COMMUNITY

On this page you can find links to some of our most frequently asked questions. What is this site? Instructables is a place that lets you explore, document, and share your creations. How do I post an Instructable? We offer a free and easy online class to coach you through posting your first Instructable or you can just wing it and start a new one today. How do I get help improving my Instructable?Ask the community for help in The Clinic. How does my Instructable get featured? The best way to get your projects featured is by following the Featuring Guidelines. Where can I learn more about contests? Our Contest FAQ has all of the information that you need to know about contests. What contests are launching soon? Check out our list of upcoming contests. Are you on social media? Yes! Follow us on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. How do I contact Instructables directly? The best way to contact us is through our Contact Page.

I'm jumping the gun a little bit here, but looking ahead to winter and the off season, I want to find a cheap project bike I can tinker with. I have some mechanical inclinations, but it will be a bit of learning curve, so I want something that's pretty accessible and relatively easy to work on for a beginner. I'm looking for a cruiser anywhere from 250cc to 500cc with minimal bells and whistles. Lay those suggestions on me. Showbox Tutuapp VidmateAlso, what are some red flags I should look out for that are going to end up giving me nightmares? I want a bike I can work on and learn with, but I'm definitely not looking to do a complete rebuild.

As it seems the support team is still working hard to improve this ection I would like to take the opportunity to provide a base for everyone.Users can post bugs they find, feedback or suggestions for features they would like to see or have here.The support team could be so nice to keep us updated about what is planned and when to expect some problems or hick ups.Maybe even a list of things already in the planning for us.There is already a quite long list of requests that grew over the years, so maybe the support team could start the conversation with some infos? ;)

Hello, I need to measure the time between press and release a button in an FPGA (time between rising and faling edge) and dispaly the time result the seven segment dispaly of the FPGA , I do somethink but it doesn t work , can any one help please or give a program ,????

Although in many regions (wild) blackberries are considered to be a pest, in our gardens they can be delicious.I don't mean the wild variety here but the cultivated ones with big fruits and no thorns on them.And if you ever tried to successfully save money by just buying one and using cuttings from it for the new season you know the troubles....Creating cuttings from blackberries is quite easy if done the right way.But there is an ever easier and simpler way if you don't mind doing your pruning a bit later than usual.Once the harvest season is over and all berries are gone you see that the blackberries still keep growing before they finally start dropping their leaves.And if all went well then your blackberries have grown in long "snakes" supported on a vertical structure - like long bows.During a good season this bows get so long that they almost reach the ground at the end of the season.All you have to do it to free your snkes so you can places their ends into the ground, preferably out to the side so you can start a new row of blackberries with enough space between them.Use some soft cord and weights to keep the ends in the ground and fill the hole.Only water once when done otherwise let nature take care of things.In a very dry climate or season you might want to water a bit once a week though.When leaves start to drop in big numbers cut the above ground bits off with about 10 to 15cm left standing.Prune the big ones as you always do to get them ready for the next season.And when the next season starts you will see that most of your little "cuttings" take off like mad.They had the mother plant until it was time to go dormant, so no extra energy was required to stop a dying cutting from going dry.The end of the plant realised it is under ground and for that reason it is time to grow roots.Then suddenly it is time to hibernate and all energy is left in the remains, ready for use in the next spring.It is no problem to get over 15 new plants from a single one this way for the next season.It also works quite well fo roses.Although here you might need to create a podest or similar to place pot on.And the season for it is different too ;)It all starts with your pruning at thend of the season.All parts that did not produce flowers, those "wild" stems need to be fully removed.Those who produced good are cut back so you are left with 3 to 5 "eyes" - these tiny pimple where the new shoots come out.Pay attention to their location as it determines the direction of the new shoots ;)Don't have too many facing inwards.When the rose starts growing again in spring you should prepare your stand for the pot.The new shoots are quite flexible and can be directed to grow where you need them for the pot by using bonsai tape or wire - just be gently with them!Once long enough that the end can be placed about 5cm deep into your pot with good potting mix or the good soil from your garden:Place the pot so that the end shoot is held in the soilwithout force - if in doubt let the shoot grow a bit longer and form it donwards with wire.You want to bury it only when there is new growth going out if it but not of the end currently only has the leaf(s) showing.These fresh end shoots should point downwards into the soil.Cover it all and keep the soild moist at all times but not soaking wet.It really helps to have the pot shaded.You can use small seedling pots and check for roots a few weeks later or just wait till the end of the season.Either way a root should form in the pot and once strong enough you only have to wait and look out for eyes forming on the stem.If the do you can cut the stem so you have enough eyes on the potted stem.Be aware though that this will only result in a strong and healthy rose if the mother plant is not a hybridised clone.For the later it is best to transplant and eye onto a donor bush or wild rose.

Recently I found this little quirky tip on how to propagate roses/ bushes and I was wondering if it was true? In the little tidbit, they tell you to use a cutting of a rose of course and then put a little cinnamon on one of the ends that you intend to grow roots. Then poke that end in to a potato. Then bury that part with the potato into the ground. After I guess eventually you get a new rose bush. I was wondering can this actually work? Or is this just bait to get you to read more of their articles?

I'd like some help to settle an argument regarding my extemely simple automatic emergency light.According to my friend, who installs emergency lighting, this circuit is too simple and has too many components missing but I say he's wrong, if one part fails it can easily be replaced. I'm not and electronics expert either.I'll explain the circuit...5v comes from a 5v 2A phone charger. Battery is a 32Ah 12v SLA. 12v charger is a smart charger with built-in status monitor.SPDT 5v relay rated to switch 12v @ 17amp maxThe light is a 12v 5 metre LED Strip with built in current-limiters and draws arount 2A.Basically, 5v powers the relay which means the battery is connected to the smart charger that keeps it topped up while there is mains power (240v here in UK). If there is a power cut the relay turns off and battery is switches over to the LED light Strip. Its that simple.It works as designed, no parts have failed and I haven't found any signs of over-heating. My friend believes it should all be one circuit and not seperate parts and is a fire risk as it is.He just won't let it go, so does he have a point or is he just being a/an _________ (fill in the blank, lol)? I've included a schematic of the circuit. Not sure if I've drawn the relay properly though.

Hello and welcome to the newest version of The Clinic! If you have an instructable that's not getting the attention you think it deserves, post it in the comments below for honest feedback and suggestions to improve it from fellow authors and Instructables staff. We want to help you create the best instructables you can! Curious about the basics of creating an instructable? Check out my FREE How to Write an Instructable Class! You can also read through our Featuring Checklist. Posting a great instructable has many benefits, including: More viewsMore comments and followersHaving your instructable Featured on the site Having your instructable featured on our social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest)Better chance to win contests Driving traffic to your websiteP.S. While I know the goal for any instructable is to get Featured, it's not the end goal here! We're sure to hand out features, but please keep in mind not every instructable is feature-worthy. Even the most popular authors have unfeatured instructables! Don't let it get you down - you're still amazing! :D

Can anyone reverse engineer and make one of those elevator beds that are made with counter weights? They are becoming popular in Europe.  Ana White made one using garage door but it uses four corners.  The ones in Europe use only one wall or also add the ceiling across for the other end.  I like the one that spaceurc_com has which uses counter weights. BedUp_fr & espace-loggia_com seem a bit more difficult.  I can build a murphy bed, but these are a challenge and I like a challenge but it is too technical for me. Thanks for your help.

I love making things. Don't we all?!I've always got a few tools in mind that I'd love to get next, to help me make better things. It's part of the fun for me! On my wish-list are various woodcarving tools and a belt sander. So, what's on your tool wish-list? What do you need to expand your creativity and making skills? It could be tools for electronics, workshop, cooking, crafting, etc. Share your wish-list below!

Hello everyone! Below is a partial list of the 2019 contest calendar. Keep in mind that this list is subject to change and contests will continue to be added throughout the year. The contests below are already in planning, and I've left off ones that we're still trying to decide on. The months indicate when the contests will be launching. All contests will launch near the beginning of each month. Keep in mind that the list below is not set in stone. All contests and dates are subject to change!FebruarySweet Treats ChallengeThis is a quick challenge for all recipes sugary and sweet.Organization ContestShow us your tips, tricks, and tools for keeping your workspace, home or calendar organized!Build a Tool ContestUse your tools to build more tools!Paper ContestBack again by popular demand! All paper, all the time! There is a judges' prize for paper machines.Remix ContestThis contest is your chance to take an existing Instructable and use it as inspiration for something new.MarchWeaving ChallengeOh, what tangled webs we weave...Tape ChallengeAnything that uses tape is eligible to enter.Trash to Treasure ContestAnother contest back by popular demand! Take your old junk and turn it into a keepsake. Pie ChallengeWho doesn't like fresh-baked pie?Pocket-Sized ContestThis project is open to any contest that can fit into a pocket. The general rule is that if you need to describe the pocket your project can fit into, it is too big.AprilJewelry ChallengeDesign and make your own custom jewelry for you chance to win.Fat ChallengeThis is your chance to cook recipes with fats. You get no extra points for any weight you gain.Leather ChallengeIf you couldn't guess, the Leather Challenge is open to all things leather-working.Arduino ContestMake something with an Arduino and really wow us to win some awesome prizes.Woodworking ContestThe Woodworking Contest is once again back by popular demand!Gardening ContestApril showers bring May flowers. Get out in the dirt and get planting.MayColors of the Rainbow ContestWe had so much fun with this contest last year, we decided to run it again. There will be special judges' prizes for each color of the spectrum.Fandom ContestShow us how you are a super fan of a video game, TV show, movie, book, music group, or (really) anything else!IoT ChallengeThe IoT (Internet of Things) contest is open to all electronics projects that network with other devices and make new friends. Party ChallengeYou gotta fight for your right to.... Paaaar-ty... Challenge!CNC ChallengeHere is a quick challenge to show us what you can do with your CNC machine. This includes mills, lathes, 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters and any other computer controlled manufacturing machine. *All contests and dates are subject to change. Please leave suggestions for prizes here. You can also leave suggestions about contests here. Have a contest question? Check the Contest FAQ!

I had an idea to re-use the trunks of Christmas trees my neighbors are throwing away. I sawed off the thick part of the trunk and removed the branches from it. But now I have lots of oozy sap that makes the wood sticky and unpleasant. Any suggestions on what to do? If I stain it or coat in polyurethane will that prevent more sap from oozing out? Ideally i want to slice one trunk into coasters/trivets, keeping the exterior bark intact. The other trunk might become the base for a side table or something similar. Or maybe I'll just hollow it out like a cup and use it as a pencil holder. Thanks for your help! Josh

Hi everyone! As we're planning contests for the next year, we wanted to get suggestions and feedback on the types of contests we're running. :DIs there a contest we ran years ago you'd like to see again? Any contests you're sick of? A weekly challenge you'd like us to expand on? Do you want the contests to be more specific or more open ended?We're trying to shake things up in contest-land - so any and all suggestions are welcome! I'm especially interested in what types of tech contests you guys would like to see, as well as ideas for food contests. P.S. For anyone wondering about weekly challenges - we're still trying to figure out a way to do it that makes it easy for you guys to enter and easy for the editors here to run. But I promise we are discussing it! :)Have prize suggestions? Check this topic. Want to get a preview of some of our upcoming contests?

I am looking for someone who wants to do a mini vending machine project.

I am looking to manufacture a new piece of exercise equipment. A professional prototype is needed.

Hi, I apologize for the corrupt English first.I have a Tronxy X5S 3d printer. And I bought a sensor( SN04-N NPN) to add autolevel property to the printer. I thought I would be able to get rid of the small curves on the hotbed. I've arranged my commands according to autolevel as follows. But when I want to print a large shape, the extruder remains in the air at some points of the hotbed, print properly at some points, and at some points worth the hotbed(no filament output). So the autolevel property is not working properly. Can you help me? What am I doing wrong?My Marlin Configrution.h Changes//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////#define AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////#define X_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER -40 // X offset: -left +right [of the nozzle]#define Y_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER 20 // Y offset: -front +behind [the nozzle]#define Z_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER 0.5 // Z offset: -below +above [the nozzle]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////#define X_MIN_POS 0#define Y_MIN_POS 0#define Z_MIN_POS 0.6#define X_MAX_POS X_BED_SIZE#define Y_MAX_POS Y_BED_SIZE#define Z_MAX_POS 410//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////#define GRID_MAX_POINTS_X 7 #define GRID_MAX_POINTS_Y GRID_MAX_POINTS_X//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Set the boundaries for probing (where the probe can reach). #define LEFT_PROBE_BED_POSITION (20)#define RIGHT_PROBE_BED_POSITION (280) #define FRONT_PROBE_BED_POSITION (40)#define BACK_PROBE_BED_POSITION (320)************************************************** ***************************************My Repetier Host/CuraEngine Gcode Changes////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// G21G90M82M107G92 Z0G1 Z5G28G29G28 X0 Y0G28 Z0G1 Z15.0 F9000G92 E0G1 F200 E3G92 E0G1 F9000{IF_BED}M190 S{BED}{IF_EXT0}M109 T0 S{TEMP0}Please watch my problem

I have tried to enter my instructable in a contest but I do not know how to check if it was sent in

I got a few of those Try Me buttons off some Halloween things I bought, are they a complete waste or is there something you can do with them?

I just wanna know a way to shrink people. The tallest boy in my class keeps bragging about how tall he is and I want to shrink him to shut him up!

Oops! We couldn´t understand your request….Someone has an idea why it is not possible to publish my instructable and why i get this messages?Thanks for your help.

Hi friends. I need someone to help me write Arduino code for my project. I will pay 20 US$ for each code you make...will put the money to your paypal account, or if you like can order something for you from EBAY and ship to your address.. please msg me I send you the flowchart and what the code is sopposed to do. Thanks

Though there's no members at the moment I figured I'd go ahead and start a topic. In this one, just post pics or scans of some of your drawings. Here's three of mine:

I was reading all of the labels on things in my house, mostly spray-able things like spray paint, spray adhesive, spray enamel, etc., etc., to see what's flammable, and on the bottle of ammonia we have it says "Do NOT use to soak aluminum utensils in...." or something like that. What does ammonia + aluminum equal or do? Is it flammable? Thanks all you chemistry-buffs!

I have double pane, insulating glass house windows that collect condensation during the winter heating months. The condensation is not between the panes, it is inside the home. The water builds up and runs down onto the wood frame causing rot. It occurs only on the bottom inch or two of the window. The home is in Northern Wisconsin where it is commonly 20 deg F outside and 70 deg F inside. The interior humidity is controlled and not excessive. Aside from setting the interior humidity to desert-like conditions, how can I remove the moisture and prevent further damage to the frame? Desiccant bags? Solar powered fans? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Gamecube controller I want to take apart, but it has triangle screws. They're like Phillips (four-pronged) but only have 3 prongs instead. I don't have a screwdriver for this, so I need a way to unscrew them.EXAMPLEUPDATE: Not trying to be impolite, but I am NOT looking for a place to buy this kind of screwdriver. I am looking for a way to unscrew them WITHOUT the specific screw driver.

I've been instagramming for a long time, mostly focusing on my embroidery work! But yesterday I decided to start a new account for my instructables and more personal stuff, like plants and pets and selfies and whatnot. I'd love to see what y'all are sharing on instagram!! Please share your username or a link to your profile in the comments below so I can stalk you all friendly-like. :DHere are my instagram profiles: making jiggy hand embroidery jessy ratfink P.S. Need some help getting followers and likes on Instagram? Check out my instructable over how to promote yourself (or your business!) on Instagram!

Hi,My dog bought this item to me whilst walking along Duranbah Beach in Queensland Australia.It floats on water, weighs 323 grams, has a nice sweet smell. Ambergris buying experts in France say "definitely not ambergris".Passes all the tests for ambergris including hot needle.James Cook University, 5 marine biology experts came back to say "not certain from photos but most suggested ambergris"One image on ambergris New Zealand buyers website looks almost identical to this piece.I really would like to know what it is, if anyone can help with guidance or perhaps seen similar.Look forward to feedback.Thanks in advance.Best RegardsBrendan WarlowSheldon, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Do anybody now the correct crossslot standart for NAS (National Aerospace Standard) and MS (Military Standart) screws? is it Phillips? Frearson/Reed/Prince? JIS/JISC? or any standart else?

Have one of those $180 steel framed, 10 x 10, two tier roof, gazebos that every retailer seems to sell now a days. (kind of like the one in the picture) Its perm attached over our hot tub. Problem is, the nylon top keeps deteriorating and then shreds and has to be replaced. Any ideas on a good, cheap or maybe recycled material, roof that would be permanent? (WI=Snow in winter, has to be strong enough for an occassional storm) And how to attach it maybe? Looking for a few brainstormed ideas because all I can think of is boring PLYWOOD! *GRIN*

Hi I have a Kam KHM600 Haze machine which currently has a wired controller. I would like to convert it to wireless operation. Does anyone have any advice on how to do this?

Hi my friends.I want to make my own CNC Router,but i want to add an Camera for point positions and cutting through black lines using mach3.\I will send an youtube link from one CNC that has this function.If anyone has an idea how can make something like this please write to me.

I have Bluetooth headphones, & I'm modifying them. I want my Bluetooth to light up tow external LEDs when I turn the device on. I can't wire a line to the micro LED, its to small for me to solder. I was thinking wiring the External LEDs to the Bluetooth's battery. Is there a way to make a simple connection from the battery, to the external LED wire & back to the circuit board, so when ever the Bluetooth is switched on, all the external LED is indicating is the power going to the circuit board?

I recieved a free, working TV the other day. The only problem with it was the pin from an RCA video cable had broken off inside the socket. I didn't want to spend money on an RF modulator for my DVD Player, so I figured out a pretty solid way of getting the pin out. 1.) Find a needle 2.) On a hard surface, bend the very tip of the needle slightly so that it forms a tiny barb. 3.) heat the tip of the needle with a lighter until it glows red hot. 4.) stick the needle into the plastic core of the broken RCA pin 5.) wait a few seconds for it to cool 6.) pull the needle out, and the broken tip should follow!

I have been trying to create color stripes in the same manner as Mariko Kusumoto. Cotton and silk thread have not worked. I think I need a different tool to apply polyester dye or different thread. The second image is messy but it was to test the strength of the dye on the bubbles. I think my problem now is how to draw the lines using polyester dye before steaming. 

I have 3 "iCamera 1000" camera units laying around. I do not have the rest of the security system they are designed to function with, but there has to be some way to make use of them and have some fun. I have lots of cat 6 cable and RJ45 connectors to custom make a cable if anyone has the expertise to figure out how to make use of these. Before posting here, I searched and searched here and on Google but only found information regarding the "normal" application of these cameras..... I was hoping for something more outside the box which is why I am here. I included a front/back picture. Thanks for any ideas!!

I have a CMF bone growth stimulator that no longer works. These devices are set to die after so many uses. Does anyone have any ideas on how to reactivate these units? Or, hacking these things for another purpose?

Here's a look back at the 100 highest-viewed Instructables published in 2018. It's a fun collection full of inspiring, clever, and educational projects. Be sure to take a look:Top 100 Instructables of 2018Thoughts, comments or observations are welcome below!

Aka How to receive feedback, get featured, and be awarded internet fame + more!I know it's been a minute since I've put a post like this in the forums, so allow me to (re?)introduce myself.Hai!I'm audreyObscura. I love making stuff, playing with cameras, petting dogs, and eating pizza. I've worked here at Instructables since 2012 doing a little bit of everything, and I solemnly swear that the best thing about working here is getting to learn something new every day from amazing community members like YOU!These days, a good chunk of my time is spent queuing our posts on social media platforms and boosting Instructables authors that use Twitter and Facebook to share their projects. (And finding the perfect gif to reply to Twitter threads, I'm very good at it - try me.)I'd love to start featuring more videos and gifs on our channels, but need a little help from the community. We are looking for media to help give YOUR INSTRUCTABLES a boost on our social media feed! What we'd like to receive:Great, high quality, short-form videos (under 1 minute) GIFs! Under 3MB preferred (bonus points for perfect loops)Examples: What we don't want to receive: YouTube URLsProjects hosted outside of Instructables.com What you'll get out of it:Momentary internet fame and all the warm and fuzzies that come along with community recognition!An Instructables Author Thank You pack in the mail which includes our super sweet Robot Stickers, an idea notebook, pencils, and a super fun enamel pin!Feedback! We want to work with you and coach you through making great feature-worthy content. If you share something that isn't quite up to our snuff to post to our channels, have no fear, we'll still send you a little gift AND let you know HOW you can improve your content!If you go above and beyond, maybe we'll send you something extra too, so impress us! Send your vids to this email address!Have you already posted an Instructable with a great demo video or explainer gif? Drop us a link in the comment section below and we'll review your project to see if it's a good fit for our social media feed!Lastly, I wanted to leave this post with some inspiration and some skill building tips to get started. Hope these help: How to make a gif How to turn movie clip into a gifPlease comment below with any questions you may have, and I can't wait to see what you share.Thanks!-Audrey

For those of you who have time off over the holidays, what will you be working on?I have 3D printing and laser cut jewelry ideas I want to work on both for Instructables and Etsy while I (hopefully) have some time and I was curious if people had plans for projects they wanted to try to get done.

I have an electric billy cart with a dead controller board. I constructed the kit circuit below to replace the dead board and it works well enough for the job except for one small problem. The throttle on the billy cart utilizes a hall effect device and not a pot. The billy cart also has a handbrake with a switch that closes when applied. I use this with a resistor to discharge C2 and pull pin 4 (inhibit) high. This ensures a gentle start (as the capacitor slowly charges through the 100k resistor) if the brake is released with the throttle advanced. The output range of the throttle is 950 mV to 4.1 V if VREF (5V) is used as the supply. (I'm dropping it in in place of the pot.) 4.1 V is sufficient to achieve the maximum 90% duty cycle of the chip, but 950 mV leaves me with a minimum duty cycle of about 21%, and of course a motor that won't stop. Will changing the divider ratios 20k/2k2 & 47k/47k be sufficient to get me zero speed or am I going to have to do something more exotic? Thanks in advance.

I have a xj600 pre div, been stood for few months, I started her up other day and after ten mins ticking over I noticed the wires coming from/to the regulator/rectifier started to burn....What could be the causes??? And what can I do To fix please... Thanks....

This is from a 1949 Pfaff 332 sewing machine foot pedal. (I believe the machine was brought to the US by a war bride.) When I tried the machine recently, it wouldn't completely stop when I took my foot off. We opened it up and found this partially decomposed multi layered 'thing'. Other than dust and dirt, it looks like the only damaged part. Does anyone know what it is? Does anyone know what a modern equivalent would be?

Okay, so I'm a professor and I have a nice project to publish.  For a first time user of this site, I'm thoroughly frustrated with the lack of detailed feedback when something is wrong.  I would fix it if it would tell me.  Usually I just walk away thinking that the thing is simply not worth the time, but the reputation of this site gives me repose to try to find out why. My instructable was saved and shows up in my drafts.  Great. I hit publish and it goes to a page to request keywords and category.  Great. I put a minimum of 2 keywords and select a category.  Great. I press "yes, publish my instructable" and the page refreshes, clearing everything I've entered. After doing this ten times with no other results or feedback of what the problem is, I find myself writing this topic in hopes somebody knows why.  Whatever the answer is to this dilemma, its kind of ironic that the instructable site is so lacking in basic feedback when there is a problem.. Oh well, I hope you understand my frustration.

The kicker now is that your smartphone holds far more information than a pocket ever did, How is the battery designed to last longer?

Hello fellow instructables :) Right I need some help and advice on a design brief to help fix my problem. Problem - I live in a ground floor flat and there is 1 flat above me, 2 scum bags occupy it, a couple of 22 year olds and they have obviously never been taught consideration for others and they bang and thrash around all through the early hours of the morning. When they bang on their bare wooden floor it sounds like a heavy metal dumbbell coming through my ceiling and it wakes me abruptly and its ruining my life :( I've complained to the council the past 18 months but there not interested. They have not put any carpet down in their flat in the last 18 months and it looks like they have no intention of doing so (they can afford fags n booze tho), plus they have a baby due any day now, great.. so now there making their problems, my problem. Solution - The only thing I can think of is making a soundproof sleeping closure, a large box like a 4 poster bed but all sides solid made out of a layer of MDF then insulation then more mdf, but I have some questions before I start. How would I get adequate air in and out ? Would this even stop the banging on my ceiling waking me up ? or would it still penetrate the box ? How would I control the temperature, would it be too hot in there ? Something like the image below but more solid with a door. If anyone has any experience with this or input or any good ideas I'd be ever so grateful. Cheers in advance. Matt

For mayn years it was almost logical to get full root access on your new smartphone or tablet.The other fraction might now it as "jailbreaking"...No one really needs it unless they are not happy with they way the mnufacturer designed the operating system and features.The removal of bloat, apps the user never needs, is still the most common reason for rooting.Custom ROM's offering a different experience are right behind.Now we also have TV's, entertainment boxes of all kinds, even from our ISP's directly.The main provider for the operating system is now Google with only a few "competitors" left.Apple has a strong hold of the mobile and tablet sector too but is not really presented in other areas.Android is still open source but Google heavily modifed it to suit the needs of data collecting and security for features like banking, access control and so on.What is good for the normal user and perfect for those with security in mind can be really bad for those actually just using a device.No matter why you buy a new phone from your provider, you almost never buy it for the added apps and services.Rooting has become more and more difficult.One reason of course is constant security updates and removing possible access options for even simple things like getting USB debugging and an unlocked bootloader.People dedicated to find ways to remove provider locks, creating custom firmwares or the basic tools required to work with firmwares were called hackers.If you buy a new car and decide to modify it with a new engine, seats or whatever than no one will stop you.So why don't we have the same rights for our electronic companions?I wouldn't call it hacking, I would call it actually owning and controlling your device instead of Google letting control you - or Apple, but who cares....The other reason is dead simple: Those guys who started it all have retired or found employoment with those they fooled for so many years.Chainfire should ring a bell for anyone ever concerned with rooting.The master is gone now and only a few people are willing to take his legacy.For Asian devices the community over there is better off but for our market region right now Magisk seems to be the only option left for modern devices.The sneaky ways to lock us out....Security comes at a price, simple as.You can offer secrity for money transfers if the device is not trustworthy.Same for online streaming - you want the money for what you give and prevent that someone is able to make unwanted recordings without encryption.The list goes on with access control system and literally everything we use our devices for that involves some security.Even with the lates PIE systems Google's own devices are still quite friendly in terms of gaining root access.Different story though if a manufacturer makes full use of all the latest addition at Google's disposal.Device security no longer starts with the boot we see.It is now possible to create a hardware based tree of trust.This means any modification to anything will cause a failure.This locks out all "tools" able to read out partitions and vital data while a device is in fastboot mode.And of course said fastboot can be fully disabled as well now.For security reason a so called A/B configuration is used.Updates come over the air and are applied to the dormant system.Next start will boot the new system and then update the old one, no requirement to manually apply and update.The recovery can also be abandoned and replaced by a system using a copy on the device itself that is updated through OTA updates with the firmware.So both ways to gain official access can be full removed from the user.From there we get encryption, hash checks and literally everything working in its own user space - a full SELinux enviroment at the highest level.There are already devices utilising a lot of this and so far the only way to get any sort of insight was done by those intercepting OTA updates on a router level.And apart from quickly changing the encryption with the next updates nothing was gained.Is it all coincidence?Of course not.Well known leaks were kept open for years.Kernel updates gave improvements and closed really old leaks but never all known ways.With the retirement of the best rooting experts these holes were suddenly closed.Checks of latest kernel releases showed that there is no known vulenerabilities anymore that can be misused to gain access.And those finding new ones and making them available for us are bascally gone now.Encryptions and packing algorithms changed, same thing for the actual handling of partitions and rights.Anyone with a decent understanding of how the old ways worked will be able to figure it out with some time wasted on it.From there however the outcome is often dark.The tools needed to work with these new files are not always updated anymore.The developer simply moved on and most of the time without publishing his source codes.And the still best way to protect your firmware from tampering is to encrypt it.In the old days it was enough to sign a ZIP file with a release key not available to the public.Custom recoveries allowed us to get around this.This still works to some extent but now we also get additional checks starting from the bootloader.A modified system will be detected and stopped and a stock system will stop i a modified boot is detected.Even using a custom recovery by flashing or through fastboot is preventable now.Right now the only way for most new devices is a total wipe and the installation of an unsecure firmware with everything.As you already guessed this is to prevent now as well.So does all this rooting stuff actually concern you?Of course not!If you never had any need for rooting or no clue what to do differently with a rooted device than you are a happy camper.But your neighbour or friend might think differently.You see, I have two problems when it comes to "stock" devices.a) I have no clue what data they collect from me and what it might be used for.b) I do not like being forced to agree to terms that are endless and of questionable content just to use the damn thing.For crying out loud: In most cases it is now impossible to even set up a new device without working internet and a Google account.....

I have a bunch of empty Zipfizz containers. I don't want to toss them in the trash (no plastic recycling in my area). What in the world could I make with them that would be useful?

Hi everyone. I'm stuck with power supply problems in my project. My project is a drink dispenser (cocktail machine) with water level indicators. I was thinking of putting 4 water pumps connected to relay modules, controlled by Arduino or microcontroller (something like attiny). The microcontroller would receive a command with 2 push buttons (tasters) and depending on the button pressed, it would combine 2 liquids from 2 tanks into one glass. Now, the code isn't a problem. I need to add a liquid level indicator to the circuit (4 indicator circuits for 4 liquid tanks). Now, the pump I was thinking of buying is rated 5V and the current draw is about 150-250 mA. Attiny2313 operates on 2.7V-5.5V. I found the water level indicator circuit also rated 5V ("https://www.electronicshub.org/water-level-alarm-using-555-timer/" but I was thinking about the one without 555 timer). Now, my question is, what is the best way to power all these components. I was thinking about getting a 220V to 5V 2A PSU adapter ("https://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-110V-220V-TO-DC-5V-12V-24V-Switch-Power-Supply-Driver-Adapter-LED-Strip-Light/152134115704?hash=item236be66178:m:mnohYz4NZlT_Dq5l5lWNUMg:rk:1:pf:0"). Will that be enough and will it destroy any of my components. Thanks in advance!

This post is not about the Pixlr editor that was removed from the site. I use Pixlr express several times a week, and now it doesn't open up on any computer that I try.  Is there a chance that you could try to access pixlr express and let me know if it works on your computer? I've tried a few so far on all browsers, updated flash, restarted, etc. https://pixlr.com/express/ I just get a gray screen :( Thank you!

Is it allowed to enter 2 different projects in the pcb contest?https://www.instructables.com/contest/pcbcontest/