If you were popped out of the timestream and found yourself suddenly in the distant past, how much of our modern technology could you re-create? I've often thought that I could climb back to the vacuum tube era of the 1920s or so.

Author H. P. Friedrichs has realized this thought experiment and gone a step further by re-creating the transistor as well. You can read detailed descriptions of these adventures in technology in his book Instruments of Amplification.

Instruments of Amplification, written and illustrated by H. P. Friedrichs, is jam-packed with nearly 300 pages of history, science background, basic theory, and hard-to-find hands-on details pertaining to the construction of an amazing array of homebrew amplifying devices.

Rooted in the same "build-it-from-scratch" philosophy that made his first book, The Voice of the Crystal, a success, Instruments of Amplification reduces complex devices to their essential elements and then shows how they can be constructed from commonly available materials.

Instruments of Amplification is available from my favourite bookseller, Lindsay Books.

Jon dropped me a quick note with a link to pictures of his winning entry in the xLAN case mod competition.

It reminds me of my own water-cooled PC project from a couple years back, only with clockwork and way more awesome! 

Thanks Jon!

During a recent book signing in Seattle William Gibson was asked about the Steampunk modding craze.  I think it was really cool that he was aware of us!  In addition he commented: "My one complaint is, they make these things look all shiny and new...I think they should look...distressed."

Well, Kevin just sent me some pictures of his Steampunk Keyboard and I think he's managed just that!

I love it when someone takes a core idea from one of my projects and re-spins it in their own style like this keyboard.  I think a lot of people will be excited by the fact that it was made without a great deal of metalwork as my original was.

And if you've no time to make something like this as a gift for that special someone you can bid on this particular keyboard right now on eBay! 

More pics after the cut

Livejournal user Bob_basset created this beautiful, if slightly intimidating, mask out of leather and brass.

..I suppose, even gimps are getting into the steampunk. I can't help but re-imagine that scene from pulp fiction..