Christoph Kauch and Rol Schwarz found a way to hide their UniFi access point in plain sight. They mounted the device inside Revell’s scale model of the USS Enterprise from the original Star Trek TV series. Dammit Jim, I’m a gadget, not a spaceship!
And yes, the UniFi AP is an enterprise class device.
Hat tip to Redditor The1RGood for the title. Have your browser beam you up to Imgur to see Chris and Rol’s build log.
We’ve seen that it’s completely viable to make a computer case out of LEGO. But if you don’t know how to build your own, hit up Mike Schropp of Total Geekdom. He recently unveiled his LEGO Computer build, a nice compromise between form and function.
Mike’s LEGO Computer measures 7.5″x 7.5″x 6.5″ and looks like a 12:1 scale 2×2 LEGO brick. All of the components are mounted with LEGO and the buttons and ports outside are covered with LEGO pieces as well. You won’t find Kragle or any kind of adhesive here, just good ol’ stacked bricks, but Mike swears that the computer is sturdy. To combat heating, Mike put a lot of exhaust vents around and at the rear of the case. Inlets at the top feed cool air to the 140mm Notcua fan inside.
Mike also came up with two alternate top covers: one with louvered fins and another with what I assume are Minecraft-inspired recessed colored tiles. A strip of RGB LEDs around the top of the case lets you personalize the computer further.
Head to Total Geekdom’s website to order a LEGO Computer for at least $999 (USD). Yes, there’s a premium here for aesthetics – for instance, it only has an Intel 4600HD integrated GPU – but the computer can definitely be used as a daily driver – a DVD drive, Bluetooth and 802.11AC WiFi antenna are standard – and is also upgradable.
Eddie Zarick is officially the king of laptop case mods. After combining the Xbox One and Xbox 360 in one laptop conversion, Ed has managed to cram both the PS4 and the Xbox One in one unit, which is just a bit taller than his other console laptop mods.
The PlayBox uses the same Vizio 22″ LCD monitor as Ed’s other laptop mods. He swears that it doesn’t have any cooling problems despite the cramped space. Like his Xbook Duo mod the PlayBox has one power plug for both consoles, though you can’t turn them on at the same time. Both consoles retained their respective Wi-Fi, Ethernet and HDMI connections, but the Xbox One’s USB ports can only be accessed from the inside due to space constraints. Also Ed had a problem with the PS4’s power button and it ended up not working consistently. It’s not really a big deal since you can power on the PS4 using the DualShock 4.
Here’s Ed’s demo of the PlayBox:
As Ed mentioned he made this particular unit for a commission, but he’s willing to make more. As you might expect it’ll be more expensive than his other laptop case mods, which already go for at least $1,095 (USD) each.
ASUS’ Republic of Gamers blog recently shared this kick-ass PC case. Made by Han Yu aka Little Hand, the Strix Knight takes its inspiration from the logo of ASUS’ Strix graphics cards, “strix” being the Greek word for owl.
What makes this project truly remarkable is that Han Yu didn’t modify an existing PC tower. He designed the parts in AutoCAD then cut all of them from steel.
Head to ASUS ROG’s blog for more shots of the Strix Knight.
[via DamnGeeky]
Console modder Ed Zarick’s been on a tear lately. Last month he introduced his Xbox One laptop mod, then a couple of weeks ago he showed off his PS4 laptop mod. Now he’s back with another laptop mod, but it’s not based on the Wii U. Ed’s Xbook Duo is for Xbox loyalists, as it has both an Xbox 360 and an Xbox One in one laptop body.
Ed says the Xbook Duo is a bit taller and heavier than his last two laptop case mods, although I’m sure you can understand why that’s the case.
The Xbox 360’s hardware, buttons and disc tray are on the left side of the laptop…
…while the ones for the Xbox One are on the right.
The laptop still needs only one power cord; Ed says the Xbox One’s power brick can power either console, just not at the same time. Speaking of which, there’s a switch at the top of the laptop that lets you toggle between the two consoles, though you do have to turn the laptop off before switching because the consoles share the same power source. Both consoles are plugged in to an HDMI switcher that detects which console is on and sends that console’s feed to the 22″ 1080p Vizio LCD monitor.
As he said in the video, Ed made the Xbook Duo – or at least this particular unit – for himself and so he’s not selling it. He did share a making of video though:
I guess Ed will have crammed all PlayStation consoles in one laptop by next week. As always, you can reach Ed on his website for questions and commissions.
Last month we saw Ed Zarick’s sweet Xbox One laptop mod. He reached out to us bearing good news for PlayStation fans – he’s now accepting orders for his PlayStation 4 laptop mod, which he’s calling the PlayBook 4. Thanks to the Destiny PS4 bundle – which has a white DualShock 4 controller to go with the white console – Ed has decided to offer black and white standard models.
The PlayBook 4 is designed much like the Xbook One mod. It uses the same Vizio 22″ 1080p LED monitor and has similar 3D printed corners as in the Xbox One laptop mod. The PS4 will also remain pristine throughout the modding process, but as with the Xbook One Ed can add an extra HDMI out port if you wish.
You can also customize the vinyl graphics, the colors of the corners and even the color of the case if you don’t want black or white, as long as you’re willing to pay extra.
The stock PlayBook 4 costs the same as the Xbook One: $1,095 (USD) if you send in your PS4 and $1,395 if you want Ed to get the console for you. You can place your order on Ed’s website. I wonder if Ed can make a Wii U laptop. He could call it a 3DS XXXL.
Wow. Someone really loves the Castlevania games. That someone is artist Vadu Amka, who gave his old PAL SNES console a super stunning and creepy casemod makeover. Seriously, I feel like if you played this console, the dead would rise.
We’ve seen an Xbox One laptop mod before, but if you’re looking for a more customizable design check out Ed Zarick’s Xbook One. Ed has been modifying Xbox 360 consoles for a while now, and he says he’s significantly improved his build process for the Xbook One.
Ed’s build has gotten better not just because of his experience but because he’s now 3D printing some of the mod’s parts, including the corner pieces, brackets and custom component mounts. This makes the laptops more consistent, durable and customizable. For instance, you can choose the color of the corner pieces, along with the vinyl graphics on the lid and display frame. Ed ‘s also using custom-made electronics such as the LVDS cable and the fan shrouds. The display is a 22″ LED monitor from Vizio.
Ed promises that the Xbook One has no performance modifications; the motherboard will not be modified in keeping with Microsoft’s regulations. The ports are also in the same arrangement as in the stock Xbox One, though Ed can add an extra HDMI out if you wish. Contact Ed if you want him to make you an Xbook One. It will cost you at least $1,095 (USD) if you send in your Xbox One, and at least $1,395 if you want him to buy an Xbox One and mod it.
[via Ed Zarick via Slash Gear]
This Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party Wagon toy gets the party rolling for our mutant turtle friends, but now that pro modder Platinumfungi has shoved a fully functional Nintendo system inside, we can really get this party started.
[via Geekologie]
Last year we checked out a radical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed NES by console modding duo Platinumfungi and Custom NES Guy. The duo’s latest work is another NES casemod based on the heroes in a half shell, but this time it’s an homage to the franchise’s first comic book (and first appearance for that matter), which was in black and white with a dollop of red on the cover.
Commissioned by Jared Guynes, Platinumfungi says that the console is “by far the most intricate and laborious art piece” he’s created so far. He did all of the cutouts and sanded the edges by hand, while Custom NES Guy spent a total of 17 hours just on painting, sanding and buffing alone. All in all they spend over 150 hours to make the mod. Aside from the awesome cutouts, the console also has four controllers, each with an avatar of one of the Turtles. But for me, the console’s most eye-catching feature has to be the lighting, especially the flood of light that greets you when the console’s flip door is opened.
I prefer the color scheme of the duo’s first TMNT NES, but on the other hand they stayed true to their inspiration. Speaking of which, I think it would’ve been cooler if Platinumfungi copied the cover of the comic book, or at least its art style. In any case, I’m sure this console has to be seen in real life to be fully appreciated. Ride the Party Wagon to Platinumfungi’s Facebook page to see more images of the console.