Category: DIY + Hacks

Whooda thunk that a 40+ year-old Soviet television set would make for one of the most gorgeous computer designs I’ve seen in a very long time? This amazing transformation started with a 1961 Soviet REKORD tv set and turned it into a modern Windows PC.

Check out this awesome homemade Star Wars AT-ST walker, built from a mish-mash of electronic parts, brass tubing and custom cut circuit boards. The bipedal MiniMechadon walker is fully functional, and can hobble around just like the ones in the motion pictures.

This gauge connects to your computer to reveal critical information about your PC’s current operating conditions. Rather than modern digital readouts, the Gigabyte Visual USB Gauge uses a good, old fashioned analog gauge to relay the current state of your computer’s power supply.

This amazing laptop creation by Datamancer beautifully melds old world style with modern technology. Under the hood of this lovingly handcrafted wood case is a Hewlett-Packard ZT1000 notebook computer, running Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux. The system features intricate clock mechanisms below a glass top, brass details, leather wrist pads and even claw feet.

Ready to get your polka on? This unassuming accordion happens to house a complete PC under hidden inside its bellows. The Enrico accordion case mod project took an old squeezebox, gutted it out and loaded it with a Linux server, designed to store the builders’ digital music collection.

Looking for a nice accessory to go with your 24-karat MacBook Pro? Got some money to burn? Why not get yourself one of these extravagant iPhones, adorned with hundreds of diamonds. The creator of this mod, Amosu, is known for loading up mobile phones with precious gems and metals.

These replacement shells for the Nintendo Wii bring your boring white console alive with color. Talismoon’s Evolve case kits come in a number of rich hues and dramatic mirrored styles. I’m particularly enamored of the fiery Red Ronin case as well as the luscious emerald Green Tanto.

Rocker/ Case Modder Kneivel put together this ingenious home arcade cabinet by taking a stack of Marshall amp cases and transforming them into a Guitar Hero themed gaming system. The system is made from 3 individual cabinets which can be disassembled in case he wants to taking the show on tour.

The word of the week around here seems to be “pimp.” First, we had the new TokyoFlash Pimp watches, then we had the Atari 2600 pimped -out Buick. Now we have this NES console which was apparently seen backstage after a Sneaker Pimps’ concert.

Swiss artist André Willimann handcrafts these gloriously detailed 3-dimensional faceplates for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console. Each one is meticulously assembled from custom molded 3-D pieces, then individually oil painted to give the works depth and color.

Remember that 24-karat gold plated MacBook Pro I told you about the other day? Well the case mod gods over at Computer Choppers were kind enough to send me over photos of the finished product, and it looks even more fantastic than I had envisioned.

Got a bunch of old Macintosh II computers lying around? Why not do what these folks did and turn them into a couch? Apparently a computer shop had about twenty old Mac IIs and IIfx computers lying around gathering cobwebs and decided to build a sofa out of the technological dinosaurs.

This massive Tetris-inspired case mod isn’t just a single computer, it’s actually a whole farm of networked systems, ready for some serious multiplayer gaming action. Conceived and built by a Spanish gaming clan known as the Planet Express Klan, I’d have to say this is the most massive case mod I’ve ever seen.

The talented case modders from Computer Choppers are currently working on a project to create a golden Apple MacBook Pro laptop. I’m not talking about a little spray paint here. This mod includes a full 24-karat gold plating of the case.

Ah, the good old Nintendo Entertainment System. Like a hermit crab’s shell, its been modded to hold everything from DVD players to complete PC systems. Now an enterprising young modder going by the name of xmod4u has managed to stuff an original Xbox inside the case of the classic 8-bit NES console.

Console Mod Man Ben Heck is at it again. Now he’s taken the mammoth controller from an original Xbox, gutted it, and stuffed it with the contents of an Xbox 360 wireless controller. Other than a little Xbox Guide button he added between the “Back” and “Start” buttons and the built-in headset jack, you’d never know this wasn’t just a plain old Xbox controller.