By Andrew Liszewski

You can say what you want about cartridge-based consoles, but I’d like to see someone cram an Xbox 360 or a PS3 into a DVD one day. Inspired by Ben Heck’s creations and a modder named Kotomi, Instructables contributor dany32412 used an ‘NES on a chip’ (NOAC) harvested from a Chinese Famicom knockoff to create his own retro homage to 80′s gaming. And what’s an electronic homebrew creation these days without an Arduino mixed in there somewhere, so here one is used to interface the standard NES controllers with the NOAC. It doesn’t look like the easiest mod for a novice, but his Instructable provides enough steps and instructions for an experienced modder to build their own.

[ Instructables - NES in a Cartridge ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s been a while since we’ve brought you a Fishtank Friday post, but we’re making up for the long break with a real doozy. After a visit to the Blackpool Aquarium when he was 10 years old, Jack Heathcote, who’s now 37, has had a lifelong obsession with fish which led him to convert the cellar of his Nottingham home into the largest private aquarium in Britain.

The tank measures 12 1/2 feet by 12 feet 8 inches by 7 feet and holds 4,800 gallons of water. When it’s time to change the water, which usually involves replacing about 1,200 gallons, the process takes around 6 hours just to re-fill it. All-in-all the aquarium, which Jack has to clean by literally diving in the tank using an access panel in the living room upstairs, cost him about $8,000 (£5,000) to build. And that probably includes the cost of the actual aquatic wildlife like the 8 stingrays, 2 turtles and large collection of other massive fish that I’m going to assume need more than a sprinkling of fish flakes every day to stay fed.

[ The Daily Mail - A plaice of his own: Fish fan turns cellar into Britain's biggest home aquarium ] VIA [ Make ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Most chemical-based pimple treatments are designed with a ‘use overnight’ mentality when no one can see your face covered in dots of cream. But this no!no! Skin alternative just uses heat and light delivered via a handheld device that can be used anywhere and anytime you’ve got about 30 seconds to spare. You just place the pointed end against a pimple, push the button, and wait 10 seconds for it to do its thing. After you hear 2 beeps you remove it, wait 5 seconds, and then treat it again for another 10. The ‘how it works’ and what it’s actually doing unfortunately sounds a little snake oil-esque, but I’ll admit I’m not a dermatologist, and these treatment techniques could actually be quite effective.

As P.acnes (Propionibacterium) reproduce, colonies form and release the seeds of their own destruction, a chemical known as porphyrin. no!no! Skin pin points the pimple with flashes of a broad-spectrum light and gentle waves of heat that penetrate into the blocked pore. Optimal light wavelengths, especially green and red, penetrate deep into the follicle to target the P.acnes. Green light makes the porphyrin molecules release a lone oxygen molecule called a radical. The oxygen radicals attack the P.acnes and destroy the bacterium. Red light produces anti-inflammatory results and reduces the painful, unsightly swelling. Additional heat intensifies the process and gently opens the pores to release the clog and further soothe the inflammation.

At $180 though I’d like to know for sure if the no!no! Skin delivered on its claims before dropping that much money.

[ no!no! Skin Pimple Treatment ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Ok, so it’s not exactly a technological break-through on par with space travel or even the phone you’ve got in your pocket. But if you hate it when people slam toilet seats as much as I do, particularly in the middle of the night, you’ll be thanking the engineers over at KOHLER. Their ‘Transitions’ elongated toilet seat features the company’s “Quiet-Close” technology which ensures the seat doesn’t come slamming down with a loud crash that will annoy/waken everyone in the house. Or more importantly, just me.

The Transitions toilet seat will also appeal to families with little ones in the house since it features a smaller child ring that can be flipped down making it safer for kids to use the toilet. I’m not sure how comfortable it would be using the adult ring while the contoured child ring is flipped up as a backrest, but quick release-hinges also make it easy to remove as needed. $96.75, available directly from KOHLER.

[ KOHLER Transitions Toilet Seat with Q3 Advantage ] VIA [ GadgetGrid ]