Liquid cooling your PC has been around for some time now, and what started as a skill that only hard-core hackers and tinkerers could master is now offered in off-the-shelf Dell computers, so what’s a modder to do if he wants to stand out from the crowd at the next LAN party?
How about submerging the entire computer in a fish tank filled with mineral oil?
The computer, which was originally built by Puget Systems, is now available in a DIY kit that includes everything from the aquarium tank and SSD hard drive to the motherboard and power cords, so all you have to do is add components (and a lighting system if you want to be totally L33t). Plus, if you’re worried about voiding your warranty (because this will definitely do that) then rest assured knowing Puget Systems has been running theirs for over a year with no ill effects.
If you were disappointed by the fact that Apple used MacWorld to debut a new, larger laptop rather than a smaller, netbook style computer that many had hoped for, then worry not, because one clever modder named Gregory has found a way to turn an Asus Eee PC into the mini Mac of your dreams.
Called the Eee Mac, it’s a 9-inch netbook that uses a custom install of OS X, and even includes a glowing Apple logo in the back that’ll really psyche your friends out. Plus, the wi-fi, USB, SD, and most things work, with the exception of the ethernet port and the camera, and it boots in just 40 seconds into either OS X or Linux.
Not ready to dig into the case? Then Gregory also makes a 22mb disk image available that will get you up and running on your very own Eee Mac with just the addition of a retail OS X disc.
Since Microsoft went straight from the Xbox to the Xbox 360, they didn’t stop to do any revisions to the original like Sony did to the PlayStation 2.
However, this didn’t stop one crafty modder from making his own “Xbox Slim” project, and using it as a media center that can play games.
The Xbox Slim cuts more than half the weight from the original, weighing in at just four pounds, and adds in advanced features like a DVD/CD-R combo drive, 60GB of onboard storage, a built-in Wi-Fi receiver, and a built in receiver for the Logitech wireless controller.
Along with the hardware revisions, XBMC has been added for media center capability, and SNES, Sega, NeoGeo, and other emulators have been added for classic gaming goodness.
It might not be certified by Microsoft, but chances are, that isn’t exactly a bad thing.
When one Mac modder found himself in possession of a well-worn PowerBook that was having some screen problems, he decided to breathe new life into it by turning it into a Mac desktop. (MacTop?)
Essentially, the case is made of two sheets of white acrylic, bolted together by socket countersunk screws. I’ve used 15mm chrome pipe as the four spacers between the acrylic sheet. The perforated steel was cut to my specifications by a very helpful chap found on eBay. Cutting the CD drive slot was a little tricky, as was drilling the power button hole, but once done they seem to function ok.
The trackpad now thinks the lid is closed thanks to a well placed magnet (so that it runs in external monitor mode) and the original laptop battery acts as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), so it’s now quite the machine.
Future plans may include an overclocking now that extra space is available for a bigger heatsink, but as it is, the creator seems rather happy with his creation.
Apple doesn’t make one, so what do you do if you want a mini Mac tower?
Make one yourself.
Seen above are the results of one talented modder’s mission to create a tower out of Mac parts that kept with the general styling of Macputers.
The Mac Mini Pro is built around a Mac Mini, and features an [...]
Homemade HD Video Projectors are what happens when you combine art, technology, and determination.
The basic components are an LCD panel from an old media player, optics from an old overhead projector, a very bright light, and whatever components you can scrap together form old electronics.
Though the end result is probably not as good as what [...]
