TAG RESULTS FOR: inventions

Every piece of gadgetry we own or have owned in the past started somewhere. There is always an alpha. Even such iconic pieces of gadgetry as the Super Soaker (pictured above) had messy and rough beginnings. Let’s take a step back in time to truly embrace our favorite gadget’s state of antithesis. The products before there was a product. Hit the jump for much more.

Using the graphical programming language Processing and an Arduino microcontroller, Trevor Shannon built himself a software-based Etch-A-Sketch. The Arduino reads the input from two potentiometers and then through a serial connection, lines are produced on a computer screen. Over time, the lines disappear, just like a real Etch-A-Sketch. A simple, yet intuitive way of using the Arduino to build a project. Oh, and the knobs are made from an old iTunes gift card! Want to give it a shot? Trevor... Continue reading

Once in awhile, I come across an invention that blows my mind in terms of creativity and functionality. Jay Silver’s Drawdio most certainly fits into that category. Drawdio is a pencil that has a simple synthesizer hooked up to the graphite. Based on the conductivity of graphite, drawing on paper will produce various different sounds creating a one-of-a-kind music experience. This is user-interaction on a whole other level. Believe it or not, you can build your own Drawdio. The famous... Continue reading

While I love power tools of all shapes and sizes, I don’t own many due to the lack of a workspace in my home. However, I did take enough shop classes in high school to know what a sharp metal blade can do to your finger. That’s why inventor Steve Gass created the SawStop, a mechanism that senses electrical conductivity and stops the blade instantly when it comes in contact with a finger or body part. Watch the above video... Continue reading