Sammy.boyer

Sure, you can buy any number of kitchen utensils in your favorite home furnishings store, but a better place to shop might be the hardware store. A $3 putty knife, for example, makes for a better spatula and scraper than your garden-variety kitchen tool.

Chef Seamus Mullen of Boqueria in NYC learned to use a 2"-wide putty knife instead of a spatula in Spain, saying the thinner blade is better for lifting delicate foods like fish. An essential tool for your toolbox, a putty knife can also spread frosting, scrape your cutting board, and slice vegetables.

Alton Brown fans and pro chefs may already know this kitchen hack, but everyone else might want to consider upgrading their spatulas with inexpensive gear from the hardware store. (Just don't mix your putty knife used for patching holes with your putty knife used for cooking Pacific cod.)

Cheap Gadgets: Putty Knife | Food and Wine

Photo by phil_g.

In last week's MacGyver Challenge, we asked you to hack something using mason jars. We received some great entries, but the winning hack shows us a quick way to make a cocktail shaker with less than $5 in materials.

Check out the description of the winning entry below and read about some of our other favorite entries.

---

Winner: Make a DIY Cocktail Shaker From a Mason Jar

Reese likes to mix cocktails. He runs a cocktail blog and is often asked to bring his cocktail-making skills (and supplies) to events. He's found that cheap cocktail shakers you can buy often leak. The more expensive shakers really are fairly costly and aren't something you want to leave behind at an event. Reese solved his problem by creating his own out of a mason jar. He drilled holes to create a strainer lid and uses a second, undrilled lid for transport and storage. You can read more about how he made it on his blog or in the Instructable he created.

---

Honorable Mentions

We got a lot of great entries and we'd be remiss if we didn't share some of our favorites. Here are some of the entries that really impressed us.

Create an Industrial Table Lamp

Blind.phineas created this beautiful table lamp using what looks to be plumbers' fittings. He used mason jars as shades, which add to the industrial look. If you like it, be sure to check out his other pictures!

---

Make a DIY Chandelier

In another example of beautiful mason jar lighting, Frank created this rather elegant chandelier. He first fashioned a distressed wood base to attach to the ceiling. The mason jar shades cover simple Edison bulbs and are hung using old-fashioned brown cotton cords.

---

Repurpose a Mason Jar as a Hanging Flower Pot

To decorate for her friend's wedding, Vicki gave large mason jars a new life as hanging flower holders. The chains holding them up are secured with a clip that runs through a hold drilled in the mason jar's lid ring.

---

A big thanks to everyone who took the time to send us entries! Be sure to check back every week for a new challenge.

Ever sign up for internet that claimed 20 Mb per second, only to find that your files download at 2.5 MB per second? They aren't lying to you. Look closely and you'll see that those two figures use different units: megabits (Mb) and megabytes (MB). Here's what that means.

Usually, we refer to file sizes and file transfer speeds in megabytes. Every once in a while, though—like when you're shopping for internet speeds or testing your speed on speedtest.net—you'll see it noted in megabits per second instead. One byte is made up of 8 bits, which means that you need to pay extra close attention to which unit you're using (which is especially confusing, since megabits is abbreviated "Mb" and megabytes is abbreviated "MB").

The folks at Techquickie have a great video that explains it as fast as possible, so watch the above video if you're confused (or send it to a friend if they keep asking you why they aren't getting 20 megabyte per second download speeds). They also say you can divide your megabit figure by 10 to get a very rough (read: innacurate) estimate of the measurement in megabytes, but you could always divide by 8 (though that may require a calculator, or plugging it into Google) if you want to know the exact equivalent. Check out the video above to see more.

Bits vs Bytes as Fast as Possible | Techquickie

If you're still deciding which vegetables to grow in your garden, this guide from Bottom Line can help. It points out the easy-to-grow vegetables that may save you the most money.

Skip the artichokes and cauliflower, the article suggests, because they're more difficult to grow. Onions and potatoes also won't save you a ton of money versus buying at the store. On the other hand, good values for your gardening efforts include: salad greens (save about $300 for five months' worth of daily salads) and heirloom cherry tomatoes (even better money savers than larger tomatoes, thanks to the longer growing season and bountiful crop).

Of course, money isn't the only consideration for your garden. If you enjoy a good beefsteak tomato or eat a lot of potatoes, no reason you can't grow them as well. For a starter, budget garden, though, this is a good list to consult.

Hit up the link below for more recommendations and growing tips.

Growing the Right Vegetables Saves $$$$ | Bottom Line Personal

Photo by pmulloy2112.

We're fans of Amazon's Subscribe and Save subscription that allows you to get household items shipped to you on a regular basis, but it has always been arguable whether it actually saves you that much money. The Simple Dollar took a look at Subscribe and Save and compared it to a local warehouse club to see just what the savings might be.

After some digging around and price comparisons, The Simple Dollar crunched some numbers and found that after a lot of searching, Subscribe and Save could save money, but with a few caveats:

Overall, I saved money, but on occasion, I would see local sales that would trump the value of the “schedule and save” system. I would have saved money waiting for those sales. On the other hand, watching for those sales takes time, as you have to watch flyers every week to catch those sales.

So, what’s a person to do? The most time-effective route (while still bringing down your bills) is to just do a big comparison of prices between “Subscribe and Save” and your local warehouse club or grocery store, then subscribe to anything that’s cheaper than the regular price and not sweat the sales. However, you can certainly invest more time into the plan by comparing weekly flyers – you will absolutely save more money, but it won’t be a lot of money and it will require some time (the amount of which is really up to you).

Of course, Subscribe and Save is free for Amazon customers and you typically have to pay for warehouse clubs. Either way, the big benefit is the time you save not shopping. Once you go through the painstaking process of setting up Subscribe and Save, you don't have to do anything, whereas you'll always have to go to the store to get those discounts at a warehouse club. Head over to the Simple Dollar for more info about the whole process.

Do Amazon Mail Order Subscriptions Save Money? | The Simple Dollar

Laptop docks generally don't come cheap—especially when you have a Mac. DIYer Johan Frick put together a simple docking solution with the necessary cables and a little bit of Sugru, saving a ton of money in the process.

As you can see from the video above, the process is pretty simple. Just plug in all the cables you want to connect, surround them with a healthy amount of Sugru (carefully, so as not to get any on your MacBook), smooth it out, and let it dry. When you're done, you have a dock!

Make a plug hub for your MacBook | Sugru

That banner image may seem a little bit theatric, but it’s a good representation of what this 3W handheld laser can really do. Turn the thing on in a slightly smoky room and it looks exactly like a thin beam Lightsaber.

What kind of tricks would you expect this thing to perform? Perhaps it’ll pop some black balloons? Prepare to be shocked because it’s orders of magnitude more powerful than that. The video below shows it burning and igniting a collection of items almost instantly. [Styropyro] tested his creation by igniting paper, cardboard, flash paper, flash powder, burning through a stick of wood, and igniting an undisclosed substance at the end of the video. But one of our favorites is when he drives a solar powered toy car with the intense beam.

He pulled the diode from a DLP projector, and drives it with a pair of 18650 Lithium Ion batteries which are commonly found in laptops. He made the enclosure himself. It looks great but we can’t help but wonder if the components would fit in a painstakingly made replica.

Filed under: laser hacks

At some point you've been told to fake it 'til you make it, and that's because with a little effort you can delude yourself into believing—and then becoming—whatever you hope to be. As A.J. Jacobs, author of Drop Dead Healthy, points out in this quote, we're a lot more flexible and less stubborn than we may think. He explains:

Our behavior greatly affects our thoughts and attitudes. If you are feeling a lack of confidence or have an urge to change something within yourself, you must “act your way into a new way of thinking,” rather than trying to think your way into a new way of acting.

Not sure how to fake-act? A few body language changes can make a big difference.

Insights from A.J. Jacobs, Joe Gebbia, Charlie Todd, & More at the 2013 99U Conference | The 99U

Photo by VLADGRIN (Shutterstock).

Remember Data.gov? The President does, and he has issued an executive order that should give the information portal a shot in the arm. Starting this week, new and modernized Government information systems should use open and machine readable formats by default, adhering to the guidelines of a new Open Data Policy. The policy requires agencies to use open, machine readable formats that are non-proprietary, publicly available and unrestricted, and aims to put useful data in the hands of US companies while increasing privacy and security.

According to the White House blog, this means new data will be served in CSV, XML, JSON and other machine readable formats, and will even be accessible via API in some situations. The White House hopes the new policy will help foster innovation. "There are private companies using open data to fight credit card fraud; consumers using open data to save on their energy bills; families leveraging open data to compare health care options; and a host of new apps and tools in areas ranging from public safety, to financial planning, to education, and more," the blog explains. "We are very excited about the path ahead and can't wait to see what new ideas and yet to be imagined innovations can be unlocked by increased access to open data." Head past the break to read the executive order for yourself, and check out the source PDF for a peek at the new Open Data Policy.

Comments

Source: White House (1), (2), PDF (3)

Computer yoga is an easy and enjoyable way to unwind at your desk. When done correctly, it can help your muscles relax and give your mind some time to detox. If you have a desk job or spend a lot of time staring at a screen, advanced computer yoga can help you become happier and achieve a deeper level of relaxation.

EditSteps

EditRelaxing Your Body

1. Use head tilts to stretch out your neck. When practicing computer yoga, it’s best to start at the head and move down. To do this, move your head in all directions by pushing your neck forwards and backwards and turning it from side to side. Try to make your motions gentle and calculated, not erratic or jerky, and give yourself ample time to complete each one. Every time you move to a new side, stretch your neck out as far as you can and hold it in place for 3 long, deep breaths. Repeat this for 30 seconds to a minute.^[1]
   
2. Perform shrugs, rolls, and shifts to relax your shoulders. To stretch out your shoulders, try shrugging them, rolling them back and forth, or shifting them up and down. Do these motions slowly enough that you can feel each time your muscles move. While stretching, pick 2 positions to switch between, such as shoulders up and shoulders down. When you enter the first position, inhale and hold the position for 3 seconds. Then, move to the other position and exhale. Repeat this for up to 1 minute.^[2]
   
3. Twist your upper body to loosen your spine. Spinal stretches are particularly good for relieving tension caused by a poor sitting posture. To do them, hold your neck and shoulders firm and keep your lower body still so you can focus entirely on your back. Inhale, then twist your spine to one side. Hold this position for 3 seconds, then return to the center and exhale. Do the same with the other side, then repeat the whole process for between 30 seconds and 1 minute.^[3]
   
4. Put your feet down and move them in circles to ground yourself. Place your feet firmly on the ground and concentrate on their connection to the planet. Visualize the earth turning in your mind, then move your feet in a circular motion, mimicking the speed of the rotating planet. Take deep, long breaths from your diaphragm, matching them to the rhythm of the earth. Do this for up to 1 minute.^[4]
   
5. Massage your body from head to toe to relax your muscles. For areas with little stress, this can be as simple as touching your body for a physical reminder of your presence on Earth. For areas with a lot of stress, press deep into the skin and rub it with force to remove as much tension as you can. As you massage, focus on releasing negativity from your body. Massage yourself for as long as you feel is necessary.^[5]
   
   • To release tension from your eyes and face, gently cover the areas with your fingers or palms and move them in a circular motion.

EditFinding Inner Peace

1. Think of a mantra to better focus yourself. When performing spiritual yoga, reciting a mantra out loud or in your head can help you block out excess thoughts. The most common mantra is “Om,” but any simple, calming word or phrase will work.^[6]
   
2. Take deep, full breaths to block out excess thoughts. Place your hands on your stomach and begin to take deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling from your diaphragm. Focus on nothing but your breathing until it starts to feel natural, second nature. This process, known as breathsensing, will help you block out distracting, useless, and obsessive thoughts while forming a deeper relationship with your breathing.^[7]
   
3. Visualize yourself as a powerful entity to see your place in the universe. Put your hands together as if you were praying. Imagine yourself as a spiritual being, such as the Buddha, or as a collection of pure energy. Remember that you are connected to something greater, whether that be a deity, supernatural power, or the cosmos. This greater entity is where you come from, what you are a part of, and where your energy lies.^[8]
   
4. Send good vibrations to people to help yourself feel more positive. Focus your mind on someone who, as soon as you think of them, elicits a warm, happy feeling within you. Visualize them standing with you and let the idea flood you with positive emotions. In your mind, wish them health, safety, happiness, and relaxation, then stretch your hands out to send light and positivity to them. Repeat this step with:^[9]
   
   • Yourself, opening your mind up for personal joy and happiness.
   • Someone you barely know, such as a work or school acquaintance.
   • A person you dislike or have passionate disagreements with.
   • The world and everybody in it, no matter who they are.
5. Ask for guidance as a reminder that you’re not alone. Hold your hands in front of your heart and rub them together. If you are religious, think of a divine being or enlightened master and ask them for guidance. If you are not religious, think of the universe itself or someone you respect deeply, such as a family member or mentor, and ask them to show you the way. Remember that, as you take your next steps in life, you are not taking them alone.^[10]
   
6. Stop thinking for 1 minute to find peace. Place your hands on your stomach or legs. Focus on your breathing as it moves to different parts of your body, such as your head, thorax, stomach, legs, and feet. Let yourself be clear of all thoughts except inhaling and exhaling. Be calm as your body, mind, and spirit relax.^[11]
   
7. Think of a positive goal to end your session with. For your first few times practicing computer yoga, think about how you intend to make yourself happier in the near future, such as focusing on positive things or simply being content with your life. In later sessions, move your thoughts toward bigger things, such as how you can help other or complete your larger life goals.^[12]
   

EditTips

• Though often associated with belief systems like Buddhism and Hinduism, you can practice computer yoga regardless of your faith.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Do Computer Meditation
• Do Yoga Walking
• Practice the Five Principles of Health
• Be a Karma Yogi (Religion of Love)
• Argue for the Existence of God
• Do Your Part to Save the World
• Do Laughter Yoga

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

Who doesn't love a cookie? Well, your computer probably won't if you try to shove one into its optical drive but we've found a safer, digital alternative: cooke wallpapers.

Cookie Chips

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1920x1200

Fortune Cookie

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1920x1200

M&M Stack

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1440x900

Chocolate in the Middle

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1920x1200

KISS Cookies

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1366x768

Eat Me

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1600x1200

Gingerbread Shapes

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 2560x1600

Gingerbread Ladies

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 2560x1600

Rainbow Oreos

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1920x1080

"Cookies!"

Download this wallpaper | The Paper Wall 1680x1050

For more great wallpapers, check out our previous Wallpaper Wednesdays. Got any great wallpapers you'd like to share? Email me a link with "Wallpaper Wednesday" in the subject line. Submitting your own work is highly encouraged!

Looking for all the flavor of cookie dough without the risk of eating raw eggs? Here's how to make dough you can safely eat.

Edit Ingredients

• 3/4 cup ( 12 Tbsp.) butter/margarine/sunflower spread/margarine
• 3/4 cup (170 g) caster sugar plus 4 tablespoons (50g) brown sugar
• Or, instead of the above step, 3 oz of caster sugar and 3 oz of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (85 g) plain flour
• Pinch of salt (optional; may not be needed if you use salted butter)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract/any different extract
• Chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/8 cup (15 g) cocoa powder (optional)

EditSteps

Standard Dough

1. Put the butter in a large cooking bowl and add the sugar. Cream together with a fork until you get a smooth texture. Add vanilla.
2. Sieve the flour and pinch of salt into the mix and stir again until the mix is as thick and sturdy as possible.
3. Eat the cookie dough as it is. Enjoy!Or keep going and make it as a cookie/cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

1. Follow Steps 1 and 2 for standard dough above.
2. When sieving in the flour, add the cocoa powder.
3. Mix in the chocolate chips for taste.
4. Put it in the oven (180oc) for 10-15 minutes.

Edit Video

Edit Tips

• For extra chocolate flavor and an almost fudge-like texture, try melting the chocolate chips first before mixing it with the dough.
• You can add almost anything to cookie dough! Try adding peanuts or pecans, or even stir in some caramel, or peanut butter.
• Remember that this dough is for eating, not necessarily for baking. If you try baking them, you might want to add a raising agent unless you like flat, crispy cookies.
• Have regular/granulated sugar but no caster sugar? Regular sugar is a good substitute.
• Using a low fat spread such as sunflower spread is a way to make non-dairy cookies. Note, however, that any nut or seed spread will result in a denser dough, and you should take this into account when preparing. Remember also, that nut and seed butter substitutes will still result in a rich cookie, so don't use this substitution as an excuse for over-indulging, for the calories remain just as high, and there may be an even greater risk (compared to butter) of coronary heart disease due to trans fats.
• Immediate consumption is usually advisable. If you leave the dough wrapped in film in your fridge or just leave it out in a bowl, in a matter of hours, the dough will start leaking grease from whatever you've used with the sugar. This can be particularly disgusting if you've wrapped it up and have to pull it out of a bag full of yellow grease!
• Pasteurized eggs are readily available in many supermarkets, so if you are worried about eating raw eggs but would like to eat traditional cookie dough, use them in place of raw eggs.

Edit Warnings

• While the main concern with eating raw cookie dough may be the raw eggs, it's also worth noting that eating raw refined flour may as well irritate digestive processes or aggravate allergies. Again, don't overindulge.
• Do not add any unpasteurized eggs because consuming raw eggs might result in salmonella infection.
• This recipe is not for dieters. It is very sugary and not very low fat!

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Make Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough
• How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
• How to Make Rock Candy
• How to Make Ice Cream

• Read on wikiHow
• Email this Article
• Edit
• Discuss

Don't have an hour or even twenty minutes to exercise each day? You might not need it. This routine of 12 exercises is a complete workout based on the latest fitness research—and it only takes 7 minutes.

As with other short, but highly efficient exercises, this routine is based on interval training, where you're combining intense activity with brief recovery periods. We've seen interval training touted before as the most efficient type of exercise. You could do it with cycling, but this workout is an alternative guide and you can do it basically anywhere with almost no equipment.

The routine was posted in the May-June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal and highlighted by The New York Times. In this program:

The exercises should be performed in rapid succession, allowing 30 seconds for each [with a 10-second rest between exercises], while, throughout, the intensity hovers at about an 8 on a discomfort scale of 1 to 10, [director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute] Mr. Jordan says. Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant. The upside is, after seven minutes, you’re done.

As you can see from the chart at the top of this post, all you need is your own body weight and a chair to get "maximum results with minimal investment." However, this was designed for people with pretty sedentary lives, so if you're starting out somewhat in shape, you should probably do this a few times in a row. Hit the link to read more.

The Scientific 7-Minute Workout | The New York Times

Move aside, Sand Flea, you're not the only jumping robot in town. The researchers over at the University of Pennsylvania have taught their little six-legged X-RHex Light to make leaps and bounds as well, making it one of a few bots to both run and jump effectively. While it can't spring as high as the Boston Dynamics critter, the X-RHex can cross gaps with not just a bound but a running gait, given enough room. It can also flip itself over, climb onto a ledge with a double hop and perform a leaping grab to something as high as 73 centimeters (28.74 inches). The X-RHex itself isn't new; the curved-legged machine has been around for at least a couple years, and even sported a cat-like tail for balance at one point. Still, the fact that the hefty 6.7 kilogram (14.8 pound) machine can now somersault through the air is a quite a victory, and one that reminds us of the impending robocalypse. Check the video below to see the bouncy 'bot in action.

Filed under: Robots, Alt

Comments

Source: IEEE Spectrum

This quotation, from Theodore Roosevelt, argues that comparing your work, your life, or whatever else will only serve to make you unhappy. Why? Because when you compare yourself to others, you know all the dirty details of your situation or the problems with what you've created but only the seemingly positive surface information about them or their work. So don't hold yourself up to some outside vague standard of greatness. Judge your work by your principles and leave comparison out of the equation.

Comparison | Swissmiss

A new bill introduced to congress today, called "The Unlocking Technology Act," seeks to make unlocking, jailbreaking, and otherwise modifying phones, tablets, and other mobile devices completely legal. It'll legalize DVD ripping as well. For more information, read this and contact your representative and show your support if this is something you want to pass.

Several people have sent us this story. I’ve seen it everywhere. A lot of people are upset, on several sides.  A gun has been 3d printed that can actually fire a round.

First, we have people scared that this will bring undetectable guns to people who wouldn’t have had access before. Then we have the gun fans that are reacting to the others with shouts of freedom and liberty and stuff.  The 3d printing community has had mixed reactions, but many are concerned that this will harm 3d printing in general.

I simply don’t care.

It isn’t that I’m apathetic to people who are victims of gun violence. It isn’t that I’m apathetic about “gun rights”. I just think that this specific event makes no difference at all.  It is intriguing in the aspect that it is yet another “First!” for the 3d printer community, but beyond that I don’t care, keep the “firsts” coming.

Here are the different points that I have heard brought up.

1. Accessibility: People are concerned that guns will now end up in the hands of people who couldn’t have gotten them before.

I really don’t think this is a legitimate concern. You’ll note the machine that printed that gun. It wasn’t your average reprap. It cost as much as a small house. If you can afford that printer? You could afford a gun.  Lets just pretend your average reprap could print that gun though. Again, you’re going to have to either buy or build one. At this point, you would have been capable of just buying a gun or… building one.

I guess you could go use a friend’s printer to print your gun, but would that really be any more common than taking another person’s gun?

2. Printing restrictions and Legislation: 3d printer fans are scared that laws will be made that will stop them from printing things.

Do you own a lathe? A mill? You know you can make BETTER guns with those? That’s how the gun companies make them! It’s like you have a gun factory in your home! Actually, now that I think of it, they’re using .22 rimfire which can be fired in a pipe with a cap and a nail! How are hardware stores not illegal?

Listen, if they tell me I can’t print gun shaped things, I’ll probably print one just for spite. They aren’t going to enforce such a silly law, it would be impossible.  They can’t even build anything into the system like scanners that can’t scan money. Guns are too diverse and can be made from basic geometry.

3. Anti-Gun legislation: This may be used to push laws that limit firearms in some way.

Anti-gun legislation has so much gun violence to use as a foundation that a slight change in manufacturing really is a drop in the bucket. This won’t change their ability to restrict things. At least, I don’t think it will.

4. A legitimate concern: Detectability.

The only real issue I see here is that a 3d printed gun wouldn’t be detectable by metal detectors. Bullets are though aren’t they?

 

These are my opinions on the 3d printed gun. I’m not delving into gun control in general. Since these are opinions, they will most likely be ill-informed and incomplete. Feel free to participate in a civil discussion on the topic.

If you’re curious about whether I personally have a gun, I do not. I think I’m too clumsy to own a firearm. I am fairly sure I’d accidentally shoot someone when I did something stupid. Don’t get me wrong, I do dangerous things. Stupid, dangerous things.

Filed under: 3d Printer hacks, rants, weapons hacks

Mission Impossible 5 appears to be a task that star, Tom Cruise has chosen to accept. Barring whether the message will self-destruct, Deadline reports that the ...

Continue reading Mission Impossible 5: Tom Cruise Singed To Return

You may be able to pull out small dents in your car using a hot glue gun and some wooden dowels with a DIY version of what's known as a "glue pull."

In professional shops, a glue pull involves attaching handles to a dent with hot glue and then tugging them out with specialized tools (as demonstrated in this video). For small dents, however, YouTube user Tom demonstrates how you can perform a similar technique at home with a hot glue gun and some makeshift handles.

This method requires a bit of finesse, some trial and error, and may not be for everyone. Glue shouldn't harm your paint job, but when you're dealing with bending metal, fixes can get very subjective. We haven't seen too many DIY videos for this technique, so it's not as thoroughly tested as some other tips we've featured—and we'd actually recommend against using a metal hammer directly on your car as Tom does in this video—but if you're up for venturing into semi-uncharted territory, give it a shot. Just be sure to do your research before you start and exercise caution.

Fixing a dent with hot glue | via WonderHowTo

Pair a $9 desk lamp with an iPad bracket and you've got a convenient way to read or watch on the iPad handsfree.

You might use this simple hack to watch movies in bed, swing the iPad in and out of the way when working at your desk, or hold the tablet in place while you use an exercise app.

We featured a similar DIY ereader/tablet boom before, with a note from the author that it might not work with the iPad. But apparently this one does!

iPoise | Ikea Hackers

Mounting lights in a small closet can be a hassle. Reddit user kavisiegel suggests adding rope lights inside the door frame with an automatic switch to make things easier.

The system kavisiegel set up includes a relay and a switch so that the light turns on by itself when the door is opened and shuts off when it closes. If you're not keen to mess around with wiring, plugging the rope lights into an outlet tied to a wall switch (if you have one available) could work just as well.

Kavisiegel has a parts list and some rough instructions available at the source link.

Installed some automatic hidden LED lighting for my dark cramped closet. Under $30! | Reddit

We totally missed the ball on this project. It should have been run on April Fools’ day and you would have no idea if it were real or a hoax. That’s because the very serious performance given after the break is hard to watch without a least a bit of a chuckle. The instrument shown above is a Theremincello. It’s an instrument in the shape of a cello which functions in a similar way to a Theremin.

The instrument being played in that video clip is the first generation and the one pictured above is its successor. The creator wanted to refine the electronics so that the resulting sound wasn’t so ‘flutey’. The result can be heard on the video embedded in this Theremin World article and we think they’ve accomplished the goal; it sounds much better! In the clip [Thierry Frenkel] demonstrates changing notes on the fingerboard with the left hand. The right hand which would normally bow the strings operates the lever to adjust the volume of the note being played back.

If a single fingerboard isn’t enough for your needs you may consider building this four-track design instead.

[Thanks David]

Filed under: musical hacks

You can rid your garden of pests naturally using a number of clever methods, but when you need to deter insects in real time a caffeine spray can do the trick without harming your plants. Jenny Sigler, writing for healthy living site Spark People, shares her recipe:

While humans tend to enjoy the burst of energy that comes from caffeine, insects, particularly aphids, do not. Gather any or all of the following herbs: yarrow, tansy, pennyroyal, thyme, lavender, rue, catnip and artemisia. Mix at least a cup of this herbal mixture with 2 tablespoons used coffee grounds and 2 cups of water. Allow this to marinate for at least 24 hours before straining and placing into a spray bottle. This can keep for several weeks.

This mixture requires a bit of work, but will keep your plants safe and get rid of pests easily. Presumably you could use it to stop insects in other situations as well, even outside of your garden.

Natural Methods for Deterring Garden Pests | Spark People

Photo by Artush (Shutterstock).

The ScreenDeck is a shelf that mounts to your TV and gives you storage for DVDs, video games, a Kinect or Wii Sensor Bar, or a center channel speaker right over your HDTV. Whether you like to keep a tidy entertainment center or just want your set-top box to actually sit on top of your set, this shelf does the trick.

The ScreenDeck mounts to the VESA mounting holes on the back of your TV (assuming your set is VESA compliant) and comes in three sizes: One for 30"-37" TVs, one for 37"-47" TVs, and one for TVs 50" or larger. The shelf is 5" deep and 17 3/4" wide, so it's large enough to fit a set-top box, a few movies or video games you've been playing through, or a center channel speaker. I actually own a ScreenDeck that I picked up about a year ago, and I use it to store a few Blu-rays, games I'm playing through, and a few other random items above the set instead of next to it on the bureau. Best of all, it keeps cables running down the back of the set, where I can tie them up and keep them organized.

The ScreenDeck is rated for 5lbs of weight, but I've been able to put heavier objects on it without issue. The size and heft of the shelf itself doesn't change based on the kit you buy—the vertical brackets needed to securely mount the shelf to your TV differ among kits. That accounts for the price difference. The ScreenDeck mounts in a couple of minutes without special tools (a screwdriver is all you'll need, as you can see in the video above), and once in place, it's remarkably sturdy. I've never had an object fall off unless I shook the whole TV in the process. It's obviously not meant for use with TVs that are already wall-mounted.

Priced between $30 and $35 at Amazon (depending on the size screen you own), it's not a bad investment. The shelf is definitely on the small side and I'd love it if it were a bit wider (which the manufacturers could totally do without compromising stability) or made entirely of metal (it's plastic with metal mounting hardware). Even so, as is the ScreenDeck is a great way to keep your entertainment center organized, a center channel in the center, or a Kinect mounted above the TV without putting a shelf on the wall or blocking the bottom of your TV (where the remote sensor usually is) with the same gear.

Thanks to reader OMG! Ponies! for the tip!

ScreenDeck

Growing a few veggies and herbs doesn't have to be a luxury only for people with yards and gardens. This crate box garden can be made to fit your space, whether it's a tiny apartment patio or balcony, or a tiny plot between your front door and the sidewalk.

You'll need the wood and the straw to make this happen, but our friends at Old World Garden Farms reused some old pallets (these are the same folks who showed us where to find free pallets) for the wood, and a bale of straw at the bottom to help the planter box retain moisture but drain when it needed to. They walk you through the step by step below, including how to use the wood you get from those pallets (just make sure to pick the right ones and disassemble them properly to get as much usable wood from them) to build your box garden, then how to prep the straw for planting before you cover it all over with soil.

The best part about the project is that you can alter the measurements of the wood to fit your space if the one they've built was too big or small, and using the straw at the bottom will give your plants natural drainage, few weeds, and even some extra nutrients as the straw breaks down a bit over the course of the summer. Plus, it keeps your garden up off the ground, which is ideal if you have a concrete porch or patio. For more photos and the full how-to, hit the link below.

The Straw Bale Pallet Crate Garden – Simple, Attractive – And Cheap! | Old World Garden Farms

Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.

We love keyboard shortcuts and we love Gmail. This minimalistic Gmail cheat sheet brings the two together, visually highlighting the shortcuts that will help you use Gmail faster and easier.

Of course, if you have keyboard shortcuts enabled in Gmail (you have to go into your settings to turn them on), you can hit the question mark (?) for Gmail's own pop-up keyboard reference. This cheat sheet, however, is a great visual reference, which might make learning and understanding the shortcuts a bit easier. Also, you can save it to your desktop or post it in your office for a quick look every now and then.

Here it is for you to save (by right-clicking on the image):

Visualeks | via Gizmodo