2012 has been a great year for DIY. We've seen a ton of awesome DIY projects, hacks, and creations over the last twelve months, but here are the most popular ones, from creating your own kickass media center to building a secret closet door and more.
Building a hackintosh-that is, installing Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware-used to require extremely restricted hardware choices and quite a bit of know-how. More »
Last summer, we took you to night school and walked you through building your own computer. What we didn't do at the time is give you a suggest parts list for that new computer. More »
DVD players are so 1999. In this day and age, a custom media center running XBMC is the only thing you really need hooked up to your TV-whether you're watching movies you've ripped, streaming your favorite TV shows from Netflix and Hulu, listening to podcasts, or even playing video games. More »
Between the Blu-Ray player, cable box, laptop, and everything else hooked up to your TV, your home theater situation is a mess. Here's how I rolled all those devices into one awesome media center-the media center of my dreams-for under $500. More »
An old picture frame + paint chips = an inexpensive, reusable monthly (or weekly) calendar. Taking inspiration from the Pinterest community, The Aesthetic Writer made this decorative dry erase calendar. More »
You've heard the word "server" thrown around a lot, but usually in the context of web sites or big companies that have a lot of data to store. In reality, a server can be just as useful in your home. More »
The annual Consumer Electronics Show is in session, which means thousands of people have descended on Las Vegas to stare at next year's dust-gathering trash. More »
Wouldn't it be nice to just plug your USB device right into the wall and not have to use the power adapter and take up an outlet? Apartment Therapy has a guide for you to do just that or you can use a plug-and-play option. More »
At Lifehacker we're big fans of the XBMC video player and home entertainment hub. Combine the awesomeness of XBMC with a Raspberry Pi, the $35 low-power computer board with a built-in SD card reader, USB ports, ethernet port, and HDMI output and we have the makings of a powerful-but-cheap home... More »
You may have seen those pricey tablets in your local drugstore or pharmacy that you're supposed to put in the bottom of your shower while you wash up. More »
Power outages are never any fun, but they're even worse if you get hit with one when you don't have any candles around. Thankfully, Instructables user DualPhase shares a way to convert an orange into a candle in a pinch.
Using an orange, grapefruit, or lemon, and any type of oil, you can hollow out... More »
Even if you have nothing to hide secret rooms, can safes, and the like are fun projects that can help you protect your valuables when not at home. YouTube user luvguns61 is a high school teacher who transformed a standard coat closet into a hidden room with a two-way mirror. More »
If you're tired of wrestling with cables and having to take everything apart just for a simple hard drive upgrade, this DIY "PC in a desk" could solve many of your woes. More »
Ever wished your house would greet you when you opened the front door, which unlocked automatically when you approached? Or your kitchen kept an inventory of everything inside it? More »
If you live in a city with red light cameras that snap pictures when you accidentally sneak through a red light then chances are you've received a ticket with your picture in the mail before. More »
Tennis balls are remarkably useful. They can rescue a worn-out pillow, speed up laundry, help clean your pool, open stuck jars, and a lot more. This clever little use from Redditor IAMmojo, however, is the most adorable of them all: More »
Planning a vacation doesn't necessarily mean you have to get someone to come and water your plants, especially if you only have a few that need a little care while you're out of town for a few days. More »
The perfect drink dispenser for your summer cocktail parties may actually be a watermelon. Serve punch, juice, or a real fruit cocktail in that giant melon. More »
We've shared tons of ways to boost your home Wi-Fi, but if you need something a bit more powerful, this DIY antenna can stretch your wireless network much further. More »
We've covered many mouse traps over the years, but they all need to be reset once you've caught a mouse. This means if you have lots of furry intruders you'll need to have several traps or just build this version using a 5-gallon bucket, an aluminum beverage can, a small piece of wood, and a wooden... More »
So there you have it. Lots of great DIY ideas this year. Whether your favorite made the list or not, we'd love to hear which project you enjoyed the most. And if you're hungry for more DIY, check out the most popular DIY projects from 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008.
via Lifehacker http://lifehacker.com/5966084/most-popular-diy-projects-of-2012
Whether it’s the structural layout of your home or just ghosts in the machine, we’re all familiar with inexplicable Wi-Fi dead spots.
