Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Boost Your Willpower with This Meditation Technique


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marinara sauce

IMG_0904.JPGThis is my go-to marinara sauce. It's really pretty easy to make - just takes a bit of simmering! This marinara sauce is perfect for chunky pastas, dipping bread in, and as a pizza sauce. It's honestly so good I often make toast to eat the leftovers on. :D

Oh, it's a good sauce for lasagna, too! I've used it in regular lasagna, polenta lasagna and zucchini lasagna - it's a very nice substitute for a meat sauce. 

IMG_0891.JPGtwo 14.5 oz cans of tomatoes or one 32 oz can - I like to use one can of tomato sauce and one of diced tomatoes.1 onion, diced finely1 carrot, diced finely1 stalk of celery, diced finely3 cloves of garlic, minced1 tablespoon tomato paste1 tablespoon capers, chopped (optional)1/2 tablespoon oregano1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoningpinch of dillfresh basil, chopped (optional)
Fresh basil and capers make this beyond perfect, but it's really good without those too! If you don't have any capers, you can always add a splash of vinegar at the end to make it a little more tangy. :)

Also, keep in mind that when I say a pinch of dill I mean a tiny pinch. It can be a dominant flavor if you add to much!


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Newspaper Planters

fdcc391f2a5cb96a9cfd1ce35725aa92.jpgToday, we're going to teach you how to be green while planting. While you'd normally have plastic planters or pots to throw away after you planted your flowers, using this idea, this will not be an issue. Not only will you be saving many plastic planters, but you will also be able to reuse many newspapers that could potentially be thrown away and add to environmental waste. This idea is quick and easy for anyone to do and is worth it in the end since you'll be contributing to saving the Earth. Materials.jpgIn order to complete this project, you will not need to go to craft stores and dig for specific items. There are really only a few materials that you will need to get this done, most of which you can find in your own home.

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Deadspin This Is The Face Of A Baseball Player Who Just Felt His Career End | Gizmodo The First Thin

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Barrel Cabinet

PDF Downloads
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How to Choose the Best Mechanical Keyboard (and Why You'd Want To)

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Convert Battery Powered Electronics to Run on AC

It is very rare to find a power supply that will perfectly match an electrical appliance unless they are sold together as a pair. So we are going to have to modify our power adapter to match the circuit that we want to power. The easiest way to do this is to use a variable voltage regulator such as a LM317. The typical configuration for this kind of circuit is shown in the picture above. This regulator uses two resistors to set the output according to the formula: Vout=1.25*(1+R2/R1).

For most applications this circuit can be simplified a little bit. The capacitors are only needed if your load circuit is sensitive to small power fluctuations. So in many cases, these can be eliminated. The variable resistor R2 is useful if you want to be able to power multiple different devices. But if you are going to use the power supply exclusively on one device you can replace it with a fixed value resistor. Wire the circuit as shown with Vin connected to the power supply and Vout connected to the circuit that you want to power. The regulator will bring down the output of the power supply down to the value that you set.

Depending on the power rating of your circuit, you may need to add a heat sink. 

Example:
My son's swing normally runs on four C size batteries. So I found an old power supply with a 9V 1000mA output. I figured that would be enough to replace the battery pack. Then I soldered together the LM317 regulator circuit with a 220 ohm resistor for R1 and a 820 ohm resistor for R2. These resistor values give an output voltage of 5.9V. (It would have been ideal to use a 240 ohm for R1 and a 910 ohm for R2 but I didn't have those values on hand) This output is still well within the operating range for a four cell battery pack. Anything between 1.25V and 1.5V per battery will usually work. Since the electronics on the swing just consists of a motor and a speed controller, I decided that the filtering capacitors weren't unnecessary and I left them off. See the following steps for the best methods for connecting everything together. 


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VW Taillight Lamp

13, 10:03 PM.jpgAs you may guess, I am truly a VW nut. My biggest problem? I will read VW books, magazines, catalogs, and manuals while in bed. If only I had a lamp... Then it struck me! Turn the spare taillight for my 1973 super beetle into a lamp! Now how cool would that be? 13, 7:43 AM.jpgTo complete this instructable, you will need the following items: -1 VW tail light (in my case it was a 1973, but any model year from 1968-1979 should do. You could use a 1949-1967 light, but it would be much smaller and nearly impractical. -1 wood plaque ( get one a little bigger than your tail light.) -1 9 volt battery clip -Electrical wire -Small light bulb and holder -Toggle switch -Solder and soldering iron -Drill and drill bits -basic electrical knowledge (If you don't have this, don't try this project)

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Cardboard Floral Lampshade

floral lampshade.jpgLamp shades are soooo much fun to make. The light effect is always a surprise, which is very exciting :) This instructable will show you how to make a cardboard lampshade with floral pattern sooo easily. It won't take more than half an hour.
So lets start!20130602_163211.jpgTo make this lampshade you'll need:

1) White cardboard,
2) Scissor and anti cutter,
3) Pencil,
4) Ruler (to measure),
5) Super glue and white glue,
6) Lighting system (bulb holder, plug, wire, light bulb),
7) Golden glitter paint and paint brush (if you want to paint the flowers).


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colored comic book image on a wooden dog tag -easy laser printed transfer-

-item you want to decorate (wooden? but a lot of things could work for this)
>>If you don't live near a techshop, you can buy a blank wooden dogtag from my etsy shop =)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/152845115/blank-wooden-military-dogtag-dog-tag

-acrylic medium or gesso (modge podge probably too? it just needs to be not water soluble and pretty adhesive)

-laser print out (NOT INK JET) you can use all black OR color
---so, taking your favorite comic to the kinkos to make laser color copies would be awesome
!!!!!!Your image transfer will result in a mirror image of whatever your print out is, so if your image has text, or you are picky, you will need to flip your image over (ie with your computer before printing or with a smart photo copier). So when the transfer process flips it, it will flip back to its original state.

-nice paint brush or foam brush to apply medium or gesso
-water
-acrylic paint (optional)
-detail brush (optional)


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Whirlpool Penny Bank

Image 2.jpgMy boyfriend and me are saving money for a wellness weekend. Whenever we make some extra money, he tells me to put it in the "pool" for the wellness weekend. So I decided to make a "real pool" to put our saved money in.

It's actually very simple to make and it looks really nice! It took me about 1h to make it (inclusive baking time of the polymer clay).

Photo15.jpgAll you need is a metal box (like an old cookie box or something) and polymer clay.

I took FIMO which is a brand of polymer clay. You can shape it and mix colors like with putty, but after making the shapes you can put it in the oven, bake it and then its hard. The nice thing about it is, that it's not changing size during baking, so usually it won't form cracks or anything like that.


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Monday, July 29, 2013

Chinese Chili Tofu

NOTE: Please refer to the image above to have an idea about most of the ingredients:

Main Ingredient:
250 Grams Firm Plain (unflavored) Tofu. NOTE: If you want to try an Indian Fusion version, replace this with Paneer(Cottage Cheese)

For Batter 

4-5 tbsp cornflour 4-5 tbsp while flour  2 tsp soy sauce pinch of baking powder salt to taste 6 tbsp water

Other Ingredients:

Ginger Root about 1 inch 8-10 Garlic clove (if small) 4-5 (if large) 6-8 spring onions (mine were really small, see the picture) (Keep their greens separate for garnishing) 4-5 Green Chilies 1 Medium Size Green Bell Pepper 1 Medium Size Red Bell Pepper (OPTIONAL, replace with green) 1 Medium Size Yellow Bell Pepper (OPTIONAL, replace with green) 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp oil Salt to taste MSG or Ajinomoto OPTIONAL (Some studies suggest that they are unhealthy, but I think eating occasionally is ok, take your call) Red Chili Sauce OPTIONAL (if you want to make it hot)

Kitchen Tools:

Deep frying pan, Spatula with holes Kitchen Absorbent Paper A large bowl for batter A handy kitchen grater tool. A small bowl for cornflour mix.


Having yellow and red bell pepper will add natural color to our food, but if you don't have them, just use green ones.  It is absolutely Ok to increase of decrease some ingredients in this recipe, believe me it will taste just fine. Just cook it with love :)

Lets jump into the kitchen :)


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Hanging garden chair

This is a cross between a chair and a hammock, for use on sunny days in the garden or taking with you on a camping trip.  It is surprisingly comfortable and can be adjusted to give a fairly upright position (suitable for using a laptop) or a more recumbent one for lazing the afternoon away.  Similar chairs cost from £65 to £120 or more to buy, but you can have one for a fraction of the cost.  This is a good project for teenagers to make for Father's Day because everyone can contribute, whether it is with sewing skills, basic woodwork skills or tying a few knots. It should be easily made in a weekend.

My chair hangs just a short way above the ground, making it easy to get in and out of and allowing my feet to rest comfortably on the ground when I am in it.  You could hang the chair higher up but then you might need a ladder to get into it, which could be a hazardous exercise.  Some commercially available hanging chairs have a foot rest, which would be easy enough to add if you want to be well above the ground and don't feel comfortable with your legs just dangling. You will spin and swing around a bit in the wind if your feet don't touch the ground, but that is part of the fun. 

You will need

1.4 m (1 5/8 yd) of canvas (or other strong, rip-resistant, hardwearing fabric) that is at least 1.3 m (51") wide
Strong sewing thread
A reasonably powerful sewing machine fitted with a jeans needle and ideally a walking foot
2.7 m (3 yd) of 25 mm (1") wide webbing
A crayon, chalk or a biro
Ruler or tape measure
Strong scissors capable of cutting the canvas and webbing
Sewing pins
One 28 mm (1 1/8") diameter wooden broom handle, at least 1.2 m (48") long
Two 23 mm (7/8") diameter wooden broom handles, at least 1 m (39") long
10 m (11 yd) of 7 mm (1/4") rope from a climbing shop (check the breaking strain is well above your weight)
A length of thicker rope - length depends on how high up your tree branch is
A hand drill or power drill with 8mm and 10mm wood bits
A saw
Sandpaper
Teak oil or wood preservative
A carabiner capable of taking your weight plus the chair's (optional)
A suitable tree

Unless you live somewhere where the climate is dry, I suggest using canvas, webbing and sewing thread made from manmade fibres that will not rot if they get wet, because sooner or later your chair will get left out in the rain.  Opt for polyester or nylon instead of cotton if you have the choice.  Ideally, the canvas should have an open weave to stop rain collecting in it, but strength is more important than that.

Safety warning

The strength of this chair depends on the materials used and the quality of your stitching and knot-tying.  Mine takes an adult male weighing 11.5 stone (160 lb, 73 kg) with ease, but you may need to beef up the components if the user is substantially heavier.  When buying the rope and carabiner, check their load ratings.  Carabiner-type keyrings are NOT suitable.  Don't take chances, particularly if you want to use the chair to hang high above the ground.  Make sure the branch you hang it from is sound wood and thick enough to bear the weight of the occupant.  Remember that the load will be increased if the chair is used like a swing.  Check the stitching and knots every now and again, and certainly before using the chair after it has been put away for a while.

I have given suggestions for the knots to be used, but the best knot for a job depends on such things as the flexibility and slipperiness of the rope, its fibre content, construction and diameter as well as what needs to be connected to what.  If in doubt, consult a good book of knots or someone who understands such things - amateur sailors are usually good on knots. 


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EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked ACX Cooling Video Card Review

Legit Video Card Reviews

When we reviewed the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 video card last month we were impressed by what what it could do and we just had the NVIDIA reference design on-hand to come to that conclusion. Today, we will be looking at our first add-in board partner card, the EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked with ACX cooling. This card retails for $659.99 shipped and features higher clock speeds and a greatly improved cooling solution. Not bad, considering it retails for only $10 more than the base model!

evga-gtx780-acx-angle

When you first look at the EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked with ACX cooling video card you can see that it is certainly not using the reference cooler. EVGA has developed a new GPU cooling technology in-house called Active Cooling Extreme or ACX for short. This cooler will be available on both EVGA GeForce GTX 770 and 780 series cards, so you'll be hearing about this cooler a bunch in 2013!

EVGA GeForce GTX 780 w/ AVX Cooling Key Features:

Ultimate GPU Cooling – 15% average lower GPU and Memory temperatures give you the low temperatures needed for extreme overclocks, and with GPU Boost 2.0, it ensures your card maintains the maximum boost clock possible.No Compromise Heatsink Design – An increase of 40% in heatsink fin volume distributes heat evenly and efficiently.Low Noise Levels – The dual fan design dramatically increases airflow, meaning the fans only need tos pin at a much lower RPM, reducing noise levels significantly. In fact, it is 15% quieter on average!Double Ball Bearing Design – The EVGA ACX cooler features a double ball bearing design, meaning the fans have an average lifespan of 12 Years! This is 4X longer than the competitors sleeve bearing fans.Superior Blade Design – EVGA even went as far as crafting each individual fan blade with the utmost in quality. The fan blades on the EVGA ACX cooler are 700% stronger and weigh 25% less than competitor’s versions. This makes the fans 20% more efficient by requiring lower power levels.Dual Slot Design – No need to worry about bulky heatsink designs that cover unnecessary PCI-E lanes, the EVGA ACX cooler is a dual slot design, the optimal size for all forms of NVIDIA SLI.Dual Cooling Subsystems – Minimizing air turbulence between fans, this makes sure the airflow is distributed evenly, and reduces noise level.Reinforcement Baseplate – This helps to maintain a straight PCB, and helps lower mosfet temperatures by 7% and memory temperatures by 15%.

evga-gtx780-acx-s

Some of you might not know what the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 reference card looks like, so here is a shot of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 reference card with it's single fan blower style GPU cooler and the EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked w/ ACX Cooling that we'll be looking at today. This is a "Superclocked" card, so right off the bat you should know that it has been overclocked from the start. The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked with ACX cooling comes with a base clock of 967 MHz a boost clock of 1020 MHz. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 reference card is clocked at 863 MHz base and 902 MHz boost, so this is a 12-13% clock increase on the 2304 CUDA Cores!  EVGA opted not to overclock the 3GB of GDDR5 memory and it operates at 6008 MHz (effective) like the reference card.

evga-gtx780-acx-back

EVGA also didn't touch the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and used the same exact PCB as the NVIDIA reference design. This means it features single 8-pin and 6-pin PCIe power connectors to supply enough power to the 250W TDP card and a pair of SLI connectors for 3-way SLI support. The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked w/ ACX is 10.5" in length.

evga-gtx780-acx-io

Display outputs include two dual-link DVIs, one HDMI and one DisplayPort 1.2 connector. This video card easily supports 4K resolution monitors and supports up to four monitors concurrently. This is great for those wanting to run NVIDIA Surround or NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround technology.

Let's move along and take a closer look at the EVGA ACX Cooler!  




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Vine, the app that lets you share 6-second, GIF-style video clips, is now available for Android.

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Laser Cut Acrylic Rose with Etched Base

Final Rose.jpgHello everyone,  I made an acrylic rose display piece for a loved one. I was lucky enough to have access to an Epilog  laser cutter at the time. If I were to win an Epilog  Zing 16 Laser,  I would start a small business making sculptures, jewelery, and other cool and unique things.
When I made the rose I didn't have any plans drawn up. I went more by how a rose looked and what felt right. Feel free to use rose reference photos if necessary.  My list of materials are as follows:

1 sheet of 1/16" clear acrylic ( size of sheet depends on what fits in the laser)
1 acrylic rod 1/4" cut to the length you want
Heat gun
Heat gloves
Safety glasses
Needle nose pliers ( to hold the petals while you shape them)
1 sheet of 1/8" mirrored acrylic
1 sheet of 1/8" black acrylic
Black spray paint
Weld on acrylic glue
Glue applicator syringe
Laser cutter/ engraver
Computer with CorelDraw program

 With any project, please be safe and use appropriate safety equipment when needed.

100_1431.JPG   I first started by creating some petal shapes that varied slightly, in CorelDraw. I then sent the file to the laser cutter and cut them out.

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Make Your Own Cigar Box Guitar / Mp3 Player Amplifier

FinishedIMG_1132 -1.jpgI've wanted to create a Cigar Box Guitar and Amp for quite some time, and it seems like the Instructable Sound Hack and Battery Powered contestst were just the extra incentive I needed to give it a try.

This Instructable shows how to create a Cigar Box Amplifier, of course it can also be used as an MP3 player or Phone amplifier. I decided to build the amplifier before the guitar since it's certainly easier, but hopefully a Cigar Box Guitar Instructable will follow soon!

If you haven't heard of Cigar Box Guitars, you should check them out. YouTube has lots of videos demonstrating amazing sound from these 3 stringed instruments. 

Here's an example of a CBG in Action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIIEhH7xOXg


Actually they don't all have 3 strings, but hey this is about the amplifier anyway,
let's build one!PartsIsPartsIMG_1115 -1.jpgWhat's Needed for this Guitar Box Amplifier Instructable?
Cigar Box - I have a friend who occasionally smokes a cigar, he tells me they are all legal (at least somewhere in the world ;-) ). I noticed these can also be found at Yard Sales, on eBay and sometimes for free in Tobacco Stores. LM386 chip based amplifier circuit - I got a kit for this from http://tymkrs.com/, (some sites sell pre-soldered kits as well) but you can likely make your own. Parts needed are: Potentiometer, LM386 Chip, Resistor, 2 Capacitors, 9V battery connector and Guitar jack. 8 Ohm Speaker (I got mine from an old projection TV) Switch (optional) - didn't come with the kit, but I thought it would be handy to save on batteries. Wire Miscellaneous parts for decoration, most important is something to cover the speaker, (I used the plastic which originally covered the speaker on the TV). Optional: Handle, Legs, battery holder, Something to cover keep the box closed,  Tools Needed for This Instructable: Drill  Soldering Iron and Solder (unless you buy a pre-soldered kit) Hole Saw (optional) to cut the speaker hole (or use a drill and Dremmel or X-Acto knife) Now that you have your parts... 
Step One is to solder together the kit, as seen in the picture below. 
(It's a good idea to get a general feel for where all the parts are going to be installed before you actually start cutting wire and soldering. You'll notice I left way too much slack on my speaker wire)

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

DocTrackr Encrypts Documents, Notifies You When Someone Opens Them

docTrackr encrypts your documents before you share them with others, and lets you set privileges so only your intended recipient can open and read them. You'll also get notifications when someone has received and opened the document you shared, so they can't play the old "I never got it!" game with you.

If you've ever wanted to send something confidentially to a friend, family member, or coworker, but you also didn't want to jump through hoops to make sure they could decrypt it, docTrackr makes it easy. You can also set privileges and permissions for the recipient, so they can read it but they can't just forward it to someone else, for example. Just upload the document you want to secure, add your recipients, and select whether you want those people to be able to view the document, view and print it, or edit and print it. (You can see all of docTrackr's supported file types here.)

When your recipient opens the document, you'll be notified, and you can visit the document's page in docTrackr to see how many times they've viewed it, if they've made changes, if they've tried to forward it, and even where they've viewed the document from. If you're sharing a sensitive document with multiple people, you can even see all activity on the file. We tried the service out, and it works as promised—sharing documents is easy, the security controls worked as promised, and it was fun watching exactly when someone opened the file you sent to them.

docTrackr definitely has a business edge to it, but it's useful for individuals too. If you need a secure way to send your receipts and tax documents to someone doing your taxes, for example, or if you're a freelancer who needs to send your SSN and financial info to a client, the service can be useful. Even if you just work with someone who's notorious for pretending they "never got your email" with the files you need them to work on, it can be a lifesaver.

Best of all, it's free for individual users, up to 10 documents per month (You can see all of their plans here). docTrackr can even integrate with Box.net. Hit the link below to find out more.

docTrackr


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Cheap, Sturdy, 1-Hour Quadcopter

You've got some flexibility in ordering parts.  You can pay more or less for things like the radio and flight controller.  We'll cover some cheaper options at the end of this instructable.

Frame

arms: 3/4" x 3/4" fir stick (approx 5 ft)
center plates: 1/4'' or 5mm Plywood (approx 6"x18”)
Machine screws & bolts, and washers 
landing gear: 4 wiffle balls
zip ties
battery mount: 3/8" x 3/8" stick (approx 1 ft)

Power System

battery: LiPo 3S 3000-4000mAh
4x 40A Turnigy Plush ESC (motor controller)
4x NTM 35 1100 KV motors
2 10"x3.8" or 10"x4.5" APC SF Props, 2 CW and 2 CCW
double-sided velcro (approx 18'')
power distribution board or homemade power distributor
Bamboo Skewers
Piece of soft foam about 1/2'' thick, slightly bigger than your flight control board

Radio System (remote controller)

HobbyKing 9xr
FrSky module and receiver

Flight Control Board

Ardupilot Mega  ($234)

Equipment

saw, drill, hot glue gun

TODO: double check (and provide links?)


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Litho Lamp

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Filipino Eggrolls... Better than any made in a restaurant

untitled-17.jpgOk...to be perfectly honest, i am not sure if this recipe is Filipino or if they even make eggrolls in the Philippines for that mater. I do know that my friends grandmother, who taught me how to make them, was direct from Manila, so i'll take her at her word. the photos of this Instructable are courtesy of Tatiana Rene Photography. Hope you all enjoy them,untitled-01.jpgA list of ingredients making about 21 eggrolls
are as follows: (all can be found at your regular grocery store)
-1 pack of eggroll wraps (in produce. near tofu)
-1 qt of vegetable oil
-2 chicken breasts
-1 average size head of cabbage
-1 bunch of leeks
-3-4 stalks of bok choy
-1/2 a carrot
-1/2 can of water chestnuts
-1/2 can of bamboo shoots
-1 Large bottle of soy sauce
-1 large bottle of teriyaki sauce
-1 jar of hoisin sauce
-1 egg
- various dipping sauces (pictured; sweet & sour, hot mustard)

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Valet Remembers Where You Parked, Even if You Forgot to Open the App

Valet Remembers Where You Parked, Even if You Forgot to Open the App

Android: Whether you parked on a side street downtown or in a huge lot at a stadium, it's not always easy to find your car at the end of the day. Valet is an elegant app that gets you back to your vehicle without any confusion.

Once you park, just fire up Valet and click "Park My Car," and the app will drop a pin on your current location. From here, you can set a timer to warn you if your meter is running low. When you're ready to get back to your vehicle, the app will also show you turn by turn walking directions to help you out. These features by themselves make for a decent app, but Valet has a secret up its sleeve that makes it worth the $1.99 price tag.

If your car has a Bluetooth audio system, pair it to your phone, and enable Auto Parking in the Valet settings menu. Now, the app will monitor when you leave your car by detecting when the phone loses its Bluetooth connection, and automatically mark it as parked in the background. If you own an Android phone and car with Bluetooth, there's no good reason not to download this app.

Valet - Automatic Car Locator ($1.99) | Google Play via Beautiful Pixels


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Digitize Old Photos Better with the Negatives

Digitize Old Photos Better with the Negatives

Whether you're scanning old photos yourself, or sending them off to a scanning service, it's always better to use the negatives if you can find them.

JKastnerPhoto, a former photo lab technician on Reddit, offers up this tip and includes a dramatic side by side comparison, which you can see above. The negatives include far more detail than any prints, they haven't been cropped by an overzealous photo printer, and they can give you much more accurate color reproduction and tonal range than simply scanning an old print. A lot of you probably knew that negatives could produce better prints, but seeing the difference side by side really underscores how big a difference it can make.

While you can get an entry-level negative scanner for around $30 online, this previously-mentioned hack lets you use any flatbed scanner to do the same job for mere pennies.

LPT: If you are interested in scanning old family photos, scan negatives instead of the prints to achieve higher quality images | Reddit

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Keeeb Organizes Web Clippings From Any Browser

Keeeb is a handy bookmarklet and web service that stores your web clippings into an easy-to-organize Pinterest-like page.

Once you create an account and install the bookmarklet into your menubar, you're ready to go. If you see something you want to save on a website, just click the bookmarklet and start gathering your content by clicking on photos or highlighting text. Each selection will give you a small popup to save the content to Keeeb, and a dropdown menu to select the page you want to save it to.

When it comes time to review your saved content, open up your pages on Keeeb's website, and go nuts by rearranging the panels and adding comments to your heart's content. Your pages are private by default, but you can share them to your social networks with buttons at the top of the page. Keeeb's design is Pinterest-like, and very nice to look at, so this could be a cool way to share bundles of links and photos with your friends.

The concept is pretty similar to previously mentioned Dragdis, but it works in any desktop browser through a bookmarklet, and stays completely out of your way when you don't want it around. It's certainly not as powerful as something like Evernote, and I wouldn't trust it with really important data, but for quick research projects or for a semi-private pin board of cool photos, Keeeb is definitely worth adding to your menubar.

Keeeb

Turn a Normal Pipette Dispenser to an Automatic Repeater

1st attempt:  At the beginning, I thought the pipette dispenser aspirates/ejects the medium inside the pipette by changing the pump moving direction inside the pipette dispenser. If I added a PWM circuit into the pump control circuit to control the pump moving direction (for example, when the PWM signal is high, the pump rotates to one direction, and when the PWM signal is low, the pump rotates to another direction), it might solve the problem. Unfortunately, the pipette dispenser does not work that way. After I opened the pipette dispenser, I found that the pump inside the pipette dispenser always moves to one direction, and the aspirating/ejecting is done by mechanically pressing the valves to change the air flow direction inside the tube. I have to design something to press the up/down button mechanically.

2nd attempt: I decided to use the available parts inside my lab to design a PWM circuit to control a servo to press the up/down button. The position holding time of the servo (the duration of pressing the up/down button) should be adjustable, and the rotation position of the servo should be repeatable. The circuit I designed contains two main parts: a PWM circuit to control the servo position and another PWM circuit to control the holding time.


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Refurbish an E-Piano: Fix and Polish Broken Keys

Initially I wanted to buy new keys and just replace them by myself. But I quickly realized that new keys would cost twice as much as I paid for the whole piano, so I asked several piano restoring professionals how to deal with the problem of these ugly surfaces of the keys.

They all suggested polishing with car polish or something similar! So I went to a DIY store and finally bought a "repair set" for acrylic bath tubs. The set contained sand paper ranging from 400 to 1200. ( I am not sure if you have the same classification of sand paper in the US, for us 1200 is really super fine, it's pretty much the smallest grains you can get). Furthermore, the set contained a polishing paste and a polishing towel.

Additionally, I also bought a "sand towel" with 1500 graining which is the finest sanding available. 

I also bought a fixture for a round plate and a lamb wool towel to put onto the fixture. The whole thing could then be attached to the drilling machine.

In addition, I also bought PTFE paste (teflon / silicone paste) to lubricate the moveing parts of the keys again after I removed them and put them back.

Apart from that, you need a drilling machine, screwdrivers, a loooot of time and a room where you can store all the removed keys and the rest of the piano pieces.


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Upcycled Auto-Watering Garden Aliens

These little guys are sure to abduct your heart.  They're simply out of this world!

These aliens work just like watering globes such as aquaglobes, but they can be made from recycled green glass bottles!

They are perfect for smaller container plants such as herbs or flowers, and excellent indoors and out!

Did I mention they are easier to fill than normal garden globes?  Yippee!

If you enjoy this instructable, please vote for it in the Gardening contest!

Here is What You Will Need:

Glass Sprite Bottle (other green glass bottles would work, but glass sprite bottles have the most alien-y shape and color)
Black Glass Paint (I used Martha Stewart Metallic Glass Paint in black nickel)
Small Tray for Paint
Sturdy Foam Brush
Contact Paper 
X-Acto Knife or Silhouette cutter
Loaf pan
Tray to keep bottles from rolling around (I used an old silverware tray)


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Build this Easy, DIY Desk Lamp from Recycled Blank or Burned CDs

Remember when burning CDs was a thing, and everyone had stacks and stacks of blank or burned CDs stored on spindles? Well, if you still have some of those spindles and no need for the CDs anymore, this easy DIY project turns them into a fun desk or hanging lamp, perfect for your workspace or home office.

The project comes to us from the folks at Hack a Day's new Life.HackaDay page, and the video above does a great job of showing you how to build both types of lamps, the desk style and the hanging style. All you need in both cases is an under-counter LED strip-light, a ton of used CDs, and either some sturdy wire or a nice long rope to make it all work.

The whole process only takes a couple of minutes, and you won't even need any special tools. It's a fast and simple project, the end product doesn't look horrible, and a great way to put those spindles of blank or burned CDs you have lying around to good use. Hit the link below for more detail and photos of the finished product, all lit up so you can see what it would look like on your desk.

2 Minute Recycled CD Lamp. No Tools Required. | Life.HackaDay


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Make Your Own Art Canvases

ac1.jpgHow about up cycling some old sheets or other linen like material into very useful and cost effective art canvases!  If you like to practice your painting a lot, but worry about the expense of store bought canvas, here's a fun and frugal alternative.To make the canvases gather up these materials:

Wood of your choice, I used pine I had on hand. To be cut for stretchers.
A Nail gun or finish nails or screws.
White glue.
Some cotton sheet or linen material.
Chipboard, available at art stores or online.


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Friday, July 26, 2013

Strawberry Cages

Strawb-cage 18.JPGLast year I put out some old tires I was given, and I put a layer of newspaper in the bottom then, I filled the tire with garden soil.  Then came the crowning touch of planting ever bearing strawberries.  I did this for my grandkids, who LOVE strawberries.  I wanted them to experience picking and eating truly fresh strawberries. Only I have a problem, the birds ate the strawberries before the grandkids did.  What to do?  What to do?  I know from experience that people have put nets over cherry trees to prevent birds from eating the cherries.  Maybe I could do the same type of thing.  I listed the requirements for this set up.  1) It needed to be solid enough to keep birds out yet be able to let in light and water.  2) It needed to be light and easy to remove from the plants yet easy to return to its covering position. 3) It needed to stay put when the wind was blowing. And 4) it needed to be affordable and hopefully wear for more than one growing season.  So this is what I came up with, please feel free to adapt it to your situation.Strawb-cage 1.JPGSupplies:
72” (183 cm) piece of foam pipe insulation (the smallest size, 97¢ each)
12” (30cm) x 75”(190cm) of Fiberglass screen (36” x 82” piece +/- $5)
24”(60cm) diameter circle of Fiberglass screen
Stapler with staples (not shown)
Scissors
E6000 glue ($3 a tube, I finished off an old tube)
Duct Tape ($3 a roll, always have this one hand))
3 - 30” (76cm) bamboo sticks ( 6 for $2, not shown)
Hammer (not shown)
36” elastic (had on hand)
Tape measure

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Repair the Tip of a Shoelace with Melted Candle Wax

Repair the Tip of a Shoelace with Melted Candle Wax

Next time the plastic tip of your shoelace starts to break, don't rush out to by new laces; fix it at home with a candle.

If it's completely frayed, you'll want to start by using thread or dental floss to tighten up the end as we've discussed in a previous post. Once it's nice and tight, dip it into the melted wax of a recently-exinguished candle, and let the wax soak in for a few seconds before pulling it out to let it dry. It may take a few coats to get a solid tip, but once you're done, your laces should have some extra life.

11 Crazy Useful Things You can Do with a Candle | WonderHowTo


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Chicken Karaage a la Nakatsu

IMG_3881.jpgI am going to share my recipe of Chicken Karaage (Japanese style fried chicken). Karaage is commonly cooked and eaten everywhere in Japan. Meanwhile, I was born in the city called, Nakatsu, Oita, in Japan. Our city, which is known for its original recipe of Karaage. I am going to share the recipe that I grew up with. :)
http://www.visit-oita.jp/sightseeing/oita_history/nakatsu.e.html

You want to marinate chicken the day before you cook. To prepare marinated chicken, it will only take 20 minutes or so. You keep it in your fridge, and cook it on the next day. If you cannot prepare the day before, I would recommend to marinate at least 2 to 3 hours.

IMG_3862.jpgPlease prepare the following ingredients the day before if possible because you would like to marinate your chicken for a night. 

If you roughly keep the following ratio, it would be fine. This is not a science. :)

To marinate 1 lb of chicken:

1 lb of chicken thigh with skin, without bone (not included in the photo) 3 Table spoon of Soy sauce 1 1/2 Table spoon of Sake 1 Table spoon of Sesame Oil 1.5 to 2 inches of Ginger 1 clove of garlic 3 or 4 little shake of Ichimi Togarashi - Japanese chili (A little red bottle in the photo) Container or a ziplock to keep marinated chicken in a refrigerator (not included in the photo) If you like ginger and/or garlic, you may add more. 
Please try to get Katakuriko from Asian grocery stores, but if you cannot get one, regular flour would be fine.
You can also get Ichimi Togarashi from Asian grocery stores. 
As for Sake, cheap sake is perfectly fine for cooking. You can get a cheap large bottle at a Japanese grocery store. 1.6L only costs about $10.

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Hold Your Cash with a 35 Cent Ideal Clamp

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iPhone Garage Door Opener

Hi.
I'm a bit ashamed of this hack, since it mostly uses existing technologies, but I shall post it anyway for all of the glory and cash rewards.

My garage opener remote recently passed away with very little notice. This was frustrating because I make it clear to any electronics I adopt that they are to give me ample warning if they are on their way out. No such luck. This remote was a rebel and certainly not a gentleman.

I needed a replacement, naturally. Universal remotes are fine, but there are a few limitations which I'm not keen on:

1. Limited range. I have to be within 50 feet or so of my house to use them. What if I want to let a family member in who is locked out in the frigid 90 degree Florida weather, or open the house for the dog walker (if I had a dog walker), or make all of my belongings available to the crooks who live in my neighborhood for insurance fraud purposes? Right.

2. Remote batteries die. I don't like death. It makes me uncomfortable. iPhone can be recharged anywhere and everywhere, even in the car (imagine that!)

3. Why carry more devices around than necessary? These smart phones are pretty damn smart these days. They should be doing more for us, like massages and walking our dogs. Also, opening our garages or other entry-ways. Plus garage remotes weigh about 45 lbs. Not cool.

4. Physical buttons are a point of failure. Chances are, I'll have to replace an old-school garage remote again after a few million uses. Who needs that kind of uncertainty in their life? No sir, a capacitive (really spell check, "capacitive" is not in your dictionary in this modern age?) touch screen is superior in my book! Dare I say it has billions of touches in store before the glass wears through and liquid crystal toxins seep into my fingers!

I'll admit that point 4 was a weak one, but I like things in fours, which is why I've removed both of my thumbs (see pics).
I can type anything I want here, can't I?
Whhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Wooooooords!!!!!

Continue on to see the hows and whats, friends!


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How To Stop Work Overload With a Few Simple Boundaries

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Profile Flow Automates Your Android Phone for Home, Work, or Play

Android: Profile Flow, like many other automation apps for Android, lets you control virtually every aspect of your phone based on a certain set of conditions, like your location, the time of day, which network you're connected to, and so on. It's free, really well polished, and easy to use.

Profile Flow can control your phone based on time of day, date or day of the week, time range, date range, location (GPS or Cell ID), and more. You can toggle virtually every aspect of your device, including all of your wireless radios (bluetooth, Wi-Fi, data, etc), GPS, auto-sync, airplane mode, audio, volume, display brightness, and more—you can even have Profile Flow automatically place calls or send SMS messages for you based on certain conditions. The app also has a "lite profile" setting, so you can set custom actions to take effect without wrecking ones you already have set up, making the app adaptable to changes in your regular routine. There's even a getting started tutorial that will walk you through the app's features and options.

If you want to, for example, set your phone to call or SMS home when you leave the office so you can let your spouse know you're on the way, Profile Flow can do it in a couple of taps, without digging through too many menus. If you want your phone to auto connect only to specific Wi-Fi networks, or turn notifications and audio off as soon as you get to a specific GPS location, it's easy to set up. None of this is especially strange if you're familiar with automation apps, but Profile Flow is one of the simplest and most straight-forward tools I've seen. It's not perfect though—the app can't launch applications (yet, the dev says this is coming soon), which is a bit of a bummer compared to other automation tools.

Of course, if you're looking for automation apps, you have plenty to choose from. Tasker, Llama, Atooma, and Automagic (to name a few) are all great automation tools and we've mentioned them all before at some point. Where Profile Flow stands out is that it's among the new breed of automation tools for Android that make it super-simple to create your profiles and actions.

Hit the link below to check out XDA developer amithgc's thread on the app, which is packed with screenshots. If you want to try the app, it's free at Google Play and supports Android phones running 2.2 or higher.

Profile Flow (Free) | Google Play via XDA Developers


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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Why Canned Produce Has Just as Many Nutrients as Fresh Produce

Why Canned Produce Has Just as Many Nutrients as Fresh Produce

Canned fruits and vegetables have a reputation for not being as packed with nutrients as their fresh counterparts, but as The New York Times points out, by the time that produce actually reaches you, both canned and fresh are on pretty equal footing.

In fact, canned fruits and vegetables sometimes retain more of their nutrients than fresh produce. While freshly picked fruits and vegetables start with more vitamins, by the time they're shipped, packed, and end up in your shopping basket they've lost some of their luster:

Canned produce can lose some of its nutritional value as well, particularly water-soluble nutrients like vitamins B and C. But over all, the nutrients in canned fruits and vegetables tend to be relatively stable because they are protected from the deteriorating effects of oxygen, a fact emphasized in an extensive report on the subject published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture by researchers at the University of California, Davis.

“Fresh fruits and vegetables usually lose nutrients more rapidly than canned or frozen products,” the researchers wrote. “Losses of nutrients during fresh storage may be more substantial than consumers realize” and may not be reflected on nutrition labels.

Of course, both fresh produce and canned produce are still healthy, and either option is better than nothing.

Really? The Claim: Fresh Produce Has More Nutrients Than Canned | The New York Times

Photo by Romana Klee.


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"Does putting toilet paper on the seat actually help?"

"Does putting toilet paper on the seat actually help?"

Each Friday, great discussions happen over on Hackerspace's Open Thread. Here are some of the best topics discussed this week.


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Focus@Will Streams Productive Music to Your iPhone

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Portable 3-way hifi speaker/boomcase

Here is a list of the materials that I used:
Speakerbox
-1.2 cm thick plywood
-White artificial leather
-Black pvc angles
-Rubber feet
-Handle
-contact adhesive
-wood glue
-screws
-corner protectors

Electronics
Car amplifier from dealextreme. 2x20W
-10" bass speaker (80W rms max)
-5" mid speaker (70W rms)
-tweeter (10W rms)
-crossover
-mc battery
-battery charger
-cables
-panel voltmeter
-panel ac input
-audio input
-on/off button
(-resistors to dampen the tweeter)

And then I added a LED strip underneath the speaker and for that I needed:
-soldering iron
-heat shrinking tube
-50 cm LED strip (ebay)
-sound sensitive LED controller (ebay)

I did not have all of this at home when I started the project. But when I knew how I wanted the speaker to become I started buying parts.


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Chic Fabric Necklace

29 (800x533).jpgThis is a light weight and low cost  necklace made out of fabric.You can create your own designs the way you want.,as well as make it in different colors to match your clothings.Not only necklace you can make hand bands, hair bands as well as earings too.I have done with two colord fabrics and my ideas turned out really great.You don't  need to buy extra fabrics to do this.Your left over cut pieces would be ideal.
you want to see how it is made ?
then scroll down...........1 (800x533).jpgColored cotton Fabric of your choice
Matching Felt
Threads to match the fabric
Tracing wheel
Carbon paper
Pencil
Scissor
Pointed needle
Pointed screw driver
Brown paper or any other paper
Hammer
Cord rings and rod
Pins

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Promote a Healthy Bean Garden with a DIY Trellis

Promote a Healthy Bean Garden with a DIY Trellis

Beans are a practical and healthy addition to any garden, but they grow best when they have something to climb. Sure, you could buy a trellis, but it's extremely cheap to build your own.

All you really need are some long poles and twine. Michelle Reynolds at Made+remade suggests bamboo, but long dowel rods, or even PVC, would probably work just as well (though they wouldn't look as nice). Basically, you need to tie together a few tripod-like structures with the rods, and hang two additional rods across the top and bottom of the installation. Once everything is secure and firmly planted in your garden, run a single long strand of twine in a zig zag pattern across the entire structure.

Once you're done, wait for your bean plants to sprout, and then manipulate them onto the loops of twine to "train" them to climb. In no time, the whole structure should be filled with the edible products of your own backyard garden. For some great pictures and a step by step guide, be sure to click through the source link.

Make a Simple Bean Trellis for Your Garden | Made+remade


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Easy variable voltage power supply

P1210590 2.jpgP1200565.JPG-A 30-32v power adapter. (Mine is salvaged from an old printer)
-A DC-DC buck converter. (1$ on ebay)
-A LED panel voltmeter. (2$ on ebay)
-An audio spring terminal. (0.40$)
-A potentometer, the same value as the one of the converter, mine is 10K (0.60$)

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Camp Fire Starters

fire-1.JPGIf you're camping - you want to make the venerable camp fire. Normally, you gather twigs, leaves, pine needles - anything flammable to use as tinder to start the fire. Maybe it’s been raining all week and everything is soaked to of depth of several miles into the earth's crust and you'd have a better chance of lighting up a snowball in Hudson Bay than staring you fire so you can toast your wiener right now.
Solution:
Make a few no-fail fire starters out of household debris ahead of time, and have a safe and happy camp fire on your rain-soaked outing.
And remember: only set fire to objects that actually belong to you. Camp responsibly, or Smokey the Pants-Wearing Bear will come for you...

First: gather materials for your fire starters.

1 cardboard egg carton
12 pinecones
A large handful of lint from the dryer
Some used-up old candles or piles of candle wax.

You will need to melt the wax, and you will need a double boiler setup for this.
Any wax used in a saucepan or cooking pot will make the pot unusable for food. So, a good way to handle this is to find an old saucepan at the thrift store and use it, or you can also melt the wax in a clean glass pickle jar set into a pot of hot water.

fire-2.JPGMelt the wax in a double boiler setup with the heat on the medium setting.
Use a glass jar or thrift-store pot - whatever is most convenient for you. Wax can scorch and burn if its melted directly on the heat source, which is why it must be melted on a pot of boiling water. This is why it makes a great fire starter.

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Five Best Exercise Headphones

The best headphones for sitting at your computer or in your home listening to music may not be the best headphones to put in your ears while you're jogging around town. Activity will make them fall out and noise isolation or closed ear models will make it hard to hear your surroundings, but you still want good audio quality for your money. We asked you for the best headphones for those workout sessions at the gym, and here are the five best, based on your nominations.

Earlier this week we asked you which headphones you thought were the best to wear when you're about to go for a run or hit the gym. Audio quality is just one factor in those situations—comfort, fit, price, flexibility, and durability are all also important. You offered up more nominations than we could highlight in one post, but here are the five models that stood above the rest.

When you need a pair of headphones that fit well, work with just about any device you might have, and still sound great, but you don't want to spend a ton of money for something you're going to exercise in, the Yurbuds are a great option. Yurbuds feature their patented "TwistLock" technology, which the company ensures that your in-ear headphones will never fall out, even while you're running, working out, doing aerobics, lifting, whatever. They're also designed to allow in a little more ambient noise than other models, so you're still aware of your surroundings while you're biking or jogging, which is always a good thing. It also doesn't hurt that they're designed to both be comfortable (Yurbuds claims the design avoids "nerve-sensitive areas of the ear," so you don't get that burning feeling of having something stuck in your ears too long) and sweat and water resistant, so a strenuous workout doesn't mean you have to dry out your headphones too.

Many of you specifically mentioned the $30 Yurbuds Inspire models, and the $50 cloth-corded Yurbuds Ironman Inspire Duro (available for just over $40 at Amazon) as great, all-around options that won't break the bank, won't break your heart if they get lost at the gym, but also won't make your music sound terrible while you're exercising. In fact, those of you who nominated the Yurbuds almost universally praised their audio quality as well as their comfort and snug fit.

We're no strangers to the Bose IE2 in-ear headphones—you liked them enough to nominate them as one of the five best overall in-ear models not too long ago. They may be pricey, coming in at $90 direct (and $117 for the MIE2 model that includes audio controls and a headset). The Bose IE2 and MIE2 both sport Bose's StayHear swappable ear tips, which Bose claims will keep them from falling out of your ears even during strenuous activity. They include several sets so you can experiment and find the one best for you. The MIE2s are perfect for listening to music on your phone while you're out running or working out, but still give you the option to answer incoming calls when you need to.

Those of you who brought up the IE2s and MIE2s specifically praised Bose's build quality and the design of the headphones, and pointed out that it's good to be able to buy one great set of earphones and wear them both when you hit the gym and when you're on the train on the way to work, instead of having to swap out different ones for different uses. Plus, whatever you might think about Bose, they make decent audio products, solid enough that you probably won't be disappointed with them, and with care they'll last for a long time.

Jaybird's Freedom and BlueBuds X earphones are both Bluetooth models that do away with wires and let you rock out wirelessly while you run, lift, or otherwise get your daily exercise in. The Freedoms, shown above, are $100 retail but will set you back closer to $77 at Amazon, and offer a flexible strap to keep them connected behind your neck, have clear, easily-pressed on-ear controls for volume and pairing, and allow you to answer calls with a quick tap while you're on the go. The microphone is even built into one of the earbuds so your caller can hear you clearly. They also include sport cushions and multiple ear tips so they stay in your ears and fit comfortably. The BlueBuds X on the other hand, are a different, more traditional earbud design that will run you $170 retail (and at Amazon) but Jaybird says are the pinnacle of wireless earbud technology. You still have a connecting strap, but the audio and call controls have moved to a smaller control pod along the cable. The BlueBuds X also have been designed to compensate (according to Jaybird) for the inevitable sound quality degradation you'll get passing audio over Bluetooth, and sport over-ear and in-ear fitting options so you can wear them the way you choose. The sport cushion and multi-sized ear tips are still there to keep your ears happy while you wear them.

Those of you who nominated the Jaybird models praised their battery life (8 hours between charges for the BlueBuds X and 6 hours for the Freedoms), their broad compatibility and easy setup, and the fact that they stay in your ears no matter what type of exercise you're doing. In fact, Jaybird has videos of people working out wearing their earphones to prove the point. The other thing that's important to note is that Jaybird prides itself on not just engineering earphones that are friendly for exercise—that are water and sweat resistant and comfortable to wear—but that also sound really good. They put a lot of attention into audio quality, and it shows—which it should, for the price point.

If you just haven't been able to find a set of in-ear headphones that work for you, or that really do stay in place while you work out, Decibullz may be the answer. The company prides itself on their custom-molded headphones and ear tips that won't fall out, because they're designed to fit your ears and only your ears. You have the option to buy their headphones, which are the models we'll talk about, or to buy just the custom molded ear tips and attach whatever earbuds or IEMs you already have to them (assuming they'll fit). Decibullz's headphones will set you back $40 direct for a pair with the Decibullz custom-molded ear tips along with them. Keep in mind though that Decibullz's claim to fame is their ear tips, not their headphones, so while they'll work with almost any device you plug them into, the remote control pod on the cable is designed for the iPhone. The ear tips on the other hand, are really spectacular, and are only $13 direct on their own.

The ear tips are DIY, so you get them, heat them up in the microwave, and then attach them to your own earbuds—as long as they're the type that support replaceable rubber ear tips. Many of you pointed out that once you got a set of Decibullz tips for your own earphones, you never had a problem with them falling out again. Our friends at Gizmodo reviewed the headphones not too long ago, and-as you can tell by their headline—didn't care much for them. The tips however, they loved—and we have to agree with them there.

The Motorola S10-HD Bluetooth wireless headphones put the Bluetooth radio, battery, and other electronics in a firm band that goes around the back of your neck while you wear them, and fits snugly to your head. The earphones themselves fit right into your ears, and feature on-ear controls for volume and music playback, not to mention buttons to answer and hang up calls and pair with your smartphone. They're sweat proof and water resistant, and have actually been on the market for a while, so you can score a pair for $68 at Amazon, much less than their original $90 list price. You'll get about 8 hours of continuous play time out of the S10-HDs before you have to recharge the battery, and despite their look, they're only about 1.5 ounces.

Those of you who nominated the S10-HDs pointed out their solid bang for the buck price, lack of wires or cables, and the fact that they make decent headphones as well as workout headphones, even taking Bluetooth into consideration. Plus, many of you pointed out that the way the band fits around the back of your head means the earphones don't slip out of your ears easily, and a quick wipe-down with a towel cleans them up nicely without having to dry out cables and such, and the audio quality is really solid without being so loud or over the top that you can't hear your surroundings.

Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to put them to an all-out vote to determine the community favorite:

Honorable mentions this week go out to Skullcandy's In-Ear models, which many of you called out for walking the line between affordability, audio quality, and solid design, but not so expensive or so great that wearing them while you exercised or ran around town jogging was a problem for you. Many of you didn't specify which Skullcandy model you preferred, but we imagine the Titans or the 50/50s were some of the models you had in mind.

We also have to give an honorable mention to the various Sony in-ear models that were nominated. No specific models got enough nominations to make the top five, but there were enough Sony nominations to warrant a mention. Specifically highlighted were the Sony Active Style (MDR-ASxxxx) series, in-ear models with a unique wrap-around band for each ear that makes sure they won't fall off while you exercise. Some of you praised Sony's other models with over-ear adapters so you didn't have to trust the headphones to stay in your ears while you worked out, and those of you who don't like in-ear headphones at all praised the Sony MDR-Q68LW for being a solid clip-on model that rests on-ear instead of in-ear.

Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Carnival Pendant - Wire Jewelry Tutorial

carnivala.jpgAt certain angles, the pendants made in this style remind me of the tilt'a'whirl my friends and I used to ride at the fair every year when I was a kid. At other angles, for some strange reason, I just want to tie dye them. They make me remember all those times when I would burst out laughing for no reason at all, and keep laughing and laughing and laughing. For me, they evoke a feeling of sheltered innocence. The kind of freedom you feel as a child running through the county fair, looking for the next “thrill” to ride, or twirling round and round in circles until you become so dizzy you fall, laughing with glee.

This tutorial teaches you how to make a relatively simple border wrap and embellish it whimsical woven swirls. So far I have not been able to duplicate, exactly, any of the designs I have made in this style. For that reason, please do not think of this tutorial as directions that are set in stone. They are really more of a set of techniques combined in a certain way to achieve a certain type of look. These pendants can end up elegant and graceful, fun and spirited, modern and industrial, or anything in between!

 For the pendant in the photos, I am using round wire for the frame wires. You can also use square wire if you prefer. Also, if you are not able to get half round wire in your area, you can use 22g round wire that has been hammered to slightly flatten it. Just be sure to hammer it as evenly as possible all the way down the full length of the wire.

You will need to use my Basic Weaving Techniques tutorial as a reference to complete this project. You can find it here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Wire-Jewelry-Making-Basic-Weaving-Techniques/

Materials:
• 25’ of 28g Round Dead Soft Wire
• 7” of 20g Half Round Half Hard Wire
• 54” of 20g Round Dead Soft Wire
• 1 25mm round cabochon

Tools:
• Chain nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Flat nose pliers
• Bent nose pliers
• Ruler
• Marker
• Tape (optional)

1.jpgCut the 20g wire into 6 equal pieces (about 9” long). Separate the wires into 2 groups of 3 wires. Using the tape, wrap each group in three areas. One wrap on each end and one in the middle. Take care to be sure that the bundles, when wrapped, lay flat and no wires are crossing.

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What You Can Learn from Your Pharmacist

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Headphone jack for your Turtle Beach Wireless headsets

Ever wish two people could listen to your wireless headset without disturbing others in the room?

Ever wish you could just put the headset on the couch and listen on a lightweight pair of earbuds?

Well now you can!


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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

You don't need a bunch of square footage to have a great workspace. As Instructables user Jake Richardson shows in this step-by-step folding desk tutorial, a little bit of creatively-used space can go a long way.

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

My room is fairly small, and it's a squeeze to fit things in. So when I found I needed a desk to do many of my projects, I had to think about space conservation. I decided to affix the desk to the side of my Ikea bookshelf. It's heavy, thick, and wide enough to attach a decent sized desk to.

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

The pieces of wood I needed were pretty easy to find—I just used scrap wood from my garage. I settled on a piece of 30cm by 75cm plywood for the actual desk and an 8cm piece of pine for the hinge brace.

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

I cut two 5cm-long pieces off of the strip of pine and nailed to the underside of the piece of plywood with fine nails. Then I sanded the pine blocks smooth before being attached, and used wood glue to strengthen the bond.

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

I stained the desk with a satin mahogany wood stain. Three layers were used, with a light sanding after the second layer. The third layer was a very light coating. Then I gave the desk three layers of tough polyurethane varnish. (As with the stain, I used two initial layers with a light sanding, followed by a final light layer.)

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

After the desk had ample time to cure, it was time to mount it to the side of the bookshelf. I used two brass door hinges, affixed with six steel screws each. I used a 1m-long, 3cm chain to hold the desk upright. The chain is hooked onto a small brass hook that's screwed onto the edge of the desk, while the other end is held in place at the top of the bookcase.

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

To finish the desk, I added a cutting surface that was also heatproof. I used a piece of slate tile that I cut to size and held in place with several lines of trade-standard Evo-Stik adhesive.

I now have a compact working space that can be folded away at a moment's notice!

How To Build a Space-Saving Folding Desk From Scratch

(For a bonus tutorial on Jake's refurbished chair, check out the original post in the link below.)

Fold Out Desk From Scratch & Chair Refurbishment | Instructables

Jake Richardson is an 18-year-old, soon-to-be apprentice from North Yorkshire, England. He's a maker and fixer of all things, from retro electronics to model furniture, as well as an enthusiastic model-maker.

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