FLIP, FLAP, FLY
For millennia, men and women have studied birds, bats, and beetles, observing and experimenting, attempting to determine what humans must do to fly by flapping.
But people can't fly by flapping: not with wings covering their arms: not with pedaled, chain-driven wings: and, so far, not with internal-combustion engines, either. Nonetheless, the concept of manned ornithopters continues to hover on the periphery of aeronautical engineering. This project shows you how to build a small, rubber band-powered ornithopter we call Orly.
There are many types of ornithopter designs. Orly is a simple monoplane, meaning there is a single wing mounted above the motor-stick, and its motion is similar to a bird in flight.
In principle, moldmaking is a simple process, but with every object you want to replicate comes a
new series of pitfalls, innovations, and solutions.
This article explains how to make a two-part, under poured block mold, which is a versatile and beginner-friendly type that's great for small, detailed objects such as jewelry, game pieces, masks, picture frames, and figurines. I learned this technique by apprenticing under some of the great moldmaking masters in the special effects industry, and this article reveals their unpublished tricks. I hope they don't get mad.
We'll make our mold out of silicone rubber, an excellent casting material, but it costs about $100 per gallon. This process uses as little of it as necessary, and it's important to follow all of these instructions, because a mistake can be costly. Then we'll cast our duplicates in opaque urethane resin (clear resin requires a more difficult process).
KILLING TIME
Hack a retro gaming light gun with some tilt switches to control a vintage digital clock radio. After the alarm wakes you up, you can grab then gun and kill i off. Ins't that what you've always dreamed of doing?
THE NIRVANA MACHINE
Lots of folks think that quaffing a cup of coffee from boutique beans comes close to nirvana, but roasting your own beans will bring you even closer. That's why I call this roaster the Nirvana Machine.
I didn't drink coffee for most of my life, and I even survived without it in the Navy. But when my son introduced me to a cup of legendary West Coast java (OK, Peet's), I began to understand what all the fuss was about. Soon, I too became fussy about excellent coffee.
Video games and other interactive real-time applications are often
required to present a view of a virtual world in a manner that is both
contextually appropriate and aesthetically pleasing. The internal
mechanism responsible for this process is colloquially known as a
virtual camera system. As the main avenue through which the viewer
interacts with the virtual world, the effectiveness of the camera system
at presenting such a view has a major infl uence on the viewer’s satisfaction
and enjoyment of the experience. A poorly implemented camera
system will likely cripple the application to such an extent that
excellence in graphical presentation or interactive mechanics may be
insuffi cient to overcome it. A brief perusal of video game reviews, for
example, will reveal common problems such as poor framing, cameras
passing through environmental features, and so forth. These recognized
problems will have a negative effect on the rating that the
game receives. On the other hand, a well-designed camera system —
one that presents the virtual world in an unobtrusive and easy to
understand manner — allows a great interactive design to become
fully realized. In light of this, it is surprising that there is so little
information available to the designers and implementers of interactive
camera systems.
Real-Time Cameras is aimed at expanding the knowledge of designers
and programmers regarding this crucial yet often overlooked topic.
While there is common ground between traditional cinematography
techniques and virtual camera systems (especially, of course, with
respect to non-interactive movie sequences), the dynamically changing
nature of video games and other interactive real-time applications
demands different approaches and solutions. Interactive application
design lags behind traditional movie making in that the underlying
principles of real-time camera design are still in their formative process.
However, enough information is now available to establish a set
of ground rules that should apply regardless of the genre or presentation style.
HEAD-MOUNTED WATER CANNON
Use steel fire-extinguisher power to pummel plastic squirt toys. By John Young
WEATHERPROOF WI_FI ACCESS POINT
Outdoor router with minimal coaxial run maximizes network range. By Will O'Brien
GPS RUNNING LOG
Automatically download exercise routes from a Garmin watch and convert them to animated Google Maps on your website. By Dave Mabe
CONVERTIBLE JOCKEY BOX
Portable cooler taps and dispenses ice-cold beer from both kegs and mini-kegs. By Carlo Longino
EL CHEAPO CANTENNA
"Mountain Grown" coffee can makes homegrown wi-fi range extender. By Will O'Brien
BACKUP POWER TO GO
9V battery USB-compatible charger juices up portables in a pinch. By Erica Sadun
PALM PILOT NOTEBOOK
Modified hardback book contains extra-powered PDA and travel keyboard. By Allen Wong
BEEPKILLER: PARENTAL REVENGE
Three ways to silence annoying toys. By Erica Sadun
IPOD VIDEO CONVERTER CABLE
An easier way to watch iPod video on your TV. By Erica Sadun
AUTOMATE YOUR VOICEMAIL GREETING
Program Asterisk to daily update your outgoing message in your own voice. By Dave Mabe
USB-POWERED FAN
12 easy steps to a cooler you. By Erica Sadun
THUMB LIFE
USB keydrive lets you listen to, read, and play what you want on any machine. By Russ Ethington
INSTALLING BLUETOOTH INSIDE A IBOOK
Tuck a USB wireless adapter inside the case. By Timothy B. Hewitt
