You can build this industrial clothes rack in a weekend. We’ll show you how

Steel plumbing pipe might be one of the most versatile building materials on the planet. Along with the wide variety of wrought iron connector joints available, you can use this tubular material to create just about anything you dream up — and with little or no tools, to boot! In this project, all you have to do is screw the pieces together and do some very basic cutting and screwing.

The best part is that the mixture of steel pipe and old wood gives this clothing stand a timeless industrial aesthetic that fits nicely into a wide variety of different settings. Whether you’re looking for a clothing storage solution for your studio apartment, or you’re a retailer looking for a cool way to display your wares, this rack will not only do the trick — it’ll add a dash of  charm to your space in the process. It’s also ridiculously durable and super simple to break down for transport, making it ideal for people who move around a lot. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to build it!

Tools & Materials

Everything you need

• (3x) ½ inch steel pipe, 48 inches
• (2x) ½ inch steel pipe, 24 inches
• (8x) ½ inch steel pipe, 4 inches
• (4x) ½ inch steel pipe, 6 inches
• (8x) ½ inch cast iron pipe fitting, T-shape
• (2x) ½ inch cast iron pipe fitting, L-shape (elbow)
• (1x) ½ inch cast iron pipe fitting, coupling
• (2x) 2×8 inch board, at least 52 inches long
• (2x) plywood pieces, ¼ inch thick
• Wood screws
• Drill/driver
• Saw

Building process

Step 1: Acquire and cut the wood

This is probably the hardest part of the entire build — especially if you want to use a cool-looking piece of reclaimed hardwood like we did. Any old 2×8 board will do, but getting your hands on good reclaimed wood can sometimes be a pain. If you don’t have a good hookup for lumber, hop on Google and look for Habitat For Humanity ReStore locations in your area, as well as architectural/industrial salvage stores. Craigslist is also a good place to hunt. Once you’ve got ’em, use whatever saw you’ve got to chop ’em down to about 52 inches long. You don’t have to be exact, but you’ll want to make it a minimum of 52.

The next step is finding a piece of 1/4 inch-thick sheet wood. This can be practically anything — plywood, MDF, or even hardwood. As long as it’s between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick, you’re all good. You don’t even need to measure it, really. This wood is used to join the two main boards together from the underside. You won’t see them, so don’t worry if they’re not aesthetically pleasing. Cut both pieces to whatever dimensions you want — just make sure they’re not longer or wider than your base platform. Ours were roughly 11 inches square.

Step 2: Assemble the pipes

This is the easy part. Start with the legs. Grab six T joints and all eight 4-inch lengths of steel pipe. Assemble them as shown in the video above. Here’s a really crappy drawing to help you out.

When you’re finished assembling the legs, place them aside and switch your focus to the main rack body. Grab all of the long pipe pieces (three 48-inch pipes and two 24-inch pipes), two elbow joints, and the coupling piece. Assemble them in a big ol’ square, with the elbow pieces at the top, and the 24-inch pipes at the bottom, joined with the coupling in the middle.

Step 3: Attach the legs to the main body

This part is pretty simple, since you’re basically just screwing the leg assembly into the bottom of the main rack body — but there’s a bit more to it than just screwing around. At this point, after you’ve attached the legs, you’ll want to take a minute or two to tighten everything up. This often isn’t as simple as it seems, since twisting the pipes past a certain point requires a lot of torque, but don’t worry. If you reach a point where you can’t twist any further with just your hands, you can always screw in one of the remaining 6-inch pipe lengths to use for leverage.

Step 4: Assemble the wooden base

You’ll probably need a saw for this step, and any kind will do. Start by measuring the distance between the right and left legs on your rack base, then marking out that length on your 2″ by 8″ board(s). Generally speaking, that distance will be around 52 inches, but yours might vary slightly, so it’s best to measure first.

Next, grab your scrap wood, screws, and drill. Place your 2-inch by 8-inch boards upside down, and about 5/8 of an inch apart, so they form something that looks like a giant Kit Kat bar. Next, screw your scrap wood onto these boards to join them together. Place the scrap squares roughly 1 foot from the ends of the big boards, and drive in as many screws as you please. We used eight.

Step 5: Put it all together

At this point, you’re practically done. If you’ve followed the steps on this page, you’ll have four 6-inch lengths of pipe left. Screw them into the T-joint holes facing upward on the rack’s legs. Then, place your wooden platform on top. Boom. you’re done.

Step 6: Use it

Now all that’s left is to hang your clothes on it.

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Radinn’s second-gen electric wakeboard is faster and cheaper

Nearly three years after we first saw Radinn’s prototype electric wakeboard, the Swedish outfit is back with a redesigned version. The G2X will be on display at the Boot Düsseldorf show this week, showing off its capabilities like a swappable battery so owners don’t have to wait for a two-hour charge between 25-minute rides. Those rides will be even more exciting though, since it’s capable of 36 mph, up from 28 on the Wakejet Cruise. Better yet, the G2X is cheaper than its predecessor, with a price (before accessories like an add-on foil, “radical” upgrade to max out its top speed or additional battery packs) of 9,900 euros, or about $12,101 US.

It’s going on sale later this year, however, there will be plenty of competition. E-Surfer Magazine lists 17 different models in the segment, and there will be new hardware shown at the Boot show from Lampuga and Elektrisches Jet Surfboard.

Source: Radinn (Youtube), Radinn

Trump signs bill extending NSA’s warrantless surveillance

On Friday afternoon, just hours before Congress failed to avert a government shutdown, the President signed into law the “FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017.” The bill passed the House and Senate earlier this week with the support of many Republicans and Democrats, offering only slight adjustments to Section 702, a law that oversees the NSA’s ability to spy on “international terrorists, weapons proliferators, and other important foreign intelligence targets located outside the United States.”

However, as we learned as part of the Snowden revelations, the programs in place under that law snoop more extensively. In league with companies like (owner of Engadget’s parent company AOL) Verizon, Google, Facebook and others, it can capture or collect large amounts of internet and telephone traffic that passes through the US, along with “incidental” information on many Americans. The reauthorized version offers little in the way of change, even though Trump has claimed this law has been used to spy on his campaign and in spite of many proposals including various reforms.

The ACLU and others have argued this bill may make things worse by allowing the NSA to turn on “about” collection. As described by the ACLU: “the NSA searches through the contents of Americans’ international communications — in bulk and without a warrant — and it retains even those that are merely about its targets.”

Source: Reuters, White House, USA Today

This is the Lava Red OnePlus 5T

Lava Red OnePlus 5T is now available for purchase in India.

OnePlus has seen a meteoric growth in India over the last 18 months, with the brand dominating sales in the premium segment. There’s clearly a lot of demand for the manufacturer’s phones, and the brand is doing its part to cater to that demand by rolling out new color options. We’ve seen that last month with the gorgeous Star Wars-themed variant of the 5T, and now the company is launching the Lava Red color option in India.

The Lava Red OnePlus 5T is now up for sale on Amazon India for ₹37,999 ($595), the same price as the regular model. That’s for the variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The Midnight Black option of the 5T was rather subdued, but that’s not the case with the Lava Red variant. The bright red hue interspersed with the maroon antenna lines at the top and bottom makes the phone look rather striking, and the matte finish makes the color pop. And unlike Apple, OnePlus has opted to go with a black faceplate at the front, which looks much better.

With the Star Wars edition of the OnePlus 5T already sold out, the Lava Red is the only other option available if you’re looking for a variant aside from the standard Midnight Black. It’s an easy choice to make.

To coincide with the release of the Lava Red OnePlus 5T, the company has announced that it is launching a second offline store in India, this time in Mumbai. The OnePlus experience hub in Irla, Vile Parle will give customers the ability to go hands-on with the brand’s latest products, and as an added bonus, everyone purchasing a OnePlus phone from the offline store will receive the Bullet V2 earphones for free.

OnePlus partnered with Croma at the end of last year to bring its devices to the large format retailer, and OnePlus India general manager Vikas Agarwal said that the launch of its second authorized store is another way for customers to engage with the brand:

Customer satisfaction has always been at the core of OnePlus’ strategy. The new ‘OnePlus Authorized Store’ is designed to complement our online first business strategy and also attract new users while serving as a destination for our fast-growing community to experience and purchase OnePlus products.

The Lava Red OnePlus 5T will be sold in limited quantities, so if you’re interested in the handset, best act fast.

See at Amazon India

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Disney hires former Apple, Samsung exec for its streaming service

As Disney prepares for its streaming service that’s launching next year, Variety reports it has snagged an executive to run operations. Kevin Swint (LinkedIn) worked at Apple for five years, eventually running its iTunes movies business worldwide, before managing content and launching Milk Video at Samsung. Now, as the SVP and GM of Disney’s BAMTech Media company, he’ll be in charge of creating and running the company’s new Netflix competitor.

The new service will be home to Disney’s new releases from 2019 on, including Star Wars and Marvel flicks, and could add considerable additional content if its purchase of Fox becomes official. We don’t have many details about it yet, however, CEO Bob Iger said during an earnings call that at launch, it will be priced cheaper than Netflix.

Source: Variety

Want your free stuff? Here’s how to redeem a code on your PS4

Sony uses 12-digit codes to distribute prepaid access to everything from games to DLC, movies to memberships, and even PlayStation Network store credit. If you’ve just opened up a new PlayStation 4, there is a pretty good chance you will have a few codes to redeem — digital games bundled with the console, a PlayStation Plus trial membership, or maybe a PSN gift card with funds to load onto your account. Luckily, redeeming codes on PSN is painless, and there are a few ways to do it. Here’s how to redeem a code on your PS4.

Redeem your codes on your PS4

Step 1: Open the PlayStation Store.

Step 2: Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose “Redeem Codes.”

Step 3: Press “X” to open an on-screen keyboard.

Step 4: Enter the 12-digit code. Just the numbers and letters, don’t add the hyphens.

Step 5: Press R2 or click “Done” when finished.

Step 6: Press “Continue.”

Step 7: Click confirm to finish redeeming the content showed on the left side of the screen.

Step 8: On the next screen, you can download your new content (if applicable).

Redeem your codes on the web

Step 1: Go to PlayStation.

Step 2: Click “Sign In” in the upper right-hand corner. Enter your email/password associated with your PlayStation account.

Step 3: Hover your cursor over “PS Store,’ and click on “Browse the Store.”

Step 4: Move your mouse over your PSN ID — located in the upper right hand corner of the screen — and choose “Redeem Codes.”

Step 5: Enter the 12-digit code. If your PlayStation 4 is powered on, you can initiate the download straight from your PC. If not, you can access the new content the next time you turn on your console.

Redeem your codes with the PlayStation app

The PlayStation smartphone app on iOS and Android also lets you redeem codes for your PlayStation 4. The app is free on both Google Play and the App Store. Once downloaded and launched, touch the PlayStation logo at the bottom-center of the screen. Three rows of icon options will appear. “Redeem Codes” will be located four from the left on the top row.

There is one major perk of redeeming codes on the app: You don’t actually have to type the code in. Using your smartphone’s camera, simply position the code inside the window in the center of your camera frame, and the app will detect and enter the code.If you don’t want to use your camera, though, you can still type in your code in at this time.

Either way, press “enter” once you’ve input the code. It’s that easy.

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Rise of the machines: Here are the best robots we saw at CES 2018

Robots always have a big presence at CES, but this year that presence was bigger and more noticeable than ever before. The CEA dedicated a massive chunk of showfloor space at the Las Vegas Convention Center exclusively to robotics companies this year, and as such, there were tons of amazing bots on display. Here’s a quick roundup of some of our favorites. Enjoy!

Laundroid

This one is something we can all get behind. It’s a robot that folds your clothes for you. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, despite being relatively simple for us humans, folding laundry is actually an immensely difficult task for robots. To manage this feat, Laundroid uses advanced AI and an array of cameras to analyze each individual garment, determine its shape/size/orientation, and then figure out how to fold it properly. It’s not particularly quick, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Unfortunately, it also costs $16,000.

Motobot 2

When the Motobot project was first announced in 2015, Yamaha’s goal was to create a machine that would be capable of “visualizing data about human motorcycle operation, further quantifying the relationship between rider input and machine behavior, and then using the resulting know-how to build even better vehicles.” Now that we’re in 2018, Yamaha has not only achieved that goal, but also created a second generation of the bot. This time, the Motobot’s goal is to defeat seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi in a timed lap around a track. That’s a pretty epic matchup if you ask us.

Root

Robots that teach you how to code are a dime a dozen these days. Most are just a slightly different take on the same exact idea, but Root is special. Of all the coding robots we have ever seen, it’s arguably one of the best. Why? Well, in addition to being outrageously simple and intuitive to use, it is also designed to teach you more than just the basics. It’s a full-spectrum, interactive coding teacher that can take you from beginner (or intermediate) to seasoned pro — all at your own pace.

Scrabble bot

Chessbots are so 1996. Here in 2018, we have robots that can play Scrabble — and when we say “play,” we don’t mean move digital pieces inside a computer simulation. I mean actually picking up letter tiles (or in this case, blocks) with robotic arms, and placing them on a physical board. The robotic movement is really the easiest part though. The hard part is analyzing all the letters on the board, running through all possible letter combinations, guessing which pieces the opponent likely has, and playing a word that not only earns a high point value — but also sets up future moves.

Loomo

Loomo is the latest contraption from Ninebot — the company that acquired Segway in 2015. It’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a robotics company that owns Segway, because, well, it’s basically just a robot brain that rides around on two self-balancing wheels like some sort of dystopian mall cop. It’s actually kind of nifty, though. You can spin the robot’s head and ride it around like a normal Segway, then hop off, spin the head back around to wake up the robot, and have it follow you around autonomously while you’re not riding. We’d be lying if we said we didn’t want one.

Forpheus

If you followed DT’s CES 2018 coverage at all, you’ve probably seen this one before. The robot, which was created by an industrial automation company called Omron, is designed to showcase the company’s robotics and artificial intelligence technology by playing ping pong. Here’s how it works: After you serve the ball, the robot uses cameras and machine vision algorithms to track the ball and predict its trajectory. The robot then uses its robotic arms to swing the paddle and hit the ball back to you. This all happens in real time, and it’s nothing short of amazing. We actually got a chance to play against it for a few minutes, so if you’d like to read more about an epic man-vs-machine ping pong battle, you know where to go.

ARMAR-6

ARMAR-6 is a humanoid warehouse robot designed by the UK’s online supermarket Ocado. Unlike most robots, it doesn’t have a super specific set of skills, and is instead designed to be a multi-purpose assistant for human workers. “The ultimate goal is for the robot to use machine learning and computer vision to scan its surrounding environment and identify tasks it could help with,” an Ocado executive told Digital Trends. “So, for example, if it observes a technician attempting to change a panel and requiring a set of tools, it will come and offer its assistance — either by holding the panel for the engineer or grabbing the various tools that are needed.”  Future iterations of the bo will also be equipped with Alexa-style speech recognition systems, allowing conversations between the robot and the humans it works with.

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New Nova miniseries will explore puzzling science mysteries

The Boston public access station WGBH has partnered with PBS for another short series in its long-running Nova family of programs. Nova Wonder will follow three researchers exploring big scientific mysteries. The first of the miniseries’ six episodes airs on PBS on Wednesday, April 28th, with a new one every week.
Each episode tackles a different complex question: Do animals have a secret language? Which AI technologies could surpass human abilities? How ethical is it to grow life in a lab? The show will go deep in the sea and peer into outer space to find answers.

But more notable is the refreshingly young and diverse trio of hosts who practice leading scientific methods and technologies. mathematician and statistician Talithia Williams uses data models to analyze environmental and human biological info, while computer scientist Rana el Kaliouby specializes in emotion recognition tech and neuroscientist André Fenton specializes in the biology of memory.

“What is so unique about NOVA Wonders—and what distinguishes it from the original NOVA series—is the emphasis on unanswered questions,” said Julia Cort, Executive Producer, NOVA Wonders. “We’re riding along with researchers who are pushing the envelope on our knowledge about the universe and ourselves. They don’t have all the answers, but the thrill is in the journey and trying to solve a mystery for the very first time.”

Source: Broadcasting Cable

Aereo-like NYC nonprofit Locast streams local TV for free

A nonprofit is bringing local broadcast television to the online masses for free, but who knows how long that will last. The organization, Sports Fans Coalition, launched the streaming site Locast.org on January 11th, letting anyone in New York City’s five boroughs watch content from 15 local channels without paying a dime — at least until the lawsuits start flying.

That’s because a similar service, Aereo, tried to snag over-the-air TV broadcasts and stream them as their own $8 per month subscription service. The Supreme Court deemed that illegal for violating copyright law back in 2014, and Aereo shut down. Locast may run afoul of that argument since it’s technically live-broadcasting other channels’ content without their approval. But it’s otherwise different, only providing local channels to users in New York City, streaming content for free (though they encourage minimal donations to cover costs) and operating as a nonprofit. The Locast team believes the site performs a public service:

“You wouldn’t guess it from the size of your cable or satellite bill, but over-the-air broadcast was always supposed to be free to the public. Even if you try to get that over-the-air signal using a regular indoor antenna, that often doesn’t work if you live in a basement apartment or somewhere else the signal can’t reach,” states Locast’s site. “You deserve unfettered access to your local broadcast. We’re here to give it to you.”

In the Sports Fans Coalition’s view, Locast operates like a traditional relay station, sending over-the-air broadcast signals only to New Yorkers. David Goodfriend, cofounder of the new service, told Bloomberg that Locast should be able to legally retransmit broadcasts thanks to a part of US federal copyright law that permits nonprofits to do so without the approval of stations or owners. This section was added in the 1970s to assist folks living in places with bad reception, Bloomberg pointed out. Locast is just gathering broadcasts using an antenna in Long Island and retransmitting them online.

Goodfriend is a law professor at Georgetown, former executive at Dish Network and was a legal adviser to the FCC. In fact, while there, he urged the agency to eliminate a rule barring local broadcasting of NFL games that weren’t sold out, Bloomberg reported: In other words, he’s not walking into this issue blindly, and ‘expects an angry call from lawyers at CBS or NBC any day now.’

Source: Locast.org

Oculus VR’s Rift Core 2.0 update is now available to everyone

Oculus VR recently made one of its biggest updates to its virtual reality user experience available to everyone, not just those on its test platforms. The Rift Core 2.0 update improves performance and stability of the Rift VR experience, but perhaps more crucially has several quality-of-life upgrades that should make the VR experience of Oculus Rift users much more satisfying.

Although Oculus initially made the Rift Core 2.0 update available through its Public Test Channel in December, with some additional tweaks brought to bear, it’s now made it accessible to all Rift users. While Oculus Home will still be the default setting for those stepping into Oculus’ virtual world, users can now easily enable the new update through the settings menu, according to RoadToVR.

For first time users who haven’t tried out Rift Core 2.0 yet, they can expect some nice performance upgrades and a newly customizable Home space that lets you tweak your VR surroundings as you see fit. It also introduced Dash, a new in-app menu that makes it easier to run applications and change apps (including SteamVR games) while within VR. Beyond that though, this January update fixes a few niggling issues brought to light by beta testers over the past few weeks.

‘Locking’ items in the Home space will now be possible, meaning users won’t knock their finely placed objects and VR household items once placed down. The update also makes it easier to access your VR applications from within Home and it now has a more interactive wishlist feature, so when games and VR apps you want go on sale, you can find out about it via VR notifications.

An out-of-VR improvement that has been much requested since the Oculus Rift first went on sale is the installation customization feature. Now users can decide where their VR titles are installed, rather than in a default C: drive location. That should make it easier to install VR apps on specific drives or partitions, for those who prefer to separate out their software.

For those who are concerned about how long they’re spending in VR, or want to brag about the number of hours, each Oculus application now has its own playtime tracker, so you can much more easily estimate how far you’ve gone to becoming an entirely virtual entity.

For more information and links to where you can provide your own feedback on the update, check out the Oculus blog post.

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