Most Popular DIY Projects of 2008 (and All Time!) [Best Of 2008]
When it comes to saving time and money, sometimes the best approach means rolling up your sleeves and doing it yourself. Check out the best DIY projects featured here in 2008 and beyond.
Note on our definition of "most popular": These are the posts that were viewed the most by readers, a number which is often skewed by Google or Digg or links by other popular sites. As such one could argue that most views does not equal best, and one would be right, so we did a little pruning to keep the list high quality.
Most Popular DIY Projects Published in 2008
First, get a load of the most recent stuff: the most-viewed DIY posts of this past year.
- DIY Invisible Floating Bookshelf (includes video clip)
- DIY Camera Stabilizer On-the-Cheap (includes video clip)
- Backyard Shed Turned Home Office—See photos of a reader's awesome home-built backyard shed office.
- Set Up Cheap Ambient Lighting with Rope Lights—Jason lights up his workspace.
- Stash Valuables in a Full Soda Bottle (includes video clip)
- Build Your Own Wire Photo Wall—Gina rigs up a custom wire photo wall with digital prints.
- Build a Home Theater PC for Less than $200
- Microwave an Instant Chocolate Cake in a Coffee Mug (includes video clip)—Gina tries the microwave coffee cup cake, and it's fascinating and gross all at once.
- Drink Delicious Water with a Reverse Osmosis Filter—Jason installs his own water filter under the sink.
- Turn Your Broken Laptop into an Arcade Cocktail Cabinet
- Increase Your Privacy with $16 DIY Window Frosting—Jason frosts his windows so passerby don't see him in his skivvies.
Most Popular DIY Projects of All Time
While 2008's list is pretty good, we've had some doozies appear on these pages beyond the last 12 months. Check out our most-viewed DIY posts of all time.
- Turn your $60 router into a $600 router—Adam soups up his Linksys router with the DD-WRT firmware.
- Build a Hackintosh Mac for Under $800—Adam runs OS X on a home-built PC.
- Turn a flashlight into a handheld burning laser (includes video)—Perhaps the most controversial "you'll shoot somebody's eye out" story we've ever run.
- Transform Your Classic Xbox into a Killer Media Center—Gina takes the leap into soft-modding her classic black Xbox.
- Make your own air conditioner
- Boost Your Wireless Signal With a Homemade Wi-Fi Extender (includes video)
- The Cordless Workspace (sort of)—Adam gets control of all the cables under his desk.
- 10 ways to entertain young children for $1 or less (without the TV)
- How to install a hard drive
- Turn an old hard drive into an external drive
Most Popular Do-it-yourself Top 10 Listicles of 2008
If your DIY chops are more needed at home, at the office, in the garage, or with the camera, check out our most-viewed DIY top 10 lists that published this past year. These listicles package the best DIY technqiues around a certain theme.
- Top 10 Ways to Get Cables Under Control
- Top 10 Office Supply Hacks
- Top 10 IKEA Furniture Mods
- Top 10 DIY Laptop Stands
- Top 10 Printable Paper Productivity Tools
- Top 10 DIY Home Projects
- Top 10 Home Automation Projects
- Top 10 DIY Photography Tools
- Top 10 DIY Car Hacks
- Top 10 Summer Projects
What DIY project did you pull off this past year that you're most proud of? Tell us about it in the comments.
Firefox 2 Hits Its Last Release [Firefox]
Firefox users who stuck with version 2 are seeing their last update today, so Mozilla is putting on the push to upgrade to Firefox 3. And that's probably a good thing.
Firefox 3, after all, bucks the trend of most software version changes and out-performs its older brother—it was our favorite feature, actually, and it stacks up well against the competition. And by this point, most of the popular extensions have updated to support Firefox 3.
Sticking with 2, despite the push, would mean losing updated anti-phishing filter results and no further security or stability upgrades. We don't know how many of our Firefox users are still on 2, but grabbing a copy of 3 is definitely in the cards for most, we'd reckon.
Unhappy to be given the not-so-gentle nudge? Glad Firefox 2 got this long on the stage? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Google Reader Adds "What's Hot" Section [Google Reader]
Google Reader adds a "What's Hot" section to the sidebar of "algorithmically generated stuff that is interesting across the web." If you're not seeing it just yet, here's a direct link to it in Reader.
Best Online Job Search Sites? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]
The recession has brought with it widespread layoffs, which means many of us will kick off the new year looking for a new job. But where should we start? Photo by Egan Snow.
For this week's Hive Five, we want to hear all about the web site(s) you've had luck with when you're looking for work.
Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Web Site Goes Here. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.
About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get—"Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Hive Five Best Sites for Finding Deals Online.
FilePhile Transfers Any Size File Between Any Two Systems [Featured Download]
Windows/Mac/Linux (All platforms): FilePhile is a peer-to-peer, multi-platform app for getting files of unlimited size between yourself and anyone else willing to give it a try.
After registering at FilePhile's site with an email address and password, you grab and install a copy of the Java-based app, launch it, and add email addresses to your buddy list. Sending a file is a simple right-click on someone's name, but you can limit the bandwidth eaten up by FilePhile in its preferences. The transfers themselves are encrypted, and, as the site boasts, can be any size. That's about it, but that's probably all you need.
FilePhile is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. It requires a Java platform version 1.5 or later to run. Thanks YadidCorvus!
DIY Gift Ideas from Make Magazine [Advertisement]
Many of us will have more time than money as the new year approaches - if you're going to spend some coin, why not give the gift of learning, hacking, modding and making?
MAKE Magazine has dozens of gift guides and DIY projects which will inspire the next generation of lifehackers out there who want to learn more about the world around them, and hack it!: Science, chemistry, bicycles, photography, electronics, alternative energy, robots, music, kits from japan, gifts for smart kids and more. Hurry, the last day of guaranteed shipping is Friday, December 19th, 2008!
Select an image or link below to learn more:
Give the gift of making! Check out the largest selection of DIY kits, open source hardware, science and engineering fun for all ages - at MAKE Magazine's Maker Shed!
If you can't open it, you don't own it! — The Maker's Bill of Rights and The Crafter Manifesto are just some of the ways you can have technology on your time!
Snowflake App Designs and Prints Your Flake to PDF [Featured Download]
All platforms (Windows/Mac/Linux): DIY holiday decoration-makers, The Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories cooked up software that designs paper snowflakes and prints out the outline PDF for easy cutting. Here's how it works.
Run Snowflake and drag and drop the control points of the starting flake to design your own angles and crystals. The resulting flake will have a closed, symmetrical path that anyone with a laser cutter (or just a pair of scissors) will be able to cut along to create a snowflake you can hang on your tree or in the window. This app is really quite fun to use, check out a quick screencast:
Snowflake is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Detect Forgotten Attachments Before You Send That Email [Microsoft Outlook]
New VB scripter Troy modified a script for Outlook that lets him know when he's forgotten an attachment on an email (not counting his company logo).
Troy writes:
I started a new job back in July, and had to fill out a form to get access to a client's network. Unfortunately I sent the email without the form. As part of my new job I had been working on learning VBScript, so this was the perfect opportunity to test my skills. With a little searching I was able to find an example of what I needed, and tweaked it to account for my signature's company logo.
In short, Troy modified a script Jack Stowage originally posted in the comments here to work for him. Since he attaches his company logo in his outgoing message signature, this version of the script lets you set a base messages attachment number (in his case, one logo file) and compare from there. So if he sends a message with the word "attach" in it and it only has one file attached (the logo)? Outlook pops up the notification shown above.
(Gmail users, you can also have this feature by enabling it in Gmail Labs.)
Hit the link below to grab a copy of the VB script for Outlook, and get the instructions for setting it up yourself. Congratulations to Troy! He's earned himself a signed copy of our latest book, Upgrade Your Life. Here's how you can win one yourself by sharing your best timesaver of the year.
Self-Aware Daydreamers More Creative, Study Shows [Mind Hacks]
While much creative insight happens while your mind wanders, the key is being able to interrupt your daydreams in time to notice, scientists say.
News site Boston.com tells the story of how Arthur Fry dreamed up the multi-million dollar idea of Post-It Notes while daydreaming in church.
Many scientists argue that daydreaming is a crucial tool for creativity, a thought process that allows the brain to make new associations and connections. Instead of focusing on our immediate surroundings - such as the message of a church sermon - the daydreaming mind is free to engage in abstract thought and imaginative ramblings. As a result, we're able to imagine things that don't actually exist, like sticky yellow bookmarks.
But just slipping into the trance-like daydream state isn't enough to use it to your advantage. You've got to notice when you have your Post-It thought.
In his experiments, [psychologist Jonathan] Schooler distinguishes between two types of daydreaming. The first type consists of people who notice they are daydreaming only when asked by the researcher. Even though they are told to press a button as soon as they realize their mind has started to wander, these people fail to press the button. The second type, in contrast, occurs when subjects catch themselves daydreaming during the experiment, without needing to be questioned. Schooler and colleagues found that individuals who are unaware of their own daydreaming while it's happening don't seem to exhibit increased creativity.
Therefore, awareness of your own daydreaming—and the random thoughts it involves—is the trick to capturing any good insight. So next time you're deep in a daydream about how hot your co-worker will look on your first date (once you get up the courage to actually ask) or the sick yacht you'll buy when you finally win the lottery, keep a mental eye out for your next big idea. Photo by Kr. B.
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