Do you want to be a true guitar hero? Pulling off the most wicked solos from rock classics like One and Freebird will make you look like the raddest guitar master that the gaming world has to offer. So put down your real guitar for now, and pick up every guitar hero’s weapon of choice — the guitar controller.
If you’re a gamer geek, the chances are that you have at least one Nintendo zapper sitting around the house. Remember those flimsy plastic guns that, in their day, shot down thousands of pixelly ducks on your TV screen? While time (and technology) marched on, these awesome little accessories were just biding their time in your basement, waiting to be brought out and used in some serious duck slaughtering once again.
Well, dust off those zappers and get out your soldering iron: we’ve gathered some mods that will breathe new life into your old guns.
The first mod is a very simple one: combine a mouse and a zapper to make a gun that can play Duck Hunt on your PC.
This one is a bit trickier and requires some soldering. It involves the unholy union of an NES zapper and a Wiimote to make a gun that’s far easier to use than frantically pointing the Wiimote at the TV. Check out photos and the whole process here.
Finally, add a laser sight to your zapper. It’s totally unsportsmanlike and not really fair to the poor ducks, but come on - you’ve got to shut that annoying dog up, right?
You may remember the often-discussed tennis ball headphones or these 99 extraordinary uses for ordinary objects. Those were pretty great, but it makes you wonder what else these little bundles of latex and wool can do. Since they wear out and lose their bounce quickly, most tennis balls simply end up in the garbage when they stop being useful on the court. If you can’t stand to throw them away, they tend to pile up quickly - so what can you do with them? [ Read more... ]
Not long ago, having a television in your home was almost a requirement for every American family. Now, many households are giving up the TV (or just the cable) for various reasons. Some want to save money, some are unhappy with the quality of programming, and still others want to avoid the constant barrage of commercial advertisements.
If you are interested in giving up your TV (or your cable subscription) but you have a few shows that you just can’t stand to miss, there are several options for you. Some are free, some are not, but all are legal alternative ways to enjoy TV.
1. Netflix. Yes, it seems cliche to put Netflix at the top of the list. The fact is, though, that their services are affordable, reliable, and now provide streaming video from the site.
2. Worldwide Media Project. A site providing streaming video stations from around the world. It gives users the ability to suggest new stations. The selection is somewhat limited at this point, but the site has great potential.
3. Fancast. A great site that offers full-length TV shows, movie clips, and trailers.
4. MyEasyTV. Over 3000 internet TV channels.
5. Surf The Channel. A website that scours the internet to bring you the best in internet TV. The best part: they refer all would-be donations to Cancer Research because “they need the cash.” Aww.
6. Network TV websites. Many networks offer online versions of their first-run shows right after they air on TV.
7. Joost. Ah, Joost. The internet community is at odds over this free TV site - you either love it or you hate it. Joost is the lovechild of Kazaa and Skype, and will soon be bringing you shows from several major networks.
There are many more out there, so let us know - how do you get your free TV fix?
For those of us who are cynical and not at all enamored of the Valentine’s Day festivities that bombard us every February, tomorrow will be a difficult day to get through. It’s made even worse when you have a partner who disagrees with you and expects to see some sort of love-expressing trinket come Cupid Day. Do you stick to your convictions and shun the whole thing, risking the ire of your sweetheart? Or do you hack your way through the “holiday” with some clever recycling and subversive messages? You know the answer to that!
1. Say it with pictures. Photojojo gives you two creative ways to use photographs to express your fondness for your favorite guy or gal. “How, you ask yourself, can I impress my one and only Schmoopy armed with only a camera and my boundless creativity? Not to worry, dear chum, Photojojo’s got your back.”
2. Blood and gore are always welcome gifts. These bleeding heart cupcakes give new meaning to the term “sweetheart.”
3. Take the day off with your better half. Spend the day doing nothing at all, or do those things they’ve been wanting to do but you’ve never had the time for. Go out for coffee and have the kind of deep, intense conversation that you haven’t had since the early days.
4. Are you planning to make a soulful and sensitive mixed CD full of emo ballads for your loved one? Show them how Earth-friendly you are by giving it in an origami CD holder made from recycled paper.
5. Speaking of recycling, how about you finally get rid of all of those magazines lying around that house that your S.O. is always complaining about? Make them into beautiful paper beads, then string them onto a necklace to decorate your love’s lovely neck.
6. Make a notebook from an old record cover, then fill it with 100 reasons you love your special someone.
7. Let the roses live. Reduce your consumption of pesticide-laden plants that will only last for a few days and fill your bedroom with paper roses that you buy or make. They’re just as romantic (more, even, because they took effort!), and they last forever.
8. Feeling geeky, adventurous, and just a little reckless? Make a totally unique etched Altoids tin using stuff you already have lying around.
9. If, on the other hand, you’re feeling a bit angry about V-D, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories leads you into the temptation to shoot little candy hearts with rude messages at all of those loved-up people carrying around stuffed animals and ridiculously oversize cards.
10. Make an unbelievably sweet and cheesy video for your Valentine. This fine example uses light drawings, stop-motion animation, personal photos, and endearingly off-key singing. If your Valentine doesn’t melt for something like this, you can be reasonably sure you’re dating a vampire or some other soulless creature of the undead.
* Expensive and costly love trinkets will surely please your beloved, but it’s more fantastic and touching if you give him or her a gift that came from your heart, and not your pocket. Win his or her heart by making cheap valentine gifts.