I would be lucky if I could put my daughter's bike together on Christmas Eve, but I do like the idea of doing one thingit-yourselfer.
(It made me a dreamer as Martha Stewart said, not a doer.
) Cut, burn, weld, chop by David Eric Nelson: something serious and quirky made with your kids (about $25, from starch-Free Press) for anyone who wants to harvest parts from an old phone to make a robot or make a cookie jar and metal scrap into a $10 electric guitar, this is an ideal guide. Nelson, a sci-
Fi and steampunk authors and former teachers at an alternative high school present a variety of complex projects.
Some, like locks. N-
The pin treasure chest and PVC tent are prepared for smaller hands and young minds.
Other people, such as robot Jitterbug, need more skills.
Jitterbug is a beam robot that means it behaves like a simple multi-cell organism.
(Nelson says the acronym represents biology, electronics, aesthetics, and mechanics.
) Fort git is a shelter: It walks around when the light hits it.
As Nelson shows in the book, the robot moves with the help of the vibrator motor and you can remove the vibrator motor from your old phone.
You can also find the parts you need for each project-
$10 or less
At the online electronics store in Radio Shack.
Nelson's goal is to make every project in "snipe, burn, weld, crush" an opportunity to develop a new skill that you can apply to other pursuits.
Sewing, saw, screen printing and welding: Nelson managed to make it all work.
I also learned that the cigar box is the ideal project shell.
Nelson shows how small wooden containers can accommodate stom foot boxes, synths, amplifiers, and switch boxes for children to explore.
Health has recently released a beta version of the Android app for scale.
In January, Withings will release details of a new blood pressure monitor that iPhone and iPad users will be able to plug into their devices.
According to the company, the Withings Blood Pressure Monitor will record blood pressure, share readings with other third-party apps, and even pass information to your doctor.
Blood pressure monitoring equipment will be on display-
Smart Baby Monitor-
At the Consumer Electronics Show next month
The annual exhibition will be held in January. 6-9 in Las Vegas.