How to make a digital picture Magic 8 Ball

The classic Magic 8 Ball is an amusing toy for speculating about life's many questions. But it lacks versatility. So I removed the standard 20 side fortune die and replaced it with a digital picture keychain. Now instead of 20 responses, you have can have 60. It also allows you to change them whenever you want.

Instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Digital-Magic-8-Ball/

DIY Glove Box

A glove box is a piece of equipment that lets you perform work on a subject while keeping it in isolation. A glove box is most commonly used to protect operators working with hazardous materials, but it can also be used to protect sensitive materials from the outside atmosphere.

In this project, I am going to show you how to make a DIY glove box. Since different applications require different degrees of isolation, inthis project I am going to demonstrate a variety of design features and how to implement them. You can then choose which features you want to use in your glove box.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Glove-Box/

Secret Candlestick Switch

No feature in a home captures the imagination like a secret compartment or secret passage. But no secret compartment is complete without a secret way to open it.
In this project, I share several ways that you can use a simple hanging candlestick (or anything else) to access a hidden compartment. There are a lot of ways that you can do this. You can use a candlestick to open physical latches and activate electrical circuits. The only limitation is your imagination. So use this as an excuse to have some fun and build a secret compartment in your house.

Instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Secret-Candlestick-Switch/

Custom Soda Cooler

The heat of summer is upon us. So to help beat the heat, today I am going to show you how you can make your own custom soda cooler. As an example I decided to make a cooler that perfectly fits a pack of soda. That way you can take the whole pack out of the fridge, put it directly into your cooler and go.

There are a lot of different styles of cooler. But they all have some common features. First off, there must have a layer of insulating material to keep the drinks cold. Then on both sides of the insulating material you need a layer of waterproof material to keep it sealed. Then you need a method of attaching all the layers together. Lastly, you need a way of opening and closing the cooler. There are a lot of ways to make a cooler. So go make your own.

Pocket-Size Power Supply

I am a big fan of garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. They are great places to find used parts and materials for your next project. But one problem that I often run into is not being able to test battery powered electronics to see if they work. Because there are so many different combinations of batteries that are used in portable electronics, it isn't really practical to carry around batteries for testing. One device may need 6 AA's and another may require 4 D's. So I came up with this simple pocket-sized variable power supply. It can plug into either a 9V battery or a 12V battery pack. You can then adjust the output voltage to match the device that you want to test and attach the output wires to the end terminals on the device's battery connectors. This lets you power the device long enough to see if it works.

USB Deaddrops

What is a USB dead drop? ‘Dead Drops’ is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space. This network is made up of USB drives that are embedded in walls, buildings and other public places. Anyone is free to access, download, and upload. It is very similar to geocaching but with data. The first USB dead drop network of five locations was created by Berlin-based artist Aram Bartholl in 2010. Since then, there have been over 1,000 dead drop locations that have been registered at deaddrops.com (Including one outside the Instructables office.) For a walk through of how to set up a standard USB dead drop, check out this instructable by user frenzy.

Up until now, this has been mostly restricted to urban locations. In this instructable, I am going to attempt to expand this project beyond city limits by showing everyone how to embed USB drives in natural fixtures such as trees and rocks.

Instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-USB-Dead-Drop-in-Nature/

Video Game Controller Hack

Everyone loves video games. But it can be difficult to enjoy certain games if you are injured or disabled and don’t have the manual dexterity needed to execute fast button combos. Fortunately, we can use an Arduino to do it for us. The Arduino can send signals to the controller that simulate the buttons being pressed. This lets you pre-program commands that can be activated by a single button. This kind of mod could be used to help more gamers enjoy combo heavy games.

Instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Hack-a-Video-Game-Controller-with-an-Arduino-for-G/