Lately I’ve been using the G-Form Extreme Sleeve laptop case that I received as a sample. I admit I was interested mainly because of the case’s cool appearance: The exterior looks tough, covered in rubber plates giving it a unique …
Continue ReadingIf you don’t know, the epic Lego book that I’ve been working on since 2008 has finally hit the streets. I wrote The Cult of LEGO with Joe Meno of BrickJournal, the definitive chronicle of the AFOL (Adult Fan of …
Continue ReadingFound on Make: Projects, this excellent DIY minigun prop by Douglas Desrochers. The basic construction is relatively simple – with a standard 1/2 inch copper pipe serving as the main support for lightweight tubes (barrels) that spin and emit light …
Continue ReadingNerf has long shifted its focus to dart guns (“blasters”) away from its classic products like foam footballs — and they’ve put out some great products along the way. With their fall line, they have introduced a series of toys …
Continue ReadingRisking a nerd singularity, Thingiverse user Thaed (who provides D&D stats in his profile) designed and printed this beanie for his dog, Bella. What self-respecting nerd wouldn’t have one of these things lying around? Originally, I wanted it to be …
Continue ReadingAfter several sets featuring rather arcane cosmologies, MtG publisher Wizards of the Coast is visiting Innistrad, a plane filled with werewolves, vampires and other classic horror elements. Horrifying creatures have always existed on Innistrad. The humans of this world have …
Continue ReadingInstructables user Technochicken built this cool tree-climbing robot: After I got comfortable programming and building with an Arduino, I decided to build a robot. I did not have any particular type in mind, so I wracked my brain (and the …
Continue ReadingI had a chance to play around with Collin Cunningham’s Circuit Sidekick iPad app, which is an application that assists electronic hobbyists with various formulae necessary for basic electronic projects. Collin, who shoots the popular Collin’s Lab videos for MAKE, …
Continue ReadingLego builder Kaminoan built this Tron light cycle, using a design created by Ewok in Disguise. But he added electroluminescent (EL) wire to increase the ‘leetness — the wire glows when current passes through it. [Via the Brothers Brick]
Continue ReadingThingiverse user Bioluminescence wanted a TARDIS lollipop to go with the upcoming second half of season six. So she designed and 3D-printed a TARDIS mold and created her own! [Via The MakerBot Blog]
Continue ReadingMy daughter (7) asked for a real science kit, “not a toy one.” I had the idea of an big box of fun junk that she could play with, without roping her into doing lame experiments. So help me design …
Continue ReadingNot sure if there’s any tickets left so close to the con, but Gen Con, the “original, longest running, best attended, gaming convention in the world” will be hosting Iron GM, a gamemaster’s competition in the vein of Iron Chef. …
Continue ReadingTim Goddard recreated NASA’s new rover, the Curiosity, NASA’s latest rover. It’s an impressive recreation, but don’t miss out on the minor details: I love how Tim did the ground, it looks very plausibly Martian. (Via The Brothers Brick)
Continue ReadingAround here, we’re always talking up the positives of geeks. It’s a natural thing because that’s who we are. And while we always want to root for the geek heroes in books and movies, we have to acknowledge there are …
Continue ReadingWhenever Wizards of the Coast puts out a new set of Magic: The Gathering cards, we get a card of our very own to show off. This time it’s for the 2012 Core Set, in which they update the the …
Continue ReadingRobert Bruce Thompson, author of Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments, has assembled a chemistry set to sell to amateur chemistry buffs and homeschoolers. Because chemistry is widely considered to be the most difficult lab course to do well—particularly on …
Continue ReadingDad won’t be getting this for Father’s Day, but this 3,500-brick model of Vader’s flagship, the Executor, sure is sweet! I love the greebles (AFOL-speak for cool-looking but merely decorative scifi details) on the top, as well as the cute …
Continue ReadingAdafruit Industries, one of the leading online stores serving the DIY community, has introduced iCufflinks, accessories CNCed out of aluminum and packing pulsating LEDs that recall the way a Mac tower’s power button pulses soothingly when it is asleep. And …
Continue ReadingGift suggestions from the writers of GeekDad. Also be sure to check out our previous guides for additional ideas. Nerf Swarmfire The Swarmfire is an electrically powered, fully automatic Nerf gun in the vein of the Stampede: you pull the …
Continue ReadingThe following gift suggestions were carefully selected by the GeekDad writers. Need more ideas? Be sure to check out our gift lists from previous years. Super Soaker Thunderstorm Two interesting innovations are built into the Thunderstorm, the very modestly priced …
Continue ReadingCraig Smith of South Milwaukee, WI, built this five-foot X-Wing mailbox and it survived for half a decade before rot did it in. “Green treated lumber, linseed exterior primer and caulk sealant are at the ready for a remake,” Craig …
Continue ReadingYou know Lego Master Builders — or at least you know their work. They are the geniuses who design the Lego sets you buy in the store. Now, Lego has cleverly turned the Master Builder designation into a series of …
Continue ReadingOnce again the various writers of GeekDad have assembled some of their best dad-worthy ideas. If you don’t like what you see here, check back — we’ll be offering to more lists before we’re done. In addition, our gift lists …
Continue ReadingLove me my brick flicks — and happy Star Wars day!
Continue ReadingFollowing in the footsteps of other, uhhhh… oot-suffixed daily deal sites, LOOT has a sweet premise: every weekday they have a different roleplaying game product — some ebooks, others paper — for a ‘drastically reduced’ price. From what I’ve seen, …
Continue ReadingThis year’s Nerf line focuses on Dart Tag, where participants run around with Nerf guns firing velcro darts at each other. One of a couple of welcome innovations in the Dart Tag line is that now they make clips for …
Continue ReadingDr. AnnMarie Thomas and her students developed conductive and non-conductive play doughs that teach kids about electronic theory… in short, squishy circuits.
Continue ReadingChuck Stover’s Thorn Dice can be purchased from Shapeways, a rapid prototyping service that will take a design and output it in metal or plastic. A set of 6 dice costs $75 before taxes. You can get them cheaper printed …
Continue ReadingOne of my favorite products in Make Magazine’s Maker Shed store is the Minitronics: Survival Pack, which crams dozens of electronic components like voltage regulators, resistors, capacitors and transistors into an Altoids-style tin. You never know when you’ll find yourself …
Continue ReadingJimmy Wong’s rendition rocks, and be sure to check out the info on the song’s YouTube page. He’s giving the proceeds from his sales to help the Japanese relief efforts. [Via Adafruit]
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