Project: Paper-Clone (via Craft)

Frenzy writes -

Zines are self published materials with short print runs. Zines can be about anything from your favorite band to what you did on your summer vacation. The world of Zine making is a largely underground. Zines are a perfect way to express ideas or feelings that are not fit for the main stream due to their personal content or unpopular ideas. Zines are the fastest way for writers and artists to produce self published works. This guide seeks to give aspiring Zinesters not only tips to produce their first zine but gives some background on zine culture and how to get their zines out into the world

ModMischief was inspired by Urban Outfitter's vinyl bookends and made a pair of her own in about 5 MINUTES. (Gotta love that kind of project!) All you need to make a set is a couple of LPs or even singles, if your books are the pocketbook size, a pot of boiling water and a block of wood, which is optional.

To see the entire tute, head on over to Instructables.

Ten years ago, many of us assumed that ebooks would make traditional books obsolete. While more of us are going paperless these days, we'll always have a soft spot for paper books and the shelves that hold them. There's something so viscerally satisfying about walking into a room lined with books of all colors and sizes. Part of their appeal is the wide array of storage and display options we choose to put them on. These incredible bookshelf designs not only store your books; they add a touch of style and character to your home.

Hug Your Books

(images via: LikeCool)

For people who really love their books, the Movement book storage system lets you give them love even when you're not around. Pegs in the shape of arms and legs to into the wall, then books sit on the legs and enjoy the warm embrace of the arms. This may not be the wisest solution for a large collection, but it looks ideal for displaying just a few well-loved favorites.

Wokka Wokka Wokka

(image via: Mirko Ginepro Design)

Just about everyone will instantly recognize the simple yellow face of Pac-Manbut for legal purposes, this version is called Puckman. The bright yellow bookcase hangs on the wall, holding anything you need it to and adding a definite sense of nostalgia to anyone who spent hours playing the classic game. The hilarious Puckman bookcase might eat your TV, but he'll keep you safe from the Ghosty Lamps also made by Ginepro Design.

A Case for War?

(images via: Dornob)

Inspired by global events related to missile tests, the designer behind Daniel Loves Objects created these amazing bookshelves. Carried upon the backs of tiny golden toy soldiers, the cases bear images of missiles and numerous copies of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Part art, part political commentary, and all outstanding design, these shelves would be ideal both for storing your tomes and for starting conversations.

Moving Literature

(image via: David Garcia Studio)

These two designs from David Garcia playfully twist our perceptions of reading. The first, Archive I, is a balanced library: the reader's chair is elevated, and the library has to be at least as heavy as the reader for the chair to remain in its heightened position. The round library, Archive II, is a throwback to the traveling libraries of days gone by: a simple concept that invites users to take their library with them as they explore the world with a book in hand.

Hardware-Free, Customizable Storage

(images via: J1 Studio)

If you frequently get tired of your existing furniture and long for a change of pace, the T.Shelf (short for triangle shelf) might be just the thing to keep your book storage furniture interesting. The pieces are held together with nothing more than steel cables and zip ties, so no hardware or tools are needed to assemble a personalized shelving configuration. Take them apart and reassemble them when the mood strikes or when new pieces of furniture require the shelving to morph into a different shape.

Expand Your Library

(image via: Yanko Design)

Small-space dwellers can appreciate the need for furniture that gets smaller when necessary but is able to grow as space allows. The Twin Bookshelf does just that, with stationary shelves in both halves of the case and a third set of shelves that appear when the two sides of the cabinet are pulled apart. It's a simple but brilliant solution for adding more space as a book collection grows.

A Bibliophile's Dream

(images via: Dornob and Triptyque)

Waking up to walls full of books every morning is every bibliophile's dream. But how do you make the shelves fit your living space? These clever solutions both involve massive built-in bookcases that cover almost every wall. The first is a small-home solution from DBD design + built studio and consists of custom-cut, built-in-place bookshelves that make use of every available inch of area. The bottom design was built in a rather large living area by Triptyque. Though the sizes of the spaces differ, the idea is the same: to provide more than enough space to store every last book, record and knick knack on organically undulating surfaces.

Soft Shelves

(images via: made in design)

Who says book shelves have to be rigid wooden or metal structures? This soft hammock-like hanging bookshelf cradles your books and magazines with all the care you'd expect from fabric, while the expandable structure divides a room or just provides some wonderfully unique visual interest.

Clamp Down on Your Faves

(image via: DesignSpotter)

The Newton Bookshelf is a great way to display just a handful of perennial favorites without taking up the whole apartment. Devised from an old clamp, the Newton attaches to the wall and simply squeezes your stack of books in place.

Along Came a Spider

(image via: Trendhunter)

This stunning spider web-like bookshelf was the focal point of an exhibit at Art Basel in December 2008. The simple black lines and geometric patterns might not go in every home, but the book collection would certainly be the centerpiece of any home with a storage system like this.

Bear-ly Reading

(image via: made in design)

Not every home would look great with a big white polar bear in it, but for the home with a safari room this bookshelf is right on the money. The large, adorable bear-shaped shelves hold books and other objects while proclaiming to the world that you care about the dwindling polar bear population.

Read + Roll

(images via: Dornob)

What do you get when you combine bookcases, comfy seats and wheels? You get portable storage that doubles as a relaxing reading space. These designs, both from Nils Holger Moorman, let you follow (or avoid) the sun by moving your reading space around to the optimal location. The lounge chair even comes with a built-in lamp, further enhancing the portable reading experience.

No Reading at the Dinner Table!

(images via: Minotti Italia)

Those of us who grew up with a book semi-permanently attached to our hands have heard the above proclamation millions of times. But the ex-libris table design defies parental orders and encourages reading at the table. The bookshelf legs provide ample storage for any and every book you could possibly need while dining; cookbooks would be an especially wonderful (if slightly obvious) choice for this setting.

A Monument to Reading

(images via: Fitting)

If reading is much more than just a casual hobby for you, it makes sense to erect a monument to your books. These massive silver pyramid bookshelves are fit for pharaohs or anyone with a home large enough to accommodate them.

A Case For All Seasons

(images via: Modern Design Blog)

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, these clever tree-shaped bookshelves would look great all year 'round. Smaller objects or magazines could occupy the top levels while larger tomes would be relegated to the bottom, and when the holidays roll around you can simply replace the books with ornaments or gifts for a needle-free tree.

Knock it Down!

(image via: Treehugger)

Moving frequently can be hard on bookshelves, as anyone who has ever tried to disassemble and reassemble an Ikea bookshelf can attest to. But the Knockdown Bookcase is meant to be taken down and rebuilt over and over again with no tools and no hassle. The pieces simply slot together, so you can go from a box full of pieces to a fully assembled bookshelf in literally minutes.

Let Me Spell it Out For You

(images via: Yanko Design)

You know the kind of person who prints out labels for everything in their home? This is the bookshelf for them. The shelf is actually made of letters that spell out the word shelf, leaving absolutely no doubt as to what that thing hanging on the wall might be.

Stick Em Up

(images via: Henry Julier)

You can't always fit a large bookshelf into a living area, so Henry Julier designed the Magneto shelving system: each piece of wood contains super-strong neodymium magnets that allow the shelves to stick to fridges, whiteboards or other surfaces. They may not be strong enough to hold up your entire book collection, but they're perfect for sticking a few up here and there.

You Can Take It With You

(image via: Design You Trust)

One of the best things about having a sizable book collection is sharing it with friends and family. This mobile bookcase design lets you do more than that: you can haul your books around behind you, becoming your own mobile library. Quitante, by estudio, is a simple design consisting of fruit crates, cargo straps, plywood and castors and it's completely brilliant.

Catch Them on the Flipside

(image via: Instructables)

If you're the DIY type, and you have a sense of humor about your books, this unconventional storage solution might be just your thing. Without harming your books, you can create a fun upside-down shelf to display them and you can even use the bottom of the shelf for storing other objects: double your fun!

Dog-Gone Handy Storage

(images via: Yanko Design)

The Pack of Dogs bookshelves are all made in different materials and all represent dogs of different breeds and positions, but they all have one thing in common: they're unfailingly loyal while holding your reading material

Super Mario Furniture

(images via: Neatorama)

Every geek should have at least one video game-themed piece of furniture. These amazing Super Mario Brothers shelves aren't available commercially; they were a DIY project and reside in a very lucky person's home.

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15 (More!) Creative Bookcases & Book Storage Solutions

There will always be a place for books in our lives - and in our homes. These 15 creative bookcases take outrageous storage to the next level... storageous? 8 Comments - Click Here to Read More

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15 (More!) Unusually Brilliant Book Shelving Systems: Creative and Modular Urban Furniture

Everything from cozy chairs and strange figures to suspended hangers and adjustable modules. 32 Comments - Click Here to Read More

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Gummi Bear surgeries(heart transplant, brain transplant...) by Instructables member fungus amungus.

For every Apple enthusiast who sees utter perfection in the sleek, modern lines of the iPhone, there's someone who sees it as the ideal opportunity for customization and self-expression. Whether you'd like to cover up that smooth plastic exterior with some goofy hand-sewn felt, add a case with its own built-in flash or make it self-sufficient with an incorporated solar panel, these 15 fun iPhone skins and cases definitely add personality and function.

Chocolate Bar iPhone Case

(image via: varologic)

Just in case your appetite for chocolate isn't already big enough, you can make it even harder to resist with the Chocolate Style Silicone case. With a texture that looks and feels like real chocolate, this iPhone case will get your stomach growling every time your phone rings.

Rotary iPhone

(image via: craziest gadgets)

Not everyone digs the sleek and shiny aesthetics of modern gadgets even though they like the gadgets themselves. This handmade felt case, spotted on Etsy, gives fans of retro style a fun rotary exterior to look at while maintaining all of those essential modern functions.

Trompe l'Oeil Camera Skin

(image via: iphonestuff)

Many a photographer has begrudgingly admitted that the iPhone can actually take pretty cool pictures, but that doesn't mean they're ever going to abandon actual cameras. However, photography enthusiasts might get a kick out of this realistic-looking iPhone skin, which almost makes it look like the real thing.

Factron Changeable-Lens Camera iPhone Case

(image via: olivia munn)

If you're a photographer who would prefer to go beyond mere decoration and actually improve your iPhone's photo-taking abilities, perhaps this case is for you if you can get beyond the bulk and the $200 price tag. Interchangeable fish eye, wide-angle and close-up lenses attach to a metal and leather exterior that gives the light plastic iPhone quite a bit of extra heft.

Modern Sheet Metal Case

(image via: yanko design)

Sexy or ugly? Opinions vary greatly, but either way, this sleek steel iPhone case certainly gets people talking. It has silicone interior pads to cushion the phone and leaves all important features accessible including buttons and air circulation.

Beamer Case Has Built-in Flash

(image via: pichaus)

Yet another case for iPhone owners who love to take photos is the Beamer, a 2-piece plastic case with a built-in flash that can also be used as a flashlight. Press the button once for 10 seconds of light, or press it two times in quick succession to keep the light on.

Gameboy iPhone Case

(image via: vinaminh)

When this covetously geeky iPhone case was spotted in Japan, it instantly became an internet sensation with Nintendo lovers scrambling to figure out how to buy one. It's hard to tell exactly where this Gameboy case might be available for purchase, but if you've got some time and dedication you can replicate it yourself with a tutorial from Instructables.

Playstation iPhone Case

(image via: ps3maven)

Assuming you don't mind the adorable factor' of handcrafted felt, this awesome case is a must-have for iPhone-owning gamers. For just $20 you can get the console-shaped case, and another $7 scores the cute controller accessory.

Etch-a-Sketch iPhone Case

(image via: gizmodo)

More on the fantastically cute hand-sewn felt front: this one, modeled after an Etch-a-Sketch. No word on whether you can get your sketch customized, but the same Etsy seller also offers a totally 80's cassette design.

Solar iPhone Skin

(image via: treehugger)

Why not put your iPhone skin to work for you and let it power your phone? The Solar Surge skin features an integrated solar cell that can fully charge your gadget with the power of the sun, giving you about 30 minutes of talk time on a 2-hour charge.

Bookshelf iPhone Skin

(image via: geeky gadgets)

No matter what your taste in art may be, there's likely an artistic iPhone skin out there that's just right for you. This bookshelf' skin is just one of the many offered by Urban Outfitters.

Laser-Engraved Wood iPhone Case

(image via: unplggd)

A plastic iPhone is hardly natural', so what's a techie treehugger to do but find an earthy case like this wooden one by Engrave Your Tech. In fact, you can get any image you like laser-cut into the wood.

Hybrid Case Grips and Slides

(image via: switcheasy)

You want your iPhone to slide easily into your pocket, but it's awfully annoying when you can't seem to keep a good grip on it. Rather than drop it all the time, check out this slick hybrid case called Torrent, which features easy-to-grab sides.

Printable iPhone Skin

(image via: ohgizmo)

Sometimes, you just can't find anything that's quite your style. If you've got visions of getting your company logo or a personal photo emblazoned across the surface of your iPhone, a printable, customizable skin is the only way to go. IaPeel lets you print it from your home inkjet printer and has pop-up guides to ensure an accurate fit.

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Two Wheels Good: Awesome Bicycle Mod Art

Pimp my bike? It's more common then you think. Artistically modified bikes are the coolest things on two wheels these days. Here are 15 of the weirdest, wildest, most outrageous bikes ever to pop a sweet jump. 10 Comments - Click Here to Read More

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15 Examples Of Awesome Automotive Art

Our cars, ourselves - and if tattooing our bodies is desirable, arting up our cars is as well. These 15 artistic automotive expressions illustrate how some are driven to put a personal stamp on the steel skins of the 4-wheeled objects of our affection. 15 Comments - Click Here to Read More

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Already bought a book and don't want to buy it again to read on a portable device (like the iPad)? Consider transforming an old digital camera into a DIY digital scanner for less than $20.

Using guidance from DIY site Instructables and a few metal rods, you'll need to create a frame in which to hold the book and/or document. To scan the book or document, the picture needs to be clear while the pages are flat. This contraption uses the rectangular frame to press the open book flat, and the corners are connected by rods to the camera, making sure the images are steady.

After taking the pictureand you'll most likely want to clean them up in an image-editing softwarepaste them into Word, turn it into a PDF, or run them through an OCR (optical character recognition) program to make them searchable documents. It's a completely different way to scan your documents than previously mentioned document-processing service Qipit, but if you've got some time and want a digital version of your analog books, it might be worth a try. If you do scan to PDF, you may still want to consider converting your book to ePub format to make it more e-reader friendly.

Whether you've got an an iPad, a different snazzy tablet, an Android phone, or some other touchscreen device, sometimes your fingertip isn't the ideal input device. With a few common materials, you can make an effective and inexpensive stylus for your touchscreen.

User adamkumpf at DIY site Instructables explains that if you've got a regular old pencil, a sock, and a pair of scissors, you can make a really simple but useful touchscreen stylus for next to nothing. The key is in the socks. You'll need socks with anti-static material (socks with this material in the foot contain conductive silver thread that conducts well enough to work with touchscreens)basically you're wrapping the pencil in this anti-static, conductive material to make it touchscreen friendly.

I happen to be wearing anti-static socks at the moment, and sure enough, the material works nicely when pressed against my phone. We've featured other homemade styli in the past, but this soft stylus seems like the best version we've seen.

The guide also suggests you'll need some remedial stitching skills, but if you're really against pulling out the needle and thread, some tape would probably do just as well.

Much the way Supercool School allows anyone to create and monetize an online school, so Estonia-based Traindom focuses on helping information entrepreneurs market their expertise.

No programming or design skills are required to create an education-focused business with Traindom; rather, the site gives users everything they need, including an easy-to-use product creation interface, client management tools, payment systems and more. Content can be conveyed through text, images, audio or video, and support is available both from the company and through a community forum. Traindom users don't pay until they win 10 sales, and there are no contracts, setup or termination fees. Pricing ranges from nothing for a free account supporting up to 10 clients with 500 megabytes of video storage to USD 99 per month for unlimited clients and 10 gigabytes of storage.

Picking up where general sites like Instructables leave off, Traindom could provide just the platform for minipreneurs with niche expertise. One to try out on the target market that matters to you?

Website: www.traindom.com
Contact: info@traindom.com

Spotted by: John Greene

We haven't yet mastered the technique shown in this video, but once we do, we figure this will save us a few hours of time at the laundromat over the course of a year.

It's a 4-step process that looks like it should result in a knotted mess, but somehow ends up looking like something you'd see stacked proudly at The Gap. Head over to Instructables for more detailed info. Meanwhile, just enjoy this:

Fast way to fold a T-shirt [Instructables]

Follow up to our 12/2009 post! The open source restaurant - The Instructables restaurant. We love everything about this... Springwise writes -

Back in 2008 we wrote about Arne Hendriks's plan to create a crowdsourced restaurant in Amsterdam. As of December, the resulting eatery--called by its founders "the world's first open source restaurant"--has now opened.

At the Instructables Restaurant, which launched as a pop-up event at the historic Theatrum Anatomicum of the Waag in Amsterdam, patrons receive not only creatively-cooked food but also instructions for preparing everything they see, eat and use--including the furniture. For example, someone seeking the recipe for the Tom Kha Gai soup they just enjoyed can either claim it at the restaurant or download it online; and anyone interested in making their own versions of the restaurant's recycled 50-gallon barrel chairs can do likewise.

Everything in the restaurant derives from Instructables, a web-based documentation platform where people share their expertise with others, whether it's cooking, pottery or woodworking. Even the instructions for creating the restaurant itself are now available on Instructables.com.

Instructables Restaurant is the first open source restaurant in the world. Everything you see, use and eat is downloaded from instructables.com. It is an experiment in "digesting free internet culture". Instructables - Instructables is a web-based documentation platform where passionate people share what they do and how they do it, and learn from and collaborate with others. The seeds of Instructables germinated at the MIT Media Lab as the future founders of Squid Labs built places to share their projects and help others. Instructables supports the use of Creative Commons Licenses for uploaded instructables.

Instructables Restaurant
Everything in the restaurant is downloaded from Instructables, and what we could not find there, we added to its contents. Download it or take the instruction with you from the restaurant during your visit.

• The Instructables Restaurant comes with full instructions for everything. In most restaurants you get to buy and enjoy the food. In some restaurants, if you like the furniture you can buy it. But in the Instructables Restaurant you go home knowing how to make the food as well as the furniture. We give you the instructions and recipes!


• The Internet is full of passive information, and more is added every second. By really using and implementing this information not only do you plug into a world of know-how but it's also great for the people who have shared their knowledge. That's why crediting them is important!


• The Instructables Restaurant originates from the input of others. This creates a different notion of ownership and the intellectual property of a regular business. A lot of the input comes from others. This is what we like about the idea.


• The Instructables Restaurant creates a space between limitless information and reality. It's a 2.0 dock station where digital and real connect and communicate.

And of course, you can make your own.


The Best of Instructables Volume I. With more than 10,000 projects to choose from, the Instructables staff, editors of MAKE: Magazine, and the Instructables community itself have put together a collection of technology how-to's from the site.

And lastly! I just profiled the brains and brawn (and the brawn and brains) behind Instructables!

There are scads of tutorials flushing through the tubes that will show you how to twirl old wire coat hangers into rings, cut them up, and link them together with pliers to make the ubiquitous "butted" chain mail, in which the individual rings are either unjoined, soldered, or glued together. But this recent Instructable from armourkris, for the truly dedicated, shows you how to make a much more serious--and to my amateur eye, authentic--mail, in which each ring is flattened, punched, linked, and then riveted closed.

More:

• Flashback: Battle Chic DIY Chainmail
• Chain maille how-to
• Chainmail chess set
• Chainmail armor entirely from beer can tabs!
• Soda tab lampshade
• Ceramic Chain Mail Art

A few weeks ago, I posted about the seven characteristics of highly effective online video. Taking this theme a little further, I decided to branch out into the blogosphere, but using the number seven this time around was a tad too limiting. There are at least ten characteristics off the top of my head that make blogs and bloggers successful. These characteristics give the blogs mentioned below fame, fortune, and loyal followings.

Want to build your blog and following? Here are some key ideas and takeways as well as inspirational bloggers you might want to follow who can help you realize that dream.

Consistency

If you want your blog to be recognized as a household name, you better be consistent at providing quality content on a regular basis. The most popular blogs, according to Technorati, maintain that consistency by posting more than once a day. Granted, these are typically publications that have a staff of writers at their disposal, but they are like the newspapers of the blogosphere and readers have come to expect frequent updates. Blogs like Mashable and Gizmodo offer a consistent stream of stories every single day.

Blogging numerous times daily isn't necessarily a necessity for blogs just starting out, nor is it feasible for most blogs, especially those who don't blog for a living but for a hobby. Bloggers like Valeria Maltoni of Conversation Agent, who don't have a team of bloggers at arm's length, offer content on a very regular basis (in Valeria's case, 6 days a week). You don't necessarily have to pump out content hourly or even every day, but if you want to be a successful blogger, you should try to stick to some sort of schedule. If your readers are expecting content from you weekly, you should deliver weekly content. If your readers expect content from you daily, skipping a day might cause worry or the decision to unsubscribe because neglected content may inadvertently translate to neglecting your readers too.

Eloquence

My three favorite bloggers are Brian Solis, Lisa Barone, and Adam Singer. Why? Because they write damn well. They always have something insightful to say, and it shows in every single blog post that they write. It's pretty clear that their content exudes intelligence and occasional wit. They treat writing like an art and their art is viral. You can tell that you're reading blog posts of brilliant writers. They're that good.

For every post you write, take the time to proofread thoroughly. Would it be embarrassing for me to admit that I proofread every post I write 9-10 times on the low end? (This post has 53 post revisions, for the record.) It's surprising to see how few people actually do it!

Want another tip on how to write well? Read a lot. Blog posts that are well written are well-received. By putting effort into the writing process, you reap the benefits of a community that supports you because you lift them through your words.

Uniqueness

Darren Rowse wrote a great post about how you can be a unique blogger. Here's a hint: it requires not doing what everyone else does. There are so many blogs out there that regurgitate news, causing clutter in the blogosphere. Darren suggests having a memorable design, trying your hand at being a character (e.g. Fake Steve Jobs), and being a vault of resources (e.g. Smashing Magazine), among other things.

Search Engine Roundtable is an excellent example of a successful unique blog in a saturated market. This blog covers specific topics if and only if there's discussion in a variety of internet marketing forums. The discussion has to be highly specialized and relate to search engines and it must not have originated in the blogosphere; typically, discussions are discovered at WebmasterWorld, High Rankings Forums, Cre8asite Forums, Digital Point Forums, or Sphinn. Is there no related discussion there? Then you won't get covered.

Specific

Are you a distinguished expert in a topic matter? Bloggers who focus on a niche and tackle it are highly respected among their peers and within their communities. Who do you look up to for productivity tips? Tips on self-improvement? Search marketing? Social media? Small business?

Having a specific focus is what made Dumb Little Man (productivity tips), Lifehacker (productivity and tech), Jonathan Fields (lifestyle, business), The Happiness Project (self improvement), Small Business Trends (small business), Social Media Explorer (PR and social media), and other blogs successful. They're chock full of great content on the subject matters that their readers care most about. I know exactly what kind of content I am going to get when I go to each blog and there are typically no surprises.

Not yet an expert in a topic, but have aspirations to get there? Read Career Renegade (aff). The premise of the book is about quitting your current job to go after your passion, but it's got a ton of great ideas to take that topical blog which could be your business (or not) to great heights.

Specificity is why SEO blogs exist in great numbers. It's why we can find social media blogs in the thousands. If there's an interest in a subject matter, there's probably a blog. Or two. Or two thousand. And if you want to be first, you certainly can try your hand at it.

Personal

There's a ton of informational content out there on blogs, though sometimes it's not about the information that you share that makes you a spectacular blogger. It's about getting to know who the person is behind the screen. Mommyblogs are a great example of thriving personal blogs; they take you behind the scenes into the life as a parent. Personal accounts of everyday events is what made Dooce and the Bloggess so successful.

You don't have to make your blog completely personal, though. Instead, give personal stories as it relates to your mission in blogging. Jon Morrow wrote an incredible piece on fighting for your ideas, which is perfect Copyblogger content except it relates to his battle with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. It's an incredibly personal but powerful piece. Darren Rowse talked about how changing his style in a 90s road trip made him a better blogger today.

Give your readers a taste of the real you. Sometimes it helps to just be yourself.

Analytical

Blogs that take a good look at data and analyze it clearly are hugely resourceful. Brian Solis does this with regular status updates of everything in the social media marketing and PR universe. Yuvi Panda became extremely successful at a young age (15!) because he analyzed other blogs in the space, especially when Robert Scoble picked up on it. Unfortunately, much of Yuvi's analyses are hidden in the depths of the Wayback Machine, but from what is accessible, the detail is amazing.

People love data, and they love knowing how data can be aggregated to make conclusions. They love charts and graphics, and they love the findings that can be made from this data in aggregate. A good example of this is a recent post on blog lengths in certain industries by Glen Allsopp, who recently guest posted here. By looking at the standard lengths of blogs in certain industries, new bloggers can get a feel for blog word counts that are successful and that which may not be as helpful to grow a new blog.

Detail

Bloggers who actually show that they put their passion into the blog post, offering deep insights instead of just regurgitating news, are the winners of this category. My favorite examples of this come from all corners of the Internet, with some blogs always offering original detailed content (which is what I hope to achieve here on Techipedia) and others providing a mix of news bytes in addition to deeper commentary. A good example of this is Search Engine Land, which features search-related news briefs to keep the public informed of the industry, but also offers two separate categories contributed to by members of the search engine industry that offer great detail: the how-to category and the features and analysis category. Both categories offer a great amount of detail and insights from dozens of experts.

Other blogs only provide detailed content. If something is newsworthy, the blogger turns that into an opportunity to give a detailed analysis into the story. Jeremiah Owyang's blog does this with deep, meaningful insights. A great example is how he provided a deep matrix into Google Buzz, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter just a few days after Buzz was launched. I actually also found out that PayPal was being accepted via Facebook through Jeremiah and not through the regular blogs I read that cover the social space/tech industry.

Thought-Provoking

Blog posts that make you think once you finish reading the article to improve are the ones that fit this label. Seth Godin's posts are short but sweet, but he's so well read not only because he's been blogging since before I graduated college (which actually was a bit of time ago!) but because his posts are really that thought-provoking. You can't help but read his posts and get a few takeaways on what to do next. Seth also explains ideas very well through illustration and have you ever heard him speak? This guy is swimming with thoughts from head to toe. Color me impressed.

Controversy, done correctly, also fits under the notion of thought-provoking blogging content. Two of my three favorite blogs do this regularly; they push the envelope but make the reader (and possibly others) think long and hard about what's going to happen next. In many cases, their audience is applauding.

Passion

Sometimes bloggers have it. Sometimes bloggers don't. Bloggers who seethe passion attract visitors who need the inspiration to continue. In an earlier post, I touched upon how Gary Vaynerchuk and Chris Brogan show passion through their work. In everything that they do, it's evident that they love what they do and will work tirelessly to provide the ultimate experience to their readers, their audience, and their community.

When Danny Sullivan writes his most lengthy and great pieces, you can see passion all over it. You might even feel some emotional bond with some of this kind of content. You can tell that there's such depth to this content because of the proximity of the story to the blogger that you get drawn by it.

Most bloggers, though at least those who have kept at blogging for such a long time are the true examples of passion. It's very hard to provide regular content for readers on a consistent basis, and there are countless bloggers who do so regularly. I'm amazed to see how some people, especially those operating a one-man blogging operation, can do it with different topics every single day. Sure, this might overlap with the first section of this article, but I've found it difficult in the writing of this article to separate some themes from others. Most of my favorite blogs are true examples of many of these characteristics.

Instructional

Instructional blogs don't just give you insights. They actually hold your hand to get it done. Blogs in this category include DIY (do-it-yourself) blogs, such as MAKE or Instructables, or recipe and cooking blogs.

I've said in the past that informational videos and how-to content are extremely spreadable. The idea behind this is no different. If people in your community seek you out so that they can learn something new, they'll follow and they'll spread the ideas to others too. I see Lifehacker regularly sharing DIY content sourced from several blogs because the content is educational and enriching.

I also come across really savory recipes that just beg a share. And it's pretty incredible to see how the content across some of these instructional blogs intersects across different online communities. I learn about these new blogs mostly outside the social space because they do the hand-holding from start to finish, and as such, they often cater to a wider audience. This is the kind of content that spreads beyond the typical blog reader to an entirely different group of people.

Networked

Being networked is a quality that bloggers must have in order to be successful in this highly saturated space. I've been asked more than once about how bloggers, who seem to meet all other criteria that is, they may be consistent and eloquent and cover a specific niche can still succeed in the blogging space. The answer, really, lies in thinking outside the blog. In order for people to find you, you need to be able to market your blog to them. How does one do this? Comment on other bloggers' posts consistently. Send tweets out to the bloggers with your own commentary. Go to local or national face-to-face events to meet other bloggers.

Blogging is an online activity, and one you may think should stay there, but the bottom line is the most successful bloggers are known outside their blogs. (However, they became known through their blogs.) Putting a face to a name can translate to great opportunities. It's one thing to be a great writer. It's another to let people know you actually exist in the real world. Face to face networking can help do that.

Bloggers become successful out of staying connected to their peers online too. That's why you need to engage in other communities, on Twitter, and anywhere else you may find them.

Not all blogs will meet all these criteria, but if you're a growing success, you will likely find that your habits overlap with a few of these traits: consistency, eloquence, uniqueness, specificity, personal[ity], analytical, detail, thought-provoking, passion, instructional, and networked. The more you can cross off your list, the better your chances for success and influence as a blogger. Who are your favorite bloggers and why?

[ 11 Characteristics of Highly Influential Blog(ger)s is a post written by Tamar Weinberg. ]

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The awesome thing about pegboards is how easy they make sorting and organizing your tools. The not-so-awesome thing about pegboards is how they're nailed to the wall. This DIY pegboard cart let's you bring the organization with you.

Over at the DIY tutorial site Instructables, user Sensoryhouse wanted a rolling cart with pegboard to organize his tools. He frequently found that because he had so many tools and they were tucked away in drawers or not with him, he used less suitable tools for the job simply because he forget he owned the better ones. Commercially produced carts would run him several hundred dollars, so he opted to make his own.

The best part about the project is that not only are you flexing your DIY skills in the process of building itmetal working and welding to name a couplebut you'll end up with a final project that makes future DIY projects more enjoyable. Even if you're a bit gun shy about welding, give his tutorial a read through. He decided to build the cart as a way to teach himself to weld and recommends it as a great way for others to learn to weld, but you could adapt his basic design and use bolts instead.

SAN FRANCISCOMost of our readers can identify with the problem of having too many devices that charge over USB and not enough USB outlets in the house. Or, a more common scenario might be traveling with your iPhone, Kindle, and perhaps soon an iPad, and then realizing that you brought the cables, but not the mini power brick. These are both scenarios that Fastmac hopes to address with its recently announced U-Socket that it displayed at the 2010 Macworld Expo, which the company hopes will eventually become ubiquitous at hotels, conference centers, and even your own home.

The U-Socket differs from homemade USB wall sockets (one of which you can find at Instructables) because it's the only such product that exists on the market that meets electrical safety specs. With what Fastmac's Michael Lowdermilk describes as "easy wiring," installing such a wall outlet is allegedly a simple task (Lowdermilk said he set up the company's booth sample all on his own). And, not only does it have your standard three-prong power plugs, it has two powered USB outlets on the sides, making it more useful than many of the DIY solutions out there.