If you’ve ever seen the movie Castaway you know that Chuck Noland, the character Tom Hanks played, existed on coconut meat for quite some time before getting back to civilization. When I look at this cool amp with coconut shell cover created by Steve Lodefink it makes me wonder what parts of the movie they edited out.

Did Chuck have any rhythm? Did he make percussion instruments out of the other coconuts? Do you think the first Guitar Hero game might have been created on Gilligan’s Island? Perhaps they made instruments out of palm fronds and rope from the boat to put on a show! Discuss amongst yourselves… and see more fun photos of Steve’s tinkering over on his Flickr stream.

[via MAKE]

Oh man, is it still Valentine’s day? I would have completely forgotten if I hadn’t seen this awesome handmade cross stitch Mario card from the rubbishknitter.

Sadly, this crafty goodness was made for someone special and isn’t for sale, but I wonder if I could get a special one made for next year if I get my act together now… I think my sweetheart would be most impressed!

[via Sprite Stitch]

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Crocheted by Flickr member SheriB626, the handmade throw is plenty big enough to cover up even the most die-hard couch potato. Sheri describes the intricately crafted blanket as “My most epic project to date. Made for someone I loved very much, who then broke my heart. The only thing I asked him to give back was this. Damn straight.”

It’s a sad tale of love, loss, heartbreak and video games… and of course Sheri gets extra points for using my favorite word, “Epic”. Sheri, I’m sure there’s a dedicated Tetris fan somewhere out there who will truly appreciate your efforts and never leave you for Columns or Lumines.

Crocheted by Flickr member SheriB626, the handmade throw is plenty big enough to cover up even the most die-hard couch potato. Sheri describes the intricately crafted blanket as “My most epic project to date. Made for someone I loved very much, who then broke my heart. The only thing I asked him to give back was this. Damn straight.”

It’s a sad tale of love, loss, heartbreak and video games… and of course Sheri gets extra points for using my favorite word, “Epic”. Sheri, I’m sure there’s a dedicated Tetris fan somewhere out there who will truly appreciate your efforts and never leave you for Columns or Lumines.

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Ever wonder what a Mario game would have looked like if it came out on the Atari 2600 instead of the NES? The guys over at Geekstir dug up this great clip which shows off what that serious visual downgrade would have done for the game.

Imagine a world where you can barely make out the difference between the blocky little plumber and his squared off foes. Beavertron Entertainment’s re-imagining of the classic Super Mario Brothers does a pretty good simulating what the 2600 version might have looked like.

While it’s not perfectly accurate (there’s no way the 2600 could have produced those original NES sounds or the relatively crisp text at the top of the screen), but it’s still fun to watch.

Next up, Bioshock on the VIC-20.

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If you’re way too addicted to those Guitar Hero games, you’ve got a couple of new ways to keep it with you wherever you go. A few days back, I brought you that pint-sized pocket GH LCD game. But you probably can’t take that into the conference room at work without somebody hearing you rock out. So if you need to get your game on, but must do it in silence, check out this great Guitar Hero t-shirt.

Featuring the stylized body of the famous red Gibson SG electric guitar, the shirt lets strum and whammy without making a sound (unless, of course, you make funny mouth sounds whenever you play air guitar). Sure, people around you might think that incessantly caressing your belly is a little odd, but who really cares?

You can find the Guitar Hero t-shirt from istheshiRt for €23,90 (appx. $35 USD).

[via Fashionably Geek]

I think some of us in the world would be likely to 1) get frustrated and/or 2) discard a broken handheld electronic game pretty quickly if we couldn’t fix it. Or is it just me? Whatever the answer is, I know the resourceful Josh Burker would bust a different move. Check out how he modified an old Nintendo Game Boy into a fun shadowbox art piece! He removed the guts from the case and crafted a smaller scale version of a Super Mario papercraft diorama wall he found, et voila! (Almost) instant art!

Read more about this clever example of recycling/upcycling right here.

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A little while back, I told you guys about a nifty coffee mug that could automatically change states from “on” to “off” when a hot beverage hit its surface. While that mug turned out to be insanely popular, many of you pointed out the fact that a simple change in the design to read “hot / cold” would make infinitely more sense. Well ask, and ye shall receive.

The gang over at Charles & Marie listened to your feedback, and have worked with Dutch designer Damien O’Sullivan to produce a new version of the minimal black-and-white mug that says “cold” when it’s cold, and “hot” when it’s hot. It’s amazing how one small text change can really make such a difference. Heck, just the utility of knowing when that coffee that’s been sitting in there all day long is cold as ice should be enough to merit the $25 price tag. 

Charles & Marie is now offering the Hot/Cold mug on a pre-order basis now, so if you want one, you’d better head on over and place your order. They should start shipping in about three weeks.

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Look at this fun squeezy Mac plush toy, made by talented crafter Maitreya over at craftlog. The idea was borne out of a need for a baby shower gift for a computer scientist and bioinformaticist. Being a nostalgic girl and Apple fan, the idea to make this old school design came naturally to her.

Bonus: this was a patternless, freestyle creation. And since her kitty wouldn’t leave the computer alone, Maitreya made a lolcat out of him!

I think that hand-embroidered, multi-colored Apple logo down in the bottom left corner proves that it was made with love. What a special baby gift!

[via Craft]

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Check out these fun Gameboy plush toys I came across in my recent Web travels. Featuring a whimsical, cartoony take on the classic hand-held gaming system, they’re the perfect gift for the Nintendo Fanboy or Fangirl in your life.

Created by Wisconsin crafter KungFuCowgirl, each of the squishy game systems has its own unique personality, thanks to the slight variations in each handmade Gameboy.

They measure in at just a wee-bit bigger than an original Gameboy and come in red, yellow, green, pink or teal. They cost just $14 bucks a piece (so why not buy a bunch?) You can find ‘em over on Etsy.

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While it might not be the most convenient USB drive to carry around in your pocket, this bomb-shaped memory device is sure to draw stares sitting on your desk.

Designed by Mexico City industrial designer Joel Escalona, the USB bomb should keep your data safe, since its design is likely to deter to anybody who might have thoughts of stealing it, lest they might get blown to smithereens. The device looks like one of those bombs that Wile E. Coyote might have purchased from the ACME catalog, or maybe from those old Spy vs. Spy cartoons in MAD magazine.

As an added bonus, it’s big enough to house either a ton of flash memory or a hard drive, given its oversize design. At this point, it’s still just a prototype, but I’d certainly buy one.

[via pan-dan]

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