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Under $US20 MAKE Electronics Gift Guide Good For Frugal Holiday Season
Posted by Kit Eaton at 12:15 AM on November 19, 2008
Times may be hard economically, but you don't need to give your electronics-DIY enthusiast friend a naff present, thanks to MAKE's sub-$US20 Electronics Gift Guide. In fact, some of the items listed are so neat I'm tempted to gift a couple to myself right now... There's a DIY battery-powered USB charger kit good for iPhones, a tiny persistence-of-vision LED display, solar-powered theremin and more. My personal fave is the Drawdio music-making pencil. There're a few LED decoration projects there too: I think my Christmas tree may end up glittering with some DIY LED goodness this year. [Makezine]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
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MavisGadhero
Posted 3:02 AM 19/11/08
@phoenix27: you do know that you have to make it yourself, right?
MavisGadhero
Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine
Posted 2:49 AM 19/11/08
That thing with the scrolling letters reads wrong. It should be "I Make <3! I Make <3!"
Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:46 AM 19/11/08
I like the 9 volt Christmas tree set-up.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine
Posted 2:42 AM 19/11/08
Yeah, that charger's actually kinda cool. I'm always wary of stuff like that, only because there's always the chance that I'll connect it, and have the iPod say that the charger isn't authorized...take a long stare at both the charger and the iPod, realize the charger is innocent, and throw it away instead only because it was so much cheaper.
Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine
phoenix27
Posted 2:27 AM 19/11/08
I want that battery powered iphone (and hopefully ipod touch...) charger! Gimme!
phoenix27
pmtorrone
Posted 3:17 AM 19/11/08
@Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine: (phil from MAKE here) -- i helped get the mintyboost project going, each time there was an iPod updated all the store-bought charges would stop working. with the mintyboost you can always update it - i've had the same one for years.
pmtorrone
Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine
Posted 4:06 AM 19/11/08
@pmtorrone: Sweet!
Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine
Tony C
Posted 4:01 AM 19/11/08
Also, the MintyBoost is good for most any device that takes a 5V USB charge, not just iPhones -- see the creator's website for details.
[www.ladyada.net]
[www.adafruit.com]
Tony C
Tony C
Posted 3:55 AM 19/11/08
@MavisGadhero: Ah, what's a little soldering between friends?
FYI, as much as I love MakeZine, you can get the kit for less $$ from of the creator's website, AdaFruit -- more shipping options too.
[www.adafruit.com]
Tony C
pmtorrone
Posted 5:13 AM 19/11/08
@Tony C: tony, it's a 40 cent difference - if you poke around we have some 10% off codes (or you can email me) and it will be less than adafruit too...
pmtorrone
ClemClone
Posted 6:54 AM 19/11/08
I saw the schematic, and I can build these myself, pretty easily.
ClemClone
pmtorrone
Posted 10:46 AM 19/11/08
@ClemClone: that's the point - it's open source hardware, everything is published. if you build one send me a link and i'll post it on MAKE!
pmtorrone