Teen's amazing DIY Iron Man suit is superhero chic

On his Blackout Props Facebook page, Archie Whitehead introduces himself, saying, "Hi! I'm 17 and have just got into special effects, props, and costumes." By "just got into," he actually means, "I just build an awesome wearable Iron Man suit from scratch while you were busy surfing cat videos online."

The materials for the suit alone cost around $500. Some portions of the costume are made from foam rubber. Automotive spray paint gives it the glossy, just-built-by-a-billionaire look. Battle scars across the helmet hint at some epic conflict. It took several months to put the costume together.… Read more

Make your portable hard drive faster by upgrading to USB 3.0

The most common portable hard drives have USB 2.0 connections, which are great for compatibility, but terrible for performance. If you have an old USB 2.0 portable hard drive, you can increase its transfer rates by upgrading it to USB 3.0. For as little as $15, you can double your drive's real-world performance. Here's how:

Disclaimer: Opening your portable hard drive's enclosure will likely void your warranty. It's also possible that you'll damage the original enclosure and or the internal hard drive. We recommend you back up any data that may be … Read more

Steampunk AT-AT is a labor of 'Star Wars' love

When is an AT-AT not an AT-AT? When it's Captain Bayley's Infernal Mechano-Perambulator. The captain (also known as Mark), created a steampunk AT-AT out of a vintage toy. It's the details that amaze.

You could get lost in the depths of this steamy tribute to the famous "Star Wars" machine. There's a smoke stack blowing out fluffy clouds of fake smoke. The finish is done in a weathered-copper look. By golly, is that a lightsaber-esque unicorn horn on top of the nose? Mossy plant life hanging from the mouth makes this AT-AT look a lot friendlier than the killing machines from the movies.… Read more

In New York, 3D printing finally gets its day in the sun

NEW YORK--Guitars. Skulls. Bracelets. Colorful heads. And so much more.

That was what was on display at the Inside 3D Printing event here today, a celebration of all things 3D printing, and one of the first-ever professional events dedicated solely to the decades-old technology that has been taking the world by storm over the last few years.

Just about ever leading company in the field was on hand, from 3D Systems to MakerBot to Stratasys, and many others. And hundreds of people packed the event hall, eager to see the latest machines, and hear from some of the leaders in … Read more

Home networking explained, part 6: Keep your network secure

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series. For the other parts, check out the related stories section below.

If you were concerned after reading CNET's recent report that most home routers can be easily hacked, I don't blame you. The study did sound ominous, but the good news is that your network is likely far less susceptible than the report suggests. And more importantly, there are things you can do to make sure it's secure.

Two things are vital to keeping your network safe: proper settings and prudence. The first step is easy; you … Read more

'Tornado Junkies' try to build twister-proof van

What would happen if you could take "The A-Team" and "Storm Chasers" and put them together in a blender? You'd get something like Tornado Junkies.

As their name suggests, this trio of young men are crazy about tornadoes. So crazy they think they can build a tornado-proof van.

Yes, this $5,000 Kickstarter project wants your money to build an armor-plated Ford to carry these Des Moines dudes down Tornado Alley chasing twisters. … Read more

Play 15 classic consoles with one controller

It's called Project Unity, and it's been the labor of love for the modder known as Bacteria. It's taken three years and 3,500 hours of work, but it's finally done.

Unity houses the original circuit boards from 15 classic consoles, all powered by a single PSU and outputting via a single Scart cable.

Most clever of all is the single master gamepad designed by Bacteria. The controller actually takes a custom-built cartridge, which maps out the control interface for the required system. So, to play a PlayStation 2 game, for example, you plug the PS2 cartridge into the gamepad and it'll behave like the appropriate controller. … Read more

Watch: How to make your own working 'Iron Man' armor

Have you ever dreamed of being Tony Stark, with the ability to turn your body into a machine? Well, you now might just have the chance to be part robot, or at least the ability to create your own repulsor.

Advancer Technologies uses electromyography to help fans of the "Iron Man" movies have their very own hand armor. This type of science is typically used to test the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. The glove is controlled by the wearer simply flexing and relaxing their forearm muscles. … Read more

Amazing dad builds son a spaceship simulator

When it comes to make-believe, kids are pretty canny -- a simple refrigerator box can fly them to the moon. But inspired by physicists and educators Neil deGrasse Tyson and Carl Sagan, one dad has gone above and beyond in getting his son into space.

Before Noah was born, Daniel Sherrouse was already planning the spaceship simulator he would build to instill in Noah a love of the stars. "When my wife told me she was pregnant, I slammed my fist down on the table and said 'Gosh darn it, my kid is going to have a better life than me!'" … Read more