekly.com with its URL.

The competition will showcase the best the electronics industry has to offer (excluding our own blogs!). It will enable us to provide electronics professionals with a comprehensive list of the most popular and useful writers on the web.

Electronic Gadgets

The glamorous part of the industry. The shiny pieces of kit that people desire to own - whether it be the latest iPhone, the smallest laptop or the biggest LCD screen - are the subject of this category.
 

Continue reading "Electronic Gadgets - Electronics Blog Awards 08" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 15, 2008 9:21 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cool Stuff Exploded

cool stuff exploded cover.jpgCool Stuff Exploded. Maybe one for the younger generation, but the latest book from Dorling Kindersley is definitely one for budding Gadget Freaks or people who like to delve inside devices.

Get Inside Modern Technology is the strap line and the book takes a peek at the components inside our modern shiny consumer electronic devices and other pieces of kit.

Think of it as a younger-person's teardown analysis.



"Widescreen TVs, mobile phones, even space rockets have turned what was once outlandish into the everyday. But how do they actually function? What are the secrets behind this science? And what would they look like if you could delve right into the heart of their insides? 

Continue reading "Cool Stuff Exploded" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 15, 2008 8:52 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 12, 2008

Recycle, or the WEEE Man will get you!

wee man jpg.jpgWith our recent Antiques Roadshow we highlighted Gadget Freak posts with a retro feel.

In a similar vein, here's a roundup with a recycling theme - posts involving the cunnning reuse of otherwise discarded components and elements...

Leading the way is a post about building a clock out of an old hard drive:

Build a clock out of your old hard drive

Getting a charge from broken solar panels

Continue reading "Recycle, or the WEEE Man will get you!" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 12, 2008 2:56 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp - the winner

Jellyfish led small.jpgThanks to the hundreds who entered our LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp competition, but there can only be one winner.

The LED Jellyfish mood lamp, kindly supplied by BBTradeSales, will be heading to...

Continue reading "LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp - the winner" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams on September 12, 2008 12:34 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 10, 2008

Sign up for the newsletter

circuits nl logo.jpgHaving one of those days? Work driving you mad? Just can't seem to find the time to visit Gadget Freak as much as you would like to?

Well, don't stress, help is at hand. If you can't come to us, we'll come to you!

You can now sign up for the Circuits newsletter to ensure you receive the latest and greatest Gadget Freak news, hot and fresh, straight into your inbox!

Signing up only takes a second and then you can sit back and relax as we do the rest.

Continue reading "Sign up for the newsletter" »

Tags:

Posted by Robert Kotevski on September 10, 2008 1:10 PM | | Comments (1)