The dangerous looking contraption has at its heart a single Coolidge Tube, which is a vacuum tube capable of producing X-Rays when 75 kilovolts of power is applied to it. Thankfrully Grenadier is experienced with high voltage gear, so that was no problem for him to provide ample current to power up his X-Ray tube.

The left-hand box provides an Arduino-based controller, and cool looking gauges to check amperage and voltage, as well as a Nixie display which shows exposure time. The right-hand box contains the tube and all high voltage components, so it can be placed at a distance from the controller. Since Grenadier doesn’t have any X-Ray film lying around, he’s managed to rig up something called a “scintillation screen”, a plastic sheet which fluoresces when exposed to radiation.

This let him see through any object he fires the X-Rays at. As you can see from the photos here, the results are pretty awesome. However, this is one time that I can most definitely say “Do not try this at home. EVER.”

Hopefully, Grenadier has taken precautions to protect himself from the radiation with a lead shield of some sort, and he never tries to X-Ray the cat. You can read more details about the DIY X-Ray machine build here.

Maybe it’s become our culture because so many things out there just scream “instant.” Instant noodles, instant meals, instant messaging.. So how about something that’s semi-instant this time? Semi-instant booze, that is.

If you’re fond of brewing your own booze at home, then this DIY Hooch Kit can make things even easier for you. All you need is some fruit juice (no drinks sweetened by artificial sweeteners allowed here!) and the kit and you’re all set. Take this handy kit with you on long camping trips, weekend sleepovers, and other get-togethers that last longer than 48 hours (because that’s the minimum amount of time needed to get things fermented so your fruity alcoholic drink will be ready.)

Preparation is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Empty the sachet into your bottle of juice.
2. Seal the bottle with the included airlock.
3. Wait 48 hours (or more, if you want a drink with a stronger kick) and enjoy.

So what do you think? Can the DIY Hooch Kit satisfy you with some semi-instant alcohol gratification? Available from ThinkGeek for $9.99 (USD).

All jokes about the mighty fist of Nintendo aside, SSB Rumble has been around for over a year, and while this latest version is labeled Demo 0.7, there’s a lot to explore in the download. Clearly, a lot of work has gone into the project, and the game manages both a unique flair and the traditional feel of Nintendo’s beloved mascot-pounding game.

The game does tease unlockable characters that are actually unavailable–that’s one of the marks of its unfinished status. But there’s an impressive number of characters already, so if you’ve got a DS and a homebrew cart, you might want to go on a little download adventure.

[SSB Rumble via QJ]

Queens, a simple game–jump, run–subverts that concept and uses it to illustrate the hopeless pattern of domestic violence and the way it is perceived in society. The game was completed in two days for a competition on that theme, and is only one of the conceptually interesting titles to emerge from that challenge.

Just as with any game of this type, your characters die. Rocks fall. Chasms are large. Your finger slips on the x key. But each of these characters has a name, each represents a woman, and they are all being sacrificed in the name of entertainment.

It’s an interesting game and a sobering treatment of the material; it makes you think a little without shoving anything down your throat. You can check out Queens, and all the other games completed for the two-day mini competition, but I don’t recommend playing them all in a row.

[Queens and more via auntie pixelante]

The design is simple, dark, pixelated, maybe even perfect for a run-and-gun zombie game. You can get your gore anywhere–go for style.

Zombie Desert is only in Alpha, but the two-man team (one on art, one on everything else) promises completion by the end of the summer. The game, freely available for savvy PSP users, boasts a simple story: it’s the ’50s. You’re in a plane. It crashes. There are zombies. Oh, and gamma rays.

And guns.

If it cost money, I’d be sold.

[Zombie Desert via GameSetWatch]

Media playback isn’t new to the DS, and hence the DSi, but prepping video for the DS has long been an arduous process. The iPlayer, however, supports a variety of video formats (AVI, RVMB, MOV, DIVX, MPEG and FLV), so it brings an end to the tiresome file conversions that marked video-viewing on the handheld in the past.

As for the piracy issue? Illegal ROMs will not function on the iPlayer, though you can still play homebrew games. Conveniently, there are tons of great homebrew applications for the system.

The good folks at GBAtemp have been fiddling with the iPlayer and happily posted their impressions. So far? Largely positive.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[iPlayer via Tiny Cartridge]

GemVenture has character classes, spells, and gem matching–everything you need to fight an epic battle. You’ve also got to have an NES emulator, of course, and a lot of time on your hands. I just did a little test play and lost an hour of my life.I could stack up gems all day long.

[GemVenture via TinyCartridge]

WiiEarth has been around for some time, but the latest release added some nice tweaks, including a speed boost. Even if you’ve seen it before, it may be worth checking out.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Wii remote controls are well-suited to something like this. Now if only you could scrape together a group of people who like scoping out maps. Maybe combine it with a little Rock Band or Tetris Party.

[via Hack-a-Wii]

Look at all those items you can use there. Four! Add a cunning use of the DS’s dual screens and you have something that will be shut down before completion that looks like a pocketload of portable fun. Creator BassAceGold even promised achievements of sorts.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Tiny Cartridge]

However, the exploit is still in development and has limited functionality. Unlike the hacks for the PSP-1000 and PSP-2000, the HEN TIFF exploit does not allow installation of custom firmware, won’t allow a PSP-3000 to play backups of PSP or PSX games (such as those in .ISO and .CSO formats), load plugins or “touch the flash” of a PSP. That last one sounded a bit dirty. Anyway, Here’s the video of a PSP with 5.03 firmware booting on the HEN environment:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While the HEN exploit still has no PSP/PSX backup support, it can be used to run emulators – such as the GBA emulator gPSP, pictured below – as well as other homebrew games and programs, such as the well-known PSPTube.

Head on to Davee’s website for more details on ChickHEN. You can also download the hack on his website, but make sure that a.) you’re running firmware version 5.03 and b.) you absolutely know what you’re doing, because if you break your PSP you only have yourself to blame. Hackers don’t offer no warranty; they break ‘em.

[via Slashdot]

One player gets the bottom of the screen, and while the second is in a mirrored position at the top… so watch out for those shots that slip through the ranks of alien ships.

I can hear it now: But wait! Hasn’t this been done before? Indeed, but Midway’s Space Invaders II is hardly a favorite among the long-running franchise’s games, so it’s nice to have an alternative. Everyone is an Invader is a simple, no-frills approach to two-player invading, and that makes it a worthwhile experience. Why not try it for yourself? You can grab a copy of the game here (Windows .EXE Download).

[via Some Gaming Required via auntie pixelante]

This bare-bones looking “TV Computer” is based on the same 1MHz 6502 processor chip that powered many of the great 8-bit systems of days gone by. And like the home programming movement of the 1980s, the guys over at Playpower.org are encouraging the use of these cheap imports for the development of homebrew and open-source apps, to spur computer-aided education in developing countries.

Not only can the system run simple programs written in BASIC, it comes with a cartridge pre-loaded with an 8-bit music application, a “Visual Theremin” (whatever that means), a sprite manipulation program and a Chinese language GUI. As an added bonus, the system can play old school NES games (with the use of an optional 60 to 72 pin adapter).

So if you’re ready to get to brush up on your BASIC skills, or just want to play some Mario Brothers, you can find the 8-bit TV computer over at the MakerSHED for just $49.99 (USD).

Well, it’s perfect if your significant other just happens to like very simple games. Here’s how the homebrew program works: you enter your special proposal message, whatever it may be, and then convince your special someone to play the included tile game, The Search Master, which they have to beat in order to get to the proposal. Could be a recipe for disaster–imagine if your special someone couldn’t or wouldn’t finish?

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

At least it doesn’t look too complicated….

[Easy Proposal Maker via Inside Nintendo]

Leveltool is a homebrew application that turns that oh-so-versatile motion-sensing Wii controller into a level. As you might have guessed, the project was inspired by creator Alanceil’s lack of a spirit level. Necessity truly is the mother of invention!

In order to use Leveltool, you must have the Homebrew Channel on your Wii, as well as an SD card. You can find a tutorial for setup here.

[WiiBrew via QJ]

While there’s not a whole lot new going on here, the GP2X F-200 Game System updates the portable by adding a touch-sensitive screen and a totally overhauled game controller. The console will come pre-loaded with a handful of homebrew games, but can easily be loaded up with emulators like MAME and GNGeo among others. One (hopefully) major improvement over older models is an upgrade of the crummy joystick to a 8-way digital D-Pad. They also updated the user interface and you can now multi-task, so you can play music while using other applications like the e-book reader. But who are we kidding, GP2X has always been about playing games.

Expect the new GP2X model to be released this October. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s likely to be around $200 or less. Play-Asia will be carrying the consoles once they’re available.

Datel’s Games ‘n’ Music plugs into the DS and gives you an easy way to play custom games and apps on the DS and DS Lite. The $30 add-on even comes with a CD loaded with 25 mini-games to get you started. It also bundles a video converter that makes it easy to transfer media clips to your DS too (there’s a bundled USB cable to make transfers painless.) While it only comes with 128MB of storage, it’s expandable up to 2GB thanks to a Micro SD slot.

Available from TotalConsole, the Games ‘n’ Music costs $29.99.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The menu system is a very faithful reproduction of the Wii menu system, and he’s got it all tied together with his Wii-mote to let him control some emulated console games on his PC.

I’m sure Nintendo won’t be thrilled by the blatant copyright infringement in his design, but maybe they’ll give him a break and just appreciate the fact that he’s just a really dedicated Wii fanboy.

[via GoNintendo]