He named it the Great OpenCV Wash-Up Detector. The device comes with a line of various signals to inform those geeks about cleaning up after themselves. The first execution utilizes a traffic signal to inform the area that there are filthy dished to be washed; illuminating several colours to point out the length of time the kitchen sink has been full. [Tom] additionally plans to incorporate message bursts to the IRC room, as well as air horns once the condition becomes terrible.

As the name indicates, this utilizes OpenCV in order to recognize circles in the sink. A webcam has been installed on top of it directing all the way down, rendering a definite input image that will determine dishes, cups, and so on. [Tom] also wrote several code which disables the device once the lights are switched off.

Naturally, this may teach offenders to abandon the dishes within the counter where the detector can’t discover them.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://hackaday.com/2012/01/16/electronics-that-tell-you-to-wash-the-dishes/

Fatratmatt has presented full list of items, design steps as well as important software codes in his article right here. To have a good idea concerning this outrageous task, sit back and watch the video clip below.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://hackedgadgets.com/2012/01/03/diy-steampunk-analog-clock-with-moon-phase/

Check out these two part videos for more details regarding the entire building process.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://hackedgadgets.com/2011/12/31/remote-control-solar-lawn-mower/

Materials for this project are the following (Lack table and Lillivi cloth) and all you need to do is measure the size of the switches, cut the back of the Lack table and removed the paper filling inside it.

Cover the table with Lillivi cloth for the finishing touch and you have now created a Framework to cover switches.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/12/framework-to-cover-switches.html

Feel the spirit of Christmas with this beautifully designed  LED Christmas Display. The sign is made out of  134 different colored LEDs, and  to make this happen some 74HC595 and 74HC14 chips are used. The sign is built to permanently display one message but you could upgrade this project  with an LED matrix boards so it could be used to display other messages in the future.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://hackedgadgets.com/2011/12/12/diy-animated-led-christmas-display/

The summer is upon us and once again, it’s time to tame mother nature. The grass is growing and the hedges are getting larger every day. What better time to try out Black and Decker’s wireless 24v tools?

We’ll be reviewing two tools: the 24V Cordless Grass Trimmer (NST1024) and the 24V Cordless 24” Hedge Trimmer (NHT524).

Edger/Trimmer

The Edger is one of those tools I don’t use often. The reason is simple: my mower is cordless and my edger is corded, so by the time I’m done with the mower, I usually skip the edging part because I hate untangling the inevitable knots in the power cord. Cordless edgers have been around for a few years, but I never got around trying one. A few weeks ago, Black and Decker asked me to try one out.

The Black and Decker NST1024 Cordless Grass Trimmer is well built. It feels more solid than my 5 year old corded trimmer, also a Black and Decker. It’s extensible, which my old one wasn’t, so it’s much more comfortable to use than the “one size fits all” models.

The tool is powered by a 24v NiCd battery pack. It has two speeds, what B&D calls «Power Command». For the purpose of trimming all the grass edges on my property, the low power setting was powerful enough, but if you have some dense, tall weeds, you’ll appreciate the more powerful, which delivers the same kick you’d get with a corded unit. The battery life is good. Unless you have a huge property, it will be more than enough.

Feeding more wire is done in the usual fashion, by bumping the unit on the ground, which unlocks the distributor and allows it to unspool a length of wire. Nothing more to say about that, it’s as standard as you get.

In terms of weight, it’s quite light. About the same as my old trimmer. The trimmer’s light weight and its extensible neck and the adjustable handle all contribute to making it an ergonomic, usable tool. Add to that the fact that it’s cordless and I don’t have any more excuses not to trim the edges every time I mow the lawn.

Hedge Trimmer

The B&D Hedge trimmer is fun to use: once you go cordless, there’s no going back. The whole unit is light and maneuverable. It’s long 24” blade gives it enough reach to tackle most jobs on my property without needing a ladder. The mechanism moves both parts of the blade in opposite directions simultaneously, which means that the movements cancel each other out and that means that the vibrations usually associated with hedge trimmers are absent. That really helps when you’re working at arm’s length.

About 10 minutes after starting to use it, I noticed a slight drop in power. I noticed from the sound of the motor, not from the unit’s performance. The hedger had no problem chewing through branches as big as what can fit between its teeth, as long as you cut the branch progressively. From a standing start, the engine stalls on larger branches. A mild annoyance, but a small price to pay considering you don’t need to worry about cutting a power cord.

Battery and Charger

Both units use the same battery pack: a 24v NiCd pack. Both units also include a basic battery charger which charges the battery in 9 to 11 hours. The battery isn’t fully charged and it’s recommended that it be recharged for 11 hours before using it for the first time so bear that in mind when you get back from the store.

Black & Decker makes a Fast Charger (BDFC240) which recharges a 24v battery in 2 hours. It’s a shame that B&D makes you buy the “good” charger instead of just supplying a proper one to begin with. It’s not like the electronics in the Fast charger cost significantly more than those in the included charger. But, then again, unless you have a ridiculously large yard, you’ll be able to do all your trimming and edging on a single battery charge, so the 10 hour charge time won’t be a real problem most of the time — unless you forget to charge it ahead of time, like I sometimes forget to do with my cordless lawnmower.

The batteries are Nickel Cadmium, which isn’t by any stretch the latest technology, but then again NiCd batteries are relatively cheap and tolerate more abuse than NiMH. B&D decided to keep the costs low, which is fine by me.

One note about the NiCd batteries. They contain Cadmium, which is toxic, and should be disposed of at a recycling facility. Don’t know where your local recycling center is? Call 1-800-8-BATTERY

Verdict

While not perfect, the B&D 24v cordless tools have a huge advantage: they are cordless. That means that you will actually use them. Just for that, I can safely recommend them.

They’re also priced well. One caveat: in Canada, the 24v tools are really hard to find (all the stores I usually go to only had the 18v tools) and they are priced roughly 50% more than in the USA. That’s ridiculous considering the current exchange rate. B&D has some adjusting to do before they lure Canadian customers into buying into this new product line.

The B&D Trimmer/Edger and Hedge Trimmer are a good value (in the USA) and get the job done. The battery life might be a bit short if you have a huge property, but for most people, it’ll be enough. If, like me, you have two devices, you have two batteries, so that solves the problem!

Pros:

• Cordless
• Relatively light
• Good balance of battery life and power

Cons:

• Slooooow charger
• Canadian pricing is a unfair

More Info:

24V Cordless Grass Trimmer (NST1024)
http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=22991

24V Cordless 24” Hedge Trimmer (NHT524)
http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=22898

CONTEST!!!

Black and Decker and DIYBlog.net are offering you the chance to win a B&D NST1024 24v Cordless Grass Trimmer.

There are two ways to enter the contest:

1) Leave a comment to tell us why you deserve a Black and Decker 24v Cordless String Trimmer/Edger.

OR -

2) On Twitter, follow @diyblognet and tweet this message (click to tweet):

Win a Black&Decker 24v Cordless Trimmer/Edger. Visit @DIYBlogNet at http://bit.ly/dxOVnk

Contest Rules:

• Contest is open to the residents of the continental United States of America and Canada.
• Winner will be chosen randomly from all the comments/tweets.
• Entries must be received by the end of the day June 24th (EST).
• Winner will be contacted via email or Twitter Direct Message. Prize must be claimed within 72 hours or runner up will be drawn.
• Winner will be announced on DIYBlog.net.
• We take your privacy seriously and and we hate spam. Your email address won’t ever be used for anything.

~~~

NOTE

The reviewed grass trimmer (B&D NST1024) was supplied to DIYBlog.net at NO CHARGE and B&D did NOT request that we return it once the review was done. Although we do our best to offer unbiased reviews, this might, or not have an involuntary impact on the outcome of the review.

The reviewed hedge trimmer (B&D NST524) was NOT supplied to DIYBlog.net. It was purchased. Although we do our best to offer unbiased reviews, this might, or not have an involuntary impact on the outcome of the review.

Ryan from New-Zealand send us a nice writeup about his custom-made kitchen computer that apparently made his wife real happy.

Check it out.

Usual disclaimer: Please remember that as with any project involving mains power, make sure you know what you’re doing and  do it safely, or don’t. Also respect your local laws and building code.

As a fellow DIYer I am always looking for ways to save money on projects that I’m working on. Often when I work on projects I need tools that I don’t have. Sometimes those tools make sense to buy, other times I feel like it can be a waste of money to buy a tool that I may only need once or twice. So I decided to start a website called Share Some Sugar. It’s an online service that finds someone in your neighborhood who is willing to lend you something that you need.

I thought that Share Some Sugar might be something that would interests your blog community members. They can go on the site and post tools and items that they are willing to share and also find tools that they would like to borrow, all in their own neighborhood or community. There is feedback on members profiles so people can see their neighbours’ sharing history. There is also a security deposit feature and a contract to protect both parties.

I look forward to connecting with you to help you and your blog readers save money through sharing tools.

Thanks,
Keara

Paul Overton posted this nice tutorial on how to make papercut portraits on his blog, DudeCraft. The best thing about this paper cutting technique can be applied to many medias and derived, like stencilling a T-Shirt.

[ link ] [ via ]

Thinking of building the Moog VCF I posted yesterday? You might want to check out this post about using Cupric Chloride to etch PCBs.

Usual disclaimers apply.

[ link ]

David Long wrote me to tell me about his and Antoine Morris’ project called “The Mobile Office”. Together, they form “The Practice of Everyday Design”. The Mobile Office is part bed, part work area, all Frankenstein.

The Mobile Office was constructed from discarded materials within a one block radius from the site. All the material was transported to the site with our bikes and a makeshift dolly. The only purchased items were the hardware used to hold it together.

Sorry, no instructions. I guess you need to take whatever materials you can find and go from there.

[ link ]

And they ride fixed-gear bikes too!

A few weeks ago, I swapped out the driver’s seat in my trusty Volvo 850 because it had an electrical problem. I definitely don’t want to throw out the old seat because it’s a super comfortable leather seat. It’s in my basement, waiting for me to make something with it.

Here’s something that I could do with it if I was a gamer and had some room: an arcade-style racing console.

Since I don’t nearly have enough room for something like that, I’ll probably just convert mine into an office chair.

[ link ]

This organic pesticide won’t kill all the bugs in your garden, but may annoy them enough so that they move over to your neighbour’s.  I personally think that if you don’t want to use any chemicals in your garden, you need to arrange your plants carefully, to exploit the fact that certain plants naturally repel various insects.  This can help too, but from experience, you do need to spray often as this product isn’t deadly, but just mildly annoying.

Make an All-Purpose Organic Pesticide from Vegetables [link]

This is my first Instructable, and my entry for the Instructables pocket-sized contest. It’s a Pocket-Sized Watercolor Box in an Altoids tin. I’ve seen people make similar ones and I’ve decided to make my own, using what I had: Fimo clay.

For once, instead of just linking to an Instructable, I wrote one. About time!

Please vote for me!

Altoids Tin Pocket-Sized Watercolor Box [link]

While motivations will vary, I’m quite sure that many people will find this project interesting. You can make your own ECG (heart monitor) to monitor your own heartbeats for less than 10$ (not including your PC).

Disclaimer: This project involves strapping electrodes on your chest. Electrodes = electricity. Do it at your own risk.

Homemade Electrocardiograph (ECG) [link]

What’s the perfect remedy to winter? Tomato/cucumber salad, with basil and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It’s even better when you grow your own herbs. With this homemade greenhouse, you can have your own mini-garden year-round.

Homemade mini-greenhouse [link]

Make your own detergent ad fabric softener using easy to find ingredients.  You’ll save money: this detergent is about 20% the cost of the leading brand (The four letter word in the bright orange box). After all, it’s the consumer who pays for the endless TV commercials! By making your own soap, you pay for what its worth, not the salary of marketing execs.

Borax can be hard to find in certain locales. I know it’s available at your local Éco-quartier for those who live in Montréal. It should be available at any natural products store. You can also find it at the world’s largest retailer (yeah, that one) but try the other sources first, as the large retailer doesn’t treat its employees very well.

Do It Yourself Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener [link][via][via]

A confusing title indeed. Is it Mario that is super, or is it the table? Either way, this is a pretty cool piece of DIY furniture. And one could inspire himself from that table to create other things.

No instructions are provided, but non are really needed. Just ask the person at your favorite tiling store.  They will explain how to lay out the glue and the grout, and everything else you need to know.

Super Mario Mosaic Table [link][via][via]

Turn that Valentine’s Day candy box into a heart-shaped frame.

Or better yet, make your own valentine’s day chocolates and don’t buy that heart-shaped box in the first place.

Recycled Valentine’s Candy Box Picture Frame [link][via]

Throw-away swiffer pads are an abberation in this day and time. This nice article shows you thirteen different ways to make your own, all of which being cheaper than the store-bought ones. and some of them having the added benefit of being reusable.

DIY Swiffer Pads [link][via]