Your Portal gun isn’t as cool as Hack-a-Day’s Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube)

Your Portal gun isn't as cool as HackaDay's Portal gun which actually levitates a companion cube

There you were, thinking your NECA-produced Portal gun replica was super neat all on its own. Well, okay -- it is -- but wouldn't it be even cooler if you could use it to make a baby companion cube levitate in mid-air with it? That question is exactly what lead to Hack a Day's creation of just such a device, as seen in the video below the break. By reappropriating a magnetic floating globe's parts and attaching said parts to both the gun and a homemade companion cube, Hack a Day were able to recreate at least part of the magic Chell experiences in her Aperture Science adventures. Of course, if you move the gun too much, the companion cube will fall out. Just think what that does to its psyche! You monster.

[Image credit: Caleb Kraft, Hack a Day]

Continue reading Your Portal gun isn't as cool as Hack-a-Day's Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube)

Filed under: ,

Your Portal gun isn't as cool as Hack-a-Day's Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 02:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHack a Day  | Email this | Comments

Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests

Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests

Simulated Jedi training not passing muster? Something more firmly grounded in reality might fit the bill. Hack a Day's bug zapping lightsaber, for instance, is suitably real -- and what it lacks in actual lasers it makes up for in insect annihilation. As the amalgamation of a Star Wars toy and an electrified bug racket, the zapper saber isn't exactly a looker -- two layers of metal mesh wrap awkwardly around the toy's telescoping blade, secured only by electrical tape and the sheer will of the force. All told, the contraption was constructed in roughly 20 minutes and Hack a Day reckons that more elaborate ones can be crafted with a tad more time and materials. Head past the break to catch the build process in motion.

Continue reading Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests

Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHack a Day  | Email this | Comments