The NES Coffee Table is one of the coolest mods we’ve seen recently. Get this, it’s not just decorative. You can actually use it as a controller during game play, and it also provides excellent space for storing away all of your gaming gear.

There’s only one problem that I can see. It’s a conversation piece for sure, but once your guests see it, that’s ALL they are going to talk about, asking a zillion questions, like “how much?” and “will you make me one?”.
Check out a video below.

Dan Middle bought Sony’s UX UMPC and found it to be severely lacking when it came to portable gaming. He did what any of us would have done, he took things into his own hands by hacking a cheap USB gamepad. The end result is a set of controls that make available all eight buttons with a single hand, while the other hand is free to aim with the UX’s mouse controls.

The gamepad has been attached to a CF dummy card, slotting into the UX’s CF port. He did some testing and found that it’s pretty decent to use. Vista even recognizes it as a gaming peripheral. I’m not sure if this spells trouble for the PSP and DS Lite, but it’s pretty cool. Video below.

Jake Von Slott has created a Steampunk PC design that is sure to be gold with DIY steampunk enthusiasts. He took a huge 24 inch LCD monitor and crammed an entire CPU behind it and the design still looks awesome. If you want to do it yourself, you’ll have to trim of all the excess plastic and get the monitor in a nice rectangular shape. The entire Monitor/CPU assembly sits on an ornate frame that Jake made from a shelf from the dump.

It’s all super ornate. The fan of this computer is even decorated in a neat mesh. Of course everything inside is very un-steampunk. It’s got a state-of-the-art Intel pentium-4 chipset and all the bells and whistles.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a scientific calculator wristwatch. They haven’t been around for about 20 years or so. Dave Jones remembers them well: “Back in 1987 or so I got a Casio CFX-400 scientific calculator watch, and I wore that watch to death for 10 years until the band support on the case broke. The CFX-400 was the best, and last scientific calculator watch ever sold.”

So if you’re like Dave, and has missed the calculator watch, there’s good news. He’s revived the scientific calculator wristwatch as a DIY project. His uWatch features a roomy LCD that can display 16 characters across, two lines deep, and it can handle all your fancy RPN/Algebraic scientific needs. You’ll need at least a bit of technical know-how to pull it off, but in the end you’ll have an awesome geek wristwatch that’ll catch the eye of lady nerds.

If you like recycling objects and have some extra time on your hands, then this Speaker Media Cabinet might be just the thing. You can store anything you like inside, though it won’t fit a body, you’ll have to continue using the old fashioned car trunk for that.

It would be a great place to store your entertainment media, like DVDs and console games. All you need is a pair of large junked speakers, several chopping tools, the usual array of nuts and bolts, and the will to succeed.

Designer Tzu-Fu Wang has come up with the strange Easy Tiles concept phone. It’s an S60 based phone with a shell comprised of tiles. The idea is that you can customize the tiles with prints of your choice. They can be slid around like the old picture puzzle game. You can replace and update the tiles as often as you like.

The one pictured looks like a some sort of Rubik’s Cube theme. Thing is, I can’t help wondering what happens if you drop it. Does it turn into an exciting game of “let’s see how fast I can pick up dozens of small phone pieces now that I look like a dork whose phone scatters like an egg”?

Not sure what to do with your old keyboards? Why not make an awesome, but completely harmless viper out of them. Harmless to everything but computer mice at any rate. Awesome. Totally awesome I say. The only thing better would be to use black keys and create an even larger King Cobra. Man, I would like to see one of those kids get bit. Is that wrong?

Moov is one of the coolest kids I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a DIY 4-in-1 vehicle kit for kids between 5 and 12 from Dutch company Berg. You can build a racer, a carver, a tricycle, and a scooter. It’s like combining LEGO and Erector with the big wheel.

With the large wood and plastic pieces, it’s easy enough for a kid to build and big enough to ride it down the street. Plus, they are actually learning while they play. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see add-ons for these very soon, that would pimp up the kid creations.

Do you need a camera, but your budget is tight? Have paper and some free time? Corbis can help you print out and make your own camera. They’ve released some funky templates on their Web site.

All you have to do is print out a PDF file and stick it onto a card. After you’ve followed the score lines, then cut and folded accordingly, you’ll have a neat looking camera. The real trick will be finding some 35mm film, but that’s what eBay is for. You’ll have a pinhole camera that stands apart from everyone elses. How sturdy it will be is anybody’s guess. If you do this, let us know.

Sadly, arcade games have been replaced by consoles and the like. But there’s still a whole lotta arcade love from those of us who grew up in the 70s/80s. The story goes like this. A guy goes to Japan, sees these new arcade cabinets and of course, wants one. Problem is it costs a fortune to import something that size, so he did what any geek with a toolbox would do, he built his own.

And it looks amazing too. It has a large Sony display on top, a car audio system built in, and it houses not only his PC, but a PS3, and Xbox 360 as well. Have you wet yourself yet? Good. Me too. Now, since I’m too lazy to build myself one, any volunteers?

Check out this steampunk clarinet mod, which foregoes music and adopts violence as it’s new tune. There isn’t alot of info about it, but I like to imagine that some band geek got picked on a bit too much and went all Travis Bickle while creating it. You talking to me? You must be talking to me…

Looks like it doesn’t actually fire, but is more of an art piece. I also envision a post-apocalyptic future where a trio of musicians wander the wasteland. When trouble comes, they make as if to play some music. But when they open their instrument cases…All hell breaks loose. We love the clarinet gun.

Turn signal gadgets for cyclists is nothing new, but you don’t often see them in clothing. Ph.D student Leah Buechley on the other hand, has designed several items of electronic clothing, but her signal jacket for cyclists really stands out.

LEDs are embedded in an arrow formation and they flash to indicate that you are about to turn left or right. That’s a good idea since it will warn motorists, and prevent you from becoming roadkill, which we know some rednecks eat. The LEDs are powered by the round device in the center of the jacket, which is a small, sewable computer chip that Leah also designed herself. She obviously needs to be working with clothing manufacturers.

If you want a little robot pet, here’s your ticket. Over at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, they created the odd Bristlebot robot using some odd supplies. Namely a battery, a toothbrush head, and a cell phone vibrator. Now, one of the website’s readers has combined those ideas and invented the new chipbot, which is a Bristlebot made from an old computer chip.

You know how geeks are, many of us are more likely to have an old computer chip lying around than a spare slanted toothbrush head. Basically, you just fold the chip’s pins down and slant them forward and follow the old Bristlebot instructions. Before you know it, you’ll have a speedy little geek companion.

The BattleBots concept is getting another shot, thanks to the robot loving ESPN 2 and ESPNU. The show will have a new format and an increased emphasis on the behind-the-scenes nerd stuff in the “pits” when the bots get hurt.

They’re doing away with the wedgebots and will also have more arena hazards. They will also have a new experimental class for featuring other bot types. The show was slated for June, but is being held back until November. So, if you are looking for a nerd come November, he’ll be in front of the TV. Then, shortly after, in the garage.

Here’s an interesting way to spice up your cubicle or workspace. It’s a miniature blank slate of an arcade gaming cabinet that you can decorate any damn way you please, using markers or pens or probably even paint.

You could have office contests to see who can make the coolest game machine. Of course you won’t actually be able to play it, but you can display it anywhere. You have to love the names of these products. Soopa Coin Op. Bros.? You can get the Soopa for $30.