News and Updates from WonderHowTo: Page 60

FOVEOLETn pl. -S  a foveola

It's been a pretty big week for Google, and Google+ itself. There were a number of articles proclaiming the end of Google+, because allegedly traffic dropped over 60% after it opened to the public. Then +Steve Yegge accidentally posted a long rant on Google+ itself, which was originally meant only for Google employees and colleagues to see. Interestingly enough, the most inflammatory content wasn't actually about Google itself, but about the horrible work environment at Amazon. The accidental...

Last weekend the 2011 World Scrabble Championship was held at the Hilton Hotel in Warsaw, Poland. There were 106 players competing from 44 countries for the $20,000 first place prize and title of World Scrabble Champion.

I am completely fascinated with pedal transportation. Many of us have pedalable commutes that we end up driving just because we don't like bikes. There's a whole wave of do-it-yourself pedal vehicles, from the Hennepin Crawler down to vehicles like this one.

ZUGZWANGn pl. -S  a situation in chess that forces a disadvantageous move

A beautiful object by artist Torolf Sauermann; see more of his math art here.

This is really cool. I tried it and it works pretty well for the price. It isn't as good as the winning prize, but can help you get to it!

I recently came across this amazing MIT media lab site, Kit-of-No-Parts. Though not directly related to the content Cory has been posting, it is an interesting "craft" approach to technology/science. The site was created as documentation of a student's thesis work in the High-Low Tech research group at the MIT Media Lab:

REAPHOOKn pl. -San implement used in reaping

COLOSSUSn pl. COLOSSUSES or COLOSSIa gigantic statue

OK, most of us remember the Super Soaker series of squirt guns. Probably all of us. What I didn't really know is that there are hardcore enthusiasts out there who have taken the whole thing to another level.

The heart of WonderHowTo's Minecraft World is, naturally, "How-To" and so in the spirit of all things tutorial and DIY we will be hosting a weekly workshop showcasing the best and newest tutorials, builds, and inspiring ideas. We hope to inspire creativity and create a place where the community can share ideas and practice skills, right here on our server.

This is what happens when grad students start playing with PVC pipe.  This stuff is really cool for prototype robotics applications.  This article is a how-we-did-it as opposed to a how-to, but if you've got all of the crazy instrumentation and software that they do, you can start to play on levels that a lot of us (myself included) can't even imagine.

This week's review roundup is a diverse lot. They really only have two things in common—their indie origins and puzzle elements. Otherwise, they come from France, Spain and the U.S., a few from unknown designers and one by the guy who inspired Minecraft.

Here's my version of his icosahedron:

This is more of an op-ed piece that is only loosely tied to this world in the sense that what he built involved PVC.  What I like about it is it sheds light on what I call the New Poverty.  That is, the fact that the plastic and fully automatic world of developed nations impoverishes our creative spirit.  It impoverishes the human spirit in a way that you find the New Wealth in places like drought starved Africa.

Today, I'm on an art kick, and sadly (happily) I'm finding things that are cooler than the things I make.  I love seeing waste turned into art!

The "slide-together" paper construction method is a fun and satisfying way to build 3D geometric objects. It only requires paper, scissors or an exacto knife, and some patience.

Getting money to make a AAA game is hard. When anyone is lucky enough to get the funds they need, it usually comes from a giant game publishing company that wants the rights to the game, not to mention complete control. Those publishers have shareholders who demand a high return on their investment, so they avoid risk when choosing game projects to fund.

Strange as it may seem to super urban people, certain animals, like coyotes, have high reproduction rates and can be a true menace to ranching.  Even in the county where I live, which is home to Colorado Springs, there is a $30 bounty on coyotes.  All you have to do is bring in both ears to the game warden, and you will be paid.

BEJABERSinterj  bejesus (used as a mild oath)

This is the first part in a pretty long series called 'My Quad Project' where this dude shows you in exacting detail how to make a very nice antenna.  There are a lot of these out there, but this guy uses heavy pipe and he has a great understanding of how it all works.  If you're an amateur radio junkie, this just may be for you.

Nicholas Entertainment Group (NEG) is a Polish independent game publisher that recently got their hands dirty with development. Their first game (with Intoxicate Studios) is the forthcoming horror first-person shooter Afterfall: InSanity, which comes out next month—dangerously close to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 and Assassin's Creed Revelations release dates. That's some stiff competition for small company, especially since it's a $35 debut game.

This video shows how the maker of that Monster Tubulum actually put it together.  Between this, the FAQ on his blog, and a whole lot of intelligence, you'll have all the information and insight you need to put together your own super awesome PVC instruments.