The overall design of the Billet Dock is nice and minimal, and it should look nice with your new tech. It comes in a variety of different finishes and three different models. Unlike some of the cheaper docks out there, each Billet dock has a custom-made 30-pin connector built in, which makes it easy to dock and undock your gadgets. Plus, it’s got a special rotating cam-pad which ensures a snug fit with or without a case. And see those holes in the front of the dock? Those are designed to amplify sound and let you listen to your iPhone or iPad while docked.

By pledging $58 (USD), you’ll get a Billet Dock for your iPhone. $69 will get you a Billet Dock for your iPad. $115 will get you the Duplex Billet Dock, which allows you to dock your iPhone and iPad together. For $240 you get all three. You’ll have to add $10 per dock to get the anodized pink, red or black models. There’s also a super-deluxe limited-edition lime green version those who pledge $300 or more.

[via Kickstarter]

This boombox was created by Instructables user MTriest using MDF wood and a layer of clear acrylic sandwiched in-between as its primary construction materials. The design was created for a production class using a ShopBot CNC router as well as a laser cutter. The design can be easily modified to work with other cell phones and tablets, but it looks pretty nice on an iPhone as shown – though I wish it had stereo sound.

The step-by-step build process is described in detail over at Instructables and MTriest proposes ways of modifying his design so that almost anyone could build this at home without need for those fancy computer-controlled tools.

[via Make:]

Artist/engineer Jeffrey Sgroi’s 3Tones are a new artform, made up out of thousands of tiny conical pits, drilled out by a computer-controlled router. By digitizing photographic images into halftones, then programming the drill to cut varying sized pits into a block of painted Corian, he’s able to achieve some really cool and unique art.

When you look each piece up close, it just looks like an abstract pattern, but when you stand back, you see a fully-formed photographic image. What’s really cool about this art is that it’s not just flat, and you can actually feel the texture of each image.

Even better yet, you can actually own one of these 3Tone images for yourself. After working out the process using equipment at TechShopRDU, Sgroi is raising funds over on Kickstarter to get his own production facility up and running. With a contribution of as little as $50(USD), you can have your very own 3Tone image of your choice.

A $50 pledge gets your a piece measuring approximately 50 square inches, using about 1400 holes. $80 gets you a 100 square inch piece with about 3000 holes, $175 buys a 250 square inch/7,000 hole image, and so on… all the way up to a ginormous 800 square inch 3Tone image made up of somewhere around 23,000 individual holes. You also can choose from white or “vanilla” Corian, as well as black, midnight blue or black paint.

Assuming the project reaches its $21,000 funding goal by March 11th, Jeffrey expects to start shipping 3Tone images this April. Head on over to Kickstarter to order yours now!

[Thanks for the tip, Jeffrey!]

CNC milling machines are becoming more and more common in factories, but rarely do we get to see one in action – and certainly not doing something as cool as this.

Sit back and watch as Daishin Seiki uses a Deckel Maho duoBlock 5-Axis HyperMILL to work its robotic magic, carving an intricate 3D helmet from a solid 264 lb. (120kg) block of aluminum:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Pretty amazing, no? I only wish they made actual motorcycle helmets that looked that cool, but I’m betting the aluminum wouldn’t do a very good job protecting your head.

[via b3ta]

The Gamecube u features a fully-functional Gamecube console, along with a bright 5″ color LCD screen, and a built-in controller and memory card for storage. techknott crafted the case using CNC cut acrylic and MDF plywood,  and there are dual controller ports built into the front of the portable if you want to use an. The only thing I don’t like about the handheld is the exposed game disc drive, but I don’t know where else you could really put the drive but on the back.

More pics in the gallery below:

And here’s a short video showing off the Gamecube u in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The auction ends on 9/25/2010, and there’s only a few bids up there so far, so you have a good shot to get in on the action.

[via Ben Heck Forums]

Created using 3D object printing technology on a MakerBot, DIY-er Junior Tan created this bit of awesome for all of us to enjoy.

Happily, the iPhone revolver doesn’t fire bullets, or taking each call would be like a game of Russian Roulette.

The best part about the iPhone revolver? Assuming you have a Makerbot of your own, you can download the digital 3D model at Thingiverse and print one out for yourself.

Will Langford from BotMade used his desktop MakerBot CNC to create this iPod/iPhone charging dock. The dock was made by building a 3D model on his computer, then allowing MakerBot to print out thin layers of plastic stacked on top of each other. The plastic snaps onto a block of sturdy plywood for stability.

You’ll still need to provide your own iPod charging cable, but the dock can be purchased over on Etsy for $23 (USD). Or you can build your own MakerBot and crank out your own 3D creations with some of the models over at Thingiverse.

Technabob reader Matthew Borgatti (aka “M@”) created this intricately detailed bronze belt buckle which bears the inimitable Art Deco logo from the classic underwater shooter. M@ started out by having a wax mold carved on TechShop’s Tormach CNC.

He then produced a silicone mold from the wax and had the bronze casting made by the guys over at JR Casting.

While I really love the way the raw bronze looked when it came back from the casting, M@ did a great job giving it that thoroughly weathered look that’s more apropos of the game’s decrepit atmosphere.

You can check out more photos of the Bioshock belt buckle and M@’s other creative works over on Sinbox and Flickr.

The computer controlled toast burner uses a specially modified CNC fabricator with a hot air gun in its carriage. As the system moves along the horizontal and vertical axes, the heat source is modulated by a computer.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

And voila… totally custom toast. Now all the guys over at Evil Mad Scientist need to do is figure out a way to mass produce these.

[via Coolest Gadgets]