DIY Archive* dodoskido: Windows into Microsoft *

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Decluttered05.jpg
Originally uploaded by joeytrimmer.

I just found a cool way to declutter our work room. Since I have a LOT of stuff in there (ReadyNAS NV+, 2 external hard drives, 1 external DVDRW, a printer, the CPU, Airport express, 3 USB hubs, TONs of miscellaneous devices to hook up to the USB like MP3 players, flash keys, portable hard drives, cell phones and the like), part of our wall o'desks has a large mass tangled wires in what I like to call "devil's snare" (after the field of strangling vines that Harry, Ron, and Hermione fall into). Anyway, as you can imagine, it's a total mess. This pegboard idea is brilliant and will definitely help me clean up the room a bit.

For my own reference, check out: decluttered.com [via lifehacker].

To detanglement and beyond...

* Make Your Own Camera Bag *

Now that I've actually decided to bring my Rebel XT (along with two new lenses - 50mm f1.8 & 28-200mm f3.5 and up) on our Europe trip, I figure I'm going to need something to carry all of this junk around in. At first, I thought, hey, I'll just buy a camera bag. After I did the research and went around to all of the camera bag manufacturer websites, I settled on the Tamrac 5765 (pictured to the left there). It's a nice size, can be used as both a hippack and as an over the shoulder type deal, and it's not too flashy.

When I went to order it at amazon, it was out of stock so I got on the wait list for it. Then I thought to myself...hmmm...what if I reused one of my old messenger bags as a camera bag? I had been using of them as my adhoc camera bag with my "Inner Mongolia Hat" as the camera holder. It worked well enough, but I'd like something a little more sturdy and actually protective for this trip.

I figured, I'd get some foam and some plastic sheeting to do bulk up the protective qualities of the bag and it seems, according to this ad-riddled, yet informative how-to guide: Tech ARP - DIY Camera Backpack Guide, that I was right. This guys uses cardboard and bubble wrap to do the trick and I can see why that would be a good way to go (since the cardboard is a flexible, it can smunch down if necessary). Luckily for me, there is a TAP Plastics store in mountain view that sells scrap plastic pieces. I went over there today and got two pieces of scrap to use on the bottom of our backpacks to give them some form on the bottom and help prevent "stuff-leak" in the event of a tear or a brazen attempt at slashing the bottom of the bag.

I figure I'll get this little project done this weekend and plan out my camera bag so I can stop by TAP and pick up some plastics next week.

05/18/07 14:23 permalink discuss

filed under 2007EuropeTrip ArtDesignPhoto DIY (more tags...)

* This is how we roll *

This is how we roll.
Originally uploaded by gofflin.

This is something for my Hongyun to look into since she teaches a little art class for kids and spends Satruday mornings sharpening pencils

11/29/06 15:12 permalink discuss

filed under CoolTechnology DIY (more tags...)

* Design It Yourself *

So you've taken this whole web 2.0 thing to heart and found that the do it yourself culture is for you. What's next? Well, you could just hack away at semi-unuseful gadgetry in your basement and reprise the role of the town basement-troll. Or you could decide to rock some elegantly designed web 2.1 and let it loose into the world. But how will look? What about your brand? "What? I need a brand still?" Yep...get your read on

02/18/06 14:47 permalink discuss

filed under ArtDesignPhoto Culture DIY (more tags...)

* LED Throwies *

People who know me well enough know that I'm a lighting junkie and here's yet another way to satisfy my inner blinkie (take that in any way you see fit).

These little doodads are basically throwable, portable lightbulbs. Luckily I happen to have bag-fulls of old LEDs kicking it at the ranch and will gleefully bust out my trusty soldering iron before month's end to construct a couple of these little widgets.

Also of note is the coolness of Instructables, an interesting (and growing) collection of user-submitted creations. These are things that should go straight into MAKE Magazine, but if they were all in there, the "mook" would become an "magcyclopedia" sized affair. Not good for your coffee table, that's for sure...

[via Cool Hunting]