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DIY Flashlight Power Generator

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Knowing how to improvise is an important survival skill, check out this DIY Video on how to tun a hand crank flashlight into a mini power generator to power you cell phone or small radios.

Now I know that they sell gizmo’s that do this already, but the point of the video is to show you what you can do with a little bit of work. Knowing how to do little jobs like this can help you make do with what you already have.

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Browse > Home / Off the Grid / 1 – 2 Person Teardrop camper trailers

1 – 2 Person Teardrop camper trailers

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Teardrop campers, once popular in the 1920-40’s, have stated to become very popular again. In fact, some people have sold everything to travel the country with their little teardrop trailers.

Teardrop trailers are a great option as an add on to your B.O.V. They are extremely light and can be pulled with something as small as a V.W. Bug.

Check out some of these custom Tear Drop Trailers:

photo by  j.s. clark@Flickr

Top 2 Photos by mountain_man_ny_2@flickr

photo by freshelectrons@Flickr

Teardrop Trailer Resources:

• Teardrops and Tiny Trailers
• Ready to Roll: A Celebration of the Classic American Travel Trailer

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Tetris is, together with Mario, Pong and Pacman, one of the retro classics. Henceforth, it’s hardly surprising to see spin-offs of the game.

Most of those spin-offs, however, stay incredibly close to the original. If it ain’t broken, why fix it – right? So the game’s ported to yet another device, donned in a new shiny interface and let be.

The other developers don’t waste time wondering ‘why?’, but think ‘why not?’.

Looking aside from the inevitable failures, here are some of the more original and innovating spin-offs. Three very different Tetris online games that grew from the same retro classic.

First-Person Tetris Online Game

At first glance, First-Person Tetris looks pretty regular, aside from the double screen interface. However, once you start playing this Tetris online game, you’ll notice that this game embeds ‘First-Person’ with another meaning.

Turning your block is not possible. Rotating everything else, is. You can spin the room in the right position, and slide it around your block. All the while, your block attracts the ‘bottom’ of the TV set. Almost as if it were falling.

Besides being fun, original, and very much addicting, First-Person Tetris really gets your head spinning. You probably won’t be able to finish the game without hugging the ground. Or the first few levels.

Tetris vs Triangle

No, there’s nothing wrong with that screenshot. Tetris vs Triangle was created in response to a ‘create a game with a stage smaller than or equal to 100×100 pixels‘ challenge. If you don’t feel you’re up for the job, always remember that your browser has a built in zoom function.

The real challenge, however, lies not in the game’s size. As you can see in the screenshot of this Tetris online game, there are a few new elements in the screen; purple blocks and a little triangle.

Your objective is to clear the playing field of these purple, static blocks. Get rid of them by vanishing the whole line. Just filling up those blanks. Sounds easy,right?

No, that little triangle has a gun, and he/she is not afraid to use it. If you can’t avoid the bullets soaring past, you’ll turn purple yourself. You’ve got an infinite supply of lives, but getting shot still makes the game a lot harder, and once you hit the top, it’s still game over.

Tetoris (Tetris HD)

This Tetris online game went viral some time ago. The concept is simple, and actually very similar to the original Tetris. The only difference is an upgrade of the resolution and size of the playing field. Often dubbed ‘Tetris HD’, this game makes retro available for the HD-crazed masses.

The screenshot above no doubt shows that the high resolution can offer quite a challenge. Not necessarily due to difficulty, but because of the time you spend trying to fill a line. One gamer commented: “It took me 15 minutes, just to lose on purpose.” Another cried out his dramatic tale of messing up the final block in a line.

As I’m sure you understand, Tetris is not the most satisfying game to play. It gets either frustrating or boring. The game is probably most praised for its arty concept, and for the joke that this game’s developer intended it to be.

What do you think of the games above? Which do you deem the most interesting, or the most addictive? Let us know about any other Tetris spin-offs that we’ve missed!

Slideshow photos by Jessica Lifland

Party Booth simulates a classic photo booth producing a vertical 4-photo strip. The application features a fullscreen mode that converts any computer with a webcam into a photo booth kiosk. All the photos are saved to disk with option to upload to photo sharing services. All you need is a computer and webcam.

Party Booth is perfect for parties, weddings, events and other celebrations. A great alternative to photo booth rentals that can cost $1,000 or more per day.

Download free trial and try it yourself.

Customize photos with your own graphics. Add a logo or image for a party favor or to commemorate your special event.

Or just photos in a strip or 2-by-2 format.

Features

• Fullscreen kiosk mode
• Automatically upload photos to Facebook, img.ly, Mobypicture, Posterous, ScreenTweet, TweetPhoto, TwitDoc, Twitgoo, TwitPic, twitrpix, TwitSnaps, and tumblr
• Choose from a variety of photo layouts
• Add custom image or logo to photos
• Customize on-screen messages for your event or language
• Easy-to-use interface
• Great for unattended operation. Guests simply walk up, press the spacebar, and there it goes.